Machine Blind Hem Tutorial

When hemming skirts and dresses, it's common to use the blind hem option on sewing machines. So, to show you how easy it is to use this option, I hemmed this jumper with a blind hem.


Step 1:

Measure your hem and press as you go around the skirt. Here, I did 2.5"





Excellent!

Now, find your blind hem stitch on your machine. It should look a little like this.


Step 2:

Fold the raw edge under about 1/4". Then, fold the entire hem under the skirt leaving only 1/8"-1/4" showing to the right of the fold as shown.


Under that "wrong side" fabric is the rest of that hem.


Here, let me show you in this picture.



















There. See how it's folded under? That's what you're looking for.


Step 3:

There, take your time and stitch. What you want to do is have your straight stitches almost on that far right fold and the main skirt 1/8"- 1/4" or so away so that the needle catches it on the left

When you're done, this is what it'll look like if you flip it over.

Do you see the zigs and straights?

That's what creates the blind hem.






Press well.

There you go! Here's the view from the inside of the garment. It's clean, no raw edges, nothing.

Use lots of steam! Steam is the dressmaker's friend!








And, the final effect! From the right side, there you go! One hem, that hardly shows (well, it won't show much once you master the 'barely catch it' technique but even if you don't, look at that. It's at the hem. The only people who will see it are crawling babies and they really don't care. It's fast, easy, and usually a very neat hem.

Perfect Gathers

If your skirt is wider than your bodice, you have three choices.

1. Pleats

2. Darts

3. Gathers.


Learning to make beautiful gathers is easy and a very rewarding way of making a garment extra lovely.

First, you must have a sewn skirt. If you don't have a sewn skirt, sew your skirt first.


Step 1:

Yes, I cheated. I used another picture that doesn't quite apply to this step. See the presser foot? You want it right along the raw edge of fabric. (About 1/4" to the right in that picture)

With your stitch LENGTH at its longest, stitch around the entire skirt (unless it's wider than 90" total. If it is wider, then see the full skirt tutorial).

When you get to where you started, stop! Pivot the needle, take a couple of stitches down into the skirt, pivot again, and then stitch back around the skirt 3/8" away from the first stitching. At the starting point, pull enough thread away with the garment to give you some to pull.

This should be what it looks like when you're done.


Step 2:

With two threads from the SAME SIDE OF THE FABRIC (usually the bobbin side), pull the gathering threads gently, sliding the fabric along the threads. Don't let yourself jerk too hard. You don't want to break those threads.














What you want to do is gather the fabric enough to be able to tie it off the same width as the bodice.






I tie all four threads together when I do this.



Look closely. Can you see where I stitched back to where I started, sewed down, and then went back again?

Do you see it?


Simple isn't it?





Step 3:

Next, shift the gathers until the side seams are at each side of the skirt evenly.

Then, start sliding those gathers around until there are no blank spots-- no bunchy spots. Just sit back, slide it around, and get it to where you want it.






See! All even.


To sew to your garment, sew at 3/8"-5/8" (depending on your style and seam allowance built into the pattern). You want to sew between those two rows of stitching because then you get a perfect gather.

You will have to remove the lower gathering threads. But, it's totally worth that work to ensure that you have perfect gathers. They look so nice!



And, if you're making a flat-felled skirt seam, this is the very best way to ensure even gathers without too many flat spots with that technique.

This works for sleeves, (upper and around cuffs) skirts, shirring-- anything that requires gathers!

Tackling the Flat-Felled Seam

There are basic seam options when making a skirt (whether a simple skirt or the skirt of a dress or jumper).

1. French. French seams are fully encased seams inside the garment. These seams are great for heirloom clothing, sheer garments, and other light to medium weight fabrics. French seams aren't the best choice for corduroy or denim.

2. Serged. This, of course, requires a serger but is another way to make a non-bulky seam that hangs inside the garment.

3. Zig-zagged or pinked. With these, the raw edges are either cut off in a way that makes it difficult to fray or machine sewn to have the same effect.

or

4. Flat-felled. This is similar to a French seam but shows on the outside of a garment. Most people see flat-felled seams every day. Nearly every pair of blue jeans on the planet uses flat-felled seams on the out seam. It is also common in menswear, outerwear, and ladies' skirts. This is perfect for medium to heavyweight fabrics.

This tutorial is designed to help you with creating flat-felled seams. The advantage of these seams is that they are very strong, flat, and hide the raw edges perfectly. You don't use these seams where you don't want to see stitching. These seams show stitching.

Step 1:

Unlike most sewing, with flat-felled and French seams, you sew with wrong sides together. Regardless of your pattern's seam allowance, you must always use 5/8" allowance for a flat-felled seam.

Don't forget to back stitch!









See! One 5/8" seam!

Repeat for the other side.















Step 2:

Trim away ONE side of the seam to around 1/8"

Don't stress about having a perfectly straight cutting line. It's going to be hidden anyway. You just want to get rid of some of the bulk.

Repeat for the other side.







Press the larger piece over the smaller to make it nice and flat. (Hence the flat of flat-felled)














Step 3:

Fold the fabric into the seam as shown.

You want to turn the raw edge under and then press it well.

See how it's pressed under?









I like to try to make the fabric fold exactly in half. It isn't necessary, but it does look nicer if you do.















Repeat for the other side.


This is what it looks like as you cut away the excess fabric.













Step 4:

Then, with the needle just inside that fold of fabric, stitch the fold down.

Most machines have some way to follow the edge clearly. Find a way to position the needle so that you can stitch straight and along that edge.

Write it down if it isn't something you're sure you'll remember. It doesn't hurt to have a little notebook of little tips like that so you don't have to reinvent the seam next time.



Voila!

A perfect seam that is strong, beautiful, and that will hold up to wash after wash without any raveling at all!


See the Flat-Felled skirt for how to attach a gathered skirt to a bodice with this method.

With sewing techniques like this, you can sew a perfect garment without the use of a serger. This can also be done completely by hand but it is time consuming and difficult.


Now, go make that skirt!