Rolled hem feet October 19, 2006
After I posted my tutorial on machine rolled hems, I was asked about sizes of hemming feet. This photo shows some of the feet from my collection. From the left, they are: a straight-stitch hemmer and four various zigzag or shell hemmers (don’t feel bad, I’ve never been able to tell a difference between the two). Personally, I think the straight-stitch hemmer is not really necessary - I’ve actually never used it. The narrower zigzag hemmers are handy for very fine fabrics such as silk chiffon *but* this is not my preferred method so, again, I rarely use these hemmers. The ones that I actually use the most are the two on the far right. The narrower one is great for making shell and lettuce hems on fine knits and lingerie and the wider one is perfect for napkins and shirts. If I had to choose just one, I’d choose the wider one as I think it’s the most useful all around.
Lovely sewnographic display!
Thanks, Gigi! This answers my question perfectly!
I agree - they are almost indistinguishable. But when upended, as in your super photograph, they reveal that the straightstitch has a small round needlehole and the others have the diagonal slot that permits a zigzag. I too can’t think in what circumstances a straight stitch foot would be better than a zigzag for a hemmer. If using very fine fabric that gets sucked down, a straight stitch needleplate, with the needle carefully positioned to go into the hole, would surely be better than a non-versatile presser foot. Anne
Oh no! There is more than one kind of hemmer? Your graphic made me take a second look at the one that came with my machine. It has a wider opening, so I assume this means I can use it with a narrow zigzag stitch also. Still, I think it is time to pull out the manual and actually read about this foot. I’ve only had the machine for 13 years, so this should be a good time to do that!