This blog post introduces sewing a rolled hem, and using the rolled hem foot attachment with your sewing machine.
If you do not have this attachment you can buy one from most fabric/haberdashery shops. Pick the rolled hem foot attachment that is compatible with your sewing machine.
This type of hem finish is usually used on lightweight and delicate fabrics, and produces a very, very small turned hem. It’s perfect for finishing the scarf.
If you have not used slippery/silky fabric before, this is a great project to improve your sewing skills. It will help you get used to the challenges that come with slippery, fine and delicate fabric.
Do you love vintage clothes, and vintage or charity shop shopping ? you are probably very familiar with the tempting basket by the till, full of fabulous head scarf’s from a by gone era, but, some times these scarf’s need some TLC.
If you have bought some of these scarf’s that need mending on the edges, simply cut the damage and the rest of that edge away, with your sharp scissors and repair, one or more edge’s as if you were making the scarf from scratch.
Materials and Equipment
70cm of silky fabric
Matching thread or contrast thread, pins, tape measure, chalk and scissors.
RS = right side of fabric WS = wrong side of fabric.
Cut your fabric into a 64cm x 64cm Square, using a ruler/tape measure and tailors chalk.Use the selvage edge as a guide.
Starting 0.5cm (or closer) from 1 raw edge of the scarf, with the WS facing you, machine stitch 10 stitches, do not secure these stitches. Remove from the sewing machine.
Move to the iron and ironing board and iron a 0.5cm (or less) hem, folding the right side to the wrong side, on all 4 raw edges.
Return to the sewing machine, attach the rolled hem foot and using the 10 stitches guide the fabric into the rolled hem foot, I find getting started quite tricky, but once the rolled hem foot, catches the folded hem its easy to sew.
The fabric is fed into the foot folded twice (as shown), you have already ironed a 0.5cm hem, (or less) and you will need to turn the hem again as you feed it into the foot for another 0.5cm. (Or less
Machine the 4 raw edges, leaving some thread, at the end of the seams for the hand sewing. Using the tread you can neatly finish/tidy if necessary the corners by hand.
Gently iron your scarfs, stand back admire your awesome work and give yourself a pat on the back! Well done.
SMXLL