Sewing Machine Presser Feet ~ Part 2, A Perfect Finish

Time for Part 2 of my Sewing Machine Presser Feet series! A sewing project is not complete until all the edges are finished. The presser feet in this part are all about helping you get that perfect finish for your sewing project. I’m covering the blind hem, rolled hem, & binding foot in this post. I’ll also tell you about the new storage for all my presser feet & small notions. So {or sew!} let’s see how we can achieve a perfect finish – or perfect enough! ; )

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Presser Foot Storage

I mentioned this storage system in Part 1 of this series & I went ahead and ordered it! It’s intended for bead storage, but I thought it would be perfect for presser feet.

It comes with a tray, tray lid, labels, & 4 different sized little boxes with hinged tops. The larger ones are perfect for longer feet, like FMQ feet.

The “mini” size are perfect for most of the small snap on feet. I did have to put the label on the bottom, but that’s not a major issue.

The small boxes worked well for some slightly larger feet – guide stitch foot, gathering/welting foot, & to hold the two overcasting feet I have. They are also great for grommets, hooks & eyes, & other such things like you see below.

Y’all, I’m in love with this storage system! It holds all those little bits & pieces & they’re labeled clearly. When I need to grab things for a traveling sewing session, I can just grab the little boxes I need. I know many people use the divided tray type boxes, but I find it hard to fish out little things with my fingers. Usually I have to get tweezers! With these, I can just pour them in my hand & not spill everything else in the tray. LOVE!!

Yes, I’ve already purchased a second box because I found one at my local Wal-Mart for the same price.

Rolled Hem

Okay, now that I’ve nerded out over my mini storage, let’s talk about the rolled hem foot. These are the different sized rolled hem feet that came with the boxed set. I turned them upside down so you can see the grooves in the bottom.

I bought my first rolled hem foot {the one out front in pic above} a long time ago only to be disappointed that it was not that easy to use & I haven’t used it since. After some research, I found some great resources to help solve some of my troubles:

• Flawless Finish: How to Use a Rolled Hem Presser Foot from Craftsy ~ basic steps; using tissue to start
• Mastering the Narrow Hemmer, Part One from Threads ~ great images for correcting problems; best tips for handling edges, seams, & facings

One thing I could not find was much information on the difference in a standard rolled hem foot & a round rolled hem foot. In comparing the two in my collection, I noticed the round rolled hem foot has a taller, more rounded front curve {2nd pic below} & bottom groove {see first pic above}.

The first pic above shows the difference in the foot that came with my machine {front foot} & the foot from the set {back foot}. One tip to remember before using this foot is to lower your stitch length & slow down your machine. Especially if you have a lead sewing foot like I do! ; )

To test out my new knowledge, I set up the end of a scrap piece of light weight denim just like the instructions suggest.

It went well until I tried to manipulate the roll into the front curve. You can see the fray happening from me struggling with it!

I finally got it situated & things went smoother from there. Keep the folded edge against the bar on the right & the rough edge against the bar on the left the whole time your sewing. The fabric “curl” should remain between those bars the whole time.

Here’s my finished edge:

You can see my slightly rough beginning, which I think will improve with practice. It definitely looks better than my first ever attempt or any rolled hem I’ve done thus far!

I decided to try out the round rolled hem foot in the same size {6mm} on the flip side of the scrap. The top seam is with the standard rolled hem foot & the bottom is with the round rolled hem foot.

The stitch is more in the center with the round rolled hem foot & I didn’t move the needle. I also decided to try a shell stitched rolled hem using the “shell tuck stitch” on my machine. Of course the description would have you believe it’s for “sell tuck stitching” – whatever that is! : D

I like this fancy stitch!

It’s nice from the front too!

Here are the basics to remember when using this foot:

• Make sure the fabric has a smooth edge by cutting it with a rotary cutter
• Go slow! Not the foot for speed sewing!
• Shorten your stitch length
• Prep your ends, seams, & facings before starting the hem

These tips should help you have a better experience with the rolled hem foot!

Blind Hem Foot

I’m going to say I’ve never used a blind hem foot because I just do regular hems! The only time I have hidden hems is on jackets with linings & I hand sew them in. So, this was a totally new experience for me!

The foot on the left came with my machine & the foot on the right came with the set. The one on the right is the one commonly seen except for that little bit poking out in front.

Most of the tutorials for using these feet show the type on the right. I did find this tutorial on Brother for the one on the left, but it’s a little confusing. I started by folding over the selvage edge & basting it 3/16″ from the end, just as if I had already made the hem.

Then you fold the fabric back against the basted edge so that little 3/16″ is facing up. Here it is folded over with the foot on the machine in the background. The edge of the foot goes against that second fold & the 3/16″ bit goes under the foot.

I don’t know if that makes it easier to see or not! You also need to select an “overcast stitch on the machine & adjust it until the needle just hits the fold. The stitch should just catch the fabric like below:

Here’s the front of the hem & you can see some of my stitches at the ends.

Next up was the one with the lip. I couldn’t find instructions on how to use this anywhere! Finally I figured out that I would have to remove the basting stitches to slide the lip under the fold.

My first past didn’t catch anything, but after some adjustments it worked!

It seems to be more hidden than the first foot…

Here they are side by side:

I’m thinking more practice is needed with both before decided which is best!

Binding Foot

This foot is the main reason I bought the whole set & it’s a pain in the boo-tay! You can check this article on Craftsy for great how to’s, especially how to deal with the corners.

It has an adjustable end and two slots to slide the binding through.

One problem I noticed is that the little wheel for adjusting tends to move the longer you sew. It doesn’t look like it touches the machine, but it moves!

Here’s how it looks set up with a quilt in the “sandwich”:

You can see how the binding fits in the slots here:

I started the binding on a doll quilt about 4 times before I got the hang of it. I’ve done 3 doll quilts so far…

It does a great job in between the corners, but I’m still struggling with the corners, as you can see!

All I can say is practice, practice, practice! These feet are all specialty feet & work great if you know how to use them. Take the time to practice with them before using them on a final project. Then maybe you won’t be pulling your hair in frustration like me! : )

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