Bellamsn

How To Hem Knit Fabrics With A Coverstitch Machine

Coverstitch machines are becoming more and more common among home sewists and it is not hard to see why. They are getting cheaper and they allow you to breeze through hemming knit fabrics. The best way to learn the way around a machine is to read its manual and do lots of tests with scrap fabrics. However, I still write this tutorial to show you all the basics because these are the same no matter what model you have.

By the way, if you are still looking for a good coverstitch machine, read coverstitch machine reviews that might be able to help you.

You can sew with two or three needles

When you have had your hem folded in place, put it under the presser foot of the coverstitch with the right side facing up. Marking the hem you wish to sew so that you have something to follow when you operate the machine.

You have the choice to sew with two or three needles so depend on your preference or liking, pick one of these two options.

This applies to how far apart the needles are too. I often set the machine to sew seams as close to each other as possible. But if you want to increase this distance, feel free to do so.

To be extra careful and make sure that your hem allowance is even, use the electrical tape on your machine as a marker. If you do not want to use pins, basting with a best entry level sewing machine is a good substitute.

If you are using pins, take your time to sew slowly and remove pins along the way. When you operate the machine, make sure that the hem allowance you set earlier is maintained. When you get used to the machine, you can just skip the pinning step and align the edge of the project with the edge of the presser foot.

To check if the loopers have covered the edges, turn the project to the other side to check. If things go well, keep sewing until you reach the finishing point. Even if the edges are not covered, you can always trim it off later. Practice makes perfect so keep going and you will not have to trim anything in a near future.

This is what to expect with a coverstitch machine

When you are done, raise the needle to its highest position and also the foot. Do not pull the project out immediately as you need to lower the tension a bit in order to do so. To do this trick, use a pin or a pair of scissors to pull the thread a little bit to me. This will release the needed tension so that you have a perfect seam.

A coverstitch machine is the best candidate for hemming knit fabric but if you cannot find one, you can easy to use sewing machine for beginners with zigzag stitches. Try it now.