How to Hem Jeans or Pants on a Flat Bed Sewing Machine
I've heard it a million times - "I want an all metal, vintage machine, but I HAVE to have a free arm so that I can hem pants."
Really?? It's simple to hem jeans or any other pant leg on a flat bed sewing machine. So much so that I don't use the free arm for this, even on machine that have a free arm. What's the "secret"? Just sew on the INSIDE of the tube rather than the outside.
Before you start sewing, press the hem with a hot iron and lots of steam. At the bulky seams, either pinch the fabric with a pair of pliers or give it a few good whacks with a hammer. This will flatten out the "hump" somewhat and make it easier to feed evenly. It's also important to use the right needle for the job. I suggest a denim or sharp point needle in size 14, 16 or 18, depending upon how heavy the denim is and the thickness of the thread being used. I'm using a thicker, topstiching thread, so I opted for a #18 denim point.
Here are some more tips for sewing over the "hump"
Just as you approach the hump, when the needle is in the fabric, lift the presser foot and insert something under the presser foot, behind the needle to help level out the foot. I used an empty needle case as my shim in the photo. Keeping the foot level allows the fabric to feed evenly and prevents the dreaded "jam-up". This is when the foot won't go over the hump.
As you come off/ down from the thick seam area, use your shim on the front side to keep the foot level again as shown in the photo above.
Really?? It's simple to hem jeans or any other pant leg on a flat bed sewing machine. So much so that I don't use the free arm for this, even on machine that have a free arm. What's the "secret"? Just sew on the INSIDE of the tube rather than the outside.
Before you start sewing, press the hem with a hot iron and lots of steam. At the bulky seams, either pinch the fabric with a pair of pliers or give it a few good whacks with a hammer. This will flatten out the "hump" somewhat and make it easier to feed evenly. It's also important to use the right needle for the job. I suggest a denim or sharp point needle in size 14, 16 or 18, depending upon how heavy the denim is and the thickness of the thread being used. I'm using a thicker, topstiching thread, so I opted for a #18 denim point.
Here are some more tips for sewing over the "hump"
Just as you approach the hump, when the needle is in the fabric, lift the presser foot and insert something under the presser foot, behind the needle to help level out the foot. I used an empty needle case as my shim in the photo. Keeping the foot level allows the fabric to feed evenly and prevents the dreaded "jam-up". This is when the foot won't go over the hump.
As you come off/ down from the thick seam area, use your shim on the front side to keep the foot level again as shown in the photo above.
 |
Want an instant marked needle plate for your vintage machine?? SEE THIS!! |
Thanks for the tips, I hadn't thought of using pliers or the hammer to flatten out the hump, let alone the use of a shim. Now I'll be able to tackle hems from heavy material without the horrible jamming. Thanks!
Great pictures and good tips Jenny, especially for our new sewers....thanks much....
I was wondering if there were special foots made for sewing Jeans???
As you can see in the photos in this entry, you would use a standard straight stitch foot or a general purpose foot on your zigzag capable machine. There is no "special" hemming jeans foot for sewing machines.
Wow, look at those stitches! Bee-you-tee-full.
Really thats grate!information, the picture are looking very attracting and beautiful. thanks a lot for this!
regards to everyone
That is great, thank you! What about sewing patches on the knee? Any tricks for that? Are there any vintage free arm machines?
Fantastic tips, now i just need to practice to get my stitches looking like that! Thank you!
I tried it at home and it works really well, thanks for sharing such a nice tips for making jeans pant