Twinsies

Twin Needle HemmingMakes me happy. I am pretty short. and hippy.

not in a granola crunchy way, but in the way that when I find something that fits me, I usually have to chop off a few inches. This J.Crew dress was super cute and long. I needed to trim off a few inches.

Twin needle hemming is fantastic because it looks super professional and it helps prevent hems from rolling. It looks like 2 perfectly lined up rows of stitching on the front, and in the back creates a zig zag effect that holds the fabric flat. Because this zig zag covers over the edge, you also do not have to edge-finish your knitted garments. The finished item looks fantastic.

Tools -

Twin needle (made for knit fabric)

adapter for 2nd spool of thread

2 spools of thread, 1 bobbin

ruler

First step -

gather your supplies. Remove your current m

achine needle and place in a safe place for later use. Insert your Twin Needle. Now, set your machine up with the 2nd spool holder. Thread you

r machine so you have both top threads together like you would doing normal stitching. When you get to the needles, simply thread one thread into each hole. R

oll your fly wheel forward to pull up the bob

bin thread. Pull all three threads to the back.

2nd step -

Decide how much you want to hem your garment. If you are doing a major chop like me, be conservative. Sometimes the fabric is so heavy that when you remove a lot, the item might be too short when you cut off the excess. You can always change the depth of your hem or trim a bit more off when you are done.

I pinned my dress up 5 inches. I wanted a 1 inch hem. I should have cut off 4 inches, but I cut off 3 1/2 inches because this fabric was really heavy and weighted the hem down.

3rd step-

Cut your hem appropriately and iron in place. Place pins as you like perpendicular to the garment for easier removal. I actually don't always use pins for this. If you are confidant in it holding in place while you sew, just go for it. Just be accurate and consistent in your hem depth because you are sewing from the front.

4th step-

on the FRONT side of the garment, begin stitching. I usually use a slightly larger stitch length - I think it looks better. You want to line the stitching up so that on the back, the "zig zag" that is created is just barely on the edge of the hem fold itself.

5th step -

Stitch all the way around stretching very slightly. Be sure to back stitch at beginning and end. Press your new hem with some steam.

Back side of twin needle hemming:

Front side of twin needle hemming: