There are quite a few feet for sewing machines. Usually, the device comes with only a dozen of the most popular attachments, but even all of them are not always used. In fact, there are several times more of them than in any set. Each performs a very specific function for decorative stitches or clothing repair. Among them is a foot for a blind stitch. This material will discuss how to make a blind stitch on a sewing machine and what it is needed for.
Blind stitch attachments
The foot for a blind stitch is most often used to hem the hem of the fabric of the bottom of trousers or skirts made of "capricious" or dense materials, which other feet do not always cope with. It should be understood that such a stitch will be invisible only when the material of the product has a thick and loose structure.
For your information! The blind stitch works perfectly with skirts made of thick and woolen materials, where the stitch threads are buried in the fabric itself.
The blind stitch feet themselves look quite bulky, which is not surprising considering the thickness of the fabrics they are designed for. Some of these attachments can be used not only for blind stitches, but also for some other operations. For example, these feet are used for double or triple finishing stitching.
Important! Some craftswomen also use the foot for blind stitches for overcasting cuts and edges of material. It is this foot that allows you to quickly and easily hem parts or clothing on any sewing machine.
How to use
Using the blind stitch attachment is as easy as using any other feet. It is removed and put on in the same way as any other part of the set, but its use has its own nuances. An example of use can be shown on the hem of a product.
Often in master classes for demonstration purposes, white or contrasting threads are used, but for regular work, you need to be very careful when choosing threads. They must be of good quality and ideally match the color and tone of the fabric cut or finished product. This is necessary so that small areas and manifestations of the hemming stitch do not appear on the front side. Or rather, they will appear anyway, but the uniformity will hide them from people's eyes.
So, to demonstrate the operation of the blind stitch foot, a hem is shown, which is performed as follows:
- Iron the required width of the hem of the bottom or top. This can also be sleeves.
- Turn the hem outward with its entire width and shift it as shown in the picture below. In this form, it will be hemmed on the sewing machine.
- Select the stitch on the machine that will be used for hemming. If there is no specialized stitch, then the zigzag type is used.
Important! In this example, the sewing unit has two types of blind stitches, designated by the corresponding Latin letters. Some machines allow you to program any custom stitch type, which is not something to be ashamed of.
Making a blind stitch on a sewing machine
Creating blind stitches on any sewing machine is a simple process, but it requires attention and coordination. The sewing needle should pass as close as possible to the fixed edge that will be hemmed. At the same time, it captures only the first few threads or fibers of the fabric. If this is not observed, then the front side of the product will be completely covered with stitching, which will come out and spoil the appearance of the product, especially if the threads are not matched to the color and tone of the clothing.
In the example described above, the sewing unit is programmed to sew a blind stitch of four straight stitches and one wide zigzag that slightly catches the fabric with the needle and passes the thread under a pair of top fibers.
Important! The best way to do a blind stitch is to use the appropriate attachment for hemming the bottom and sleeves of clothing. You should also pay attention to the fabric. It should be loose and dense. The picture below makes it clear what these recommendations are for.
Loose and thick fabric practically does not show the stitching on its front side, hiding it behind its pile, wool or thick and lush threads. Ideally, the hem made according to the instructions above will be fixed on the main fabric with an invisible hidden stitch that captures only the first couple of fibers of the fabric. Therefore, you need to choose a strong and "thick" material for these purposes.
How to hem a skirt with a blind stitch on a sewing machine
It is not always possible to successfully perform all the operations on a home machine, so you have to take up the needle and thread yourself. This also applies to hemming the bottom of the skirt. If the craftswoman does not have a special attachment for a blind stitch or this stitch is not provided in the machine at all, then you will have to act independently. One of the fastest and most convenient ways to hem is as follows:
- Overcast the edge of a pencil skirt or a sun skirt using an overlock attachment.
- Fix the hem with an iron and place a 0.2 cm stitch on the back side.
- Make an additional line 0.4–0.5 cm from the first line, if desired. It should be located higher. This will prevent the overlock seam from “falling out”.
In this case, it is even more important to select the right threads, their color and tone than when using a special foot for a sewing machine.
Important! You should not use a special spider web for manual hemming - an adhesive tape with glue on both sides. It is often used for this purpose, but it also brings many defects to the clothes.
Many modern sewing machines have a blind stitch function, although a special hemming foot may not be included. This feature allows you to quickly and conveniently hem the bottom of trousers, pants, skirts of various models and sleeves of other clothing. It is desirable that it be made of thick and fleecy fabric.
It is worth saying that professional seamstresses usually do not use such tools and resort to various manual tricks to perform the operation of applying a blind stitch for hemming themselves.
Important! If a person has a special attachment for a blind stitch, but the machine does not “know how” to do it, then you can use a regular zigzag stitch, which is certainly available even on the oldest and most manual sewing machines.
In general, hemming a skirt of any model on a sewing machine using the stitch in question will not be a problem. To do this:
- Determine the width of the hem and iron it.
- Turn it inside out and move it towards the main fabric in the same way it will be sewn.
- Select the type of stitch. If the bib does not have a blind stitch, you can use a zigzag.
- Carefully make the necessary stitch along the entire length of the hem.
So, here was described in detail how to use the foot for a blind stitch on a sewing machine. It is suitable for all units, be it Janome, Brother, Aurora, AstraLux or "Singer". The most important thing is to follow the step-by-step instructions for hemming to create a perfect hidden seam.
