Rolled hem presser foot..which?

[Ramblinrev]

I agree, I've been sewing for over thirty years and rolled hem feet can be tricky. One of the reasons I added 1/4" elastic to the edge of mine was to snug it up, the other was that it makes a beautiful stable edge that is easy to sew. If you are struggling with soft slippery stuff look at Joann's or local sewing shop (please frequent sewing machine dealers, they are often a wealth of knowledge and can do with the business) for 1/4" wash away wonder tape. It is double sided sticky tape that holds everything in place and doesn't gum up your needle. You can put a line along the edge of the fabric and then peel off the paper and turn it onto itself. Carry it over to the machine and flip it again, it will be firmer and easier to turn evenly. Works wonders when you can't pin, it was a lifesaver when I made a goretex parka.

I am not about to call out a 30 year stitcher for bad information, however.... Be very aware that adhesives of _any_ kind can gum up a needle in seconds flat. That goo can be transferred to the innards of the machine. I will acknowledge that some adhesives may be worse than others. But I recommend avoiding them all for that reason. Even products intended for sewing can create problems. My wife confirmed this the other day when she mistakenly bought self adhesive velcro. Knowing the risks she decided to stitch it anyway in as much as the self adhesive stuff is not strong enough to take the abuse thid was going to get. She finally gave up after having to clean the needle 4 times in less than 1 foot of velcro. I glad momtaxi had a good experience. I'm sure it can be done. but I am not sure it is worth the risk.

[momtaxi]

Oh goodness, no, don't stitch self-adhesive velcro. In general I try to avoid velcro. I think aplix or touch tape is a better product than the velcro you can find locally.

Don't take my word for it. Try it yourself. Or check out the reviews at pattern review http://sewing.patternreview.com/review/notion/759.

It really is fantastic stuff. I have used it on my cover hemmers, my servers, many many different sewing machines from a little singer 99k, my son's elna lotus, a cheap trashed school brother machine and a high end Viking. My husband and I service all our machines and we have never seen a problem with this.

[Ramblinrev]

Oh goodness, no, don't stitch self-adhesive velcro.

Don't take my word for it. Try it yourself. Or check out the reviews at pattern review http://sewing.patternreview.com/review/notion/759.

It really is fantastic stuff. I have used it on my cover hemmers, my servers, many many different sewing machines from a little singer 99k, my son's elna lotus, a cheap trashed school brother machine and a high end Viking. My husband and I service all our machines and we have never seen a problem with this.

In all fairness and with full disclosure... my wife and I have been sewing for over 40 years and we came to the conclusion that adhesives are bad the hard way many years ago. Technology has changed and I have not tried to keep up with it. So I will bow to momtaxi's experience with the caveat that adhesive has to be made for this application. I remain confident of my own skills but I do see how this could be useful for others. Just make sure you get it from the right source and for the right purpose.

[momtaxi]

yes yes, do not be tempted to use regular double sided tape or indeed other sewing tapes for this purpose, they are not all made alike and can make a real mess of your needle and cause it and your bobbin race to eat your nice fabric. I also know from painful experience that quilt basting spray is not the same as regular spray adhesive and cannot be used interchangeably.

[Koolranch]

I agree, I've been sewing for over thirty years and rolled hem feet can be tricky. One of the reasons I added 1/4" elastic to the edge of mine was to snug it up, the other was that it makes a beautiful stable edge that is easy to sew. If you are struggling with soft slippery stuff look at Joann's or local sewing shop (please frequent sewing machine dealers, they are often a wealth of knowledge and can do with the business) for 1/4" wash away wonder tape. It is double sided sticky tape that holds everything in place and doesn't gum up your needle. You can put a line along the edge of the fabric and then peel off the paper and turn it onto itself. Carry it over to the machine and flip it again, it will be firmer and easier to turn evenly. Works wonders when you can't pin, it was a lifesaver when I made a goretex parka.

The goretex parka sounds awesome, any pictures?

[momtaxi]

I didn't have any so persuaded my son to put it on for me. Please bear in mind this is about five years old and doesn't look as fresh as it did to start with before heavy use and being stuffed in bags, also this was my muslin (made from fabricline's grab bag 2 layer stuff that was dirt cheap many moons ago). I didn't have a pattern and was making it up as I went and would change a bunch of things if I were doing it again-- the collar for one! I also had never sewn using these fabrics and insulations. I would also find non cotton piping cord instead of making do with what I had. I would also make a zip in jacket with most of the insulation in it. I made this for a very specific purpose which it worked well for but isn't terribly useful for everything else.

I used the tape for painlessly inserting zips where I couldn't pin, also the trim on the pockets was made from three different ribbons and tape held it all in place while I inserted the zip. I also designed and embroidered the logo (that took a learning curve on goretex).

image by oScarlet, on Flickr

[Koolranch]

I didn't have any so persuaded my son to put it on for me. Please bear in mind this is about five years old and doesn't look as fresh as it did to start with before heavy use and being stuffed in bags, also this was my muslin (made from fabricline's grab bag 2 layer stuff that was dirt cheap many moons ago). I didn't have a pattern and was making it up as I went and would change a bunch of things if I were doing it again-- the collar for one! I also had never sewn using these fabrics and insulations. I would also find non cotton piping cord instead of making do with what I had. I would also make a zip in jacket with most of the insulation in it. I made this for a very specific purpose which it worked well for but isn't terribly useful for everything else.

I used the tape for painlessly inserting zips where I couldn't pin, also the trim on the pockets was made from three different ribbons and tape held it all in place while I inserted the zip. I also designed and embroidered the logo (that took a learning curve on goretex).

image by oScarlet, on Flickr

Thanks for posting pictures. It looks cool. I'm just learning how to sew and all the information here is great.