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quick question re hemming lycical skirt

Alangus

quick question re hemming lycical skirt
« on: April 20, 2018, 10:18:06 AM »
Hi Everyone,

I'm helping out my daughters day school by making few very simple lyrical skirts. I picked up some inexpensive but nice poly fabric that is somewhere between a chiffon and a lightweight crepe but I am used to working with stretch nets and lycra so I FORGOT that it needed to be hemmed - what a idiot.

Do you think I should heat cut the hems - which I think will take me ages with my tiny hot cutter or just run them through the overlocker on a rolled hem? I'm a bit worried that the rolled hem will change the drape. I have cut them this way; - large square with a diagonal cut from one the outer edge pf corner to into the the center of the square - and this goes around the waist (on a waistband) so the back has on a nice bias drape. However it means that all the hems are on the straight grain and need hemmed.

Probably should have thought about this properly before I started eh! Never think - 'oh I'll just run those up in a morning 'cos I know what I'm doing'! :S

Al


BrendaP

Re: quick question re hemming lycical skirt
« Reply #1 on: April 20, 2018, 15:23:36 PM »
I would just run it through the overlocker, but make sure you use fine thread.
Brenda.  My machines are: Corona, a 1953 Singer 201K-3, Caroline, a 1940 Singer 201K-3, Thirza, 1949 Singer 221K, Azilia, 1957 Singer 201K-MK2 and Vera, a Husqvarna 350 SewEasy about 20 years old. Also Bernina 1150 overlocker and Elna 444 Coverstitcher.
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.

CarolC

Re: quick question re hemming lycical skirt
« Reply #2 on: April 20, 2018, 16:03:22 PM »
I would just run it through the overlocker, but make sure you use fine thread.

As Brenda says, overlocker and ideally finer thread than normal (but maybe try it with normal thread first), but also fine needles help. Otherwise the hem tends to pull away from the fabric. I use either the narrow hem/overlock setting or the rolled hem, depending on which looks better on the day.

You may need to fiddle with the differential feed to get it to lie as flat as you like.

Alangus

Re: quick question re hemming lycical skirt
« Reply #3 on: April 21, 2018, 08:41:10 AM »
Thanks very much. Glad you mentioned  the hem pulling away -  I had forgotten about that possibility and its quite a loose weave so more likely. I'll do a few tests with various needles/thread. Thanks again.

Georgie

Re: quick question re hemming lycical skirt
« Reply #4 on: April 21, 2018, 09:46:49 AM »
 I would roll hem too, I make little chiffon and crepe ballet wraps and that's what I do x
Aka Trickybottom

Alangus

Re: quick question re hemming lycical skirt
« Reply #5 on: May 04, 2018, 12:21:00 PM »
Thanks everyone, I couldnt get the serger to roll hem nicely, the stitching just kept pulling away as I was sewing, snagging up under the serger foot, and then getting tangled in the mechanism. I ended up using the sewing machine roll foot with a small zig zag - which was no problem. Can understand how I managed to make such a mess or the serger rolled hem, ive never really got on with it though :-)