Thanks, ladies. Watch this space as there will be plenty more garments coming along, out of necessity as much as anything else!
Ohsewsimple, I have the ubiquitous Janome coverstitch machine. It's not that it won't sew a hem, but I find that the hems don't last and often come undone within a couple of months. The thing is, I'm not wild about twin needles, either, and hate the way the fabric can shift with the stitching, almost gathering on some finer fabrics. I blush to admit that I've recently been reminding myself of the joys of pinking shears! I bought a new pair recently to cut some cotton fabric to make beeswax wraps (I'm trying to reduce my use of clingfilm) and so they are nice and sharp and have done a perfectly good job on a blouse I'm putting the buttons onto this afternoon. Some times, the old ways are the best.