I just made a baby carrier! It came out terrible!! Help me with a rolled hem!

[pamelamama]

Hubris!

I got a fabulous baby carrier from peppermint.com -- an EllaRoo. I love it! But it only comes in a couple of fabrics, and I thought, hey, I can make that for cheap. It's just one long piece of material, like five meters, by about 18 inches, hemmed at the edges. One big rectangle -- how hard could that be?? Humph!

So I'm a complete novice at sewing, but the sewing machine salesman showed me that my machine had a rolled edge hem foot. So I pictured me making a rolled edge with the hemmer.

First of all it took me hours just to cut the damn fabric into three equal pieces. Then I realized I forgot to buy matching thread, so back to the craft store. (All of this between dealing with the almost four year old and the 8 month old. Can you say "disney channel"? Geez, it wasn't even age appropriate viewing. bad mommy, bad)

So I finally get to try sewing it. What a disaster. Igot threads hanging out all over the place.. Some places look great! But others... not so much. And how do you do the very ends? It seems like you have to start about an inch in, so what gives with the beginning edge?

I will accept any tips on sewing a rolled edge with a hemmer foot!! I have two other cut pieces of fabric to try. I dont' have any practice fabric cause we just moved. SO I can't practice. So don't suggest practice, please. I know I need to practice. But I want to be great instantly without practice. (Humor me)

I had planned to keep one and give one to my sis and sis in law. Do I give them the good ones (assuming I improve) or the crappy one!

wheee! sewing is fun.

oxxo pam

[kerc]

try having someone help you feed the fabric?

i'm thinking everytime I have tried to run soemthing big through the machine (duvet covers) it looks like shit unless i get my dh to help. in the absence of someone else...maybe spread out the fabric so that it is up on your chair as it goes through. I struggle to get the fabric sewn when it is sliding around.

also...use masking tape or something and mark on your machine where the fabric should be as you feed it into the needle.

hth.

[panda]

Rolled hem foot advice on About.com

Maybe you've already seen this page, but it might have some helpful tips, and it has pictures along with the guide. It gives instructions on how to start at the edge of the fabric -- pin a scrap of fabric stabilizer (interfacing or paper would probably work, too) so it hangs off the edge, and use that to "lead" the fabric in to the feed dogs. There are pictures - my description doesn't make much sense.

I've never used a foot like this, but now I want one! Let me know if you get yours figured out. This would be a very handy feature to have, if it's not too hard to use. Good luck, and I'd love to see pics of your slings!

[daphynmama]

Do you happen to have a serger? A rolled hem is a breeze with a serger.

Sorry, other than that I have no advice. My mother is a seamstress and I'll ask her tonight about rolled hems on a sewing machine. I'll post if she has any hints.

[Rainbow]

It sounds like your tension was off... that was my biggest mistake when I first started sewing. Read your manual on how to adjust the tension- mine has a dial from 0-8. The numbers 2-5 are highlighted as they are the most common tension settings. Lower for thinner material- higher for thicker material.

[stafl]

Thanks for that link!!!!! I gave up on my hemmer foot, and went back to folding and ironing in order to get a decent hem...

[pamelamama]

Well, I'm getting better with the rolled hem. I had found that link, thanks, and it helped a lot. It just takes practice to get the right amount of fabric into the foot. It's doable.

My baby carriers work great, but do have some loose threads! It's not anything fancy, just a big long piece of fabric. I DO like the fabric though.

WHen I get my digital camera out of storage in October, I'll send you a photo!

Thanks so much for the tips, crafties!

No, I don't have a serger... maybe some day!

xoxo pam