Sewing a rolled hem with the overlocker: You can sew very beautiful rolled hems with an overlocker. Such an overlock rolled hem not only looks good, but it is also lightning fast! I will show you what you need to look out for.
Sewing a rolled hem: But how?
There are many ways to sew a beautiful rolled hem. You can sew it by hand. Or with the rolled hem foot of your sewing machine. This post is about creating a rolled hem with the overlocker (but I have linked my huge post on the topic of sewing hems below – where you can also find instructions for the sewing machine).
It looks great and is also really quick!
What is a rolled hem?
To explain that, I will tell you what it is not: It is not a turned hem! You know that from shirts and trousers: the fabric edge is folded over once or twice, ironed, and then topstitched.
With a rolled hem, it is a bit different: The rolled hem takes away nothing (or only a few millimeters) from the original length of the garment. It "rolls" the fabric edge in, meaning the edge is completely enclosed by the seam. And even more: it is also rolled slightly.
The rolled hem is the narrowest stitch possible with the overlocker (usually 1.5 millimeters). The edge does not become wide and flat like other hems, but narrow and finely rounded.
What makes the difference? The changed setting of the overlocker. I will show you how that works using my Babylock enspire* right now.
Sewing a rolled hem without a rolled hem foot (with a sewing machine)
A brief digression to start. If you would like to sew a rolled hem without a rolled hem foot using a sewing machine: I have written complete instructions on types of hems. Be sure to check out the corresponding blog post: Sewing hems with a sewing machine (really everything about hems).
Which fabrics are suitable for a rolled hem?
You can use rolled hems for very delicate fabrics like chiffon, tulle, cupro, viscose, modal, or silk. For these, the rolled hem works perfectly as a hem for tunics or for scarves and light shawls. You can also sew a skirt or a dress with a rolled hem. In my example, you can see the rolled hem on my Yoko pattern for a jersey dress.
By now a classic: triangular shawls and scarves made of muslin are also often finished with a rolled hem, which makes ironing unnecessary.
A rolled hem also works very well for jersey fabrics. Especially in children's clothing, you can achieve beautiful effects with a rolled hem or a ruffled edge.
What does a 3-thread (normal) overlock seam look like?
An overlock seam can certainly be used for simply finishing fabric edges. It doesn't always have to be a rolled hem. The difference: with an overlock seam, the standard setting is maintained. With a rolled hem, the setting is changed to "rolled hem".
This is what the normal overlock seam looks like:
Sewing a rolled hem: Instructions
There are various ways to sew a rolled hem. It is important that you always sew a test hem on a piece of the fabric you are using. The differences in how a hem succeeds can be very large. It is definitely worth trying it out a bit!
How to sew a rolled hem
Set the stitch length regulator to the rolled hem position. You can select different stitch lengths (at least on the Babylock enspire).
Turn the stitch width regulator to 3.0 (depending on your machine).
Increase the tension of the lower looper: this is the regulator on the far right.
This setting creates tension on the lower looper thread. This causes the lower thread to lie practically invisibly on the underside of the fabric.
Now test whether the hem is sufficiently rolled. If not, you can loosen the needle thread tension slightly and/or increase the lower looper thread tension somewhat.
This is what the seam looks like then:
If you want a simple, narrow hem that doesn't roll up, choose the same machine setting but do not adjust the thread tension.
Sewing a tight rolled hem
For a tight, dense, and stable rolled hem, I sew with 2 needles and a short stitch length. This rolled hem is well-suited for jersey or modal. It then looks like this:
Ruffled edge: Sewing a rolled hem with waves
This hem is suitable for light summer clothing, e.g., dresses, tunics, or shirts. It is characterized by the fact that it waves slightly. The waves are created because more stitches stretch the fabric edge, thus creating more fullness in the hem area.
How to do it: Keep the settings described above and sew with 2 needles.
Stretch the fabric while sewing until the desired wavy structure is created.
This is what it looks like then:
How to finish a rolled hem with waves
Sew a few centimeters past the start.
Thread the thread tail onto a darning needle and pull it into the seam on the underside. Cut the threads after about 5 cm.
Rolled hem overlocker: Sewing a corner
I have written detailed instructions for this in my post Tips & Tricks for sewing with the overlocker. Feel free to check them out. The instructions refer to a normal overlock seam. You simply change the setting to "rolled hem".
Sewing a shirt with a rolled hem
For a summery shirt, a simple, narrow rolled hem is usually very suitable. You can also, if you wish, ruffle it a little using the method shown above.
As a pattern, I recommend a simple shirt with a straight hem for beginners, for example, my batwing T-shirt Mirabell.
3-thread rolled hem
You can sew an especially narrow rolled hem by removing the left of the two overlock needles (and the corresponding thread!). It is worth carefully adjusting the thread tension settings here.
Have fun trying it out!
Feel free to write to me in the comments if you have any questions.
Happy simple sewing,
your Sabine
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