Type of sewing machine for hemming jeans?

Question

Hi!

I would like to buy a sewing machine to mostly hem cuffs and jeans and other pants.

Now the cuff and pant leg are in a circle.

Do I need a special kind of sewing machine to do this? Or does just any good sewing machine from walmart work?

Thanks!

Answer 1

You will want the machine to have a free-arm (as most do) White actually makes a "jeans"machine that is for sewing heavy fabric like jeans. But a good quality machine will do the trick . I love my Husquvarna Viking machine, depending on how much you want to spend. Also look at deals on used machines as well.

Answer 2

I'm not quite clear about the type of hemming you want to do... just the straight stitched hem like you see on jeans, or do you want to do blindhemming also (as you'd see on dress pants).

For the first, any old heavy duty machine will work -- you can probably pick up a straight stitcher like a Singer 15 or 99K for
a few dollars and spend a little time with cleaning and oiling and get a good sturdy machine that will hem jeans "forever".

If you're looking to do blind hems, you'll need a machine that does a blind hem stitch, which is a special stitch that looks sort of
like-----v----v----v----v----v----v and a special foot, called a blind hem foot. Best description I know of for using a blind hem foot is in Carol Ahles' book, Fine Machine Sewing. Most public libraries seem to have it -- it's very useful (and the beginning and ending chapters are very useful to beginners at sewing.)

Kate Dicey also has a good tutorial here:
http://www.katedicey.co.uk/ (under learning zone, then blind hemming)

I am not enamoured of the inexpensive machines at the big box stores... the ones I've seen or worked with or attempted to get to behave for their owners just don't hold up well enough or sew precisely enough that I'm happy with them. I'd send you for a good used machine at a real sewing machine store if at all possible. http://www.cet.com/~pennys/faq/smfaq.htm

I'm not a sewing machine snob -- in fact, I work mostly with a bottom of the middle of the line electronic from a good maker -- but having grown up with a sewing machine that balked, spat, and made my sewing life much more complicated than it needed to be, I really prefer to see beginners get a machine that works well. Doesn't have to be pretty or new, just doesn't have to fight you every step of the way.

Though a "free arm machine" may be useful for hems, it's also possible to do them on a flat machine -- you simply work on the lower side of a circle instead of the upper.

And don't forget to buy good thread and change needles often!

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Type of sewing machine for hemming jeans?
Hi!

I would like to buy a sewing machine to mostly hem cuffs and jeans and other pants.

Now the cuff and pant leg are in a circle.

Do I need a special kind of sewing machine to do this? Or does just any good sewing machine from walmart work?

Thanks!

Answer 4

type sewing machine hemming jeans

Answer 5

I agree with Callad, look for a free arm.
.