double fold hem on lighter sweater knit

Lightweight, drapey knits require a bit of weight to hold hems in place. When planning the cutting of your garment allow for a double fold on the hem allowance. Fuse interfacing to the edge of the garment. Fold the hem allowance over twice. Stitch in place using a slight zig zag with a stitch width of .5mm and a stitch length of 2.5mm.

A twin needle can duplicate ready to wear cover stitched hems. Press the hem in place, reinforcing with a strip of interfacing if necessary. Stitch using a twin needle, two spools of thread and a straight stitch setting with a stitch length of 3mm. Trim away excess hem allowance close to stitching.

twin needle application - front

twin needle application - back

cover stitch, wooly nylon in looper - wrong side

If you own a cover stitch machine, a cover stitched hem is perfect for sweater knits. Fold up the hem allowance, increase the differential feed and use a stitch length of 3 or longer depending the thickness of the sweater knit. Usually the differential feed will help the fabric to feed evenly but if the hem is difficult to handle, apply a strip of fusible interfacing to the hem allowance.

faced hem using rayon jersey

If bulky sweater knits are too thick when folded back on themselves try making a faced hem using rayon jersey. Cut the jersey 1 3/4" wide on the crosswise grain. Interface the jersey with lightweight tricot knit interfacing to prevent the edges from curling. Attach the facing to the lower edge of the garment with a 5/8" seam allowance. Press the seam flat, open and then to the inside. The seam allowance can be trimmed if it is bulky. Cover stitch or use a twin needle to sew the hem allowance in place.