One of my favorite finds recently has been this:
My rolled hem presser foot. This bad boy is designed to put a perfect teeny tiny hem in the edge of your fabric, right at the machine–no more pressing, then turning and pressing again, just feed it through and press & stitch all at once! Miraculous, especially for delicate fabrics like chiffons and the like, but also dead useful for making trims and ruffles. Now, when I want to make the ruffle for an apron like this one:
I simply cut my fabric, stitch together into a single long piece, then feed it under my fancy presser foot to give the lower edge a perfect hem.
Here in Atlanta, these feet are available at the Hancock Fabrics on Miami Circle/Sidney Marcus–I realize I’m sending you into the lion’s den, but that’s the only place I’ve seen this display. Right at the end of the cutting table, near the thread and facing the window, is a cardboard display endcap with a whole selection of universal specialty presser feet. They work with any model–hence the “universal”–and come in two shank styles (upright and angled, depending on your manufacturer).
Check out the Sewing Divas for the full tutorial–theirs is so excellent that I didn’t think it was useful to make a whole new one here. I will say that I solidly endorse their suggestion to stop when going over bulky spots–like seams–and fold by hand, then reinsert into the hem foot. Makes the process much smoother.
Happy sewing!
