7 Best Tips for Hemming Knits with a Twin-Needle

Learn the best way to hem stretchy knits using a twin needle on a regular sewing machine by following these simple steps. Watch my complete guide to hemming knits with a double needle https://youtu.be/SY9PfwnME38 Stretch Knit Twin-Needles (Amazon affiliate links, meaning I get a commission off a purchase) Schmetz Stretch Twin-Needle: https://amzn.to/3dkuKIV Organ Stretch Twin-Needle: https://amzn.to/3dkuKIV Groz-Beckert Stretch Twin-Needle: https://amzn.to/3dkuKIV 👖Order my latest book Sewing Jeans: The complete step-by-step guide https://www.thelaststitch.com/sewing-jeans-book ✂️ Shop my sewing books and patterns https://shop.thelaststitch.com/ 📘 My book Master the Coverstitch Machine https://www.thelaststitch.com/master-the-coverstitch-book/ 🏃‍♀️ Get my book Sewing Activewear http://www.thelaststitch.com/sewingactivewear ✂️ Shop my favourite sewing tools https://www.amazon.com/shop/thelaststitch Sign up to get a quick guide to the best sewing machine stretch seams http://www.thelaststitch.com/knit-sewing-machine-stitches/ Twin-Needle Knit Hemming Tips 1. Use bobbin spools Wind 2 bobbin spools with thread and stack them if you don’t have two pins on your sewing machine. No need to buy an extra thread spool when using a twin-needle. 2. Use a stretch twin needle When hemming knits, a stretch ballpoint needle prevents skipped stitches and holes in the fabric. 3. Check the stretch Do a sample and pull. Does it stretch? If not decrease the stitch length. This will keep the seam from breaking too. Start with a stitch length at around 2.5 and see how it looks and performs. Remember that longer stitches equal less stretch. 4. Adjust the needle tension To prevent tunnelling (ridges) try lowering the needle tension to make the seam flatter. Here are 4 examples of tension settings, starting with low tension and moving up to very high. The first one has very low needle tension. The seam is flat. but the needle thread looks loose. The last one has a very high tension setting. Look at the pronounced tunnelling on this one. On the reverse side, you can see the needle thread clearly on all samples apart from the one with very high tension. That’s okay, the thing that matters is if the seam has great stretch and looks good on the right side. 5. Use a walking foot This can prevent the fabric from stretching out, which is very common when hemming knits 6. Use a stabiliaer If you don’t have a walking foot, use a water-soluble double-sided tape or wash away stabiliser to keep the knit fabric in check when sewing. Another option is placing stretchy fusible interfacing on the hem allowance, this prevents both tunnelling and stretched-out fabrics. 7. Thread one needle at a time to avoid tangling. Start with the needle to the right if your machine doesn’t have a thread separator. Remember to lift the presser foot before threading to release the tension disks. Finish by pulling the threads back to avoid them getting stuck ✂️Find me on the Internet✂️ My blog: http://www.thelaststitch.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/laststitch Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laststitchsew/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.se/thelaststitchsew/ 👖Order my latest book Sewing Jeans: The complete step-by-step guide https://www.thelaststitch.com/sewing-jeans-book ✂️ Shop my sewing books and patterns https://shop.thelaststitch.com/ 📘 My book Master the Coverstitch Machine https://www.thelaststitch.com/master-the-coverstitch-book/ 🏃‍♀️ Get my book Sewing Activewear http://www.thelaststitch.com/sewingactivewear ✂️ Shop my favourite sewing tools https://www.amazon.com/shop/thelaststitch Sign up to get a quick guide to the best sewing machine stretch seams http://www.thelaststitch.com/knit-sewing-machine-stitches/ ✂️Find me on the Internet✂️ My blog: http://www.thelaststitch.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/laststitch Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laststitchsew/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.se/thelaststitchsew/