How to Hem Curtains on a Serger Sewing Machine
Hemming can be a tedious job, especially the long, nearly endless hems that come with making new curtains. Skip the sewing machine and take advantage of your serger to create neat, attractive curtain hems. Use the rolled hem setting on your serger for a neat finish without the time spent carefully pressing and sewing traditional hems. This finish works especially well on lightweight, sheer or hard-to-hem fabrics.
Things You'll Need
- Good quality serger thread to match your curtains
- Fabric or curtain panels
- Iron and ironing board
- Sharp sewing scissors
- Serger
- New sewing machine needles to fit your serger
Instructions
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Cut or carefully tear fabric for your curtains. Keep your fabric on the straight grain so your curtains will hang evenly.
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Place new needles into your serger. Remove either the left or right needle from a four-thread serger, depending upon your serger sewing machine. Thread the serger with good quality serger thread or opt for decorative rayon threads, particularly in the upper looper. Engage the stitch finger on your serger. Install a rolled hem presser foot for your serger sewing machine if one is necessary or available.
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3
Set your stitch length to the shortest possible length. Set your stitch width as narrow as possible to achieve a closely spaced rolled hem. Adjust the tension to hem curtains on your serger sewing machine. Set the needle and upper looper tension to their usual setting on your machine; however, increase the tension on the lower looper. Experiment with this, but for many sergers you will need to increase the tension as much as possible to create a neat rolled hem on curtains.
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Trim away any loose threads or fraying from your curtain panels. Press well.
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Pass the curtains through the serger, allowing the stitching to form a neat rolled hem. Hem each side of the curtain panel. Stitch to the corner, then stop and raise the presser foot. Turn the fabric 90 degrees, and stitch the next curtain hem. Continue until all of your curtains are hemmed.
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