Frolic

Friday, June 29, 2012

Narrow Hemmer feet - they are not created equal!

For years I have tried to master that seemingly simple foot that comes standard in the old Singer accessory box - the "foot hemmer" that makes a narrow, rolled hem.   Every now and then I'd take it out and try it again hoping this time I'd get the perfect narrow hem they show in the illustration.  But it never worked for me.  The hem was never straight and evenly turned ....NEVER!

So I decided to try it again the other day and this time I happened to take the foot from a different accessory box rather than the box I've always used.  I didn't even think about it making a difference, I just grabbed the one that was handy.  And what can I say?  Here it is, THE PERFECT HEM, done with the good old Singer narrow hemmer foot.  


So how could I suddenly get this result after years of failed attempts?  What did I do different?  I didn't do anything different.  But there is a difference.  Look at these three feet - they are not exactly alike!
Teensy tiny differences, but apparently it makes a big difference.  If one of these isn't working for you maybe just try another one.

At this point I want to beat my head against a wall for all the hours of frustration trying to make that elusive perfect hem only to try another foot and nail it the first time.  Sigh....

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4 comments:

  1. SheilaSeptember 16, 2013 at 1:43 PM

    Hi,
    According to a Singer book I have, there are two different part numbers for the foot hemmer. One is 120842, which is for models 15-30, 66, 99, 101, and 115. The other is 120855 which is for models 15-90, 201 and 221. All the other feet are the same for all low shank models. I'm putting together a set of feet for one of my machines, and I've been wondering if these two foot hemmers are interchangeable. Now that I've seen your (fantastic!) post, I'm wondering if one is better than the other, or if they are not interchangeable. What are the part numbers on your feet? Also, what model machine are you using? I'm so glad I saw your post before trying this foot so I'll know to try different hemmers before banging my head against a wall. Thanks! --Sheila

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  2. MKBSeptember 16, 2013 at 5:06 PM

    All mine (each of those different ones) are 120855. They came with a 201, 221 and 15-91. Looking at them it would seem like they were cast in different dies - surely they were - and those very minute differences give very different results. I guess you just have to experiment until you find the sweet one like the one I finally found here!

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  3. SheilaSeptember 17, 2013 at 12:20 AM

    Thanks!

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  4. UnknownDecember 31, 2019 at 10:57 AM

    I wonder if the 2 folders are specific for the feed dog placement on various machines. The feed dog needs to pull the fabric through. If it lands to either side of the food it is not going to move the hem through the folder.

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