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hemming a t shirt

18 years ago

Please can you help.

My aunty has asked me to turn up two stretchy t-shirts because they were too long. I have overlocked the bottom with a stretch stitch and then sewn a hem, also using a stretch stitch. The trouble is, the bottom of the shirts have now gone frilly and won't lie flat. It looks like the material has stretched slightly. I think they could do with a bigger hem. (Aunty had already turned the hem up with pins). I'm thinking of using seam binding and doing a false hem. I'd be grateful of any tips.

Many thanks

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Comments (2)

zone_8grandma
18 years ago
I make a lot of teeshirts for my granddaughter. These days I use the coverstitch on my serger to hem them.

Before I had this serger, however, I used to overlock the raw edge, then on the regular sewing machine, I'd put the widest twin needle and stitch it using a fairly long stitch (about 4mm). I did it with the right side up. On the wrong side, the stitch zigzaged and that held the fabric down. It resembled the cover stitch.
ridgestitcher
18 years ago
I also use a twin needle. The other thing that helps prevent stretching and the "frilly" look you are talking about is to hold your finger at the back of the presser foot and causing the fabric to "bunch" behind the foot. Release every few inches. This works really well.
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