How to Hem a Knit T-Shirt with Your Coverstitch Machine When you look closely at knit tops and most t-shirts, you will notice they have been hemmed with a coverstitch machine. The top coverstitch machines for home use provide cover hems on t-shirts that look like the hem finishing completed with a needle; hence there are two stitch rows on the right side of the fabric. You will notice a difference between a needle and coverstitch machine hemming at the backside. The backside of the twin needle will resemble a zigzag stitch, while that of a coverstitch machine appears like an overlock stitch. You can use just any cheap coverstitch machine to hem a knit t-shirt. The following steps explain how to hem your knit t-shirt: First Step: Press the Hem The first step is to press the hem before you run the T-shirt through the machine. The coverstitch is quite simple to use yet professional in hemming. By creating a crease at the hemline, you will protect your fabric from twisting while stitching. To press the hem, turn up the hem to the backside of your t-shirt, then press and use the steam. Create a crisp crease with the aid of a tailor’s clapper. You should be able to do this even on a cheap coverstitch machine at a reasonable price . Second Step: Choose Your Stitch There are several stitches you can choose from on your coverstitch sewing machine, these are; 2-thread narrow cover hem 2-thread wide cover hem 3-thread cover hem For the 2-thread narrow cover hem, there are 2-thread stitches. The 2-thread wide cover hem also offers 2-thread stitches with the wide application. The 3-thread cover hem comes with a 3-stitches operation. The best home coverstitch machine may offer more than these options. Keep in mind that the looper will remain the same for all three stitching options. The needles are also easy to move around for the three stitching options. Third Step: Stitch To stitch your knit t-shirt, line up the fold of the hem with one of the available seam allowance guides found on the coverstitch sewing machine. As you begin stitching, let the left hand guide the t-shirt to ensure it remains aligned with the seam allowance line. Avoid stretching the fabric. Trim off any leftover hem allowance but be careful to avoid cutting into your stitch or the fabric. An ideal home coverstitch machine should provide some guidance on this. These are the few steps involved in creating a professional-looking hem from the front side of your knit t-shirt and then complete the raw edge of the fabric behind. You may need to make a few tweaks depending on the fabric type of the t-shirt. You can deal with a wavy hem, for instance, by avoiding pulling the fabric abruptly out of the machine to avoid stretching. Sometimes a fabric can stretch because the stitch length is too narrow. Increasing the length of the stitch slightly may be the only solution to this. Most importantly, you should find the best coverstitch machine to buy if it matches your skill levels.
