How to Finish Fabric Edges — Part 4

Welcome to the Sailrite® Learning to Sew series! This seven-part video series takes you through all the stages of sewing — from learning how to set up your machine all the way to sewing a zipper and piping! Though this video tutorial series was created with the very basic beginner sewer in mind, anyone will find this series useful. If it's been a while since you've sewn or you're looking for a refresher course, these videos cover every part of the sewing process and the most important sewing techniques and skills. In this video, we're discussing how to finish fabric edges. Join us!

This is Part 4 in our Learning to Sew Series. Now that you’ve gotten to know your machine, sewn a few stitches and learned how to seam, we’re ready to move on to a sewing skill you’ll use in almost every project: how to finish fabric edges.

In this video tutorial, you will learn:

• Common notions to keep on hand when sewing hems.
• How to use use basting tape, sewing pins and fabric clips.
• How to create a single hem.
• How to create a rolled hem.
• How to create a double hem.
• How to create a bound hem by adding binding with a binder attachment.
• How to reinforce hems with webbing when installing grommets, snap fasteners and more.
• How to create a taped edge (for marine trampolines).
• How to create a drawstring sleeve for bags and more.

Learning how to sew hems is a basic skill every sewer needs to know. Raw fabric edges can fray and don’t look very nice on a finished piece. To hide those unsightly edges, you can create a hem or add a binding. In this video, you will learn how to hem fabric edges and how to sew binding to a fabric edge using a binding attachment for your sewing machine.

Seen here, the double hem hides the raw fabric edge, giving your project a nice, clean look.

In this learning to sew tutorial, we’ll teach you four hem styles and some other useful finishing techniques. If you’re a canvasworker, bag maker or if you sew awnings, you’ll especially find it useful to learn how to add binding to a fabric edge. Binding is an easy and convenient way to hide raw edges and gives a project a clean, professional look. And with binding attachments available at Sailrite, it’s easy to learn and conquer this important sewing technique.

Ready to learn how to hem and finish fabric edges and more? There’s a lot of info packed in this sewing techniques video. Watch the video below to get started.

Once you’re feeling comfortable with these hem styles, you can find tutorials for more specific, project-based hem styles in our video tutorial, "Hem Construction Techniques" (#200550XHT). Continue on in our Learning to Sew Series with Part 5: "How to Sew a Zipper" (#200623XHT).