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roll hemmer to sew true lap seam on single needle sewing machine (instead of flat felled seam)


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Home Forums Gear Forums Make Your Own Gear roll hemmer to sew true lap seam on single needle sewing machine (instead of flat felled seam)

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  • #1300985
    David Franzen
    Spectator

    @dfranzen

    Locale: Germany

    I am definately no expert in sewing. Please correct me if there is something I misunderstand.

    context/terminology/definitions:
    professional tent makers (like hilleberg, etc.) use a "true lap seam" done by twin needle sewing machines with special feet/folders on their tents, which does not nececcarily require seam sealing.
    to mimic this with a single needle sewing machine, one uses a "flat felled seam" which requires 2 (or 3) cycles/passes. These seams are not as 'waterproof' and require seam sealing.
    Let me know if i need to specify this more clearly and I will draw a picture of what i mean.

    My question:
    Have you guys ever tried sewing a true lap seam seam using a roll hemmer or a another foot to allign the fabric with a single needle sewing machine?
    this could make the seam 1) better and 2) easier to sew.

    Of course, unless you have a double/twin needle sewing machine, you will still have do run two cycles on each seam.
    Maybe you could also use the same foot/folder that a twin needle machine uses and then just running it a second time (with a normal foot) to do the second line of stitching.
    Do you guys know what the name of this foot/folder is?

    #1983965
    Thomas Frazier
    Member

    @wildewudu

    Locale: MidCoast

    I haven't tried using a hemmer with a single needle machine, but I have thought about it. I do have a twin needle machine and a lap-seam folder that I've been practicing with and I love the heck out of it. I purchased my folders from ebay and get them for around $20 each. I've been meaning to try a roll hemming attachment on my single needle machine and then run a second line of stitching, but got the twin needle machine before I gave it a try. I don't see why it wouldn't work; you'd just make two passed through the sewing machine instead of the single pass through a lap seam folder & twin needle. Working no-see-um mesh netting was an absolute pain to get to fold right through the lap seam folder (and I have a needle feed machine), but I found that using a teflon foot, less foot pressure, and prefolding 10" sections before I run them through the folder, while keeping slight tension on both sides of the folder has helped immensely, though I'd still be interested in learning any tips from more experience sewers.

    #1983970
    Jerry Adams
    BPL Member

    @retiredjerry

    Locale: Oregon and Washington

    There have been other recent threads about this

    If you are a manufacturer, doing two passes takes more time, if you can do it in one pass it saves money

    If you're just making a few, extra time doesn't matter

    Flat felled seam is just as strong, or at least plenty strong enough – you might want to do a third row of stitching

    Lap and flat felled both have stitches that go entirely through fabric, so they have to be sealed just the same

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