How to Cross an Enclosed Seam With a Rolled-Hem Foot

A rolled-hem foot has two working features: a scroll that folds the incoming fabric and a groove underneath that accommodates the finished hem. Janome explains that the underside groove determines the hem width. Consequently, the foot’s size matters when several layers arrive together. Janome Hemmer Foot

Threads specifically identifies intersecting seams, especially felled seams and seams in heavier fabric, as troublesome for narrow hemmers. Its recommended solution is to skip the intersection and complete that section separately. The practical distinction is between forming the fold through the scroll and stitching a fold you have already formed by hand. How to Sew with Rolling and Felling Feet

Have your compatible rolled-hem foot, regular presser foot, matching thread, and a scrap containing the same enclosed seam ready. Use that sample to choose your crossing method before working on the finished item.

Check your foot’s instructions for stitch selection and needle position. For example, bernette specifies straight stitch, a centered needle, raised feed dogs, and a stitch length of 2.5 for its listed hemmer foot. These are instructions for that accessory, so use your own manufacturer’s settings where they differ. bernette Hemmer Foot instructions

Establish an even hem before approaching the intersection. Bernette’s instructions emphasize feeding the edge evenly into the spiral guide. A useful preparation check is whether you can reproduce the existing fold by hand: that fold becomes your guide while the scroll is temporarily bypassed. bernette Hemmer Foot instructions

Use the following decision aid as a practical synthesis of the two documented approaches. Decide from the behavior of your seam sample, rather than assuming every enclosed seam will pass through the same foot.

What happens on the sample?	Method to use
The folded intersection passes beneath the hemmer foot when released from the scroll.	Bypass the scroll and stitch across with the hemmer foot still attached.
The hemmer foot obstructs positioning or makes the folded section difficult to control.	Leave a gap and finish it with a regular presser foot.
The sample cannot maintain the intended narrow fold at the intersection.	Reassess the hem width before continuing on the project.

Sew4Home supports stitching across with the fabric outside the guide; Threads supports hand-rolling a skipped section and topstitching it with a regular foot. These provide alternatives when the intersection cannot be rolled normally. Sew4Home’s cross-seam method, Threads’ seam-intersection method

Sew4Home’s cross-seam sequence provides the basis for these steps. The stopping point depends on where the intersection reaches your foot’s guide; it is not a fixed distance from the needle. How to Make a Rolled Hem on a Sewing Machine

1. Stop before the seam enters the scroll. Leave the needle down in the fabric.
2. Raise the presser foot. Gently ease the folded edge out of the scroll, keeping the project at the machine. A slight turn can help release it.
3. Straighten the sewing direction. Restore the double fold manually across the intersection, matching the completed hem.
4. Lower the foot and sew across. Keep the prepared fold beneath the foot, outside the scroll, and follow the established stitching line.
5. Clear the bulky section. Stop again with the needle down once the intersection has passed.
6. Reload the guide. Raise the foot, return the edge to the scroll, lower the foot, and resume normal hemming.

Treat the first few stitches after reloading as a checkpoint. Compare the incoming fold with the finished section before continuing along the rest of the edge.

If bypassing the scroll is awkward, stop the rolled hem before the seam and restart beyond it. Leave the intersection unstitched temporarily. Threads recommends hand-rolling this skipped section and topstitching it with a regular presser foot, blending into the existing hem stitching. How to Sew with Rolling and Felling Feet

With the regular foot attached, arrange the missing section to match both neighboring folds. Use those completed sections as visual references for width and stitch placement. For example, on an illustrative 4 mm hem, the hand-folded bridge should also finish at approximately 4 mm; avoid widening only the crossing to accommodate the seam.

Secure the starts and ends of the separate stitching. Sew4Home’s interrupted-seam alternative specifies backstitching at the ends of these short sections. How to Make a Rolled Hem on a Sewing Machine

Neither bypass method requires trimming. Try the intact sample first, particularly when keeping the seam enclosed is part of the intended finish.

BERNINA’s WeAllSew tutorial recommends narrow French seams, reducing bulk at the hem edge, and considering a foot that accommodates more layers. It illustrates an angled trim at a French-seam end and suggests considering a 4 mm foot where a 2 mm foot would otherwise be used. Trimming is therefore an available preparation technique, rather than a requirement for crossing. Hemmer Feet: Sew Delicate Rolled & Shell Hems with Ease

Before making an angled cut, fold the sample into its final hem and establish which portion would be concealed. If you cannot establish that boundary, retain the seam and use the regular-foot bridge. Changing foot width also changes the finished hem: Janome identifies its 4 mm and 6 mm set as suitable for heavier fabrics. Test the wider finish before committing to it around the project. Janome Hemmer Foot

Inspect the wrong side for a complete double fold and check that the stitching catches its inner edge. WeAllSew identifies insufficient incoming fabric as a cause of incomplete rolling and excess fabric as another common feeding problem. Correct the feed after reloading rather than carrying an uneven fold farther along the hem. WeAllSew’s hemmer-foot troubleshooting

If only the crossing is untidy, repair that area locally. WeAllSew describes unpicking the problem section, arranging and pressing a matching fold, then stitching it down with another foot if helpful. WeAllSew’s local hem repair method

A finished crossing should continue the same fold and stitching line through the enclosed seam. Let the sample determine whether to bypass the scroll in one pass or complete a short bridge with a regular foot; either approach gives you a controlled way to finish the intersection.

• Hemmer Foot — Janome
• Hemmer Foot — bernette
• How to Make a Rolled Hem on a Sewing Machine — Sew4Home
• How to Sew with Rolling and Felling Feet — Threads
• Hemmer Feet: Sew Delicate Rolled & Shell Hems with Ease — WeAllSew