Hem

All Music Guide:

The genesis of the New York-based folk outfit Hem goes back to 1999, when songwriter Dan Messe teamed up with producer/engineer Gary Maurer (who had worked with artists such as Jon Spencer, Luna, Fountains of Wayne, and James Iha). The two wanted to make a record that would explore their interests in traditional American music while draping it in contemporary stylings. They enlisted friend Steve Curtis (guitar, mandolin) and, needing a singer, placed an ad in The Village Voice. After receiving numerous demos that didn't suit their needs, the ad was pulled. Then Sally Ellyson called Messe about the spot, though she claimed that she wasn't really a singer.

Not expecting much, Messe asked for a demo. The tape, a cassette of lullabies she'd recorded for a friend's child, was exactly what Messe was looking for. The collaboration started out an a low-budget affair, but as the project grew and the bandmembers' faith in their work increased, Messe ended up selling off personal possessions in order to afford, for example, an 18-piece orchestra. The resulting album, 2001's Rabbit Songs, was recorded without any contemporary recording luxuries -- such as samples, computer mixing, or digital wizardry -- and focused instead on lush, traditional instrumentation and Ellyson's soothing vocals.

DreamWorks inked the band a deal in early 2003, and Rabbit Songs was reissued in July. Stateside club shows with Leona Naess followed. The group released a split EP, Birds, Beasts, & Flowers, with fellow chamber/country/pop collective the Autumn Defense in September 2004, with their second full-length, Eveningland, arriving the following month. No Word from Tom, a collection of covers, rarities, outtakes, demos, and live recordings, was released on Nettwerk in 2006. Hem continued releasing material at a prolific pace by issuing Funnel Cloud, the group's third studio album, that same year.

Three years later, the musicians founds themselves providing the soundtrack to a summer production of Twelfth Night. Held in Central Park and starring Anne Hathaway, Audra McDonald, and Raúl Esparza, the show required Hem to perform Irish instrumentals, original songs, and orchestral mood music. Cast members joined the band in the studio several months later to record an official album, which was released in October 2009. Meanwhile, the band continued to work on its proper follow-up to Funnel Cloud.

Wikipedia:

A hem in sewing is a garment finishing method, where the edge of a piece of cloth is folded narrowly and sewn to prevent unravelling of the fabric.

Methods [edit]

There are many different styles of hems of varying complexities. The most common hem folds up a cut edge, folds it up again, and then sews it down. The style of hemming thus completely encloses the cut edge in cloth, so that it cannot unravel. Other hem styles use fewer folds. One of the simplest hems encloses the edge of cloth with a stitch without any folds at all, using a method called an overcast stitch, although an overcast stitch may be used to finish a folded "plain hem" as well.

There are even hems that do not call for sewing, instead using iron-on materials, netting, plastic clips, or other fasteners. These threadless hems are not common, and are often used only on a temporary basis.

The hem may be sewn down with a line of invisible stitches or blind stitch, or sewn down by a sewing machine. The term hem is also extended to other cloth treatments that prevent unraveling. Hems can be serged (see serger), hand rolled and then sewn down with tiny stitches (still seen as a high-class finish to handkerchiefs), pinked with pinking shears, piped, covered with binding (this is known as a Hong Kong finish), or made with many other inventive treatments.

Most haute couture hems are sewn by hand. Decorative embroidery embellishment is sometimes referred to as a hem-stitch design.

Types of hems and hem stitches [edit]

Hems of different depths (which includes the seam allowance) may have a particular style to achieve, which requires more or less fabric depending upon the style. A handkerchief-style edge requires a hem allowance of 0.6 cm or a quarter inch. A typical skirt or pant hem may be 5-7.6 cm. The hem's depth affects the way the fabric of the finished fabric will drape. Heavier fabric requires a relatively shorter hem. An interface fabric sewn to the fabric in the hem has a useful function in some hem styles. A bias strip is sometimes used as a hem interface. This adds fullness to the finished garment and reduce wrinkling.

The hem stitches that are commonly used for hand-sewn hems include: pick stitch; catch stitch (also called a herringbone stitch); slip stitch; and blind stitch.

Sewing machines can make a stitch that appears nearly invisible by using a blind-stitch setting and a blind stitch foot. Blind-stitches are commonly used to finish hems of applique designs on fabric. Modern sewing machines designed for home use can make many decorative or functional stitches, so the number of possible hem treatments is large. These home-use machines can also sew a reasonable facsimile of a hem-stitch, though the stitches will usually be larger and more visible.

Clothing factories and professional tailors use a "blind hemmer", or hemming machine, which sews an invisible stitch quickly and accurately. A blind hemmer sews a chain stitch, using a bent needle, which can be set precisely enough to actually sew through one and a half thicknesses of the hemmed fabric. A rolled hem presser foot on a sewing machine enables quick and easy hemming even by home sewers.

Heavy material with deep hems may be hemmed with what is called a dressmaker's hem​—​an extra line of loose running stitch is added in the middle of the hem, so that all the weight of the cloth does not hang from one line of stitching.

A five-thread overlock hem made with a serger machine. This photo shows the inside of the garment. On the outside of the garment, this would appear as a blind stitch.

A buttonhole stitch hems the opening around a button hole.

A pick stitch hem made with thread that matches the fabric, to appear invisible on the outside of the garment.

A plain hem, folded once and sewn with a running stitch.

Hem repair [edit]

Hem repair tape is available as an alternative solution to sewing a broken hem. To effect a fix, the hem repair tape is laid around the inside of the hem. It is then ironed with a hot iron. The heat causes the tape to bond the two surfaces together.