I’d like to get some kind of little gadget that would be good for hemming jeans. I don’t have any interest in taking up the Art of Sewing, so I think a traditional sewing machine would be overkill. Is there a hand-held jobber that would fulfill my need for hemming plain ol’ blue jeans with the visible stitch line? Thanks!
I would be very surprised if any of the handheld machines I’ve tried would hem denim, and if they did, they’d do it badly. Quite a few of the regular machines I’ve used barely hem denim.
Those handheld things are too lightweight for denim, and they only do a chain stitich, which rips out very easily, especially bad for a hem. The first time your heel caught in the hem, out it would pull.
Ditto. I’ve got one that I keep in my tent while camping. (What, doesn’t everyone sew while camping? 
) But it will never, ever replace a real sewing machine, and is really only good for cobbling things together until you get home and can take care of it properly.
I’ve been pondering the possibility of a hand sewing machine for minor repairs. Could anybody recommend a particular brand or vendor?
Kalhoun, you would probably be better off finding a sewing friend who will let you sew a little in exchange for pie.
I wouldn’t go crawling through the sewers to find a sewing machine, were I you.
Not really, no. They’re really not worth it.
Is it really ‘Sewers’?
(Checks dictionary)
Weird!
This would be my main concern as well. Denim is VERY difficult to sew through, and when you have to sew through a seam and/or multiple layers, the machine really gets stressed. I’d advise either hand hemming or getting someone else to do it. Some tailors and dry cleaners will hem jeans for a nominal fee, some will charge an arm and a leg for this type of work.
I’ve got my mom’s old sewing machine but I forget how to work it. I think the friend/pie thing might be the way to go. I go to my Talented Korean Seamstress but I have a pair of jeans arriving on Wednesday that I want to wear on Saturday, and she won’t be able to get them back to me by then.
I should donate my sewing machine to someone, but I can’t bring myself to part with it. My mom made me a dress by hand when I was about a year old. My dad was so impressed that he went out and bought her this machine. She made virtually all my clothes until I reached high school. Makes me miss her just thinking about it. 
I know! My first thought was to say “sewsters” but that didn’t sound right, either. Maybe I should have said “those who sew?”
Y’know, most machines are fairly similar. It might be worth taking an afternoon class at your local fabric store to at least learn how to thread, straight stitch and reverse. Even zig-zag is pretty useful.
I’ve been sewing “good enough” stuff for 20 years, and I still don’t know how to buttonhole (I use eyelets or grommets instead) or the “proper” way to use a zipper foot.
But if your machine has been idle all this time, it needs a check up and oiling first. Your local fabric store will probably have a guy who comes in once a month and does machines at the store. (If you have a cabinet set machine, you’ll probably want to get his card and have him come to you.)
I’ll throw in my agreement that hand-held sewing machines won’t do the job of hemming jeans.
IMHO, they’re not worth much of anything. The weight of a conventional sewing machine helps to overcome the vibration caused by the movement of the needle-arm. Having one light enough to hold in your hand causes you to have to overcome the shakiness caused by it’s own movement.
I think that trade-for-pie is the alternative. In a pinch, cheesecake will do.
Needle and thread.
That’s generally a non-jeans hem. I can do those, but they suck for jeans.