Pharmgeek, this post is for you.

I have heard some complaints here on Hammock Forums that the rolled hem foot is problematic, leading to inconsistent results, ruined projects, and/or big headaches.

This week I am putting a beautiful rolled hem on my 1.1 oz silpoly winter tarp (with cat curves, in lovely shades of green and yellow), so I thought I would share how to do it. In this video I troubleshoot the problems that I think people are confronting with the rolled hem foot on outdoor fabrics, and I show you how to sew several types of outdoor fabrics using a rolled hem foot, including some of the more challenging fabrics, such as very lightweight (1 oz Hyper D ripstop nylon, 0.66 membrane taffeta) and waterproof (1.1 oz silpoly), using a rolled hem foot.

You can put a rolled hem on the sides of your single-layer hammocks, on tarps, on underquilt protectors, and on other outdoor fabric projects without needing a thousand pins.

You can roll a hem on fabric cut with a catenary curve, or on the bias of the fabric.

You can cut the production time off your project by learning to use a rolled hem foot.

The trick is to use a strip of tissue paper beneath the fabric to provide traction between the feed dogs and the fabric, and to pre-fold and guide the fabric into the foot while sewing. If sewing a straight seam (not a zig-zag), the tissue paper will easily tear away when you are done sewing, and your seam will be straight and true.

If you are new to the rolled hem foot, I suggest you practice your skills on scrap fabric first, especially the same type of fabric that you will be using in your final project.

If you don't watch my video and instead just try to use a rolled hem foot like you would on a shirt tail, tablecloth or the hem of a napkin, than prepare to cry. But if you do master the rolled hem foot, prepare to be filled with lots of joy and a sense of craftsmanship and accomplishment. Prepare to show off your very thin, straight and gorgeous rolled hem to all your friends and relations. Also, all the time you save pinning your project could be instead spent enjoying your new hammock or tarp, or perhaps mixing a cocktail, or all of the above.

I am curious if anyone else has special tips and tricks on how to use a rolled hem foot on waterproof and other outdoor fabrics.

Good luck!