In April I wrote a blog post about 2 ways of making Flat Felled/Lap seams. The techniques and presser feet I used in that post worked fine, but I was SO excited to see that Janome now has a NEW Lap-Seam Foot for our 9mm machines! Upon receiving my Lap-Seam Foot, I broke out my Janome Memory Craft 8200 QCP and started playing!
If you are new to Lap-Seams they are an amazing way to finish off seams on heavier fabric. Jeans are often constructed with at least a few Lap-Seams like the one pictured below. It’s a great way to finish off the raw edges, reduce the amount of bulk and keep everything nice and smooth.
My favourite part about so many of our Janome Accessories is that they come with instructions on how to use them as it’s part of the packaging! If you pull out an accessory you haven’t used in a while you have a quick refresher right there!
On the Lap-Seam Foot packaging, it not only gives you what settings to use (straight stitch, centre needle position), and gives you a step by step guide with pictures, it also tells you what fabrics work best (Medium-heavy to heavy weight fabrics). If the packaging could reach the foot peddle it could probably do the sewing for you too. lol!
Using this new Lap-Seam foot makes an already easy seam even easier because you can skip some ironing! Let’s hear it for less ironing!!!!
Place the Lap-Seam foot on your 9mm machine and with the wrong sides together make a seam 5/8” from the edge of the fabric. I use the handy lines on my Patented Janome Needle Plate to accomplish this. You could also draw a line on your fabric too or use a guide bar, or cloth guide.
Open up your fabric and carefully cut away the left hand seam allowance to 1/4” or less. Here, I’m using my favourite Janome Duckling scissors because they help reduce the risk that I will cut anything besides the left hand seam allowance.
Carefully fold your right hand seam allowance over the now trimmed left hand seam allowance and feed it into your Lap-Seam foot. This will lay your seam nice and flat. As long as you use the inside of the right side of the foot and follow you seam line from the first step, everything should line up perfectly! Traditionally, you would be spending time ironing here to make sure everything is folded neatly, but the Janome Lap-Seam Foot takes care of that step for you!
For the most part, I didn’t even focus on where the machine was stitching, I was focused on making sure the fabric was feeding into the foot properly. It didn’t need much attention. Once you get it started it almost does it itself!
Just like that and you’re done and it looks so professional!
Now I’m dreaming of all the other ways I can use this foot! I quickly tried using the foot to encase the edge of my fabric in double folded bias tape. I think this is something I need to explore more! What would you use this foot for?
And, even more exciting news, the NEW Janome Lap-Seam Foot for 9mm machines is IN STOCK in our Janome Canada warehouse, so contact your Janome Canada dealer for details!
Stitch on!
~ AmandaBee
Janome Life 
I too have used the Lap seam foot and love it. Have you ever used a double needle for anything?If so what setting do you use? Thank you,Nola McLaren
LikeLike
Hi Nola, thank you for feedback on the Lap Seam foot! Many Janome machines have a built-in Twin Needle guard, which prevents you from selecting a stitch which is not compatible with a twin needle. The icon to press is an image of a twin needle.
For machines without this function, straight stitches, some zig zag and decorative stitches can be used with a twin needle – the big thing is to be sure the swing of the needles left and right will not hit the needle plate. If adjusting the width of a zig zag stitch, or using a twin needle wider than 2mm, be sure to walk the needle by hand by turning the balance wheel slowly so you can see where the swing of the needle will land in the opening of the zig zag needle plate. Doing this helps avoid breaking a needle!
Twin needles are available in 2mm, 3mm, 4mm and 6mm wide, so you can really have some fun! Happy Sewing!
LikeLike
So when making pillowcases and French seams would this be the tool?
Judy and Dan ;-)😷👍🌻
>
LikeLike
HI Judy. French seams are different than Lapped Seams as the seam allowance of a French seam is not top stitched to the fabric; there’s no visible lines of stitching whereas there is on a Lapped Seam. You could certainly try this foot to sew a pillow case. The seams would be neatly finished and extra strong with the extra line of top stitching. Happy Sewing!
LikeLike