I find that metal hem guides often become too hot when I’m pressing a hem. To eliminate this problem, I now use a strip of silicone pot holder instead. I first tried to use a whole one by scoring a line marking the desired hem depth into it with a rotary cutter, but I accidently cut too far. That turned out to be a blessing in disguise; I cut the rest of the pot holder into hem guides of different sizes. One pot holder has given me templates for all of the standard hem sizes I use. My iron doesn’t harm them, and they always remain cool to the touch.
-Christianne DeHart
Chico, California

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