Seams and Seam Finishes
Seam Finishes
Machine Overcast and Turned & Stitched
Machine Overcast- use a special foot , overcast the edge of fabric for clean and attractive finish. Seam pressed open.
Turned & Stitched- creates a single fold hem along the edges of the seam allowances, this is used to finish unlined jackets. Seam pressed open.
Turned & Stitched- creates a single fold hem along the edges of the seam allowances, this is used to finish unlined jackets. Seam pressed open.
Machine Zigzag Stitch-a fast and easy method for finishing fabrics that ravel. Use a medium stitch width unless you have loosely woven or heavy fabrics, then use a wide stitch. Zigzag along the edge of each seam allowance. Seam Pressed open.
Pinked Finish- most firmly woven fabrics can be trimmed with pinking shears, pinking doesn't prevent raveling entirely. You can stitch 1/4 of an inch from each edge before pinking. Seam Pressed open
Pinked Finish- most firmly woven fabrics can be trimmed with pinking shears, pinking doesn't prevent raveling entirely. You can stitch 1/4 of an inch from each edge before pinking. Seam Pressed open
Serged Finish- serge both sides of seam allowance together. Press to one side.
French Seam- Pin wrong sides together and sew a 3/8 inch seam. Trim fabric down to 1/8 inch. Fold over right sides together and press. Stitch 1/4 inch from the folded edge. Best used on straight seams with sheer fabric. Press to one side.
Flat-felled seam
Durable seam found on shirts, jeans, sportswear, pajamas, and other garments. Two rows of stitching show on the outside of the product.
Welt Seam
Less bulky seam, gives a tailored finish to heavier fabrics.
Double Stitched Seam
Seams works well on curved seams such as armholes or crotch seams.
French Seam
Works well on sheer fabric because no raw edges show through. The seam looks like a plain seam on the garment's outside and a narrow tuck on the wrong side. This seam can be used on straight seams but isn't flexible enough for curved seams.
Lapped Seam
One piece is lapped over the other and topstitched in place. ait is often used with natural or synthetic leather and suede.
Bound Seam
Each of the raw edges of its seam allowances enclosed in a strip of fabric. These seams are often used on lightweight fabrics including silk and chiffon and on unlined garments to produce a neat finish.
Machine Overcast
Traditional way to finish plain seams
Patchwork Pillow Project
To make this project I cut out 5 panels of fabric and connected them using different stitches. I finished each seam with a different technique. I used a zig zag finish, a turned & stitch. a pinked, and a surged finish. This project was pretty simple, not very challenging, but lots of fun.