Hi Everyone! In part three, Shari and I are back to go over a few seams and specialty seam finishes to use when sewing with sheer fabrics. Follow along in this video to see our favorites demonstrated.
The first seam we will look at is the French Seam. This type of seam is great for delicate fabrics because it encloses the raw edges completely. It is done in a two-step process and requires a larger seam allowance if the pattern is not specifically designed for this seam type.
I've demonstrated this seam using the Woomera Dress pattern which has been designed with a French seam in mind on the side seams of the Skirt Front and Skirt Back. The demonstration is on a quilting cotton with a clear right /wrong fabric display, but the technique works the same for any fabric type.
Note: If you'd like to use this type of seam on a pattern that has regular 1/4" seam allowances, simply add an additional 1/4" to the seam allowance (making it 1/2") before cutting out the pattern piece. A French seam is best done on a straight seamline.
The basic steps to sewing a French Seam are as follows:
- Align the seam with WRONG sides together.
- Stitch at 1/4".
- Trim seam allowance down to 1/8".
- Press.
- Fold the fabric back over itself with RIGHT sides together.
- Press the seamline with the stitched edge now enclosed.
- Pin and Stitch at 1/4" to complete the seamline.
The Satin Stitch is a great alternative to finishing seam allowance edges with a serger on delicate fabrics. Shari has demonstrated this technique on the sleeves of the Thimbles and Acorns Grecian Renaissance Dress. A satin stitch is a zig zag stitch with a very short stitch length creating a thread covering that is both smooth and narrow. Once the stitching is done, you'll need to come in with a pair of scissors and trim off any excess raw seam allowance edges, just be very careful not to clip into the stitched threads!
A Bound Edge is another great alternative to finishing a seam allowance. In the case of the Roebuck Bay Top, it's also a functional part of the pattern design creating a finish tot he arm opening and adding the completed shoulder strap.
This technique is done by using a bias strip cut 1" wide. The edges are folded into the center, pressed to set the stitching lines.
Note: Bias strips can be pressed into a circular shape very easily with a bit of steam, this works great for shaping it to fit into an armscye!
The basics of a a Bound Edge or Enclosed Binding are as follows:
- With RIGHT sides together, line up the raw edge of the binding strip and the seam line.
- Stitch at 1/4", trim the seam allowance down as needed.
- Fold the binding strip up on top of the seam allowance, then over to the back side with the opposite raw edge folded under to the inside.
- The folded edge should line up with the seam on the right side of the garment. Pin in place.
- Stitch through all layers. Stitching from the top side will result in the most consistent look, but it is easy to miss parts here and there and not catch the entire edge on the underside. Practice makes perfect though!
Ribbon, Lace or Twill Tape are great tools for stabilizing a seamline. In the demonstration Shari is using a colored ribbon on the wrong side of the garment that is later covered with a ribbon sash. You can use this technique with lace to achieve the most transparent appearance if it will not be covered in a future step.
Shari demonstrated this technique on a delicate sheer lace with the Grecian Rennaisance Dress, but this technique has also been used on knit necklines, back openings, and hemlines. The Piccadilly Sweater is a great alternate example.
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