French seams are actually pretty simple to do; much simpler than the Hong-Kong finish, in fact. In making a French seam, you are basically creating a casing for the seam. The only hard part about making a French seam is to always remember that you start with the fabric wrong sides together, which is the opposite of what you normally do.
The first step is to sew the fabric, wrong sides together, with a narrow (1/4 in) seam allowance:
Then, trim away the fabric on the seam allowance very close to the seam:
Then press the trimmed allowance to one side:
Then, "flip" the fabric over the trimmed allowance, and press again, so the right sides are together:
After pressing the fabric, return to the sewing machine and sew another seam, again using a 1/4 inch seam allowance, enclosing the original seam inside a casing:
Press your seams one more time, pressing the casing to one side:
Here is the completed French seam:
Now, there are no exposed seams at all on the interior of the garment:
And the exterior looks perfectly normal:
The only places that you can't really use a French seam finish is on very curved seams, like the armscye. There, however, I can use binding:
My Singer 401 and 603 both have binding attachments that make it super-simple to add either premade bias binding, or to add my own binding. They also have rolled hem feet, and I have been experimenting with them to create a nice hem finish on this project:
Overall, I am very happy with the results of my foray into creating better finishes on the interior of my garments. In fact, given that I can get such nice results doing this, I am feeling less and less like I need a serger. Is it wrong that I feel like this is a superior way to finish the interior of garments than serging?
6 comments:
I completely agree that french seams, bound seams, flat felled seams, etc. are a much classier way than serging to do up the inside of your garment. I have a serger, and still often prefer to do more time consuming methods like this!
Though I will say, I've been able to use french seams for set-in sleeves, it's just a little tricky and requires many pins.
You should check out Amanda's blog, if you haven't seen it yet. She has no serger, but has the most beautifully finished garments. Check her out at
www.amandasadventuresinsewing.blogspot.com
Keep up the great work!
Kristine, you are sooo right, Amanda is my idol! I love her reviews on PR, and we have even made some of the same patterns. She does such beautiful work, my goal is to become more like her in the incredible care that she takes on the inside of her garments...even knits!!
Actually Michelle, the seam finishes you are using are far superior to serged seam finishes.
Until fairly recently sergers weren't available to home sewers. Their rise in popularity didn't come about because they present a better way to finish seams, it came about because the serged seam finish is faster and easier. And it emulates most RTW. Where they use it because it's fast and cheap. Can you imagine paying for garments where they took the kind of time and care that you're taking with the french or Hong Kong seam finishes?
I say keep up the good work.
I absolutely love french seams, but only recently learned how to do them in sewing class. I've never tried the hong kong seams, but after seeing your post about it I think I might give it a try. I'm always so proud when I finish a garment, I love to turn it inside out and show my seams.
Love the work!
Very nice seam finish.
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