A Question from a Friend

So today I got an email from a blog friend of mine, asking for some information about some of the seam finishes that I use. Hopefully she won't mind me re-posting her email, plus, you should go check her blog immediately because it is awesome, and I am totally stealing her idea for silk tie brooches.

Hi Michelle,

I check your blog practically every day and am so impressed with your workmanship.

Have a few questions about seam finishing, should you care to address them in your blog.

WHEN do you finish seams? After cutting pattern and before assembling?
WHEN should bias binding be used instead of serge finishing?
Is bias binding sewn in 2 steps or just one?
WHEN is lace finishing used on hems?
HOW to reinforce shoulder seams?

ANY information is appreciated!!
SkitzoLeezra

OK, so here goes....I'll try my best to answer and not wander off in 45 different directions, but hey, it's me...so there will probably be wandering and maybe even some profanity.

First things first, when do you finish seams? I typically finish seams while I am assembling the garment. I typically will sit down with the instructions and really think about the order of assembly and add notes about finishing seams. For example, I try to avoid finishing things unnecessarily, such as raw edges that end up hidden underneath facings or inside a collar stand. One of the reasons for this is that I don't want any extra bulk in there. Another reason is I am incredibly lazy and get really mad at myself when I am not thinking enough to avoid that work. I know, it's a sickness.

Normally when I finish the seams I work on the garment for a while, and then work on seam finishes for a while. For example, I will put together a bodice, sans facings sleeves and collar, and then finish those seams before moving on to setting the sleeves or adding the facing. Another way to think about it is to finish the seams before adding any seam that will cross those. So, all the vertical seams in a skirt will get finished before adding the waistband.

Here you can see an example in a skirt, where I am working on all the vertical seams at once:


OK, on to the second question, when should bias binding be used instead of serge finishing?

For me, it is a matter of taste or personal preference. I like the look of a Hong Kong finish, and I make all kinds of bias strips from different funky prints. But it is more time consuming than a serged finish so I make my decision based on the garment itself...fabric choice, quality, etc. A quick and dirty pair of shorts for my nephew, who will probably blow a hole in the ass hopping over a fence in a week (ask me how I know), gets serged seams. Shirts for my husband get french seams. Pants for me get flat felled seams, and I love the look of a jacket with a Hong Kong finish. But, there is something to remember....bias binding on the seams, as pretty as it is, adds bulk. Here you can see the seams actually showing through a wool coat (look at the front opening):


But come on....admit it...it looks awesome inside, doesn't it?

Also, your fabrics will sometimes dictate what kind of seam finish you want to use. For example, a sheer generally needs a French seam. You can also use French seams on sleeves...if you are like my dad, who likes to roll up his sleeves, you may consider using a French seam there because then the sleeve will look as nice rolled up, as it does buttoned down. Here is an example of a shirt that I used French seams on:


But, French seams don't work as well on bulky fabrics or where you have many layers, so in the same shirt I also used binding:


Also, the Safari dress that I made recently got serged seams because with all the topstitching and doo-dads and foofaraws I could not wrap my head around how to pull that off with finished seams. Plus, the construction of that dress was so tedious there was no way I was going to do anything time consuming, so serging it was.

OK, third question....is bias binding sewn as two steps or one? It depends on the binding that you are using and where you are putting it. For things like the edges of facings, and when I am using pre-made binding, I use my binding attachment for my machine. Here is an example on one of my nephew's shirts:


For this, I use the binding foot for machine that looks like this:


You just stick the binding into it, it comes out under the needle, and voila! It sews the binding all in one step.

But, if I am making my own binding, I am generally too lazy to run it through that fiddly little binding maker, so I use it as Hong Kong finish instead. If you do it that way, it becomes multiple steps. Here is an example of homemade binding:


To do a Hong Kong binding, you start by sewing the binding to the edge of the seam allowance, right sides facing, placing your seam at about 1/4 inch from the edge. I say "about" 1/4 inch because I use the side of my presser foot as a seam guide, and that is actually slightly less than 1/4 inch:


Then press the bias strip back OVER the seam you just made:


Then, wrap the binding around the raw edge of the fabric and press again:




Then, back to the machine. Add a second seam along the edge of the binding. Some people "stitch-in-the-ditch," but I do it just on the edge of the binding:


Finally, trim away the excess binding. It won't ravel, it's cut on the bias:


BTW, those little scissors are DA BOMB. A friend of mine who is a paramedic gave them to me. They are super-sharp, with a tiny little point that can be maneuvered around anything.

Next, when is lace finishing used on hems? I usually only use lace finishing or hem tape when I am never going to machine wash it, and when the fabric is not ravelly. Ravelly is a word, you know. I also use hem tape or lace when I really don't want the hem to show AT ALL, since it is very lightweight. Here is an example of hem tape on a formal dress I made for my niece to wear to my wedding (yes she picked out the colors):


I then hand stitched the hem using an invisible stitch, it was barely visible on the thick, matte satin.

Finally, how to reinforce shoulder seams?

Ah, this is one place where I kind of fall down. I rarely do this properly or intentionally. However, there are a couple of things that you can do. For one, if you use a French seam or a flat felled seam, that naturally reinforces it because that is two rows of stitching side by side. Binding also naturally reinforces it, again, because that places multiple rows of stitching there.

Now, there are a few things you can do to further reinforce the seams, especially if you are using a knit. One is to sew clear elastic right to the seam. You can also cut the selvage edge off a piece of woven fabric and sew it to the seam allowance, or you can add a small strip of interfacing.

Also, if you are having problems with shoulders distorting, you can add a line of stay-stitching right after you finish cutting out your pattern. Just a line of straight stitching about 1/4 inch in from the edge. I use this on necklines, too. Otherwise you end up with nonsense like this:


And you have to do things like this:


To end up with this:


God, look how thin I was in that picture! If my doctor EVER recommends steroids for ANYTHING EVER AGAIN I am going to punch that man right in the neck. Talk about Roid Rage.

Anyway, I hope that that answered the questions, some of the folks that read here are much more advanced sewists than me, so I would say use the comment section to elaborate on anything you want!!

XOXO,

Michelle