seams

December 16, 2022

Handy Notions: Seam Guides

Whether you’re just learning to sew, teaching a novice sewer, or just need a little extra security to make even seamlines, there’s a seam guide to help you with the process.

In addition to sewing seams, guides are also helpful for evenly applying trims equidistance from an edge, hemming, decorative stitching, or topstitching. While the machine presser foot edge is a good guide for small distances, a movable seam guide can go anywhere on the machine base for wider spacing, either left or right of the foot.

Look at the machine throat plate as most have markings for various distances from the needle, often up to 1”, sometimes on both sides of the foot, and sometimes in metric designations. But, if those markings aren’t enough to keep you on the straight and narrow, consider some other options.

Magnetic Appeal

One of the most common seam guides is a raised edge shape that magnetically adheres to the machine base. Because it’s easily removable, you can use it only when needed for a particular task. A single guide can be used on multiple machines if you have one specific to classes or travel.

Magnetic Seam Guide available on Amazon.

Magnetic seam guides come in a variety of shapes and sizes—some designed for curved edges, others for corners and some for straight seaming.

Adhesive-backed Guides

Instead of a magnetic backing, some seam guides adhere to the machine with a repositionable adhesive. They do not damage the machine’s surface, but can be moved as needed. Some offer curved edges for guiding both inner and outer curves with confidence.

Clover Needlecrafts Stick n Stitch Tool available from Amazon.

Screw-in Guide

Depending on your machine brand and model, there may be a screw hole in the top of the machine base that can support a screw-in seam guide. These guides are adjustable and slide on the screw to set the correct distance from the needle, but that distance is limited.

Universal screw-in seam guide available on Amazon.

Quilting Guide

An add-on quilting guide may be an optional or standard accessory for your machine, depending on brand and model. Though designed for spacing quilting lines, it’s also usable for seaming and topstitching a set distance from the fabric edge. The guide has an adjustable “arm” that extends from the presser foot shank and slides to create a guide for evenly spaced stitching. It’s secured at a specific setting with a small screw to keep it from slipping from the chosen distance. If you’re looking for wide spacing, be sure to check the length of the extension arm.

Presser Feet

Some machines work with a presser foot that has a built-in adjustable seam guide. Because of its attachment to the foot, the guide edge is limited in distance from the needle position. Check with your machine dealer to see if this foot will fit your machine.

Presser foot with a seam guide available on Amazon.

Gridded Base

If a small add-on guide doesn’t pack enough “oomph” for you, consider a lined addition to your machine’s surface so you can have measurements extending on one or both sides of the presser foot for foolproof following.

Repositionable seam guide available on Amazon.

When positioning a seam guide, remember to measure the distance needed from the needle position, not the presser foot edge.

DIY Seam Guides

Instead of purchasing a separate accessory, many people have opted for DIY seam guides of all sorts. The most common is to adhere a non-marring and removable tape, such as painter’s tape, to the machine base at the desired distance from the needle. It’s easily repositionable for various tasks and you can write notes on it; plus, it had two parallel edges, so either one can be used depending on the stitching width needed.

Another simple option is to stretch a rubber band tautly around the free arm of the sewing machine at the desired distance from the needle. A piece of narrow elastic tied around the arm works in the same manner.

If you have a pad of sticky notes in your office, move them to your sewing room and adhere the entire pad to the machine base to make a raised-edge seam guide. The glued-together side should face the needle.

~Linda Griepentrog is the owner of G Wiz Creative Services and she does writing, editing and designing for companies in the sewing, crafting and quilting industries. In addition, she escorts fabric shopping tours to Hong Kong. She lives at the Oregon Coast with her husband Keith, and three dogs, Yohnuh, Abby, and Lizzie. Contact her at .

July 28, 2021

Matching Fabric Patterns Across Seams

Ever wondered how to line-up/match the pattern of your fabric across seams? This 1-minute tutorial is a sure fire way to get it right!

December 18, 2020

Sewing Basics: General Sewing Terms, Part 1

Whether it’s traveling in a foreign country or knowing the terminology for a project you are working on, being able to speak the language is important. Today’s article reviews some basic sewing language that will be helpful to new sewists while still being a great refresher and idea generator for those who are more experienced. Think of these sewing terms as a “language acquisition and refresher” resource!

Note: This is Part 1 of our General Sewing Terms series. See Part 2.

Seam Allowance

Seam allowance is the distance between the stitching line and the cut edge of the fabric.

In garment sewing, the most common seam allowance included in patterns is 5/8” but it is important to confirm this for each pattern you use. Some pattern companies use a 3/8” seam allowance as their standard while some, like Burda Style and Marfy, include no seam allowance on their patterns so you must add it when you cut the pattern pieces out. If you are quilting, you are most likely going to use a standard of 1/4” seam allowance.

When deciding the size of seam allowance you want to use, there are a few things to consider:

Begin by checking your pattern details. If you sew a 5/8” seam allowance on a pattern designed with a 3/8” seam allowance, you will have downsized each seam by 1/2”. In a simple skirt with 2 side seams and a center back seam, you will have reduced the circumference by 1-1/2.” Might be a bit too small to squeeze into now!
The amount of stress that will be placed on a seam is an important factor. A 1/4” seam on a quilt that will not be stressed may be fine, but a 1/4” seam on an center back seam in pants you will apply stress to as you bend and sit might not be enough to prevent pulling through the fabric and splitting that seam open. Watch for clothing malfunctions!
The type of fabric being used is also important. Sturdier fabric like denim can handle a smaller seam allowance at stress points that a finer fabric.
The shape of the seam line will dictate the best size of your seam allowance. Curved seams, like princess seams and collar stands will turn much more smoothly with a smaller seam allowance than a larger one.

Back Stitch

Backstitching is something you do at the beginning and end of each seam to secure it and prevent unstitching.

The desired outcome — seams not pulling apart at either end — can be accomplished in a few ways.

Backstitching is exactly what it sounds like. At the beginning of a seam, start a few stitch lengths inside the cut edge of the fabric and stitch backward to the edge, then stitch forward the length of the seam.
Leave long thread tails at the beginning and end of each seam then tie them off with a double knot before trimming.
If your machine has a “fix stitch”, start each seam with this as it will make a few stitches in place before continuing the seam. At the end of each seam, use a “stop stitch” if you machine has this option. It does the same thing as the fix stitch but without continuing the seam. This is a less secure choice than a back stitch or tying threads off.

Seam Finish

The primary purpose of finishing seams is to protect the cut edge of the fabric from raveling during wear and laundering.

There are many options to choose from but, remember knit fabrics do not ravel, so this task is specific to when you are sewing with wovens.

The secondary purpose is to provide a nice, clean look on the inside of the garment. Some sewists will say they want the inside of the garment to look as beautiful as the outside. Here are a few options you can consider:

Pinking – One of the simplest things you can do is trim your seams with pinking shears. As with any sewing tool, you can get budget friendly Fiskar pinking shears for as low as about $15 or higher quality Gingher shears for around $50. The end result may not provide the most finished look, but it will reduce the ravel effect during laundering.
Serger – Using a serger for seam finishes is quick and provides a more ready-to-wear look on the inside of the garment. After stitching the seam in place, your serger can both trim the seam and overcast the cut edge all at once.
French Seam – This method requires two steps, sewing two seams. The first seam is sewn with WRONG sides together, usually with a 1/4” seam. Trim that small seam closely, them flip to the RIGHT sides together, enclosing the initial seam, and stich again at a scant 3/8”, resulting in a total of a 5/ 8” seam allowance. Obviously, you need to adjust these two widths to result in the final seam allowance width desired. The result is a nice clean finish as well as the double strength of the two seams. It is often used with sheer fabrics like chiffon since the inner seam is frequently a bit visible through the sheer fabric.
Hong Kong Finish – This method is particularly popular in garments like unlined jackets. It is accomplished by taking bias strips of fabric and first stitching them to the right side of the seam allowance cut edge. Next press the bias strip away from the seam, extending over the cut edge, then wrap it to the wrong side of the seam allowance. Stich in the ditch to fix the wrapped bias strip in place then trim close to the stitching line, removing the excess fabric on the wrong side. This take a bit more time, but with a fun print can create some fun interest on the inside of the garment.

Grading Seams

Grading seams is something you do to reduce bulk.

It refers to the practice of trimming seam allowance layers to different widths. Typically, the “public side” of the seam, meaning the side that is closest to the outer layer of the garment, maintains the greatest width with each layer toward the interior of the garment being trimmed slightly shorter. The innermost seam allowance may be trimmed as narrow as 1/8”. The result of grading is a smoother transition, avoiding a bulky ridge of sandwiched seam allowances showing through to the right side.

Basting

Basting is sewing long, easily removable stitches by machine or by hand.

It is also sometimes called tacking. Basting stitches temporarily join fabric for several reasons, such as:

Test the fit on placement of things like pockets or darts before sewing more permanent stitches.
Hold slippery fabrics together while you sew the permanent stitches.
Replace pins and make it easier to machine sew.
Holding a zipper or hems on bulky jeans in place for stitching.
Holding two or more layers of fabric together so they can be worked as one layer, such as when basting together the layers of a quilt.

Here are a few basting tips:

Use a contrasting color of thread to make it easy to see when you are ready to remove your basting stitches.
When hand basting, use a simple running stitch.
When machine basting, use at least 4.0 stitch length. If your machine has a longer stitch, use it for easier removal.
Stitch with a slightly smaller seam allowance to avoid trouble removing the basting after the permanent seam has been sewn. For example, if you are using a 5/8” seam allowance for the permanent stitch, use 1/2” to 9/16” seam allowance for your basting.

Gathering

Gathering uses long stitches to hold the fabric in place for the permanent stitching with the additional purpose of scrunching a longer length of fabric together into ruffles so it can be attached to a shorter piece of fabric.

There are several ways to accomplish this:

Using the same long machine stitch used for basting, stitch two parallel rows on either side of the seam line. Holding the bobbin thread from both rows, pull the fabric together into evenly distributed gathers, matching the length of the fabric it will be sewn to.
Sew a long and wide zig zag stitch over a heavy thread, being careful not to stitch through the heavy thread. Pull the heavy thread to accomplish the gathering. The heavy thread can be things like dental floss, topstitching thread, thin yarn, etc. Choose something that is strong enough to pull the fabric together without breaking.
With both gathering options, leave a long thread tail at each end. Secure one end by wrapping the thread tails around a straight pin in figure eight style to prevent pulling your gathering threads out when gathering.
This last option will secure the gathering thread automatically. Leave long thread tails at the beginning and end, just like in the previous methods. Using the same long stitch length, stitch about 1/ 4” from the edge of the fabric to be gathered. Stop, with needle down, at the end of the gathering location. At this point, you are basically going to make a U-turn on your fabric. With the needle down, lift the presser foot and pivot 90 degrees then take a couple of stitches. The number of stitches you take will depend on whether you prefer to gather on either side of where your permanent stitching line will be or only inside the seam allowance. Now drop the needle again, raise the presser foot and pivot another 90 degrees. You have now made the full U-turn and can stitch back down the length of the fabric again to your starting point. When you pull your thread to gather the fabric it will not pull out the threads!

Now you have added, or maybe refreshed, some basic sewing terms. We hope this has been a helpful experience in your sewing “language acquisition” journey as well as given you a few helpful tips on how to accomplish them in your real sewing life. And so, for now, ciao and arrivederci and the happiest of sewing to you all!

~Sheryl Belson

November 1, 2019

Guide for Seam Finishes

You have all of your supplies ready, you’ve adjusted your pattern, cut your fabric and you’re ready to start sewing. Before you sit down at the machine, have you thought about the best seam finish to use for your fabric? This post will help you to choose the best method to assure your seams are perfect.

Fabrics & Best Seam Finishes

Batik: Flat fell seam or sew with a plain seam and serge together
Batting: Butt the raw edges together and hand overcast with basting thread to get the width you need.
Beaded Fabric: Finish with a product like Great Seams as in Hong Kong finish. Eliminate facings. Finish the neck and armholes with bias silk charmeuse or line your garment, making the attachment at the neck and shoulders.
Boiled Wool: Sew seams and clip curves. Press seams open and top-stitch on each side from the right side using a wide double needle or top-stitch each side separately from 1/8” to 1/4” allowance from the seam. Trim to your top-stitching.
Brocade: Press seams open and overlock separately, even if lined. Use a Hong Kong finish with lightweight silk or bind separately with double fold bias.
Burnout: Finish with a narrow French seam.
Charmeuse: Use flat fell or French seam on serger.
Chiffon: Use a narrow French seam. On long vertical seams, sew with tiny zig-zag stitches to prevent drawing up.
Corduroy: Serge seams separately or flat fell the seams.
Crinkle: Sew with a tiny zig-zag.
Damask: Sew flat fell seams.
Denim: Sew a straight seam. Serge one seam allowance and trim the other without turning under. Overlap the serger seam allowance onto trimmed seam allowance and topstitch. This forms a fake flat fell seam that is less bulky.
Dupioni: Serged or traditional flat fell; serge and press open.
Faux Fur: None
Faux Leather: Use a fake flat fell seam or finger press open and top stitch from the right side, straddling the seam. Trim close to stitching.
Faux Suede: Lightweight ultra suede seams can be simply pressed open. Other faux suede’s can be top-stitched with a double needle or treated with a fake flat fell seam.
Flannel: Straight stitch or flat fell seam
Fleece: Sew with a straight seam and finger press open. Top-stitch or serge.

Gabardine: Press seam open and serge each side separately with a woolly nylon in lower looper; flat fell; or Hong Kong bound.
Georgeette: French seam.
Jersey: For lightweight knits, sew the seam, press to one side and top-stitch 1/4’ from seam. Trim extra fabric away. For invisible seams on wool jersey, zig-zag and press open.
Mudcloth: Flat fell or bind with double bias.
Rayon: Flat Fell or press open and serge.
Slinky: Four thread serge with Woolly Nylon in lower looper. Use differential feed if needed.
Sweater Knits: Stabilize horizontal seams and neckline using 1/4” clean elastic. Sew seams with small zig-zag then four thread serge. You can also sew with a lightening stitch and bind with Great Seams.
Tencel: Flat fell or press open and serge separately.
Velvet: Press open, pink or or serge separately.