7 Seam Finishes You Should Know About

Hey ghouls and creeps! It’s another tips and tricks week, which means another informative post detailing a topic that you have been asking for! Knowing the different ways to finish your seam allowances can be extremely useful especially when garment sewing. These finishes will include standard sewing machine stitches/processes, a no-sew option, and a technique that requires an overlock machine, so there should be something for everybody! Seam finishes will improve the durability of your project, and make the inside as beautiful as the outside! I’ll get into how you make each seam finish, and the most appropriate uses for each. Let’s get started!

1) Pinking: The pinking technique is the easiest of the seven processes and requires the least amount of sewing. First, create your seam.

Then, simply take your pinking shears and cut the raw edges of your seam allowance. When I pinking shear a seam allowance I have the tops of the zig-zag hit the raw edge so that I’m removing hardly any material while cutting.

This method will help with fraying initially, but with time and washing will begin to fray. I would recommend this seam treatment as a short-term solution to reduce unraveling while assembling a shell before sewing in the lining.

2) Clean Finish Seam: This seam finish is quite simple, easy to execute, and can be done with a straight stitch on your sewing machine! Begin by sewing your seam with the right sides of your material together. Once complete, press your seam allowance open.

Fold your project along the seam, then fold and press each side of the seam allowance in half so that the raw edge meets the stitch line.

Sew 1/8″ from the fold on each side of the seam allowance to keep the raw edges turned under. This treatment is great for lightweight to medium-weight fabrics! Using this technique for heavier material may cause additional bulk, especially when matching seams.

3) Zig Zag: The zig-zag stitch technique is another technique that will prolong excessive fraying for a while, but won’t deter unraveling indefinitely. This method could be executed with your zig-zag stitch a little way in from the edge of your seam allowance(like the sample below). It could also be sewn with the zig-zag stitch overlocking the seam edge.

Begin by sewing your seam with the right sides of your material together.

Press your seam allowance open and sew a zig-zag stitch 1/8″ in from the seam allowance edge on both sides. If you would like to have the edge overlocked with the stitches, keep the seam closed. Then sew with a zig-zag stitch so that the furthest right point of the stitching hits the raw edge. This technique is great for both woven and knit materials of all weights!

4) French Seam: French seams are more time-intensive, but they’re so clean and pretty when they’re finished! Begin seam construction by sewing a 1/4″ seam allowance with the wrong sides of your material together.

Press your seam open, and trim both sides to 1/8″.

With right sides together, fold seam along the stitch line and sew a 1/4″ from the fold. This second stitch line will enclose the raw edges of the seam!

This seam finish technique is great for satins, chiffon, brocade, crepe, or any material prone to excessive unraveling! I also like using this method for garments of elevated importance or that will receive a lot of use, because it is such a sturdy seam finish!

5) Bias Bound Edges: Binding seam edges is another more time-consuming option, but also a super solid seam finish! Begin by sewing your seam with the right sides of your material together. Press the seam allowance open and set your project aside.

Retrieve your pre-made bias tape, or make your own by cutting strips on the bias of your selected material with a 1 5/8″ width. I decided to make my own bias since I had extra material from my samples available. Fold your bias strip in half lengthwise, and line up the edges of the bias with the edge of the seam. Sew the bias to the seam with a 1/4″ seam allowance.

Fold the bias around the raw edge of the seam, and edgestitch along the fold of the bias tape. Complete these steps for both sides of the seam. This seam finish is great for chiffon or other lightweight wovens! I wouldn’t recommend this option for heavy materials, because this will create a lot of excess bulk in your seams!

6) Flat Felled Seam: This seam finish is super strong and pretty simple, you can find it most often as the inseam and/or outseam of your jeans! With the wrong sides of your material together, sew a 5/8″ seam allowance.

Press the seam open, and trim one side of the seam allowance to a 1/4″.

Fold the wider side of the seam around the shorter side to encase the raw edge. Edgestitch along the fold of the wider side to keep in place. This seam finish is great for heavy materials like denim, twill, duck cloth, or canvas. Don’t be afraid to use this technique for medium-weight wovens too!

7) Overlock Stitch: This technique requires an overlock machine or serger to execute. Overlock machines are specialized sewing machines that seam and finish seam edges simultaneously with 3-4, sometimes 5 threads. Two threads create the loops encasing the fabric edge. Meanwhile, 1-2 threads will create the straight stitches holding the loops in place and seam the material if there is more than one layer of fabric present. If there is a fifth thread, this thread reinforces the straight stitch line doing the seaming.

Since I had my overlock machine set to three threads, I first created my seam allowance on my sewing machine. Press the seam allowance open to create a crisp appearance from the other side.

Fold project so that seam is closed again and overlock seam edge. This finish is great for materials of all weights and weave types, especially knits!

There it is! Seven seam finish options to make your projects more sturdy and professional looking! Let me know in the comments if you have a preferred seam finish, or if there was something I missed! Happy sewing ghouls!

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Ready for your next project? Here are some tutorials on the blog I think you’ll like! Frame Flip tutorial: https://britnijade.com/frame-flip/, Macrame Wall Hanging: https://britnijade.com/macrame-wall-hanging-w-bones/, or the Spider Web Macrame: https://britnijade.com/spider-web-macrame/. Enjoy!