Whether you are just learning how to sew or you have been making clothes for years, there is one dilemma that we all run into – how to finish seams. In this article, I am going to go into the different methods of seam finishing and tell you about what I believe to be the best and easiest way to finish seams on the clothes and accessories that you make.
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How to finish seams
After spending hours making a garment, tote bag or purse, you want to make sure that the seams are durable and that they don’t fray (more later on how I learned the hard way about that one).
There are several ways to do finishing, and it will depend on the fabric you have chosen. Let’s start with the simple ones first.
Pink it
No, not the color! For fabrics that are not going to be laundered often or at all, trimming the seam allowance with pinking shears is the simplest solution. The shears cut the fabric with a toothed edge, and that reduces fraying.
This method works fine for vinyl, felt and wools that will be dry cleaned. If you use pinking shears on the seams of cottons or other fabrics that fray and unravel a lot, it will look nice for a washing or two, but fall apart after that.
How do I know this? When I was first starting to make my own clothes, I made a nice pair of pants in a burgundy cotton. I pinked all the seams and the pants looked great! After a few washings, the seams frayed a little but looked fine, so I wore the pants to school. And the entire back center seam of the pants (the butt-covering one) ripped open the first time I sat down! So yeah. Although it looked like it would hold, it didn’t. So that little lesson brought me to my next solution.
Encasing
After trimming the seam allowance down a little, bias tape can be used to encase the seam. This involves stitching the binding down to completely enclose the raw edges of the seam.
Yes – that means the seam will in effect be sewn twice. You will be sandwiching the raw edges between the layers of the binding and that will keep the fraying in check. I used this method for a while, but it was so time consuming!
Get classy
A real classy way to encase the raw edges is to sew a French seam. With this method, you initially sew the garment pieces wrong sides together, and sew a 2/8″ seam. After sewing the seam, press it to one side and the with the right sides together, sew a 3/8″ seam.
This method is excellent for a jacket or shirt that you wear open and the seams will show. It’s great for straight seams, but gets a little tricky when you get to a curve. And then there is the whole sewing-the-same-seam-twice-thing again.
Zig-zagging and fauxverlock
(Yes, I just made up that word fauxverlock.) If you read my post, A Guide to Buying Your First Sewing Machine, the first thing on the list of essentials is a zigzag stitch. This can be used to finish both edges of a seam allowance to keep the fabric from fraying too much.
Some machines also have a mock overlock stitch (a fauxverlock) that is one step better than zigzagging – but – you don’t trim the seam allowance down at all, because you need to finish off both raw edges separately with the stitch, then press the seam open. So essentially, you are sewing the same thing three times. I don’t have time for that, and neither do you.
So after years of trial-and-error (with lots of errors) on seam finishing, I finally found the perfect way to finish every seam – straight, curved, on cottons, silk, vinyl….everything!!
The secret….
This –
A serger
This serger is not my first. I had a Toyota for about 25 years, and it finally broke. I searched for a replacement, and bought a Singer. Honestly, I don’t like working with the Singer machine. So I kept looking, and found this one – the Juki MO644D. I. LOVE. it.
Here’s what a serger does:
In this photo, I am using the serger on a curved underarm seam. Since the fabric is cotton and won’t stretch, I’ve clipped the curve after sewing the seam on the regular sewing machine. I use the screw on the presser foot as a guide, and keep it just to the right of the stitches. Each machine varies, but you can easily figure this one out.
This is what it looks like
How it works
I have the Juki set up to use 4 cones of thread, and find that to be the most durable finish.
The serger has TWO sewing needles and razor blades. As you sew, the razor blades cut the extra fabric from the seam allowance – while it sews an extra two rows of stitches AND uses the other two cones of thread to overcast the seam. All at once.
Isn’t that awesome?
The Juki has a free arm too, which makes it perfect for cuffs and pant leg hems. I use it to finish off the raw edges, and then turn them under to sew down on the regular machine. Hemming anything takes only a few minutes now!
A professional finish
Look at how the seam is finished on the clothes you are wearing right now. Chances are, those seams were finished with a serger. And you can get those same exact results on whatever YOU make too! And it’s not a super expensive piece of machinery either.
I use the serger on every single item I make – whether it’s for myself or for sale. I know from experience that the items I make can withstand many, many washings and the seams will not ravel and are extra durable.
And I can sit down in pants and not worry any more about the seam shredding!
If you sew with knit fabrics, a serger is essential. The stitches are flexible and will stretch with the knit fabric as well as providing a nice, clean finish.
Compared to the other sergers I have had, this one is easy to thread too. Some sergers can be a real nightmare to thread, and my first one used to make me cry. And swear. A lot.
Bonus: the trick to changing thread
- Set all the tension dials to “0”.
- Cut the thread on the existing spools up near the top of the spool.
- Tie the new color thread to the thread that is still in the machine.
- SLOWLY run the machine – watching carefully for the knots in the two spools of thread that go to the needles.
- When the knots get close to the needle, stop running the machine.
- Clip the thread at the knot and pull the remaining thread out of the eyes of the needles.
- Thread the new color thread through both needles.
- Return the tension dials back to their appropriate settings.
- Sew on a piece of scrap fabric until you are sewing with all of the new color thread.
- DONE!
If you make clothes, you need one
Right now, the Juki MO644D Portable Serger is available on Amazon where I bought mine. Seriously, I wouldn’t recommend something that I haven’t tried out myself. I absolutely love this machine, and I know you will too!
To wrap it up, when it comes to giving your seams that extra oomph when sewing a garment at home, nothing beats a serger machine. Seriously, it’s like having a secret weapon in your sewing arsenal. With its trimming, sewing, and encasing all at once, it effortlessly delivers those polished, professional-looking finishes. Not only does it save you time and energy, but it also ensures your creations can stand the test of time. So, if you’re all about taking your sewing game to the next level, investing in a serger machine is a no-brainer!
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