Enclosing a Seam (French Seam)
July 20, 2011 6:14 am jessica Sewing, Techniques and Mediums
By Sewing Contributor Jessica, from the blog “Life Sew Good”.
Have you ever worked with sheer fabric and wondered how to deal with your edges? They can be so ugly and fray easily. Another reason you may want an enclosed seam (also a “French Seam”) is when you want your garment to be presentable with no edges on either side.
1. Place your fabric, WRONG SIDES TOGETHER. Usually when you are doing seams, you put right sides together. Don’t let your intuition take over. Put the WRONG sides together and sew a 1/4″ seam. (Please ignore poor seam in picture! It was slippery!!)
2. Press the seam open.
3. Turn the fabric over, and fold it on the seam. Now your RIGHT SIDES ARE TOGETHER. Press and pin if necessary (I had to pin mine!)
4. Sew a 1/2″ seam.
5. Turn your fabric out again and you have an enclosed seam! Viola! Easy & beautiful.
Brittney :
Date: July 20, 2011 @ 7:30 AM
Wouldnt that make it so the wrong side is the side you see unless you flip it out again?
Jessica :
Date: July 20, 2011 @ 2:01 PM
You flip it 2x’s, starting with the wrongs sides together, your right sides face out. After you do this seam, it will look like you have messed up and made a seam on the outside of your garment. Then when you flip it, so R sides are together, you make your second seam. Now you will see that your seam is on the “wrong” or “inside” of your garment, which is what you would normally do. Once you turn it out again (step 5–wrong sides together), then you just see the outside (right side) of your garment and it will look finished with the seams unseen. I know–confusing. Go get some fabric and try! You’ll understand what I mean!