Your email address will not be published. Flip the fabric to right sides together and sew the seam again with a 3/8" seam allowance, enclosing the raw edges of the first seam. Thanks for, "My Baby Lock serger is having fits, so until I can get it to the store, I'm French seaming so I have finished seams, "I did not understand how to re-sew a seam after adjusting the fit of my new jeans. May 16, 2013 - This Pin was discovered by Petra Bártová. If your seam allowance is too small on the second seam, the rough edges of the fabric could end up sticking out of the second seam on the finished side of your project. You should know, however, that sheer fabrics are by nature  more fragile and prone to damage. The step-by-step tutorial on sewing one further down was photographed using a sheer fabric for this reason! Sew one stitch line the length of the piece of fabric, or as long as needed. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. Next, note down how much seam allowance is included in the pattern you will be sewing. I see how it's done. This can be a pain when ironing, as you then often see the imprint of the seam on the right side of the garment. How to Sew a French Seam: French seams are not as scary as they're talked up to be. We do not want it trimmed so much that it immediately frays to nothing, but we do want it to be a lesser amount than our finished French seam width! If you can see fabric or threads poking through, you either didn’t trim enough seam allowance away or you sewed with too little allowance the second time! Make sure your iron is set to the correct temperature for the fabric you are using. If it is set to high you will risk singeing the fabric. Mine is a tad bouncy below! The answer is the thinnest possible and with a thread of the same colour. You wanna know how to sew a French seam, so let’s crack on with it! (If you’d like to learn about sewing other types of seams, do pop back to this sewing seams post!). Sew the second line of stitches, enclosing the remainder of the seam allowance. The steps are exactly the same for non-sheer fabrics, but be sure to choose a light- to medium-weight fabric! There are instances, however, where it is impractical (such as a set-in sleeve) because of its complexity. These fold lines are again pressed, the two pieces brought together and the folded edges edge-stitched together, enclosing all of the inside seam allowances. You can use a French seam on sheer fabrics to hide the seam allowance and on non-sheer fabrics to keep the interior of the garment clean and tidy. The only thing I'd add is a final pic of a finished piece, seeing how it would be worn or used in bedding, etc. You may want to practice making French seams on scrap material before trying it on expensive fabric. They do not work well on curves, such as around the arms and neck of a garment. The fabric pieces are sewn right sides together, and the seam pressed open. But, as I do get asked about sewing sheer fabrics, this sewing tutorial is going to be for sewing a French seam on sheer fabric! If you are following along sewing a French seam on sheer fabric, you may be wondering which size needle you should use for sewing sheers. Patterns usually give a specific amount of seam allowance to use, so that your finished project doesn't turn out too bit or too small. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Feel free to increase the seam allowance on this first seam to 3/8 inch, if you are more comfortable sewing that width, but keep in mind that you will need to increase your overall seam allowance to accommodate this. ", "The video tutorial was very helpful and the teacher gave simple instructions.". Keep in mind, your actual finished seam allowance will be 5/8 inch. Perhaps you want a very wide French seam and the seams will actually be on the outside of your garment as a ‘design feature’? Unlike the french seam, here a plain seam with right side together is made first. For tips on how to modify an existing pattern to use French seams, read on! On the lower part of the photo below, you can see a few wisps peeking through! You can’t beat them for sheer blouses. Sew with a thread that matches your fabric – I am using a contrasting thread so that you can see what I’m doing in each of the photos! A french seam is used on fine, sheer fabrics to give a beautiful straight finish. French seams are best for straight edges. You may need to adjust the amount of seam allowance you have before cutting out your pattern. So much prefer a French seam. Ah, I have to be honest with you – I rarely used my overlocker when it was with me! The general rule for a French seam is to subtract 1/4 inch from the seam allowance your pattern calls for. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. ", "i did not understand, but after using these stages I did it. 12.Mock French seam (1) This is a seam which can be used in place of french seam where a french seam may not be possible like in a curved seam line, for eg. If you were to hold up two shirts, one made with French seams and the other with flat-felled seams, you will notice that the French seam can ‘flap about’ on the side seams, while the flat-felled seam sits flat. That was a crazy ‘what if’, right…? Gosh I remember using french seams years ago before I got myself an over locker! The main disadvantage of a French seam is the visibility of the seam. Another disadvantage is that a French seam is almost impossible on thicker fabrics. Remember, you may need to use a pressing cloth to prevent the fabric from scorching. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Now, open up the fabric and press the seam open. For this you will need: I am sewing two pieces of sheer organza in this example so that those who would like to sew theirs on non-sheer fabric can sew along too.