WHEN AND WHERE TO DO A SEAM FINISH? (Because your sewing pattern doesn’t tell you when!)
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- Опубліковано 12 лют 2021
- Learning to sew and read a sewing pattern is hard because, well, there's just so much assumed knowledge! Let me show you The Golden Rule of sewing, in what order you do a seam finish and even some variations to The Golden Rule!
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// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT:
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How to STORE AND DECORATE YOUR SEWING supplies for your ultimate sewing space! Sew Organized Phase 3
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How to finish seams without a serger
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6 PROFESSIONAL SEAM FINISHES you can do without a serger or overlocker
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10 THINGS THE SEWING PATTERN DOESN’T TELL YOU! And you have to learn about sewing yourself!
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5 METHODS TO TRACE A SEWING PATTERN... So you keep your original patterns intact!
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Evelyn
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I'd love to hear your stories/dramas of first learning about finishing your seams! ✂️✂️
If you like this content and are ready to take your sewing further, I invite you to join me at Vintage Sewing School www.vintagesewingschool.com/
I so wish that you had an annual option, or one for six months or that was quarterly. Especially since it would make such a great gift!
There was that time I made a pair of pants that I absolutely loved. Sat down in them one day and the entire back seam opened up. The seam allowance had simply raveled away. That was the last time I neglected the seam finishes. (good thing I had a long jacket :D )
oh no! the horror!
😂😂😂 Cynthia this is a good tale to tell new sewists so they REALLY understand why to do seam finishes! Lucky for the jacket!
I wish I had watched this video sooner 😭 today was the first time I worked with fabric that frays easily and it was a disaster. I felt like a complete failure until I watched this video. My husband consoled me by saying, "You're not a failure, you were just ignorant of this knowledge." Hopefully the next time I work with fabric like this things will go smoother. Thank you for sharing your knowledge Evelyn ❤
Tracy, your husbands right! And it's never a failure, look how much you learnt about fabric, fraying and seam finishes! You now understand how to treat different fabrics differently already ! 🙂
I had to laugh when you introduced the topic! I’ve been sewing for 60+ years. Both of my grandmothers taught me how to sew, but my paternal grandmother always told me “it looks good on the outside but it should look just as good on the inside by finishing my seams”.🤭
I'm 67, have sewn since I was twelve and was taught the basics of sewing in school. Either I've forgotten or no one ever actually articulated this to me. Thank you so much.
I'm glad to hear it! Sometimes you just need someone to put into words what you know intuitively! 🙂
I am 69 never been told either.
My mother sewed our clothes and taught me, plus school classes, and they all never even pressed seams. Finishing was done with pinking shears if at all. Learning about finishing seams has really upped my game!
I hope Evelyn is getting better. She is so talented and a unique sewing personality. Miss you....
As an adult I joined a sewing class, I was told that you never finish a seam until the garment is finished. I haven't been back to that class and have slowly let go of that idea, as time has gone on, I have finished as I sew, I have found this makes the end result look so much neater. Thank you for the reassurance. I've learnt a lot from you and love your videos. X
My Mom taught me to sew when I was 7. She taught me to do a mock felled finish until she bought a serger when I was 14. The year prior to getting the serger she sewed my little brother's flannel pajamas (that's 4 pairs of pajamas)and forgot to finish the seams before washing them. They completely disintegrated in the wash. She made a point to show me and tell me "this is why you sew your seams flat". She was mostly self taught that was the only seam finish she knew but I really appreciate that lesson as it prevented me from similar mistakes.
Tip if you like french seams and pockets in skirts: cut out the pieces that will go together to make the seam with the pocket in it so that the edges are on the selvage. That way you can finish all the other seams with french seams but not have to worry about trying to do a french seam with a pocket because the selvage edges are being sewn together and therefore do not need any further finishing. Not sure if that's super clear instructions, but it's what I do whenever I can to make life easier.
Great tip! Never thought of that!
I don't quite understand but it sounds like a good tip
@@Gwynevation now that I've had food I'll try again. The right side of piece A goes with the left side of piece B (and vise versa for the other half of the skirt) . When you cut those pieces out you make sure that the right side of piece A is a selvage and the left side of piece B is a selvage so when you sew them together you don't need to finish them. Otherwise you're trying to put pockets in a french seam and that can get confusing. I hope that's slightly clearer.
I get it!!! I've never seen this before, but I now want to try it!! 😀
Gwynevieve think cutting a skirt front and back as usual, but it includes the inseam pocket shape on the side seam, so it's one piece of fabric skirt and pocket!
Nice idea! I would love to see a video on this.
Have you ever addressed signs and symptoms of when to change a needle? This was a great, thanks 🙏🏻
I mainly use universal needles, unless I need a specific type based on the fabric I’m using, I find that they last a fair while. The two most common signs your needle needs to be changed are fabric, if the needle starts pulling the threads of the fabric rather than piercing through you need to change your needle. Alternatively the sound, I can tell when my needle needs changing based on the sound it makes going into the fabric, on my machine it sounds like it’s punching through the fabric rather than piercing it.
When the stitch tension changes in the middle of a sew I have found the needle may be a problem. Just wondering if someone with more experience would have definite answer!!!
Yes, she has addressed that. Search UA-cam for < Evelyn Wood sewing needle > or something like that to find the video.
Yes I have! There's a video here I think you will enjoy ua-cam.com/video/8-bkXPS6U3w/v-deo.html
@@Evelyn__Wood thanks so much for the affirmation
I don't have any earth shattering knowledgable comments to make because I only returned to serious sewing 6 months ago after a 15 year break. I love this video, discovered you only recently; subscribed and now have the pleasurable task of watching as many of your amazing instructional videos as quickly as I can. You explain the processes so well, have a lovely face and voice, and a calming friendly presence. Also, I adoooore your vintage style. Thank you so much from South Australia! 😍
The cut then overlock method, I always forget to remark the notches and then they are lost forever 🤷♀️ I gave that up. 👍
This is perhaps the ONLY video on UA-cam addressing this specific topic (when to serve/overlock). Thank you for this, and the pros and cons of serging/over locking together or apart.
Thank you for defining "the usual manner". 👍🧵👏
A wonderful lady at my church gave me her stash and a new to me seeing machine. I can't believe the stash! I have enough fabric for three dresses! I'm so scared to cut it because it's vintage fabric and I'll never be able to get more of it
Muslin mock up is my go to, that's a wonderful blessing. Have fun!
Wow! Finally an explanation about WHEN to finish your seams! Thank you!!!
I know right, no one really explains it quite like this! I'm glad it helped you! 😀
I literally have wondered this so often, thanks!!
Well that states everything very clearly Evelyn ! Thankyou, so good to hear it put like that.
It has happened to me countless times when the pattern doesn't say when to do a seam finish and I skip it thinking that it will tell me later and it never does. Very informative, thanks for the video! I would love a video on working with knit fabric. I don't have a serger and sometimes it's a pain to work with knit/stretch fabric.
I hand-finish all of my seams by folding it over and whip-stitch it invisibly. I'm very happy with this, but doing it right away always interrupts my sewing, so sometimes I leave it and continue on and then hand-finish all my seams at once while watching Netflix :D But when another seam goes over it, I'll just finish the part that's under the new seam. Kinda works for me :D
I'm the same... for example I've made a few long dresses lately, with lined bodice, unlined skirt. So I don't finish the bodice seams, as all enclosed in the lining (and it's jersey anyway, so it doesn't fray), then I make the front and back of the skirt, fell the seams as you describe before sewing the fronts and backs together and felling the side-seams (easier to wrangle the skirts half at a time).
@@catherinerw1 Hi, I'm brand new to sewing even though I'm definitively not as young as I used to be. May I ask why you hand finish the seams when you work with jersey, please? I've been given to think that you don't have to do that with knits as they supposedly don't fray. May I also ask how and why you would line a knit, it sounds very intriguing? Thank you. Yours, Ann
@@annlidslot8212Hii Ann, I hand-finish the seams because I enjoy doing it, and like the result! Yes on jersey you can absolutely just leave the seams as stitched, because they won't fray. I line dress bodices with more jersey (often funky/contrasting) for warmth, as I'm making winter dresses at the moment. It also makes for a very comfortable finish, as there are no sticky-out waist seams.
Related... sewing has helped my mental health during Covid, which may also be why I'm doing lots of hand-work. I'd normally be singing with my friends in a choir :-(
@@catherinerw1 Hi, Thank you for your for time to answer me. I'm one of those eternally curious people and love learning new things. I think I understand the process.
I'm glad that you found something that you enjoy at this point in history. That's why I bought a vintage reliable Husqvarna from about 1960 and am trying to learn how to sew. Also unrelated; I too sing. I'm a soloist mezzo and I too can't have my can't sing with my friends nor having my lessons. Funny how you bump into like-minded people on the interweb. Hopefully we can go back to see our friends again soon. Happy sewing. Yours, Ann
This is exactly what I searched on UA-cam! Thank you for making this video!
This was sooo helpful for me...a beginner sewer. Patterns mentioned it at the end so I have been doing it at the end...with horrible looking results at all joined areas. Golden rule for my next garment.
Thank you so much! I’m a beginner and you just answered my questions on seam finishes. I don’t have a serger so I appreciated the other videos you did, as well.
Thanks for watching 😀
No matter what I know even if you're covering a topic I'm well versed in, I will always learn something from your vids! Thank you! Cheers!
Thanks for watching! 😀
Thank you SO much for this... I haven't been able to find the "golden rule" information anywhere, though I've progressed quite a bit past it in other areas of my sewing. Somehow it just seems to get skipped over. I've known *how* to finish seams, just never when, so I keep running into problems of not being able to finish the ends of seams nicely because things are already tucked under other sewn up bits. This video is such a relief to find. Thank you!
Thank you for the open vs. closed seam finish explanation. Those terms have had me confused.
This is lovely! When I was first learning to sew, there were no serger/overlock machines for home use available, so the "rule" was french seams for delicate fabrics, bias tape binding for loose fabric edges, flat fell seaming for casual garments, and pinking shears for everything else. When in doubt, go to a high-end store and check how they finish their seams. (fast fashion only shows the quick-and-dirty Halloween costume construction tips.) Then as overlock machines became available and I wanted to make children's clothing (everyone in the family wearing something with the same print fabric made chasing escaping toddlers easier), I got an overlock. I've now upgraded from a 3-thread machine to a 4-thread machine (which can be threaded to be a 2-thread or 3-thread rather easily..)
You mentioned open finishing making it easier to pick the seams than closed seam finishing. ANYTHING that you anticipate you may need to alter later - skirt waists in particular - should be open seam finishing! This has saved me on SO MANY skirt alterations. In-seam pockets also need open seam finishing on the garment seams, although closed seam finishing is fine around the pocket edge.
My worst ongoing failure is a loose-weave summer wool blouse with a shoulder yoke piece construction. Because the seam would be totally inside the yoke when finished, I single straight-seamed the yoke and turned it right-side-out properly and it all worked fine until the back fabric began to pull out of the yoke. NEVER AGAIN!!! I will now ALWAYS finish even the unseen seams. Picking the seam apart, stuffing the fabric back inside the yoke panel and multiple-line hand-stitching is such a pain... but the blouse is a favorite, and I do want to keep it going a while longer.
I am just learning to sew clothes (I'm an experienced quilter), and so far have made two pajama bottoms. I just bought a serger (yay sales!) and it is the best thing ever! I had heard about the idea of serging before you sew, so I'm glad to hear your opinion about it.
Thank you for this information. Finishing seams is new to me. I just purchased an overlocker machine and this video was extremely valuable. Thanks again.
I like the serge it all before I start. I have not had any problems but I don't usually do extremely complex patterns.
Love this reminder! A note about pre-finishing your edges before sewing: I will do this sometimes with fabrics that fray super easy. I did it recently with some taffeta recently but to keep my seems straight, I will mark my stitch lines first. That way when I do my seems they stay straight because I'm not following the allowance as a guide.
Wow I'm working on my second garment ever and it was so hard for me to find the answer to this exact question. Wonderful video as always and impeccable timing :)
OMG YOU HAVE SOLVED THE WORLDS PROBLEMS FOR ME. I've been sewing NOT LIKE THIS for.... YEAR?? No exaggeration. THANK YOU THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!
Overlocking edges is essentiall for very coarse loose weave fabric such as comes off my loom. In that case, one adds extra seam allowance. I am quite appreciating these tips.
Thank you for this. My mom bought me a nice little singer profinish and I love it!
Lovely explanation. I've just got my first overlocker. So much faster than the zigzag!
It's nice not having to change stitch settings all the time isn't it!!
Just the video and explaination I have been looking for. After three years of sewing clothes more frequently, I had started to feel this was necessary before sewing all pieces of the garment together. So I started to do that but wanted confirmation. Thank you so much!
I sooo love your videos! Perfect for learning!! 💗
No dumb questions? Here is one maybe. I normally finish my seams using zigzag on my sewing machine but have recently bought an overlocker. Could you please make a video about overlocker finishing? When do I just overlock and when should I get the overlocker to cut and overlock at the same time. My sewing machine is sow familiar. This overlocker is a scary beast! BTW your tutorials are THE BEST!
That's exactly the video I needed right now. Thanks a lot !!
Thank you Evelyn. This was super informative.
Thank you for explaining. I love your dress ❤️
Thanks so much Evelyn
xx
Thank you!!! You answered all of my questions! 🤩
You can pre-overlock if you cut outside of the the pattern piece ( leave about 3mm). You can use the cutting line of the pattern to overlock super straight.
Awesome video - as always. I'm a relative newbie and up until this minute, I have saved all my finishing until last. No wonder I had so many headaches!
Thanks again for sharing your knowledge in an easy to understand way.
Great video! This has always been the burning question, thanks so much!
Answered all my questions and more. Fab video. Thanks!
amazing video with a lot of useful knowledge that I haven't easily been able to find anywhere so thanks a lot :)
You are a treasure!thank you😘
Great idea to use pinking shears when cutting out knit fabric ✂️✂️✂️
Love your videos. Thanks for the great lessons ❤
I like to finish around pockets before I sew them in because I find you can't get to the edge with the overlocker after it's sewn in. Not the straight edge but around the curve.
The other problem with finishing edges before sewing the seam is you will lose your notches.
You are hitting all my specific questions! You are a heaven sent angel!
I feel very proud that I've been watching your videos long enough that I knew what the golden rule was before you said it. :D
Yes!!! 😆❤😆❤
You are seriously the cutest! I watch you all the time!
Thanks for the reminder to come back and watch this! I've been making a few skirts now and I didn't like how the serger ruined the seam allowance (even if I don't cut it, it'll still bunch it up where the blade would have gotten to it) so then using the sewing machine guide afterwards was pointless.
That being said I was always too scared not to finish the sides first as I thought it would stretch.
I will definitely be following these golden rules from now on.
Thank you for this video!
Thank you so much!! Super informative. As a beginner, these are really helpful videos. 👍
thankyou simple lovely to listen too
Thank you for your effort
Thanks! I don't have a serger so this was a good refresher as I begin to sew a bit more.
Great vid. I learned about finishing seams for the first time just now. Cheers!
I have been trying so hard to figure this out. Your the best.
😀 Wonderful! I'm happy to help!
Evelyn, thank you for this video. I was wondering the same thing making my first top last night. So far, I'm just pinking the edges but I know I need to graduate to a zigzag finish. Wonderful videos- they've helped me so much getting started. Keep up the great work!
When I was new to using a serger I was terrified about cutting into my garment by mistake and finishing some of the side edges for bodice and skirt pieces before sewing them together helped me become more comfortable with my serger.
Love this video. As always, your videos are spot on. Unfortunately, I learned this one the hard way.
I think we all learned the hard way!
Thank you for this vid! I'm new to sewing and have absolutely didn't realized how to finish the seams and then tried to do so afterwards! 🤣🤣🤣
I mostly use patterns that don't include seam allowance so I can just trace my stitching line on the fabric and pin. That way it doesn't really matter if you finish the edges first.... I do this for wovens😁. When I sew knits I just eyeball the 7mm seam allowance I need for the serger....
Aha! I just ran into this 'finish your seams in your preferred style' and felt so lost. Thank you Evelyn!
I have been mainly using my overlocker to put embellishments on such as beads and doing blind hems on my overlocker, the one key think about overlocker/serger is the tension disc layout I have the lay in and my mum has the beehive tension. Evelyn love you videos as always :)
Thanks for watching😀
I saw the method were you serge all the edges of your fabric once you've cut them out, and I thought, what a great idea. I tried it a couple.of times, but discovered its flaws. Yes, keeping your edges straight is an issue, but you can also cut off all your notches !!! This makes constructing the garment more difficult, especially if you haven't noticed you've lost your notches until you are half way through sewing the garment. You can solve this issue, but it does involve re-marking all your notches, and because the pie e is slightly smaller errors can creep in.
I still don't know about finishing seams of set-in sleeves so I really never have. I just watched one of your seam finish videos I may start zigzagging the edges after I cut out the sleeve fabric so the edges are "finished" before gathering? That one always stumped me. 😂
When I was progressing from newbie, I serged the waistline even though I was going to stitch a waistband. I also didn't stay stitch the curve before hand.
The craziest time I had with seam finishings was when I was working with a very slippery poly satin fabric that when I looked at it sideways it would "poof" fray very badly. From the moment I cut it out to getting it to the sewing machine to sew the seam was a challenge as it pulled and frayed like nobody's business. I hated that project. I'm so glad I signed up for Vintage Sewing School. The lessons have helped me so much to better my skills.
Thank you
Everyday everyone shower compliments of your stitching abilities. You deserve those!!
My query is out of the track!! I wish if you could answer... How do u manage to keep your skin so beautiful 💕 clear and lovely!! A quick tip, please!!😍☺️
Princess seams or anything that needs clipping wouldn’t be conducive to pre-finishing. You’d lose the advantage of finishing the edge.
Loving you new hair style.
Thanks Evelyn, great visual, appreciated that so much! Funny....ummm, I have skipped finishing in the past because there was no explanation...I know.... Hey, you are looking great, loved the outfit and hairdo today!
I have that same rose pin, it was my grandmothers
Huh…I just zigzagged/“overlocked” the edges around every single panel I had before sewing them together…and then again over the seams…
Then again I have so far only practised with squares, making small bags…
Wish I had found this video sooner!
Thank you!
An indie pattern I ordered online suggested serging all pieces before assembling. I overcast because I don’t have a serger, but love that idea
I love my Serger. I would like to use more biased tape on some finishes, but it is just so time consuming.
Great info! Yes, I agree, sometimes it is better to press the seam open because it lays flatter and less bulk! If I can't do a french seam on wovens then I like to see the seam first then serge the edges. Sometimes together, sometimes apart. It just depends on the weight of the fabric.
For some reason, I always follow this golden rule when sewing things with French seams, but I'm really bad at doing it when I use a serger. Maybe that is also one of the reasons I don't really like to serge my seams. I sew almost everything with French seams, or felled seams, or otherwise I pink them.
How you finish your seams has a lot to do with fabric. Back in 1962, in my High School Sewing Class, I was taught to stay stitich all my raw edges 1/8 inch or 1/4 inch from the raw edges to prevent distortion (after cutting out the garment and marking it). Sometimes the stay stitching was all the finish it needed. Loose weave fabrics will take more work (like zig-zag, bias tape, or french seams). I hope this helps.
I do recall that, now that you reminded me. We were required to first straighten fabric by tearing, or pulling a thread through and cutting across from selvage to selvage. Now I notice cheap garments that don't hang well because the fabric was off grain!
I have an old robe that my late grandma made my dad when he was in the sixth grade. I put it through the washing machine a few times before figuring out she had never finished the seams, and now I'm trying to finish what's left of the seam allowance, before it crumbles away, entirely.
Two questions came to mind while watching this excellent video:
1) Would you sew a seam with anything other than a straight stitch?
2) Would you finish off various types of fabric in different ways? Lace? Chiffon? Stretch materials? Is there a video on that?
3) (bonus question lol) Is there a correct way to iron? If I cut out a square and iron it, I tend to stretch the fabric while ironing into some other shape. Am I pressing too hard or is it because my fabric is poor quality?
Thanks! Your videos are very helpful!!!
😀 Ok...
1. I can think of only sewing knits with a slanted zip zag. Otherwise nothing comes to mind
2. ABSOLUTELY! If you're really aiming to make a high quality garment you need to consider the best seam finish to use for fabric, function and design
3. Perhaps this video can help ua-cam.com/video/GcOWWHiOUN4/v-deo.html
Happy sewing!
It depends on the fabric! If it frays badly I use pinking shears to cut out fabric. I prefinish some edges. The only time I finished all the raw edges, I made my way through the steps and then the neckline and collar. Why finish it if it just has to be cut off and graded to lay flat? I laughed at myself and reminded myself that there are always exceptions. Hugs
Cool! In Germany, we finish the seams before we start sowing :)
With those crazy Burda pattern nests right! 😆 I must use one of these oneday!
@@Evelyn__Wood Yes, and most other German patterns as well. In Germany, the ebook Community is huge.
Honestly, even as someone with 20+ years of sewing experience, I am still confused about the right order to finish seams. 😂 Doing it before sewing the seams together or after sewing the seams together mainly, but I think I have landed on it's best to do after the seam is in place, also I like to try it out half finished sometimes and make sure it looks good. I love your top(dress?) btw! 😍
I know right! There is a time and place for all methods! And it's a 1950's dress! 😀
@@Evelyn__Wood Love the pattern & the buttons going diagonal! I am getting inspired 🙃
(Firstly, apologies if this question is answered in another video and it just happens to be one I've not watched yet.) I've always been meticulous about seam finishes in the past (I can almost hear my textiles teacher from many years ago tutting or gasping in shock if I even think about not doing it!). I made a wedding dress for my sister a few years ago, and took care to finish all the seams. However, I'm about to embark on my daughter's wedding dress, and this one is fully lined (bodice and skirt, all seams totally encased). I've done a bit of 'Googling' and the general opinion seems to be that seam finishes aren't necessary, unless the fabric is super-'fray-able'. I'm wondering if I'd be OK to pink the edges (yes, I can imagine my textiles teacher sighing or rolling her eyes 😆), with maybe finishing the lining seam edges if it looks like it needs it? I don't have an overlocker/serger, so my go-to has usually been 'parallel line, trim and zig-zag', however I think even that might create too much bulk in some parts. So, basically, my question is, am I OK to pink my seam finishes on a fully lined wedding dress? (Or is that really improper, and I'd end up regretting it!?)
I’m currently working on a bomber jacket (second project) and love my serger for finishing seams! This video is so needed, as all of your videos are.
I was wondering though, if with a lining would it be best to serge the lining onto the jacket and finish what’s not combined with the lining with pinking shears and press (like where the front panels attach to the back of the jacket) or serge all the things?
On my last project I served all pieces before construction. Problem- there was a gathered waist- all that serging on that gather added a lot of bulk! If I had served after construction I would have had one final serge seam, nowhere near the bulk
Great video, I would’ve liked to of seen how you serge the seams individually after you straight stitch. You showed us how to search the seams together but didn’t show us the other step. Thank you.
When I first started sewing I thought I needed to finish ALL edges. For example: I zigzagged the hems before doing a dubble folded hem... which in itself hides the raw edges. So I "double finished" a lot of things before realising what edges needed finishing and which edges would be hidden in a later stage of the process. And that some materials, like felted wool do rearly need finishing as it doesn't fray
Unless it's a fabric that doesn't fray, I tend to zig-zag all the edges before making any seams, to stop the fabric from fraying while I work with it. I'll trim and hand finish the seams later if I need to, but the zig-zag works well enough. Plus an overlocker/serger is waaay out of my budget, so it's the easiest option I have.
Yeah, that is the benefit. If the material is prone to fraying, you reduce it greatly by treating the raw edges first.
This was really helpful thank you. How though would you finish the seams where the set in sleeve of the armscye bunches up underneath the join with the continuous sleeve length to side seam of a garment? Would you use a closed overlock for one seam and an open overlock for the other?