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    Seams Notes

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    toniiann
    A seam is the joining of two pieces of fabric. There are two categories of seams: enclosed seams which hide the raw edges in the seam allowance, and exposed seams where the edges are visible. Common seam types include plain seams which are invisible on the right side, French seams which hide edges on the wrong side, and double-stitched seams which enclose edges visible on both sides. Seam finishes are used to prevent fraying, strengthen the seam, and provide a neat look. Common techniques for seam finishes include pinking, zigzag stitching, and bias binding. The type of fabric, garment, seam shape, and seam position help determine the best seam to use.

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    Seams Notes

    Uploaded by

    toniiann
    215 views2 pages
    A seam is the joining of two pieces of fabric. There are two categories of seams: enclosed seams which hide the raw edges in the seam allowance, and exposed seams where the edges are visible. Common seam types include plain seams which are invisible on the right side, French seams which hide edges on the wrong side, and double-stitched seams which enclose edges visible on both sides. Seam finishes are used to prevent fraying, strengthen the seam, and provide a neat look. Common techniques for seam finishes include pinking, zigzag stitching, and bias binding. The type of fabric, garment, seam shape, and seam position help determine the best seam to use.

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    A seam is the joining of two pieces of fabric. There are two categories of seams: enclosed seams which hide the raw edges in the seam allowance, and exposed seams where the edges are visible. Common seam types include plain seams which are invisible on the right side, French seams which hide edges on the wrong side, and double-stitched seams which enclose edges visible on both sides. Seam finishes are used to prevent fraying, strengthen the seam, and provide a neat look. Common techniques for seam finishes include pinking, zigzag stitching, and bias binding. The type of fabric, garment, seam shape, and seam position help determine the best seam to use.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    215 views2 pages

    Seams Notes

    Uploaded by

    toniiann
    A seam is the joining of two pieces of fabric. There are two categories of seams: enclosed seams which hide the raw edges in the seam allowance, and exposed seams where the edges are visible. Common seam types include plain seams which are invisible on the right side, French seams which hide edges on the wrong side, and double-stitched seams which enclose edges visible on both sides. Seam finishes are used to prevent fraying, strengthen the seam, and provide a neat look. Common techniques for seam finishes include pinking, zigzag stitching, and bias binding. The type of fabric, garment, seam shape, and seam position help determine the best seam to use.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 2

    Seams

    A seam is the joining of two or more pieces of fabric together


    Categories of Seam
    ● Enclosed Seams- raw edges are hidden in the seam allowance
    ● Exposed Seams- the edges of the seam are visible.
    Types of Seams
    ● Plain Seam​- a flat seam made by a single machine stitch that is invisible on the right side
    of the garment.
    ● French Seam​- a strong but bulk seam. The edges are hidden in the seam allowance and
    two stitches are used to make the seam but only one is visible (this is on the wrong side).
    ● Double-Stitched Seam​- this is a flat seam used on light and medium weight fabrics. The
    raw edges are enclosed and both stitches are visible on the right side.

    Seam Finishes

    Reasons for using Seam Finishes


    ● It prevents raw edges from fraying
    ● It strengthens the seam
    ● It gives a neat, professional look to the garment
    Seam Techniques
    ● Trimming​- is cutting away some of the seam allowance. This is done when the full width
    of the seam allowance would interfere with the fit of the garment.
    ● Grading​- is the cutting of seam allowance to different widths. The widest part of the
    seam allowance should be nearest to the garment. This technique is used to reduce bulk
    and allows the seam to lie flat. Another name for grading is layering.
    ● Clipping​- is used on curved seams to allow them to lie smooth. Clips are slits cut into the
    seam allowance of outward curves which allows the edges to spread.
    ● Notching-​ is cutting wedges from seam allowance of inward curved seams. This
    technique also allows the seam to lie smoothly.
    ● Under-stitching​- keeps a facing and its seam-line from rolling to the right side of the
    garment. This is done by placing the right side of the seam up and stitching through the
    facing and seam allowance while staying close to the seam-line.
    Seam Terms
    Seam Allowance​- is the extra fabric beyond the stitching line before treatment.
    Seam Width​- is the extra fabric beyond the stitching line after treatment.
    Required Seam Widths
    Open 1/2”
    Curves ¼”
    French ¼”
    Closed ¼”

    Types of Seam Finishes

    ● Pinked-​ cut along the edge of the seam allowance with pinking shear.

    ● Stitched & Pinked​- using a short stitch, place a line of stitching ¼” from edge of seam
    allowance then pink edge.

    ● Overcast​- using single thread, make overcast stitches at the edge of each seam allowance
    slightly more than 1/8” in depth and spaced ¼” apart.

    ● Zig Zag​- trim seam allowance to ½”, set sewing machine on a medium width and short
    length zig zag. Stitch on the edge of seam allowance.

    ● Turn and Stitch​-turn under edge of seam allowance 1/8”, press and stitch along the edge
    of the fold.

    ● Bias Bound-​ trim seam edges; wrap bias tape around raw edges, and then stitch close to
    the edge of top fold catching underneath fold in stitching.

    Factors that Determine the Choice of Seams


    ● The texture of the fabric- fine and loosely woven fabrics that fray badly should be
    enclosed to prevent unraveling of the fabric
    ● The type of garment- clothes that are hard wearing need seams that can withstand strain
    in wear and laundry eg. Double-stitched seam
    ● The shape if the seam- it is difficult to sew corners and curved areas with certain types of
    seams (French seam). A plain seam would more suitable
    ● The position of the seam- straight edges, like the side seams of shirts and blouses, are
    more suited to French seams than the curved armhole of the same garment.

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