How To Finish Sewing: Professional Sewing Finishes and Expert Guide

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How To Finish Sewing: Professional Sewing Finishes and Expert Guide

What is sewing finishing? Sewing finishing refers to the final steps taken to complete a garment or sewn item, ensuring it looks polished, wears well, and is durable. These steps involve tidying up seams, hems, and edges, and often include pressing to create a crisp, professional look. This guide will delve into various sewing techniques and expert tips for achieving professional sewing finishes, elevating your sewing project completion from good to outstanding.

The Art of Professional Sewing Finishes

Achieving professional sewing finishes is about attention to detail. It’s the difference between a homemade item and something that looks like it came straight from a boutique. While the core sewing construction might be sound, it’s the finishing touches that truly elevate a project. This guide will equip you with the knowledge of various seam finishes, hemming methods, and edge finishes to make your creations stand out.

Mastering Seam Finishes: Protecting and Perfecting

Seam finishes are crucial for preventing fraying, adding durability, and creating a clean interior. The best seam finish depends on the fabric type, the garment’s style, and the desired aesthetic.

Why Are Seam Finishes Important?

• Prevent Fraying: Fabrics naturally fray when cut. Seam finishes encase the raw edges, stopping them from unraveling.
• Add Durability: Well-finished seams are stronger and less likely to split with wear and washing.
• Improve Appearance: A clean, finished seam on the inside of a garment contributes to its overall professional look.
• Comfort: Some finishes can prevent scratchy or irritating raw edges from rubbing against the skin.

Common and Effective Seam Finishes

Here are some of the most popular and effective seam finishes you should know:

French Seams: The Elegant Enclosure

French seams are a beautiful way to enclose raw edges, creating a clean and polished finish, especially on sheer or lightweight fabrics. They are essentially a seam within a seam.

• How to Sew:

  1. Place fabric pieces right sides together.
  2. Sew a narrow seam (about 1/4 inch).
  3. Trim the seam allowance to about 1/8 inch.
  4. Turn the fabric so the wrong sides are together, and press the seam allowance flat.
  5. Fold again, so the original seam is enclosed within this new fold.
  6. Sew a second seam, typically 1/4 inch from the folded edge, enclosing the first seam.
  7. Press the finished seam flat.

• Best For: Lightweight to medium-weight fabrics like silk, chiffon, voile, linen, and fine cotton.

Flat-Felled Seams: The Strong and Smooth Finish

Flat-felled seams are exceptionally strong and smooth, often used on sturdy fabrics like denim, canvas, and sportswear. They are also very decorative when sewn on the outside.

• How to Sew:

  1. Place fabric pieces right sides together.
  2. Sew a standard seam allowance (e.g., 1/2 inch).
  3. Trim one side of the seam allowance to half its width.
  4. Press the seam allowances to one side, with the wider allowance on top.
  5. Unfold the wider seam allowance and fold the trimmed edge over the raw edge of the narrower seam allowance.
  6. Press this fold flat.
  7. Stitch close to the folded edge, encasing the raw edge.
  8. Press the entire seam flat.

• Best For: Denim, canvas, twill, sportswear, shirts, and trousers.

Zigzag Stitch Finish: A Quick and Easy Option

A simple zigzag stitch is a versatile and widely used seam finish, suitable for a variety of fabrics. It’s quick to execute and effective at preventing fraying.

• How to Sew:

  1. Sew your main seam with your desired seam allowance.
  2. Set your sewing machine to a medium-width and medium-length zigzag stitch.
  3. Stitch along the raw edge of each seam allowance, ensuring the needle penetrates the fabric just inside the edge on one side and just outside on the other, creating a neat zigzag.
  4. Trim any excess bulk from the seam allowance if needed.

• Best For: Most fabrics, including knits and wovens, especially when a neat internal finish is desired without the bulk of other methods.

Pinking Shears Finish: The No-Sew Solution

While not as durable as machine finishes, pinking shears offer a quick way to finish seam allowances on fabrics that don’t fray excessively.

• How to Sew:

  1. Sew your main seam with your desired seam allowance.
  2. After sewing, trim the raw edges of the seam allowances with pinking shears.

• Best For: Fabrics like quilting cottons, felt, and some linens that have a tendency to fray minimally.

Serger/Overlocker Finish: Professional Speed and Precision

If you have a serger or overlocker, it’s an invaluable tool for professional seam finishes. It sews, trims, and finishes seams in one pass.

• How to Sew:

  1. Align the raw edges of your fabric layers.
  2. Feed the fabric through your serger, ensuring the knives trim excess fabric and the needles and loopers create a neat overlocking stitch along the raw edge.

• Best For: Almost all fabrics, especially knits, as the overlocker stitch provides stretch. It’s also excellent for lightweight and medium-weight wovens.

Choosing the Right Seam Finish for Your Project

Fabric Type	Recommended Seam Finishes	Notes
Lightweight Woven (Chiffon, Silk, Voile)	French Seam, Rolled Hem (for very fine edges)	Prioritize neatness and preventing fraying. French seams offer a beautiful, enclosed finish.
Medium-Weight Woven (Cotton, Linen, Rayon)	Zigzag, Flat-Felled (for structure), Pinking Shears (for casual items)	Versatile. Zigzag is a good all-rounder. Flat-felled adds strength.
Heavyweight Woven (Denim, Canvas, Corduroy)	Flat-Felled, Welted Seam (for very structured items), Serger	Durability is key. Flat-felled seams are excellent for strength. Serging provides a clean finish.
Knits	Serger/Overlocker, Zigzag (stretch stitch)	Stretch is essential. Serging or a stretch zigzag stitch allows seams to move with the fabric.
Sheer Fabrics	French Seam, Hong Kong Finish (a more decorative edge finish)	Elegance and preventing show-through are important. French seams are a classic choice.

Hemming Methods: The Foundation of a Polished Look

Hemming is the process of finishing the bottom edge of a garment or item. A well-executed hem is subtle, lies flat, and complements the overall design.

Why Proper Hemming Matters

• Prevent Fraying: Like seams, hems need finishing to prevent the fabric edge from unraveling.
• Create a Clean Edge: A neat hem provides a finished look, hiding raw fabric.
• Add Weight and Drape: Some hemming methods can add a subtle weight to the hem, improving the garment’s drape.
• Ensure Durability: A securely sewn hem will last longer and withstand wear.

Popular Hemming Methods

Here are several hemming methods, each suited to different fabrics and styles:

Double Fold Hem: The Classic and Versatile

This is one of the most common and versatile hemming methods. It involves folding the fabric edge twice to enclose the raw edge.

• How to Sew:

  1. Determine your desired finished hem width.
  2. Fold the raw edge up by half of this width, wrong sides together, and press.
  3. Fold up again by the remaining half of the desired hem width, enclosing the raw edge, and press.
  4. Stitch close to the inner folded edge.
  5. For a very neat finish on finer fabrics, you can blind stitch.

• Best For: Almost all woven fabrics, from lightweight cottons to heavier wools.

Rolled Hem: For Delicate and Lightweight Fabrics

A rolled hem is a very narrow hem, perfect for delicate fabrics where a wider hem would be too bulky or detract from the design. It can be done by machine or by hand.

• How to Sew (Machine):

  1. Use a specialized rolled hem foot on your sewing machine.
  2. Feed the fabric edge into the foot as directed by the manufacturer.
  3. The foot will automatically fold and guide the fabric to create a narrow, rolled edge.
  4. Stitch close to the rolled edge.

• How to Sew (Hand):

  1. Create a very narrow double fold hem by hand, carefully folding and stitching with small, even stitches.

• Best For: Lightweight fabrics like silk chiffon, georgette, organza, and fine cottons.

Blind Hem: The Invisible Finish

A blind hem creates an almost invisible finish by catching only a few threads of the fabric on the right side.

• How to Sew:

  1. Prepare your hem using a double fold or a single fold with a serged edge.
  2. Use a blind hem stitch on your sewing machine, or carefully hand-stitch.
  3. When using the machine blind hem stitch, the needle will swing over to catch a tiny amount of the main fabric as it stitches over the folded hem edge.

• Best For: Trousers, skirts, dresses, and any garment where an invisible hem is desired for a polished look. Works well on most fabrics.

Lettuce Edge Hem: A Decorative Finish for Knits

This technique creates a wavy, decorative edge, often seen on knit garments.

• How to Sew:

  1. Using a serger with differential feed adjusted to a higher setting, or a stretchy zigzag stitch on a regular machine.
  2. Sew along the raw edge of the fabric. The differential feed or stitch tension will cause the fabric to ripple, creating the “lettuce” effect.
  3. You can also achieve a similar effect by stretching the fabric as you sew a regular stitch, though this is less controlled.

• Best For: Stretchy knit fabrics like jersey, lycra, and t-shirt fabric.

Band Hem: Adding a Design Element

A band hem involves attaching a separate strip of fabric to create a decorative and sturdy hem.

• How to Sew:

  1. Cut a fabric band to the desired width and length, accounting for seam allowances.
  2. Fold the band in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press.
  3. Align the raw edge of the band with the raw edge of the garment’s hem, right sides together.
  4. Stitch the band to the garment.
  5. Press the band down.
  6. Topstitch the band to the garment from the right side, about 1/8 inch from the edge, or secure by hand on the inside.

• Best For: Casual wear, leggings, sleeve cuffs, and adding visual interest.

Edge Finishes: Securing and Beautifying Openings

Edge finishes are essential for openings like necklines, armholes, and jacket fronts. They prevent fraying and contribute significantly to the garment’s overall structure and appearance.

The Role of Edge Finishes

• Prevent Fraying: Like seams and hems, raw edges need protection.
• Provide Structure: Finishes can reinforce edges, preventing them from stretching out.
• Enhance Aesthetics: They add a polished, professional look to garment openings.
• Create Clean Lines: They define the shape of the garment’s openings.

Key Edge Finishing Techniques

Bias Tape Finish: A Clean and Professional Binding

Bias tape is a strip of fabric cut on the bias, allowing it to curve easily around necklines and armholes. It can be single-fold or double-fold.

• How to Sew (Single Fold Bias Tape):

  1. Fold the raw edge of the garment opening inward slightly and press.
  2. Open out the bias tape and place it right sides together with the garment edge, aligning raw edges.
  3. Stitch along the fold line of the bias tape.
  4. Trim the seam allowance if necessary.
  5. Fold the bias tape to the inside of the garment, enclosing the raw edge, and press.
  6. Stitch close to the inner folded edge, catching the bias tape on the inside.

• Best For: Necklines, armholes, and curved edges on almost any fabric.

Facing: A Structured Edge Finish

Facings are separate pieces of fabric sewn to the garment’s raw edges to provide a clean finish and added structure. They are often used for necklines and armholes.

• How to Sew:

  1. Cut facing pieces according to your pattern, ensuring they are mirrored if necessary.
  2. Sew the facing pieces together at the shoulder or side seams if applicable.
  3. Place the facing right sides together with the garment opening edge.
  4. Stitch around the opening.
  5. Trim the seam allowance and clip curves.
  6. Understitch the facing to reduce bulk and help it roll to the inside.
  7. Turn the facing to the inside and press. Secure by hand stitching or topstitching if desired.

• Best For: Necklines, armholes, front and back openings, and bottom hems for a structured finish.

Interfacing: Adding Stability and Body

Interfacing is a material used to reinforce areas of a garment, such as collars, cuffs, button bands, and facings. It’s applied before the edge finish is completed.

• Types of Interfacing: Woven, non-woven, fusible, sew-in.

• How to Apply: Fuse or sew the interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric pieces according to the manufacturer’s instructions and your pattern.

• Best For: Collars, cuffs, plackets, waistbands, facings, and any area needing more body or stability.

The Importance of Pressing Seams

Pressing seams is not just about making things look neat; it’s a fundamental part of sewing construction that contributes immensely to professional sewing finishes.

Why Pressing Seams is Crucial

• Accuracy: Pressing as you go ensures seams are sewn accurately and lie flat.
• Professional Appearance: Crisp seams and hems are hallmarks of professional garments.
• Ease of Construction: Pressed seams make subsequent sewing steps easier and more accurate.
• Durability: Proper pressing can help set stitches and reinforce seams.

Expert Pressing Tips

• Press, Don’t Iron: When pressing seams, lift and lower the iron rather than sliding it. This prevents stretching or distorting the fabric.
• Use the Right Heat Setting: Always check your fabric care label or test on a scrap to determine the correct iron temperature.
• Use a Pressing Cloth: A pressing cloth (a piece of cotton fabric or specialized pressing material) protects delicate fabrics from scorching or shining and can help set steam.
• Press Seams Open or to One Side: Depending on the fabric and desired outcome, press seams open for a flatter finish, or press them to one side for added strength or a specific look.
• Press Curves: Use a tailor’s ham or curved pressing tools to press curved seams (like armholes) so they lie smoothly.
• Press After Every Step: Make it a habit to press after sewing each seam or completing a significant construction step. This is key to achieving a polished finish.

Putting It All Together: Sewing Project Completion

Achieving professional sewing finishes is about more than just knowing techniques; it’s about integrating them into your sewing process for seamless sewing project completion.

Building Your Skillset: Sewing Tips for Success

• Read Your Pattern Carefully: Ensure you understand the recommended seam allowances, finishes, and construction order.
• Choose the Right Tools: Invest in good quality scissors, pins, needles, and an iron. A walking foot or roller foot can be invaluable for tricky fabrics.
• Practice on Scraps: Before working on your actual project, practice new techniques on fabric scraps similar to your project fabric.
• Take Your Time: Rushing is the enemy of professional finishes. Allow yourself ample time for each step, especially pressing.
• Look at Ready-to-Wear Garments: Examine the seams, hems, and finishes on clothing you admire to gain inspiration and learn techniques.
• Don’t Be Afraid to Undo and Redo: If a seam or hem isn’t quite right, it’s better to unpick it and do it again than to live with a subpar finish.
• Finish One Section at a Time: Focus on completing all seam finishes in one area before moving to the next, ensuring a systematic approach.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is the best seam finish for knits?
A1: The best seam finish for knits is typically a serger or overlocker stitch, as it provides stretch and prevents the seam from breaking. If you don’t have a serger, a stretch zigzag stitch on a regular sewing machine is a good alternative.

Q2: Can I use pinking shears for all fabrics?
A2: Pinking shears are best for fabrics that fray minimally, like quilting cottons or felt. They are not recommended for fabrics that fray heavily, as they won’t provide enough protection against unraveling.

Q3: How do I get my hems to lie flat?
A3: Ensuring your hems lie flat involves accurate pressing and choosing the right hemming method for your fabric. A double fold hem is often effective, and using a tailor’s ham for curves can help. Thoroughly pressing each fold before stitching is essential.

Q4: What is the difference between a seam finish and a hem finish?
A4: A seam finish deals with the raw edges where two fabric pieces are joined together. A hem finish deals with the raw edge at the bottom of a garment or sleeve to prevent fraying and create a neat edge.

Q5: Why do my turned-out corners look messy?
A5: Messy corners often result from not trimming the seam allowance at the corners before turning. Clip the corners diagonally close to the stitching (but not through it) to reduce bulk and create sharper points.

By mastering these sewing techniques and embracing the principles of professional sewing finishes, you can transform your sewing projects from merely functional to beautifully crafted works of art. Each carefully executed seam, hem, and edge finish contributes to the overall quality and longevity of your creations, ensuring your sewing project completion is a source of pride.