Finishing the fabric is very important to improve the product quality. It also makes the fabric more resistant to laundering and wear. There are different types of finishing, but the seam finishes pay a vital part in the sewing process. Seam finishing gives a professional look to both the inner and outer side. It is also very useful for decorative purpose.
Types of seam finishing and how to do them
The seam is elementary combination of stitches that joins two plies of fabric. The seam can be of hundreds of types. You get a variety to choose from when it comes to seam finishes. The basic seam finishes are:
1. Clean Finish Edge:
Usually used for light to medium-weight fabrics, clean finish is a lot easier than the rest of the seams. What you have to do is with one side together, sew your seam and press open. Just sew close to the edges, and your seam will be close to perfection.
2. Pinked Edge:
This kind of finishing is used for the fabrics that don’t fray easily. It is the simplest, precise and requires no sewing. All you need to do is cut close to the edge with the pinking shears till all edges have this finish and there are no worries about fraying.
3. Serged:
Serged seam is used in different types of fabrics and garments, and so the seam is very versatile. You need an overlook for the process in which you can cut the edges of the cloth. The process, though, isn’t difficult, but precision should be taken care of.
4. Zig Zag:
It can be used with any kind of fabric but with an exception. Delicate fabrics, when subjected to this type of seam finishing, maybe tear off! You can use the zig zag setting on your machine and try a smaller stitch for the lighter fabrics and a larger stitch for the heavy fabrics.
5. Flat Felled:
This is used in garments that go through a lot of stress like pants and woven shirts. The flat-felled seam is made by placing one edge inside a folded part of the fabric and then stitching the fold down. This type of seaming is mainly used in making the denim jeans. It appears inside out to reduce the stitching labor.
6. French Seam:
This is the kind of seam with raw edges enclosed. It is generally used when the fabric is way too delicate to overcast the seam allowance. It prevent the fabric from tearing off. With the wrong sides together from the raw edges, press down encasing your previous trimmed seam. Simple!
Seam finishing isn’t easy at all. But with practice and the right tools seam finishing will be something that you can master within no time! More than practice, if you have already taken up a course in online fashion designing, then it will be even easier for you.