Seam finishes

There are so many ways to finish seams.  The one you choose depends on what kind of fabric is being used, if you are worried about the seam allowance showing through to the outside, how long you want something to last, and if you want to construction a period garment "correctly" from inside out.

I am going to list all the seam finishes I know and when I would use each one.
And, as always, leave comments if you have a different opinion.

Serging is the finish I use the most for my personal clothing and when I sew for Simplicity. This is good because it is quick and strong, but it can create a shadow on the outside of the garment when pressed if the fabric is too thin.  Most of the time that's not a problem, but if it is a fine garment, another seam finish would be a better choice.

Usually I serge each side of the seam separately and press open like this photo, but sometimes I will serge the two sides of the seam together and press to one side. 

This image is from Threads Magazine.  They have loads of tutorials for different seam finishes with fine points about when to serge and what kind of serging to use.

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If you don't have a serger or if you don't want to take the time to thread your serger for a little seam or you don't have the right color of serger thread, a seam allowance can be zig zagged. Although it's not as clean looking as a serged seam.

This photo is from Tilly and Buttons.  Their tutorial for this seam finish is really good.

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When I was a kid, before people has sergers at home, my mother finished all her seams with pinking shears.  To save time, she taught me to cut out the pieces of whatever I was sewing with the pinking shears, which I wouldn't do now because it isn't very accurate. But, it does save time.

But, this is still a great finish for cottons and it's a seam finish that doesn't show on the right side of the garment after it's pressed.

This photo is from Oliver + S blog.  They have a good tutorial that explains the ins and outs of pinking.

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This is a french seam. It is the best type of seam for shear fabrics, but is used in other places as well. It makes the inside of a garment look as finished as the outside, so I've seen good quality cotton blouses with french seams.  I worked for a designer years ago that had me used french seams in the wool capes we were making.  It can be very thick and lumpy when used with heavy fabrics, so there are better options to finish seams in unlined jackets and coats.

This photo is from Children's Fashion Workshop but the tutorial at Sew Neau is the best I've seen.  

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This is the better finish for an unlined jacket, in my opinion. It's called the Hong Kong finish.  Lightweight fabric such as china silk is sewn around the raw edges of the seam allowance, but it's easier than doing a full bias binding, which I never use as a seam finish because it is too thick.

This photo is from Daryl's Blog at Weaver Sew where there is a very good tutorial.

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This image is from Gerty's Blog for Better Sewing. It shows a turned and stitched seam finish.  Gerty seems to be in love with this finish.  It's really nice looking, but I have to admit I can't remember the last time I used it and I find it difficult to do well.

Gerty has a easy to follow tutorial, if you want to give it a try.

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I always associate a hand overcast seam with fine couture sewing.  It is good for most any fabric, doesn't leave a shadow through to the front, looks extremely elegant BUT takes FOREVER!  It's also good for some period sewing.  You need to do your research.


The photo and a tutorial are at Elegant Musings. 

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Some people run a machine straight stitch along the seam allowance for stability and to help guide the hand stitching. But then that line of straight stitching can show through to the outside after pressing, so that kind of defeats the purpose of that seam finish for me.

This from the blog at Burda Style, which has many seam finish tutorials and more.

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The last seam finish I am going to talk about is the flat felled seam.  That's the seam most store bought men's shirts are sewn with.  The seam allowance is folded back and top stitched down.  You need a special foot to do a real flat felled seam.  I do what some people call a faux flat felled seam and it looks just as good.

This photo is from Coletterie where there is an easy to follow step by step tutorial.

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These are all the seam finishes I know about off the top of my head. I've used them all at one time or another.

What did I miss?  Is there a seam finish you love or one that's really good for a certain period or in certain circumstances?