Sewing Tip - Underlining and Seam Finish in one

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Underlining and Seam Finish in one (Tip/Technique)

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Review rated Helpful by 4 people Very Helpful by 94 people

Posted by:

julieb


	About julieb
	VA USA
	Member since: 10/28/02
	Reviews written: 8
	Sewing skills:Advanced
	Favored by: 14 people
	tips added: 1
	Bio: more...

Posted on:

3/1/06 9:09 AM

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This technique allows you to underline a garment and finish the seams in one procedure -- this makes the most beautiful seam finish and is not much more work than simply underlining (less, if you are planning to hand baste the layers together). This works on almost any vertical seam such as the side and center back seams of a skirt (or the seams on a gored skirt) as well as princess lines.

When cutting your underlining, add 5/8 inch to the seam allowances along the vertical seams. If you are using 5/8 inch seam allowances you'll cut them 1.25 inches wide. Place the underlining and fashion fabric RST and pin the vertical edges together -- the underlining will not lie flat as it is bigger than the fashion fabric. Sew these edges together with a 1/4 inch seam. Turn the panels right sides out. Press the edges so the underlining wraps around the edge of the fashion fabric and lies flat -- this looks a bit like a Hong Kong Finish. The following photo shows what this will look like.
Sample
The piece on the right is what the fabric piece will look like once the pressing is complete. The piece on the left is what the seam will look like once it is sewn and pressed open.

Once this part is completed you treat the two layers as one and complete your garment as usual. You can baste the upper edge together if necessary.

Here's a picture of the inside of a wool skirt where I used this technique, underlining with silk organza Gray Skirt

This is a picture of a skirt made from sheer pink linen. Pink Skirt
On this skirt I had planned to line but not underline. I discovered that the fabric was so sheer that the pressed seam allowances showed through unattractively. I used the lining fabric (bemberg rayon) to underline and finish the seams which also prevented any show-through of the seam allowances, a benefit lining would not have afforded.

This is an easy and elegant way to finish any vertical seam in a garment. It eliminates the need for a lining and gives a couture look to the inside of your garment. I don't think you will be disappointed in the results.

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Reader Comments
Tov	3/1/06	WOW! Thanks for sharing this tip. Viv
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Nickle	3/1/06	How clever. I added this tip to my favorites.
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Peggy L	3/2/06	Very pretty seam finish! I have always liked the look of the Hong Kong finish. Have you ever tried this on pants??
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2muchfabric	3/2/06	What a great tip! The photos are very helpful in understanding your method. Can't wait to try this out. Thanks for sharing!
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SewVeryTall	3/2/06	Great explanation, samples, and photos to show this technique, Julie!
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Luckylibbet	3/2/06	Great explanation - photos make it very clear how this works. I've added to favorites and am looking forward to using it soon.
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PVA	3/2/06	What a great tip -- thank you for sharing it with us. It's a great review, too. I really appreciate the clear explanation & the great photos!
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Lizz	3/2/06	Thanks for super directions for a super hint! This will do the trick when lining is just too much!
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SusiM	3/2/06	This is a nice suggestion. Thank you for taking the time to share it.
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ladybegood	3/2/06	I can't wait to try this! Thanks!
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solosmocker	3/2/06	About ten years ago Threads did an article on this and it was called "flat lining". I have used it ever since. It finishes the inside of a garment beautifully. Wish I could credit the author of that article. Perhaps someone will remember. I stitch in the ditch to further secure the seam allowances. I can't remember if the article said to to do this or not. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
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PixieCat	3/2/06	Thanks, julieb! Crystal clear and it's going straight into my favorites!
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vasallese	3/2/06	Your explanation is great. I do love this technique. To be honest, I rarely sew these fabrics because I don't like the seams & how they show through. This is giving me the encouragement to go ahead & sew!
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Peggym	3/3/06	Thanks.Looking forward to trying this out. Good clear instructions
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Danielle	3/9/06	Wow!! Great tip! Makes for a very clean seam! I am going to try it. Thanks!!
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alsashca	3/12/06	Dear JulieB, You are much more advanced in sewing than I am, so I need some help understanding your technique. First, what's 'underlining'? Second, after you have sewn the underlining to the fashion fabric and have pressed seams open, do you stitch the underlining to the raw edge of the seam allowance of the fashion fabric or do you use some iron-on ribbon to fuse the two layers together? I hope I've made my question clear. I look forward to your response as I am just starting a dress project and was going to make a lining for it, but now I would like to try your technique. Thanks, Lisa
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beulah	3/14/06	I can't wait to try it. thanks
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99	3/15/06	I think this would be a great alternative to lining pants.
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sabra	3/16/06	please e-mail me at mcqueenlabmouse@aol.com just have a question thanks for this tip it's fantastic!
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TheBagLady	3/16/06	Liked this one. I'm always looking to 'step up' rather than down and this was exactly that. I own a silk print dress that I bought in an up scale shop and have wondered how they did the lining seams. Now I know but also can do it myself. Thanks very much!
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KAB	4/23/06	Smashing! Bye, bye hand basting. I underline frequently and you have just made my life easier and my garments more attractive.
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patsijean	6/14/06	Solosmocker, The article was titled "Flatlining with a Hong Kong Finish". It was reprinted in the THREADS book, "Beyond the Pattern" a couple of years later. Imagine my thrill at having my article published in THREADS. I do quick diagonal basting to hold the slippery fabric after turning the lining. Just make sure the garment piece is laid out flat and smoothed so that everything is on grain, diagonal baste, and leave basting in until the garment is complete. You will find that the garment wrinkles far less and wool does not stretch in the seat as much if at all. It is not necessary to stitch in the ditch. The seam in complete, nice looking and there are no raveling problems, no need to overcast. This technique easily finished all but the bias cut on kick pleats. The technipue can be used on pants. Thank you so much for the kind words. Patricia Clements
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Annette1	3/16/07	What a GREAT, GREAT, GREAT idea. I can't WAIT to try it out. I'm SO SICK OF MY JOBS INTERFERING WITH MY SEWING!!!!!!!!!!!
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gaby	3/17/07	Oh, wow! LOVE this tip! Thank you very much for sharing =)
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christine A	3/18/07	Thanks for this tip! I do remember M. Islander doing something like this with pants on her industrial shortcuts 1 dvd, but not quite sure if it is a bit different. This review made it very clear and simple. I have actually tried it tonight on a skirt. I didn't know about the diagonal basting so had a wrinkle in the back dart area, but overall great results. How to hem now?
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patsijean	4/4/07	Regarding hemming the garment, this is from my article in THREADS: "For a matching hem tape, I make my own seam binding. I cut 2-in-wide strips of the garment's lining fabric on the cross grain and make the tape using a 1-in bias tape maker. I stitch the tape right sides together to the raw edge of the skirt hem, using one fold line of the tape to guide the stitching. I hand stitch the tape to the flat lining only."
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AnneM	4/14/07	I've been thinking of doing just this with a few projects. Thanks for detailing out what you did! I might try to get that Threads book that patsijean mentions.
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josefine	2/8/08	Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!
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Ginny Ann	3/5/08	This technique was recommended by a friend on another group so I am very pleased to find it here - sounds just what I am looking for! Thank you.
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charlotte287	3/7/08	Thank you for sharing this tip. I think I will use it in my next project. Your explanation is vey clear. The photos helped as well.
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charlotte287	3/13/08	This is great. I'll be using it tomorrow. Thanks
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UteK	4/3/08	Thank you for this great tip. I´ve added it to my favourite sewing tips.
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KittyKathy	4/17/08	Great Idea! Very elegant. Do you have any suggestions for lining fabrics suitable to use on stretch wovens? It seems it's impossible to find stretch linings.
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rosannec	5/15/08	I'm so curious as to how this would be done with a princess seam, especially at the bust area or at a curve. Can the same technique be used?
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jjc	7/7/08	this was new to me and i love it!
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Beth Pierce	7/18/08	Great tip! I could have used this on my KwikSew Jean Jacket
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Nibley Girl	9/20/08	Fabulous tip, thank you! I do so love elegant ways to finish garments. Excellent photos - though I would love to see how the garment looks from the outside, as sometimes I try new techniques only to find that they have somehow distorted the fabric.
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ajhoney24u	10/20/08	Fantastic tip, and the pictures are helpful. Thanks
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cindat	12/6/08	Thank you ,thank you, thank you! I am in the middle of constructing my daughter's wedding dress. This technique will take care of all my raw edges problems!
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persevering	5/1/09	Thanks for explaining this. I'd never heard about it before and it sounds like a great idea.
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theluxuriousvagabond	6/17/09	Thanks for posting this technique! I just used it on a dress of mine and it worked wonderfully.
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