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Member since 6/6/23
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Posted on: 7/20/23 5:14 PM ET
Hi guys,

After my zip error of an additional sewing step I thought I’d ask my stupid question about my messy French seams, in case there’s an equally simple answer.

My French seam sewing process is:

1: Pin and sew seam, wrong sides together
2: Press seam open, then to the side.
3: Trim
4: Turn, pin and sew seam, right sides together

This does not turn out the way French seams in pictures turn out! If I press it to the side again, it sort of does, but I mean, the first time you wash it, it’s as if you never pressed the seam at all so… Am I missing a step? Is there some kind of third step where you anchor the seam to the garment so it’s not just sticking out on the inside? I wish I had an example to share but I don’t. Or is this just because I’ve often done French seams in the wrong fabric that’s really a bit too heavy/bulky to iron properly flat? (If so, since I know this really is the wrong kind of fabric for a French seam, what’s my best bet for a completely secure seam in bulkier fabric, in the absence of an overlocker?)

I’m about to experiment on curved seams, to see if I can manage to French seam them at all (it’s pure silk and I don’t want to zigzag it…). I thought I’d make sure I’m doing straight seams correctly before I make it even harder for myself.
  
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Posted on: 7/20/23 5:19 PM ET
In reply to Lucymstress
Hi Lucmstressm
No stupid questions!

So it sounds as if you are doing your French seam correctly - it is only sewn twice. Many people sew a 3/8 inch seam first, then trim it, then the second seam is 1/4 inch (sorry, my sewing skills are imperial. 3/8 = 1 am, 1/4 = maybe 6 mm?). This leave a very narro seam inside. If you sew the smaller seam first you need to sew a wider second run, which leaves a wider internal seam allowance. This might be part of your problem...

I really like hong kong binding for thicker fabrics.
They look like this inside, and besides simply needing bias tape (self made or purchased), is quite simple.


A french seam on a curved seam is possible, but could create bulk, for example, in a princess seam. For that reason I did a hong kong bias on my recent princess seams on the Santorini top. You can press the Seam allowance open...

Hope this helps!
-- Edited on 7/20/23 at 5:20 PM ET --
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Queue: Lekala 4183 Tailored jacket; sew up travel stash; Burda fitted dress
  
Member since 3/26/17
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Posted on: 7/20/23 5:22 PM ET
In reply to Lucymstress
I agree with DT. It is a fabric issue likely. French seams are for silk charmeuse, voile, chiffon, lawn.
  
Member since 7/18/11
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Posted on: 7/20/23 5:35 PM ET
French seam “sew twice “, you are not missing any steps. French seam is for light fabrics, looks better on light silks and very light wovens like batiste and voile. If your fabric is heavier use different seams. I do not know name of those seams in English, and Google does not translate. In one such seam, for first stitching, seam allowance on one side is twice wider than on another. Then you wrap wider SA over narrow SA. With Second stitch you sewing seam allowances down. In this stitch there is no “flapping” part on inside as in French seam.
-- Edited on 7/20/23 at 5:36 PM ET --
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Irina Grace
English is my Second Language
  
Member since 6/1/20
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Posted on: 7/20/23 5:38 PM ET
I have used French seams on heavier fabrics, such as linen, to no ill effect. Yes you end up with 4 layers of fabric in the seam. But it's not necessarily a problem in a loose-fitting garment. In something very form-fitting, I'd think about alternatives.

One option is Hong Kong/bias finish, which is time-consuming but looks nice and distributes the bulk away from the seam.

Another is flat-felling the seams. That can be done on curves, up to a point. With flat-felling, you'd want to allow yourself sufficient seam allowance to properly fold the "overseam" twice, which in a thicker fabric such as denim will be more than the 5/8" American commercial patterns give you.

There's always pinking!
  
Member since 6/6/23
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Posted on: 7/20/23 5:43 PM ET
Thank you both! That helps - at least I had the principle right. So, I’ll look into Hong Kong seams for the next heavy fabric project. My planned, curved French seams are for a Princess seamed dress - but it is silk satin, and quite light. Should I try something different for that?

Also, the British never really got the hang of the metric system - we tend to flip back and forth depending on mood, age and context - so I’m much happier with inches than centimetres! (Also, miles instead of kilometres and stones/lbs instead of kilograms. But for some reason, grams, kilograms, millilitres and litres for baking and cooking…)

I’m sure our reason for this was to do with some kind of stubborn silliness, but it does make American sewing patterns simpler! (French is my second language and Spanish my very distant third, but honestly, I find following the measurements harder than following the instructions on French and Spanish patterns!)
  
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Posted on: 7/20/23 5:43 PM ET
In reply to Irina Grace
I think this is flat felling, from the description! Thank you!
  
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Posted on: 7/20/23 5:46 PM ET
In reply to anapneo
Thank you! I’ve tried flat felling when I made some jeans for my Dad. It was fun, and looked quite good, but not as neat as on ready made clothes. Maybe I need to practice.

With pinking, I have it so fixed in my head as the easiest possible option, that I have on multiple occasions zoned out to the point that I have cut right into my garment. I recognise that this is not a risk for most adult humans - there is just something very special about my propensity for destruction.
  
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Posted on: 7/20/23 5:51 PM ET
My process is sew 1/4" seam wrong sides together. Press seam as sewn, then press carefully to one side. Flip the fabric over, right sides together, and sew carefully at 3/8" enclosing the first seam. Generally I do not trim my first seam, most of the time I'm sewing a French seam because my fabric ravels a lot. Press this seam as sewn, then press to one side. Done.

If you have a serger, I sometimes cheat on seam 1 by serging the edges wrong sides together in a 1/4". The rest of the process is as above.
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Sewing keeps me sane.

My herd includes a Singer Sewhandy, Bernina Artista 180, vintage Bernina 830 Record, Pfaff 794 serger, Juki 634D, Babylock BLCS2, Singer Slant Needle 403 from my grandmother, a Husqvarna 6570, a Viking Quilt Designer SE and my latest bargain Janome MC 10000.
  
Member since 12/26/07
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Posted on: 7/20/23 6:15 PM ET
In reply to Lucymstress
Any chance the fabric you used where the seams didn't stay pressed was a synthetic, or a blend with a lot of synthetic in it? There are a lot of polyesters out there that mimic silk but are a bear to press.
  
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