Hi all, I was hoping someone could help out a beginner sewer with a question.
My wife just bought a new Viking 415. She's new to sewing and is taking some classes. She's constantly asking me questions about the machine and her projects as I have a knack for things mechanical and enjoy creating things.
Now, in dealing with these questions, I've become intrigued with the whole process. I decided that I'm secure enough in my manhood and went ahead and purchased a boxer shorts pattern and some material. Although I did make her promise not to tell anybody (I know, I know).
Here's my question. Her machine has Straight Stitch, Reinforced Straight Stitch, Zigzag, Three Step Zigzag, Overcast, Overlock, and Flatlock as well as others. The material frays pretty easily and I was wondering how best to finish the seams.
I thought about using the reinforced straight stitch and then trimming the seam allowances to about 1/4" and then overcasting the two edges. This would give me a serged looking seam.
Is there an easier 'standard way' of doing this? I'm not really sure what the material is, but it reminds me of thin curtain material.
Why not? My 86 YO FIL made his own trousers for years, and the suit his wife wore when they married. Three years later, he made the suit she wore to MY wedding to his son! :) Love my darling FIL, an engineer of the old school.
felled seams. Look on my web site, in the Learning Zone. Pix and explanation, with photos.
Tends to be lumpier than a serged seam.
Cotton? Try the felled seam: old fashioned, but comfortable, strong, and has withstood several hundred years of severe testing.
Before I got my serger, this is the way I would sew my seams. Sew a seam with a 5/8 inch seam allowance, then go back and sew a zig-zag next to the seam and trim away the excess. OR sew the seam, trim the seam some and zig zag over the edges. But on underwear the flat felled seam is probably gonna be the best! HTH Barbara in SC
It'd work, but it's got a lot of thread in that seam -- the more thread, the stiffer the seam is, in most instances.
Here are two useful seams that I show beginners- practice on scraps, first.
1) French seam (best on straight or nearly straight seams -- the skinnier you make it, the more it will allow curves.
Variant A: Start with 5/8" seam allowances. Straight stitch (just plain straight stitch) the edges together, WRONG sides together, 3/8" from the edge. Press the seam flat, as it was sewn. Trim to a scant 1/4 (more like 1/8"). Fold one piece of your fabric back over the seam allowance, and press. Turn your work over and press the other piece of fabric back over your seam allowance. Now your seam allowance is tucked inside the fabric, and the RIGHT sides of the fabric are together. Stitch again at 1/4" from the edge, press, and open the seam. Your original cut edge is now inside the french seam. Very tough and useful seam; commonly used on sheers.
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B. Start with 1/2" seam allowance. Set the machine for zigzag, a hair under
1/4" wide. With WRONG sides of the fabric together, zigzag down the edge of the seam allowance -- the right swing of the needle should be right on the edge of the fabric. Press seam flat as sewn, then open as above, and then RIGHT sides together. Set the machine for a straight stitch, and stitch at 1/4".
Though I've given you measurements, this is a seam where you really do need to sew some test seams on scraps. With thicker fabrics, you may need wider seam allowances to start with and trim more closely.
One of the common faults with sewing this seam comes from not really opening the seam well after the first sewing -- you want the stitching to be visible after you've completed the pressing before you sew it the second time. If the seam is not completely "pressed out", the ravelly edges of the piece may stick out when you're finished sewing the second time... not a good look .
French seams tend to be something you find on really "high end" fashions, but you'll also find them commonly done on "heirloom sewing" patterns, often for babies or small children. You'll also see them commonly used on handmade garments in museums. Narrower is better quality construction.
2) Flat-felled seam (think of the double=stitched seams on jeans) Again, not good on really curved seams, but moderate curves can be managed with narrow flat felled seams, patience and the occasional Bad Word. Commonly used on outdoor gear, tents, workclothes in the days before sergers.
Variant A. Sew (straight stitch) with 5/8" seam allowances and fabric WRONG sides together. Press as sewn, then press open. Trim one seam allowance to a scant 1/4". Fold the second seam allowance in half, and press over the cut-down seam allowance. Put an "edge stitching foot" on the machine if you have one (it'll have a little blade on one edge that you can bump a folded edge up against to keep your stitching even). Otherwise, use a regular foot and work precisely as possible. Sew through the edge fold you've made, down through one of the "main pieces", about 1/8" from the folded edge.
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Variant B: note that you'll be saner deciding to do it this way when you cut your fabric... cut a copy pattern and adjust the seam allowances on it, then cut your fabric.
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Enjoy... there are a lot of guys who sew, and have been for a long time. And my welding teacher prefers to teach folks who know some basic sewing, because they're used to using both hands and feet in a coordinated way.
Oh, and go play with sergers in the store... I bet you'll like them.
With difficulty! Do the OUTSIDE leg seam felled and the inseam French (again, on my web site). Same with shirts: Do all the seams you ca felled, and the side/underarm seam French. It *IS* possible to fell them on larger sized items (not kids stuff!), but it isn't easy and takes practice and care.
I make my very tall husband's dress and other shirts so I use several felling feet for my Bernina. I use a wide one for the sleeve/yoke seams because they are somewhat curved and then a narrow one for the side seams. With oxford cloth, I use a medium one for the side seams. I'd never bother with felled seams w/o felling feet. Until you are confidant of fit, I recommend using simpler seams that are far easier to pick apart if you need to alter. I also recommend David Page Coffin's Shirt-Making book if you intend to go that route. He really knows how to do men's clothing. That's how I learned to make my husband's shirts correctly and they look as good as the very best shirts you can buy.
I, on the other hand, have never bothered with a felling foot, getting far better results with the basic foot. As for fit: ALWAYS try the garment on the person before felling down the second side! :)
As always, these kinds of things are at least somewhat a matter of personal judgment & style. It is also dependent on the kind of machine and attachments you're using. I do felling on my 931 Bernina and for me, it saves time because you have fewer steps to complete the operation. It does take a bit of practice, however, to learn to use the feet properly. And it may be that felling feet don't work as well on other machines but I've never tried it on other machines. It's up to the user to decide which options work best for him or her.
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