When my older sister and I starting participating in the construction of our cloths (our mother had been making them for years) Mom would take us out to different stores and show us the differences in actual construction. From seams chain-stitched with nylon thread and "twisted" garments that were not laid out properly with the fabric grain, to exquisite finish details of both machine and hand done parts. We had so much fun finding examples to show her what we learned--especially when we got dirty looks from the store staff. Mom would give us a secret smile and say something like "now we'll go to a store were things are not as well made so you can see the difference" so no confrontations ever happened. She never had to lecture us on how to do something the "right" way, only answer our questions when we were not sure our planned techniques would work the way we intended. She was a naturally talented garment maker and intuitively brilliant teacher. She died in 2020 at the age of 91 and though I miss her enormously I feel enormous joy every day because of her.
Thank you for sharing your lovely memories 🥰 your mumma sounds like she was a special lady and it seems she was a naturally gifted woman, teaching you with fun methods and being able to sew. I aspire to be thought of in such a fantastic way. Sending you much love and gentle hugs 😘💋❤
I always recommend that to beginner sewists (or those wanting to 'level up' as well). It's such an education, to really look closely at professionally made clothes in different price/quality ranges. It also helps tremendously with choosing appropriate patterns, to try different styles, make note of flattering style lines and lengths...maybe even take some measurements from particularly well fitting ones. You were very lucky, to be taught so well, so early! I bet, it saved you from many of the pitfalls and frustrations, most of us experience early on in our 'sewing career'.
I think it’s also important to find a balance between the two. If I’m making a cotton sundress, I’m going to go with the “ok” finished. Maybe I’ll stitch the neck facing down by hand, but otherwise my seams are simply serged and pressed. But if I’m making a slinky rayon challis dress, you can bet I’m going to spend the extra time to do all hand finishing.
I agree. I like that she said ok compared to great, rather than bad vs. great. The ok finishes are fine especially considering the use, need, and fabric.
Agree 100%! Simple summer skirt to help me stay cool while I'm running around doing errands? A couple of basic t-shirts to wear with that skirt? Totally the "basic" finishes appropriate for the fabric (i.e, how badly it frays). Skirt out of nice suiting fabric for work? Absolutely the more "couture" finishes.
Totally agree. A serged seam finish is fine for most casual, knockabout clothes, and I save my coutour finish for that bespoke garment that I'm willing to spend the time on.
The major reason high-end garments are expensive is because they take more time and often include hand-sewing which, in addition to being time-consuming also require skills that take time to developer. Of course, luxury fabrics also cost more. It can be cheaper to buy an ok dress off the rack than to make it yourself. But choosing a better quality of fabric and putting in the extra time yourself means you can get the high-end dress cheaper by making it.
Yes recently I saw the video of making of dior red coat and there was so much hand tacking and sewing to maintain shape of everything, no hurrying through anything.
And this was exactly one of the motivations for learning to sew my own garments. I wanted quality garments, and while I understand why quality and responsibly made garments cost what they costs (people need to be paid fairly!) my budget is just not enough for a wardrobe filled with that. I’m currently reading a book on couture sewing methods exactly so I can have all the nice details of higher end garments and make something as nice as the blue dress in this video.
When I'm making something special in a fancy fabric, I will hand-finish the seams. When I'm sewing something basic in a plain cotton, I'm just zig-zaging the separate pieces before sewing them together. When the energy is low, "good enough" is when it's done.
Erm...I have a couple garments where I love the finishes more than the overall garment ☺️. Also, trying new finishes, or using the "fancier but take longer" has brought more joy/fun to my sewing lately. Yes there are times I decide to go with "ok" finishes, but it's a choice, not a default now
Finishes can make a HUGE difference in the durability of a garment. When I was growing up I often pulled a pile of threads out of the washing machine because my mom didn't enjoy nice finishing techniques.
Yes yes yes! Please keep sharing these garment archaeology type videos! That blue blouse is just perfection. My (kinda weird) favorite part of sewing is finishing the seams! What can I say; it's all about the details for me. My garment might have an awkward fit or wonky stitching, but by golly every single one of my seams will be hand finished! Hahaha, thank you for the lovely show and tell!
My eldest, who is VERY new to sewing, discovered, very quickly, the need to finish her seams. She was sewing a beautiful outfit with some beautiful material that loved to ravel. Without any resources (it was the literal middle of the night) I told her how my mother used to finish seams -- with a simple little turn under (about a 1/4 inch) of the raw edge. It got the job done, but now she really wants to "up her game." I will definitely share this with her. Also, while she was critiquing some of my early sewing, I told her that not every lining the pattern company gives you is useful, invisible, nice, friendly, or beautiful. I pointed out two early dresses that have a lining that comes just above the bust and really makes that area stand out badly. Both of those awkward linings came with the pattern. I have since left them off and finish the neck and armholes differently when I use those patterns. Sewing is so full of learning things you didn't know you needed to know.
I learned very quickly that the pattern guidelines or instructions are not always the best. Eg with some fabric/pattern combinations, I find a facing leaves an obvious outline, and doing a full lining works better. I now use the pattern Instructions as a guide only.
I bought a shirt at a discount store because I suddenly realized I had forgot an essential wardrobe component on a trip. The shirt fit the need for the moment and it was only later that I noticed that all of the seams were French and the work was impeccable throughout. I’ll be keeping the shirt.
Nothing I will do new with my next make but did with my last: I added small hand stitched "crowfeet" to the inseam pockets seam (there where the pocket interrupts the "normal" seam) and I will definitely do that again. It looks good (if someone wants to look up close) and it reinforces that seam so it cant pull open! Nice to use on vents in blazers or pencil skirts too!
Great video, Evelyn! I am getting more and more into hand sewing. I have always done hems by hand, but recently I sewed a bias binding around a neckline by hand, so it is totally "clean" on the outside, which looks fantastic, and on another garment I inserted a regular zip by hand. Again, so much neater than a machine finish. I have also started binding armhole seams to encase the raw edges. The hand sewing slows down the process, but I don't mind that at all, in fact I find it more enjoyable to take the extra time to get a really nice end result.
One thing I learned the hard way is to save the nice finishes for the SECOND iteration of the pattern because no matter how much fitting I do on a muslin and during the sewing process I still end up tinkering with the fit😅 and unpicking hand felled seams can make you cry 🤣🙈
I feel your pain! Even as a beginner, I was dead set on properly finishing every single seam...which led to some heartbreaking moments after the "final" try on. 😭
The collar on the blue dress is “simply” stunning. It looks as if you did the embroidery after the collar was complete, did you? I’d love to know more about the seam finishing you did on the blue dress, did you say it was some kind of “felling” the seam, like a flat fell of sorts? Do you teach it in your sewing school?
At 9:18 she flips the collar up and you can see then that it was embroidered in advance. I noticed because I was wondering the same. At that time you can also see the stitches on the bodice from where she sewed the facing down.
Great video! I love the comparison between "good" and "I never want to take this off!" I am working on a cotton knit dress. I am changing the pattern by leaving out the back zipper and making it a pull over. I hate back zippers!
I hate all zippers!!! When I first started sewing I reworked all patterns with zippers. It was all sewing for kids so I would switch it to either a button placket or snaps. I have since learned how to do zippers but I still hate them!! So I sometimes still change the pattern.
Agree about the zippers! A neat trick... you can often get away with making a woven pattern designed with a zipper up in a knit/jersey fabric, with no zipper! Particularly for something like an informal summer dress.
Loved the video. I was a little confused with the side seams, because i'm familiar with felled seams but "open felled seams"? It looked beautiful because it blended with the sleeves finishes. Could you please show how to to do that?
Pretty much the same way you do an invisible hand stitched double fold hem. But you're doing it to a seam allowance. That's why it blends perfectly with the little hem on the 'sleeve' there. I'm totally doing this with my next blouse! Never thought of it before.
The only thing I'd like to add is that knowing what seam finishes will work with specific fabrics is a skill in itself. For example, a machine finish on the patterned blouse in this video is very obvious, and if you want a less visible finish, a hand-sewn finish will be a better option. If you have a very complex, chaotic pattern, a machine finish would be just as invisible as a hand finish, and taking the time to do hand finishes might be a waste of time. But that only takes the pattern into account! You also have to pay attention to the weight of the fabric! The blue blouse is a good example for this, because if you did a double-turn hem on the bottom of that blouse and machine finished it, the hem would look very bulbous and wouldn't sit nicely. (Pressing can sometimes fix this.) These are only two examples! There are so many more things to consider when finishing a garment, and so many options to choose from! (False French seams. I love them.)
This is very inspiring. The hand-felled seams for both sides and collar facing look fantastic! Makes me want to use this technique on (almost) everything. It's such a polished finish!
Im making a simplicity pattern for a costume (Dashi the dog from the octonaughts) but my next project is organza so I chose to finish every seam in a French seam for practice on a more forgiving fabric. I went from never finishing any seams (because no one ever showed me how!) to zigzag stitching regardless of fabric appropriateness to tidy enclosed seams and I love it.
I recently made my husband a simple shirt for his upcoming birthday from some quite fine, soft linen. Made a pattern from one of his favourite t-shirts; made a toile - the only detail I needed to adjust, of course, was the neckline, given that I was going to use a woven fabric instead of a knit. Conscientiously washed the linen first, then sewed the shirt. The seams are all machine sewn, but everything else (neckline, sleeve and bottom hems, and all the seam finishes) I did by hand. The handstitching took quite some time, but I'm thrilled with the result. My dressmaking/sewist forbears would be proud of me. :-) Can't wait to present the shirt on the day.
Both blouses are very pretty, but you are so right about how much better garments make you feel when you wear them. I haven't been sewing for awhile, but finding your channel is inspiring me to get back to my sewing room, so thanks for that. I started sewing when I was twelve and joined the 4H club in rural Illinois and have always enjoyed both the process and the results. Oh, and I am 75 now, so it's never too late to feel the urge to sew.
Honestly... I personally love the look of really neat machine stitches! Not just one, but a double row, in a plain stitch, which I sometimes do as a topstitch over my pressed seams. Personal opinion entirely though
The dress I am currently making is messy on the inside in places. This is because I made two toiles, but the fabric I chose for the dress is a viscose crepe and it grew and grew, so I had to take it in, twice. It now fits great, but the side seams where I had to overlock a second time are not pretty. I have struggled to get a level hem on this dress, is there an easier option than to keep on measuring, pinning, trying, trimming, tacking etc - four times? I am never buying viscose crepe again. The next garment I have planned is going to be a bit more special, it's for a wedding. I will sew French seams, it's quite a lightweight viscose fabric, although not cheap, but I haven't yet decided on the hemming technique. I'm not sure I can hand stitch it without the stitches showing on the right side. I love the process of sewing and am happy to spend extra time to achieve a good finish.
One of the thing I have realised as a beginner is that beginner sewists do not realise the importance of press as you go to give a really nice finish to all the finishes.
Yes! Bernadette Banner just had a video that had a tailor come in and show how to do this. The difference in pressing with and without a tailor's clapper and tailor's ham blew my mind.
Just love the blue blouse and with the top stitching the collar is just gorgeous. What type of fabric is the blue top, it has a beautiful drape to it 👌
I love french seams when the pattern and material are suitable to use them, and like your video, I pay close attention to the finishing of collars. hems, etc. to me now to me a few decades ago, I make time to finish and improve the look of the garment, rather than wanting to rush and try it on and wear it as soon as possible, Do think we get more patience with things as we get older :) Thank you, Evelyn, and both beautiful tops but the blue one is really beautiful, have a lovely week
I'm trying to use French seams more, especially for fine, sheer or loosly-woven fabrics, but I'm really finding it difficult to not end up with lumps where 4 seams meet, like the sleeve armpit...
I'm intrigued by the pattern you used here. Usually all-in-one sleeves don't look great on me in the bust area, but I notice this one has some shoulder darts, so I think it would be a better fit.
My mom sewed couture elements into every garment and you could tell. My girlfriend in jr/hs wore clothes her mom made and I even could tell the seams weren’t pressed, the fit wasn’t good, the hems were uneven, etc. I wore mine so proudly! I love the process from beginning to end of sewing couture bits and pieces in each. The only thing I wish my clothes had when I was a kid was -labels!
I've fallen down the rabbithole of historic sewing during at the beginning of the pandemic and I've pretty much started to use a felling stitch for quite a few seams. The inside looks so nice and it's not super hard either 🥰 Aside from that I also like to topstitch edges by hand if possible. I don't quite like the look of machine-sewn topstitching.
The longer I sew the more handstitching creeps into my garments.... For the "big" things I use my maschine and for everything else my fingers. Shortyl I discovered that there is a huge difference between handsewing needles and I invested in some really good ones - what a difference. And I actually learned to love the handsewing part, it's really nice to watch a movie, listen to an audiobook and having your project on your lap. I even bought some books about handsewing - damn, my younger me would droped dead it she would have known.... :O)))))
I'm a beginner and don't have an overlock machine. I also dont like zigzag stitching to finish raw edges, so I am always looking for nice ways to finish seams. So far I enjoyed french seams and I will try felled seams on my next dress.
I love hand sewing. I add it where I can. Besides. It’s portable, so I can take it to work to finish in my lunch break. Or snuggle up in front of the TV.
I just got an old overlocker and oh boy does it save time. I was doing a hand overcast stitch on a few yards of fabric so I can prewash it for some clothing I'm making, and all told it took about 2 days per piece of fabric. Using a serger, I got an entire piece of fabric done in a night (though I don't know where the cord is or if it came with one, I was just twisting the knob on the side by hand and even still it was quicker). I feel like using machines can help me decide where I'd like to save time, and where I'd like to really slow down and spend it. Having time and energy to do those little details is important. I really want my garments to be durable and comfortable, so I feel like serging my raw edges, but also using hand stitching to keep me from feeling it, will be a really helpful thing. I'm excited that I'll get to make garments exactly how I want them to be
The first garment I sewed (Halloween costume) had NO seam finishing at all. I did not know it was a thing. The outside of the costume looked good, but the inside !!!!!!!! 25 years later, my latest shirt has no visible seam finishing at all. French side seams, double rolled hem and the yoke sewn with the "burito" method, so all the seams are enclosed. It's a lot more work, which most people don't even see, but I know, which gives me pride in what I have sewn.
I'm going to go back to bound buttonholes. I used to do these when I first started dressmaking on my mum's old straight stitch Singer because it was the only way to do them. Then when I got a new machine I got lazy and just used the buttonhole stitch function. But honestly, I never felt the result was as good. I now realise that just because you CAN use a machine function doesn't mean you HAVE to. The bound ones not only look nicer, they are stronger too, and practically invisible in the same fabric. Or you can use contrasting ribbon for a nice feature. This works well with thicker fabrics which you can't fold and tuck in neatly. My mum produced some amazing garments for me on that old Singer!
This is the video I have been waiting for since I have plenty of clothes bought from the shops which I love and would continue to wear but me starting this hobby, I want this to be an improvement of my wardrobe. My aim is to simulate the quality of high end RTW pieces which I crave but could never bring myself to buy though I could afford.
I really like the look of Mexican style hand embroidery flowers. I don't know how to do it. but I bet you there is someone on RU-vid that has a tutorial about them. So I would like to try it. If that doesn't work for me. I'm a pretty good artist painter perhaps I can hand paint something on a purse or other wearable item.🌼🌼🌼🎨
I was never really taught how to sew properly or use a pattern, and recently decided I wanted to make doll clothes - your videos have been a lifesaver! Poorly finished doll clothes are a nightmare as a Barbie's splayed fingers love to catch everything. In embroidery, we're taught to make the wrong side look as neat as the right side, and I try to apply that to sewing too.
Dear Evelyn, may I ask how you secured the raw edges of the blue fabric? Did you just fold and handsew or did you use a special stich on the edge first? Is folding the edge in enough to secure a fabric?
Hi I love the finishing in garments but I like the ok one although the blue one is perfect .The thing is if sewing to make money out of it people don't care that much about the finishing from inside as long as it fits them good .Doing seam with serger find them neat. The cost for sewing will be much time consuming. Please I have a question,what did you do in the side seams ?Did you turn the seams inside and stitch it by hand and attach it with the dress?Thank you I love to learn especially sewing.
Both your dresses look good but the navy does look more elevated.Your hand stitching is so perfect.Do you have any tips to help me achieve the same standard?
Love all your videos and I look forward to them every week. I will definitely look out for an opportunity to try the contrast decorative stitch. I am sewing a dress for my adorable little grand daughter and i find I am remembering so many of your tips as I go. Thank you for these fun and interesting tutorials.
The side seams on the blue dress don't sit properly you can see where you have sewn the seam material down on the right side I prefer the side seam finish on the other dress.
I don’t usually make things that need great finishing. Sometimes it’s more about kid proofing my finishing than pretty. They are very cute but hard on clothes! Though I have to admit I do like having options for those times I hate how the pattern says to do it!
Same with me. I use to religiously follow the pattern instructions, but now only use the pattern instructions as a guide, and even modify the pattern to suit my preferences. Eg adding to the seam allowance, so that I can do a French seam, which gives a superior finish ( in my opinion) as well as being stronger, especially with kids clothes.
Hello and that is such an inspiring chat! I had a busy but productive day in my sewing room and just got a chance to sit and watch your video. I hope you have a lovely week ahead. Thank you for sharing your video and your expertise.
Because of my hand issues (carpal, incipient arthritis), I am limited in how much hand sewing I can do. I'd love to see a video that identifies high end finishes/touches that don't require a lot of handwork. Or are there any?
On thin fabrics, french seams are always a winner. Very neat, very durable. And one way to finish hems, I picked up from vintage sewists, is to stitch a strip of delicate 'hemming lace' to right side of the edge, then fold the fabric once (to the inside) and stitch the lace down. Either by hand of machine. It's less bulky then a double folded hem, but looks nicer then a single fold with a serged edge. And it works well on curved hems, like circle skirts. Of course, on thin fabrics, you can also use a rolled hem, done by machine. I also like to sometimes just partly line dresses, rather then use facings. So even, if they don't need a lining, strictly speaking...I will construct one that ends at the waist or slightly below. The skirt part will remain unlined. That way, all the seams and darts, as well as the zipper tape are neatly hidden from view. And you can be absolutely sure, that your underwear won't show through, even on light summer fabrics. Well, your bra anyway. But for the skirt, I prefer to wear a separate, skin colored/black underskirt if necessary, since good lining fabric is quite expensive. Flat lining is also a good way, to achieve a neat look on the inside and give more structure to 'flimsy' fashion fabrics. That one is kinda hard to explain, so better google for a tutorial. And things like adding light boning to the seams of dress or horsehair for hems are worth looking into, if you like wearing dresses and skirts. All tried and true techniques, that were used extensively, before the onset of fast fashion. And still today in more high end garments, like wedding gowns.
For the facings, I recently found an amazing finish and I can never go back. Only works in lightweight/midweight fabrics. Instead of overlocking the edges I simply sew the interfacing to the facing right sides together, clip/notch/grade then turn it inside out and press the fusible interfacing. It looks and feels a million times better than overlocked and turned under 🥰✨
Hi Evelyn, I love your topstitching on the collar. I might nick that idea for myself 😁. Yes it is great when you start to realise you don't have to 100% follow a pattern. Today I'm making the very cool Hacker Hoodie from Stokx Patterns. I'm using a fairly light weight merino (the benefit of living in NZ is our fabulouslous merino supply!) so I'm going to put a faced hem on the bottom to give the hem some weight. I think my fabric will just be to floppy otherwise. So that is not to say there is anything 'wrong' with a folded and coverstitched hem (I LOVE my coverstitch machine!) or anything 'wrong with the Stokx pattern, I just feel the fabric needs it to hold itself nicey for this a-line hem design. I learned how to do a faced hem in another great pattern the Tessutti Hazlewood top. And for something a bit 'extra' I'm using contrast fabric on the raglan sleeve so I'll use the contrast fabric for my hem facing. Lol I hope it turns out as awesome as I think it will!!! 😅
Hi Evelyn! I just found your videos the other day and have begun a dress (for the first time following a pattern in 18 years!) because I got so inspired. Thank you! How do you hand stitch such that the thread is invisible? Assuming you've done a video on this already, I would be grateful to be directed to the link. Thanks again!
So looks like the moral of the story is to make friends with hand-sewing, because it means you've got far more options to play with :) I like hand-felling for lightweight knits, and French seams for lightweight wovens. Bias-bound seams for heavier knits and wovens, bias-faced hand-finished hems on skirts and dresses, etc. I don't particularly like an overlocked finish personally (and don't possess an overlocker anyway!).
Learning so many things from your videos and my sewing is improving! My recent project turned out beautiful, but I used natural fiber for dress pants and am having troubles keeping them from wrinkling throughout the day at the office. I am trying to switch to all natural fibers but am realizing all my store bought dress pants must be synthetic. How do you keep natural fibers from wrinkling?
I've been gradually upgrading my finishes, love handsewing hems and felling seams so that's a no-brainer, but I'm still struggling with facings. How do you make sure you're getting your facing stitched down properly so it doesn't pull on the outer layer? I usually do a line of prick-stitches about 1.5 cm in from the edge around a neck facing cause that's usually pretty flat but I'm hesitant to fold the edge in and sew it down like you did on your blue one because I'm afraid it'll show from the outside, like when I don't do a great job clipping around the curves before I turn it the right way out.
Making a tarn (T-shirt yarn) crochet bucket hat. I spent the last week making tarn want to use first. Also making a simple linen elastic waist skirt. While teaching a younger friend to sew hers. She picked the fabric from my excess fruit m Joann’s closing one location here
I absolutely love to sew. But I absolutely hate to sew by hand. There is zero joy in it for me. Are there any upgraded finishes that can be done by machine?
Learning how to use binding. I'm a slap dash sewer and hand finishing seams is just not my thing. I've become a whiz at binding. It looks really nice and with practice looks really great.
You can cheat the decorative hand stitching like the one on the blue shirt collar. Still a bit of hand sewing, but WAY faster. Do the longest stithes on the machine with contrasting thread, use them as a guide to decorate the fabric with embroidery thread. No need to think about even spaces between the stitches => 10 times faster. Remove the machine stitches. Boom, you have perfect hand stitches!👍🏽
I used to be the same but as I’ve gotten older, and a lot more practices it’s not really that bad. It’s much easier to do while talking or watching videos too.
I like to use a faux french seam.( It may have another name.) Construct with right sides together. Press seam open. Press raw edges of seam allowance in half towards the stitch line. Stitch down the seam allowance with the raw edges sandwiched in between. I like it because it just takes a bit of ironing and it has the feel of a french seam without have to change the way I construct a garment.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge! I loved this video!!! I often make garments and can’t figure out why it looks just “ok.” Not a lot of people are exposed to garments with a quality finish, so this can be difficult to discern. I’m looking forward to experimenting with hand-felled seams. It must feel butter to the touch. 😍 I remember when I learned how to do a French seam, I wanted to do that for everything that I made. I didn’t do that (out of being too excited to wear my creations), but now I’m newly inspired to pay more attention to my finishes. 😍
I do prefer a hand stitch hem to a machine hem. I never could get the hang of my blind hem presser foot. If it’s sporty apparel I will d a sewing machine hem. I think the double needle makes nice hem for shorts & capris. My everyday things I’m ok with standard finishes. If I can work myself up to more classy things hopefully I will be able to work myself up to better finishing techniques.
Had to watch a certain part about the collar and the facing a couple of times, but, it was a "quick" question I thought of when you were starting your explanation of the facings. I wondered - briefly - if it would look okay to have the sewn seam showing underneath the collar on the front - outside of the garment. But, after I saw your explanation of that part, I thought to myself how obvious the solution was. 😉 TYSM for sharing this video with us. It has helped me decide how to "finish" the seams on so many of the projects I'm wanting to make.
Hi Evelyn! For very special garments and lightweight fabric I love to use French seams: they look like old fashioned high quality dresses and they are not so difficult to do. For heavy weight fabric I like to use silk bias finishing . Again a little bit mor work but especially for winter clothes, skirts, jackets and coats they simply look gorgeous. Imagine a nice woolen fabric all finished in bias ❤️
I would love to see a video on how you stitch your labels on. What stitch do you use? Do you baste them first? There's a lot more to this little task than I thought. Also, that white stitching on the purple collar is amazing! Cheers from Vancouver, B.C.
This was a cool video! I may have a slight obsession with how felled anything looks lol I may have to borrow that trick with the sleeve finish going into the seam- especially on this piece it’s very smooth and looks sturdy. I’m very behind on my channel rn. But I would love to see a video on sewing with adaptations. For example- my machine doesn’t require a pedal to run, so I’ve sat in bed sewing when I can’t tolerate sitting on a chair. Hand sewing has also been huge to me as it can move around and I don’t have to try and wrangle the entire piece as much. I actually planned a lot of projects this summer but flares have kept me from sewing. Currently I have a skin-tone bustier patterned and mostly cut out that I can wear under the rest of my clothes. Up after that is a vintage cocktail dress, several blouses, and some skirts! I have a love for how French seams function and for how felled seams look so I’ll be using those as much as possible. Thanks to your videos I will be understitching any facings!
This video is helpful and the timing is great. I was thinking yesterday that I'd like to make better rolled hems. I'll search your channel in case you have a tutorial on that. I only recently started following you.
Since I can only see you on my phone, the navy top was too dark for me to see the seaming & facing detail clearly :((. Love the overall look & agree with the more elegant finishing.
I didn't understand how the fancy finishes were made. They definitely looked amazing. I did notice that the shade of green for the collar was a little off from the different green nuances in the print.
I love that you are encouraging that step beyond and also that hand sewing is a valuable and worthwhile skill! I have been finding that often there is the attitude that 'special' finishes take too long, and especially hand sewing!
Do you use French seams on heavier weight fabrics? I do them on lightweight fabrics but have thought they would be too bulky on heavier ones. I’m interested to hear your experience.
I really appreciate this video. I've just started hand stitching the seams for neck, waist and sleeves since Xmas time. I've also discovered that understitching pockets gives them a perfect flat finish. What have been my latest sewing projects? Sadly nothing exciting for me but Mr23, son, was thrilled. I repaired a seam on his work shirt and then stitched a band merch badge onto his work bag.
@@marygersetich8709 I first sewed my pocket halves to the corresponding skirt panel, as normal. The best way to then describe it, sorry but also badly describe, is to turn panel and pocket so wrong side faces up. Pin the seam to the pocket, and stitch the seam to the pocket. It's almost like top stitching. You only stitch seam to pocket, not to skirt panel. Iron/press. Then join the 2 panels together which have corresponding pocket pieces. You should not be able to see any stitching from outside the pocket. The fabric around and over the pocket should sit much flatter. I learnt from an older RU-vid video. I think it was one of Evelyn's, maybe regarding a neckline.
I've been sewing since the late 1970's, with numerous periods of non sewing years here and there. I've only begun to learn high end seam finishes this year, and have made extra effort to consider better fabrics, taking joy in finishing them well, thanks in large part to my learning on your channel. What is so odd is that I am self taught and learned everything from patterns I used in the beginning--all the usual Vogue, Simplicity, and Butterick of the time period--which NEVER (that I can recall) instructed anything seam finish related beyond machine stitch and go. All these years I never knew there was anything better, except serging. I've been buying patterns again for the first time in a decade, just opening a Simplicity pattern today, whose instructions told me to finish with French seams and all other edges bound in bias tape!!! What!? When did this occur? Has anyone else experienced this? Were patterns from the '70's and 80's designed specifically for a lazier or on the go seamstress!? Before this time frame was an era of fine finishes... After we there again?
