6 Intermediate Seams

By Abby
Intermediate
45 minutes

Last time we covered a variety of basic seams, so lets try some more complex ones! Here I’ll be going over how to sew a French Seam, a Double-Top Stitch Seam, a Flat-Felled Seam, a Welt Seam, a Tucked Seam, and a Lapped Seam. This set of seams are all reinforced and some enclose the selvedge within the seam. All of these seams add durability and finishing touches to your work.

Looking for some basic seams? Check out these 6 Simple Seams!

Materials

Video

Instructions

French Seam

Line up the fabrics with the wrong sides together. Sew with a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Press the seam to one side, then press the fabric faces together.

Sew a straight seam on the wrong side with a 1/2 to 5/8 inch seam allowance. This encloses the seam and prevents fraying inside. This is better used on lighter fabrics as it can be bulky.

Double Top Stitch

Start with a straight seam using a 5/8 inch seam allowance with the fabric faces together.

Press the seam open.

With the fabric face up, sew a straight seam using the center of the first seam as a guide. Repeat on the other side. This will attach the selvedge to the back while adding a decorative top stitch to your work. You can use a straight stitch, a zig zag, or one of those fancy stitches on your machine.

Flat Felled Seam

This seam I worked on the face of the fabric. With the wrong sides together, make a straight seam with double the seam allowance you want to end up with. I used 1 inch for this demonstration.

Open the seam and trim one selvedge to half its width. Fold the wider selvedge over the thinner one and press.

Fold both pieces over again against the face of the fabric encasing the selvedge in itself and press again.

Sew a straight seam as close as possible to the folded edge.

Welt Seam

With the faces of the fabric together, sew a straight seam with 5/8 inch seam allowance. Trim one selvedge to about half the width, and use pinking shears on the other selvedge to prevent fraying.

Press the selvedge to one side with the wider piece on top.

With the fabric face up, sew a top stitch to secure the selvedge. Use the first seam as a guide.

Tucked Seam

Press back one seam allowance 1/2 inch to 5/8 inch. Line up the pieces of fabric wrong side up putting the selvedges together.

Baste a seam on the wrong side closer to the folded fabric. I have found in my experience, working this on the back side is just easier. Flip the work over to the right side and sew a regular straight seam, securing the selvedges together.

Top stitch the folded side to the fabric if desired. Remove your baste stitch.