Bonjour! So, you want to learn how to sew a French seam. Well, you’ve come to the right place! Learning how to sew a French seam is a great skill for beginners to practice when first learning to sew. All you need is your SINGER® Sewing Machine, a SINGER® Quarter-Inch Foot, some thread and the fabric of your choice.
What is a French seam? A French seam is sewn twice, encasing the raw edge within the seam. This is a great method for finishing seams on sheer fabrics, where you will see the finish. It will allow a softer finish, that is less noticeable than other standard methods.
Note: French Seams work best on straight seams and are harder to do on curves. It is not impossible to do on a curve, you will just need to use a small seam allowance, and practicing on scraps is highly recommended.
How To Sew A French Seam:
Instructions:
- Pin fabric wrong sides together. Sew a seam allowance of 9mm. (See note at bottom of page) Trim your seam allowance to approximately 3mm.
- Press the seam flat. Fold the fabric along the seam line, covering the raw edge, so right sides are now together. Ensure the stitching is at the fold and there are no creases. Press. This should result in a sharp crease at the fold.
- With right sides still together, sew a second 6mm seam in from the folded edge, ensuring it completely encloses the first seam, so none of the seam allowance is visible.
- Press the seam. Open the seam with the wrong side facing up and press to one side. Flip to the right side and press again, if necessary, for it to be a crisp seam finish. With this method of seam finishing your projects, especially with sheer fabrics will look professionally made.
NOTE: If you are using a standard pattern seam allowance of 15mm, subtract 6mm from this seam allowance. Sew the first seam at 9mm. Trim your seam allowance to approximately 3mm. The second seam allowance of 6mm will complete your total seam allowance.