13 types of seam finishes to use in sewing

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Seam finishes are one of the best things about sewing! Here's 13 different ways to finish a seam that'll make the insides of your projects beautiful.

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Wait, what is a seam finish? A seam finish is what you do to the raw edge of the seam allowances after you sew a seam.

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Why do you need to finish seams? •to keep fabric from unravelling •for extra strength •for a decorative look

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Use pinking shears to trim the edges of seams of lightweight cottons that have been pressed open for an easy, bulk-free seam finish.

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Use a zigzag seam finish on knits or any other fabric if you don't have a serger/overlocker. Simply stitch a zigzag right on the seam allowance edge.

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Stitch a second row of stitches close to the seamline, then trim the excess fabric away for a double stitched seam finish. This is great on knits like scuba and ponte.

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For a simple turned and stitched seam on unlined garments, sew the seam, press it open, then fold the seam allowance back on itself and press. Finish by stitching down the fabric close to the pressed edge.

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Use a serger for most knits and other fabrics for a nice professional looking seam finish.

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If you don't have a serger, try an overcast foot and an overcast stitch on your sewing machine. See how similar an overcast seam finish looks to a serger?

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For heavy fabrics, press the seam open and stitch from the right side on either side of the seam to make a topstitched seam finish.

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Put your topstitched seams on the RIGHT side for an exposed seam finish. Sporty, eh?

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For flat felled seams, sew the seam, trim one side of it, wrap the other side of the seam allowance around it, press flat, then sew close to the pressed fold. This completely encloses the seam. Flat felled seams are awesome on jeans and men's shirts.

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For French seams, divide the seam allowance in half. Sew your seam WRONG sides together and a 1/4" seam allowance.

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Trim the seam to 1/8". Turn things right sides together and press on the seam. Stitch again with a 3/8" seam allowance for another enclosed seam finish.

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On knits, stitch on twill tape over the neck seam to finish the seam and give the neck some extra stability to prevent stretching out of shape.

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Bias bound seams: Stitch double fold bias tape around the raw edge of a seam of unlined jackets for a couture seam finish. Similarly, use a strip of unfolded bias to wrap the seam (Hong Kong finish) for a slightly less bulky couture seam finish.

[{"selector":"#anim-f2b333f4-f724-4f3d-ba74-776551c2fe03","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] elizabethmadethis.com elizabethmadethis.com Read more

Finally, use foldover elastic to cover over seams on heavy activewear knits like soft shell and polar fleece for a decorative seam finish that prevents irritating edges from getting at your skin.

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Not sure what type of seam finish to use? Experiment! Use scraps to test out some ideas and see what you like. There's no wrong answers here.

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Click the link below to learn more about when to use different types of seam finishes.

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elizabethmadethis.com

elizabethmadethis.com

What kinds of seam finishes can you use for sewing?

What kinds of seam finishes can you use for sewing?

Seam finishes are one of the best things about sewing! Here's 13 different ways to finish a seam that'll make the insides of your projects beautiful.

Seam finishes are one of the best things about sewing! Here's 13 different ways to finish a seam that'll make the insides of your projects beautiful.

Wait, what is a seam finish? A seam finish is what you do to the raw edge of the seam allowances after you sew a seam.

Wait, what is a seam finish? A seam finish is what you do to the raw edge of the seam allowances after you sew a seam.

Why do you need to finish seams? •to keep fabric from unravelling •for extra strength •for a decorative look

Why do you need to finish seams? •to keep fabric from unravelling •for extra strength •for a decorative look

Use pinking shears to trim the edges of seams of lightweight cottons that have been pressed open for an easy, bulk-free seam finish.

Use pinking shears to trim the edges of seams of lightweight cottons that have been pressed open for an easy, bulk-free seam finish.

Use a zigzag seam finish on knits or any other fabric if you don't have a serger/overlocker. Simply stitch a zigzag right on the seam allowance edge.

Use a zigzag seam finish on knits or any other fabric if you don't have a serger/overlocker. Simply stitch a zigzag right on the seam allowance edge.

Stitch a second row of stitches close to the seamline, then trim the excess fabric away for a double stitched seam finish. This is great on knits like scuba and ponte.

Stitch a second row of stitches close to the seamline, then trim the excess fabric away for a double stitched seam finish. This is great on knits like scuba and ponte.

For a simple turned and stitched seam on unlined garments, sew the seam, press it open, then fold the seam allowance back on itself and press. Finish by stitching down the fabric close to the pressed edge.

For a simple turned and stitched seam on unlined garments, sew the seam, press it open, then fold the seam allowance back on itself and press. Finish by stitching down the fabric close to the pressed edge.

Use a serger for most knits and other fabrics for a nice professional looking seam finish.

Use a serger for most knits and other fabrics for a nice professional looking seam finish.

If you don't have a serger, try an overcast foot and an overcast stitch on your sewing machine. See how similar an overcast seam finish looks to a serger?

If you don't have a serger, try an overcast foot and an overcast stitch on your sewing machine. See how similar an overcast seam finish looks to a serger?

For heavy fabrics, press the seam open and stitch from the right side on either side of the seam to make a topstitched seam finish.

For heavy fabrics, press the seam open and stitch from the right side on either side of the seam to make a topstitched seam finish.

Put your topstitched seams on the RIGHT side for an exposed seam finish. Sporty, eh?

Put your topstitched seams on the RIGHT side for an exposed seam finish. Sporty, eh?

For flat felled seams, sew the seam, trim one side of it, wrap the other side of the seam allowance around it, press flat, then sew close to the pressed fold. This completely encloses the seam. Flat felled seams are awesome on jeans and men's shirts.

For flat felled seams, sew the seam, trim one side of it, wrap the other side of the seam allowance around it, press flat, then sew close to the pressed fold. This completely encloses the seam. Flat felled seams are awesome on jeans and men's shirts.

For French seams, divide the seam allowance in half. Sew your seam WRONG sides together and a 1/4" seam allowance.

For French seams, divide the seam allowance in half. Sew your seam WRONG sides together and a 1/4" seam allowance.

Trim the seam to 1/8". Turn things right sides together and press on the seam. Stitch again with a 3/8" seam allowance for another enclosed seam finish.

Trim the seam to 1/8". Turn things right sides together and press on the seam. Stitch again with a 3/8" seam allowance for another enclosed seam finish.

On knits, stitch on twill tape over the neck seam to finish the seam and give the neck some extra stability to prevent stretching out of shape.

On knits, stitch on twill tape over the neck seam to finish the seam and give the neck some extra stability to prevent stretching out of shape.

Bias bound seams: Stitch double fold bias tape around the raw edge of a seam of unlined jackets for a couture seam finish. Similarly, use a strip of unfolded bias to wrap the seam (Hong Kong finish) for a slightly less bulky couture seam finish.

Bias bound seams: Stitch double fold bias tape around the raw edge of a seam of unlined jackets for a couture seam finish. Similarly, use a strip of unfolded bias to wrap the seam (Hong Kong finish) for a slightly less bulky couture seam finish.

Finally, use foldover elastic to cover over seams on heavy activewear knits like soft shell and polar fleece for a decorative seam finish that prevents irritating edges from getting at your skin.

Finally, use foldover elastic to cover over seams on heavy activewear knits like soft shell and polar fleece for a decorative seam finish that prevents irritating edges from getting at your skin.

Not sure what type of seam finish to use? Experiment! Use scraps to test out some ideas and see what you like. There's no wrong answers here.

Click the link below to learn more about when to use different types of seam finishes.

Click the link below to learn more about when to use different types of seam finishes.