You have completed your dress at last. It looks fantastic outside – everything as you had visualized. But wait! You cannot let anyone peek inside. The raw edges inside are a mess. It is important for the inside of a garment to be as neat as its outside. Fabric edges tend to fray and unravel if they are not properly finished. Professional fashion designers and tailors are of the common knowledge that neatly finished clothes add to the overall quality of the clothes. Finishing these fabric edges of the seams sometimes distinguishes a homemade dress from a couture one.
There are various methods used to neatly finish garments and although there is no better method to employ, some are better suited for certain styles than others. Here are a few fabric edging techniques and images to neaten up and finish fabric edges.
Serged Seam Finish
This seam finish is done on a Serger. A serger encloses the edge of the fabric inside a thread casing. It adds strength to the seams. If this seam finish is applied to your home-sewn garment, it will look like it is manufactured rather than handmade. This edge finish can be applied before or after sewing the seam. To sew this finish, keep the fabric to the left of the needles and serge along the fabric edge. The thread will wrap the raw edge in a way that neatly finishes it.
Overcast Seam Finish
The next best option is to use an overcast foot along with the overcast stitch. This will create a serger-like finish without cutting the extra fabric that the serger does. If you do not have an overcast stitch setting on your machine, use a zig-zag stitch. Overcast stitch is similar to zig-zag stitch but much neater in appearance; If you do not have a serger, this is the next best alternative for seam finishes, especially for knits. This may not work well with sheer fabrics.
Pinked Seam Finish
This seam finish is made using Pinking shears and scissors that give a zig-zag pattern on the cut edge. The very nature of the cutting prevents the fraying of cloth on the raw edge to a small degree. It is mainly used in woven clothes.
Zig Zag Seam Finish
This is also called Bound edges seam. It is a seam finish that helps to neaten the seam; The zig-zag seam finish is done with the zig-zag stitch function in your sewing machine and the nature of the stitch prevents the raw edges of the seams from fraying. This is an easy alternative to an overlocker machine.
Hong Kong Seam Finish
This method uses bias binding tapes to enclose the seams for a very neat look; All the frayed raw edges are hidden in between the bias binding. This is usually used in high-end couture clothes. You can use this in your handmade clothes for a very professional and neat appearance inside. Make sure that the bias binding tape is lightweight; otherwise, you will add unwanted bulk to your seams. I would use contrasting colored bias tape for a very interesting look inside.
Source: sewguide.com
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