How to Improve Seam Slippage
When you do not want your clothing to come apart when out and about, consider reinforcing your seam to prevent seam slippage. The seam is the area on a piece of clothing where two pieces of fabric join together to create a whole, such as the sleeve to the body of the shirt. This area is fragile because there is only thread holding the two pieces together. If the thread becomes worn or loose then the seam will slowly begin to tear apart and cause seam slippage. Fix the problem before it begins to avoid a potentially embarrassing situation. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Flip the garment inside out to expose the inner seams. Depending on the garment, the seam will be slightly protruding from the fabric and easy to find. If the seam is under a lining then you will need to remove the lining before you can reinforce the seam.
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Look at the seam to make sure that it is still intact. When seam slippage begins the fabric will begin to pull and you will see a hole begin to form. Prevent this from happening by reinforcing the seam prior to the slippage happening.
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Thread your sewing machine, or needle, with like-colored thread. Line the seam into the sewing machine and set the stitch length to 1/8 inch. The short stitch is ideal because the fabric will close together tightly preventing any seam slippage. Sew two rows of stitches in the same area along the entire seam.
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Transfer the fabric to a serger to reinforce your two rows of stitches. If you do not have a serger, then use a zigzag stitch to seal the two rows completely.
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Flip the garment to the "right" side and tug gently, in opposite directions, along the seam line. If the seam holds well with no signs of slipping, then the garment is complete. If the seam begins to open, then repeat the process but sew the seam closer to the edges of the two conjoining fabrics. Remove any loose threads with fabric scissors.
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Tips & Warnings
Add a patch of fabric on the interior of denim pants to prevent the fabric from fraying or pulling apart.
Seam reinforcing will work along any seam except those that have ripped completely. The seam will need to be resewn and then reinforced.
Repairing seam slipping is an ideal project for novice sewers.
References
Resources
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