How to Sew a Corner Seam

It's a good idea to practice basic sewing seams before you begin an actual project. You can get the technique down on scrap material and avoid having to rip out mistakes on your good fabric. The following steps show you the proper way to maneuver a corner seam so it'll be sharp and crisp when you're finished.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Take a scrap piece of fabric and draw a straight line and then another line at a right angle, resulting in an L-shape. This is your guide to practice the corner seam technique.

2. Place the fabric under the presser foot, lower it and sew down the length of the line, as if you are sewing a corner seam on a pillow.

3. Leave the needle down in the fabric when you reach the point where the lines meet at a right angle. Some machines have an option to leave the needle in the down position every time you stop sewing. If yours has this option, this is a good place to use it. If your machine doesn't have this capability, manually turn the hand wheel, located on the side of your sewing machine to place the needle in the down position.

4. Raise the pressure foot. With the needle in the down position, pivot the fabric and sew along the other line to complete the practice corner seam.

5. Sew the actual corner seam after you've mastered these techniques. Follow the suggested seam allowance, using the guide on the throat plate to keep your stitching straight.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a sharp sewing needle to create a good seam. Most sewing machine manufacturers recommend replacing a needle after every third project. A bent or blunt needle may cause fabric damage or skipped stitches.
• Sew a seam on two layers of scrap fabric to check for a balanced bobbin and upper thread tension. If the tension isn't correct, it may affect the quality of your seam. If bobbin thread is evident on the top, lower the needle thread tension, and if needle thread is evident on the bottom, increase it slightly.
• When you're sewing your project, use a backstitch at the beginning and end of the seam to secure it.