How to Sew French Seams

Home sewing has become popular again! With television shows like Project Runway and home makeover shows on HGTV, there's plenty of inspiration. Of course, on TV, it looks so easy. And it can be easy for you, too.

One of the most popular seams is a French seam. It’s ideal for sheer fabrics as well as denim. With a French seam, there are no raw edges – inside or out. This means no frayed fabrics or unraveling seams. And here's how easy it is to stitch a French seam.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• sewing machine
• thread
• fabric
• scissors
• optional: sewing ruler, rotary cutter & mat

1. For garment sewing and home decor projects, the standard seam allowance is 5/8". A French seam is stitched in 2 parts: the first seam uses 1/4" seam allowance, and the second seam uses 3/8" seam allowance -- or a total of 5/8" (1/4" + 3/8" = 5/8").

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   With WRONG side together, pin and then sew the first seam with 1/4" seam allowance. Press seam flat. (For illustration purposes, 2 contrasting fabrics are shown.)

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   Optional: With a sewing ruler, rotary cutter and mat, trim seam allowance to scant ¼”.

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   Then, fold seam back, with RIGHT sides together. Finger press, and then press with iron. Pin, and then stitch with 3/8” seam allowance, as shown.

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   Press seam flat on the WRONG side of the fabrics, then press seam to one side. You're all done, and there are no raw edges to unravel or irritate the skin.

Tips & Warnings

• Pressing seams as you stitch is the difference between a custom-made, handcrafted appearance vs. that amateur, homemade look.
• Heat iron according to fabric; i.e. if you're using cotton fabric, set your iron to the 'cotton' setting
• Use caution with sharp objects like scissors and hot items like irons.
• If your pattern or project specifies a different seam allowance (more or less than 5/8”), then cut your seam allowances bigger or smaller. The first seam in a French seam should always be slightly smaller (about 1/8” less) than the second seam allowance.