How to Turn a Corner With a French Seam
A French seam, a narrow seam within a seam, eliminates fraying by enclosing raw edges. This seam is useful for concealing the raw edges of see-through fabrics, and protecting the seams of fabrics that fray a lot or items that get washed often. You do not need any special sewing equipment, just a regular sewing machine. At the beginning, French seams appear trickiest to sew at the corners.
Instructions
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1
Determine the seam allowance of your pattern. It should be either 5/8 inch, standard for commercial patterns, or 1/2 inch.
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2
Place two fabric pieces together, with wrong sides facing each other, and pin them together.
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3
Sew the fabric pieces together, 3/8 inch from the edge if your pattern has a 5/8-inch seam allowance, or 1/4 inch from the edge if your pattern has a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Stop sewing once the needle is 3/8 inch from the end of the fabric if you use a 5/8-seam allowance, or 1/4 inch from the end if you are using a 1/2-inch seam allowance.
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4
Insert the sewing machine needle into the fabric by turning the hand wheel on the side of the sewing machine. Lift the presser foot up.
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Turn the fabric to the direction you want to continue sewing. Lower the presser foot and continue sewing either 3/8 inch or 1/4 inch from the edge as before.
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6
Cut diagonally across the corner you just sewed, 1/8 inch from the stitching. Trim the seam allowance to 1/8 inch from the stitching along the length of the whole seam.
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7
Turn the fabric inside out, so the right sides are facing each other. Push the corner all the way out. Iron the seam flat.
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Sew 1/4 inch from the edge, for both seam allowances, stopping 1/4 inch from the end of the fabric.
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Insert the sewing machine needle and turn as before. Continue sewing 1/4 inch from the edge for the rest of the seam.
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Tips & Warnings
Use the seam guidelines on your needle plate of your sewing machine for the measurement of the seam allowance.
A standard presser foot has a 1/4 inch distance from the center to the edge. Use this for measuring the second seam.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images
