How to Sew French Seams

French seams are a tool to add to your sewing skill box. By incorporating these seams to your clothing pieces, you can add style, charm, and comfort.

Defining French Seams and Their Usage

French seams are used in sheerer fabrics where traditional stitches might overwhelm the fabric. By concealing zigzag or serge stitches, the French seam will help to keep the clothing simple and graceful. These seams hide other seams on the inside of an item which has been sewn, helping to keep the material ‘clean’ of excess stitches. While sheer fabrics use this seam often, it can be used on any number of fabrics and clothing pieces which need to hide thread.

Step 1 – Sew on the Right Side

When you begin to create a French seam, you will want to sew on the right side of the fabric. This sets up the next stitch you need to set. The right side is the side with the pattern or color on it. This does not refer to the actual side of the fabric—i.e. left versus right. Make sure to you use a standard seam allowance of 5/8 inch.  Next, create a seam of 1/4 inch with the wrong sides of the fabric touching each other. Pin the fabric together to make sure it will not move when sewn. The pins should be placed along the entire length of the seam. Remove any excess fabric at this point if you’re attaching two pieces of fabric together instead of sewing one piece of fabric.

Step 2 – Fold over the Sewn Piece

At this point, you will need an iron to help smooth the edges of your seam. Take the seam and press along it as it was sewn in the previous step. The right sides of the fabric should be together as you fold the cloth along the fabric’s seam line. The crease you create should be sharp and while you can create this without an iron, an iron is helpful. Check to be certain the fabric can withstand heat applied directly to the surface. Silks and thinner fabrics may need a cloth placed over the seam before an iron can be applied.

Step 3 – The Final Step of French Seams

Take out the sewing machine and begin to sew a seam about 3/8 inch from the folded edge you created. Press the seam once more and then again from the right side of the item to secure the French seam in place. Take a few moments to iron the piece of clothing to see how the item looks. If this clothing is yours, it would be a good idea to try the clothing on to ensure the seam is sitting in the place where you envisioned it. If not, rip out the threads and start the process again.

French seams offer a final touch to your clothing and help those who might be more sensitive to sharp edges. While these seams are more decorative than practical, any new seam you learn will help your sewing skills.