Seam allowance is the distance between your stitches and raw edge of fabric. So anytime you do a seam, you have a seam allowance, no matter or big or small it is. If you sew a seam and measure from the raw edge to the stitches and it’s a 1/2″ then you have a 1/2″ seam allowance. You always need to have some seam allowance because if you stitch too close to the raw edge of the fabric, the stitches could just rip through the fabric. Seam allowances in commercial patterns are typically 5/8″. They’re also handy because they give you a little wiggle room for alterations. So if an area is a little too tight, you can sew a little further into the seam allowance to give you a little more room. (So instead of a 5/8″ seam allowance, you do a 1/2″ seam allowance.) Hope that helps! 🙂
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