Trimming and Finishing Seams

[the_professors_assistantKeymaster]

Let me start by saying thank you so much for running this website,  it is really an invaluable resource.  I especially like the way you go step by step through the whole creative process from pattern envelope to finished product.  You rock!

So my question….I notice in most of your tutorials, you do not trim the seam allowances after sewing the seam, but leave them at 5/8 thickness.   After I sew a seam, press it, then press it open, do I need to do anything else to it?  I am making a dress for my daughter, it is a lined dress.  Cotton blend with a broadcloth lining.  When I did my last dress for my other daughter which was eyelet on the outside and with a broadcloth lining, I stitched the seam, then pressed it, but then I didn’t press it open, but did a zigzag stitch close to the seamline, then trimmed it close to the zigzag stitching.  So essentially I zigzagged the seam allowances together, then trimmed them.  I was so paranoid that the material would ravel so I was trying to go for the homemade version of what you see with commercial serged seams.  Is this necessary?  Is this overkill?  Do I only need to trim and finish the seams when the pattern indicates?

Thanks in advance for your response and keep up the good work!

[the_professors_assistantKeymaster]

No, it’s not overkill, in fact, you’re making your stuff more professional and neat looking.   🙂  When I’m doing a full tutorial, you do not see me finish the seams as I’m just trying to keep with the directions of the pattern, but I usually trim and finish them when the dress is finished because it does help with the fraying.  Also, if the dress is completely lined, like the Butterick 5880 dress, I’ll skip the finished seams because everything is hidden anyways.  Sometimes, it’s helpful, after you cut out all your fabric pieces you just finish the edge around the whole piece right then and there.  So, for example, take the your pieces and either zigzag stitch, overcast, or serge around all edges before you even start sewing.  I don’t know if it saves any time, but it kind of just gets it out of the way so when I create a seam, it’s already finished and it also helps control the fraying while I’m still working with the pieces.  But I would say you’re on that path of good habits and I bet your garments look beautiful! 🙂

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