Seams Before we had Sergers!

Long before we were able to purchase home overlock sergers we somehow managed to sew beautiful garments with French seams, 'mock' flat-fell, bound edges, or turned and stitched (clean finish) seam allowances etc,  This is how we sewed in the 60's,70's and 80's because sewing machines were mechanical and very simple. When the first serger overlock machines became available for home sewing I was thrilled how fast and efficient the process was.  I thought this was just wonderful because it trimmed the seam allowance and finished the edges like commercial clothing.  I bought my first serger in 1982.  They started to become a little more common in the late 80's and early 90's.  They weren't exactly cheap (like microwaves) so it took a while for all the money conscious sewing people to take the plunge.  In those days people sewed to save money. Today I sew because I can make garments that look and fit nicer than any ready to wear.

My friends and colleagues always teased me that I could wear my clothes inside out.  That's because I grew up sewing with French seams and bound seams. That's what we had to do.  I still think they are so clean and neat.  They wash beautifully.  Garments simply look better and last longer.  I use them almost exclusively on batiste, lawn, lightweight silks, lightweight cotton and linen.  I find myself avoiding the serger because all that thread adds bulk to the seam finish and isn't very attractive on fine fabrics. I do use my serger quite a bit for knits or for finishing bulky fabrics like corduroy and denim.

A 'Bound' seam finish is great on an unlined jacket.

I used a light weight cotton batiste for the one side seam because I have an opening at the waist where the belt tie slips through the opening.

Lightly starch your fabric with Best Press or Terial Magic before you cut your bias strips.  A little stiffness will make the bias strips much easier to cut and will feed nicely through the bias binder. Cut the strips 15/16th wide.  The starch will help control the stretching of the bias. I use my Featherweight bias binder on my Viking Epic and Berninas (with shank adapter).

I even used a French seam for the princess dart seam lines. Yes, you can do a French seam on a curve providing the curve is gentle.

I use the Bernina foot #57 with the right side flange for nice straight stitches.


You are viewing the inside of the
garment.




This is Burda pattern 3737.

Cut out your facing pieces and the fusible interfacing pieces but DO NOT FUSE them together.  Place right sides together. Stitch a 3/8 inch seam allowance on the edge to be finished.  Do NOT use the iron yet.  With the seam allowance toward the fusible facing under stitch the seam to keep the interfacing from rolling toward the fabric. Now, fold the fusible interfacing toward the wrong side of the fabric.  Now fuse the two together.  The edge is now turned and fused with no visible stitches on the fabric side.

 Using cotton organdy would be another great option as an interfacing.

This is a Liberty Fabric from Fabrics.com
Pattern: Sycamore
Fiber: Linen


I pre washed the linen.  When I removed the fabric from the dryer it barely needed ironing.  Not all linen fabric wrinkles a lot.  Liberty quality is amazing.

Note:  A simple linen dress with this quality fabric could cost $200.  This cost me $40.   Sewing can still be very economical!  And they don't sell linen dresses in any big box store!



Wrap dresses are wonderful in the summer time.  No buttons, no zippers.  Fast and easy.