French seam tutorial

Today I’m sharing my favourite seam finish: the french seam. It’s a great way to hide all raw edges using only a simple straight stitch. It’s ideal for sheer and delicate fabrics since the seam will look beautiful from both sides and is very durable. It’s simply something you have to learn!
I use 3/8″ ( 1 cm ) seam allowances as standard, but for french seams you’ll probably want to add a bit more. Here, I’ve used 1/2″ ( 1,2 mm ). Add more if you’re not used to sewing narrow seams, and adjust the measurements below. For straight seams you can use any width, but if you’re using french seams for curved edges make sure you don’t end up with a seam wider than 1/4″ ( 6 mm ).

Press seam open.

Flip over so that right sides are facing.

Make sure that the previous stitch line runs along the center of the fold and press.

Sew 1/4″ ( 6 mm ) cm from the edge. Seam allowance will be encased in the fold.

And there you have it! A couture finish that any beginner can easily learn.