This week I'm covering Flat felled seams. These are great for garments that need reinforcing. I'm talking jeans, men's shirts, any seams that come under a lot of stress.

Much like French seam they do take longer to sew, but totally worth it for the right garment:)

1. Fold a 1 cm seam allowance to the wrong side on one piece of fabric and press.

2. Position the raw edge of the other piece of fabric on the pressed fold line. Fabric should be wrong sides together.

3. Stitch the garment together 7.5mm from the fold, encasing the fabric.

4. Lay the garment completely flat and press the 'seam allowance' to the side so that you can't see the raw edge.

5. Stitch through all layers 7.5mm from previous stitching line. I've used contrasting thread here, but only so it can be seen clearly in the images.

And there you have an easy flat felled seam.  

 

Read on for a quick run through on sewing French seams. A great option for sheer or lightweight fabric or if you don't own an overlocker and require a professional finish.

Here's a few tips for minimising the chances of stretching on garments when sewing. It's not the most exciting part of a sewing project, but it is essential for making sure there's no stretched necklines or armholes.