This week's Tips on Tuesday covers Hong Kong Seams.

Hong Kong seams are great for unlined garments, making them look professional and neat on the inside.

You will need some 25mm wide bias strip - either store bought or self-made.

Here's some store bought single-fold 25mm bias binding.

This is a 25mm bias strip that I cut at home.

A bias cutting ruler is an easy way to create a bias strip.

You will be creating the Hong Kong Seams before sewing the garment together.

1. Start by pressing and stretching your binding before sewing. This will reduce the chance of your binding becoming wrinkly or wavy when you apply it to your garment.

2. Then pin and stitch the binding to the edge of fabric. The raw edges should be aligned. If you have store bought binding you can follow the fold line for pinning and if you are using a strip without folds stitch a 6mm (1/4 inch) seam allowance.

3. Press the binding away from the garment. If you have store bought binding, press the binding flat so that the fold line disappears and the binding is flat.

4. Wrap the binding over the seam allowance. 

 The view from the back.

4. Pin in the ditch (the ditch being where the binding meets the garment) from the right side. Make sure you catch the binding underneath. Then stitch in the ditch where you have pinned. 

5. Trim the binding underneath to about 3mm to reduce bulk