[Justine J]

Hi everyone – I’m just sewing my first Birthday Party dress (yay!!) – I’m just wondering whether any of the seams can be sewn using french seams (I’m trying really hard to make this one well & I don’t have an overlocker) – the instructions say to finish each seam separately when attaching the centre front panel to the front side panels, which I assume means I can’t use them here, but thought I could on the side seams – but have just read instructions again and am not sure if these too should be finished separately? And while I’m at this long-winded question, how about the side back pieces to the back placket pieces??? Thanks! Justine

[lattemama]

Sadly I think you’d better press all seams open because French seams in the dress would interfere with the facing and become too bulky.

Maybe if you nestled the french seams like you would in a quilt block where one set of seam allowances were turned left and the other right – but I don’t think you’d like the results.

[Justine J]

Thanks Lotta! Dress is (almost) all finished (need to sew on buttons) – and it’s sans french seams. I was just tempted to use them because of all the lovely straight lines in attaching the panels – and I don’t have an ovelocker so I really wanted to ‘finish’ this off well. Having said that, I’m very happy with the end result! Will post pics on flickr as soon as I sew on buttons!

[claireabel]

Hi Justmejay

Yes, it can be done! I did it recently and blogged about it here (with a pic of the inside seams): http://claireysews.blogspot.com/2010/05/gift-for-new-baby.html.

As Lattemama said, the facing is the only tricky bit. I cheated a little and snipped the seam to the stitch line, then opened the seam out above the snip before attaching the facing. You can’t tell on the finished product.

Hope this is useful. So much neater than serging 🙂

[claireabel]

ETA: here’s a bigger pic http://www.flickr.com/photos/39113615@N06/4589165638/

[smithma]

Ok, I need some advice. I”m making this in silk dupioni, and wanted to do french seams because of the tendency to fray. I’m thinking of doing it how claireabel mentions above, and just open up the seams for the facing. But how should I then finish that part of the seam? I assume it needs something.

[Nicole]

I made one in silk and overlocked my seams. There has been no fraying issues and it has been machined washed (on a gentle cycle, with shampoo) many times.

Possibly finish the extra bit with a narrow zigzag. That would be simpler then negotiating the garment on an overlocker.

I can’t wait to see it, I love silk.

[meleliza]

I made this in a lightweight cotton lawn underlined in very lightweight shirting and I used French seams. I clipped them underneath the facing. Because its under the facing, it doesn’t need as much finishing as the bottom part of the seam. However, if I had a fabric that frays especially badly, I would use my machine’s overlock function. it’s only 2 threads, so it’s not like having a serger, but it works for something covered by a facing anyway.