{"id":2119,"date":"2011-01-20T08:30:49","date_gmt":"2011-01-20T13:30:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.oliverands.com\/blog\/?p=2119"},"modified":"2019-02-27T03:27:23","modified_gmt":"2019-02-27T08:27:23","slug":"flat-felled-seams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/blog\/2011\/01\/flat-felled-seams.html","title":{"rendered":"flat-felled seams"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- Top Blog Posts -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9094380802992435\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"4573535109\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<em><strong>Note:<\/strong> today we continue our occasional series of seam finishing tutorials written by <a href=\"http:\/\/april1930s.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">April Henry<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>A flat-felled seam is accomplished by sewing two lines of stitching at the seam while simultaneously enclosing the raw edges of the fabric.\u00a0 This seam finish not only prevents unraveling or fraying, but makes the seam very strong.\u00a0 It also gives the finished garment a clean finish on this inside.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"\/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/flatfelledseamsTITLE.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-53321\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-53321\" src=\"\/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/flatfelledseamsTITLE.jpg\" alt=\"Flat-felled seams\" width=\"480\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"\/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/flatfelledseamsTITLE.jpg 480w, \/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/flatfelledseamsTITLE-206x275.jpg 206w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>A flat-felled seam is commonly found on denim jeans and men&#8217;s dress shirts as well as on reversible garments.\u00a0 I&#8217;ve even seen this feature instructed in vintage patterns for boy&#8217;s and men&#8217;s pajamas.\u00a0 It adds one more touch of professionalism to a hand-made garment.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/oliverands.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010032.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-2124\" title=\"Flat-Felled Seams\" src=\"\/\/o.osimg.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010032-400x300.jpg\" alt=\"Flat-Felled Seams\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"\/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010032-400x300.jpg 400w, \/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010032-275x206.jpg 275w, \/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010032.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>To begin, stitch the seam with the fabric pieces <em>wrong <\/em>sides together.<\/p>\n<p>You can determine how wide you want your flat-felled seam to be by how much you trim your seam allowances.\u00a0 Begin by trimming <em>only one <\/em>side to the desired width of the finished seam allowances.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/oliverands.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010043.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-2125\" title=\"Flat-Felled Seams\" src=\"\/\/o.osimg.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010043-300x400.jpg\" alt=\"Flat-Felled Seams\" width=\"300\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"\/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010043-300x400.jpg 300w, \/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010043-206x275.jpg 206w, \/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010043.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/oliverands.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010052.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-2126\" title=\"Flat-Felled Seams\" src=\"\/\/o.osimg.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010052-400x300.jpg\" alt=\"Flat-Felled Seams\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"\/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010052-400x300.jpg 400w, \/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010052-275x206.jpg 275w, \/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010052.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Trim the second seam allowances to twice the width of the first. For this example, I stitched a 1\/2&#8243; seam and then trimmed the first seam allowance to 1\/4&#8243;, which means I didn\u2019t need to trim the second seam allowance since it was already twice the width of the first.<\/p>\n<p>Fold and press the wider seam allowance around the shorter seam allowance so the raw edge of the second (wider) seam allowance meets the first seam line.\u00a0 Then stitch along the folded edge of the second seam allowance.\u00a0 This encloses the raw edge, and with the second row of stitching creates a very strong seam.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/oliverands.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010059.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-2127\" title=\"Flat-Felled Seams\" src=\"\/\/o.osimg.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010059-400x300.jpg\" alt=\"Flat-Felled Seams\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"\/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010059-400x300.jpg 400w, \/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010059-275x206.jpg 275w, \/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010059.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>To make my stitching rows evenly spaced, I used a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.april1930s.com\/html\/quilting_attachments.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">1\/4-inch foot<\/a>.\u00a0 The black guide on the right followed the first stitching line while the inside edge of the little toe was a guide for sewing the second stitching line.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/oliverands.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010048a.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-2129\" title=\"Flat-Felled Seams\" src=\"\/\/o.osimg.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010048a-400x300.jpg\" alt=\"Flat-Felled Seams\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"\/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010048a-400x300.jpg 400w, \/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010048a-275x206.jpg 275w, \/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010048a.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/oliverands.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010011.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-2128\" title=\"Flat-Felled Seams\" src=\"\/\/o.osimg.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010011-300x400.jpg\" alt=\"Flat-Felled Seams\" width=\"300\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"\/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010011-300x400.jpg 300w, \/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010011-206x275.jpg 206w, \/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010011.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Another useful tool is the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.april1930s.com\/html\/new___reproduction_attachments.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Felling Foot<\/a>, because it folds, presses, and stitches the first row of stitches all in one pass.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/oliverands.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010005-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-2130\" title=\"Flat-Felled Seams\" src=\"\/\/o.osimg.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010005-1-299x400.jpg\" alt=\"Flat-Felled Seams\" width=\"299\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"\/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010005-1-299x400.jpg 299w, \/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010005-1-205x275.jpg 205w, \/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010005-1.jpg 466w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 299px) 100vw, 299px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Using this attachment, <em>while still accommodating a 1\/2-inch seam allowance<\/em>, I trimmed 1\/8 inch from each of the seam allowances <em>prior to stitching<\/em> so that the finished seam would finish with the correct seam allowance according to the pattern.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/oliverands.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010048.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-2131\" title=\"Flat-Felled Seams\" src=\"\/\/o.osimg.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010048-300x400.jpg\" alt=\"Flat-Felled Seams\" width=\"300\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"\/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010048-300x400.jpg 300w, \/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010048-206x275.jpg 206w, \/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010048.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>To begin, space the top seam allowance 1\/8 inch to the left of the bottom seam allowance as shown in the photo above.\u00a0 Finger press and fold the start of the seam so that you can stitch 2-3 stitches to secure the folds in place.\u00a0 With the needle still in position, maneuver the bottom seam allowance into the Felling Foot so that it curves up and around. Sewing slowly, carefully begin stitching to allow the bottom seam allowance to fold over the top seam allowance so that the folds can be stitched in place for the first stitching line.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/oliverands.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010049.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-2132\" title=\"Flat-Felled Seams\" src=\"\/\/o.osimg.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010049-400x296.jpg\" alt=\"Flat-Felled Seams\" width=\"400\" height=\"296\" srcset=\"\/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010049-400x296.jpg 400w, \/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010049-275x203.jpg 275w, \/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010049.jpg 608w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Simultaneously, the attachment is folding, pressing and allowing the needle to stitch the initial seam enclosed.<\/p>\n<p>Press the enclosed seam so that you can make the final pass with the attachment.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/oliverands.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P10100591.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-2133\" title=\"Flat-Felled Seams\" src=\"\/\/o.osimg.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P10100591-400x300.jpg\" alt=\"Flat-Felled Seams\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"\/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P10100591-400x300.jpg 400w, \/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P10100591-275x206.jpg 275w, \/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P10100591.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Using the Feller attachment for the second pass, slip the stitched fold up into the attachment with the right toe set up against the outside of the first row of stitches. Allow the fold to carefully pass under the foot while stitching it in place for the finished Flat-Felled Seam.<\/p>\n<p>The 4mm Feller Attachment makes a dainty, 1\/8&#8243; narrow flat-felled seam.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/oliverands.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010060.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-2134\" title=\"Flat-Felled Seams\" src=\"\/\/o.osimg.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010060-300x400.jpg\" alt=\"Flat-Felled Seams\" width=\"300\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"\/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010060-300x400.jpg 300w, \/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010060-206x275.jpg 206w, \/\/o.osimg.net\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/P1010060.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>If you enjoyed this blog post, why not <a href=\"\/signup\">sign up for our newsletter<\/a>? It&#8217;s free, and you can opt to have new blog posts sent to you by email too!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have you ever wondered how to make the perfect flat-felled seam? Here&#8217;s how you can do it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":53321,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[20706,140],"class_list":["post-2119","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tutorials","tag-seams","tag-tutorial"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/flatfelledseamsTITLE.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5jZS5-yb","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":60325,"url":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/blog\/2017\/03\/how-to-finish-a-shirt-with-faux-flat-felled-seams.html","url_meta":{"origin":2119,"position":0},"title":"how to finish a shirt with faux flat-felled seams","author":"Liesl Gibson","date":"March 29, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Here's a quick tutorial that will show you how to finish your shirts beautifully by using faux flat-felled seams.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;tutorials&quot;","block_context":{"text":"tutorials","link":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/list\/tutorials"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oliverands.com\/community\/content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/fauxflatF.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":59775,"url":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/blog\/2017\/02\/six-tutorials-for-seam-finishes.html","url_meta":{"origin":2119,"position":1},"title":"six tutorials for seam finishes","author":"Rachel Le Grand","date":"February 22, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Today it\u2019s all about seams. Learn how to make seams that are strong and professional looking with these six seam tutorials from our archives.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;general post&quot;","block_context":{"text":"general post","link":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/list\/general"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oliverands.com\/community\/content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/seamfinishesF.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":56455,"url":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/blog\/2015\/10\/lisette-for-butterick-b6244-coat-sew-along.html","url_meta":{"origin":2119,"position":2},"title":"lisette for butterick B6244 coat sew along","author":"Liesl Gibson","date":"October 14, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Liesl is here to walk you through sewing the Lisette for Butterick B6244 coat. It only has three pieces, no linings or facings, and a minimum of seams. So it's a quick and easy sew that makes a stunning piece of outerwear. We've broken the sewing up into three days\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;sew alongs&quot;","block_context":{"text":"sew alongs","link":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/list\/sew-alongs"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oliverands.com\/community\/content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/B6244sewalongTITLE.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":11274,"url":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/blog\/2014\/06\/sunny-day-shorts-tutorial-part-i.html","url_meta":{"origin":2119,"position":3},"title":"sunny day shorts tutorial, part I","author":"Rachel Le Grand","date":"June 3, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Step by step photo tutorial for the Oliver + S Sunny Day Shorts free pattern.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;general post&quot;","block_context":{"text":"general post","link":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/list\/general"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oliverands.com\/community\/content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/SDS.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":59577,"url":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/blog\/2017\/04\/sew-tell-liesls-lisette-for-butterick-b6411.html","url_meta":{"origin":2119,"position":4},"title":"sew+ tell: liesl&#8217;s lisette for butterick B6411","author":"Liesl Gibson","date":"April 12, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I've been wearing this dress for a few months now. I haven't had a chance to show it to you yet, so let's remedy that before it gets too warm out! I'm really pleased with how it turned out. Pattern: This is Lisette for Butterick B6411 with a couple of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;general post&quot;","block_context":{"text":"general post","link":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/list\/general"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oliverands.com\/community\/content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/lisette-feature-image-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":895,"url":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/blog\/2010\/06\/straight-stitch-seam-finishing.html","url_meta":{"origin":2119,"position":5},"title":"straight-stitch seam finishing","author":"April Henry","date":"June 15, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"A finished seam is a technique used to secure the raw edge of the fabric exposed within the seam allowance. Finishing seams provides stability to the seam and overall garment, prevents unraveling, while also making a hand-made garment look professional. There are many options available which can vary depending on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;tutorials&quot;","block_context":{"text":"tutorials","link":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/list\/tutorials"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oliverands.com\/community\/content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/straightstitchseamTITLE.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2119","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2119"}],"version-history":[{"count":32,"href":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2119\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":68781,"href":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2119\/revisions\/68781"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53321"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2119"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2119"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2119"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}