CHAPTER 10 Seams OR Seam Vocabulary Seam Pucker Bulk Stitched joint resulting from dewing two or more pieces of fabric Line of stitching joining edges in a single piece of fabric e g dart Seam line stitched line of a seam Seam allowance or seam margin Narrow width of fabric between seam line and cut edge of fabric Lack of seam smoothness or buckling of fabric along row of stitches Happens because tension was too tight the fabric wasn t ironed before sewing hand sewing fabric wasn t lined up properly Differential shrinkage different rates of shrinkage between fabric other components thread supporting material Structural jamming needles and or thread incorrect size and cause pushing out of yarns in fabric Bulky seams Detract from garment s smooth appearance Reduce flexibility in seams and comfort Rigid seams subject to abrasion Bulk in seams eliminated At home by trimming In industry through patternmaking automatic trimming Raw Edge Broken Seam Seam Slippage Hole defect resulting from too narrow seam allowance Seam allowance pulls away from seam stitch line stitches not broken Stitches break and the seam splits apart or bursts Caused by using wrong thread wrong stitch type wrong seam type unbalanced stitch tension long stitch length or incorrect needle Occurs in garments of coarsely woven fabric or slick fibers Can lead to a raw edge Fabric pulls away from the stitches at seam line Seam line spread open exposing the stitches Seam Grin Seam Type Choice DEPENDS ON End use Design Location of seam within garment ASTM International formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials ASTM is a globally recognized leader in development and delivery of international voluntary consensus standards Fit Fabric Care of garment Current fashion trends Cost ASTM Seam Types Superimposed seams SS Bound seams BS Lapped seams LS Flat seams FS Superimposed Seams SS Sewing plies together near the edge Created by superimposing or stacking piles with edges even Majority of seams are SS 300 Plain seam most common side waist sleeve Butterflied or busted Seam is pressed open Reduces bulk by distributing seam allowance to each side of the seam line ADVANTAGES Inconspicuous Nonbulky Easy to alter DISADVANTAGES Not especially strong Greater tendency to grin SUPERIMPOSED SEAMS Enclosed Inexpensive to produce Piles sewn together face to face Piles open turned back seam allowance enclosed Occur only at edges stitches not visible Necklines collars cuffs 2nd most common seam type Clipping helps concave curve seams lie smooth Princess seam with convex shape Notching helps convex seam lie smooth Clipped Seam Notching Seam French Seam SS Stronger than lain seam in non slick fabrics Suitable for short fairly straight seams ADVANTAGES Prevents raveling Adds elegance DISADVANTAGES Difficult to alter Costly Seam Types Lapped Constructed by joining all thicknesses from the face side USES Patch pockets Decorative lapped seams Lapped Seams Overlapping seam allowances of two or more plies Plies extending in opposite directions Always topstitched looks more casual Special purpose seams e g rain gear waistline of underwear or sportswear Lapped Seam LS Less bulky Good for nonraveling materials e g leather and vinyl Raw edges of both seam allowances are folded under or felled before Flat felled seams stitching Strong durable and can be bulky No raw edges on inside or outside of garment Difficult to alter Used on straight or fairly straight edges Bound Seam Found only at edges e g necklines armholes waistlines hems Made by using fabric binding strips to encase raw edges Produces a neat finish to edges Prevents raveling Covers raw edge to help with comfort Seam binding provides high quality finish Can be used when inside appearance important Mitering Requires skilled operator usually found in high price garments A k a butt seam or exposed seam Involves seaming or folding the binding diagonally to conform to corners Less bulky and more attractive than unmetered corners Flat Joins fabrics along the edges butting them together or overlapping slightly Has low profile stretch comfortable to wear Used in cut and sew and full fashioned knit garments e g underwear foundation garments sweatshirts childrenswear Often paired with high stretch fabrics No seam allowances fabric savings Often made with 600 class stitch which uses lots of thread or zigzag or bottom cover 400 class Least bulky of all seams DISADVANTAGES Cannot be let out No room for error can separate and develop holes if not completely abutted Seam Allowance Width of seam allowance affects Strength Durability Appearance Comfort Cost Seam Allowance Wider seams can be let out Narrow seams help reduce bulk Too wide seams in crotch or underarms are uncomfortable 1 2in or wider for high quality RTW 1 8 in reduces bulk and yield smooth flat edge e g collars cuffs Hems Folded hems raw edge is turned under and stitched to garment Most frequently used method of finishing the lower edge of garments Higher end garments may include interfacing in hem Blind hems hems attached to garment so that thread is not highly visible on outside of garment Glued hems adhesive used to attach hem to garment used when needle holes could weaken fabric e g leather Or in low price garment Shirttail hems Narrow hem folded under twice and topstitched in place Used on garments with a lot of flare or unusual shape gives a casual look Rolled hems very narrow hem rolled up to enclose raw edge of hem Roll about 1 8 in wide secured with topstitching blindstitching or Used on edges of garments ruffles scarves handkerchiefs and lightweight overedging fabrics Facings Any piece of fabric used to finish raw edge of garments e g at neckline armscye and front and back openings Low price garments Less than 2 inches to conserve fabric may slip out and show Turned to inside and backs the garment at the edge facing the wearer High price garments Can be wider than 2 inches Covers inner construction better Protects garment from perspiration body oils May be tacked in place at seam allowance Pieces of fabric seamed usually to straight raw edge of garments to extend and finish edge Uses at collars cuffs waistbands hem e g rib knit band Finished garment opening that allows a body part to pass through for dressing and undressing Required when garment opening is closely fitted and does not stretch Applied at open necklines waistlines sleeves uses a closure Bands Plackets