In the sewing industry, machine stitches and seams are far from the last place. The appearance of the entire product depends on how well the seamstress knows them and knows how to do it smoothly. But in order to know them well, you need to understand the classification and differences in execution technology.
Varieties of seams
Depending on the purpose of the work, the characteristics of the product and the quality of the fabric, different assembly technologies are chosen. According to the classification, machine seams are connecting, edge and decorative finishing. They apply to different parts of the product.
Connecting seams assemble the product into a single whole. This is the basis on which the garment industry is based. Without these stitches, it's impossible to do anything at all.
Rim is designed to give the free ends of the product a complete, neat look. Such a machine seam serves not only as a decorative element, but also as a protection against rapid wear.
Finishing seams do not carry special design functions. Rather, they serve as an additionaldecoration than a way to strengthen the integrity of the product.
Despite the fact that there are quite a lot of seams, they all have certain requirements. First of all, it is the absolute evenness of the line. Even if the needle zigzags or patterns, the center line should remain straight and not jump from side to side.
And the second is the accuracy of execution. You can not scribble the product where you want. The designer pre-calculated the place where this is done. Deviation from the plan leads to damage to the finished product.
Seams that hold pieces together
Any classification of machine seams begins with connecting seams. They are distinguished by several types. Although, to be honest, all these varieties are built on 2-3 main seams.
The most important thing is the seam. 80% of all products are connected by it. Overlapping seam is a variant of the previous one, designed for sewing products in those places where they give in to the greatest friction
Double inverted seam is used in linen, especially bed linen. It has high wear resistance and is quite simple in execution. The sewing seam can also be called decorative, since it does not have a pronounced front and back side. A false suture is used where the flaps need to be superimposed on each other. It is performed on the front side of the product.
All other machine stitches, the patterns of which are known to professional seamstresses, are complicated versions of the ones mentioned above. Their expediency is justified only in some cases, and ignorance of the technology for their implementation does not make the craftswoman less skillful.
Main connecting seams
A machine seam can be done by any woman who at least once sat down at a sewing machine. It is performed as follows: two parts are folded face inward and stitched with a regular stitch. At this point, the concept of "seam width" appears. This is the distance from the edge of the product to the place where the line passes. Under normal conditions, it is 0.5-1 cm, but depending on the fabric and the product itself, it can be either thicker or thinner.
Seam allowances must be done at the time of cutting, otherwise the size of the product will be slightly smaller than originally planned.
The backstitch is a variant of the backstitch. After the two parts have been joined with a stitched seam, they are turned right side out so that the bend is exactly at the place where the line passes. This is how cuffs, pockets, straps are made. At the same time, the width of the seam is much smaller. It equals 0.3-0.4 cm.
Knowing only these two seams, you can already make most garments.
Reverse stitch
In practice, machine stitching can be more difficult. The double reverse stitch is not the most difficult, but will require some skill to be perfect.
First, fold the two pieces wrong sides together. We make a regular seam up to 0.5 cm wide, after that we bend the product and from the wrong side we make the same seam, but 1 mm further than it was at the previous stage. Thus, the edges of the parts to be sewn are hidden in a reliable pocket made offabrics.
Use this double seam primarily in bedding that is subjected to frequent washing, which means that the load on the free edges is much greater than that of a regular product.
It can also be found on children's clothing, but on the front side. In this way, scars are removed from the inside and sloppy edges are hidden.
Sewing stitch
It has been proven that machine connecting seams can also be decorative. An example of this is the stitching (aka jeans) seam. It got its second name due to its frequent use in denim trousers. As you know, the inner seam of this product must be very strong and reliable.
The technology for its implementation is not so simple, but not the most complicated either. It all starts with the fact that the parts to be joined do not fold evenly relative to the edge. The bottom part should protrude by about 7 mm. Retreating 7-8 mm from the top edge, the details are stitched. After that, the bottom edge is wrapped up to the seam and covered with the top part. This whole construction is sewn first on one side, then on the other.
If you figure it out, then this seam is a kind of eversion. Only here the stitching is done in such a way that all the folds remain in the same plane with the product.
Less popular seams
Connecting machine seams, the schemes of which we examined above, are the most popular. They are used in most cases. But there are no less interesting and other types of seams.
First of all, you need to pay attention to the patch seam. It borders on decorative and finishing, but still serves to connect two parts. It is performed on the front side. There are two types: with a hidden edge and with a free one. On the front side of the product, face up, the part that needs to be sewn is superimposed. If you first sew inside or smooth the edges, then they will be closed.
Pockets, coquettes and decorative patches are sewn on in this way.
The topstitch is a decorative version of the stitch. After the product is sewn, the edges of the seam are smoothed and sewn strictly parallel to the main seam, at the same distance from it.
Finishing the edges of the product
Further classification of machine seams refers to the so-called edge. Their main task is to design the free edge of the product, such as the canopy of the skirt, the bottom of the trousers or the neckline. Both the appearance of the product and its durability depend on how carefully and reliably this is done.
There are two main types: hem and edging. No additional pieces of fabric are used for hemming. Work is carried out with a free edge. For edging, it is necessary to have an edging, which is made from the same fabric as the main product, or from other flaps. It depends only on the original idea of the fashion designer.
Leaving the edge of the product without any processing is impractical, since any fabric will crumble and unravel, which is completelynegatively affect the appearance of clothes and underwear.
Main machine edge seams
Hemming a product is a very responsible matter. It is made by bending the fabric to the wrong side. There are several types of hems. If you simply fold the fabric and sew it about 0.5 cm from the bend, you will get a seam with an open edge. It looks good on the hem of a skirt and dress, because it is light and bulky. But it is still better to overlock the free edge in advance to avoid shedding.
The hidden edge is done in the following way. The fabric is tucked inward, by about 0.5 cm, and then again, but already by 1-1.5 cm. The line is made from the wrong side with a seam width of about 1-2 mm. This ensures that the edges are preserved.
And the last way to hem is a double seam. It is performed in the same way as the previous one, but the stitching is done from the side of both bends. The result is a stripe on the edge, limited by two lines. This method is most often used in jeans and rough trousers. They also make a pocket in order to insert an elastic band.
Using edging
Product edging is more of a decorative move than a practical need. The use of hem seams is more justified, but they do not always justify their aesthetic appearance and how the fabric behaves when treated in this way.
Banding is used on knitwear, as well as in light blouses to make them more volatile.
Execution technologymachine seams by the edging method belongs to the category of complex ones. The reason for this is the control of three elements at the same time, which must be perfectly connected to each other. At the same time, the edge itself needs to hide its edges inside the finish.
To make the job easier, first the edges are ironed on the edging flap so that they hold securely from the wrong side. Then it is necessary to sweep away all parts of the product and only after that proceed to the line. The width of the seam when edging is 0.1-0.2 cm, this requires a certain skill from the seamstress.
Decorative stitches
Modern sewing machines can produce not one machine stitch, but several dozen. This means that in those places where the line will be noticeable, it is not necessary to make it a straight line. If appropriate, you can start a zigzag, wave or crescent. This will make the outer side of the clothes more unusual and attractive.
Decorative stitches can also be used as elements of simple embroidery. To do this, you can practice a little to understand exactly how a particular fabric behaves with this type of machine seam. A few minutes of exercises will allow you to get a completely unusual result, because it will already be a kind of author's embroidery technique with an ordinary sewing machine.
Decorative machine stitch
The most important thing to know is that decorative seams are always visible. Therefore, if you do them, then only one hundred percent qualitatively.
You can use them anywhere: make a fakepocket or sew in a zipper that does not open anything, stitch along and across the product, creating the effect of patchwork or quilting.
The main thing is not to be afraid to experiment and roughly imagine what result this or that additional line will give on the finished blouse or trousers.
