Chapter 5 Seams

Shoulder seam

A structural seam that helps define the garment silhouette, shaping the garment to the body.

Staystitching

A single row of stitching applied to one layer of fabric to reinforce and prevent seams from stretching and distorting.

Pinking shears

Shears with triangular shaped edges that produce an edge on the seam allowance to help prevent unraveling.

Safety stitch

A stitch that simultaneously stitches the seam line and finishes the edge.

Piped seam

A seam featuring a bias-cut piece of fabric wrapped around cording, serving as a decorative and structural element.

Eased seam

A seam with slight fullness on one side, often used to create roundness or fullness in specific areas of a garment.

Grading seams

The process of trimming the seam allowance to different levels to eliminate bulk.

Topstitching

Rows of stitches stitched on the surface of the fabric to strengthen seams and highlight design lines.

Hong Kong finish

A technique to encase raw edges with bias binding, often used in high-end garments.

French seam

A narrow enclosed seam ideal for sheer fabrics that looks neat from the wrong side.

Godets

V-shaped or triangular pieces of fabric inset into a seam to add flare and fullness.

Slipstitch

A hand sewing technique used to stitch hems or mend broken seams.

Closed serged seam

A seam where both cut edges are serged together and pressed to one side.

Twin needle topstitching

A technique that produces two parallel rows of topstitching on the correct side of the fabric.

Running stitch

A stitch that does not hold seams together but can be used for gathering and easing by hand.

Hairline seam

A narrow, 1/4 inch closed seam finish ideal for sheer fabrics.

Plastic boning in casing

Boning that is inserted into cotton or polyester casing after the casing has been stitched to the seams.