Perfect French Seams

Hello fabric followers!

As I mentioned in our rolled hem tutorial, the same principle can be applied to a French seam. This gives a perfect fine french seam. I find this type of seam works best on fine fabrics like organza and chiffon, and from my misfortunate experience it doesn't work well on bias seams. The rolling tends to stretch the seam; thus, making it wavy and almost rope looking.

Lets get started.

Start with RIGHT sides together (not wrong sides as you would in a conventional french seam) and stitch your seam as you normally would using the seam allowance you have allowed, whether it be 1 or 1.5 cm.

Then stitch another row of stitching 5mm from the first row in the seam allowance.

Trim the seam to about 2.5mm from the second row of stitching.

This is where we pick up the rolled hem principle, using the second row of stitching as a guide press the trimmed edge in towards the first row of stitching. The second row of stitching gives a perfect edge when pressed.

Now change to your rolled hem foot. Fold your two rows of stitching together and pin, this makes it easier to start  your seam.

 Roll the seam as you would a rolled hem making sure the two rows of stitching are on top of each other.

And voila ! Here is the  finished result! This is the top side...

and this is the opposite side...

As you can see, the stitching is pretty much on top of one another. Give the seam a press, you will find it will want to naturally press one way, so it is good to make sure you have rolled the seam the correct way for it to be pressed.The seam will always fall to the right of the top or rolled side. I used black thread on the pale pink for the tutorial, to help you see the stitching more clearly. I have also included a picture of what it should look like with the correct colour thread. 

This method undoubtedly will assist you in creating the finest of french seams. However, as I mentioned in the beginning of this post it won't work for all fabrics. This method is ideal when sewing with fabrics where the seam will be visible i.e sheer fabrics. 

We hope this assists you in perfecting your next french seam. Happy sewing!

Until next time,

Sff. x

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How to Add Some Christmas Bling

Hello our fabulous fabric followers!

I've noticed a lot of blogs use the word 'refashion',  where you take a garment whether it be one of your own or from a vintage shop and alter it to bring it back to life. This got us thinking here at SFF, what better way to 'refashion' a garment than by using one of our gorgeous trims to add some bling to a Christmas party outfit.

There are so many different ways to use our trims. They could be used as a belt for around your waist or just under your bust, or even as straps. You can cover existing ones or add them to a strapless dress for a completely different look. I have even used a small amount of trim and twisted it around to make an abstract flower to wear almost like a broach. The only thing limiting you is your imagination.

Comment below to let us know your thoughts! How have you changed the look of an old garment?

  

P.s don't forget to like us on Facebook as we will be posting photos of our new collection within days!

Until next time,

Sff. x

Welcome!

Welcome to our blog!

We are so excited to start our own blog after much persuasion from our clients.

This blog is for those who indulge in luxurious fabrics and have always had questions about techniques in sewing the finest of fabrics.

Selective Fine Fabrics is a specialised fabric retailer based in Brisbane importing some of the worlds' finest fabrics in bridal and evening. We travel the world to source exclusive fabrics from New York, Paris and Milan twice a year to create collections that are always up to date with international design houses.

Over the years, we have met so many mothers that would have loved to have sewn their daughters' special gowns but were hesitant to do so as a long period of time had elapsed since they had dusted off their sewing machines. This blog will not only showcase our extensive fabric collection but will also provide an insight into the tips and techniques used by our in-house designers. These techniques will range from assisting you to achieve the finest of french seams to constructing a perfectly fitting strapless bodice.

So come and join us in this exciting new journey and be inspired by our exclusive bridal and evening fabrics. Our insightful techniques will help you achieve the perfect outfit for that special occassion. So dust your machines off, replace your needles and get ready to be inspired!

In the meantime don't forget to like us on Facebook!

Until next time,

Sff.x