Tuesday, September 23, 2014

And Sew A Flat Seam

On Friday I bought some denim fabric to make myself a skirt. I thought I'd do the seams in classic flat seam style. First I had to practise, using scraps left after cutting the skirt out.
Sew the pieces together, wrong sides facing, which feels a little strange.
Trim one seam allowance close to the stitching.
Fold the other seam allowance in half and press it.
Fold again so that it encloses the trimmed allowance and pin.

Sew along th edge of the fold.
The other side looks neat too.
I practised for a bit, then made my skirt. I did try to take a photo of me wearing it, in a mirror, but it just didn't work.
The heading reminds me that while I was teaching tatting in a habedashery shop in Upington, some customers came in and had a look at what we were doing. I heard one lady whisper to her friend, 'It's just for  people who sit around the house all day!'

6 comments:

  1. Did you have to bite your tongue when you heard that? - how funny. Your new skirt looks very professional with the flat seam.

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    1. I pretended I hadn't heard, but did think it was funny.

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  2. I wonder if that exists. Someone who sits at home all day doing nothing? Must be boring!

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  3. Thanks for the sewing tips, I am at some stage (when not sitting around the house all day!) going to make a man's shirt so this seam might come in useful

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  4. Interesting comment by Sally about making a man's shirt, using the 'flat felled' seam, which is what it was called when I was learning to sew back in the '50s. (I still haven't found why it's called that.)

    I'm still amazed that at 16 and 17 years old (in 1960-61), I managed to make three mens' sports shirts (two for my dad and one for my boyfriend (now husband) using that seam! I guess the instructions were in the pattern, and I had observed that manufactured men's sports shirts were always made with this seam, even around the sleeves. I also wanted to impress my future mother-in-law, thinking that when she ironed his shirt she'd notice how well made it was and how 'accomplished' I was! In truth I doubt she noticed at all, and possibly was annoyed that I presumed he was going to marry me (LOL!). After all, he was only 17! (We married when he was 21 and I was almost 20.) Besides, she just had a baby (at age 37) and had other things to dwell on! (That baby is now 53!) So when I see flat-felled seams, I always think of that time, and those shirts , all of which I have stored away as proof of my sewing ability back then! Sadly, I stopped doing any meaningful sewing in the 1970s!

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  5. I'm so impressed that you weren't miffed at that remark. I'm afraid I would have lost my composure. Good on you.

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