Hello sewers! Today I am back with another sewing tutorial for all of you who are passionate about sewing and keen to learn to sew the proper way! Sewing the perfect seam can be a scary and daunting task at first ,especially when you’re attempting to sew lightweight and finer fabrics such as silks, organzas and most sheer fabrics. French Seams are the ideal way to sew these types of fabrics. The perfect answer if you want to give your sewing projects a neat and fancy finish and learn to sew like a pro! So what’s so special about them? Well..for a start they are a rather clever sewing technique which hides all raw edges inside a neatly finished seam and gives seams on very lightweight and sheer fabrics extra strength and durability as well as a better appearance than overlocked ones. Although they work especially well with finer fabrics and not so great when sewing with thicker ones (the reason being they create seams that are often too bulky) there are some exceptions to the rule! This clever sewing technique, in fact, can be used when working with thicker fabrics when we want to create very strong and durable seams such as the example I used for this tutorial when sewing this adorable tote bag made out of this gorgeous Paris themed printed cotton canvas I especially chose for my boyfriend who recently completed the Paris marathon! So if you think you’ve heard enough to make you want to give this fabulous sewing technique a try, here we go!

Step 1 Learn to sew french seamsPlace your fabric pieces with WRONG sides together and pin the sides to be sewn. Yes, you heard right! Wrong sides together. French seams are an exception to the rule. I told you so! 🙂

Step 2 Learn to sew French seams

Using a straight stitch, sew in about 6mm from the fabric edge. You can place the edge of your fabric in line with the edge of your presser foot as a guide to sew the correct seam allowance.

Step 3

Learn to sew french seamsPress your stitching lines.

Step 4

Learn to sew French seams

Turn your seam to the wrong side (right side of your fabric in this case!) and press it open.

Step 5Learn to sew French seamsTurn your fabric pieces onto the wrong side with right sides facing, press along the folded seam line and insert pins along its length.Take your project to the sewing machine and sew a seam using a 1cm seam allowance (or as much as your project requires). Don’t forget to backstitch both ends of your seam!

Step 6

Learn to sew French seams

Sewing classes in London

There you have it! Your French seam is now finished and all the raw edges are hidden away. All you have to do now is press the finished seam to one side and congratulate yourself for creating such a neat piece of sewing! Well done! 🙂