1. As part of the Spring Basics Palette, Vogue 8413 is the pattern I'm constructing for a second time. I decided that "pretty" is the order of the day. As such, I opted to seam bind all raw edges, rather than to serge (clean but not elegant).
To complicate matters, I'm using orange double knit (a fabric with stretch) as my fashion fabric. Seam binding is not a stretch fabric. I suspect this is the basis of my hideous challenges (see below)
2. This is seam binding:
When you fold this over the raw edge and sew, it produces a 3-layered result.3. Not to be confused with bias tape (though, effectively, they do the same thing):
Imagine folding this over a layer of fabric, at the raw edge. It would produce a finished edge having 5 layers?!4. This is a seam binder foot:
Somehow I bought one of these - for 30 bucks! - when first I started sewing, even though I had no idea of what to do with it.One uses this foot to wrap and sew bias tape or seam binding over the raw fabric edge. The process is deceptively challenging.
4. Bias tape is folded over at the edges to produce a crisp edge finish. However, the net result is that it adds 4 layers of bulk to finish the seam when you sew it on. That's a total of 5 layers?!
5. Seam binding is like bias cut ribbon. It only adds 2 layers of bulk over raw edges. It's the winner when it comes to keeping the garment as sleek as possible on the wrong side.
6. That's why I decided to use seam binding on every visible raw edge of this dress. There are approximately 8000 of said seams. That means I need about 4 zillion yards of tape. I have about three.
7. Seam binding has been wretched, in my limited experience, to apply to the seams. It shifts, it puckers, it avoids stitching down where it puckers. My workmanship, even after going over it many times and steaming the crap out of things, is hideous. I've spent hours accomplishing very little I care to show you.
Now, I don't know whether it's easier to use the binder foot to apply bias tape (the more structured, folded-over option) but I may have to find out as I'm almost out of the seam binding.
Can't say how much I hate having undertaken a project all about making seams pretty (although that's failed) and now I'm about to run out of my finishing product. It's not so pretty when you switch up seam tape for bias tape half way through. For one thig, bias tape adds bulk, and even though both types of tape are navy, they have different textures and tones.
So peeps who know something about this, please enlighten us:
- I'm using "no name" seam binding. Is Snug Hug a better brand? Or does it all pucker when you use that stupid binder foot??
- Is it the use of woven tape over stretch fabric that's making my experience so horrible? (Note that I'm not stretching the fabric as I sew. I have to hold the fashion fabric with my left hand as I ensure that the seam binding isn't screwing up with my right hand. That means I have nothing to do with the fabric as it meets the needle and comes out behind it. I usually hold the back of the fabric, the sewn part, with my left hand.)
- Does one improve at this over time?
- Is it just a stupid, time-consuming method?
- Should one simply use bias tape - not the less-layered seam binding, to undertake the finishing of individual seams?
- I need to find a way to avoid making this any uglier than it already is. I'm thinking of turning the centre back seam (I'm omitting the zipper - I don't believe it will be necessary given the stretch in the fabric) a faux or regular french seam to avoid the need to apply any kind of binding tape of any sort. But I wonder if it will add more bulk? (I'm committed to using the rest of my seam binding on the side seams because I've finished the bodice that way and I want to be as consistent as possible.)
Let me wrap this up by advising that, from a distance, the navy seam binding over the orange double knit is very elegant. I can get with sucking at this technique, on this garment, if there's some hope of improving. Of course, spending 12 times as long on a dress than I would otherwise have done, just to make crappily finished seams is somewhat demoralizing. But I don't want to be so dependent on my serger that I can't use other methods.
And, seriously, that I can attempt this with even a small amount of confidence is a sign that my sewing skills are vastly stronger than they were 2.25 years ago, when first I started sewing
Please give me your expert feedback. oxoxo
Posts
I bought a bunch of seam binding myself, for the same reason as you really, I wanted pretty, non bulky seams. It was hell to stitch on. I was using a woven fabric, but no special foot. It's too narrow, so really hard to pin. Just when I thought I'd finished I found a bit that hadn't caught the fabric edge, so I'd have to unpick and redo. Oh I hate the stuff now!
ReplyDeleteUgh! I wish you were writing to tell me there's a special trick :-)
DeleteI keep reading that you don't need to bind knit fabrics because they don't fray...? Would a simple zig zag stitch not do the job?
ReplyDeleteI know the fabric doesn't fray, but my goal is to make the inside super pretty - not just the cut edges to look at. A zig zag would work - as would doing nothing, but I want to branch out.
DeleteI wish I had some expert tips for you, but the only thing I suggest is some wonder tape or a glue stick to glue it down and then stitch it. Not the most perfect way, but it worked on my charmeuse bias tape that I attached to my charmeuse nightgown.
ReplyDeleteThank you! But I'm scared of adding anything else to this equation :-)
DeleteYou are having problems because the product you are using is not made to bind seams. The proper name for the product you are using is hem tape and that is what it should be used for - to finish the raw edge of your hem. Because or hem tape is cut on the straight of grain, it won't curve and move with your seams, which may be why you're having such a tough time with it. It is also too bulky for the job and is likely to show through to the front when you wear your top.
ReplyDeleteBy the same token, traditional bias binding made from cotton is also too thick for binding the edges of seams in clothing.
The proper method to use is to make your own seam binding from a lightweight, plain weave fabric like silk, organza or chiffon. The binding MUST be cut on the bias. When applied correctly, you end up with only 4 layers of fabric, 1 being the seam allowance of the fashion fabric and 3 of the lightweight bias tape. Claire Shaeffer's book "Couture Sewing Techniques" shows how to do this.
There is also a product available called Seams Great which is bias nylon tricot tape made for binding seams. It only comes in white and black, so if you want navy seam binding, you'll need to make your own.
Hope that helps!
I thought that seam binding was bias cut - goes to show how whack I am. As I was looking at it, it didn't seem to be on the bias, but in my mind it was bias cut (cuz you use it to hem skirts - and I assumed it would need to be bias cut for that reason). This sheds a lot of light on the situation, though I have seen some people use seam binding in this way to better effect than I have.
DeleteI really appreciate your feedback!
I'm with Couture allure, I have never used "seam binding" to do seams only as hem tape. I have used Seams Great and while it works it is definitely a man-made product and seams can get melted by an iron. It's not necessarily pretty either.
ReplyDeleteThat Seams Great doesn't seem (ha) like it will do the trick for me, since pretty's what I'm going for...
DeleteDo you ever read the blog Lilacs & Lace? I know Laura over there has posted about being obsessed with using Hug Snug as seam binding, and posted photos to boot. She might be able to offer some insight, if you contacted her directly?
ReplyDeletehttp://lilacsandlace.blogspot.com/2011/12/how-to-apply-seam-binding-tutorial.html
@CoutureAllure - I'm just confused about one thing. Are you saying that the product isn't actually seam binding? Or, are you saying that products labeled "seam binding" shouldn't be used on seams because they're not bias, as a rule? (I ask because I notice that the Hug Snug packaging has "seam binding" written on the front. Very confusing!)
I have seen her tutorial, but it didn't refer to the bias foot, and of course I'm trying to do this in fewer steps - given that there appear to be an endless number of seams :-)
DeleteI think that Couture Allure is saying that seam binding shouldn't be used on seams the way I'm using it (like bias tape).
This is the kind of thing that makes me crazy. Why would it be called "seam binding" if it can't be used to bind seams? LOL
DeleteDitch the binding attachment. Stitch your seam binding on in two runs with a regular foot, one open and flat, binding sticking out over the edge of your seam, then folded over for the second one. I don't guarantee that it'll stop the puckers etc., but at least it'll remove the binder-foot variable from the equation. I have a similar foot for one of my vintage machines, and while the theory is sound, the actual practice has a BIG learning curve---a garment you want to actually look pretty on the inside is not where you want that learning curve. Try pot-holders. Or baby-bibs. Or something :). (I never made it farther than a wide assortment of scraps, but that's just me... Which is too bad because the manual has a tutorial for a REALLY NEAT bound-buttonhole technique using the seam binder...)
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
OK, this is something I'm just about ready to do. I think that 2 seams, while more time consuming, may get me through the end of this project, at which point I'm going to explore bias tape with 3 layers (not 4), and probably stuff I make myself. (Yeah, right.)
DeleteAgree with what everyone else said here; the stuff you're using is hem tape and doesn't curve on the bias -- therefore doesn't work as seam binding. If you get one of the special presser tools (I buy them in the quilting section of the fabric store) that folds the bias tape, then you can make your own bias tape with your choice of fabric and an iron. I've only ever used it with cotton fabric but even then, the results were SO much better than with prepackaged bias tape. I'm not even sure what that stuff should be used for, other than garbage.
ReplyDeleteA friend lent me a couple of bias tape makers which I should def practice using. But honestly, that seems like such a huge waste of time and fabric - and so finicky. (Unlike the project in which I currently find myself engaged :-))
DeleteThe technique you are attempting is called a Hong Kong finish. If you google the term, you'll come up with lots of information. Here's a good one:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sewing.org/files/guidelines/11_340_bound_hong_kong_seam_finishes.pdf
Hem tape is cut on the straight of grain. Since most hems have only a slight curve, it usually works fine. If you have a circular hem, though, you'll find that you have to take tucks in the hem tape or you can ease it with some basting stitches.
I really think you'll be happiest making your own bias tape with a thin fabric. It's a lot of work, but it will give you the pretty finished seam you're looking for. Good luck!
Oh, that's a Hong Kong finish! I blank out when looking at methods of finishing seams. They all seem so challenging. I'm totally going to look up more. And I will def do the bias tape next time, even though it worries me :-)
DeleteWhen I was in school for Fashion Design (many moons ago when you had to know how to sew), my instructor taught us all kinds of seam and hem finishes by having us do samples of each one and mounting them in a notebook for future reference. I still have mine. You might want to try doing something like that someday. Shaeffer's books are a perfect tool for learning those cool techniques.
DeleteI should totally do this. But I find that I'm more of an immersive learner. It has to come from the project. "Practicing" isn't as appealing as "sink or swim" for some reason. A stupid reason, no doubt. Have you spoken about your time at Fashion school? That would be fascinating to hear more about. How I wish I'd gone to fashion school - not that I was ready for it when I was at that age and stage.
DeleteI hope you can get this particular chore sorted out soon. It's awful to struggle with an inside detail when you're as particular as you are, because even if no one knows how the garment looks on the inside but you, it still matters to you how it looks. Doesn't it? ;)
ReplyDeleteI know. It's kind of a torture. But you can't start off great, right? Or what would be the fun.
DeleteI have also tried to use this stuff to finish seams, and I have to agree with Couture Allure - too bulky when it's done. In my experience, nice seam finishes require biting the bullet and spending time on it. I usually do bias tape from silk or poly lining. Yes it's a pain. But not so much if you plan ahead. I've tried to use the bias binding tool that is a 3-D metal pyramid-ish thing, with one open end and one flat where the folded bias binding comes out, but I found it really hard to use with silk. The fabric just moved around too much. Maybe with cotton it's easier.
ReplyDeleteLast thought - often when I'm struggling with a finish, basting first (which I usually do by hand) doesn't take any more time than the ongoing struggle! and is pleasant to do with some friendly show on. And then the final sewing step is 1. more fun and 2. has a nicer finish.
good luck!
Erika
You are so right. The idea of making it from silk lining is horrifying, to be honest - oh the slipping :-) I should get with the hand basting more. I mean, I'm going to be all over it when I start tailoring that jacket.
Delete