450 Part 5 Sewing Techniques 4. Press the seam fl at. 5. Fold the right sides together and stitch ¼ inch from edge. This will enclose the fi rst seam in the second seam. 6. Press the seam to one side, working from the inside (wrong side) of the garment. Seam Finishes A seam fi nish is a way of treating a seam edge to pre- vent raveling and to make the seam stronger and longer wearing. Many fi rmly woven fabrics do not need seam fi nishes. The yarns are locked together and do not ravel. Most knits and nonwoven fabrics do not need seam fi n- ishes. Loosely-woven and sheer fabrics do require seam fi nishes. There are several ways to fi nish seams, 26-13. Pinked Finish Pinked seam fi nishes look nice, but they do not prevent raveling. Use them only on fabrics that do not ravel. To improve the durability of this seam fi nish, machine stitch ¼ inch from the edge of the seam allowance before pink- ing the edges. After sewing the seam, press it fl at. Pink the edges. Then place the seam on a seam roll and press it open. Machine Zigzag Finish Your machine likely has a zigzag setting. A machine zigzag fi nish is quick and easy, and it prevents raveling. It puckers less than a line of straight stitches because it has more give. This fi nish works best on medium and heavy- weight fabrics. Press the seam open. Adjust the stitch width, using a narrower stitch width for lightweight fabrics and a wider one for heavyweight fabrics. Stitch close to the edge of the seam allowance through a single layer of fabric. Turned and Stitched Finish A turned and stitched seam fi nish looks neat and pre- vents raveling. Consider using this fi nish for unlined jackets of lightweight fabrics, or edges of facings for sheer and lightweight fabrics. It is too bulky for medium and heavyweight fabrics. After stitching the seam, press it open. Turn the edges under ¼ inch. Stitch close to the fold. Hand Overcast Fabrics that are bulky or that ravel easily may require a hand-overcast fi nish. It prevents raveling, and it leaves a fl at seam. The disadvantage is that it takes a lot of time. Pinked seams finishes should be used only on fabrics that do not ravel. A turned and stitched finish is a good choice for lightweight fabrics.. A zigzag finish is easy to do with a zigzag setting on the sewing machine. A hand overcast finish prevents raveling on bulky fabrics. A serger can be used to make a machine overcast finish. Pinked seams finishes should b e used only on fabrics that do not ravel. A turned and stitched finish is a good choice for lightweight fabrics A zigzag finish is eas y to do with a zigzag setting on the sewing machine . A hand overcast f inish prevents raveling on bulk y fabric s. A serger can be used to make a machine overcast finish. 26-13 Choose one of these seam fi nishes based on the weight of the fabric and if it ravels easily. Goodheart-Willcox Publisher