Flat Felled Seam with Trim {Tutorial}

Last night I showed you Kadences Trendsetting Hounds-Tooth Shorts and today I'm going to show you how I made that really cool flat felled seam with a trim insertion.

 

A few things of note:

This is basically a modified Flat Felled seam, and you can use this technique on any relatively straight seam.

You can really apply anything as your trim - fabric, piping, rick rack, ribbon - what ever!

I used 5/8 seam allowance (for kids shorts) you may want to increase your seam allowances.

Flat Felled seams should be pressed towards the back when used in side seams. 

Lets get started!

 Begin by stitching your fabric WRONG sides together.

In the pictures below, the front of my garment is on the right side of the photographs, while the back of the garment is on the left.

Press your seams open.

Working on the seam allowance that is on the front half  (of the garment) press it in half, meeting the raw edge to the stitching.

Working on the opposite seam allowance (the back half  of the garment) trim away about 1/8" away from the stitching line.

You can see here the seam allowance has been cut away.

Press the folded seam allowance over the raw edge and towards the back of the garment.

(if you are not using any trim, skip ahead to the stitching step!)

Insert trim between the garment fabric and the folded and pressed seam allowance, placing raw edge of trim against stitching.

How wide your trim is will affect how much shows when the seam is complete. (Here I used 11/4" wide satin strips folded in half.)

I use my trusty washable glue stick to hold everything in place so my trim doesn't shift when I stitch it all down.

Press your seam allowance back in place towards the back, over your trim. 

You can see your original stitching line on the front-side of the garment

Edge stitch along the folded edge of your seam allowance.

Not only does it look off the rack on the outside, the Flat Felled seam creates a lovely and clean finish to the inside of the garment as well!

There are so many ways you can use this technique - pants, skirts  handbags! And let's not forget the little guys, this is an excellent detail to add to boys clothes to subtly (or not!) embellish with a pop of color or texture.

Tell us! What kind seam finishing techniques do you like to use?