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Mrs Bowden’s top tip – seam accuracy

Mrs Bowden’s top tip – seam accuracy

   Blog    April 5, 2018  |  0
Mrs Bowden’s top tip – seam allowance accuracy
As you may have gathered, when using a commercial dressmaking pattern or instructions for making a sewn product, seam allowances are important.

The seam allowance is the difference between the edge of the fabric and the stitching line.

The pattern cutter will use different seam allowances to either reduce bulk, encourage smooth lines and silhouettes or to make sure there is enough seam allowance to attach something to it – e.g.,a zip.

Being able to sew accurate, parallel seam allowances is an important skill to develop and your sewing machine should have a few little tricks to help you with that.
The sewing machine has a cover called a throat plate which separates the bobbin from the top thread.  If you take a look you will often see a series of lines on the throat plate.  

On this sewing machine you can see there are a number of fractions at the back of the throat plate and towards the front are whole numbers.

The fractions represent the distance from the needle to the line.  So the first fraction 3/8 means the needle is 3/8’s of an inch from the needle.  The next line represents 1/2″ from the needle and so on.

The whole numbers are metric and indicate the number of millimeteres from the needle.  The first line ’10’ represents 10 mm or 1 cm from the needle.

Your machine may have a function that allows you to change the needle position.  On this machine there are two options; central or swung to the left (useful for topstitching).  

All the measurements on the throat plate relate to the needle when it is in the central position.  

If your sewing machine does not have these useful lines on the throat plate you can create them with the use of a ruler or tape measure and a pencil or permenant marker.  Place a tape measure or ruler inbetween the throat plate and presser foot and mark useful distances such as 1 cm and 1.5 cms.
When you come to start sewing, align the edge of the fabric with the seam allowance line you wish to sew.  In this picture a 10 mm or 1 cm seam allowance is being created.

Keep your eyes focused on feeding the fabric next to the seam allowance line – as opposed to watching the needle going up and down.  You should find this will improve you accuracy significantly!

Hope you have found these little tips helpful.  Until next time!

Until then,

in stitches,

Mrs Bowden

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