The beauty in a clean French seam is undeniable, but it’s also so very handy when dealing with fabrics that really like to fray but you don’t want to bother with the serger right that moment.
As usual I was in Joann’s and found a fine wale corduroy in a bright turquoise print that I just had to have 5 yards of…figuring I’d do something with it. It never fails when I do that, the nice lady at the counter asks what I’m going to do with it because who would buy that much fabric without a plan?!?! HAHAHA…me. Always…me. It does fray like crazy though, and while it has been turned into bibs and blankets where the seams are enclosed, I wanted to make Zoe a pair of pants in the fabric.
I’ve made these pants so often, I can just about do it with my eyes closed. It’s the same New Look 6793 pattern I’ve been using for her…just slowly unfolding the hem line down as she gets bigger! I haven’t bothered with the flouncy edge in the pattern or even gotten to the dresses! They’re good, roomy pants though for active babies.
Sewing a French seam is sort of weird at first because you have to sew it together right-side-out so that it will look ‘right’ inside out. You still end up using 5/8″ seam allowance – and much more efficiently in my opinion.
I sew a 1/4 inch seam and then trim it down to about 1/8 inch.
Then, when the pants are inside out, you’re ready to go over your seams and enclose them with another 1/4″ and with the fold, will use the majority of the 5/8″ seam allowance:
I think here with my hand and small scissors you can get an idea of scale and how neat and finished the inside seams are:
Turned right side out and the finished seam is squared and tight.
Then, if you’re like me, you tinker with whatever you have on hand to make something to go with it….like the pile of onesies!
Snip out a tree…ironed to a light weight stabilizer of course…
Stitch to onesie:
And admire the cute.