Today’s technique is a cool little trick to add a nice clean finish to those facings.
I saw this technique on the Threads website originally and thought I’d give it a go because I reckon it looks much cleaner and more professional looking than zig zagging the raw edges of the facing/interfacing. Here’s how it goes.
Sew the front facing and back facing (fashion fabric) right sides together, as you usually would. Do the same for the interfacing pieces.
Pin the interfacing unit to the fashion fabric facing unit around the outside edges, making sure that the glue side of the interfacing is facing towards you.
Sew 1/4 inch or 0.6cm from raw edge all the way around the outside of the facing. Grade the interfacing seam allowance slightly longer than the fashion fabric seam allowance – this helps you to roll the fabric (you’ll do this in a moment).
Now comes the tricky part. Press the seam open using ONLY the tip of the iron and being careful not to press the glue side of the interfacing (this is obviously not a problem if you’re using a non-fusible interfacing)
If you’re the observant type, you’ll see that I forgot to grade the interfacing longer than the fashion fabric…oopsa.
The curves in the back facing can be annoying at best, and a professional tailor’s point presser would be fab here, but I don’t have one. I use a wooden spoon instead! I just insert the spoon end into the curve and press the seam flat that way – free and functional – like!
After you’re finished with your pressing ordeal, turn the thing right side out and roll the fashion fabric slightly towards the interfacing – this will create a nice clean finish on the outside of the facing. Now, press the interfacing to the fashion fabric using the whole iron.
And the outside!
A bit of fussing, but I think it’s worth it for the finish you get! Another important thing to remember is to always use high quality interfacing – life’s too short for Vilene. Besides, it wears out in the wash. I used a high quality woven interfacing called Whisper Weft that fuses at the touch of an iron and never wrinkles/bubbles. It’s not the cheapest, but it works well and washes great. That’s enough for me. This also works even more beautifully with silk organza and you don’t get the fuss of pressing the seam open with a fusible on one side!
Relax and Enjoy,
Kat
Yep …that’s the way I do facings…very neat. Great explanation!!
Thanks!
That’s true … it looks really professional.
Yup, much nicer than a zig zag…but a bit more fiddly.
hmmm, brilliant! Thanks for sharing, never heard of this method before.
YAY! Thanks for your comment and hope you get to use this technique in one of your projects!
I love doing this. I did it with my Alma. Makes a big difference to the finish and looks soooo much better.
I agree…it’s one of those techniques that is well worth the effort – the edge is softer against the skin as well, which is also nice
Ooh, not seen this before – what a great finish! It beats the serger, hands down!
Hi twotoast and thanks for your comment! It is a great finish – well worth the bit of extra effort and feel much nicer next to the skin. Hope you get to try it out sometime
Thank you for sharing this! I remember reading about this technique months ago and just completely forgot about it. So grateful for the reminder
You’re very welcome, Jenny, and thanks for the comment! It makes me feel really happy when I can help someone else out. Enjoy!!!