9 Ways to Finish Seams Without a Serger
Knowing how to finish seams on a garment is a significant step in the sewing process. The seam finishes make the inside of the item look professional and neat, matching the outside of the project. Taking the time to finish the raw edges of the seams also prevents the fabric from fraying and the stitching from pulling apart.
If you have a serger, you can use it to quickly, neatly finish seams. Without a doubt, it is the easiest way to complete the project, but there are other ways to finish seams if you don’t have a serger.
The methods vary in the time it takes to complete them and the finished look they create.
Straight Stitch
The simplest way to finish seams without using a serger is to create a double straight stitch seam. All you are doing, in this case, is sewing two straight stitches to prevent the fabric from unraveling all the way to the structural seam. It isn’t the best method but works in a pinch.
Start by sewing your typical seam at the desired seam allowance. Once the initial seam is sewn, go back and sew a second straight stitch between the first and the raw edge, keeping the stitches as short as possible to minimize fraying.
Pinked Seams
If you own a pair of pinking shears in your sewing kit — and your kids haven’t dulled them using them for craft projects — this method is quick and easy to do. Creating a pinked seam works really well on woven cotton fabrics that aren’t laundered frequently or on items that aren’t worn often. It is the most effective on materials that are tightly woven. Avoid this technique on loosely woven fabrics like linen or gauze.
There are two different ways to create a pinked seam finish.
- Before sewing a seam, use your pinking shears to clip the raw edges of the fabrics. Then seam the fabrics together, ensuring your seam allowance is wide enough to compensate for the edge you clipped.
- After sewing a seam, clip along the raw edges of the fabrics, being careful to avoid snipping the seam itself. Once clipped, press the seam open or to one side, depending upon the project.
Zig-Zag Seams
Adding a zig-zag stitch is one of the most common methods of finishing inside seams when sewing a garment. Almost all sewing machines have a built-in zig-zag stitch and allow the sewist to adjust the length and width to customize the stitch size. A shorter stitch will minimize fraying the most.
You can create a zig-zag finished seam in two different ways.
- Before sewing the seam, sew a small zig-zag stitch as close to the raw edges of your fabrics as possible. Then place the fabrics together, and sew your seam. Make sure the seam allowance compensates to keep the zig-zag stitch between the stitching and the fabric edge. Zig-zag seam finishes work best for straight seams.
- After seaming the fabrics together, sew a zig-zag stitch within the seam allowance as close to the seam as possible. Then trim away any excess fabric. This technique works better for curved seams like armholes.
Turn and Stitch
If you own a sewing machine that won’t sew a zig-zag stitch — this is directed at all the Singer Featherweight owners out there — the turn and stitch method is an excellent way for neatly finishing seams without a serger. Sometimes called a clean finish seam, this technique doesn’t take as much thread either, so it’s an economical way of finishing edges.
Sew a regular straight seam with your fabrics right sides together, using the desired seam allowance. Open the seam up, pressing it quickly using your finger. Then fold each raw edge under, tucking it back towards the seam. Press the folded edge and sew as closely as possible to the fold, stitching it down.
French Seams
French seams are one of the finest ways to finish a raw edge on a garment. A french seam completely encases the raw edge, so you don’t see it at all. You often find them on sheer fabrics that are too delicate for a zig-zag stitch or lightweight children’s garments. The technique has you sew two seams, making the finished seam incredibly sturdy — which is extremely useful on well-worn kids’ clothing.
The drawback is they require a larger seam allowance, and they work best on straight seams. To create a french seam, start by putting the wrong sides of the fabric together (opposite of what you usually do to make a seam) and seam them together using a straight stitch and ¼” seam allowance. Trim the excess fabric to about ⅛” and press the seam open. Next, turn the materials so they are right sides together, press, and stitch at ¼” again, fully enclosing the first seam and raw edges.
Hong Kong Seams
Also known as a bound seam, Hong Kong seam finishes use bias tape to finish the raw edges and are often used on heavier materials. Hong Kong Seams are a great way to finish the seams on an unlined jacket and let you give the garment a bit of personality that only the wearer sees. The extra weight of the bias tape may affect the drape of lightweight materials, but it doesn’t change things when working with tweed, denim, suiting material, etc.
With right sides facing together, sew the fabrics using the designated seam allowance. Press the seam open, and then encase each raw edge in its own thin bias tape. This is where the flair comes in, as you can choose to add a bold accent to the inside of an unassuming garment.
Bias Bound Seams
Similar to Hong Kong seams, bound seams encase the raw fabric edges with bias tape as well. But instead of pressing the seam open and covering each edge with its own tape, you leave the seam closed and encase the two edges within one piece of bias tape.
This technique is more time-consuming than some other methods but takes less time and materials than the Hong Kong seam finish.
Overcast Stitch
Many sewing machines, regardless of their cost, come equipped with a built-in overcast stitch and a corresponding overcast attachment foot. The overcast stitch tries to mimic an overlock stitch on a serger. As a result, sewing an overcast stitch results in an extremely clean, sturdy finished seam.
When finishing seams using an overcast stitch, you can do it a couple of different ways.
- The stitch is designed to be sewn right along the raw edge to encase it. Many people sew a straight seam first and then go back and sew an overcast stitch at the edge.
- You can save a step and use your standard sewing foot to sew the overcast stitch using the correct seam allowance and then trim the excess fabric.
Flat Felled Seams
Flat-felled seams are commonly sewn on jeans and men’s tailored shirts as they result in an incredibly sturdy, clean seam that lays perfectly flat. This type of seam also works very well when sewing garments for people with sensory issues or children that are very hard on their clothing. However, sewing a flat felled seam does require a wider seam allowance than some of the other types.
With the wrong sides of the fabric together, sew your first seam using the entire seam allowance. Press the seam open and trim one raw edge to ⅛” from the original stitching, leaving the other raw edge alone. Next, take the wider, untrimmed raw edge, fold it to the center, lining the edge up with the original sewing line/seam, and press along the fold.
Once pressed, fold it toward the other side of the stitching line and press again. This fold should now be covering the trimmed fabric edge, and neither raw edge is visible. Tuck the narrow edge inside the fold you created with the wider piece and edge stitch as close to the fold as possible.
About Amanda S.: Growing up, I was fascinated by watching my mom and grandma turn fabric into beautiful handcrafted items. In my early 20’s, I finally got brave, buying a sewing machine and teaching myself to sew. As I fell in love with sewing, my machine collection expanded, and I ran an Etsy shop sewing children’s clothing for a few years. As a single mom of 3 great kids, my sewing time has lessened, but I still try to find time to work on quilts, bags, and projects with my kids, teaching them what I love.