Seams
Image: sewguide.com
Based in Boca Raton, Florida, Eva Lea Klein has an extensive retail background and most recently held responsibilities as a tailor with Banana Republic. In this rolle, Eva Lea Klein was tasked with reinforcing, sewing, and joining cloth when creating new garments and performing alterations.
Beyond the plain seam, there are numerous sewing techniques that offer durability, strength, and flexibility when joining two pieces of cloth together. Among these are welt seams, which are often employed for thicker fabrics such as denim.
A welt seam requires sewing a stitching line 5/8″ from the edge and cutting off half of the seam allowance on one side of the seam. The uncut edge is stitched in a zigzag or overlocking pattern and, with the seam pushed away, positioned so as to cover the cut edge. Another stitch is then added a quarter inch from the seam stitching, which ensures that the seam holds fast.
Another method that results in an even stronger binding is the flat-felled seam, which hides the raw edges completely and thus will not fray. The flat-felled seam is one of the strongest of seams and is often used on the heaviest fabrics.
Eva Lea Klein 