Curved Seam
I always have struggled with these, and as you can see from the puckering, I still need a lot of practice.
Before begining, set your machine to "needle down", if it has this feature. My old machine did not. My new one does. It looks like this
And makes it so every time I stop sewing, the needle automatically goes down into the fabric before stopping.
Place piece with the concave (caves in) curve with right side up
Place convex (no hint on this, just remember its not concave) on the first piece with wrong side up, meeting edges at top. I've conveniently marked the wrong side with a magic marker. Sorry not to have thought of that little trick before. I'm new to this.
Start stitching, as in Plain Seam and continue to sew to where the edges of the fabric begin to diverge. Make sure needle is in fabric, and raise presser foot.
Begin to pivot the top fabric until edges with the bottom fabric again meet. Lower presser foot and start stitching again.
Lather, rinse, repeat until you get all around the curve--edges meet, sew, diverge, needle down, pesser foot up, pivot top fabric, edges meet, sew....
Press entire curvy seam to one side
Bottom side
Puckery top
Hopefully I'll get better at this
The Book says: "A Curves Seam , in most cases, creates the style line of the garment, such as on a princess seam, bodice yokes or shirt yokes."
You Told Me:
1/20/10 Jill writes: "For the curving ... I think you need to stop less. I am no professional but I have done tons of curves (made 100 pirate shirs) and the needle down thing is perfect but I wouldn't bring your pressure foot up so much. Try to keep going and bringing your fabric to the edge as you are going s.l.o.w.l.y."
1/26/10 Katrina writes: "I'm wondering, however, if you were to clip the curved seam edge of the concave piece of fabric after the seam is sewn if that would release some tension and allow your fabric to lay flat without puckers. When you sew curves the fabric has further to stretch, but clipping relieves that, I believe."
1/26/10 Katrina writes: "I'm wondering, however, if you were to clip the curved seam edge of the concave piece of fabric after the seam is sewn if that would release some tension and allow your fabric to lay flat without puckers. When you sew curves the fabric has further to stretch, but clipping relieves that, I believe."
ETA: See completed assignment with Curved Seam HERE:
2 comments:
Sabra -
I'm loving this blog! I'm wondering, however, if you were to clip the curved seam edge of the concave piece of fabric after the seam is sewn if that would release some tension and allow your fabric to lay flat without puckers. When you sew curves the fabric has further to stretch, but clipping relieves that, I believe.
Katrina, I'm so glad! As for clipping, I wondered about that, too, since I thought that's what I had been taught. I'm positive that it's been recommended in patterns that have required a seam in a circle, like sleeves. Maybe I'll have to try a couple more with clipping and see what it does for me? Thanks.
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