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How to Sew a Flat-Felled Seam

August 10, 2015 3 Comments

Learn to sew a flat-felled seam - a strong seam with no raw edge exposed, with a clean and smooth finish on the inside.

Flat felled seam is a strong seam with no raw edge exposed, with a clean and smooth finish on the inside. It’s the seam commonly found on jeans and it is great for reversible garments too.

I used this seam to join the pieces of a shopping bag. I did not want to use lining and I needed a seam with no raw edges exposed.

Flat felled seam tutorial

I used quilt weight fabric for my bag (Heather Bailey). You might think that the bag is not strong since this is a medium weight fabric and the bag doesn’t have lining. Well, I made a few and one of my sisters used them all the time and she likes them a lot.

Let’s see how to sew this flat felled seam.

Here are my two pieces of fabric.

On one of the piece draw a line ¾” away from the edge, as shown. Draw on the right side of the fabric. A permanent marker is fine to use.

How to Sew Flat Felled Seam

With the pieces wrong sides together, sew on the drawn line.

How to Sew Flat Felled Seam

Press the seam open.

How to Sew Flat Felled Seam

Trim off 3/8” from the seam allowance of the piece that has the marking on it. Using a ruler, draw a line 3/8” away from the edge.

Cut on it with scissors, paying attention not to cut anything else.

Press the seam toward the piece with bigger seam allowance.

Fold the bigger seam allowance over the other one, aligning its edge with the drawn line/stitching. Press.

Here is a close up.

Bring the fold toward the other fabric and press then pin as shown.
The smaller seam allowance is completely enclosed now.

How to Sew Flat Felled Seam

Then stitch through all the layers, close to the folded edge.
Here is how the seam looks on the right side of the fabric- the topstitch adds a very nice detail.

How to Sew Flat Felled Seam

And here is the clean look of the seam on the back.

How to Sew Flat Felled Seam
Here is the entire bag with the wrong side up.
The vertical seams are French seams -do you remember how to sew them? Tutorial here.
 How to Sew Flat Felled Seam

Pretty fabrics + quick and easy seams + less than 30 minutes
=
Shopping Bag Addiction!
How to Sew Flat Felled Seam

pattern-available
Happy sewing,

geta

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Filed Under: bag tutorials, handmade bags

Comments

  1. stufenzumgericht says

    August 10, 2015 at 4:45 pm

    Dear Geta,
    you are such a generous person, sharing your wonderful bag pattern with us – thank you so much! I love the pattern, it's quick and easy to sew because of your totally clear and easy to follow instructions!!! Yours, Martina

    Reply
  2. Tanichiwa says

    August 11, 2015 at 9:44 pm

    Thank you very much for sharing this! x

    Reply
  3. Geta Grama says

    February 20, 2016 at 8:44 pm

    test.

    Reply

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