Difference between Flat Felled Seam and French Seamįlat felled seam is a very common seaming technique most often seen on jeans.

Materials Necessary for Flat Felled Seam.

You can use either a regular, straight stitch, quilting or topstitching foot for your sewing machine.

Topstitch the folded edge 1-2 mm / 1/16 in away from the edge with a regular or top stitching thread. You can make it wider or thinner depending on your preference. Your flat felled seam finished width from the previous stitching to the folded edge should be around 7 mm / 1/4 in. Press the top seam allowance under at 4-5 mm / 3/16 in. Trim the seam allowance that is on the bottom to 7 mm / 1/4 in. Press the seam closed towards the side you want your lap to be Step 3

But there’s no a definite rule about that – you can choose any way you want. As a general rule your side seams should lap towards the back. Decide on which side you want your seam to lap. To the left, to the right, from the wrong side of fabric. If you are using heavy weight fabric you might need to increase the seam allowance to 20 mm / 3/4 in (denim, wool) for better results. I recommend to use quilting or straight stitch foot for straight stitches. With the WRONG sides together match your pattern parts and stitch at 15 mm / 5/8 in using a medium length straight stitch (2-2.5 mm length stitch). – a small piece of fabric to practice Step 1 – regular thread or (optional) topstitching thread – universal needle for your sewing machine – your sewing machine with a simple straight stitch You do not need any additional equipment for your sewing machine to create quick flat felled seams.

There are several ways to create flat felled seams: using a specialized industrial machines that stitch it with a double needle or using a quick and easy method with a domestic sewing machine. Flat felled seams are a great way to finish seams on tailored and unlined garments and also on clothing that requires durability on the seams like jeans, pants, shorts, dungarees etc.

How to use a flat felled seam foot