Seam Allowance and Finishing

Seam allowance is included on every pattern piece, and the amount is printed on the piece itself. Most garment patterns here use 1 cm throughout. The bags use a mix of 1 cm and 2 cm depending on the seam, and the beanie uses 2 cm. Read the piece before you sew, not after.

Why 1 cm

One centimetre is what production uses on knitwear. It feeds cleanly through an overlocker without trimming, and it keeps the seam flat under a cuff or a waistband where a wider allowance would bulk up. If you are used to 5/8 inch from commercial patterns, 1 cm is slightly narrower, so line the fabric edge up with the correct guide on your machine plate rather than sewing by eye.

Sewing knit seams

An overlocker is faster but it is not required. On a normal machine, use a narrow zigzag or a stretch stitch, a ballpoint or jersey needle, and a slightly reduced presser foot pressure if your machine allows it. A straight stitch on a knit seam will pop the first time the garment is pulled over a head.

Sew the shoulder seams with a strip of clear elastic or twill tape caught in the seam. Shoulders carry the weight of the whole garment and they stretch out without it.

Ribbing

Rib is always cut shorter than the opening it goes into. Quarter both the rib and the opening with pins, match the quarters, then stretch the rib to fit as you sew. Do not stretch the garment. If the waistband ripples when you are done, the rib was cut too long.

Topstitching

A twin needle gives the two parallel rows you see on ready to wear hems and it keeps enough stretch for a cuff. Use a stretch twin needle, loosen the top tension slightly, and test on a scrap folded to the same thickness as the real hem. If the fabric tunnels between the two rows, drop the tension further or slip a strip of tear away stabiliser underneath.

Pressing

Press every seam before it gets crossed by another one. On fleece, use steam and a pressing cloth and keep the iron moving, because a hot plate flattens the pile permanently. On leather and vinyl, do not press at all. Use a roller or a wooden clapper to set the seam instead.

Heavy materials

The Duffel Bag and the Oversized Tote Bag go through several layers at once. Use a leather or denim needle, lengthen the stitch to 3.5 or 4, and slow down at the corners. Clips hold better than pins, and pins leave permanent holes in leather and vinyl.

Where a strap meets the body, backstitch or sew a box with a cross through it. That joint takes the whole load when the bag is full.

Bias seams

Bias stretches while you sew it. Cut the pieces one at a time, handle them as little as possible, and let the machine feed the fabric rather than pulling it. Hang the finished dress overnight before hemming so the bias can drop, then level the hem.

Before any of this: print the pattern at 100 per cent and check your size. The right fabric weight is covered in choosing fabric.

Every pattern in the catalogue lists its seam allowance on the page, and the FAQ covers files, printing and delivery.