Seam allowance

Seam allowance

Seam allowance is the area between the edge and the stitching line on two (or more) pieces of material being stitched together. Seam allowances can range from 1/4 inch wide (6.35 mm) to as much as several inches. Commercial patterns for home sewers have seam allowances ranging from 1/4 inch to 5/8 inch.

Sewing industry seam allowances range from 1/4 inch for curved areas (e.g. neck line, armscye) or hidden seams (e.g. facing seams), to one inch or more for areas that require extra fabric for final fitting to the wearer (e.g. center back).


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  • seam allowance — noun (in dressmaking) the margin allowed for the seams along the edge of the pieces of a garment • • • Main Entry: ↑seam …   Useful english dictionary

  • seam allowance — noun /ˈsiːm əˌlaʊ.ənts/lang=la The part of the material or fabric added to the dimensions of a sewing pattern outside the seam. Trim the seam allowances to between 1/4 in. and 1/2 in. Fold one seam allowance in toward the other and pin along the… …   Wiktionary

  • Allowance — may refer to: *Allowance (money) *Allowances in accounting, see Accounts receivable *Personal allowance in the United Kingdom s taxing system * Jobseeker s Allowance, a term for unemployment benefit in the United Kingdom * EU Allowances… …   Wikipedia

  • Hong Kong seam — In sewing, a Hong Kong seam or Hong Kong finish is a home sewing term [Schaeffer p. 212] for a type of bound seam in which each raw edge of the seam allowance is separately encased in a fabric binding. In couture sewing or tailoring, the binding… …   Wikipedia

  • Bound seam — A bound seam has each of the raw edges of its seam allowances enclosed in a strip of fabric, lace or net binding that has been folded in half lengthwise. An example of binding is double fold bias tape. The binding s fold is wrapped around the raw …   Wikipedia

  • lap seam — noun also lapped seam : a seam in which the edges overlap; especially : a seam in leather or cloth made by extending a cut or folded edge over a cut edge to the width of the seam allowance and stitching in place …   Useful english dictionary

  • flat-felled seam — /flat feld / a seam on the face of a garment, as on the outside of the legs of blue jeans, made by overlapping or interlocking one seam allowance with the other and top stitching them together onto the garment with two parallel rows of stitches.… …   Universalium

  • flat-felled seam — /flat feld / a seam on the face of a garment, as on the outside of the legs of blue jeans, made by overlapping or interlocking one seam allowance with the other and top stitching them together onto the garment with two parallel rows of stitches.… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Sewing — or stitching is the fastening of cloth, leather, furs, bark, or other flexible materials, using needle and thread. Its use is nearly universal among human populations and dates back to Paleolithic times (30,000 BC). Sewing predates the weaving of …   Wikipedia

  • fell — 1. verb /fɛl/ a) To make something fall; especially to chop down a tree. To fell seam allowances, catch the lining underneath before emerging 1/4 (6mm) ahead, and 1/8 (3mm) to 1/4 (6mm) into the seam allowance. b) To stitch down a protruding flap …   Wiktionary

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