Q&A | Finishing Touches

By Linda Lee

I'm making a bias-cut skirt out of crepe de chine silk and I'm not sure what the best method of seam finishing would be. I have a standard sewing machine and practiced using a zigzag stitch to oversew the edges, but this seemed to make the finished edge wavy. Should I bind the edges?
Helene

There's no question that dealing with bias, and especially beautiful silk, is tricky. But here's what I have used successfully for years and have observed in fine clothing as well.
First of all, when a fabric is cut on the bias, it won't ravel. So that's not an issue. And you want a flexible seam finish so the bias is allowed to relax. Binding the edge defeats the purpose of allowing the skirt to drape.
On the 5/8' seamline, sew a small zigzag stitch (about 1 mm wide x 1 mm long). Stitch another line of zigzag stitching next to the first stitching line, this time increasing the stitch to 2 mm wide by 2 mm long.
Using small trimming scissors, carefully trim the excess seam allowance near the second row of stitching (5). I like to use a bird and clamp tool to hold the fabric and keep it taut while I trim the fabric, which makes it much easier to cut evenly

From the October/November 2008 issue of Sew News magazine.