How to Sew a Flat-Felled Seam

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.

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.

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

Press the seam open.

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.

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.

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

 

Happy sewing,

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