Before you can start sewing, you first need to know a few basics about sewing, such as edging a seam with the sewing machine. If you don’t have an overlocker, we show you how to sew overlock edges with zigzag stitching.
That sewing is easy is something we prove in our small sewing school for beginners. You can see the basics of the sewing machine here. If then the upper and lower thread is also threaded, you can easily start.
Learn to make a clean edge
You have successfully completed your first seam? To prevent the seam allowance from fraying and you risk that the seam will eventually separate again, it is advisable to ‘overlock’ the edges. This is the professional stitch you will see on all professionally made garments, which is usually done with a special machine called an overlocker. But not everybody has or can afford the special machine. Not to worry, there is another way to finish your seams properly without one: sew overlock edges with zigzag.
The overlocking, also called “finishing”, can be done, for example, with the zigzag stitch through the sewing machine. This is especially suitable for beginners to protect the fabric from fraying.
For more robust fabrics and an inner seam, it may be advisable to trim the fabric edge beforehand with pinking shears before you sew overlock edges with zigzag.
Overlocking: How it works
Set the zigzag stitch as the stitch type on the sewing machine. The stitch length and width offer a medium value.
Place the fabric in such a way that the needle pierces the fabric once and then just into the void and then orientate parallel to the seam you have previously sewn.
It’s a good idea to use a scrap of the fabric to do a test on, and then you can adjust the stitch length and width to suit the weight of the fabric, otherwise you risk having the seam ‘curl over’ which will make the garment not sit properly on your body. The exception to this is if you are using the zigzag to finish the visible edge of a light fabric, such as a rolled edge on chiffon that becomes its ‘hem’ or final finish.
