9 Oct 2011

Seam finishing on the Burda dress



I need to finish this dress because I want to wear it to an event next wednesday. I think I can get it ready in time since the next 2 days I'm off from work.

Things to do: 
- assemble the skirt
- attach it to the bodice
- insert the invisible zipper
- make the collar
- finish the seams

I already started with finishing the seams. Because I didn't want to line the Burda dress and the fabric ravels like crazy I decided to use 'Hong-Kong binding'. The hong-Kong binding looks really neat and the seams don't get bulky either. Usually, finishing the seams is my least favorite part of sewing but now I really enjoy it. Probably because the results are so satisfying...
I used a contrasting color bias band (of course!). This time I choose pale pink. I also used it for finishing the sleeves. The sleeves have small cuffs and I really needed to cover up the raw edges without getting all the layers bulky.

"The Hong Kong binding seam finish encloses the raw edges of the seams inside strips of bias. Both sides of the seam require two passes to sew the bias, and because it is so labor-intensive, it is mostly used in very high-end clothes. This method is especially suitable for heavy fabrics and for summer garments that you wouldn’t want to line."
Description from Burdastyle

The steps:
1. sew bias band on the right side of the seam allowance, with raw edges matched.
2. turn the bias strip over and press the seamline
3. wrap the binding around seamline and pin in place
4. stitch from the right side at the line where the fabric and the bias band meets (your stitches will be 'invisible')
5. trim excess from wrong side

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