Seam finishes for The Buchanan
Our Buchanan gown provides a great opportunity to get your seam finishing perfected - the loose fitting style means the ‘guts’ are on show a fair bit! There are so many different methods, some more time consuming than others but finishing the inside of your garment beautifully will help take it from home-made to couture… Put the overlocker and the pinking shears away and try one of these methods instead.
One of our favourites for this gown and the one we used most on our samples is bias bound edges. This can add a gorgeous flash of colour or pattern to the insides if you want it or you can keep it neat and simple in a plain fabric. Bear in mind it will add a bit of bulk to your seams but as the gown is best in a light, drapey fabric anyway this shouldn’t matter.
You can bind the seams open or together - I always think open bound seams look prettier but you will need twice the amount of binding and twice the amount of time! Often this technique is used for heavier fabrics ie in coats or jackets but there’s no reason why you can’t use it here.
Bias binding is incredibly simple to make and if you want your bound edges to match your fabric exactly you’ll need to make your own. Alternatively you can buy it ready made, usually in plain fabrics. There is a school of thought that says life is too short to make bias binding and you could put that time to better use ie drinking cocktails/watching Game of Thrones… No one is judging you here.
Another very simple but effective method is a clean finished edge, or turned under seams. This is perfect for light to medium weight fabrics that don’t fray very easily. You can also use this finish on curved edges such as the sleeve seams.
Learn how to sew turned and stitched seams.
If you’re doing the patch pocket version of the Buchanan with a lightweight or sheer fabric, french seams would be perfect. These are so satisfying to make and will ensure that your gown looks as beautiful on the inside as on the outside. They add a certain ‘je ne said quoi’ to your sewing - oh la la!
Learn how to sew french seams.
Which is your favourite method of finishing seams?