Hong Kong Seam Finish

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Sat, 11/12/2011 - 00:14

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Joined: 08/26/2011

Posts: 24

I have used Hong Kong seam finish on a blouse. Although there was some work involved it looks really nice. Mine is store bought and only the 1/2" width variety are available here. I had to hand baste the bias tape before stitching in the ditch from the front as the tape was quite narrow and I'm bound not to be able to catch the bias tape at the bottom when I sew.

My questions are:

1. Must the binding be strip on the bias as opposed to strips cut on the grain?

2. Can Hong Kong seam finish be used on very slight curves like in my picture i.e. sleeve and side seams?

3. If I cut my own bias strips, do I need to turn in the bias binding behind the seam so that there are no raw edges?

TIA.

Barbara

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Wed, 11/16/2011 - 16:30

Nehzat

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Joined: 10/27/2007

Posts: 558

Re: Hong Kong Seam Finish

Dear Barbara,

It is really nice that you posted a picture for everyone to see.

To answer your questions, yes the binding has to be cut on the bias to achieve a nice finish.

You can use this kind of seam finishing on curves as well. This is possible because the strips are cut on a bias.

Yes you need to fold in the bias raw edge, there should be no exposed raw edges. Therefore you need to cut the strips wide enough.

I use this type of seam finish myself around the armholes on garments with sleeves, covering both seam allowances with one biased strip that is wide enough to cover both seam allowances fully.

Below are a few samples of when I used this technique.