Page 140 - Textile

Textiles and Garment Construction
light and transparent fabric, French
seam finishing will be suitable, while
facing is suitable for a medium
weight fabric. Edge finishes such as
pinked seam finish and zigzag seam
finish are suitable for most fabrics.
They are also useful where the seam
will not be visible in the finished
product.
(ii) The desired effect (visual appeal):
Some edge finishes are decorative,
while others may only be functional,
so one should choose accordingly.
Decorative edge finishes include
lace, frills, shell edging and scalloped
edges. On the other hand, facing and
bands are mainly functional.
(iii) Use of a garment: It is important
to know whether the garment will
be used for hard wear or occasional
use. Garments that will undergo a
lot of strain at certain edges during
use and wear would require a strong
type of edge finish. For example,
one would choose a band for the
waistline instead of a face on skirts
or shirts.
(iv) Sewing machine capability: Some
sewing machines cannot sew a
zigzag stitch but can be substituted
with any edge finish that uses straight
stitching, such as French seam and
flat felled seam.
(v) Wearer’s preference: Sometimes,
the wearer can decide on the type of
edge finish to use according to his
or her preference. For example, a
designer can propose a certain type
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of edge finishes suitable for that kind
of design; however, the wearer may
come up with different opinions due
to his or her desire.
Qualities of a well-finished edge:
Generally, a well finished edge should
have the following properties:
(i) Should be neat and smooth in
appearance, without added bulk.
(ii) Should be firm enough to retain
shape. Well- finished edge should
be able to protect and prevent the
edge from ravelling and stretching.
(iii) Should be durable. This means the
edge finish should be able to last
long.
(iv) Should not be visible from the right
side of a garment unless intended for
decorative purposes.
Note: The following colours indicate the
right side (rs) and wrong side (ws) of the
fabric on different procedures.
r.s
w.s
Types of edge finishes
There are several ways of neatening raw
edges; among them are crossway strips
or bias that are used to make binding,
piping and facing. Other method includes
hems, shell edging, edge stitching, lace
or frills, scalloped and pinked seam
finish. Some stitches can also be used
to neat or decorate the raw edges. These
include blanket, zigzag, overlocked and
overcasting stitches, as stated in Chapter
Three. The following are some of the
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