Today we will talk about the welt seam that is irreplaceable if you work with heavy fabrics like denim. There are many other seams and stitches, and sometimes it is hard to choose the right one, so we will advise you on the issue.

The welt seams are strong and durable, but what is best – they are easy to sew. These seams should be finished with the zigzag stitch line.

We will tell you all the information you need to know about welt seams and will share the best tutorial. So continue reading to find different ways to choose the right side of the seam, to make seam finishes, to create the edge stitch, and various types of welt seams, like double or open, and to edge stitch.

What is a Welt Seam?

The Welt seam is a mock flat-felled seam, which means that its top seam allowance should be finished with the zig zag stitch. You can also use the pinking shears so that the fabric will not fray on the inside. Then the sewist should stitch the whole seam allowance down.

Firstly, you need to sew the flat-felled seam on the wrong side, and then finish it on the right side. You don’t need to press or fold the seam allowance over when you are done with a seam. There are other ways to do it.

You can use the serger, sew a zig zag stitch or finish the fabric with the pinking shears. The last two options make the edges of the seam allowance look more aesthetic which is important for the look of the garments.

When Should We Use the Flat-Felled Seam?

Many sewists compare the welt seams to the french seams because they have similar stitching features. The seam is also closed and double-stitched as well as the french seam.

The welt seams are used when the sewists work with the garment. The welt seam or mock flat-felled seam would be useful if you need strong stitches to sew the jackets or jeans.

If you think that the plain seams can be helpful here, you are wrong. The welt one is much stronger and more durable than the plain seam.

The plain seam is less bulky and is not enclosed so everyone can see the raw edges of it. But the good side is that the seam doesn’t ruin the look of the clothes.

The flat felled seam is a great choice for impregnable material like leather. It can also be used for suede and denim clothes.

The easy seam can also be for boning. Sewists who work with traditional clothes may like the idea. Besides, the good seam will be helpful with sewing a swimming suit.

You should pick the welt seam up whenever you need to strengthen the clothes.

How to Sew a Welt Seam?

Newbies may be confused about how to sew the welt seam, which way to move the stitch line, and how to press the seam open. If you need to know how to do all the thongs listed above keep on reading our threading tips.

Seam Finish

You should be especially attentive when you do seam finishes with the zigzag stitch because the raw edges should be finished correctly. It is better to use the overlocker or end the finish with a zigzag stitch. This way the raw edges will be frayed for sure.

Double Check

You need to double-check that you follow the sewing pattern before you start sewing the seam allowance. Make sure that you sew together the right sides, not the wrong sides of the fabric. Don’t forget to press the seams with the hot iron otherwise, they will not settle tight.

Final Seam

You should also make good preparation before starting to sew a stitched final welt seam:

Make sure you keep the fabric open with the essential foot of your sewing machine

Make sure two sides of the seam allowance face up so that the straight seam can be joined correctly

This way you will be able to create the perfect final seam.

Three layers

There are three layers that should be sewn by the welt seam: the layer of clothes, the first seam allowance, and the second seam allowance. You need to make sure you do not miss any layers during sewing.

Tension

There are a few factors that may result in skipping stitches. The wrong tension setting is one of them. The adjustment of the sewing needle can also lead to puckering.

It is important to create a seam of good quality otherwise it may spoil during the wash. The well-made seams last longer, and your garment will look perfect for years.

How to Work with the Welt Seam?

There is also the diversity of the stitched welt seams in addition to the variety of the regular seams. You need to know everything about the choice of the welt seams before starting to implement them into your sewing projects.

The single seam and double welt seam have different purposes and should be used in different cases. The seams should be applied for different types of clothes. So let’s find out what double welt seam helps with and how to sew a welt seam.

Welt Seam

The welt seam is used for decorative purposes, but it is also durable and strong. The joint pieces of fabric require strong seams the most. And the welt seams enhance the joint places of the garments.

How to Sew the Welt Seam?

Now let’s find out how to sew a welt seam step by step.

Make plain straight stitches at the right sides of the fabric joined together.

Take one side of the seam allowance and trim it. You can trim it down to ¼ from the edge” or ⅛ from the edge. The size depends on the width of the allowance.

Stitch the uncut side with a zigzag stitch.

Take two pieces of the stitched seam allowances and fold them to one side. The uncut seam should cover the cut seam.

Finish the original seam by adding one row of topstitching ¼ away from the line of stitching. The welt seam will be finally finished when you press the seam flat.

Open Welt Seam

The open welt seams neat the seams and will be good for material that can fray easily. This type of seam open is mostly used for neatening thicker fabrics.

The open welt seam is decorative so you can use it for creative projects on heavier fabrics.

How to Sew the open Welt Seam?

Join the right sides of the fabric and make a basting row beside the stitching line, and finish the seam off. Each basting end should have a tail so that you can remove the stitches at the end of the work.

You can make the basting stitches of a different color to remove them all easily.

That is why you should also not strengthen the basting stitch.

Then you need to press the seam allowance to the same side.

Continue with stitching the topstitching row. The distances from the blasting seam should be 6 mm away from the seam line.

Now it’s time to pull the stitches off with the help of the tails. Take a seam ripper from the accessory kit if the stitch is stuck. That’s how you get the decorative tuck.

Single Welt Seam

The single-welt seam is used for thick fabric and is often implemented in bags. You can find it similar to the topstitched seam. The only difference is that straight stitching is skipped.

How to Sew the Single Welt Seam?

Here, you also need to start by joining the right sides of the seam allowances together.

Then fold one side of the raw edge under.

Finally, you need to sew a plain seam as a topstitch above the tucked raw edge. This will get the raw edge locked at the other side of the garment

Double Welt Seam

The seam we described above is similar to the double welt seam. However, in this case, you need to make a seam and process its folded edge with a topstitch. It will reduce bulk, and less bulk means a stable position of the seam.

You will also achieve great stabilization of the first stitch with the help of the second stitch.

You can make your garment look more stylish by choosing threads of different colors. The contrasting thread is a good choice.

How to Prepare the Sewing Machine?

You need to prepare your sewing machine or serger anytime you change the sewing process. Firstly, you need to thread the machine and the bobbin thread to have a flat thickened seam stitched properly.

The welt seam is usually sewn with heavy fabric so you will need to change the needle to the one specified for the leather or woven fabric.

The Benefits of the Flat-Felled Seams

The welt seam is often used because for a reason. Many sewists regularly use the welt seam in their creative projects, so let’s find out all the advantages of welt seams.

Firstly, a flat thickened seam is easy to sew, and it can work as a nice decorative seam if it used an open welt. The flat felled seams can become great decorations for all your clothes, especially when you choose contrasting threads.

The straight seams look very neat thanks to the careful finishing. The welt seam also reduces the chance to struggle with bulky seams.

Secondly, the welt seam is very functional, practical, and hard-wearing. You can choose the level of strength depending on the type of garment you work with.

Final Words

The welt seams can be very useful in sewing garments like corsets or jeans. Sewing of the welt seams is based on joining the row edges. All you need to do is take the right side of each piece and join them together. But don’t confuse the right side and the wrong side.

There are many sewing situations when you need to press the seam open or sew in two rows. You need to remember that the raw edges should be always finished.

Helen Grant

Hello! My name is Helen Grant. I am glad to welcome you on my site about sewing. If you came here then you are probably interested in the sewing craft and everything connected with it. On my site you will find visual aids for sewing, subtleties and secrets. I worked as a seamstress for a long time and helped a lot of girls to master this profession in my footsteps. All who used my personal secrets, life hacks, now have an excellent reputation, have reached great heights and independently conduct master classes for beginners. If you are interested in the topic of sewing, sewing life hacks, as well as detailed analyzes of sewing machines and materials, then you are definitely in the right place!

Welt Seam: What is it and How to Sew?

What is a Welt Seam?

When Should We Use the Flat-Felled Seam?