Hello, I'm very new to sewing and I'm a little confused about finishing seams around curves, where the curves are to be clipped. Do I clipped the finished seam, will it unravel? Is there a specific kind of finishing I should be using? Any guidance you have would be greatly appreciated! Thanks 😀🎃
Curves are tricky. I have explained this many different ways to people over the years to help them better grasp the concept, so I might repeat things or state them in multiple ways.
There are two types of curves. CONVEX and CONCAVE and you clip them differently. CONVEX curves create bunching, CONCAVE curves pull.
First rule of clipping seams is CLIP TO, NOT THRU! So you want a sharp pair of scissors with a good point on the end so you can get close to your stitching line, but not actually cut it. When I clip seams I have a smaller precision pair of scissors that I use.
As far as how close together or often you have to clip that depends on the curve. A more dramatic curve will need more clips closer together. I would get some scrap pieces of fabric and practice. You don’t always need a bunch of clips to get a curve to lay nice. I usually start at the middle of the curve spread a few out both ways and then add in between if needed.
I made two diagrams to help you visualize how to clip the different curves. One way to think of it is you are trying to take the seam allowance and distribute it evenly in the space on the other side of the stitching line.
First is the CONCAVE SEAM. It goes in like a cave. This is the easy one to clip because you just cut lines in the seam allowance. When you press this seam open or turn it right side out, the clipped fabric is allowed to fan out and let the curve lay flat.
On a CONVEX SEAM, the curve will bow out. In this case you cut little pie wedges out of the seam. This way when the seam is pressed open or turned to the inside, the fabric has space to bunch together without overlapping itself and causing lumps. Again these should be spread evenly along the curve, but the spacing again will depend on how curved it is.
Another option, which can be used in some cases is trimming down the seam to about 3/8 to 1/4 inch. This can work well for delicate fabrics that might fray too much with clipping.
I hope this all helps and if you have more questions please ask!
