Which Direction to Press Seams and Darts When Sewing?
As you are sewing your first garments together, you know how important it is to make sure all your seams are pressed. But with every seam you sew, there comes a choice. How should you press the seam to make the clothing look its best? Are there times it should be pressed open? And how do you know which way to flatten the darts?
In general, darts should be pressed down or towards the center of the garment. Seams should generally be pressed open or towards the back of the garment, while a waist seam should be pressed up.
However, these aren’t rules that you always have to follow. As long as you’re consistent with the way you press the seams in your clothing, it doesn’t really matter which way they are pressed. For example, you can choose to change the direction you press the seam if you’re using a sheer fabric or one that is substantially lighter than the other. As you get more experienced in sewing, you’ll start to develop your own routines and get a feel for which way the seam and dart should be pressed.
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Which way to press darts?
Bust darts should always be pressed down, this makes them less visible on the final garment as they round underneath the shape of the bust. As a general rule, any darts that run horizontally across the body should be pressed toward the bottom of the garment.
You will also find vertical darts on patterns, usually near the waistline. These should be pressed toward the center of the garment.
Which way to press shoulder seams?
Shoulder seams should be pressed toward the back of the garment. In some cases, it’s a good idea to add a row of top stitching to secure the seam toward the back.
If you choose to, you can also press the seam allowance of shoulder seams open. However, I don’t recommend this on any kind of sheer or semi-sheer fabric, and the goal is to make the seam allowances as invisible as possible from the front of the garment.
Which way to press armhole seams?
Usually, armhole seams should be pressed away from the armhole and toward the bodice and shoulder. This helps the sleeve head to sit flat on the shoulder, rather than having a slight bulge or bump at the armhole seam.
A possible exception to this rule is if you are creating gathered sleeves. If desired, you can increase the appearance of the size of the gathered sleeve by pressing the seam back toward the sleeve head. However, it’s not necessary and depends entirely on how you want the sleeve to look on the final garment.
I also recommend using a long pressing ham (also called a tailors ham) to get the curve of the armhole seam pressed correctly.
Which way to press side seams?
If you finish the side seams together, it’s best to press the seam allowance toward the back of the garment. This makes the seam less visible from the front. However, many people choose to finish side seams separately on handmade garments to allow for easier size adjustments. In this case, it’s generally best to press the seam open.
The length of arm seams can be treated the same way. Press it toward the back if the seam allowance is finished together, or open if the seam allowance is finished separately.
Which way to press waist seams?
Waist seams should usually be pressed up toward the bodice or waistband. This is usually just for practical reasons. The bodice and waistband pieces are more likely to have a lining or a facing that will fold over and cover the seam allowance along the waist.
It’s also best to press the seam allowance from the higher volume section toward the lower volume section. Usually skirts and pants get wider below the bodice, making it look better if the seam is pressed upward.
Which way to press a crotch seam?
A crotch seam can be pressed in either direction. You can finish the seam open as well, but I actually don’t recommend this since the crotch seam takes a lot of stress from being pulled with the body and garment. Finishing the seams together can help to further reinforce it and prevent an unfortunate incident with a popped seam.
However, it is a good idea to trim the seam allowance to be fairly small before finishing it. If you try to press the seam with a full ⅝ inch seam allowance, you’ll find it’s resistant to pressing properly.
Which way to press gathered seams?
Generally, it’s best to press the seam allowance of gathered seams away from the gathers. So if you have a gathered skirt at the waistline, you would press the seam up toward the waistband. This helps the gathered seam to sit flatter.
However, sometimes you’ll want to make the gathers look more pronounced rather than making it look flatter. If this is your goal, press the seam back toward the gathered section. The extra bulk along the seam will cause the gathers to stand out more.
When should you press the seams open?
To be honest, you can press seams open whenever you want to. I generally only do this on side seams, but there aren’t any rules that say you can’t press your seams open. It does make it easier to go back and adjust the size of your clothes if it’s not fitting quite right, so if that’s how you want to press your seams, go for it!
The only time I would be hesitant to press seam allowances open rather than together is when using a sheer or semi-sheer fabric. Seams that are finished together tend to be less conspicuous and easier to hide around the side of your body.
