Overcasting

Tailoring Thursdays™, Tips, Tricks and Techniques for Sewers

Overcasting

Sometimes a straight stitch is not enough to keep your sewn items from unraveling at the seams.  Especially when it comes to sewing garments.   I often hear, "I cannot finish my seams without a serger." 

But, Guess What - You CAN! 

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my serger.  It is a great tool and  irreplaceable for a professional finish.  But it is not a necessity.  You CAN create just as sturdy a finish on your edges/seams without a serger by using an overcast stitch.  

Look over your sewing machine manual to find which overcast stitches are available on your machine. 

This is my personal favorite.  Used for seams on stretch fabrics. 

This stitch is used for seams on quilters weight cotton and other lighter weight cottons. 

This is for your thicker fabrics.  Use this stitch on your upholstery and some denim seams. 

Zig zag stitch is a very common overcast stitch.  Use it on everything from mid-weight cotton to denim.  When using as your overcast stitch,  I recommend doing a straight stitch on the seam and then the zig-zag stitch near the edge of the fabric. 

3-point zig-zag stitch.  Used mostly for darning and attaching elastic, it is also good to fancy up a traditional zig-zag stitch where seam stitching will be seen.