Seams: a beginner's guide
Right sides together, sew, backstitch and press.
- The seam allowance is the distance from the raw edge to the stitching line.
- Many patterns use 5/8 in; Makyla's practice seam is 1.5 cm. Always use your pattern's allowance.
- The seam allowance markings on the machine (5mm, 10mm, 15mm...) are measured from the needle, so you needn't mark the seam.
- Backstitch a few stitches at the start and end.
- A plain seam is neatened and pressed to one side; an open seam is neatened first and pressed open.
Watch
How to Sew a Basic Plain Seam with a Sewing Machine (1:59)
By What Make Art · Open on YouTube
Chosen from its title and channel: a 1-minute video from What Make Art on the same topic as this guide. Embedded from YouTube with credit; we don't host it. It only loads when you press play.
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All checked 1 November 2026. We read these; we did not test the products ourselves.