I sew a lot of fleece, and for this I mostly use my serger for the main seams and my sewing machine for what I can't serge. However, I have pretty limited experience with ripstop.

I'm making a Green Pepper Fairbanks anorak with 1.1 oz uncoated ripstop, and from searching on here and thru-hiker, I have found most people suggest flat felled seams or french seams for ripstop. Is there any reason I shouldn't or can't serge most of the seams? Are french seams or flat felled seams better in any way for ripstop?

I would rather serge because I'm picky about how things look, but I don't want my jacket to unravel.

Thanks.

French and flat felled seams both hide the raw fabric edge. Ripstop is usually pretty unravelly.

Flat felled seam is stronger. The fabric pulls sideways with load equally distributed by two rows of stitches. In French seam the fabric is pulled apart with all the load on one row of stitches and all the load is on the thread of the stitch.

French seam is less visible and probably more rain and wind proof. The rows of stitches are hidden inside the fabric. With flat felled you see the seam and rows of stitches on the outside.

I use French seam on garments and flat felled seam on a pack or tent.

I don't know about serger. Does it cut the fabric off and stitch back and forth over the edge?

"I don't know about serger. Does it cut the fabric off and stitch back and forth over the edge?"

yeah, it sure does.
if look'n for strong, i'd go with sewing.
not sure if you can do a for-real flat felled seam at home on sil, but you can get awful close, except you're going to still see a raw edge. at any rate, you can split the load over two lines of stiching.. sort of.


one can, if desired, pull the knife down and disable it, then you can have a wrapped edge, and plus maybe even a three thread cover stich. i can not see this being as strong (or easy), as a couple of lines of std stiching. but at least you won;t have cut off an edge and thence be hoping it;s just threads holdiing it all together.

cheers,

"not sure if you can do a for-real flat felled seam at home on sil"

I don't understand

Isn't a for-real flat felled seam just put the two pieces together and sew a seam near edge, then open up, fold over twice to hide edge, and sew a second seam?

Unless I'm mistaken, a flat felled seam is: fold over each edge 1/4 to 3/8 inch, then hook those two folds together and sew. You'll see two lines of stitching that is when you are done, but I guess one would do it, but wouldn't be as strong. The only way I can get silnylon to cooperate with that is to iron it to create the creases, then pin it. Even then it's really hard to control the fabric, but worth it, that seam is then very strong.

Like hooking fingers from left and right hand together. Each side is contained in the fold of the other side, thus the edge doesn't show, and doesn't have anywhere to unravel to, in theory. I have no idea how you could sew a flat felled seam on a sleeve or even pants, though you can sort of do it by sewing the tube from the inside so to speak.

Edited by hhope on 12/03/2011 15:40:12 MST.

From Thru Hiker.

http://thru-hiker.com/projects/basic_seams.php

Party On,

Newton

That's a really good description at thru-hiker, Newton

With silnylon, I don't bother cutting the bottom piece to half width - silnylon is pretty thin so it doesn't really matter - seam doesn't get too thick and any weight savings is insignificant.

The only problem is when doing a narrow tube, like a sleeve or pant leg, you have to manipulate the fabric which gets more difficult towards the end of the second row of stitches. Easier if you turn the fabric inside out. French seam is much easier doesn't have this problem.

Also From Thru Hiker

http://thru-hiker.com/projects/french_seams.php

A flat felled seam distributes the stress over two rows of stitching. The french seam does not unless a "third" row of stitching is added.

I use flat felled for tarps and tents, french seams are reserved for windshirts and shells etc.

Party On,

Newton