@ Raifnuke…awesomw diagrams, just like having x ray vision! I'm getting my thoughts and materials gathered to start a DIY UQ, and now have more food for that thought!
Thanks 100milerun for starting the thread!
@ Raifnuke…awesomw diagrams, just like having x ray vision! I'm getting my thoughts and materials gathered to start a DIY UQ, and now have more food for that thought!
Thanks 100milerun for starting the thread!
I think the super fly is a French seam, I'm no seamstress.
swank
Warbonnet uses a standing seam on the Superflys I've seen. The edges of the fabric are sewn together, then gros grain is applied. Having never cut one open, I don't know if there is a rolled hem or simple seam under the grosgrain.
When I did the standing seam on two different tarps, I roll hemmed both tarp halves together, then added gros grain along seam.
Having made several tarps with flat felled (as linked by the OP) and standing seam, I find the standing seam to be more easily sewn because the bulk of the fabric always stays to the left of the needle. With flat felled and french seams, half of the tarp must pass to the right of the needle.
French seams are a bit easier to construct, IMO. Flat felled (as diagramed in the OPs link) are a bit more tedious, at least with my method. Raiffnuke's flat felled diagram looks like it goes together a bit differently than I have tried, but resulting the same.
In doing an online search a while back for flat felled and french seams, these terms get interchanged often making understanding the difference confusing. Raiffnuke's diagram is probably the best I've seen in showing the difference. DIYGS's diagram uses the term "flat felled/french seam hybrid." To me it's not really a hybrid so much as a french seam sewn flat.
Personally, I prefer Flat-Felled because they're easier and require less stitching. When you really think about it...the difference between the two is that the French version requires a bit more material and an extra set of stitches.
How I do a Flat-Felled seam: Line up my pattern lines*** and sew along it...then cut the excess to 1", then cut one of the fabric layers down to 1/2"...roll the excess onto itself and sew.
The whole point of my post this is to show that it takes less planning with a flat-felled because where you're pattern lines match up is where they will end up...with a French Hybrid you have to adjust for the extra fold on one of the layers.
***Recently, I've started to space out the pattern lines by 1/2", which puts my pattern lines exactly at either edge of the seam. This is also something that isn't easily done with the Frenchy XD
To sum it up...French is probably requires slightly less skill but makes planning more difficult because you have to account for the extra fold on one of the layers.
-- One application where I prefer the French Hybrid is for attaching netting to a tent fly wall (this would be for a single-walled tent like a nemo Meta or one of the TarpTent designs)...The French Hybrid seam allows the netting to be supported by 2 sets of stitches instead of one like the Flat-Felled seam...Having only one set of stitching supporting the mesh isn't bad, but will make the seam to tilt a little and could affect the way it pitches slightly...also it doesn't look as good.
...both seams have their advantages.
Last edited by jordo_99; 01-25-2013 at 11:33.
Could you post some pics of this method? thanks.
Just trying to visualize your description of how you do the flat felled seam. Where does the excess you cut off come from? Then below you talk about spacing out the pattern lines on material out by1/2 in then sewing. Thanks for the help.
The excess cut off in a flatfelled seam is one method of making that type of seam. Another method for the flat felled seam is to offset the two pieces of fabric. The first would involve sewing the two pieces 1" from the edge, then trimming one side to 1/2" before folding and sewing again. The second method places the two edges offset the 1/2" before sewing. The effect is the same, but saves time and effort in trimming. If you refer to the OP's link from backwoodsdaydreamer, you can see the second method diagramed.
The flat felled seam diagramed by Raiffnuke appears to illustrate a third method for forming the same seam which I haven't tried myself.
Sure thing, let me know if you're still a bit unsure.
I'll also edit this post and add in the bit on how a french seam can be helpful for attaching netting and a tent wall.
Edit...in case the picture on the right is confusing...the green line is supposed to be where you stitch the two patterns together and the while lines are to show where the pattern is drawn out on the sheet of fabric. Finally...the black line represents where the seam is...for tarps and hammocks this isn't all that helpful but for tents and packs or shirts it would be very helpful so that you don't have seams that are folded different directions (I once folded a flat-felled seam on one side of a tent door the wrong way before...so when I brought the doors together the seam didn't line up, nor did the bottom but that's an easier fix...that experience is why I do this now).
Last edited by jordo_99; 01-29-2013 at 11:43.
Bookmarks