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Pinking a Seam Allowance

You should always do something with your seam allowances so they don’t fray and tangle.  Pinking is one of the simplest things you can do to finish a seam.

Sample:

A Seam, finished by Pinking.
A Seam, finished by Pinking.

Critical Stats:

Width: Slightly less than Pattern Seam Allowance
Seam Allowance Required: N/A
Additional Supplies Needed: Pinking Shears

Process

Sew a seam, totally normal style...
Sew a seam, totally normal style...
Open up the seam.  Press.
Open up the seam. Press. (Or finger press with your thumb nail, as I'm doing.)
Grab your pinking shears....
Grab your pinking shears....
Use the Pinking Shears to trim the seam allowance back just a titch.  Repeat on the other side.
Use the Pinking Shears to trim the seam allowance back just a titch. Repeat on the other side.

Missa, this is beautifully simple and way less involved than all those French Seams you keep blithering on about….  Why don’t you do this all the time?

Well….  Funny story:

Problem: if your Pinking Shears are dull or nicked, they will chew up the fabric instead of cutting it.
Problem: if your Pinking Shears are dull or nicked, they will chew up the fabric instead of cutting it.

The good part of the sample was made with my mother’s pinking shears.  This bit was made with mine.  Due to the nature of pinking shears, I can’t sharpen them.  I hate uni-tasking tools that I can’t fix….

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