Coverstitching to an Edge

Pattern - Love Notions' Vanguard Kit
Fabric - l'oiseau fabrics
Skills - coverstitching to an edge and around a curve

Coverstitching puts a final seal on a garment and gives it a professional look.  A basic hem is relatively easy once you master the basics, but trying to keep your line of coverstitching equidistant from a near edge - and especially going around a curve - takes practice, and a tip or two!

Love Notions' Vanguard Tee is an excellent shirt to display these two steps.  My fabric is from l'oiseau - Stenzo's Beetle Stars paired with Solid Basics in Navy.  Click on any of the pictures to see detail more clearly.

Coverstitching to a Straight Edge

The best accessory you can get for your coverstitch machine is a clear foot.  It's not essential, but it definitely makes life easier - I don't know why machines don't come with it already installed!  I generally do topstitching with the middle and right needle - it just fits my eye better.

The colour-blocking of the Vanguard Tee makes use of the coverstitching to hold the seams in place. Because my Baby Lock doesn't have a wide harp area, I have to roll the fabric up so it can feed through the narrow opening.  I place the seam edge at the right side of the opening in the foot.  Notice where it sits at the front of the foot - sort of mid-way between the right-most guide at the front and the right edge of the foot.  This is important because I don't watch the seam by the needles, but at the front of the foot.

I start at the edge of the fabric and wheel the first couple of stitches manually.  This ensures that my stitches will catch right at the start.  Then I continue the coverstitching line - watching the front of the foot.  If I watch the needles, I soon lose control of the stitching line, so I watch the front.  (And don't you just love those VW stars!)

Coverstitching on a Curve

The first thing you do for neckbands is turn the shirt inside out.  This allows you better access to the neckband.  Start at the back and again, hand wheel the first few stitches

Again, I position the neckband so that the seam is at the right edge of my foot's needle opening.  Now here's what makes coverstitching a curve easy - get rid of the curve!  Straighten out the neckband as it feeds in and watch the front of the foot, not the needles.  Have that seam feed in midway between the right guide on the foot and the right edge.  When you get to the beginning of your coverstitch line, hand wheel the last few stitches so that you are merging them right on top of the beginning stitches.

After I've finished off the stitching in the round the correct way, I always dab the cut threads with a little Fray Stop.  I know I've finished properly and the stitching won't come undone, but I'm a little OCD - I make extra sure with a dab!

My first coverstitch machine was a Janome and I do miss the wide harp area it had.  I also had a centre guide foot with it which makes coverstitching along a seam dead easy.  However, I prefer the topstitching to be on one side the seam and not on either side.  For me half the function of the coverstitch is to hold a seam allowance in place and I don't care for the look that a centre guide foot gives you.

And did you know that you can coverstitch corners?  Click the link to find out how!

If you don't already have the Vanguard Kit - which has a variety of shirt options in necklines, hood and colour blocking, plus cargo joggers, you can get the pattern through my affiliate link below:

Love Notions Vanguard Kit for sizes 2T to 14