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On The Edge
By Pauline Richards, Total Embellishments

Leather Look Binding:
A classy way to bind and machine stitch faux leather to a garment edge.

• Cut a leather-like fabric strip 1" wide and the finished garment edge length to be bound.
• Position garment and trim, right sides together. 
• Stitch 1/4" from raw edges.
• Fold leather-like trim to the wrong side, leaving about 3/8" showing on the garment's right side. 
• Select a long, wide blanket look stitch. (If you have a Viking #1+ use stitch: A-21, Length: 3.5, Width: 4.0).
• Position the straight stitches just off the trim edge onto the base fabric and allow the horizontal stitching to extend into the leather as you finish the binding.

Corded Blanket Stitch:

This stitch is used to apply a decorative/functional finish to raw outside edges of a garment.

• Position the neckline/front facing and fashion fabric wrong sides together.
• Sew a straight stitch along the raw edges, 5/8" from the cut edges.
• Set your machine for a 2mm-wide, 1.5mm-long zigzag.
• Position a length of 6 strand embroidery floss directly over the straight stitching line and zigzag over the floss. (figure C)
• Trim away the seam allowances, to, but not through, the zigzag stitching.
• Program your machine for ten 2.5mm-wide, .5mm-long zigzag stitches, then program in two 4-5mm-wide zigzag stitches and then ten more 2.5mm- wide stitches. Stitch over the trimmed seam allowance. The result should be a corded faux blanket stitch. (figure D)

Corded Satin Stitch:

While shopping at my favorite department store (N....), I spotted an elegant  $250.+ jacket of soft wool, sporting a corded satin stitch edge finish. The jacket was lined only across the upper back. All seam edges were finished with the corded satin stitch before construction was started. The jacket was made by lapping one finished seam over the other, matching the stitching line and stitching just to the side of the saqtin stitching. Choose buttonhole twist, Pearl Crown Rayon or six strand embroidery thread to use as cording for this stabilized edge. 

• To make a corded satin stitch, set your machine for a 2mm-wide, 1.5mm-long zigzag.
• Position cording between the 3/8" and 1/2" line and sew over it.  (figure E)
• Trim away the seam allowances, to, but not through the zigzag stitching.
• Set your machine for a 2.5mm-wide, .5mm-long zigzag and sew directly over the previous stitching.
• Construct the garment by positioning one finished seam allowance edge over the other, matching the 5/8" seam line, then sew directly over the stitching with regular length straight stitch. (figure F)

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