On Swelled Edges: When Are They Best Used?



alexSF said:

^Great post as usual!

I have a question about pickstitching,

In the lapel do you usually use a real backstitch or a running stitch like the one used for pocket flaps?

Thanks

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When working by hand, I guess it's possible that some people may use a running stitch on some parts (the AMF etc. stitch is a running stitch), I was taught that it is a back stitch everywhere.

I doubt it is ever a running stitch if sewn by hand. There are these relatively long stitches on the underside that can snag on things. With a backstitch, any damage to the stitch remains local. With a running stitch, you'd have to re-do the entire pick stitching.

I guess with swelled edges it is necessary to maintain the full thickness of the seam allowances. It is customary to "stage"/"step" the seam allowances to make for thin edges. This requirement is a big danger, because coatmakers oftentimes work reflexively/on autopilot and would step the seam allowances only to recall later that the coat is meant to have swelled edges.

^Thanks for your answers

Backstitch is also easier to do and more precise, my doubt born because I rarely seen the classic overlapping in the underside of backstitch in lapels and flaps.

also pictures found on Jefferyd blog confirm this, for example here:





Or maybe I am making confusion with terms, how do you call the stitch above?

Thanks



hymo said:

I guess with swelled edges it is necessary to maintain the full thickness of the seam allowances. It is customary to "stage"/"step" the seam allowances to make for thin edges. This requirement is a big danger, because coatmakers oftentimes work reflexively/on autopilot and would step the seam allowances only to recall later that the coat is meant to have swelled edges.

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Not necessarily- you would still have the effect.



alexSF said:

^Thanks for your answers

Backstitch is also easier to do and more precise, my doubt born because I rarely seen the classic overlapping in the underside of backstitch in lapels and flaps.

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That is probably a backstitch- you only get the overlap on fine cloth. Also depends on the angle of insertion of the needle. But now we're getting a bit too esoteric, I think.

That was all very, very helpful, Jeffery. Big thanks for taking the time to do that.



jefferyd said:

But now we're getting a bit too esoteric, I think.

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I agree Sorry to have bothered you, thanks for your answer.

I am only a self-taught who like to alter his own clothes,
I shortened sleeves in a jacket some days ago and I had to redo all the impuntura and I used the running stitch, so the reason of my curiosity.



But now I stop, the thread is for another purpose, many thanks.

Basically, always get this on anything casual. And anyhting with patch pockets. But I repeat myself.



Manton said:

Basically, always get this on anything casual. And anyhting with patch pockets. But I repeat myself.

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Even on a gun club faux tweed? I felt like swelled edges would be too much for such a visually buys pattern, no?

FWIW, the gun club faux tweed will have patch pockets, and be of Italian make.

I will say, in the examples shown on my original post, I think the second set of photos - the one with bluff edges - would all do better with swelled edges or double stitching. (swell on the rougher fabrics; double stitching on the thinner, smoother ones).

I always do.

jefferyd said:

There seems to be some confusion about what swelled edges are and are not. So here we go.

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Very clear and helpful esplainin. Just what I was looking for.



jefferyd said:

Done this way, the swelled edge is seen as a somewhat decorative detail to give character to sportier garments. The style in southern Italy is somewhat more exuberant

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alexSF said:

I agree Sorry to have bothered you, thanks for your answer.

I am only a self-taught who like to alter his own clothes,
I shortened sleeves in a jacket some days ago and I had to redo all the impuntura and I used the running stitch, so the reason of my curiosity.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

( I should improve the lining sewing, I know)

But now I stop, the thread is for another purpose, many thanks.

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The impuntura on your coat was a running stitch because it was almost certainly done with a Complett machine. And though the flaps posted above look like they might be a running stitch, they were actually back stitched.



jefferyd said:

The impuntura on your coat was a running stitch because it was almost certainly done with a Complett machine. And though the flaps posted above look like they might be a running stitch, they were actually back stitched.

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Yes the original impuntura was surely done with complett machine, I replicated it in the same place using the original little marks (left by the washing process used for the garment finishing)

However I just tried to do a backstitch there and you are totally (and obviously) right, the backstitch in a similar layers of fabric doesn't show the typical overlapping.
I fell in error having used it only for thin fabrics, so I could have been used the proper backstitch and not the wrong running stitch.
Another thing learned!

Many thanks for you kind help.