Sewing a neckline or hem with a facing is a great way to achieve beautiful sewing results. In this tutorial, I will show you how to sew facings – for hems and necklines.
The most important things at a glance
- In this tutorial, I will show you how to sew facings for hems and necklines
- "Enclosing the edge" (or "bagging out") is the technical term for folding the facing inward
- Even beginners can sew beautiful facings with this guide
- For some patterns, the facing pattern piece is already included; if not, you can easily create the pattern for the facing yourself using this guide
Why sew a facing & finish a neckline with a facing?
...it's a brilliant idea! For several reasons:
- it looks super professional
- the neckline is comfortable to wear
- there are no bulky seams
- and: it is very easy to sew!
By the way: Check out my post if you want to sew a V-neckline with a facing.
The navy blue jersey with nautical motifs* is currently one of my favorite fabrics. :)
Looks great: Tunic Tomris with a round facing.
Sewing a facing without a pattern
For some patterns such as the Cardigan Catrien, the Long Jacket Calista, Tunic Tomris or the Shirt Sedona, the pattern for the facings is already included. This makes sewing even easier for you! :)
If that is not the case, you can easily create the pattern for the facing yourself.
The method shown here works for both knits (e.g., jersey) and wovens (e.g., cotton fabrics).
What you should keep in mind when sewing a facing
Why doesn't it work to simply align the edges of a facing and sew them together?
Quite simple: Because it's not the fabric edge, but the seam line that is crucial.
How NOT to do it!
I'll show you here how it doesn't work.
If you simply place the fabric edges of the seam allowances together and sew, it looks like this:
You can already see in the top picture that the seam runs in a line that can never produce a nice curve.
This is what the wrong facing seam looks like:
And this is what the facing looks like when the seam lines were not considered:
This is what it looks like from the right side. You can see that the pattern pieces meet offset by the seam allowance.
This is problematic because the inner edge of the facing follows the shape of the neckline. If you cheat here, it will show... ;)
And NOW I'll show you how it's done right!
For your facing to get a perfect curve, draw the seam line onto both facing pieces.
Pin the facing pieces right sides together so that the seam lines align exactly.
If you stick a pin through the seam line, you can check if you have positioned everything correctly.
Now sew the facing pieces together along the seam line.
Always orient yourself by the inner facing edge. It is responsible for the shape of the neckline. The outer edge is finished afterwards.
This is what your prepared facing should look like now. :)
Unfolded, it looks like this:
These materials you need for it
- Tracing*- or copier paper
- the sewing pattern for which the facing is to be sewn
- Marking pen - when sewing, I like to use standard Frixion pens*, because the markings can be removed very well with a hot hair dryer or iron and they are usually cheaper than special tailor's markers
- Ruler*
- Pins - I find these pins with a grip head* that you see in the guide super practical!
- Sewing machine or overlocker
- Iron
- Scissors*
Tutorial: Sewing a facing
You need the front and back pieces of the pattern for which you want to sew the facing.
Depending on the desired width of the facing, draw a line parallel to the neckline using a ruler.
Cut out the pre-drawn facing along the line or copy it - then you can use the pattern again later.
Copying works well with Swedish tracing paper*. That's what I like to use best because you can draw on it wonderfully and it isn't as prone to wrinkling. After all, I want to keep my tried-and-tested patterns so I can sew them again and again!
In the photo, you can see the back piece on the left and the deeper neckline of the front piece on the right. The facing is cut on the fold just like the pattern pieces for the front and back.
Now just cut out the pattern pieces - and then we'll continue! :)
Cutting out the facing
Cut the two facing pieces out of your desired fabric. It works very well if you reinforce the fabric with iron-on interfacing before cutting. My favorite for this is Vlieseline H 200*.
If the fabric is stable and easy to work with, you can also forgo iron-on interfacing.
When cutting, add a seam allowance to the ends that lie towards the shoulder. I use a seam allowance of 1 centimeter for overlock seams and also for the sewing machine.
Sewing a facing for a neckline
Pin the pattern pieces together at the diagonal edges, right sides facing.
Close the two facing pieces into a ring by sewing the short ends together.
You can, of course, also sew the facing pieces together with a sewing machine.
This makes the facing even flatter because you can then easily press the seam allowances apart.
For jersey, I like to choose the overlock option because it's faster and the seam doesn't ripple.
If you like, you can now finish the outer edge of the facing with an overlocker or an overlock stitch. It looks neater and it’s easier to follow the edge of the facing with your finger when topstitching.
I usually finish the edge after sewing it on. If the seam pulls together a bit while finishing, you can relieve the tension with one or two small snips.
Attaching the facing
This is how the facing is attached now:
Attach the facing ring, right sides facing, to the neckline of the shirt.
Make sure that the facing piece for the front neckline is also on the front of the shirt.
Pin the facing all the way around. The fabric edges of the neckline should be flush with each other, as should the shoulder seams.
Sew the facing all the way around using your overlocker or sewing machine. Start the seam at the shoulder.
If you like, you can now also finish the free edge of the facing with an overlocker or an overlock stitch, as I did.
Turning the facing
"Turning the facing" is the technical term for: folding the facing inward. But it sounds more professional.
- So: Fold the facing inward :)
- The seam should now lie exactly in the fabric fold
- If you want the seam to be invisible, you can also place it 1 mm inward
- Press the edge with steam
- Secure the facing with pins and topstitch it from the right side
- I like to use a coverstitch machine or a twin needle for this, but a simple straight stitch looks great too
- Finally, topstitch the facing from the right side in the well of the shoulder seam, so it doesn't flip over when worn
Sewing a facing for a skirt or round hem
If you want to use a facing for a skirt or the round hem of a dress, you proceed in exactly the same way.
Copy the pattern as described above.
Be sure to mark which pattern piece belongs to the front and which to the back.
By the way, in the picture you can see my chalk pen*. I love using it when I work with jersey. The pen has a little wheel at the front that leaves a very fine trace of chalk on the fabric. The marking can be easily removed later with a small sponge or a piece of fabric.
When copying, don't forget the seam allowance!
And close the sides with the overlocker again. Now attach the facing ring to the hem, right sides facing.
Be sure to pay attention to the markings for the front and back pieces! :)
Once everything is pinned flush, the facing can be sewn on.
Then finish the open edge with the overlocker.
Fold the facing inward and press. The seam should lie exactly in the fabric fold.
The facing is now topstitched all the way around from the right side. On the sides, it is topstitched from the right side in the well of the side seam. The thread color should match the fabric color exactly, perhaps even a shade darker.
For this shirt, I simply used my coverstitch machine to sew the facing from the right side. You can work ton-on-ton here, or give the shirt some extra flair with contrasting seams.
Do you feel like trying your hand at a facing now? Great! How about a beautiful tiered dress in a boho look?
Click here for the pattern for the Maris dress with facing and puff sleeves.
Do you have any more questions about the instructions?
Write them in the comments!
Happy simple sewing,
your Sabine
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