“How do you get such nice edges?” asked a fellow seamstress recently. Here’s how I answered:
Logic dictates you can’t get good edges without straight stitches. Although, even after fifty years of sewing, I sometimes find myself arguing with physics over a slightly crooked stitch and my desire for a smooth curve. But let’s assume for argument’s sake that you have sewn everything absolutely perfectly.
Aside from the stitching, good edges really boil down to preparation.
Before you even turn on your iron, you have to get your piece of sewing ready to be pressed. This means wetting your fingers, twiddling the edges back and forth between them until you work the fabric right down to the seam line, and then basting this in place. Do this from the right side, so you can turn the seam line ever-so-slightly toward the wrong side as you stitch. Note: I use silk thread for this kind of basting because I can press it lightly without the thread leaving a mark. Then I remove the basting and give a good, firm press.
As you can see, below, there’s a big difference between basted and unbasted edges. Without the basting, you can’t expect a perfect turn. End of story.
Having everything right where you want it, before you try to set it there permanently, makes perfect sense. No need for any fancy techniques.
Corners are another thing all together.
Here, you might benefit from a little trick – do not pivot your stitching at the corner. Instead, stitch to 1/16 of an inch before the corner, then take a tiny (1/32?) stitch at an angle across the corner before turning it. The giant sized version of that looks like the diagram below.
The reason this is so helpful is twofold. First, it creates slightly more space for all the fabric that needs to fit into the corner once it’s turned. The other benefit is, when you’re in the process of turning, whatever you poke into the corner will meet the middle of a stitch rather than the space between a stitch, which helps prevent that horrible moment when the corner “blows out”.
I’m sure there are lots and lots of super secret tricks of the trade out there. But this is the one that works for me.