Mistakes & fixes

When top and bottom seam layers creep apart, unequal feed pressure or a fabric mismatch is usually to blame. Use a walking foot, hand-baste slippery layers together, or ease the top layer as you sew.

A hemline that dips or rises around the garment instead of sitting level usually comes from not letting the garment hang before marking, so bias areas drop further. Let it hang, then mark and true the hem.

Stitches that vary in size along a seam usually come from inconsistent feeding, a dull needle snagging the weave, or pulling fabric by hand instead of letting the feed dogs work. Let the machine feed naturally.

Understitching that wanders away from the seamline, leaving the facing visible from outside, comes from sewing too fast or not keeping seam allowances pressed toward the facing. Slow down and hold allowances flat as you stitch.

Removing incorrect stitches without tearing the fabric means cutting only every third or fourth stitch on one side with a seam ripper, then pulling the intact thread free from the other side. Work slowly on delicate weaves.