How to make a zigzag stitch when tailoring your own clothes
The zigzag stitch does two important jobs when you’re tailoring your own clothes: it protects raw fabric edges from fraying, and it gives stretchy fabrics room to move.
Once you understand a couple of basic settings, it’s pretty straightforward. We’re finishing a seam on a t-shirt not calibrating the James Webb telescope…
What Does a Zigzag Stitch Do?
Unlike a straight stitch, which moves forward in a straight line, a zigzag stitch moves forward while the needle travels from side to side.
That sideways movement lets the thread wrap around the edge of your fabric. This helps protect the raw edge after you’ve altered a dress shirt, tapered a pair of chinos, or slimmed a garbage bag looking T-shirt.
Understand Your Stitch Length and Width
Your zigzag stitch has two settings:
Stitch length: Controls how far the fabric moves forward between stitches.
Stitch width: Controls how far the needle moves from side to side.
A wider zigzag works best for finishing raw edges. A narrower zigzag works better when you need a seam that stretches.
Best Zigzag Settings for Finishing Raw Edges
Start with a stitch width of approximately 4–5 millimeters.
Your exact settings might vary depending on your sewing machine, but the goal is simple: the zigzag should be wide enough to wrap around the raw edge without bunching the fabric.
Before you start sewing, lower your presser foot and turn the handwheel toward you. Watch where the needle lands.
You want the needle to land:
On the fabric on one side of the zigzag.
Just off the fabric’s edge on the other side.
That back-and-forth movement wraps the thread around the edge and helps prevent fraying.
Start with a few stitches, backstitch to secure the thread, and follow the edge of your fabric. Don’t push or pull. Your job is mostly steering.
If you drift off the edge for a couple of stitches, don’t panic. Just adjust your position and keep going.
Which Fabrics Need Their Edges Finished?
Woven fabrics like these tend to fray more easily:
Dress shirts.
Chinos.
Jeans.
T-shirts are usually made from knit fabric, which generally doesn’t fray as much. You don’t always need to finish the edges, but adding a zigzag stitch is good practice to be consistent.
Using a Narrow Zigzag Stitch on T-Shirts
A regular straight stitch doesn’t stretch, like at all. That can cause problems when you’re shortening a T-shirt since your factory hem is stretchy and you want to maintain that elasticity.
That’s where a narrow zigzag stitch comes in.
Reduce your stitch width to approximately 2–3 millimeters. This creates a stitch that looks closer to a straight line but still has enough flexibility to move with the fabric.
If you’re shortening a T-shirt, sew as close to the original hem as possible. Then backstitch at the end so your stitching doesn’t unravel.
That’s the Whole Operation
Your straight stitch creates the new fit. Your zigzag stitch protects the work you just did.
From the outside, all anyone should notice is a garment that fits you better.
Same body. Same clothes. Less misinformation.
