Seam is the join where two or more fabric layers are held together with stitches. Plain seam is most common, joining fabric face-to-face with raw edges. French seam fully encloses raw edges for neat finish. Flat seam joins fabric edge-to-edge without overlap
Sewing originated in Paleolithic era using animal parts and bone needles. Stone Age people sewed fur and leather using sinew and animal body parts. Hand sewing was practiced for thousands of years. First known use of "sewing" was in 14th century
Buttonhole is a reinforced fabric hole for button passage. First appeared in Germany during 13th century. Became widespread with rise of snug-fitting garments
Hand sewing offers cost-effective and precise control compared to machine sewing. Choose appropriate needle size based on fabric type. Thread should be cut 2.5 times project length
Welt pockets require fabric, fusing, ruler, chalk, scissors, and sewing machine. Cut rectangles to match pocket dimensions, e.g. 6"x11" for 4"x9" pocket. Cut fusing strips 1" wider than pocket length, 2" wide. Draw parallel lines on fusing, spacing 1/2" apart
Choose needle size that matches thread length and point. Unspool at least 1 foot of thread and trim ends. Lick thread ends to help fibers stay together