- Zigzag stitch can be used for a number of tasks and is very useful on a basic sewing machine. Zigzag stitch can be used to edge seams to prevent the fabric from fraying. Professional and more advanced seamstresses will generally have an over locker that does this job very professionally and even trims any excess fabric. However the zigzag stitch will do the job very well for those who don’t have the luxury of an over locker just by sewing along any cut edges of your fabric with a zigzag stitch.
- Zigzag stitch is also used to make button holes. It is a very tight zigzag that is used, so that with each stitch, the thread sits almost on top of itself and makes a very tidy edge. A buttonhole presser foot must be used, and the zigzag stitch is used to go down one side of the buttonhole then is set at a wider stitch width to go across the top of the button hole. Then the fabric is turned and the narrow zigzag is used to come down the other side of the button hole and then a wider zigzag stitch is used once again at to close up the bottom of the buttonhole.
- Scissors are then used to carefully cut the fabric between the two sides to create the opening (being very careful not to cut your stitching) and the result is a One buttonhole!
