How to tell a well-made abaya: seams, hems, finish

Seams from the outside

Lay the abaya flat in daylight and follow each seam with your eye.

• Straight lines. Side seams, shoulder seams and front edges should run true, without wobbling.
• Even stitches. Small, regular stitches of one length. Long, loose stitches are quicker to sew and quicker to break.
• No puckering. A seam that ripples on fine cloth was sewn with the wrong tension or needle, and it will not press out.
• No loose threads or skipped stitches, especially where a seam starts and ends.
• Smooth sleeve heads. The join between sleeve and shoulder should be smooth unless gathers are part of the design.

Seams from the inside

The inside is where shortcuts hide. Raw edges should be enclosed or neatly overlocked so they cannot fray in the wash. On sheer or very fine cloth, enclosed seams such as French seams look cleaner, because the edge cannot be seen through the fabric. On an open-front abaya the inside is on show whenever the front swings back, so the facings should lie flat, stay turned under and be finished as carefully as the outside.

Look at stress points too: the top of a slit, pocket corners and the underarm should have a few extra stitches to stop them tearing. If the abaya is lined, the lining should sit slightly shorter than the hem and move freely without pulling the outer cloth; lined or unlined abaya describes the lining options.

The hem

Put the abaya on, stand naturally and look in a mirror from the front and the side. The hem should be the same distance from the floor all the way round, unless a longer back was requested. Laid flat, the hem stitching should be even, with no twisting or rippling along the fold; a twisted hem means the cloth was stretched as it was sewn. On a flared cut a narrow hem is normal, since a deep one cannot turn smoothly around a curve.

Closures, symmetry and pressing

The last checks take a minute each.

• Buttons sewn firmly, and buttonholes stitched densely with no fraying.
• Snaps aligned so the front lies flat when closed, without one side sitting higher.
• Zips lying flat without waves and running smoothly from top to bottom.
• Matching sides: sleeves the same length, pockets at the same height, cuffs the same width.
• Pattern: on jacquard or printed cloth, the design should line up across the front; see jacquard abayas.
• Pressing: seams pressed flat, no shiny iron marks, no ridge of seam allowance showing through.
• Hang: on a hanger, the abaya should fall straight without twisting to one side, which shows the pieces were cut on the straight grain.

When the abaya is made for you

If the abaya is embroidered, judge that work separately with our guide to good quality embroidery. With a made-to-measure order there is also a second question beside workmanship: does it match what was agreed? Our arrival checklist covers measuring it against your written quote.

Reliable fabric, comfort and careful stitching are what we put first on every custom abaya. If a particular finish matters to you, such as enclosed seams on a sheer fabric, ask for it in your quote, and we confirm what is possible on your fabric and design. You can start from the quote form.