Yes, and finishing woven seam allowances is one of the things an overlocker does best.
The usual method for wovens. Sew the seam on your sewing machine as normal, press it, and then overlock the raw edges with a three-thread stitch. That gives you a pressed, accurate seam with a neat, non-fraying edge — which is how most ready-to-wear woven garments are made.
You can also overlock the edges before sewing, finishing each piece separately. This suits seams pressed open, and it is the tidier option on a lined jacket or trousers.
Should you construct woven seams on the overlocker directly? Sometimes. It is quick, and it is fine on casual garments and on side seams that do not need pressing open. But you lose the pressed-open seam, you lose the ability to let a seam out later, and you cannot check the fit before the allowance has been trimmed away. On anything fitted, sew first and overlock after.
Settings for wovens. A three-thread stitch, a universal or sharp needle in a size to suit the fabric, and differential feed at neutral. Wovens do not stretch, so the differential adjustment that matters on knits does very little here.
On fine and fraying fabric, a narrower stitch or a rolled hem finish handles the edge better than a wide overlock, which can pull.
On very loosely woven fabric, consider an enclosed finish instead. A French seam holds where an overlocked edge lets the fibres pull out.
Questions people actually ask
Should I overlock before or after sewing the seam?
After, for most garments — you can still adjust the fit. Before, when the seam will be pressed open and you want each allowance finished separately.
Does overlocking replace pinking?
It is considerably more durable. Pinked edges reduce fraying; an overlocked edge encloses it, and it survives washing far better.
Last reviewed 2026-08-11