The Fast Fabric Interface

A few weeks ago we made up the Tia Dress in the black and white cotton fabric you see below. There are quite a few pieces that need to be interfaced. To speed this process up, here is what we do: 

Step 1: With the fusible side up, lay your pattern pieces wrong side down on top of interfacing. Be sure the grain of your fabric runs with the interfacing length of goods.

 

 Step 2: With a large piece of paper, cover the top completely. We used 2 opened paper sacks, but any paper large enough will work, just be sure that any print/inks do not transfer with heat or steam.

Step 3: With an iron, press each area to adhere the paper to the interfacing.

Step 4: Turn the paper over.

Step 5: Place a damp cloth over the first piece and press again from the backside, following the manufacturer's directions for length of time and iron temperature.

Step 6: Re-wet the cloth and press each additional pattern piece as needed.

Step 7: Cut each piece along the original cut line.

Step 8: Separate the paper from the fabric. You are now ready to sew!

Make Mine Sheer!

Personally, I don't care for traditional suit jackets, but I can go for other types of creative layering! The concept behind #1106 began a year ago with the idea of a sheer "jacket" that can double as a shirt. Once it was near the end of the production process, I brought the package cover to exercise class to get the opinion of my friends. The first thing they said is "I don't work with THAT kind of fabric!" Ouch.

Just because you can see through it, don't automatically think the fabric need be "difficult to work with". The two most common sheer fabrics are Organza and Chiffon. Sheers get a bad reputation from Chiffons, which are slinky, slippery, with a soft hand and drape. Organza is the polar opposite, being firmer, easy to cut, and full of good body. In fact, organza is often used in finer apparel as an interfacing, and if used alone, as with the Phantom Jacket, needs no additional stiffening at all for a good shape in your collars and cuffs.

Being woven, both types of fabric will fray, yet they both can take very different types of seam finishes. The most common seam associated with sheers is called a "french seam" in which the seam is sewn in such a way that the cut edge is actually enclosed. There are so very many tutorials on french seams that I won't go into it here, except to say that the best, most professional french seams will be very narrow, less than 1/4" wide. On first glance, the seam will nearly be undetectable. With Chiffon, french seams are nearly the only option. However, with organza a french seam is a nice choice, but not the only one. Other seam finishes - from a simple serged edge, to a hong kong finish - could also be considered.

On the Phantom Jacket, the only seams needing a seam finish will be the back, side, and sleeve seam. Everything else is trimmed and enclosed in a facing. Myself, I used a serger on these seams, cutting them to a narrow 1/4". Now how easy is that? I hope my friends in excercise class might reconsider their opinion on sheers. Not all of them are "difficult"!

The Phantom Jacket and Pant pattern is available this week on Etsy on a "pre-order" status, to be mailed out on Monday, May 16th. Also, I'm offering a 15% discount on all Etsy orders now through May 16. Use the coupon code MOMSR4EVER at checkout:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/73756255/new-sewing-pattern-1950s-retro-jacket