Hi All, I'm making a parasol cover from satin. After cutting the panels I baste one with fabric glue, superimpose the other, then iron the seam*. After I do that the panels do not match, edge to edge, as if the basting process changed their size???? They were the same size to begin with. Does anyone have any idea what I'm doing wrong? I can provide pictures.
If you can email me pics, I might better understand it. However, from your description, I'm guessing it's the normal "shift" of a seam. Typical, and it's why pinning and basting is the bane of sewing. Satin will slip and shift much like velvet. Hard to explain, but if you've ever basted a satin seam without pinning first you'd understand.
Dianne
Hi, John. I got your pictures. It appears that the satin is indeed sliding as you are trying to seam it. Satin is nasty that way. You'll have to pin carefully, baste it by hand (maybe) and then glue it.
Another thing: are you *sure* the pieces are the same size? Satin has a tendency (like velvet) to slip/slide as you're cutting it and it's not uncommon to have two identical pattern pieces come out differently.
I wish I could be of more help, but that's my best guess based on the snapshots you sent.
You sure picked a difficult project!!! Dianne
Sh> Hi Dianne,
Good thing we've kept all these posts intact so I could go back to the beginning. If I understand it: the panels don't match (at the seams) after you glue and iron it.
This is because satin is slippery and of a weave that it "moves/shifts". In order to handle it, you'll have to pin first to make sure that each piece fits perfectly together.
Not sure why you are using a water soluble glue to hold the two pieces together, but obviously it's a method that has worked successfully for you in the past.
Normally sewers pin then hand baste difficult to handle fabrics.
Dianne - who wishes you all the best! So glad we got the email thing straightened out.
Sh> Hi Dianne,
I can't really visualize what you are doing (working with 4 layers) nor the entire process. You tell it just fine. It's my brain that has the problem. I do understand how the needle will "miss".
I know it's a lot of work (what you plan to do), but when you work with stubborn fabrics, it *takes* a lot of work.
I wish you the very best and if this turns out for you, I'd love to see a picture. I can't imagine working with black fabric, anymore. My husband wants me to knit him a black sweater and I told him those days are long gone.
Dianne
Sh> Hi Dianne,
No, no. In the U.S.A., basting means the same as tacking in the U.K. and Commonwealth, in other words holding the fabric together with fairly long stitches (usually done by hand) very close to but not quite on the seamline. Then, you sew the final seam and afterwards take out the basting or tacking stitches. Therefore, for something tricky, I would normally pin, then hand baste or tack, then finally, after I was sure I had everything properly lined up, I would sew.
Olwyn Mary in New Orleans.
We "baste" the turkey here, too. Like Olwyn Mary, I am also originally from England. Learning to shop over here was quite an experience!! I still mis-spell words, such as using an "s" instead of a "z" in organise, and I can never remember how tyres, tires, are spelled in which country. At my age I have given up worrying about it!
Gillian Florida
Sh> Hi Mary,
I'm so happy to know you've resolved the problem!! Can't wait to see a picture of the finished umbrella.
Dianne
Sh> Hi Dianne,
Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Ask the community — no account required