French seams on Brocade - need help!

Hello all from snowy southern New Jersey: I tried to make (well, I made it but don't like how it turned out) a satin brocade jacket with French seams. I was the one who wrote here a few weeks ago that this fabric bled like Cherry Kool-Aid when I prewashed it. I don't like the way the sleeves turned out - they are fine as long as I don't move my arms and keep them straight down (try driving or eating that way). I used French seams on this garment because the brocade, which is about 50% nylon and 50%:rayon, frayed easily at the ends. I think the main problem is in the underarm seams. It seems as though it is way too bulky where the underarm seam and the rest of the garment meet. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Lisa W.

Reply to
Lisa W.
Loading thread data ...

Hi! Lisa, This is probably too late, since you've already sewed the jacket, but I would have used that seam tape stuff. Comes in black and white? Bias, and is used to enclose the raw edges. Less bulky than a french seam. Helpful, aren't I? The problems you are having with the sleeves may not be just the french seams. I often have that problem with sleeves that are close fitting and have a distinct sleeve cap - you know, really curvy. If I can even move my arms around, the sleeve gets all bunchy and weird looking when I move. Have you made this jacket before in another material? If you have, and it was OK to wear, then I guess it is the seams.

liz young

Reply to
Elizabeth Young

Lisa, do you have a serger? French seams on an armscye seam would be bulky, since you need to clip the underarm to allow for turn of the cloth, and of course movement.

You've had your troubles with this jacket, haven't you? Hope you can rescue it.

Karen Maslowski in Cincinnati

Reply to
SewStorm

Do you have a serger? It seems to me that this would be perfect for a serger. Or is not, how about regular seams but do a hong kong finish on the seam edges.

Arlene

Lisa W. wrote:

Reply to
arlene

I'm wondering about a diamond shaped gusset in the 'armpit'. This wouldn't show unless you are running point for the Stash Raiders and raise your arms high over your head to wave and yell, "Over here!!" Cut your gusset in an elongated diamond shape. Open the side/arm seam and sleeve seam the same size as the gusset, match the short side of the gusset to the sleeve seam (east/west), the long tips to the sleeve/side (north/south) seam and then sew it in with either a serger or sew it in and then bind it with a silky type seam tape. This should give you room for movement. I did this on a

1930-40s styled bridal gown of some sort of nightmare mystery satin brocade-y s**t. The bride's aunt had found the gown at a garage sale and it seemed the only problem was that the present bride could barely raise her elbows above shoulder height or hold her arms straight out in front of her. Not because of the back or shoulders being to tight, the arm hole was just too small, It might have even been the sleeves were sewn in backwards, I never figured that out either. I found enough material in the bodice facings and replaced that with another like weight fabric. This stuff frayed like a *&^%$% so I did a very careful basting in place before sewing, trying to handle it as little as possible.....and I NEVER baste, yuck...and then basted the seam tape and THEN stitched it on the machine. A real (pre serger) PITA but it worked very well and you really didn't notice the gussets.

Val

Reply to
Valkyrie

hi lisa w... where in southern nj are you? im in waterford (thats between atco and hammonton...)

betsey betsey "we do not inherit the earth, we caretake it for our children"

Reply to
Two x over

French seams on Brocade - need help!

(Lisa=A0W.)

..it turned out) a satin brocade jacket with French seams. I was the one who wrote here a few weeks ago that this fabric bled like Cherry Kool-Aid when I prewashed it. I don't like the way the sleeves turned out - they are fine as long as I don't move my arms and keep them straight down (try driving or eating that way). I used French seams on this garment because the brocade, which is about 50% nylon and

50%:rayon, frayed easily at the ends. I think the main problem is in the underarm seams. It seems as though it is way too bulky where the underarm seam and the rest of the garment meet. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Reply to
sewingbythecea

Reply to
Lisa W.

I don't have a serger, but my Bernina does an overlocker stitch that is pretty good and I may try to sew the ends together that way. I have had my share of my headaches with the jacket! See what happens when you fall in love with fabric? And you might not be right for each other? At least I can rip it apart and start over. Husbands aren't that easy!! Thanks for your kind words.

Lisa W.

Reply to
Lisa W.

That's a good idea - I wouldn't have even thought of that! Boy, it sounds like you had lots of fun with that wedding dress. I wore my mother's gown from 1945 so listening to your talking about the satin brings back some nice memories. The dress had an 8' train and no bustle, but the man who reworked the gown installed a bustle with 7 buttons and crocheted loops for the train.

Lisa W.

Reply to
Lisa W.

Don't use the bias tape from the store, though. First, trim the seam (I still think part of your problem is that it wasn't clipped or trimmed), and then bind it with something from the fabric store called Seams Great. This is a very lightweight, bias-cut tricot that wraps around a seam allowance. It's comfortable hugging up there in your armpit, keeps the fabric from ravelling, and will keep everything as neat as a serged seam would. You can also cut your own bias strips, just use a very lightweight fabric, like china silk.

I'd try this first, before inserting a gusset, frankly. It can make an enormous difference to clip the seams at a point of strain. Karen Maslowski in Cincinnati

Reply to
SewStorm

I agree with Karen. A gusset would give you more room, but I would try Hong Kong finish with the Seams Great first. (There, now you have a fancy term for binding seam allowances with bias tape. Be sure and remind yourself to

*feel* fancy when you use that term. ;} ) And be sure to clip the curve of the seam all the way around. That really is key.

One question first before you do anything:

Where did you put that French seam? I know, I know, "all over the jacket, Sharon. Aren't you paying attention??" lol What I mean is, did you put it on the stitching line of the pattern? Or did you put it out in the seam allowance of the pattern? It's very, very easy to actually sew the garment a size smaller than it should be when you do French seams. You don't

**intend** to sew it smaller than you need. But somewhere in the sewing, trimming, turning and sewing again, it's easy to wander in further than you should have. Where that shows up like neon in the night is anywhere the garment is fitted close to the body...like sleeves and underarms.

If that's the case, depending on how closely you trimmed the first seam allowance, you may be able to take the sleeve out and let it out. But don't try to do French seams again in there. (You won't have enough seam allowance or room.) Bind the seams. Also I wouldn't suggest French seams in the armscye at all. I know you wanted them to keep the fabric under control. However, I have found that French seams just don't work well on really deeply curved seams, like an armscye, unless the fabric is really, really lightweight. When you get into jacket weight fabrics, there is just too much bulk in a French seam, even a closely trimmed one, to work into the curve smoothly, IMO.

HTH

Sharon

Reply to
mamahays

Thanks for the advice. I sewed the first seam at 1/4 and the second at 3/8 and did not trim the first seam, but did snip any stray threads that poked through on the outside. So I am not really worried that once I take the sleeves off my seam allowances will be non-existent. I do agree that a major problem with the sleeve is that I did not clip the curves. Well, at least I learned something, right?

Lisa W.

Reply to
Lisa W.

Absolutely! Any mistake that you learn from is a good mistake. (And not one that you will make again.)

I think what's giving you fits is twofold. One you didn't trim that seam. (which actually works out a good thing in this case!) I know 1/8" doesn't sound like much, but having that extra eighth in there is giving you extra bulk and rigidity. And two, not clipping the curves. When you clip the curves, you help the fabric become more flexible. In an armscye, you must have flexibility, as you've found out. :)

This is totally fixable. That's the great news.

Let us know how it turns out. I hope you will be happy with it very soon. :)

Sharon

Reply to
mamahays

yeah, that's the stuff I was talking about!

liz young

Reply to
Elizabeth Young

I have read in many sewing books that french seams are used mostly for under-garments, pajamas, and lightweight material like silk. I can see why. I did the same thing with a garment and ended up never wearing it. You have a lot of patience, I hate to make the same thing twice! Isn't that awful?

Reply to
Warrior_13

InspirePoint website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.