Raw silk questions

Do some tests with pieces of the silk to make sure that whatever you do, the raw silk doesn't suffer from seam slippsge.

I'd suggest that you use a 3 thread serged edge to clean finish, and just do a plain open seam on the silk. The linen blend should be fine either serged with a 4 thread stitch or felled.

Why not make up a small sample, using each technique, then throw them in the washer to see which works better? I'd vote for the serged edges over French seams, less bulky _and_ less work, but I would test to be sure it held up under laundering.

I hear ya'!!! :-}

-- Beverly

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Do some tests with pieces of the silk to make sure that whatever you do, the raw silk doesn't suffer from seam slippsge.

I'd suggest that you use a 3 thread serged edge to clean finish, and just do a plain open seam on the silk. The linen blend should be fine either serged with a 4 thread stitch or felled.

Many thanks Kate-----I did the test and have no seam slippage AT ALL on the linen, and the silk was fine too........whew!! I feel like a good rinse and trip through the gentle dryer will get me right to the cutting!!

I had an experience of 3-thread serged stitch fraying away from medium-weight (I'd say trouser-weight, not blouse-weight) linen, so sinse then I use 4-thread stitch on this kind of fabric.

HTH

Tatiana

I flat-fell the seams in my raw silk and linen-rayon clothing.

I use the flat-fell method I learned from David Coffin's book (do we have a name for it?) where you press a quarter inch to the right side of one piece, then pin the other piece to it right sides together with the raw edges matching and sew a half-inch seam (All my patterns use half-inch seams). The quarter inch added to one seam allowance is subtracted from the other, so fit isn't affected. I find this almost as easy as a plain seam, and one row of topstitching in fine thread does not detract from the formality of the garment.

Joy Beeson

Thanks Joy and Tatiana..........I appreciate the tips..........

Sounds like the cutting width was set too narrow, and/or the stitch too short. I use a medium width on light to medium, with a 2 or three thread stitch, and a medium to wide on heavier and loser weaves. I occasionally use a 4 thread for neatening, if it's suit weight fabric or heavier and very prone to ravelling, but not on anything lighter. It tends to leave too heavy an edge, which will show through to the outside of the garment as ridges on either side of the seam.

thanks, I keep it in mind. In that case the stitch was rather wide and stitch length sort of average (it was ready made trousers), but the fabric itself was very soft linen, and after the first wash it showed its true character :).

Tatiana