sewing satin and blind hem tips?

Hi there, Kristen! I'll just take this a bit at a time - easier to swallow in smaller bites! Letting your lass have the dress as this summer's Posh frock sounds good!

Err... So it does! Bugger, innit! ;P

Next time, look at WHAT you are sewing: if the garment is lined, just cut the seam allowances a bit wider, and pinking sheer trim the excess off just before slipping the lining into the bodice. Once put together, it stops fraying. Serge the edges of the skirt if you can. Don't do this to the bodice seam allowances or you will get ridges down the seams when you press them.

I don't gather in those circumstances, I pleat! Soft, unpressed thumb pleats work a treat. If it HAS to be gathered, gather the lining and skirt together (except for a couple of inches each side of the zip), and use TWO lines of stitching about 1/4" apart - yes, wider apart than usual! Then tug the gathers into place. almost like mini pleats. You could even use 3 or 4 rows of gathers, just to control it temporarily, but you will need to put them in BY HAND, using a fine needle and fine SILK thread to minimize damage and needle holes in the satin. All the extra gather will just slide out later. The very bunchy pink bridesmaid dresses on my web site were done like this.

For blind hem tips, pop over to my web site and look at 'Blind hemming on the machine explained' in Kate's Sewing Room. Also, take a look at the 'How to rescue a bias cut disaster' for where NOT to try blind hemming.

In my experience, the blind hem stitch is a wonderful thing in the right place, but, as you have found, satin is NOT the right place!

On satin I like to use concealed zips: there are some in the bias cut disaster area that came out quite well in the end. The alternative is to make a feature of them, as I did on the pink ones: I sewed one side in on the machine, and the upper side that shows was hand pricked. The bodice section had tiny covered buttons to decorate it, and on the skirt (yes, UNDER the sash!) I popped a seed bead on every stitch! That way, if the sashes were discarded, the dresses still looked finished!

Do we get to see pix, Kristen? I love to see what others are doing! BTW, the URL for my web site is below! No selling, just info and pix.

Now that's a real princess frock ;) Brave of you to tackle it.

I'm guessing our American sisters will say use Fraycheck. I haven't tried this, but dipping the fabric in a strong starch solution before ironing and cutting can help. This stops the stuff from slipping anyway, so I do it with all light fabrics. Another idea is to mark your cutting lines and stay-stitch inside before actually cutting. Another is to serge the cut edge immediately (I don't have a serger, so I use 3-step zigzag). I've long been in the habit of finishing all cut edges before assembly just because it stabilises everything and I can decide on the seam finish later, trimming the finished edge off if necessary. It's especially necessary with rayon georgette chiffon, which frays like the devil.

Try several sets of gathers, each tighter than the last as you work in towards the seam. The very tight gathers used in 1930s clothing always use this technique, in a matching thread so that it can be left in the finished item - you can only see it if you peek between the folds - or you can cut the lower threads afterwards. Baste before final sewing and check the finished side to make sure none of the gathers has flipped over - don't sew over pins. And use a new needle for sewing - you might need that very sharp point. (If the gathers are not completely even all the way round, try very small pleats instead, as these can be space out more easily.)

No tips from me here as I do this sort of thing by hand, but I'm sure someone more machine-savvy can help. Can you disguise the ripple with some lace trim? Whatever, I'm sure it will look beautiful and she'll be thrilled with it.

Good luck with the jumper.

:) Trish

Yuck! No Way! Not Ever! Never!! I bought a tiny bottle of that stuff about ten years ago, used two drops, and it is still lying in one of my sewing drawers (must remember to throw it out next time I come across it). No way am I going to put any of that horrid, nasty, plasticy gum on anything I am going to wear or use!

I, too, like either the three-stitch zigzag or pinking, unless it is something really posh and meant to last a looooong time, in which case I might do Hong Kong finish or "seams great"

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans.

Thanks Kate!

I'll definitely post pictures of this when i'm finished. hoping to get the zip in today.

since i have to shorten the skirt some more anyway, i'm just going to do a regular hem on the machine....but i'm definitely going to check out your site for future misadventures ;) i always learn something new when i'm there!

kristen :)

smooth...almost

thanks for the heads up about fray check...i had thought about buying some...but i won't bother now...guess i gotta get some pinking shears :)

kristen

However, FrayCheck does have one exceptional use, to hold buttons on. Once you've sewn a button, add just a tiny dab of FrayCheck to the stitching, and that sucker will never come off, unless you cut it off. I've used it on readymade garments, too.

But I would never use it to keep an entire garment from fraying. That's what sergers, Hong Kong finish, Seams Great, and French seams are for!

Karen Maslowski in Cincinnati

I only use fraycheck when I forget to lock the beginning and ends of my machine embroidery. It was such a pain that I have never forgotten again!

liz young

Kristen L. Renneker wrote:

I don't us it often, only as a last resort, but June Taylor FrayBlock (in a tube, not a bottle) is softer when dry than Fraycheck. It also doesn't wick as much, so it doesn't travel as far in the fabric.

YMMV Joy S-E