Crepe backed satin

Nice pattern.

Then no - they both behave equally badly!

I'm the Queen of Cheap Poly Satin - I've sewn masses of it! Take a look at what can be done with it on my web site. It's fantastic stuff if you keep several things in mind...

Things to be aware of:

Puckered seams: ALL straight cut seams will pucker. This can be mitigated by sewing it as if you were sewing bias cut fabric, using a small very narrow zigzag. But it won't work miracles... And the expensive stuff behaves no better than the cheap stuff!

Ironing: it's very easily marked! Start cool and work up.

Basting: hand baste tricky bits! The damned stuff is so slippery it's quicker than doing it the 'easy' way!

Use FINE pins and a size 60 or 70 needle on the machine. And decent poly thread. I usually use Empress Mills 120's poly for both machine and overlocker. Drima is far too tightly wound ans will pucker even more. Gutterman is OK...

Use sew in interfacing! The fusible stuff doesn't stick to it.

Clean finish long skirt seams, even if fully lined. The stuff frays almost as much as silk dupion! A two thread overlock is best for this.

And you never will again! Velvet is MUCH better behaved! :)

Many thanks Kate for your swift reply.

And you have years of experience and lots of skill!

I think I get the message!

Dry, I pressume, not steam?

This gets better :))

OK

Could I sew in the fusible kind?

Fine or medium weight?

What does 'clean finish' mean?

I get the feeling I'm not going to like this job - if I decide to do it !

Maybe we'll keep looking round the shops - but everything is so expensive and not nearly as nice.

Ho, hum.

Thanks again

Susan

Thank you. :) In this instance, certainly lots of experience!

I've made some fantastic costumes with it, and it likes serged seams best, but there are some areas and styles where this just isn't practical...

Not particularly... It's washable, after all. But frequently it starts to mark before the iron is hot enough for proper steam, and you don't want spit marks! Test! :)

NO! When you press it, it might just stick in parts, leaving a lumpy and uneven finish... :(

I usually find a soft medium weight is best.

Erm... Overcasting or finishing the edges. Catch-all term covering all finishes from a Hong Kong type down to a serged/overlocked one. :)

Oh, do it! Once mastered, you'll never be afraid of it again! :) And the cheap and cheerful stuff isn't always the worst to sew with. The gold ball gown on my web site (What The Dickens project) was expensive John Lewis £8.99 type stuff, and it was a nightmare compared with the £3.50 red stuff I used for the bridesmaids elsewhere on the site... The worst of the lot was the £12.99 stuff 'bought from the warehouse for a very good price' brought in by a customer... ARGH!

Just take care, don't rush it, and yell if you get stuck!

Hi Kate

OK. You've persuaded me :)))

I've bought the patterns ( Butterick 4603 for the top as I don't fancy a zip all the way down the back of the other top) and we're waiting for material samples.

To be continued.....

Susan

I've now bought the material, lining, patterns etc. I've adjusted the skirt pattern as it was too small and cut out and sewn up a 'skirt' in the lining material to test it out. I didn't sew on the waistband, just pinned it, so I can use this as the real skirt's lining.

A few follow up questions have arisen to the post from Kate:

Any guidance as to how small a stitch in length and width? I tried various things on the various parts of the lining but am unhappy with all of them. I have a Brother which has a normal stitch length of 2.5 which is adjustable in length and width.

Universal or micro? Does the make matter?

They don't have a colour to match. Is there something about using a grey instead?

Do you mean their normal sewing thread or their overlocker thread?

Many, many thanks.

Susan

'Bout 2, on my HV Lily... And about .5 for width. You might also need to increase or decrease the foot pressure, if you have that option. I also find that 'taut sewing' (i.e. holding the fabric taut before and aft the needle - equal light pressure either side!) sometimes helps.

I use Schmetz whenever possible: they are the best. Experiment with a micro, but I ususally get away with the universal in the finer size...

Don't worry about an exact match for overlocking: close will do. You may find a blend of two near misses works best! :)

Both! :) I don't usually use their overlocking thread as it comes on little cops and is expensive. Whenever possible I stock up on basics (bright red, black, white, navy, school grey, beige, whatever... ) when I get up to Colne and get along to the factory. That way I get to pick up miss wound cones for half price! :)

Dear SR Glickman,

Another tip on sewing seams. Test this first on scraps. Sew a straight seam, and press it open. You'll see that it probably is very puckery. Now on another scrap, sew a seam. Press the seam flat, the way it was sewn; then, open it and press. This is a demonstration I did with my students to show how proper pressing can solve pucker problems. Now, I'm usually the last person to tell you to adjust the tension on your machine, but in this case, it could help. This lesson is good for velvet and satin both. In fact, pressing a seam flat before opening it should be routinely done, especially in tapered seams.

Teri

You know, I do that so automatically I never remember to mention it! Silly me! ;)

Thanks to Teri and Kate.

I shall now work myself up to cutting out the 'real' fabric - probably not 'til Sunday.

I wondered if bobbin thread would be a good idea both top and bottom.

Thanks again

Susan

I think it's too thin and stretchy and not strong enough for seams... However, test it and see! :)

To bring you up to date:

I've cut out and started the skirt. So far I've done the centre back seam and put in the zip. Doesn't look too bad :))

Now, when I get up to it, how do I sew the interfacing to the waistband?

I'm used to iron on interfacing you see.

Many thanks

Susan.

Just had baste the two together inside the seam allowance all the way round and treat the two as if you had fused it. :) If you think it might slide arround still, you can use a fine silk thread and a fine needle to baste it across the middle too.

Thanks.

While I'm asking - what about the hem on the skirt? The pattern says to fold a small hem and then fold again. Is this the best way?

Thanks again

Susan

No. I like to clean finish with a 2 thread serged edge and then turn up about half an inch with a hand stitched hemstitch.

OK, I'll try that.

Any special instructions for the serging?

Thanks.

I'm actually enjoying this - so far :))

Susan

Fairly narrow cut, not too much tension, and play with the diff feed until you get something that does the job! ;)

Good. See, I *tole* you it werten't frightning!

As I don't have the Empress threads yet I've started the jacket, Butterick 4603.

The instructions for the front darts are tortuous - involving cutting into a corner and then slashing the dart before sewing it. The pictures are not very helpful - and are small.

I think I've worked it out - time will tell!! I've started with the lining so hopefully I'll have got it sorted when I come to the top itself.

I think part of the problem is that this piece is part of the front, the front facing and collar all in one.

As there are princess seams on this jacket I wanted to know if the curver foot ( I have both a 5/8" and a 1/4" one) would work on the crepe backed satin?

I'm doing the lining the way it says in the pattern as I think that's too thin and slippy for the curver foot - or am I wrong?

Many thanks

Susan

If you have any spare scrap cloth, try it in that too, first! :)

Grr! ARGH! Yup, I know that sort...

Yes, the 5/8" should work just fine, but again, experiment and report back! :)

Try it... I only have the 1/4" one for patchwork, and haven't got round to using that yet...

OK - this is a new one to me - what is a curver foot?

TIA!

Sarah