|
Posted by Kate Dicey on April 26, 2006, 3:41 am
wurstergirl wrote:
> I think Kate was trying to explain about working with bias. Basically,
> in the vertical and horizontal directions woven fabrics don't stretch.
> But if you pull diagonally most of them will stretch. As the fabric
> expands in the diagonal (bias direction), the vertical and horizontal
> directions react by shortening. In a bias cut skirt, gravity is
> providing the pull downward in the bias direction. The skirt will
> actually lengthen in areas around the hemline (but unevenly). In
> compensation, the distance around your body will shorten (also
> unevenly). This makes the lovely clinginess of a bias skirt. But the
> net effect is that if you don't give extra seam allowances, it will be
> too tight to wear! (And the waist may drop to rest on your hips.)
>
> Most fabrics will reach maximum distortion after hanging in the bias
> direction for a few days. So a common way of handling this issue is to
> have you baste the skirt together either with thread or pins, let it
> hang and stretch out completely for a day or two, then try it on and
> adjust the side seams to fit you again. The fit can shrink
> drastically, so having extra seam allowance is pretty important. (One
> skirt I made had 4 inch allowances, so a total of 13 extra inches
> around to play with!) One difficulty is that every time you adjust
> the fit it gives the fabric another chance to re-distort. One can
> repeat the hanging and refitting ad infinitum and never feel it's
> perfect. And, the hemline changes every time you do it, so don't trim
> it straight until you've decided to stop refitting!
>
> Anyway, I was struck by the fact that the New Look pattern didn't
> mention to hang overnight or provide extra seam allowances. Like I
> said in the earlier thread, the wearing ease is 6 1/2 inches, which is
> pretty generous. That might be their way of automatically compensating
> for the "shrinkage." I'm not trying to discourage you from making
> this, because it will be lovely when done. Just want to prevent
> disasters!
>
> Kate: are there other home-sewing techniques you know for doing bias
> skirts?
>
> Pora
>
No, I think between us we've covered just about everything. I always
let a true bias garment, anything with a greater than half circle skirt,
and anything multi-panel and/or very soft fabric rest on a dress stand
for as long as possible: up to a week.
--
Kate XXXXXX R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!
| 
Yahoo! 
Google 
Windows Live 
del.icio.us 
digg 
Netscape 
XML Sitemap