facing/interfacing

Sewing Discussions - A group that is not as it seams. 

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Subject Author Date
facing/interfacing janesire 08-16-2007
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Posted by on August 16, 2007, 12:33 pm
Do I really need to use interfacing for medium weight garments? I
bought this beautiful fabric for a dress for my toddler.
http://preview.tinyurl.com/25fhtz
When I fold the fabric it doesn't fall flat because of the thickness.
I was wondering if I can leave out the fusible interfacing. If I don't
use the interfacing will I be damaging the dress?

also, my toddler doesn't like seams touching her skin. Are there any
tricks that soften the inside seams other than of course lining the
dress.

Thanks.


Posted by BEI Design on August 16, 2007, 2:15 pm
janesire [at] gmail.com wrote:
> Do I really need to use interfacing for medium weight
> garments? I bought this beautiful fabric for a dress for
> my toddler. http://preview.tinyurl.com/25fhtz
> When I fold the fabric it doesn't fall flat because of
> the thickness. I was wondering if I can leave out the
> fusible interfacing. If I don't use the interfacing will
> I be damaging the dress?

JMHO: That fabric, made up for a toddler, would not need
fusible (or any) interfacing. Just be sure all facing edges
are securely finished (turned in 1/4" and machine stitched).

> also, my toddler doesn't like seams touching her skin.
> Are there any tricks that soften the inside seams other
> than of course lining the dress.

You could consider doing French seams:
http://sewing.about.com/od/techniques/ss/frenchseam.htm
http://www.sewneau.com/how.to/french.seam.html

But that would probably be pretty bulky in that fabric.
Another possibility is making flat-felled seams:
http://sewing.about.com/od/techniques/ss/flatfelled.htm

If you have a serger, use could use wooly nylon in both the
upper and lower loopers, setting to a short stitch length to
enclose the raw edges in a nice soft finish.

Beverly




Posted by on August 16, 2007, 2:48 pm
wrote:
> janesire [at] gmail.com wrote:
> > Do I really need to use interfacing for medium weight
> > garments? I bought this beautiful fabric for a dress for
> > my toddler.http://preview.tinyurl.com/25fhtz
> > When I fold the fabric it doesn't fall flat because of
> > the thickness. I was wondering if I can leave out the
> > fusible interfacing. If I don't use the interfacing will
> > I be damaging the dress?
>
> JMHO: That fabric, made up for a toddler, would not need
> fusible (or any) interfacing. Just be sure all facing edges
> are securely finished (turned in 1/4" and machine stitched).
>
> > also, my toddler doesn't like seams touching her skin.
> > Are there any tricks that soften the inside seams other
> > than of course lining the dress.
>
> You could consider doing French
seams:http://sewing.about.com/od/techniques/ss/frenchseam.htmhttp://www.sewneau.com/how.to/french.seam.html
>
> But that would probably be pretty bulky in that fabric.
> Another possibility is making flat-felled
seams:http://sewing.about.com/od/techniques/ss/flatfelled.htm
>
> If you have a serger, use could use wooly nylon in both the
> upper and lower loopers, setting to a short stitch length to
> enclose the raw edges in a nice soft finish.
>
> Beverly

Thanks for your reply. Can I also use bias tape to finish the neckline
and arm holes? I find bias tape an easier way to ensure even
stitching.

I don't have a serger. I can't justify the cost of getting a serger
(or rotary cutter for that matter) because I'm not much of a sewer
yet.

Thanks.


Posted by BEI Design on August 16, 2007, 2:53 pm
janesire@gmail.com wrote:

>
> Thanks for your reply. Can I also use bias tape to finish
> the neckline
> and arm holes? I find bias tape an easier way to ensure
> even
> stitching.

If you have sufficient fabric to cut bias strips, sure. I
would not apply commercial poly-cotton bias tape, though.

> I don't have a serger. I can't justify the cost of
> getting a serger (or rotary cutter for that matter)
> because I'm not much of a sewer
> yet.

Give yourself time. And, no one starts out with all the
tools, you collect them as you can afford (or *need*) them.
;-)

Beverly



Posted by Joy Beeson on August 17, 2007, 4:56 pm
On Thu, 16 Aug 2007 11:53:50 -0700, "BEI Design"

> If you have sufficient fabric to cut bias strips, sure. I
> would not apply commercial poly-cotton bias tape, though.

I learned the hard way that you don't want to use self-bias on a heavy
fabric. I bought two yards of black china silk just to make bias
tape from -- and found lots of other uses for it. I often wear a
three-cornered scarf like a Boy Scout's neckerchief or a triangular
bandage, so I cut one of those off first.

Having been sewing for fifty years, I cut my cotton tapes from scraps;
you'll probably have to buy a yard of thin fabric. I have
unbleached-muslin bias tape in my stash, but you can't count on
finding a fine-enough grade of muslin. Lawn, broadcloth, and
"handkerchief" linen make good tape. (Many stores call their thinnest
linen "handkerchief linen" even though it isn't thin enough to make
handkerchiefs.)

Wash the fabric, straighten the ends, mark bias lines all over it
maybe six inches apart, then mark and cut only what you need for the
current job -- the next job may call for tape that's wider or
narrower. But you have to mark it ahead of time, because once you've
cut the fabric, it becomes hard to find the true bias.

A time-saving trick: cut a strip twice as wide as is wanted, fold it
in half, iron, cut along the crease.

Joy Beeson
--
joy beeson at comcast dot net
http://roughsewing.home.comcast.net/ -- sewing
http://n3f.home.comcast.net/ -- Writers' Exchange
The above message is a Usenet post.
I don't recall having given anyone permission to use it on a Web site.



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