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From: cbkins
Date: 07-10-2004, 03:59 PM (1 of 7)
| I am sewing a dress for a little girl for an upcoming wedding and the fabric is silk charmeuse. I have so far made a cummerbund for a boy with this fabric and when I cut out the pattern then cut out the interfacing the silk piece is never the same shape as the interfacing. What am I doing wrong? I am afraid to cut out the large dress pieces until I find out what I can do to fix this problem. Any suggestions? Thanks, Kerry |
User: cbkins
Member since: 07-10-2004 Total posts: 3 |
From: SewBug1
Date: 07-10-2004, 06:46 PM (2 of 7)
|
You are not doing anything wrong, its just that silk is slippery. I rarely get intefacing and fabric to be the same anyway. When cutting silks or satins and such, I lay newspaper under the fabric and cut the fabric AND the newspaper together. The paper keeps the slippery fabrics from moving. Another option is to use a rotary cutter, but unless you are really comfortable with the rotary cutter, I would sitck to the newspaper. |
User: SewBug1
Member since: 05-29-2004 Total posts: 26 |
From: MaryW
Date: 07-11-2004, 08:49 AM (3 of 7)
Hi cbkins, welcome to Sew Whats New. 
MaryW
owner/editor of Sew Whats New |
User: MaryW
Member since: 06-23-2005 Total posts: 2542 
|
From: DorothyL
Date: 07-11-2004, 09:24 AM (4 of 7)
|
Kerry, I'm a big fan of using a rotary cutter. Practice a little first and use the scissors in the tight spots. Paper under the fabric helps too but be careful with newspaper that the ink doesn't smear off. As for getting the interfacing to fit the fashion fabric here's a couple tricks that work everytime. If you are using iron on interfacing: When you cut the piece to be interfaced, just cut around the pattern piece, leaving about 1/2 inch at least all the way around. If you can't get it close to the edge so the salvage is still on the piece you cut, mark the straight of grain. Now lay that on interfacing and cut around it. Now apply the interfacing, line the pattern piece up to the straight of grain and cut it out. Perfect fit. If it isn't iron on -- but you probably don't have as much problem matching these up -- you can cut the fabric to the pattern size but the interfacing a bit bigger, apply it and trim the interfacing. Dorothy |
User: DorothyL
Member since: 12-09-2002 Total posts: 3883 |
From: plrlegal
Date: 07-11-2004, 02:47 PM (5 of 7)
|
Lay your silk fabric over white tissue paper and then your pattern. The tissue paper will keep the silk from slipping and slidding around. Also, if you have pattern weights, use those rather than pins as pins will sometimes leave marks in the silk. Also, when I am interfacing for silk, I use organza for the interfacing and sew it in. Iron on interfacings and silk don't seem to work well together for me. I agree with Dorothy, I wouldn't use newpaper under silk fabric as the ink print may rub off on it and I'm assuming that the silk is white since it's for a wedding. Kerry, you may also want to post in the Bridal Sewing forum as someone who specializes in sewing bridal apparel may have a better answer for your dilema. Patsy Patsy
|
User: plrlegal
Member since: 05-19-2001 Total posts: 318 |
From: cbkins
Date: 07-13-2004, 10:45 AM (6 of 7)
| Thank everyone for your help. I will try using the tissue paper trick. Do you use regular tissue paper like the kind used in wrapping presents or can you purchase larger pieces somewhere. This board is really great since I am soon to begin sewing my daughters wedding gown (I thought the wedding would never happen). I have always wanted to make a wedding gown and have made a number of elaborate evening gowns so I hope I am up to the task. Thanks again |
User: cbkins
Member since: 07-10-2004 Total posts: 3 |
From: plrlegal
Date: 07-13-2004, 11:16 AM (7 of 7)
|
I just use the regular tissue paper like you use for gift wrapping. I tape it together so the individual sheets of tissue paper will not slide around under the fabric. I've also been known to tape the tissue to the underside of my cutting table. It seemed to give me a little more stablility in working with the silk. I personally prefer very fine long bladed sharp scissors for cutting silk. I don't trust myself that much with a rotary cutter. Patsy Patsy
|
User: plrlegal
Member since: 05-19-2001 Total posts: 318 |
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