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From: blackie
Date: 08-10-2006, 11:24 AM (1 of 11)
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I am making a pair of work slacks for my husband. I am using this Kwik Sew pattern (http://www.kwiksew.com/Patterns/P3258_3277/3267.cfm) and medium-weight cotton broadcloth. Everytime I do a waistband with this many thick layers and interfacing etc. ends up being kinda wobby and not that great. How can I ensure a fabulous one?
see the mundane life of a housewife.
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User: blackie
Member since: 03-31-2004 Total posts: 594 |
From: DorothyL
Date: 08-10-2006, 11:59 AM (2 of 11)
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Are you grading the seam before you enclose it? If you use a sew in interfacing you can trim it very close to the seam and get that bulk out of there. Dorothy |
User: DorothyL
Member since: 12-09-2002 Total posts: 3883 |
From: blackie
Date: 08-10-2006, 12:11 PM (3 of 11)
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OOOH! Sew-in interfacing! I have never used it. Is it easy?
see the mundane life of a housewife.
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User: blackie
Member since: 03-31-2004 Total posts: 594 |
From: Sewhappie
Date: 08-10-2006, 12:40 PM (4 of 11)
| I really like that pattern, where did you find it? |
User: Sewhappie
Member since: 10-27-2001 Total posts: 1427 |
From: DorothyL
Date: 08-10-2006, 12:43 PM (5 of 11)
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Kelly, I prefer fusi-knit myself. But sometimes the sew in is better. It is easier to trim. And you won't get the bubbles some iron on gives you after a wash or two. They would be a bear to iron out in a waist band. If you do use sew in be sure you sew both edges in the same direction -- not going around the waist band. Start at one end, sew along the edge. Then start at the same end to sew along the other edge. That way you don't have the fabric pulling in one direction on one edge and the other direction on the other edge giving you little diagonal ripples. Remember, this is important when you sew on the waist band or if you top stitch. I like a bigger stitch length with sew in interfacing. And here is where you can put a walking foot to good use!. If you sew right at the seam line you can then fold the edge of the interfacing back and press it with your finger along the stitching and trim really close. You use a rotary cutter a lot, don't you? I do too, but I would use scissors here. If you lay it on a seam roll you can get an nice close trim. Dorothy |
User: DorothyL
Member since: 12-09-2002 Total posts: 3883 |
From: blackie
Date: 08-10-2006, 12:51 PM (6 of 11)
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Thank you, ladies. Dorothy, I will try your tips. Sadly, I don't have a walking foot (I don't think, but I need to dig around in my Singer accessories some more). Thank you so much for taking the time to give good instruction. sewhappie, I got the pattern at Esther's fabrics (http://esthersfabrics.com/), my favorite "local" (1-hour drive) fabric store. I have made a pair of Kwik Sew's women's jeans (http://sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/patterns/sewingpatterns.pl?patternid=3683) (#3193) and found the legs to be full and dumpy-looking (not at all like the slim look on the pattern envelope). So I took apart a pair of dilapatated pants of my husband's that I *loved* and are now thrashed beyond repair. The traced the KS pattern and laid out my husband's pant pieces on top and, sure enough, had a much slimmer leg piece (front and back). So then I made a pattern using both, with the KS pattern being the structural base. I am excited to see how they turn out. Not to mention sewing on my "new" old Singer, which I love! see the mundane life of a housewife.
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User: blackie
Member since: 03-31-2004 Total posts: 594 |
From: stephi
Date: 08-10-2006, 01:36 PM (7 of 11)
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I am very jealous, I want an esthers fabrics by me!! Look at all those goodies she has!! The wally world cant hold a candle to esther!!
Stephi
"No body knows what it is that I do until I dont do it" "if you do what you have always done you will get what you have always gotten" |
User: stephi
Member since: 03-17-2006 Total posts: 361 
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From: blackie
Date: 08-14-2006, 02:06 PM (8 of 11)
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DorothyL, thank you so much for your detailed directions. I followed them to the letter (except I don't have a walking foot, more on this later) and had better results. However, I top-stitched around the edge of the waistband because these are casual slacks ("cargo pant" look). Well, now my waistband has ripples and looks yucky. My husband took a sick day and is out with the kids so I'm going to sit in front of a movie and remove all that topstitching then probably leave the waistband as-is. My question is: would a walking foot have helped me avoid the rippling from topstitching the waistband? I have never used a walking foot but I am really considering it! see the mundane life of a housewife.
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User: blackie
Member since: 03-31-2004 Total posts: 594 |
From: DorothyL
Date: 08-14-2006, 02:41 PM (9 of 11)
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Blackie -- A walking foot will help but to avoid the ripples, but don't stitch around anything unless it is at least 6 inches wide. Go along one edge then start at the same side of the other edge and go along in THE SAME DIRECTION. When you sew, you pull the fabric just a little in the direction you are sewing. If you go around the waistband you are sewing one edge in one direction and the other edge back in the other direction, stretching the fabric, usually on the bias, in two different directions and that makes the ripples. The walking foot cuts down on the pulling but won't solve the problem. You just have to cut the thread at the end of the band and do it again along the other end. (Remember in the Garment Construction thread where I moaned about my collars always being a bit off? Someone suggested I sew from the middle to the end then from the middle to the other end because I was pulling the fabric just a bit off when I sewed from one end of the collar to the other. I did it the suggested way and darn if it didn't help.) Dorothy |
User: DorothyL
Member since: 12-09-2002 Total posts: 3883 |
From: blackie
Date: 08-14-2006, 03:26 PM (10 of 11)
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You're right! What you are talking about is the same reason we go around a pocket from the bottom center. It always helps align it properly. Maybe I will be brave and re-do the topstitching... see the mundane life of a housewife.
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User: blackie
Member since: 03-31-2004 Total posts: 594 |
From: DorothyL
Date: 08-14-2006, 03:30 PM (11 of 11)
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Blackie -- Well we both knew better, but someone had to point out the obvious. Dorothy |
User: DorothyL
Member since: 12-09-2002 Total posts: 3883 |
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