ASG Sewing Blog – Page 62

March 27, 2020

What’s a Lining to Do? (Part 2)

In Part 2 of this article on linings, we’ll be reviewing Interlining and Underlining and why you might choose each one for your project. (Review Part 1)

While you can find all sorts of various definitions for these terms, for the purpose of this article we will define them as follows:

Underlining is cut from the same pattern pieces as the garment fabric. The two are then sewn to one another so the two layers act as one piece, reducing opacity or adding body/stability to the fashion fabric.
Interlining refers to material added between the outer fabric and the lining of a garment. You would typically use it to add extra warmth, but it can also ramp up the body or change the drape of a piece.

Underlining

When do you choose it?

Choose underlining when you want to add body or stability to your fashion fabric or when you fashion fabric is thin and needs more opacity. If an underlined garment is also lined, you have basically moved to interlining instead of underlining. I personally use this technique as a quick and easy replacement to both traditional lining and flat lining. I don’t like the feel of a free hanging lining as I wear a garment. By underlining with Bemberg or China Silk, I get the feel and garment protection of lining without that pesky lining crawl each time I stop at the restroom.

What fabrics work best?

Choose a fabric with a similar or lighter hand to the fashion fabric unless you want to change it.
If underlining a thin knit fabric or stretch lace, consider using nude swimsuit lining

How does it get constructed?

The construction method for underlining mirrors the information already described for interlining. The primary difference is that when underlining you seldom trim the underlining fabric out of the seam allowance since it is rarely a bulkier fabric. Plus, since underlining in the context of this article is not covered with lining, you will want to serge or otherwise finish the seams.

No matter which lining process you use, always remember to pre-treat and press both your fashion fabric and your lining fabric in the manner you plan to launder it after construction to be sure you don’t have shrinkage, especially uneven shrinkage, which would cause distortion in the shape of your garment.

And when hemming your garment, take advantage of the extra fabric layer to hide your hemming stitches in the lining fabric instead of the fashion fabric.

Interlining

When do you choose it?

Choose interlining when you need to add warmth or stability to your garment. This method is in essence a third layer of lining as the garment usually also has a traditional lining that covers the interlining.

What fabrics work best?

Add warmth by using Primaloft, Thinsulate, batting, flannel or fleece.
Add body and prevent fabric stretch with Silk organza
Prevent creasing with light nylon net
Add drape with thin fabrics made with acetate fibers
Add density with cotton lawn
Change shade with light weight cotton lawn in a contrast or darker color

Consider using different interlining fabrics in different parts of a garment. For example, flannel in the jacket front and back, but a batiste or lightweight broadcloth in the sleeves to maintain drape and movement in a silk jacket.

How does it get constructed?

Simply cut the interlining fabric using the same pattern pieces and baste to the wrong side of the fashion fabric or the lining fabric inside the seam allowance then proceed with the construction treating the two fabrics as one. It is advisable to not only baste the outer edges of each pattern piece, but also the center of any darts to prevent them from shifting when sewn.

Tip for basting around corners: When you come to a corner, back stitch and clip your thread. Then start your basting on the next side with a new thread. Continuing around the corners with a single thread can cause distortion and make it harder to remove your basting later.

The decision of whether to attach the interlining to the fashion fabric or the lining depends on the garment type. For a fitted or semi-fitted garment, attach the interlining to the fashion fabric, especially if it needs more body or stability. For a loosely fitted garment, you may prefer to attach the interlining to the lining which will still add the warmth without reducing the fluidity of the fashion fabric.

While the basting can be done with a sewing machine, this sometimes results in a fabric “bubble” due to fabric creep as it travels through the feed dogs. Hand basting will often be more effective in achieving a truly flat alignment of the two fabrics. You may find it helpful to pin the pieces together not only along the edge but also down the center and along the darts. And it is important to baste these together while lying on a flat surface, not holding them in your lap. These tips can help prevent distortion and a potential “bubble” effect in either the fashion fabric or the lining.

Once your basting is complete, give the pieces a good press with plenty of steam to assure they are joined nice and smooth without bubbling. If you find any bubbling, now is the time to remove some basting stitches and correct it before you move forward with the construction process.

Trim interlining seam allowance close to the stitching line to reduce bulk. Depending on the garment and the interlining fabric; you may also want to trim the interlining away from facings and hems as well.

Enjoy your newly lined garment!

~Sheryl Belson

March 20, 2020

What’s a Lining to Do? (Part 1)

Lined skirt So here you are, making a pencil skirt with that precious fabric you brought home from your recent trip. It’s luscious and precious and you want to construct it with care. You have some specific objectives and need to plan what are you going to do to make it:

Slide on like silk
Have a beautiful finish on the inside
Protect it from stress and wear over time
Minimize wrinkles during wear

I suspect right about now you are thinking – LINE IT!

And that is an outstanding idea, but line it how? Will you select a traditional lining, an underlining, flat lining, or an interlining?

ARGH! What’s a sewist to choose?

No worries! Take a deep breath and read on. This article will help you understand the difference between each of these techniques and choose the one that is best for your purposes every time. While you can find all sorts of various definitions for these terms, for the purpose of this article we will define them as follows:

Traditional Lining is constructed separately from the garment and attached by hand or machine, hiding all the inner seams. It can be totally free hanging from the facings, neckline or waist or it can also be attached at the hem.
Flat lining cuts the vertical seam allowances ½ inch wider than the fashion fabric and “wraps” the fashion fabric creating a faux Honk Kong seam finish.
Interlining refers to material added between the outer fabric and the lining of a garment. You would typically use it to add extra warmth, but it can also ramp up the body or change the drape of a piece.
Underlining is cut from the same pattern pieces as the garment fabric. The two are then sewn to one another so the two layers act as one piece, reducing opacity or adding body/stability to the fashion fabric.

In Part 1 of this article, we take a close look at traditional lining and underlining. In Part 2, we cover Interlining and Underlining

Traditional Lining

When do you choose it?

Choose a traditional lining when you want to completely conceal all the inner construction details of the garment. It makes the garment slide off and on over the body or other garments with ease and helps reduce wrinkling as the garment is worn. Sometimes the lining is a bit of a design element of its own. Take a simple wool jacket up a notch with a fun lining in an amazing print!

What fabrics work best?

Lining fabrics should typically be made from a silky material. Great choices include:

Silk or Polyester Charmeuse
Silk Crepe de Chine
China Silk
Bemberg Rayon
NOTE: It is best to avoid a silk lining with a silk garment as silk on silk may result in static cling.

How does it get constructed?

Construct the outer fashion fabric and inner lining shell separately, then attach them at the facings, waistband or neckline. The lining can hang freely or be attached at the hem. It can be machine or hand sewn in place. The wrong side of the lining is always inserted facing the wrong side of the fashion fabric.

Flat Lining

When do you choose it?

Choose this method when you want the benefits of a lining but don’t want it to hang freely. It offers the same benefits to the garment as both traditional lining and underlining regarding reducing wrinkles, adding stability and longevity to the garment. This method also produces a finished seam on all vertical seams that looks much like a Honk Kong seam finish. This technique is only applied to the vertical seams of your garment, so the waist, neckline or armscye will not have the same finish. It is an excellent method to use with fabrics that are highly prone to fraying as it encases the cut edge prior to construction.

Note: When researching information for this article, I found quite a bit of reference to historical flat lining which, in essence, is the same as the underlining method described in this article. If you are involved in historical costuming, don’t be confused. Just recognize the different use of these terms in this article vs. much of the information presented in historical costuming resources.

What fabrics work best?

The very same fabrics used in traditional lining can be used for flat lining.

How does it get constructed?

Cut your lining fabric ½ inch wider on each vertical seam, resulting in a piece that is 1 inch wider in total.
Sew vertical edges together with ¼ inch seams. Remember, the lining is larger than the fashion fabric; it will not lay flush together.
Trim the seam allowance in half to 1/8 inch.
Turn the piece right sides out and press, leaving the fashion fabric completely flat. The lining fabric will wrap around to the front of the fashion fabric creating a faux Hong Kong seam finish.
Stitch in the ditch if desired. I frequently do not need to do this, but if you feel like the fabric is shifting, this will stop that.
Continue construction of the garment, treating the pieces as one. Don’t forget to reduce your seam allowance on the vertical seams by 1/8 inch since you trimmed that much off in step 3.

Look for Part 2 (coming March 27) where we cover Interlining and Underlining

~Sheryl Belson

March 18, 2020

Make Lemonade

The threat of the Covid-19 Coronavirus has made a tremendous impact on most of our lives. My personal life went from run, run, run to near total isolation. While others are struggling with how to occupy their time at home, those of us in the sewing community have a different perspective. When given lemons, we make lemonade.

No, we are not in the kitchen!

We immediately turned to our sewing rooms. While others were scouring the stores for toilet paper, we sauntered into our sewing rooms to peruse our “stash” and plan which of those waiting projects would finally get our attention. We are not lazily wasting time watching TV reruns or movies for the umpteenth time. Instead, we are giving ourselves permission to use this self-imposed quarantine time to exercise our creativity, to enjoy our time, and SEW!

My usual schedule is to leave the house around 9 AM to go to my job teaching at the local college. When I leave mid-afternoon, I then go to a learning center where I tutor at-risk students until 7 PM. Somehow I also squeeze in three neighborhood groups, not to mention some community activities as well. Oh, and then there are the grandchildren just a few miles away. When do I have time to sew?

Thanks to Covid-19, the college has moved to online teaching, the tutoring center is closed, community activities are cancelled and the grands are staying at home with Dad. So my future for the next month looks like time for me. I’m supposed to stay at home. So I will.

Moving (a bit) out of the sewing room

Despite having a large sewing room, I decided to set up my embroidery machine on the dining room table. That way should I decide to cook, I can embroider and still listen for the microwave to ding. The rest of the time I plan to isolate myself in my sewing room and enjoy the freedom to create a new wardrobe with some of my favorite patterns.

If I decide to take a break from creating, I may just take the time to check out the educational programs available to ASG members. There were a few I started to watch on fitting and drafting changes that I never did get back to. This would be a great time to just sit back, enjoy and learn.

While my husband used to scoff at my fabric collection, I can now imply that it was simply planning ahead. I had the foresight to make all those purchases for just such a rainy day. And all those patterns, just perfect for a variety of new outfits. Who knows, I may even get around to making him that shirt I promised last summer.

So while we all deal with whatever is to come of this virus, I hope you all stay healthy and safe and enjoy your time doing what we love, SEWING.

~Rosemary Fajgier

March 17, 2020

Sewing with Vinyl

This quick video has 3 tips for sewing with vinyl.

March 12, 2020

Meet Patty Dunn with All Dunn Designs

This month we are pleased to turn the spotlight on a very special independent designer, Patty Dunn of All Dunn Designs and part of the Corpus Christi Chapter.

Many of you may already know the All Dunn Design line from ads in sewing magazines, from her nine years of sewing shows on PBS, or from her many classes she has taught at our ASG conferences. But did you know that it was just such a class that gave birth to the Corpus Christi Chapter 24 years ago? Patty taught a fitting and tailoring class at the local junior college and the students wanted to stay in contact and continue to see each other after the class. Patty explained, “So I agreed they could come to my house once a month. The group started with 9, and there were 20 in just a couple months. So we rented a space at the art center. It grew real fast. I had heard about ASG, presented it to the group, and we signed up. I think we had been going for about a year when we decided to join.”

It started with a Christmas gift

And how did Patty develop her interest in sewing? She credits it to the Christmas she turned 9 when her parents bought her a child’s, metal, hand cranked sewing machine. That started her sewing clothes for her bride doll that she still has today. By the time she was in 8th grade, she was making her own clothes with a little help from her Home Ec. Class.

Patty was also inspired by a friend of her mother’s who had a sewing room. She says, “When I saw everything she was creating and the machines all set up with fabric everywhere, I was amazed! I was probably around 7 years old, but it really impressed me.”

In the 1980’s, Patty became a certified mechanic for Bernina, Viking, and Janome sewing machines and was trained in sales for those machines. She continued her sewing education by taking classes at various conferences.

From dolls and bags to something more

When asked how she got started in her own business, Patty explained, “I began by selling dolls and bags at craft shows. Then people began to want me to sew for them. Many of my clients wanted me to copy something they loved or something they saw in a magazine. Many had unique fitting issues, so I began making a basic shell that fit them, and then I designed from that. In the late 1990’s, I began making patterns for clients to sew, and from there I began my own pattern line.”

Her patterns are simple, easy to make designs that differ from the big four. She explains, “I use a more realistic base pattern that starts narrower at the shoulders and gives more room in the hips. My patterns are not for the models on the New York runway, but then, who really looks like that? Our bodies have changed to much fuller proportions.”

Patty offers a 15% discount to all ASG members. See the Special Offers page in the ASG members area for more information.

Patty credits her inspiration for her designs from clothing in stores, catalogs with creative clothing, and internet browsing. She says, “You never know where you might find inspiration. There is a shop in the Houston airport I always love to go in when I’m there. It might be the embroidery or the color combinations, sleeves, or collar. Just one thing can be incorporated into something I might try. Designing is my favorite aspect of sewing, but teaching is also a favorite. I’m thrilled when I can help someone be successful in what they create. And I love to problem solve, just NOT with math.”

Like most of us who sew, Patty laments the changes in local fabric stores with so many of them going out of business. “The fabric stores change with the trends, now believing that people aren’t sewing clothing anymore. I hate the concept that people don’t sew because it is cheaper to buy clothes already made. Although this is now true, it is discouraging. Thread can cost as much or more than we used to pay for a yard of fabric.”

An eye to the future

Looking to the future she says, “At some point, and I already see it changing, people will respect you if you are able to sew. We have become a society of ‘get everything quick and easy.’ Knowing a skill like sewing will be valuable because EVERYONE wears clothing and no matter where they get it from, someone ran a sewing machine through the fabric. I believe someday there will be more recognition for the value in knowing how to put a garment together from beginning to end and people will pay well for that service. More independent designers have become respected for their expertise.” She went on to praise the blogs and sharing that are so popular on the internet and noted the fabulous new machines and sewing tools that have made it more convenient to sew.

We are pleased to have Patty as a part and know she has much more to contribute to her craft, for after all, she is not “done” yet. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist!)

To see Patty’s designs and to get fitting and sewing information, she provides two links:

Patterns: www.alldunndesigns.com/
Fitting and sewing: www.patternmd.com

Patty offers a 15% discount to all ASG members. See the Special Offers page in the ASG members area for more information.

~ Rosemary Fajgier

The American Sewing Guild is truly fortunate to be able to count many gifted sewing designers and instructors among our friends, members, and supporters. Throughout this coming year we will be featuring some of them in our Notions Blog. We hope you will enjoy reading about them and take the opportunity to get to know them better and explore their many talents by visiting their websites, taking their classes, and discovering the wide variety of designs they bring to the home sewing market.