About Me

My photo
Sewing is therapy for me. I hoard fabric, patterns, notions, and spend more time shopping for fabric than I care to admit...

Saturday, June 11, 2016

Overcoming your fear fabric





Do you have fabric you shy away from, not just look past when shopping but actually either walk faster if you are there shopping in person or if you shop virtually like I mainly do, you click, click, click past it so you can ignore its existence altogether?



For me, very light weight fabrics such as chiffon that I used for this top are my fear fabrics. However, if you use a few tips from online bloggers or if you purchase some additional tools for your machine e to make the experience more pleasant and make you feel like yes, I can manage a fear fabric and get a result that will make me try again!


Here is my journey using lovely chiffon.

My first plan when I first spied this fabric was to make a dress, not just any dress but a fitted-in-the-bodice maxi dress.  Well, even though I made muslin, I hated the dress on me and since this was my blog post fabric, I was so very disappointed!  I knew I had to create something so I salvaged what I could and made a cute little summer top. When I put it on, it feels ethereal, not because I didn't make it sturdily but simply because the fabric is so flowing and well, summery!

        

So, how did I overcome my fear of this lovely fabric?  I used my tools that I had and also I used the internet to find some additional hints as well.

                

Here is what I found helpful via the 'net.
1.  Use tissue paper in between the layers of fabric when you cut.  This keeps the two layers from slipping and sliding all over the place.  An additional tool I highly recommend is to tape your layers to the surface you are cutting from.  I used ordinary scotch tape and it helps tremendously when trying to keep layers straight and on-grain rather than cutting something off-grain and having a huge mishap!


2.  If you have to turn a tube as I did with the back ties, I thought that tool Julie and Melissa used in the wrap dress sew along was just brilliant and I went straight to Ebay and purchased a Fasturn myself.  It was worth every single penny!


              
Those ties turned out so nice!

            

3.  For loop and shank buttons, use an elastic pony-tail holder instead of a very narrow fabric tube.  It works like a charm and when I secure the elastic to the fabric, I use scotch tape.  It holds the elastic much better than a few pins and also tears away after securing it to the fabric. Since you can't see the 'tube' I thought it would be fun to use purple, one of my favorite colors!

                   

4.  And for heaven's sake, use a rotary cutter with a fresh blade or a very sharp pair of quality scissors.  For this fabric, I like my smaller Olfa cutter that many quilters use.

  

Here is what I used that were machine based:
1.  Sewing machine tools included a single hole throat plate.  This is so essential so that your fabric doesn't get sucked down into the bobbin case.  If you've ever used one, you will know exactly what I mean. If you don't have one of these, just use tissue paper, the kind that you put into gift bags and sandwich it between the throat plate and the fabric.  It works awesome too!


2.  Use the proper sized needle.  I used a size 60/8.  I also used that size in my serger.  How often do you change your sewing needles?  I do with every project and I never regret it.  If you try and use a needle that is too large, it will likely cause big holes in your fabric and worse yet, it will snag the fabric.

       

I couldn't leave this cute little top unembellished, so I used this dainty pom-pom fringe on the hems at the sleeves and lower blouse.  I think it adds just a little sort of something unexpected.  What say you?

             

This pattern is a New Look and the number is 6395.



I was attracted to the fact this pattern called for lightweight fabric and its simple design.  There is so much room to embellish this top that I hope you'll try it and make it your own!


Thanks for reading!  I love hearing your thoughts and I hope that next time I try chiffon I will have a dress to show for you all!  Remember, with the right tools and know-how--



Happy sewing!
Sue
               

22 comments:

  1. Thanks for all the tips! Cute top.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wonderful! and good for you, you own chiffon now. I conquered my fear of it last year, it really is a delight to wear. If I have any fear, it's probably silk - but I don't wear it now, so it will have to hang out and laugh at me!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha Coco! Silk is on my list as well and one of these days....

      Delete
  3. Very cute top! I'll certainly use your tips when sewing these light fabrics now!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Cherie! I hope these tips/tricks work well for you!

      Delete
  4. What a lovely top! I especially like the little pompom trim - nicely subtle and unexpected.
    Thanks for all of the great tips. I have some silk chiffon in my stash that I haven't quite decided what to do with. Your tips will be a big help when I finally sew something with it. My fabric fear = knits, especially lightweight ones. I need more practice with these to get more professional looking results.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh Bernice, the dreaded light weight knits! I hear you on that one as well. I will have to see what the bloggers and internet sites offer for that tricky fabric as well!

      Delete
  5. Great looking top. I think the pom-poms trim finishes it off beautifully.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I love pom-pom trim and was glad I could incorporate it into this top.

      Delete
  6. Your tips were most helpful. Some I know about; still have stayed away from chiffon. Your post is a great reminder that I can do this with time and tools. Lovely fabric and the trim is nice.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Nice work, Sue! The pompom trim really finishes the top off beautifully.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Ann! I love pompom trim and should use it more!

      Delete
  8. Cute top! I like the Pom Pom trim. It adds a nice detail. I definitely will be adding this pattern to my stash!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Lisa! I hope you love the pattern as much as I do!

      Delete
  9. Cute top and that pompom trim works very well with the fabric. Thanks for sharing all the handy tips too.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Absolutely perfect Sue! It is a cute and fun top and so versatile in that color/print.

    Thanks for the tips on sewing that tricky chiffon (I still stay away from it!).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Nakisha! Haha, I understand, chiffon is tricky!

      Delete
  11. I love your top ! The pom pom trim really adds a nice touch. I have bookmarked your post to use for the tips. Thank you. What exactly is the brand name for the fast
    turn ? i have a project I've been putting off due to the small ties.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi HobbyLover,sorry for the delay in responding! The actual brand name is Fasturn. I found it on either Ebay or Amazon. The set is totally worth every penny!

      Delete