Building on our post about silks last month, here are some of Ann's favorites tips for working with this luxurious fiber
- Use very sharp cutting tools – When cutting silk, make sure you are using very sharp cutting tools. A nicked blade can cause pulls and picks that will ruin your fabric. If you use a rotary cutter, use a fresh blade with each new project. When using shears or scissors, test them out to make sure there are no nicks in the blade before cutting in to your fabric. If there are, have them sharpened.
- Use a single-layer pattern layout – Because silks tend to slip and slide, I always cut pattern pieces on a single layer of fabric. By doing this, I ensure that the fabric grain is aligned correctly and eliminate distortion due to the fabric sliding over itself.
- Use a paper underlay for very slippery silks – You can minimize fabric movement and distortion when cutting out chiffon, crepe de chine or other very slippery silk by placing a layer of Kraft or butcher paper on your cutting surface, then laying your silk over that. The paper has enough ‘grab’ to keep the fabric from sliding while you pin and cut.
-
Stay inside the lines – Pins leave holes in finely woven silks. When pinning your pattern to your fabric, or when pinning pieces together in preparation for sewing, make sure your pins are within the seam allowances so you don’t see holes in your garment.
Now I'm going to say something potentially controversial. I prefer to use long quilt pins, and I position them running parallel to the stitching line. Since they're longer than silk or conventional pins, I dip them in the fabric twice, giving me an extra secure grasp.
Sewing clips also work well on some silks. They can be very useful on raw silks, taffeta, faille, and satin - silks with heft. I find they don't hold slinky or lightweight silks as securely.
- Hand baste tricky seams - For really slinky or skittish seams (I'm looking at you, bias-cut chiffon), or on curved seams where you want to reduce slippage, hand baste your seam first. I use Japanese cotton basting thread, which is very soft and doesn't leave holes.
-
Use tailor tacks for marking – Instead of using a marker or chalk, make all markings on your pattern using tailor tacks. Tailor tacks are made by running a doubled length of thread through your fabric at notches, dots, and other marks. I use cotton basting thread, which doesn’t leave any marks.
- Clip notches within the seamline – Often I will mark where notches are on the pattern by making a small (1/4 inch) clip within the seamline. This is fast and accurate, and works well on most silks.
- Use polyester thread for stitching – Once in a while, a student will ask me about using silk thread to sew silk fabric. It may seem like the logical thing to do, but you will get better results from good old polyester thread. Silk thread is frequently stronger than the fabric, and it can cut through your fabric at stress points.
- Use the smallest possible needle – When stitching your fabric, use the smallest needle you can get away with. If you would normally use a 70/10 needle on a similar weight cotton or wool, take it down to a 60/8 with silk. I normally use a Universal needle, but Microtex needles also work very well.
- Use selvages for stays – If your pattern calls for stay-tape or other reinforcements, use the selvage from your fabric, or from organza. I keep a supply of silk selvages in a basket for easy access when making pockets, rolling lapels, or reinforcing shoulders. An added bonus? They’re free!
- Press seams flat before pressing them open – To get the best results with silk, after sewing each seam, press the seams flat on each side before you press the seams open. This ‘melds’ the stitches into the fabric and produces a smooth, pucker-free result. This is especially critical if your seamline is sewn on a bias.
- Use a press cloth – Whenever pressing silk, I use a silk organza press cloth. This is super simple to make. Simply tear or cut a length of white silk organza large enough for your pressing needs. I like to use a length that is 18 inch by the width of the organza, usually 44 inches. If you wish, you can finish the edges with a serger. When pressing, place this between your silk and the iron. This protects your silk from excessive heat, spitting steam and ‘over-pressing’ mishaps.
With these tips and a little practice, you’ll find that silk provides a wonderful, rewarding sewing experience!
