The Flounce!

Lois · Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 8:38 pm Post subject: The Flounce!

I was at the mall looking at spring clothes and saw so many Flounces out there! They are everywhere...on blouses, on skirts, on linen jackets!! They are such a simple design but add a nice feminine touch without being too ruffle-y. With this new inspiration I headed back to my sewing room and planned to give them a try. I've pulled two patterns out of my pattern stash - these are both still in the pattern books.

Simplicity 4138 - a skirt with several different flounce examples.
http://www.1sewingpatterns.com/images0/4138bsim.jpg

Burda 8803 - a simple V neck blouse with a flounce around the neckline and center front; and at the bottom of the 3/4 length sleeve.
http://www.1sewingpatterns.com/images0/8806bbur.jpg

I don't plan to wear the skirt and blouse together...too much of a good thing I think! For the blouse I'm using a tightly woven, soft cotton voile, prewashed for added softness. I cut the blouse front and back twice to have a double layer due to the sheerness of the fabric. The sleeves and flounce will be a single layer.

To finish the raw edge of the single layer flounce, I used a technique I learned as the "Ralph Lauren hem". Steps are ....turn 3/8" raw edge to wrong side and edge stitch along the fold, about a scant 1/8" away from the fold. Next trim the excess raw edge close to the stitching line. Then, turn under the edge a second time and edge stitch along the fold. The second row of stitching will be on top of the 1st stitching row. This creates a nice narrow finished edge. I used rayon thread for a nice look.

Judy · Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 10:25 am Post subject: The Flounce

I have tried the "Ralph Lauren hem" on garments I have altered for customers, but I didn't know it was called that. I use this technique when the narrow hemmer foot is giving me a hard time because of the fabric. Thank you for giving the technique it's proper name.

Janee · Sawyer Brook Staff Joined: 05 Apr 2007 Posts: 64

I've heard this hem called a baby or chiffon hem - Kenneth King uses it a lot also. Applique scissors with the duckbill come in very handy when trimming the hem after the first stitching, as does a sewing bird or third hand - although I find I do have to reposition the hem in the clip very often.

Just last week I hemmed a silk charmeuse prom gown using my narrow foot hemmer - I was afraid I'd have to do the baby hem, but after the lining fed through the foot very nicely I tried it on the charmeuse. It fed pretty well, although I did have to stop and restart several times around the hem when it caught only a single layer rather than the double turn.