Interfacing Linen Jacket

Lois · Posted: Fri May 04, 2007 10:09 am Post subject: Interfacing Linen Jacket

Hi - I thought I'd throw out a question to all the members. I'm going to begin a Linen jacket project. What are your recommendations for interfacing? Testing is in order of course, and my approach is to go down the list of ...What will be interfaced? And What do I want for a finished product?

My 1st consideration is: Do I want to line the jacket? Usually yes - but I live in a warm climate and might decide to leave it unlined. If it's unlined then I can't fuse the entire body and sleeves which would limit wrinkles.

Which leads me to the next question: Do I want to fuse the entire jacket? Maybe not, because most fusibles are polyester, the jacket will retain body heat. However, I like the limited wrinkle factor when using this approach. So I'm going to think about this. A friend of mine often fuses all pieces with Sheer Magic but I noticed only the dark color is available.
Barb - will you be re-stocking the light color? Another interfacing I'm going to test is Feather Weft which is very light weight and might work

Another Option: Underline with a "sew in", skipping the fusing. Silk organza is a great option which I've used before and liked it. Except it was crisper than I expected. So the the next time I'll prewash it. Using silk organza will keep the jacket cooler than poly fused interfacing, but will still reduce wrinkles.

Last Idea: Maybe I'll interface (fuse) only the facings and collars, and leave the body unlined and un-interfaced. Maybe use the Hong Kong finish on seam edges.

I'm going to dig out an Threads article by Marcy Tilton from several years ago; it had many good ideas for making a Linen jacket in a weekend. Mine probably won't be done in a weekend but I'm going to get started...... Any one else embarking on a summer weight jacket? Let's share tips.

Barb · Posted: Fri May 04, 2007 8:16 pm Post subject: Sheer Magic

Last we heard HTCW was not continuing with Sheer Magic. We will stay on top of the situation and bring it into stock if/when it becomes available. We are looking at a few other products and will update you if we bring new ones into stock. We're open to customer requests if anyone has a favorite they would like us to explore.

Janee · Sawyer Brook Staff Joined: 05 Apr 2007 Posts: 72

Lois -

I'm curious as to how your testing has gone - any decisions on whether to interface this jacket or not?

Judy and I had a discussion with two customers who were shopping in the warehouse last week, about fusing the whole yardage before cutting out the pieces, as opposed to fusing the individual cut pattern pieces. Turns out she and I are on opposite sides of this issue! I've done it both ways, with woven silk tweeds that were quite firm and others more loosely woven. Even though I have a Singer Magicpress (the clamshell type) I found I had a great deal of difficulty manouvering the yardage as I fused the interfacing, and I'm not convinced I kept the grain straight as I worked. Laying the yardage out flat would have been better, but I really hate the time it takes to fuse with just the iron! So I've opted to do the individual pieces instead.

Nata · Joined: 14 Apr 2007 Posts: 86

Lois,
Are you going to wash the jacket or dryclean? I wouldn't interface the whole jacket if you are going to wash it. There is a great chance it'll buble after the wash.

As far as wrinkling goes, in my experience nothing helps with linen. It will wrinkle a lot no matter what you do to it Sad

You can test it: interface a square and then scrunch it and compare to scrunched square of un-interfaced linen to see what I mean. You got to wear linen wrinkles as a "satus simbol" of having an expensive natural fiber jacket.

I would interface the usual collar/lapel/etc and line it with silk. I wouldn't recommend interlining either, because linen stretches from wear, much more than organza does. It'll bag between wash.

Lois · Posted: Thu May 17, 2007 9:47 am Post subject:

Janee - I agree with you; I am not in favor of fusing yardage because of grain distortion. I am pretty picky about my grain so I sometimes cut the fabric into a smaller piece, by pulling a thread to follow. Then fuse that smaller section of fabric, and then cut out my pattern piece. I've had good luck with that procedure. If the pattern piece is large, I'd skip that and cut the piece from the fabric allowing for wider margins, then fuse and re-cut accurately.

Nata - Well.....I think the jacket I have in mind will be dry cleaned. I am planning a somewhat structured style so I won't be pre-washing. The wrinkling doesn't really bother me however for a structured style I don't like it to look really worn and wrinkled so I've been happy with the underlining with organza (requiring lining to finish the inside). However, I bought an Anne Klein linen jacket last year which was was unlined, and the seams were bound with bias strips. That's a lot of work but is such a great finished look. I am leaning towards following that example for my own project.

I will still use interfacing for the collars and facings, but my testing hasn't begin yet. We've been in the middle of some home renovation so I haven't gotten to my sewing room. Stay tuned for that, soon I hope! Laughing

Nata · Joined: 14 Apr 2007 Posts: 86

Can't wait to see how your jacket turn out.

The bias bound SA are certainly very pretty. Do you have a bias binding foot? I have a plastic one I bought from nancy's Notions long ago and I love it. That foot paired with a bias maker will make your life much easier. I love doing bias finish on the inside of trouser waistbands.

Don'r forget to share your progress and pictures.

Lois · Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 1:26 pm Post subject: Bias Binder Foot

Nata - I do have a bias binder foot but I use that on necklines and armholes. Never thought about using it on seams.....hhhhmmmmm.....now you've got me thinking. I bet that would be really fast and the seams are long and straight. I bet that would be much easier than when I do necklines.

In the past my method for binding seams has been to stitch the bias strip onto the seam allowance using a 1/4" seam. Then I wrap the strip to the opposite side and stitch in the ditch, sewing through the seam allowance only. It's a lot of stitching so maybe the binder foot is something I should try.

Another time I bound the seam allowances on the right side of the garment and edge stitched them flat. Here's a link to that jacket - The San Diego Jacket.
http://sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/readreview.pl?readreview=1&reviewnum=8173
I love that pattern and recently bought SawyerBrook's double faced cotton to remake it, but adding length this time.

Janee · Sawyer Brook Staff Joined: 05 Apr 2007 Posts: 72

What brand of foot is this? It sounds really useful. The only one I have is the ancient Singer one that came with my mom's machine, a pre-Touch and Sew model, early 60's maybe, that I still have and occasionally use. I remember having trouble getting that foot to work well, but also had the same kind of trouble when I was younger (and less patient!) with the ruffler for the same machine, and yet in the past year I've successfully used that attachment several times. Maybe it's time to try it again! I just purchased the Fastube foot to use with my Bernina - I've had the Fastube set for years but never had decided to buy the foot.

Lois · Posted: Sat May 19, 2007 12:54 pm Post subject: Bias Binder Foot

Janee - My bias binder was manufactured by Bernina for their machines. There's a foot and a special feeder part that is screwed onto the machine bed. That feeds the garment and the bias strip through at the same time. It also turns under the bias strip raw edges. It's pretty cool - but takes a little patience to learn how to feed it through to catch all the layers in the stitch.

To date I don't have the Fasturn foot but I do have the Fasturn tube turners. How's the foot working for you? Have you tested it yet?

The ruffler.....now that's one I have never even touched! I remember my Mom's old White sewing machine had one but I never used it.

Lois

Nata · Joined: 14 Apr 2007 Posts: 86

Here is the link to a binding foot I use: Nancy's Notions link
The one I bought was from a few years ago, but it looks exactly the same as the one on the picture.

I usually press my own double fold bias tape using a bias maker,and then feed it through the binder foot.

Lois · Posted: Sat May 19, 2007 9:05 pm Post subject: binding foot

Hi Nata - How cool! Thanks for the link. I'll be out of town next week so it'll take me some time to get back to my projects. I'll let you know how the testing goes for the seam binding...
Thanks again Very Happy