I've decided to put the red BWOF trench project on hold for a while, because sewing activities aggravate an inflamed tendon sheath on my dominant hand. I'm going to focus my efforts on a winter coat, for the purposes of this sewalong.
But I still have questions about whether to underline the gabardine or not. Tany recommended an article "Getting the Best of Gabardine," by Shermaine Fouche in Jackets, Coats and Suits (Taunton, 1992). Fouche recommends clean and simple construction methods to get the best of gabardine's natural drape: "Lightweight wool gabardine makes an ideal unlined coat for temperate climates. Such a beautiful drape comes from keeping the sewing and finishing simple -- soft fusible interfacing for cuffs, collar, and edges, and silky rayon tape binding for all the seam allowances."
I had thought I would use an underlining to support the trim. Marji suggested on my blog that I pose this question here, for Tany, Els, Kathryn, and others. Would a fusible weft or other interfacing provide the support I need for the trim, and hide the bulk of the trim inside the seam?
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Mary OK's Red BWOF Trench Questions
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5 comments:
I did, because I have reservations about underlining the gabardine. Mary wrote on her blog that she's concerned the gabardine won't support the heavy trim.
My first thought was to support only the area behind the trim, using a fusible.
Mary, where are you planning on putting the trim? Is it going along the edges which are already stabilized with seams and seam allowances?
Anyway, I thought that those of you who've worked more with gabardine in jackets might have a better informed opinion than I do.
I haven't used gabardine for anything other than trousers in a long long time.
Marji,
The trim will go around the collar, the front yoke, the pocket flaps, the straps on the sleeves, the front edge, the belt, and down the front. I appreciate any feedback and advice!
I don't think that it's necessary. You are interfacing most of the places you mentioned and that should be sufficient. What's the difference between the front edge and down the front?
I am not familiar with the interfacings available in the US but I have a swatch of PRO-WEFT FUSIBLE~ Interfacing from http://www.sewexciting.blogspot.com/ and it looks and feels the same as what I used in a wool gabardine suit jacket. For the facings I used a knit fusible.
I can not feel your fabric so I would recommend making a test sample first with a few fusible ones to see and feel the hand of the fabric.
If you are satisfied with the one you choose you need to determinate if you want to interface the coat parts and the facings or only the facings. You can always use a weft and on top of that a knit fusible for a bit of extra strenght.
If you want to use a fusible interfacing at only a part of the coat watch out that you do not get an imprint at the outside where the fusible part ends. To prevent this do not cut with a pinking shear but use a normal shear or scissor and cut out large shapes like shark teeth . ( extra large pinking)
I always do a test with various fusibles and feel the fabric with closed eyes like a blind test .
Cut a large sample of your fabric and fuse different kinds of interfacing in a row. Let the sample cool down for 30 minutes and feel the fabric with the interfacing faced down. Feel the grip and the desired strenght you are aiming for.
For more information about Interfacing see the article from Threads “Interfacing The inside essential Threads magazine issue 103 page 62-67
About your question if the edges needs more support to hold the trim.
I always stabilize the front edges with a piece of straight fusible tape and sometimes when a fusible is not desired due to the fabric or for curved seams with a bias cut piece of lining which I stretched to the maximum by steam pressing. This will prevent the edges to roll inside or out and will keep them in shape.
The trim if sewed to the outside only or as a binding needs some support so I would advise to interface those edges.
Grading the seam allowances in a proper way of the various layers will prevent a ridge at the outside.
Nancy, silly me, I didn't proofread before I posted -- front edge / down the front-- same thing!
Els, thank you for your reply with detailed information. Will give these techniques a try.
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