Interfacing, the Next Step

Originally Posted Sept 7, moved to arrange order of instruction

In case you missed it over the summer months, here is the post written July 30th, on layout and cutting your fabric. You may want to copy and paste this into a Word doc and print it out - there is a lot of info. I can only stress what I wrote somewhere in the middle - Do Not cut your fabric if you are tired. Lay it out, get it all ready, then look at it with fresh eyes to make sure you've added seam allowances and got all your pieces included BEFORE you cut.

Many of you will be happy to know that I started illustrating and writing this post earlier today.
As someone stated in an email to me last week "though I think I'm not the only one behind on schedule. More difficult to think of a wintercoat in summer than we thought perhaps?"
And I'm sorry to say, I found this to be very true in July and August. When we started this and I wrote the timeline I had no idea I'd have so many formals to make this summer, nor did I have a concept of how difficult it would be to make time to work with wool once the temps climbed over 90F and stayed there.
Anyway, it's September, and much of my other obligatory sewing is finished, and I'm devoting my full attention to the coat sewalong for a bit again.

Hopefully several of you are at the point where you've cut your fabric, cut your underlining and are ready to interface.

If you're using entirely fusibles to support and shape your garment see This Article at Threads. And This Chart. Somewhere in there are detailed instructions on how to curve the fabric while fusing to impart shape. I'll just have to look further, but if you find it, pls post the link. Thanks.


If you're planning to use a sewn-in hair canvas for interfacing read on:

At this point you are going to want to cut interfacing for your

1. front that extends all the way to the armscye,
2. upper back
   
3. collar

If you've followed my method of cutting apart your muslin to create a pattern for yourself, OR if you've made significant changes to your paper pattern, OR if you don't have specific interfacing pieces in your pattern envelope, then you'll want to use this method to create your interfacing pattern pieces.

1. lay your front and side front pattern pieces together on the seam lines. In this case, this is for an armhole princess seam. If you have a pattern with a shoulder princess line, the process is Exactly the same. Remember, as you're looking here, this muslin was cut apart along the seamlines, so there are no seam allowances on the muslin, so I've put the pieces next to each other exactly as if a seam were sewn.
2. 
   

• trace along the seam lines around the front all the way to the armscye. Notice that where the shaping occurs for the princess line, this becomes a dart.
  
• Add seam allowances. They will stay at the side seam. They will be removed later along the lapel. But for now, you'll want to add them. As you pad stitch the shaping will eat up some of the interfacing from the seam allowance. I've found myself short in the past and regretted not having a bit there.
• Transfer the grain line to the interfacing pattern piece also, from the Front piece.
• IF you have a welt pocket that crosses the princess seam you'll want to interface both the side front and the Front.
  

The following two pics are from The Complete Book of Tailoring by Margolis
Notice the directions here for creating the back interfacing piece.


I'm going to post this right now as there is some anxiety and I want to allay that, however, I'm going to be adding to this tonight as I get the pics for creating the pattern for the back.

***Hopefully BEFORE you cut your muslin apart you marked the roll line for the collar as well as the buttonholes. If not, try to go back to your paper pattern and find those marks and translate them to your pattern.