Hello,
This is my first time on this forum. I am a long term sewer, but have encountered a problem that I would like some input on.
I am making a summer dress from a linen/rayon blend. I plan to fully line the entire dress with a rayon lining. It is because it will a see through dress without it. It is sleevless and has a v-neck. I am wondering if I should use interfacing on the vee. If I do should I attach it to the fashion fabric or to the lining? The fabric and lining together are fairly substantial, but I am wondering whether the vee will collapse when I am wearing it.
I would really appreciate an opion on this.
Thanks
Lizzy
Replies
Hi Lizzy, welcome!
You may not need the usual interfacing but you will need something on the vee since it's edges are on the bias and will want to stretch. The bias edges of the vee need to be stabilized in some way so the neckline won't give itself a new shape and gape or do something weird to not lie flat. A skinny strip of the lining selvage applied to the seam should work. If you like fusibles a skinny strip of light weight fusible over the seam line would probably work too. It is important to make sure the bias edge of the fabric doesn't stretch as you handle it and it will do that while you aren't watching. I really like working with fabric on the bias but it has a mind of its own.
Elisabeth
Dear Elizabeth,
Thanks so much for you suggestions for my lined vee neck. I will follow your advice about stabilizing the neck edge. I can use an iron on or the selvedge from the lining. I just couldn't think of what I could do. It's times like this that I really miss my sewing expert mother who died about four years ago. She was my constant source of sewing information.
Lizzy
I've been working in manufacturing for 23+ years. In home sewing, they'll tell you to stay-stitch the neckline or the "vee" as you say. In industry, we fuse the neckline with a piece approx 2" wide. Ditto for the back neck (and the zipper inset area) and it goes on the shell or face fabric. And that's for dresses. Jackets are different; we use a lot more interfacing than in home sewing. If you want to see pictures of this, maybe you could check out the bagging tutorial I've started on my site, http://fashion-incubator.com. While you're there, check out the zippers and welt pocket tutorials, the way we REALLY do it -as opposed to the way that magazines claim we do it- lol.
Dear Patternmaker,
When you cut interfacing to go on the neckline of a fully lined dress, do you cut on the straight of grain?
I have another question about this dress. What is a good sequence to sew in the lining so most of it can be done on the sewing machine. I would like the lining joined to the dress(shell?) at the neckline and the sleeves (sleevless) and to hang loose from there. The dress is a shift style with a side slit.
Many thanks for you kind reply.
Lizzy
You wrote (and how does one do quoting?):[When you cut interfacing to go on the neckline of a fully lined dress, do you cut on the straight of grain? ]lol, clever question. good for you! I know that in the trade there's always the debate of whether fusible has a grainline or not -and it does- but the effect is negligible _most of the time_. If you're using that woven fusible, cutting on the bias wouldn't hurt. Personally, I've become a huge fan of that knit tricot fusible. I LOVE THAT STUFF. You wouldn't need to cut that on the bias. [What is a good sequence to sew in the lining so most of it can be done on the sewing machine. I would like the lining joined to the dress(shell?) at the neckline and the sleeves (sleevless) and to hang loose from there.]You don't mention if it has a zipper or not; it matters because you'd have to sew that in the same fashion as the way you'd sew in facings (altering your lining patterns as shown in the centered zipper tutorial on my site). Do you know how to bag a vest or jacket? You'd do it like that, leaving off closing the bottom which makes it really easy to turn since you wouldn't have to be going through an opened seam in the back sleeve lining. If you don't know, you'd sew the necklines together first (completing the zipper at the same time if you have a zipper) then close the bottom of the sleeves to the lining. There's a picture of the sleeve linings and sleeve shells sewn together on my site. It's about halfway down on the full post. And, thanks for the question. I think that's a great tutorial idea that I could use. I never know what people don't know.
Dear Patternmaker,
Thanks again for your reply. The dress I am making with the lining has a v-neck, is sleeveless and has no zipper. It will just slip on over my head. So I will sew the side seams, the neckline and the armholes and then turn it right side out. Thanks again.
Lizzy
Are you going to have fashion fabric facings to which you attach the lineing or are you attaching the lineing to the garment directly? I would do the former and also stabilize the neckline seam with the tape or selvage and I would interface then interface the facings .I am abit worried about fusing onto the shell fabric but defer to patternmakers expertise.
Dear mem,
I have already made my dress. I made two dresses. One was lining and one was fashion fabric. I stabilized the neck edges of both before sewing them together. I was just trying to make a "quick little summer dress" and I didn't want to bother with facings because then I would have to cut the lining out differently. I already have to do a lot of alterations on my clothes as I am in my 60's now and my shape is changing. I have to say if I do it again I will do as you suggested on attaching the lining to the facings. I think it would make a nicer outfit. This does look fine though and I'm sure I will get lots of wear out of it. Thanks for your suggestions. As usual, I always learn a lot from enerything I do.
Lizzy
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