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Tips for sewing charmeuse HELP!
MrsCharisma   Advanced Beginner MN USA Member since 2/1/13 Posts: 343	Login to reply to this post 1 member likes this. Date: 3/4/13 11:53 AM For the love of all that is right and good...I bought yards (different prints) of poly charmeuse whose prints just caught my eye. I want to make blouses of 3 of them and a dress with 1. I cut a blouse the horrors! I tried stabilizing with freezer paper - didn't work. The fabric wouldn't "stick". I finally got it cut out reasonably well and now my machine wants to suck it down whenever I start sewing. This is not boding well for the beautiful blouses and dress I dreamed of when I saw these fabrics. Suggestions? ------ Nakisha - A new sewist with a passion! :) www.sewcraftychemist.blogspot.com Singer Talent 3321 | Brother 1034D
LynnRowe   Advanced BC CANADA Member since 3/9/09 Posts: 7005	Login to reply to this post In reply to MrsCharisma << 4 members like this. Date: 3/4/13 12:02 PM Cut with rotary cutter, easiest is to place tissue paper underneath the fabric and cut as one. Use straight stitch foot, small hole needle plate, and dual feed if your machine has it. Don't start the seams right at the fabric edge, no point to that anyways as most seams are then crossed into the seam allowance by the 5/8" or whatever the allowance may be. If really problematic, start 1" into the fabric, then backstitch to the seam allowance and forward again from there. Handbasting seams first may seem like a PITA but gives the best results, imo, and is faster than stitching and unstitching. Charmeuse needle-marks, so be sure of your seams before sewing them. Use extra fine pins. HTH! ------ I heart Panzy, Pfaff Creative Performance, the sewing machine love of my life! And Rupert (Pfaff 2023), Baby (BL Enlighten), Victor (BLCS), Ash (Bernina 350SE), Pal (Bernina 530), Kee (Bernina 750) and the Featherteen Flock! Most of all, I heart Woo (HimmyCat). Until we meet again, my beautiful little boy. I love you.
MrsCharisma   Advanced Beginner MN USA Member since 2/1/13 Posts: 343	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 3/4/13 12:36 PM Ah. I must be learning. I thought for a minute about hand basting as I hand basted the zipper on my skirt. I will incorporate your tips! thank you ------ Nakisha - A new sewist with a passion! :) www.sewcraftychemist.blogspot.com Singer Talent 3321 | Brother 1034D
Lisa p   Advanced Beginner UNITED KINGDOM Member since 12/6/08 Posts: 268	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 3/4/13 1:33 PM I'll echo everything Lynn has mentioned . I would only add pin in the seam allowance only sometimes pins can leaves marks in this fine fabric. ------ I'm no longer blogging but here's my Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/58685892@N06/sets/72157632914132536/with/8539670800/
kkkkaty   Intermediate UT USA Member since 12/7/05 Posts: 2256	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 3/4/13 1:50 PM are these washable? If so, you might try some spray starch. Spray the heck out of it.... thread -- Edited on 3/4/13 1:52 PM -- ------ Viking Lily 545 Viking Ruby Bernina Activa 210 Brother 1034d
clothingengineer   Intermediate CT USA Member since 5/7/10 Posts: 395	Login to reply to this post In reply to MrsCharisma << 2 members like this. Date: 3/4/13 1:54 PM When I made my last silk charmeuse blouse I held down the pattern pieces with weights and cut using a rotary cutter. I used the walking foot on my machine and if I needed to hold anything together during construction I used my extra-fine silk pins (which can be purchased at Joann's). They don't leave holes in the fabric like normal size pins do. The best interfacing I've used for charmeuse is the Pro-Sheer Elegance from Fashion Sewing Supply. It is very lightweight so you don't lose the hand of the fabric and doesn't require a high heat setting when fusing. ------ -- Anne http://clothingengineer.com
Marie367   Intermediate OH USA Member since 5/28/11 Posts: 1466	Login to reply to this post In reply to MrsCharisma << 1 member likes this. Date: 3/4/13 2:28 PM I did the same thing and bought several similar pieces after promising myself years ago that I would never under any circumstances sew this stuff again. I couldn't resist the print. I used a pattern with simple lines to reduce seams and cut it with a rotary cutter. The material was slipping all over the place. Even the serger didn't like it much. Double stick tape (like steam a seam) helped in places. You have gotten some good tips here. I will incorporate some of them myself.
MrsCharisma   Advanced Beginner MN USA Member since 2/1/13 Posts: 343	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 3/4/13 3:08 PM Yay for PR! :) It is washable and we own loads of spray starch. What do you guys use for weights? My cans of tuna don't seem to be cutting it... ------ Nakisha - A new sewist with a passion! :) www.sewcraftychemist.blogspot.com Singer Talent 3321 | Brother 1034D
clothingengineer   Intermediate CT USA Member since 5/7/10 Posts: 395	Login to reply to this post In reply to MrsCharisma << Like this post Date: 3/4/13 3:11 PM I have regular Dritz pattern weights (which I believe are filled with fine lead shot) but I've heard of people taping together washers from the hardware store. ------ -- Anne http://clothingengineer.com
chicaem29   Advanced Beginner NY USA Member since 3/4/09 Posts: 1708	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 3/4/13 3:43 PM I second (third?) the spray starch. It is my go to for any slippery fabric (even silk charmeuse because I always hand wash instead of dry clean). I find poly charmeuse has a tendency to pucker like crazy at the seams, but some poly charmeuses are better behaved than others, and if they're all prints, if you do get puckering it probably won't be noticeable. Good luck!

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