Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Cutting into some heavy wool fabric.


I have had this fabric stashed away for many, many years.  I never really forgot about it, mostly because it takes up a crazy amount of space, and it has been living in a box in the corner of the sewing room.


This has got to be the thickest wool I have ever attempted to sew - it was one of those online orders that arrived and was nothing like I had expected.  There have been different patterns that I was tempted to try with the fabric, but the idea making a buttonhole in this stuff was terrifying.


Then Simplicity 8509 came along, and the wool finally found its match.  No closures!


I hesitate to call my first version of the design a wearable muslin because the fabrics are extremely different in weight and drape, but it did confirm that I can always use another swing coat in my life!


Pinning the pattern tissue to the wool was proving to be a problem and I felt like there was a little too much distortion, so I chalked the outlines and cut along those marks.


And I happened to have some mid-weight satin rayon that coordinated nicely with the wool. Hooray for using stashed fabrics!!


That rayon did have a few flaws that I discovered when ironing it, so I used thread to mark those spots.  


If I don't take this extra step, I inevitably end up with those flaws front and center on an important piece that is too large to re-cut.


And now I just have to figure out how to sew this incredibly thick fabric together.  


I have a feeling the most challenging part of this project is going to be lugging around the heavy fabric as everything begins to come together!



6 comments:

  1. Does the wool fray? I know flatlocking is the wrong technique, but some kind of layering (fake flat-felled seams) perhaps? Worth investigating some older sewing books. Also, if you underline at all, remove that from the seam allowances to reduce bulk. And consider doing a 'stop' of stitching line when you meet intersections/darts, to allow that intersection to stand freely and give more flexibility (that couture technique - clear as mud?). Perhaps I'll give this some greater thought and come back and comment again later.

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  2. Suddenly autumn can't come soon enough.

    Dusky cinnamon eyeshadow, a gust of wind, and gloved hands.

    You'll just show up in the city, no one the wiser, yet everyone the better for having seen you.

    Echoes of, "THAT COAT!" reverberate, but it's truly the total package - grace, style, Laura Mae.

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  3. It is good for the environment to produce clothing at home and good for the economy (well at least your economy as designer brands might disagree). But we used to make everything in our own country and we had no debt.

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  4. I can already tell that this will be amazing. Love the color!

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  5. I’d love to see the finished results of this coat,did you post it?

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    1. That post is here: http://www.lauramaedesigns.com/2019/01/a-very-warm-wool-coat.html

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