serging vs. french seams

[griffin2004]

I want to make a simple dress for dd from a somewhat loosely woven fabric. One friend says to serge the seams, another says to do french seams. I don't have a serger and I've never done a french seam so I'm kinda wandering in the wilderness here.

Also, do I need to line this dress?? The fabric isn't sheer, but someone told me it would just "wear better" (whatever that means).

All of a sudden this project seems to be taking on a life of its own!

Thanks for your thoughts.

[bluenail]

Well, since you don't have a serger, it's a bit of a moot point, no? :LOL Anyhow, your friend advocating for french seams is right. Here's a website which can give you more information about the technique:

http://sewing.about.com/library/weekly/aa012098.htm

[puddingpop]

French seams are lovely -- they really make the inside of your garment look as nice as the outside. Happy sewing!

[rubelin]

For me the choice to do lining and french seams depends on what plans I have for the garment. If I'm just making some cheapie playclothes I will serge the seams and never make a lining. If it's something special or something that will get lots of wear that I want to remain looking nice (like a nightshirt for my dad), I'll go the extra step and do french seams (or at least felled seams) and will line most dresses.

[griffin2004]

Thanks, ladies! French it is, although I was kinda hoping for an excuse to buy a serger...

I'm not a great sewer, so I think I'll do the first dress w/out lining and see how it goes.

Pics to follow (unless my creation turns into the newest cleaning rag).

[Kari_mom]

I know you've probably already started, but I have been thinking about this. If your fabric is really loosely woven, then you might need to underline it, which might be what your friend was saying. When you underline, you cut the pattern pieces out of your fashion fabric and another tight weave, coordinating fabric. Then you treat the two fabrics as one when you sew the dress.

The advantages are that your seams and hems are stronger and won't pull out, and the body of the dress will be support and won't sag or bag. Really loosely woven fabrics don't have the inherent stiffness and structure of tighter weaves.

How to tell? If the weave is loose, if the fabric edges ravel like crazy where they were cut, if the threads are more like strings than thread, it is very drapey and flowey, or if it looks like handwoven fabric, maybe you should underline it.

Good choices for underlining include batiste or muslin. If the fashion fabric is see-through at all, match for color.

I probably wrote all this for nothing, but I would love for your dress to come out just the way you want. It is so hard to know what you are working with through a computer monitor!

Good luck and post pics!

[griffin2004]

KariMom,
The fabric I want to use fits your description to a T: loose weave and very ravelly (is that even a word?). I haven't started yet, so I'll add an underlining for the reasons you've mentioned.

One question: when treating the 2 materials as one, do you hem the bottom separately or together?

Thanks for your insights!

[rubelin]

I would just finish the hem edge of the underlining before sewing it all together. When it's all finished, try it on and see if the 2 layers hang together nicely, in which case, do just one hem. If the inside layer is wonky, you can just hem the top layer seperately and leave the inside loose.

[Kari_mom]

You are right to question how to handle the hem. The interlining pieces should have the hem allowance cut off, then when you turn up the hem put the interlining into the hem so it is hemmed together, not separately like a lining would be.

Have you picked out a pattern? I'd like to see it, sewingpatterns.com has everything it seems if you can find it there and link it.

[Kari_mom]

Robin, I'm sorry, I opened the thread and walked away for a while. So I didn't see your reply.

I think that if the underlining is sewn into the side seams as it should be then you really have to hem the two fabrics as one layer and do them together. I am not clear how it could be done otherwise.

[rubelin]

Well, usually I would say to handle them completely as one since they are sewn at the side seams, but I've had experience with a very loosely woven outer being puckery and bubbly at the hem when they've been hemmed together so I htink it depends on the fabrics. Trimming the underlining and finishing the edge before they're sewn together allows you to catch it into the hem if they are lying evenly and to leave it loose if that works better.