Puckering Seams in Bias Cut Skirts

[MAC]

An article in Threads magazine says that cutting on the bias produces an
'explosion' at the cut edge. That's why some patterns call for 1-1/2" seams at
skirt sides. Sewing that width gets you far inside that 'explosion' and gives
you a good seam. Well, I've tried that, I've tried 5/8"; I've tried serging,
not serging, pinking, double stitching...and usually one of the darn seams has
a pucker somewhere, usually at the bottom where it really shows. Has anyone
got the secret?

Cathy McLaren
c/o
jmcl...@lis.ab.ca

[Ann MacDougall]

Have you tried a stabilizing strip of fabric, perhaps cut across grain to
"outsmart" the bias?

MAC <mcl...@hg.uleth.ca> wrote in article
<4vnim9$f...@tigger.planet.eon.net>...

[Bobby Ann Loper (THEATRE)]

To manage a bias seam: Make sure the pattern pieces are true (will fit
together perfectly) especially if you have drafted them yourself. Add
additional match-up marks every 2". Don't overlock the seams (they won't
fray like ones cut
on the straight). Handle it as little as possible until after seaming.
Keep pieces flat on the table as they are cut out, don't remove them from
the pattern and/or drape them over a chair. Carefully remove pattern and
match and pin seams while pieces are still flat on table. Pin one seam at
a time and then handbaste (yes, handbaste) one seam at a time. Baste
close to where the seam will be and take a lot of stitches per inch, not
one every 1 1/2". Remove the pins. When the main sections of the
garment are basted
together, machine sew slowly, keeping one hand underneath so that in spite
of all the above efforts, part of the body of the garment does not slip
under the seam. Prepractice with some bias pieces of the fabric to
determine thread type, stitch length, and if you need to stretch the seam
a bit as you sew. The feed dogs tend to tighten the seam up and you might
have to give it back the stretch as you sew, but do it gently.

I know this is old foggey type of sewing, but the old foggeys did a lot of
nice stuff.

Bobby Ann Loper Costume Studio
Univ.of S. FL TAR 220 Phone: (813) 974-9181
4202 E. Fowler Fax: (813) 974-4122
Tampa, FL 33620-5452 EMAIL: lo...@satie.arts.usf.edu