Today I easily managed to sew the lining up for my winter coat. It is Christmas day and my husband and I have had a wonderful day connecting with family both far and close. Since all the hustle bustle has settled down I was able to play with my new tablet, thank you Santa, and hit the sewing studio as well. The design of this coat is simple and the lining is simple but as promised, I am adding a few touches that will make it more tailored, more couture, if you will.
First, let's discuss Kasha. I love Kasha. I think it is warm. I think it is luxurious. It is for dry clean only garments as the piece I picked up from Vogue fabrics is 52% acetate and 48% cotton. It is a shiny satin weave on the public side and a thick flannel on the private side. It ravels like crazy. It sews up beautifully.
I've made changes from the pattern, Butterick 5960. First, the only yardage given for the lining is 45 inches. Kasha is 57 inches wide. I have almost a yard leftover so keep that in mind. I find at Vogue fabrics there is the biggest color selection available online although I wanted an ivory all along so that didn't quite matter. It retails for 14.99 a yard and got to my house in two days, perfectly cut and folded. . It is yummy stuff, IMO. NAYY.
The pattern has rather simple, albeit at times confusing, directions. I kicked them up a bit.
I stayed the shoulder seam with selvedge. This is not mentioned in the directions. I also did all the stay stitching up front before much handling of the fabric was done. The pattern specifies otherwise.
This fabric, like all satins, will telegraph to the public side when pressing. So if you don't want to see the ridges of your seam allowances either use a seam roll of some sort or use manila folders/oaktag to slip under the SAs before pressing.
The pattern has you baste a 3/4 inch hem in the lining and then stopstitch. I chose to serge the edge (so ravelly) and then do a catchstitch by hand for the hem. I love those even little pick stitches, don't you?
Above is a highly corrected pic of the serged and catch stitched hem. While working on the hem the side seams became more and more ravelly. To late to serge, sooooooo....
The edges got hand overcast, a sweet touch. Normally, if the lining were enclosed I wouldn't have bothered but in this pattern the lining hangs freely from the coat, two separate hems. I didn't want straggling threads to rear their ugly heads further on up the road.
Another hint for Kasha: This is the place to use those fine silk pins. Big pins just push through too hard and can leave marks.
So the lining is complete now and next will be steaming the wool. I seam to have lint-y towels so I hesitate to do the quick pretreatment of throwing the wool in the dryer with damp hot towels. Black and white? I don't think so, untrusting laundress that I am. And the London shrink method isn't quite appealing to me either. So an hour or so of heavy steam pressing and I will be good to cut out this cashmere wool blend. The fabric is lovely with that low glow that only fine woolens have. I have a few trade-ups on the construction for that too!
First, let's discuss Kasha. I love Kasha. I think it is warm. I think it is luxurious. It is for dry clean only garments as the piece I picked up from Vogue fabrics is 52% acetate and 48% cotton. It is a shiny satin weave on the public side and a thick flannel on the private side. It ravels like crazy. It sews up beautifully.
I've made changes from the pattern, Butterick 5960. First, the only yardage given for the lining is 45 inches. Kasha is 57 inches wide. I have almost a yard leftover so keep that in mind. I find at Vogue fabrics there is the biggest color selection available online although I wanted an ivory all along so that didn't quite matter. It retails for 14.99 a yard and got to my house in two days, perfectly cut and folded. . It is yummy stuff, IMO. NAYY.
The pattern has rather simple, albeit at times confusing, directions. I kicked them up a bit.
I stayed the shoulder seam with selvedge. This is not mentioned in the directions. I also did all the stay stitching up front before much handling of the fabric was done. The pattern specifies otherwise.
The pattern has you baste a 3/4 inch hem in the lining and then stopstitch. I chose to serge the edge (so ravelly) and then do a catchstitch by hand for the hem. I love those even little pick stitches, don't you?
The edges got hand overcast, a sweet touch. Normally, if the lining were enclosed I wouldn't have bothered but in this pattern the lining hangs freely from the coat, two separate hems. I didn't want straggling threads to rear their ugly heads further on up the road.
Another hint for Kasha: This is the place to use those fine silk pins. Big pins just push through too hard and can leave marks.
So the lining is complete now and next will be steaming the wool. I seam to have lint-y towels so I hesitate to do the quick pretreatment of throwing the wool in the dryer with damp hot towels. Black and white? I don't think so, untrusting laundress that I am. And the London shrink method isn't quite appealing to me either. So an hour or so of heavy steam pressing and I will be good to cut out this cashmere wool blend. The fabric is lovely with that low glow that only fine woolens have. I have a few trade-ups on the construction for that too!
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I sincerely hope your holidays find you spending it with those you love and the blessings of the season bring you much joy. You all mean so much to me and I wish you the best of Christmas cheer and Spirit......Bunny
I like hand sewn hems and I love a catch stitch since it has some give to it and yes I like those prick stitches. Can't wait to see the coat. Merry Christmas
ReplyDeleteLovely stitching and so practical as well as soothing.
ReplyDeleteYour coat promises to be a cozy one, just right for your cold winters. Merry Christmas--so nice to have a Christmas of connecting--and also of quiet time.
ReplyDeleteWhat yummylicious looking fabric, Bunny, even if it is a bugger to work with. You've thought of everything & I love to follow along your mind's process of the what & why you do what you do. Thanks so very much for sharing your extensive knowledge with us.
ReplyDeleteGrateful Hugs,
Rett
Your directions are always so methodical and thoughtful and oh so helpful to the rest of us who need the help! Kasha sounds like a delightful lining as long as you can tame it with a serger. Can't wait for more progress and photos to drool over! So happy you had some sewing time during the maddening rush of the holiday!
ReplyDeleteVogue Fabrics is on of the most praiseworthy online retailers. I love them.
ReplyDeleteLove, love your attention to the smallest detail. What made you chose to hand overcast the lining instead of using the serger?
ReplyDeletenonie
I didn't think it would ravel as much as it did until the hem was completed. The rest of the lining was done and it was just too late for the serger. I had visions of long shiny ivory threads hanging out below the hem of the black coat, not nice. They had to be tamed. But after that I was able to serge all other open edges. So no hanging hem threads for me!
DeleteThat will be a lovely warm coat. Looking forward to it. Never heard of this fabric before.
ReplyDeleteI hope your Christmas was merry, Bunny. I love seeing all your sewing details. And I especially like your examples that it's A-OK to deviate from pattern instructions.
ReplyDeleteSometimes you just have to, Debbie!
DeleteWhere did you find kasha? I'm trying to find some in that same color for a coat my aunt is making me and can't find anyone who carries it!
ReplyDeleteI like to get my Kasha from Vogue Fabrics online. They seem to have the largest color selection and quality and service are great.
Delete