Sew Transparent!
The trend is here! #transparency #transparent #transparenttrend - however you hashtag it, the mesh, chiffon, tulle and organza are making coats, jackets, pants and more. The first time I saw Janelle Monae's see-through jeans in her "Make Me Feel" video, I wanted to make something-else with transparent fabric! Sheer, mesh fabrics were no longer just for evening gowns - we are wearing this fabric every day. Just follow @sewing_and_design_school and you will see the trends every week. Thank you Ryliss Bod and a special thank you to my friend Nikki Brooks @beautejadore for designing McCall Pattern 7749. This pattern choice is being showcased for the May Sew Your View on IG with @thatssewmonica - check us out!
Sewing mesh fabric has a true learning curve and be patient when doing it for the first time, especially if you're making a garment that's traditionally made with a common woven or knit. The first thing I realized about sewing see-through fabrics means you have to sew/design for the inside and outside at the same time. Every seam you sew has to be sewn for function and design. A friend also reminded me of this about pockets: sew the pockets designed with intention that they are supposed to be there, instead of hidden and oops! I can see it. Be intentional with every seam and design feature like pockets, plackets, buttons, cuffs, etc. You want the inside to be admired just as much as the outside.
The first garment I made ended badly as I used a too hot iron on a synthetic fabric that burned and became distorted on the collar - not pretty and I wasn't happy, so back to the sewing table I went. This was an very pretty organza that had a great structure. I may still wear - maybe...
Didn't like this one very much - so I called time of death and maybe it will show up as something else, in pieces.
Pockets, shoulder plackets and belt loops...careful stitching
Trim seam edges down before or after topstitching, depending on the seam. Clean, clean, clean
Hand baste whenever you can. Since this garment was not originally designed for this fabric, I had to make certain the pieces were cut properly and aligned with notches and edges to fit. So I took the time to hand baste some areas - this is the neck (back center seam).
This was unexpected! Since the jacket pattern originally called for a lining, the collar facing needed to stay put, so a seam would add some inside detail to the jacket. I used scotch tape on the squirrely mesh and pull it away slowly as it was being sewn.
Thanks for the love! NKY-G
