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7/21/2019 Underlining Principles
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This satin bodice created by the authorillustrates many of the structural elements that
would be impossible without underlining.
The facing is catchstitch
to the underlining.
The underlining
bears the
stitching and
grainline
markings.
Beneath unforgiving satin,underlining
contributes to a beautiful, structured bodice.
Boning channels a
sewn to the under
Seam allowances,
padded by and sewn to
the underlining, dont
show through on the
right side.
A pet
waist
invisible
rig
hi
unde
Right Side
Bias-cut cotton flannel
underlining buffers the boning
channels and waist stay.
38 THREADS
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How a foundation layer influencesfabrics and finished garments B Y S U S A N K H A L J E
One of the most powerful tools in your sewing
arsenal is underlining. Couture garments almost
always incorporate an inner layer of fabric
(sometimes more than one layer) that supports the fash-
ion fabric. Once joined, the layers work as one.
Underlinings role in a garment can be pronounced
or subtle. It provides a firm base for details that are
attached to the fashion fabric (lace appliqus, trims,
fasteners, and so on). It adds polish by camouflaging
construction details (boning channels, seam allowances,
darts, and hand-applied stitches, for example), while
making others stand out (filled pleats and gathers). It
reduces wrinkling and absorbs perspiration, and it can
even be used to shift the color of the fashion fabric.
While fusibles can be used, sewn-in underlinings
expand your options and are generally better at main-
taining the fashion fabrics essential nature. Here, Ill
explain how to select the correct underlining, and how
to mark it and join it to the fashion fabric.
Its essentialand funto experiment with underlin-
ings to see how they transform your fashion fabrics.
While there are instances when underlining radically
changes the nature of the fashion fabricindeed, thats
part of underlinings geniusfor the most part, its role
is one of support and encouragement behind the scenes,
allowing the fashion fabric to maintain its look and feel.
reads contributing editor Susan Khalje is the author of
Bridal Couture(Krause Publications, 1997) available on
CD at www.SusanKhalje.com.
UnderliningnPrinciples
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WITHOUTUNDERLINING
Select an underliningConsider what you want the underlined area to dodrape, stand up, fold, etc. Then envision the underlinings likely effect on your fas
fabric, and experiment with underlining choices to be sure you achieve the desired effect.
Silk organza is the workhorse of the
underlining world, but there are many
other options. Pick the underlining that
supports your fashion fabric in the way
that you need.
Lofty: Single- or double-faced cotton
flannel camouflages construction details.
Heavy: Cotton broadcloth, muslin,
crinoline, and twill offer firm support.
Drapey: Silk crepe de chine
and rayon maintain movement.
Light: Silk chiffon is gentle; silk
organza, crisp. Cotton voile or cotton
batiste add soft support.
A heavier linen-silk blend works
well with the support and texture of
muslin underlining.
Self fabric works wonderfully as
underlining, if weight doesnt become
an issue.
WITHUNDERLINING
UNDERSTAND THE UNDERLININGS ROLEThere can be different underlinings in different parts of a garment:
a fitted, boned bodice might be underlined with flannel (to camou-flage the boning) and muslin (for strength) while its skirt might beunderlined with silk organza (for lightweight support). The goal isto match your underlining to the effect youd like to achieve withthe fashion fabric.
PRETREAT THE FABRICSThe fashion fabric may or may not shrink, but I find that
fibers can tighten up (especially crepes, as fashion fabriunderlining). Steam the fashion fabric in advance, and w(in hot water) any cotton underlining that might shrinkwash silk organza, though; it wont shrink, and washingmakes it less firm.
Sans underlining, pleated silk forms
a less-structured, softer skirt.
Silk organza underlining supports a f
fuller skirt. The layers were basted to
and function as one.
CAST THE CORRECT UNDERLINING
SILK CHIFFONAND SELF-FABRIC
UNDERLINING
MUSLINUNDERLINING
LINEN-SILKBLEND
Here are some of my favorite fabric and underlining combinations:
SILKCHIFFON
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Mark the inner layerThe underlining is an appropriate canvas for marks to guide stitching, placement details, and more. It makes sense to apply marks from a
muslin or the pattern to the underlining, not the fashion fabric.
GUIDE STITCHING WITH LINES, NOT EDGES
While there are times when the fabrics cut edgeserves as a stitching guide, thats not usually the casein couture garments. Instead, the stitching lines arethe reference, and seam allowances are left wide toallow leeway in fitting and design.
Mark the stitching lines on the underlining. Theycan be referenced from a muslin that was used to fitthe garment (see Muslin Refined in Threadsno. 151),or they can be first marked on the pattern tissue, thentransferred with carbon paper to the underlining.
COPY EVERY DETAILMark important information on the underlining,
sparing the fashion fabric from being marked. Inaddition to stitching lines, youll mark the straightof grain; placement lines for buttons, pockets, andfashion details; reference lines; notches; the hemline;and so on.
Be mindful of the tracing papers color. Dark tracingmarks (while easy to see on the underlining) can showthrough a lighter-colored fashion fabric. The thread
you use to join the two layers together can pull thecolor off the carbon paper, too.In some cases, thecolor you use makes no difference (if youre markingthe underlining for a black wool skirt, for instance),but thats not always the case. White, or light-coloredgarments, need to have their underlinings markedwith white tracing paper (which can be difficult to
see, but its necessary).
Stitchinglines
Mark undecopiously
any detailaid constru
Grainline
Notches
Extend stitching-line mapast their intersectio
Pair four-ply silk crepe
with silk crepe de chine
to preserve drape.
This silk organza
underlining has b
marked with stitc
lines, notches, and
straight of grain.
Silk organza is stable and easy to
work with. Here its matched with
silk dupioni...
... and here, with wool crepe.
Silk organza is also lightweight
and reasonably priced.
SILK ORGANZAUNDERLINING
WOOLCREPE
SILK CREPEDE CHINEUNDERLINING
FOUR-PLYSILK CREPE
SILKDUPIONI
SILK
ORGANZAUNDERLINING
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Align the underlining and fabrBefore basting the underlining and the fabric together, confirm the laye
orientation. A three-part process ensures successful results.
Try altering
a fabrics shade
with underlining.
1
Match the grainlines.Both layers must be oriented identically; caref
layout and pinning is your only chance to guarantee this. Check thatstray threads or bits of fluff are trapped between the layers.
2Pin in the seamallowances.Orient
the pins so that theyreperpendicular to thestitching line.
3Meticulously smooth the layers.Check the fashion fabric side and ras necessary. Flip the layers back and forth to make sure youve got
smoothest layering possible. Ultimately, the fashion fabric has to be thsmoother layer.
LET BIAS-CUT LAYERS HANG OUT.I pin
bias-cut fabric and underlining together along the
top horizontal edges, then hang the layers vertically
so they relax fully before joining.
Tip
SHIFT COLOR WITH UNDERLINING
The result is subtle in silk satin, but
underlining can adjust the shade of your
fashion fabric. Off-white silk organza
is the staple underlining; it does its job
unobtrusively. Ive found, however, that if
a fabrics shade is not quite right, a colored
underlining can do the trick. With white orvery light-colored fabrics, the effect is more
pronounced, of course.
I once underlined a ballgowns pale pink
satin skirt with chocolate brown underlining.
The result was the desired rum pink.
Grainline
WARMER IVORY COOLER IVORY
YELLOWCOTTONFLANNEL
WHITECOTTONFLANNEL
Smooth and pin theunderlining andfabric together,
matching grainlines.
Stitchingline
Stitchinglines
FASHION FABRIC
42 T H R E A D S
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Photos:SloanHoward
USE NEW THREAD FOR EVERY LINEIts best to sew each stitching line from a separate thread length.It takes little time to do separate pieces of basting. But once thebasting is removed, you wont inadver-tently remove the stitches from an ad-
jacent seamline. If you can remem-ber to clip the corner threads,then you can use a continuousthreadbut go beyond thecorner points so that you give
yourself a clear indication of
where the seamlines cross.Now that your fabric isunderlined, its time to basteeverything together for afittingknowing that thefashion fabric will be able to doall that you ask of it.
Baste the layers togetherAfter marking and aligning the underlining, baste it and the fashion fabric together. Careful work at this stage is essential, as soon the lay
will be treated as a single unit.
AVOID THE TEMPTATION TO MACHINE-SEW
While joining the fashion fabric and the underlining together by machine might seem appealing (mostly because its quick), its not agood idea. Shifting of the layers is inevitable, and the machine-stitching marks would most likely remain, even if the thread was eventuremoved. Therefore, the layers need to be joined by hand. I find it to be a pleasant process and not really all that time-consuming. Its wworth the effort.
SELECT A PASSING THREAD,
AND START STITCHINGIt helps to use lightweightsilk thread. If you cantfind that, then rayon is agood substitute, thoughcheck that its colorfast.It goes in smoothly, and
just as importantly, pulls
out easily when its timeto remove it. Choose thecolor with care, thoughthat way, there wont be aproblem if the color bleeds, orif fibers remain, later caught in themachine stitching.
Techniques differ, but I begin by knotting my thread; Imcareful when I remove it, though, to clip the knot so that itdoesnt get pulled through the layers.
Your stitches neednt be very small. There may be times, whenworking with something particularly slipperylets say youreapplying silk organza to the princess seam area of a silk satinbodicewhen your stitches might be smallerbut for the mostpart, as long as the layers are held together nicely, a moderatestitch size is fine.
Use silk or rayon threadfor its passability; basting
pulls free easily.
Baste beyondthe stitching-line
intersections forclear corners.
Underlining and fabricshould be basted together
by hand; the pieces areless likely to shift, and itseasier to cleanly remove
the stitches.
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