Claire Shaeffer - Sew Any Fabric: A Quick Reference to Fabrics from A to Z

S EW A NY
F ABRIC

Foreword by Nancy Zieman

Claire Shaeffer

2003 by Claire Shaeffer
All rights reserved.

No portion of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a critical article or review to be printed in a magazine or newspaper, or electronically transmitted on radio or television.

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Library of Congress Catalog Number: 2003108199
ISBN: 0-87349-643-4
eISBN: 978-1-4402-2033-3

Photos page 5 courtesy of Lacy Lovelies Fashion Fabrics (left) and Simplicity Patterns (right).
Photo page 8 courtesy of Lyn Lackey and Bernina of America. Photo page 108 courtesy of PtakCouture.com.

Edited by Nicole Gould.
Designed by Marilyn McGrane.

Printed in the United States of America

Acknowledgments

I wish to thank the many friends, colleagues, home-sewers, and businesses who took the time to answer questions, make suggestions, and provide photographs for this book.

Special thanks to Nancy Zieman for writing the Foreword.

Barbara Atkins, Diane Faulkner, Linda Fitzerald, Lissa Gay, Vicki Haseman, Ann Jacobi, Dawn Jardine, Bill Jones, Judy Kirpich, Ngai Kwan, Barbie McCormick, Carolyn Morris, Linda Nicolson, Debbie Ramseyer, Abby Riba, Judith Scroggin-Gridley, Welmoed Sisson, and Wanda Stephen for their help with the Sewability classifications.

Phyllis Tortora and Billie Collier for technical information about textiles.

Susan Brenne, Ruth Ciemnoczolowski, Marsha Cohen, Tina Colombo, Rochelle Harper, and Penny Schwyn for sharing their knowledge of various fabrics.

My colleagues in the Professional Association of Custom Clothiers (PACC) for their continued support and the wealth of information which they have shared so generously.

Cheri Collins for developing the stabilizer chart.

Joy Landeira for general suggestions and criticism.

Barb Alexander and Lee MacKenzie at Batik Butik, Susan Andriks, Art of Photography, Elaine Bakken, Kathy Barnard at Martha Pullen, Dacia Bates and Sandi Bolton at Lacy Lovelies, Bernina of America, Regina Causemann at Burda, Kathleen Cheetham at Petite Plus Patterns, Nancy Cornwell, Ila Erickson, Nancy Erickson, Frank Biemer and Fairfield Processing Co., Inc., Susan Fears, Raffaella Galeotafiore at Solotu Design Studio, Maria Guzman, Pam Howard, Pamela Isaacs-Erny at Off the-Cuff Designs, Lyn Lackey, Jo Leichte at Bernina, Carol Kimbell, Carol Lambeth, Joi Mahon, Kathy Marrone and Jennifer Fragleasso at The McCall Pattern Co., Karen Maslowski, Linda MacPhee at MacPhee Outerwear Workshop Ltd., Make It Yourself With Wool, Eric McMaster and Kimberly Wick at KWIKSEW, Monica McMurry, Tammy O'Connell of Jitney Patterns, Pamela Ptak, Mary Ray, Rochelle Harper Patterns, Debi Shaeffer, Judy Raymond and Maureen Dudley at Simplicity Patterns, Paul Shanley and Diane Tatara at Wild Ginger Software, Maj Smith, Gabrielle Stanley, Lena Stepanenko, Linda Stewart at Joy and Co., Marinda Stewart, Francine Walls, and Gloria Young for providing photographs.

Jim Guin at American & Efird, Inc., Wade Roberts at Gutermann, and Vicky Smith at YLI for providing threads and information about them.

Fabric Collections, Fashion Sewing Group, Freudenberg Nonwovens, Greenberg &Hammer, Inc., HTC, Inc., Palmer/Pletsch Inc., Richard Brooks, and Staple Sewing Aids Corp. for providing interfacing swatches and information about them.

My editor Niki Gould and the staff at Krause Publications for making my writing look good.

Foreword

Claire may not realize this, but her first book, Claire ShaeffersFabric Sewing Guide, has been a ready reference book on my desk for years. Now that Ive had the opportunity to read her updated book Sew Any Fabric, I have added this second book to my bookshelf, which houses books that I use on a frequent basis when preparing for TV shows, writing articles, and answering viewer questions. I especially appreciate the user-friendly format, easy to-follow directions, and practical information. It is a valuable resource for all sewing enthusiasts. I know that you, too, will keep this book handy and use it frequently.

Nancy Zieman
President, Nancys Notions Producer/Host, Public Televisions
Sewing With Nancy

Table of Contents

Introduction

A quick reference, Sew Any Fabric was designed to accommodate the busy, hectic schedules of the twenty-first century. This indispensable guide was written for everyone: home sewers and professionals alike who are sewing new fabrics, looking for fresh ideas, improving their skills, or learning to sew; but it was written especially for anyone who wants good results, but doesnt have a lot of time to get them.

Sew Any Fabrics user-friendly format focuses on 88 of todays most popular fabrics while the Fabric/Fiber Dictionary defines and describes an additional 600 fabrics which can be sewn in a similar manner. Organized for easy reference, this must-have guide provides the practical, up-to-date information you need to sew any fabric successfully and confidently.

Part One - The Fabrics is arranged in an easy-to-use, A-to-Z format. Each fabric is described in a short, concise chapter which includes a brief definition, its Sewability classification, a list of similar fabrics, suggestions for using the fabric, garment types, and appropriate design details; a Sewing Checklist; and Workroom Secrets.

The fabric definition describes the fabric and its most important features. This is particularly important for fabrics which are similar, have the same name, or are part of a large group. For example, terry cloth can be a woven or knit, stretch or non-stretch, and each is slightly different.

The unique Sewability classification tells you how easy the fabric is to sew. I have divided the fabrics into six groups: Very Easy, Easy, Average, Above Average, Challenging, and Very Challenging so you will know what to expect if you havent sewn the fabric before.

The Sewing Checklist summarizes the basic details for the fabric: Essential Supplies, Machine Setup, and Sewing Basics. The Sewing Checklist is a thimbleful of sewing know-howeverything you need to know in 30 seconds or less. Here, I have selected the most frequently used methods which will produce quality results when you have a busy schedule and limited time.