Sewing sheer fabrics

When you think of soft, pretty, feminine fashion for everyday as well as special occasions, sheer fabrics almost always come to mind. Sheer fabrics like chiffon, organza and voile have also become popular year-round choices for home decorating, from window valances and bed canopies to elegant table dressings and chair drapes. While sheers may require a bit more attention than most fabrics, you can successfully create the light, airy looks you love by following a few easy guidelines:

Layout:

• Use a single or double thickness layout with right sides together.
• Use a “without nap” layout.
• A cutting surface with a contrasting color will help you get the best view of your sheer.
• Soft sheers will slip easily off grain, especially when cut on the bias. Use pushpins to anchor the fabric to a padded cutting surface. Insert pins along the selvage and across the cut edge of the crosswise grain.
• Pin only within the seam allowances, especially on crisp sheers. Extra fine pins are suitable on crisp sheers, but may easily fall out of soft sheers. Insert pins at more frequent intervals than usual.

Cutting:

• Use scissors with serrated blades or a rotary cutter to reduce fabric slippage as you cut.

Sewing:

• Use a standard universal point needle in a light to medium weight size, such as size 70/10 H to 80/12 H (Schmetz) or size 10 to 12 (Singer).
• Stitch with fine cotton-covered polyester thread, or try lingerie thread.
• Set your machine for a slightly smaller stitch length than usual – about 10 to 15 stitches per inch.
• Increasing the pressure on the presser foot may be helpful with some lightweight sheers.
• Use a small, single-hole throat plate when sewing straight seams. This prevents toe fabric from being “swallowed” into the machine. A narrow straight stitch foot and / or flat-bottom presser foot may also be helpful.
• If you do not have these machine attachments, consider moving the needle to the far left to provide support on three sides of the fabric.
• Use soft and light interfacing so it doesn’t interfere with the fabulous drape of the fabric but still holds the shape you need. For a more translucent effect, substitute organza (for soft sheers) or organdy (for crisp sheers) in place of a commercial interfacing.
• Seam options for sheers include a double-stitched seam and French seam.