Interfacing Part 2

A couple of days ago I discussed the fusible interfacings I
have been using along with some ideas as to how things might be changing in the
future. The second drawer of my
file-cabinet contains the sew-in interfacings, my subject for today’s post.

I know that I have probably more interfacing than a lot of
people. This really doesn’t bother me,
but the amount of fusibles will be reduced as I work through the various
samples purchased. Still, I really don’t
mind using sew-in interfacing and there is quite a bit in the second file
drawer, more than I had initially realized.

Silk Organza: I usually keep a variety on hand, especially
in peach, which seems to work well under most things, and off-white or
white. I usually get these from Thai
Silks. I also keep silk organza in other
colors, when I find those I like or think I might use. Sometimes a color is necessary if I think
there may be show through and besides silk organza can make lovely blouses and
nice accents on other garments. Right now I have deep green and a couple of
shades of purple, besides the basics.

Cotton Batiste: Also makes a nice soft underlining for
certain garments and can add a little gentle support where fusibles will not
work. I can’t find 100% cotton batiste around
me so I buy it when I see it; I might have a couple of different weights on
hand. Since this fabric also makes
lovely lightweight summer tops and blouses, I keep colors in stock as well,
especially when I can find the deeper colors I prefer to wear.

Hair Canvas or Hymo: Stocked in various weights and almost always
used in jackets and tailored garments, at least a little piece somewhere. I can’t seem to wean myself away from hair
canvas and move to completely fused garment. Hair canvas has changed a great deal over the years. The stuff of old was stiff and often contained
horse hair. G remembers stiff jackets
from his childhood with horsehair interfacings that would occasionally poke him
through the wool of the jacket.  Today,
the ones called Hair Canvas today are stiffer and often a large part polyester
instead of horse hair. I tend to use the
Hymo or Hymo Hair Canvas products. Now
most of them are at least partly rayon. I try to find blends with a high degree of goat hair or wool mixed with the
rayon and I have several types from several sources, some is fairly stiff, some
fairly soft. I adore the premium hymo
from Greenberg and Hammer called EURO, which is 42% wool,  because it is firm yet soft with good drape
but I also tend to keep a few pieces of their other products, such as LT-030 which is 30% cotton, 34% hair and
is quite firm for those times I need serious support in a garment. I also use MD-021 and the hymo called BLACK,
which is black. The hymo I recently
purchased from THE SEWING PLACE   is a middle weight, between the Euro and the
LT-030. I haven’t used it yet, but I
think it may prove useful. 

Years ago I also used a good bit of Cotton
Organdy. It was great for
plackets and collars in lightweight cotton and handkerchief linen blouses as
well as other lightweight garments. I would also use it to interface button or
buttonhole bands in crisp tops.  I would
get it at a store in the garment district that sold only imported Swiss
cottons, long since closed. It was
available in several colors. Now I can
only find white and usually have to purchase it from an heirloom sewing
store. I like organdy because it is
firmer than organza or batiste yet still light and semi-sheer. As I fashions
have gotten softer, I tend to use organza more than organdy, but I still keep a
small bit around.

Baby Flannel: I started using this many years ago, when I
first read Sandra Betzina’s POWER SEWING, the original version. She used it to underline jackets, especially
jackets made from lightweight silk fabrics. Remember those silk crepe-de-chine and sueded silk jackets of the late
1980’s and early 1990’s? I loved
those. I used the flannel to underline
some of them but eventually, as I noticed that in designer jackets the entire
body of the silk might be fused, I moved on to using fusing my silks to
permanently underline them and “beef up” the fabric. Sometimes the baby flannel is the perfect
thing though and I still use it, it can also be great for underlining a jacket
or coat where the fabric is not quite heavy enough. 

Wool Felt, Lambswool, and Mohair: I keep small bits of these for use in
sleeve heads or occasionally other places. Pure versions of these are increasingly hard to find but the blends
aren’t nearly as versatile for use in garment construction. Sometimes they are purchased. Some of my mohair consists of scraps from
garments or sweaters which I have felted. I don’t usually need large pieces so scraps suffice.

I have a couple of pieces of Coutil
which I purchased as an understructure for corset or bustier-like bodices when
I was sewing more evening gowns. It was
also useful in those wide, waist cinching belts that were popular for a few
years, as well as the boned, corset based blouses, when I wanted something more
structured. I considered using it to
actually try to make a corset last year when I was having increasing problems
standing up straight due to pain or just plain old crookedness in my back. I might still consider this but at the moment
regular Pilates seems to be helping and the crooked days are fewer.

I also have pieces of several products that are sold as
sew-in interfacings, such as VeriShape which is used to stiffen collar stands,
flex weave, and a few others. I am not
particularly consistent in my use of them, but there have been times I have
been very happy to have them on hand.

Oddly enough I may be coming full circle. Originally, when I started sewing, I
exclusively used sew in interfacings and had trouble with fusibles. Then I moved away from sew-in interfacing and
fused almost everything. Now I use both
and have found myself appreciating their different qualities.