Flat Lining

[Weaver Gal]

I'll confess I've never done it and don't know how it's done, but have seen it in a dress I purchased. So would appreciate your advice, ladies. I want to start on my state dress and want to do it just right. :ty in advance, you are all so helpful!

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

Hey weaver girl I will be cutting out and lining a bodice later this afternoon...if you like I will take photos and post them for you (stop laughin y'all...really I WILL!) I have to go down to thousand oaks this morning and pick up an antique sewing chair Winston's mama found for me...and spend some money at JoAnn fabrics since they were nice enough to send me two sale fliers and I have to drive far enough I will go by the one in Ventura...its not big, but I just need some basics stuff.

That will take a couple of hours...I am not going to go for LA today, I am feeling better, but a day of being cold and wet and tense with LA drivers going in and out will certainly land me right back into ILL! My sweety is home from work today and willing to drive me to get the chair and I am going to take him up on it and veg in the drivers seat!:chick


GG

[Weaver Gal]

I would be thrilled if you did that, if it's not a huge pain. Thanks in advance.

I hope your shopping trip to Joann's went well. Love those coupons! :chick:chick

[Ida Hands]

I would be thrilled as well! :tban

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

Hey Ladies ...I have the bodice all cut out to show you how to flat line...We had the power out up here for about four hours today, and I had my Sat sewing class...so long story I am pooped out now and when I wanted to sew I had no trons to do it!

So tomorrow morning I will show how I flat line. Until then you can cut out all your bodice pieces and cut out a second layer for the lining pieces, I like to use a bottom weight fabric like a twill if the outer fabric you are using is very light. Other wise I flat line in muslin or self fabric depending on the project.

Today I learned to candle wick by machine, three applique techniques, how to use the free motion settings and bought two more feet and metalic thread needles. The classes are three hours long so you get a lot in!

Its still very cold and windy here, it was warmer and sunny down the hill today but very windy!

I am so ready for summer!

GG

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

SO HELP ME!:tap

I am trying to upload images, something is not working...and I can not seem to get the edit function to work.

Give me a few minutes I will try to re-download the images from the camera to the other computer and post that way. :tap

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

Ok I think we got it...

So lets see what Heather says about this.

"Flat line fashion fabric with interlining. Flat line by laying the matching interlining onto the wrong side of the fashion fabric and carefully baste around all edges. Do not stretch fabrics or allow them to bunch. Once the fabrics are sewn together treat them as a single piece. DO NOT SKIP THIS PART It is very important to give your fashion fabric a firm base."

Well what that means if you cut out all your pieces in the fabric of the dress, then all the pieces again in the lining. You lay out all the lining and place the dress fabric on top of it ...you should be looking at the right side (what you want the world to see)

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

as you can see I use a serger for then carefully sew together part. I sew up each side of each piece AND the shoulder seam onthe top of the back piece and the top of the front piece. I leave the bottom bits and the arm hole alone. These get finished later for me with facings, and I find the fabric lays better for you if you do not try to go all the way around ( I think it tends to buckle if you do that and are not SUPER careful and if you have different fabrics like taffeta and cotten for example. )

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

I used an interlining of muslin for this because the lining I want to use is navy to match the contrast fabric and the taffeta is very light.

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

So then you treat these new sandwiched pieces like a single piece... you put the right sides together. This is the front and the side piece. Sew as normal.

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

After you sew the seam I open it out and press it (because ironing is 75% of sewing) and you move on to the next seam!

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

This is the right side... nice and smooth! So thats flatlining in a nut shell its easy, and was VERY common in the Victorian era (except with out the serger...Victorians would whip stitch ect the raw edges)

[Weaver Gal]

Thank you kindly, GG. Not rocket science, I see, but just attention to keeping everything flat. I am preparing the pattern now (I always trace on pattern paper, then make a muslin of the bodice before I think about the actual fabrics), and will print this for when I get to the fashion fabric. :ty:ty

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

yep...I think the wording on the pattern makes it sound a little daunting but its very easy to do. After awhile you will wonder why we ever changed the way we make clothes (but thats the OCCD talking I am sure!)

Gg

[Sweet Violet]

Go Gypsy!!! Go Gypsy!! Go Gypsy!! You so totally rock girl!!

[Gemma]

:ty Particularly the bit about not finishing the bottoms and the armholes, I tried flatlining on my first dress and did have trouble with puckering, with this advice I should be brave enough to have a second attempt!
Gemma

[Ida Hands]

EXCELLENT instructions! Easy to understand with FANTASTIC photos! Thanks, Miss Gypsy! :tban:ty:tban

[Lady Leigh]

Oh good! GG sergers her edges, too!

[Iona Vaquero]

So you put all 3 layers together at one time!!!! I get it. Now how do you sew the boning channels on without showing through the front? Or do you let them show on the front? Or do you even put boning channels in?

I've been doing the bag lining thing and now I know better.:lool:lool:lool

[Chantilly]

I flatline using the Dritz Spray Adhesive between the fashion fabric and inner lining. I just spray very lightly to stick the two fabrics together and then zig zag the edges. This seems to help ensure that I don't get any puckers in darts. I haven't had any problems with my machine needle gunking up. The spray bottle says that is will not gum up the needle but you never know until you try it!

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

Chantilly
I have always wondered about that stuff, I can think of some instances when it might be very useful. My next Viking sewing class is called all about Interfacing, there are so many products out there I have never heard of, I am really looking forward to it.


I do use boning (unless I am asked not to...everybody is different) I like to though. I will post a photo of that as well, I should be putting those in soon.

Yep Leigh ( don't you love to see other peoples insides?? :ty) I would zig zag or overcast stitch until I had a serger and that works fine too...the idea is to keep the fabric from raveling. I will also snip a curved seam so that it lays out nicely the serging holds the edges fine I have found...

I don't care for it but I will bag line for others who like that look on the inside of the bodice, I personally like to see the structure, I like the fit better, and I LOVE to not have to deconstruct Rome to make a fit alteration if needed. In that I am a total Victorian, I want it last as long as possible, and I want to have the option to easily reform parts into other costumes if I so choose later...fix size changes (if you only know how many times Connie has changed the size of her green calico NF dress.) ect ect.

Gg

[Duzy Wales]

:ty Gypsy! Looking forward to the boning part....that and adding button holes to expensive fabric is scary to me....

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

Duzy!! :ty I will remember to take pictures of the cool new button holes I can make! I honestly think there are two things to good buttonholes. Interfacing and a decent machine. If your machine does not like to make buttonholes nothing on earth will help!! My first machine stunk! I got my brother ....I am SO a one step button hole girl!

[Vintage Modiste]

I honestly think there are two things to good buttonholes. Interfacing and a decent machine....I am SO a one step button hole girl!

Ditto, GG! :wv

[Dixie McCan]

Thank you all so much for this subject! I've been so worried about doing a "bodice" - bones and all. Can't wait for your wonderful instructions GG!