We have duly learned the trials and tribulations of iron-on (in?) interfacing. We are making some English pants (or whatever they are called!) from Simplicity 4059 (http://www.simplicity.com/images/product/medium/4059.jpg). The yoke calls for interfacing. Round 1 with the iron on stuff turned out to be a bad gig, although a lot of laughter ensued so a little bit of fabric wasted and a few bucks on cheap interfacing was probably worth a good laugh.
The $64000 question is...the yoke sews onto the pants first at the bottom of the yoke / top of the pants, then you come around again and sew up the back, then the top. (I think, please do not give me a pop quiz on the topic!) So do you actually sew the interfacing to the fabric FIRST or just pin it to the fabric and it gets sewn in as you sew the yoke to the pants?
Thank you wonderful sewers of RF!
If it looks like it'll wriggle as I sew it, I twnd to hand baste it in the seam allowances and leave the basting in later. Otherwise I just pin the whole lot together.
I just made these pants last week...how frustrating are those instructions....
Because of the curve of the yoke, I would baste the interfacing to the fabric. It will reduce the headache later.
LOL yes, the instructions leave much to be desired! A mock up in ultra cheap fabric helped a ton, as well as some other online resources bemoaning the instructions. I added notes from our mock up though, and now I look at them and still am not sure I know what the heck I'm supposed to do.
Funny note: early in the pattern is where you finish off the front (fly?) where ultimately you will place buttons. Includes some hand sewing to tack down and I suspect reinforce a high-tension area if the pants actually get worn and used like you'd expect at a Ren Faire and not a 2 hour costume party! Hubby has to do all the hand sewing and he was agonizing over it and kept asking me how it looked. I love the guy but geez, we're talking black fabric with black thread for goodness sake! I finally said if anyone was looking at his crotch that closely to criticize the hand stitching I was going to be charging admission.
(Now watch Dona corner him the first time she sees them at the Scarby morning tailgate next year!!!)
Ok back to the regularly scheduled interfacing topic!
I just finished the "B" View for that pattern and I have to say the part that drove me up the wall was that fly on the pants! I finally just pinned it to where it looked right and asked the hubby if he liked it and when he said yes...I stitched it up and didn't look back! I also agree that those instructions need to be redone cause I was scratchin my head for an hour at least trying to figure things out. I finished it all and the hubby loves it, I might get him to even wear the hat (even thou that is part of the "A" view)
Rule #1 is NEVER get the cheap 1 a package interfaceing. Bad things happen.
#2 put a cloth on top of the interfacing as you are pressing it on. Many an iron has gotten gunked because the interfacing was the wrong way up.
#3 Read the interfacing instructions. If it says press with out steam for 15 seconds. Do not use steam, and have a clock with a second hand near by. You will see the difference.
#4 I tend to get 1 step up in 'weight' fusibile interfacing. IE I am using med. weight fabric, I get heavy weight fusibile interfacing. To me I get a better look that way. Just personal opinion.
#5 when using sew on interfacing, baste it some how onto the fabric. Grandma just pinned it on and sewed it with the fabric, but did slip a bit at times. My tutor hand basted it down. Me, I at least machine baste it down in matching thread. I don't care how you baste it as long as it is basted. Less head ache's that way.
I bought this pattern for the Flamingo brother, Tristan. You have me curious about the pants now.
My two cents on the pants is >:( and :P
I made these awhile ago so I'm not exactly remembering the interfacing I used. I probably used a medium weight, iron in.
My only advice on the craptacular instructions... MARK EVERYTHING! I usually am a little lacks on marking things but this one... I went back and marked every little notch and dot. Front AND back of EVERY piece. That helped... A little.