I Sara, being of sound mind, freely and willingly admit that I hate linen. I use it because it is historically accurate, not because I enjoy working with it or wearing it.
I will concede that it is superior to other fabrics in keeping me cool on hot days. That is, however, the only advantage it has for me.
I cannot get linen unwrinkled - if I hang or iron it, it stretches. Yes, I do use steam, and that only makes it worse. I can't get it to lie flat on the floor to cut, it always rises up in some places. I can't lay it out to cut it because it is always distorted - the fibres are all wiggly - and so I can't ever get a straight cut. Everything I cut out of linen turns out badly, the pieces are always shaped funny because of the distortion of the fabric. In order to cut a straight edge, I have to pull out threads and then cut along the edge, which takes a very long time and is very tedious. I've already taken nearly 4 hours to cut out a single body piece for a smock. I haven't yet been able to cut a decent edge that wasn't on the grain. I've tried using scissors and a rotary cutter and I haven't found either to be any better.
I also find it scratchy and rough, even though others seem to find it soft. I get all my linen from fabrics-store.com and I haven't had anything yet that I would call soft. And when I wash it, little bits of lint stick to the fabric all over and refuse to come off unless I pick every single one off individually.
Do I just fail at this, or does everyone have these problems? Is there any way to fix them? I've bought five different lots of linen from fabrics-store.com and every single one has all of these problems.
rest assured, you are not alone.
I work with linen ONLY when I have to.
When making shirts, chemises, smocks, bloomers, I use a nice Cotton Broadcloth. I perfer Kona or Egyptian Cotton. That I use my coupons for.
Well...
Modern linen isn't like historical linen (for the most). The fibres would probably be better prepared before weaving, and the weaving would be tighter and firmer. Of course with exceptions, there were warious price ranges "back then" as well, but the modern mass-production has made the market flood over with only a minimum of quality in the linen available. It's demanding to produce a high-quality linen fabric, and it's not as profitting to let the flax grow long and strong as it ought to. Most linen on the market today is the low or medium quality one, even if it's not cheap. And it behaves that way.
If you ever come across fine Ulster linen or Belgian, Dutch or Irish linen, I think your impression of linen as a fiber and fabric would be WAY better than what it is today. But compared to what it costs, it might not be worth it?
Another thing to take into consideration is that linen MUST be washed at least 10 times before it starts getting comfortable (again with exceptions). A book I read, I think it's the "Fashion and Fiction" one by Aileen Ribeiro, tells of how servants were set to use the masters new linen shirts for some weeks, until the "itchy" extra fibres had disappeared... The the master started using it himself. :)
If you are using white linen, boil wash it a couple of times and tumble dry it. Take it out of the dryer warm and smooth and fold it. Don't try to iron it. You can pull the selvages straight, but don't iron or press it.
Cut it on a good wide table about the height of a kitchen work surface: dining tables are usually too small and far too low. The floor invites you to lift as you cut, which distorts everything.
Linen is naturally crisp when ironed, so unless you want that polished look, don't bother.
Good quality fine linen is hard to come by and expensive. A decent cotton cambric is a very fait substetute.
I wash and dry my linen on the hottest settings at least 3 times before cutting, often more times. I can't seem to get it smooth no matter how I try, everything I do just stretches it. I've tried ironing dry and with steam, dry doesn't do anything and steam just stretches it. I've tried hanging it ti dry and that stretches it. I've tried smoothing it and pulling it and that stretches it too. Even when I just pull on it to straighten it while I'm trying to cut it it stretches and I have to start over again.
Sorry you are having such a rough time of it! {{{HUGS}}}
You say all of the linen you have has come from the same source. Maybe they are giving the fabric some kind of finishng treatment? :shrug: Maybe try some linen from a different source before giving up on it.
Quote from: PrincessSara on June 13, 2009, 05:29:32 PM
I wash and dry my linen on the hottest settings at least 3 times before cutting, often more times. I can't seem to get it smooth no matter how I try, everything I do just stretches it. I've tried ironing dry and with steam, dry doesn't do anything and steam just stretches it. I've tried hanging it ti dry and that stretches it. I've tried smoothing it and pulling it and that stretches it too. Even when I just pull on it to straighten it while I'm trying to cut it it stretches and I have to start over again.
Don't iron or tug or pull it. Just smooth it flat on the table in a single layer while still warm. If you need to fold it, do that when it's cold. Fold over gently, smooth out any wrinkles GENTLY, and let it relax again before cutting. And fail miserably to pull it or tug it while cutting: never let the lower blade of your scissors leave the table top.
If you have to put it away between washing and cutting, roll it round a cardboard tube, again without stretching as you roll.
If it gets wrinkles in while in storage, it's worth giving it a quick rinse and drying again to get them out rather than ironing it.
I've not had to deal with warped and recalcitrant linen very often, but these tricks worked when I did.
I must admit that I cheat, and get linen-look cotton most of the time. It still does some odd things, but tis cheaper, softer, and behaves a little better.
My trick for straight grain is to pull a thread at each end of the yardage, fold the selvages together, and baste the ends together along the pulled-out line. Then when I lay my linen out to dry (I don't care for the really crisp look of ironed linen, impossible to maintain), there are the ends and the selvage to square up, and the rest smooths into square-ness... Also, when finishing, don't forget to hang the garment for a couple days on a good padded hanger to let the fibers relax out before hemming, and the hems are going to be much straighter.
Hmm...I can't say I've ever had the problems you're describing, and I've made a fair number of linen garments, both for faire and for mundane wear. Maybe it has to do with your supplier.
I don't find linen any harder to sew than the thinner versions of cotton, and actually find that sewing cotton gauze is MUCH more of a PIA than linen is, though I've never tried to sew a linen gauze...if they make such a thing...what was it called in Elizabethan England...lawn?
(Now, if your thread was titled, "I hate velvet"--THEN I'd have something to commiserate with you about...)
I don't use a whole lot of linen. I've had issues with it before so i avoid it and go for broadcloth or something of that nature. A suggestion for the cutting process if you want to continue to use linen...buy yourself a rotary cutter...its shaped like a pizza cutter but the blade is super sharp. You should be able to find one at hobby lobby or someplace like that. I've found its soooo much easier to cut uncooperative fabric with it, however it will cut anything under it so I would suggest buying a cutting mat as well or cutting over cement. Also, with pretty much any fabric make sure you wash before you cut!
I'm really having a lot of trouble with this - has anyone else ever worked with fabrics-store.com 2.8oz linen? I need help! I can't get it to lie flat enough to cut, I can't get it straight enough to pin it, and when I try to sew it my brand new $2200 machine just eats it! What do you do with this fabric?
You might try using a tear-away or wash-away stabilizer for more support while you're cutting & sewing if it's giving you that much grief. Alternately, you could try starching & ironing your linen so that the grain isn't shifty prior to cutting it so that it behaves more, but then you'll have to deal with washing the starch off.
Also, check the size of the needle plate you're using. If you're using one like this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sewingmachine04.jpg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sewingmachine04.jpg) it's meant for zig-zag stitching and will thus not provide enough support under the linen and lead to the machine pulling your fabric down (or eating it like you said). Also, make sure you're using the right size needle for the lightweight linen you've got.
Quote from: PrincessSara on June 22, 2009, 02:54:41 AM
I'm really having a lot of trouble with this - has anyone else ever worked with fabrics-store.com 2.8oz linen? I need help! I can't get it to lie flat enough to cut, I can't get it straight enough to pin it, and when I try to sew it my brand new $2200 machine just eats it! What do you do with this fabric?
I just made two camicias out of Fabrics-store.com 2.8oz linen. It is a little difficult but luckily I've had no major problems and I love it.
To get it to lie flat you need to steam iron it, steam iron it again and then after you cut your pattern piece steam iron yet again. I get a flat piece of linen every time.
I ran into the same problem - this fabric loves to twitch and shift because of its light weight. I found the best way to make sure the grain is straight is what Auntie does - pull a thread. It is really easy to do with this fabric. After you pull the thread, cut it where the space is. Actually I found that if you aim the scissors right it will follow that space naturally.
My cheapy Brother sewing machine has no problems - heck, I've even serged it on my cheap Singer serger with beautiful results. Set your machine on a lower tension and a wider stitch width. I also use Walmart utility cotton thread in the upper and lower bobbins.
I also discovered something else this weekend - use a gluestick to glue the pieces together instead of using pins. The pins were dropping out and shifting. I used the gluestick on the very edge of on piece of fabric, then placed the other part on it. No shifting and a perfect lineup every time.
I've posted a video (http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/theartemis/dressdiary/?action=view¤t=062209012.flv) on the gluestick stuff. I will also post a blog (http://dressdiary.blogspot.com) on using this fabric later this week.
If you don't have a straight stitch plate for your machine (one with a really tiny hole), you can put a piece of masking tape over your current plate and pierce it with your needle. It will act as a temporary straight stitch plate* and keep the feed dogs from dragging your fabric into the bowels of your machine.
*Maybe even not-so-temporary. I guess some of the Pattern Review folks have their machines set up like this all the time.
I also like the starch suggestion.
Thank you Artemisia!! I thought if I ironed it it would just go horribly stretched like my 3.5oz linen did, but it actually worked! It did get stretched, but I expected it to stretch a bit so it's not too bad. And you're right - ironing it twice is much better than ironing it once. The gluestick is a good idea too, I know I have a couple of sticks of fabric glue around here somewhere...heh, I need to organize my sewing junk. ;)
Also, I think I may be on to something for bias-cut pieces, to help them not stretch too much along the bias when I iron them: I wet them, then lay them on a perfectly flat surface to dry - flattened and straightened first, of course. They dry very stiff, which means they are less prone to stretch on the bias. And to soften, just wash the garment when it's done.
I did try ironing with starch - and maybe it's just my starch - but I found the extra "wetness" from the starch caused it to stretch a bit more. I think the steam is just enough.
gem and molly; I'm kind of confused about what you're talking about. I only have one needle plate, which I think is the same as the one molly posted. I've recently realized I know very little about sewing machines, so maybe that's why I'm confused. I took a picture of my needle plate:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v59/AnakinsAngel/VikingNeedlePlate.jpg)
Prehaps you could show me what you mean by a straight stitch plate?
Do a search by "needle plate" and you'll find lots of articles on what they are, what they do, etc.
In the meantime, here's (http://tomrit.com/sewing/?p=42) a quickie that might help answer your question more briefly. Basically, what you have on your machine is meant for zig-zag stitching, therefore the hole that your needle goes through is wide. A straight-stitch plate has a small hole meant for, well, straight-stitching only. You might have such a plate in your accessory box & the fix would be as easy as a quick switch to see if it makes any difference to your results. I'm betting it will.
HTH!
The straight stitch needle plate is an add-on accessory with the Husqvarna machines: you have to buy it. I've never found one necessary. I do occasionally use the straight stitch quarter inch piecing foot, designed for quilt piecing but good for all straight stitching.
Really? Mine has one. That may be because I bought it second-hand and just assumed it was a standard accessory.
Anyway, I, too, mostly use the zig-zag plate, but it's good to have the straight stitch one, and I'm thinking that it may help her prevent her machine "eating" the lightweight linen. (Linen, YUMMY! We'll make a believer out of you yet, PrincessSara...)
I tried to find a picture for you of what I was talking about, but we'll work with yours.
(http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL417/1033223/4707019/367845472.jpg)
Do you see the area I lightened? See how that hole is a wide slot? That allows your needle to go down through the fabric left, right, center... you know all the needle positions your new machine has? You need this plate for those, otherwise when you move your needle a couple millimeters to the right, or when you're zig-zagging, it'll bang into the metal plate and break. Right?
The thing about that wide slot, though, is it increases the likelihood that your fabric will get sucked down into your machine.
But a straight stitch plate only has one tiny hole, just a wee bit larger than the needle--you can ONLY do a straight stitch, dead center, with it.
(http://sewingmachine221sale.bizland.com/store/media/sssp176875.gif)
So what was recommended on Pattern Review, for people whose machines don't have a straight stitch plate available (or those who don't want to buy one, or somebody who needs it TONIGHT), is to cover the hole in your plate with a piece of masking tape, and then pierce it with your needle. Voila! One tiny hole, just like the straight stitch plate, and your fabric is protected from getting pulled into the machine.
Ohhh, now I get it. I really don't know anything about sewing machines :P. The masking tape is a good idea.
They're pretty basic, and it's worth it to learn, because there's a lot you can troubleshoot yourself, if you have to. I'm still a little timid with my new Viking, but I was totally comfortable taking my old Brother apart to clean it, etc.
So I finally got the gores to go on the body piece of the smock, and I have another...issue? There's only about 7 inches of space between the two gore "tips" where my sleeve is supposed to go. So I can't fit the sleeve in unless I turn it a couple of inches down and sew it to the gore, but I don't think that's right. What should I do?
Ok, It's way early in the morning for me, so I'm not entirely sure I'm understanding the problem, but... when I made my two linen smocks, I sewed the gussets to the sleeves FIRST. I seem to recall then folding them into the sleeve when I attached everything together (altho' I can't now imagine what that was for). But isn't the idea that the gusset allows the armhole to stay small (the same size as the sleeve head?), while still providing all that room to move?
When I get home later this afternoon, I can look at the book my smock pattern is from and see if I can remember what it said to do.
Which pattern are you using? I use the online smock pattern generator. Here is the link to their directions: http://www.elizabethancostume.net/smockpat/sewsmock.html
It may help.
That's exactly the pattern I did use. My smock body piece is 81 inches long and my gores are 31 inches long, but I only have 7 inches between the ends of the gores. I haven't gotten to the gussets yet gem, these are the skirt gores.
This is the shoulder of my smock:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v59/AnakinsAngel/SmockShoulder.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v59/AnakinsAngel/SmockShoulder2.jpg)
Ok, hmmm. In the pattern that I use, the gores don't go all the way up to the armscye, so I'm not sure what you should do here.
I used this to make the child's sized smock I posted a week or so back. You sew the gores onto the side seams and then sew the sleeves, with their gusset pieces attached, to the new side seam line created when you added the gores. They can overlap. It does make it a bit clunky in the armpit, so be careful when neatening the seams. You can see what I did with it here: http://community.livejournal.com/hist_kid_cloths/26492.html#cutid1
I'm in the process of washing 7 yards of linen for a dress, I'm now slightly afraid to touch it when it's done >.<
Could I potentially construct the smock like this? By cutting off the point of the body gores and attaching the sleeve directly to the gore, then omitting the gussets - as the gore will add the underarm fullness I need?
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v59/AnakinsAngel/SmockConstruction.jpg)
Lorraine, it's fabric.
It's made out of plants.
Unless someone has been SERIOUSLY playing with genetic modification, it does not and never had any brain cells.
Are you really going to let it win?
Quote from: PrincessSara on June 24, 2009, 10:39:00 PM
Could I potentially construct the smock like this? By cutting off the point of the body gores and attaching the sleeve directly to the gore, then omitting the gussets - as the gore will add the underarm fullness I need?
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v59/AnakinsAngel/SmockConstruction.jpg)
No... It'll end yp too wide round the chest, with all the excess fabric under the arms, and with none of the flexibility of the high arm/sleeve fitting. The point of the gusset in the armpit is not to give you more inches round the chest, but to allow you to lift your arms above your head without excess bulk.
I wrote a blog on this chemise with step by step instructions:
http://dressdiary.blogspot.com/2009/06/smock-muslin.html
The only thing is that I need to change Step 3. Where I said to lay the arm gussets straight down the seamline they should really curve and match up with the side gore. Maybe that's the problem you're having. I'm going to rewrite it.
The arm gussets should end up sewn to the side gores. The entire side gore runs the length from the underarm to the hem. There should be no gap.
Strange how this popped up. I am myself sitting on a pile of white linen to make into a chemise and bloomers...this is to be my first project this year (if I ever stop procrastinating) It will be my first dance with linen and I didn't expect it to be a problem 'til I saw this post! :o
I'm making a mental note to consult this thread once I start encountering these problems. Thanks to everyone contributing!
Quote from: Kate XXXXXX on June 25, 2009, 06:56:07 AM
Lorraine, it's fabric.
It's made out of plants.
Unless someone has been SERIOUSLY playing with genetic modification, it does not and never had any brain cells.
Are you really going to let it win?
ROFLMAO!!!Well said, Kate. I've had my share of "possessed" fabric, but in the end with perseverance anything is possible...
Gack, why is a simple smock being such a trial.....Kate, do you think you could show me what you mean by attaching the gores to the gussets? I'm not very good at written directions.
Lorraine and Nicole, I don't think you should worry too much about it - I have a feeling I kinda just fail at linen. Also, the stuff I'm working with is very light and not particularly well-woven, so that might be part of the trouble.
I'll take linen over silk organza anyday.
Call me crazy but I sort a like linen.
Sara, maybe this will help. This is the smock pattern I use:
(http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL417/1033223/4707019/368013553.jpg)
For some reason, it's looking a little blurry. See the image here (http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL417/1033223/4707019/368013553.jpg).
This is actually the cutting diagram, but do you see how you flip the gore down and piece it onto the skirts? You then get a long (diagonal) side seam *between* the gores and the armscye.
(http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL417/1033223/4707019/368013928.jpg)
(Whoops! I forgot to draw in the underarm gusset! But you get the idea!)
Try this link: http://www.elizabethancostume.net/smockpat/sewsmock.html
This is how I do my square neck Elizabethan smocks and I've not had any issues.