Sewing Vloggers

Monday, November 28, 2011

Texturizing Fabric

If you recall my inspiration garment, which you can see here, the green underskirt is textured. I have seen this kind of textured sheer at Joanns and it just reads cheap to me. Maybe in a different fabrication I would feel differently. I didn't want anything like this sheer but I did like the idea of some texture in the green underskirt.  My goal here was not a lot of depth to the texture but simply random lines in the taffeta. This is how I achieved that.
Here you can see the washed poly taff. Poly is good for this technique because the heat of the dryer will permanently texture poly. Natural fibers would lose any texture the minute they got wet.
The first step is to wet the fabric thoroughly.

Take the wet fabric and twist and wring, wring and twist until the coil actually turns back on itself.

Take your wet twisted coil and secure it tightly with elastics, string or whatever works. I don't like to use rubber elastics as I think the heat might losen them, not sure. Take this tied up coil and throw it in the dryer with 2-3  loads of laundry. Yes, it will sound like sneakers bouncing around. My small skirt piece was done after two loads. Pull your coil out and gently untie.


Carefully spread it just a bit. It should still feel a tad damp deep inside. Let it lay like this until completely dry.
When it is totally dry spread it out and it should look like this. Let dry more if necessary. Once completely dry, take the fabric and bring it to the ironing board.  This where it will be steam pressed into a "lined" flat textile. Depending on your project, you could use the fabric as you see it above or you could choose to press it flatter like I did. This is my end result, just what I wanted. I just hope it works in the finished dress. Fingers crossed....Bunny
Now I will gather it at the top and apply it to the lining. More tomorrow. This is going pretty quickly. The lining is complete. All that remains is stitching up the red skirt and the cream velvet bodice. MaƱana......Bunny

9 comments:

  1. I love it when you share new (at least to me) and interesting techniques.

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  2. Bravo! Can't wait to see the finished product!

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  3. I love that technique! I can't wait to use it in something new - maybe a blouse for me first, then a dress for my daughter!

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  4. Clever you!
    I've done the crinkle technique before using cotton but never thought of using polyester taffeta or any other fabric for that matter.
    Like I said ... clever you! It looks great and will be perfect for the dress.

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  5. Thanks so much for sharing your journey! Your eye for the possibilities seen in a flat textile inspire me to do more than repeatedly re-creating someone elses dream. You always seem to put your unique twist on each project. It is so inspirational!...

    I learned over the holiday my new granbaby will be a boy. That'll make three boys....and no party dresses. I will fight the urge to live vicariously through those you create! :)

    I'm enjoying the journey and thank you from all of us who love to watch. I just know it will be beautiful!

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  6. Bunny, some of my sheets come out like that when Mike has put them on a wash and dry and almost impossible to get any of the creases out ha ha.

    Great technique - can't wait to see the final product.

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  7. Thanks for sharing this technique. And, the fact that it must be *poly* taffeta.

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  8. Bunny, you are amazing

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  9. As soon as I saw your idea on here I also fell in love with this dress for my 3 yo daughter. She approved the photo and I've been looking for fabrics/patterns ever since. Thank you so much for sharing all of this.

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