Perfect French Seams

Hello fabric followers!

As I mentioned in our rolled hem tutorial, the same principle can be applied to a French seam. This gives a perfect fine french seam. I find this type of seam works best on fine fabrics like organza and chiffon, and from my misfortunate experience it doesn't work well on bias seams. The rolling tends to stretch the seam; thus, making it wavy and almost rope looking.

Lets get started.

Start with RIGHT sides together (not wrong sides as you would in a conventional french seam) and stitch your seam as you normally would using the seam allowance you have allowed, whether it be 1 or 1.5 cm.

Then stitch another row of stitching 5mm from the first row in the seam allowance.

Trim the seam to about 2.5mm from the second row of stitching.

This is where we pick up the rolled hem principle, using the second row of stitching as a guide press the trimmed edge in towards the first row of stitching. The second row of stitching gives a perfect edge when pressed.

Now change to your rolled hem foot. Fold your two rows of stitching together and pin, this makes it easier to start  your seam.

 Roll the seam as you would a rolled hem making sure the two rows of stitching are on top of each other.

And voila ! Here is the  finished result! This is the top side...

and this is the opposite side...

As you can see, the stitching is pretty much on top of one another. Give the seam a press, you will find it will want to naturally press one way, so it is good to make sure you have rolled the seam the correct way for it to be pressed.The seam will always fall to the right of the top or rolled side. I used black thread on the pale pink for the tutorial, to help you see the stitching more clearly. I have also included a picture of what it should look like with the correct colour thread. 

This method undoubtedly will assist you in creating the finest of french seams. However, as I mentioned in the beginning of this post it won't work for all fabrics. This method is ideal when sewing with fabrics where the seam will be visible i.e sheer fabrics. 

We hope this assists you in perfecting your next french seam. Happy sewing!

Until next time,

Sff. x

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Special Offer!

We have hit 1000 likes on Facebook and to celebrate we are offering 20% off our beaded French lace range, 20% off our printed silk satins and 20% off trimmings ! To view some of our trimmings check out our previous blog post.

To take advantage of this offer like us on Facebook and simply click 'redeem offer' and present it in store next week. 

Here are some photos of our beautiful beaded French laces to inspire you !

Get excited and redeem this offer now !

Sff. x

How to Add Some Christmas Bling

Hello our fabulous fabric followers!

I've noticed a lot of blogs use the word 'refashion',  where you take a garment whether it be one of your own or from a vintage shop and alter it to bring it back to life. This got us thinking here at SFF, what better way to 'refashion' a garment than by using one of our gorgeous trims to add some bling to a Christmas party outfit.

There are so many different ways to use our trims. They could be used as a belt for around your waist or just under your bust, or even as straps. You can cover existing ones or add them to a strapless dress for a completely different look. I have even used a small amount of trim and twisted it around to make an abstract flower to wear almost like a broach. The only thing limiting you is your imagination.

Comment below to let us know your thoughts! How have you changed the look of an old garment?

  

P.s don't forget to like us on Facebook as we will be posting photos of our new collection within days!

Until next time,

Sff. x

The Perfect Dress for a Wedding Guest

Hello our fabulous fabric followers!

As I mentioned in the rolled hem post, I have been working on a dress for a guest for a wedding. She found her inspiration online and together we fine tuned her design.

It was so hard choosing a colour from the 150 shades of silks we have but we decided to go for a pastel shade. The fabric we used for the dress was a dupion silk in the colour 'mint' which I interlined with our shapewell to give it a lovely structure and lined it with our silk lining. The drape is made with our fine silk chiffon in the colour 'duck egg'.

The fabrics we selected

The dress is a basic one shoulder shape with panel lines over the bust extending into the waist darts. We put an invisible zip in the centre back. The main feature of the dress is the drape which starts as a ruched strap at the back neckline and extends over the shoulder and curves over the bust. This is then caught at the waist and falls into a beautiful drape that sits just below the hem.

The start of the draping process

Detailed pictures of the ruching 

                                                      

Detailed pictures of the ruching 

The finished product

the finished product

Until next time,
Sff .x

                                                        

Christmas Kaftans

Do you realise there is only 8 weeks until Christmas?

We didn't!  Not  only does this mean we need to start thinking about gifts and food, but also what to wear to the upcoming parties and on the big day.

Being in Queensland we are usually guaranteed very warm weather over the Christmas period so something cool to wear is on the list.

What better to wear than a silk kaftan! You can opt for the shorter length or the full length. And being a luxurious silk it can take you from day to night depending on the accessories you wear and whether you opt for some beaded trimming.

Inspiration Image Only- Camilla Franks Kaftan

Inspiration Image Only- Camilla Franks Kaftan

Here at Selective Fine Fabrics we have an amazing range of silks that would be perfect for a kaftan. There are plain silk satins or georgettes or we have a huge range of printed silk satins and chiffons.

For a finishing touch you could also add one of our beaded trims for around the neckline or a few individual crystals.

 Inspiration Image Only

Inspiration Image Only

Until next time,
Sff. x