Make Sure You're Secure
- fabman556
- Aug 11, 2017
- 4 min read
Seersucker Suit Project, Part Five
This project started with two shirts (silk broadcloth and Liberty of London cotton print), which are already completed and waiting on hangers. The seersucker suit fabric is a tan and white stripe circa 1976, the oldest fabric on my stash (that's 41 years). The fourth fabric in this project is a tan linen, which will be made into a pair of co-ordinating linen pants. After several weeks of progress, the suit jacket is now completed!
Adding the Lining
When we were together last, the outer jacket was already assembled, awaiting the inner jacket (lining and upper collar). For this lining, since the jacket is a polyester & cotton blend, I decided to use a lightweight white solid polyester & cotton blend for the lining...Symphony Broadcloth from Jo-Ann Fabrics. http://www.joann.com/symphony-broadcloth-solid-quilt-fabric/prd10006.html
Typically the lining in a jacket is an all-synthetic, slippery fabric, intended to make it easy to slip the jacket on and off over a shirt or sweater, and often linings are interesting prints co-ordinating with the jacket fabric. Broadcloth is a smooth-textured fabric and, although it's not especially slippery, it will be a good choice in this case. The lining fiber content matches that of the seersucker and they will react the same way when cleaned. And, yes, the lining was pre-washed the same way the seersucker was, so the entire jacket is technically machine washable. Nice to know that's an option, just in case.
For this particular jacket, the lining was first assembled, including the front facing, upper collar and sleeves, then pinned to the outer jacket, right sides together. The jacket was then stitched from one lower front up and around the collar and back down to the other lower front. After trimming the seams, the entire garment is turned right-side-out and lightly pressed.
The next step is my least favorite part: hand sewing the lining hem to the hem of the outer jacket at the bottom and the sleeves. (Yawn.) There is no acceptable alternative, unfortunately, so hand sewing it is. I also tacked the lining at the top and bottom of the armhole on the inside of the jacket, just to keep it in place.
Buttonholes
The final step is buttons and buttonholes. Buttonholes come first, with placement as indicated on the jacket front pattern piece. One day we'll talk about the different kinds of buttonholes.
With today's machines, making buttonholes is fast and easy, and they are made to the exact size of the button by inserting one of the buttons into the back of the buttonhole foot.
Buttons
I know this will be a surprise, but I sew buttons on by machine, not by hand (shudder). My sewing machine has a built-in button-sewing stitch, and a specific foot that holds the button in place.
While this method usually keeps the buttons securely on the garment, sometimes the threads work loose. In recent years I have simply put a drop of Fray-Chek on the button threads on the backside of the garment, locking them in place.
Fray-Chek is a liquid seam-sealant, which is intended to lightly coat the raw edges of fabrics to prevent raveling. This is a must-have in the sewing kit for any serious seamster.
Tip: "Chek" out this video to see how to use it.
The drawback? Fray Chek needs to dry, and you don't want to get it anywhere on the fabric where it might show, because it could discolor the fabric. That said, I found...
Something New!
I found a product recently that changes the button-sewing game: Secura button thread from Coats. These people know their thread, and Secura looks like the next great product in a long line of them!
Secura is heat activated, with a fusing agent impregnated in the thread. First, sew on the buttons using Secura (by hand or by machine...it can be used on the bobbin as well as the upper thread). Then, holding your steam iron above the button (I did it from the back as well), steam for about ten seconds to activate the fusing agent. Simple, right? Here's what Coats has to say about it:
"Coats Secura is a fusible polyester/polyester corespun, self-locking thread offering an enhanced button security in the garments. The thread is impregnated with a fusible compound, which creates a fusible fibre matrix upon thermal activation by steam or normal iron, and offers increased cohesion and enhanced button security."
Tip: Watch an instructional video here:
Brilliant. Secura comes in several colors, and is available from the usual notions and thread retailers in stores and online, although, strangely enough, it's not on joann.com. I scored a deal recently, though, when visiting the Jo-Ann store in Roanoke, VA, using two 50% off one regular-price item coupons on the two colors of Secura carried by Jo-Ann: black and white. Secura is not inexpensive, but the spool will last a long time...make sure you're secure!
Tip: buy Secura in colors you normally use for button sewing, wind a bobbin for each, and store the matching bobbin and spool together (but separately from your other thread) so they're ready when you are!
The buttons on this jacket are not going anywhere.
The seersucker jacket is finally completed, and I have taken it to a local dry cleaner for a professional press I can't give it at home. While I'm waiting to pick it up, we'll move on to the suit pants...and we're getting closer to the finish line on this project. Until next time, keep those sewing machines humming!
DTFM
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