The Sewing Place

Satin was a terrible mistake

Syrinx

Satin was a terrible mistake
« on: September 06, 2021, 12:20:46 PM »
So I'm back at my machine. I've made up a lovely 1948 dress pattern out of linen (will do separate thread for that!) as well as a 40s full slip and petticoat all for Goodwood Revival.

I've also got a wedding to go to so thought: the dress came out lovely and I saw some glorious ex designer satin on sale. Satin arrived, is beautiful, lovely hand, super colour (mint with off white polka dots) and I was really looking forward to starting.

Alas, my cutting table is still tiny which made cutting the satin out SO HARD and it took hours. I'm not very happy with how the pieces ended up either - they don't match well and I'm sure some are off grain. But what's cut is cut. I really need this room to be redone so I can have an actual cutting table that is bigger than my Olfa cutting mat. I complain a lot when cutting fabric anyway, but this satin really was the last straw!

My usual method of pinwheeling the dart placements won't work on satin so I had to try and chalk them (don't recommend) and got them in alright on the bodice. First time I haven't enjoyed sewing in darts!

The pattern has a full bodice facing which I've done (with matching darts) and I sewed up the straps and basted them to the RS back then sewed the facing to the bodice and now I am having major issues.

I don't tend to press satin if I use it (usually just make cushions with the stuff or similar) but this dress is going to need it. I know steam is a no go, and too hot will burn the satin, but I can't get it to press AT ALL. I do not want to topstitch the top of the bodice as it will look awful I'm sure. Same for the shoulder straps.

Any ideas? on how I can get the top seam laying flat from anyone who uses satin a lot? Or will it be ok when it's on and the whole fit/gravity thing will fix everything (a vain hope I am sure!)

Also fit wise, I've used the same size as for the linen but I'm wondering whether I should have sized the bodice up a little for ease of putting on/off?

Fabric


Bodice


Facing to bodice seam

HenriettaMaria

Re: Satin was a terrible mistake
« Reply #1 on: September 06, 2021, 12:41:47 PM »
Very slightly damp cloth and low temp iron.  I have successfully made satin 'prom' dresses in the past and it's possible.

charlotte

Re: Satin was a terrible mistake
« Reply #2 on: September 06, 2021, 15:55:13 PM »
I hate working with satin and avoid it where I can. The only way I will use it is if I can underline it with cotton lawn. Sorry not to be any help!

Syrinx

Re: Satin was a terrible mistake
« Reply #3 on: September 06, 2021, 16:06:49 PM »
I suppose I could have made the facing out of cotton - think that may solve some of the pressing seam problems but not sure  :thinking:

dolcevita

Re: Satin was a terrible mistake
« Reply #4 on: September 06, 2021, 16:11:52 PM »
Be brave!

Satin is perfectly pressable, you just need to do a test sample or two to find the optimum temperature for it. It's also better if you press each seam in stages. For instance, with the top of the bodice/facing seam, first press it open from the wrong side to get it half way flat, then press it fully back from the right side. A press cloth will be your friend here, particularly one of silk organza. Silk organza lets you put more heat into it without scorching the fabric and see what you're doing.

FWIW, I wouldn't have faced it with cotton, I'd have used self fabric. It just needs a bit of perseverance with pressing the seams into submission.

Syrinx

Re: Satin was a terrible mistake
« Reply #5 on: September 06, 2021, 16:28:21 PM »
Thanks dolcevita. I've used satin for the facing too. I have a pressing cloth but it's an old teatowel (haha I know!).

Good idea about practicing on some scraps, I'm just so frightened of burning it. I'm a little worried I should have sized it up a little too because I know satin doesn't like the seams pulling - I've made it the same as the linen (in a different thread) but thinking maybe I should let out the side seams a little (I made up a toile in the next size up out of cotton but went with the size down in the linen. Maybe I should recut the bodice to be a tad larger so there's no strain on the seams)

Esme866

Re: Satin was a terrible mistake
« Reply #6 on: September 06, 2021, 16:54:18 PM »
The more difficult a fabric is to press, the more important it is to press as you go.

If you're certain you have enough fabric to recut the bodice, why not use this first one as a toile. (Glad I reread this- spellcheck changed "toile" to "toilet" :laughing:). First use it to experiment with pressing temperatures and techniques. As it is so difficult to press, I'm guessing its 100% polyester. If so, a steam iron isn't usually a problem. But do pay attention with the pressing cloth, even using a cloth, some materials will still get permanent pressing marks. If the fabric wants to do that, I have trimmed the dart to a 1/4" seam allowance to lessen the effect.

After you experiment with all of the pressing, you can then try it on to see if it needs to be larger. In my mind, there shouldn't be much difference between satin and linen in this case as both fabrics easily develop pull lines.

Syrinx

Re: Satin was a terrible mistake
« Reply #7 on: September 06, 2021, 17:10:35 PM »
I'm cutting it the next size up. Think it will be better anyway as I definitely had some offgrain pieces in the first run.

Definitely going to practice pressing on the previous one. Think I've not been having the iron hot enough because I'm worried about burning it!

If it's a bit bigger I don't think it'll be too bad tbh, the linen was mid weight so it hasn't pulled much when I did some tests. The satin is definitely pulling at seams on my test piece.

Ohsewsimple

Re: Satin was a terrible mistake
« Reply #8 on: September 06, 2021, 17:28:44 PM »
Agree with @dolcevita aboutnusing silk organza press cloth.  It takes a high heat and you can see what’s happening underneath so can avoid pressing creases in.  Not had too much of a problem pressing satin. 

maliw

Re: Satin was a terrible mistake
« Reply #9 on: September 06, 2021, 19:26:03 PM »
This last 2 years I've sewn a lot with various satins and silk and I've been amazed at just how robust they can be.
Take some scraps and play around with them to find out just what temperature you need to press it.
Will it actually watermark if you wet it? try that too as I've found that I can wet some seams to get them flat and they haven't marked.
I haven't used pressing cloths either, in fact I've been quite brutal, granted a lot has been Duchesse satin but I've also used various other thicknesses.
(I've also scrubbed some with a toothbrush but thats another story)
At leisure on the leisure penninsula

Syrinx

Re: Satin was a terrible mistake
« Reply #10 on: September 07, 2021, 13:40:55 PM »
Thanks lovelies, knowing I can press it took a huge weight off!

I ramped the heat up on the iron and managed to actually get some pressing done. I think I could go a little hotter but will test that again on my scraps!

My recut bodice has all its darts in which pressed quite nicely so that's good. Just have to sew all together once I've decided which shall be the outer and which shall be the facing.

I'll get some pics when I go out later.

Also I'm contemplating understitching the neckline - so SA to the facing - what do we think?
« Last Edit: September 07, 2021, 13:58:50 PM by Syrinx »

Ohsewsimple

Re: Satin was a terrible mistake
« Reply #11 on: September 07, 2021, 15:25:32 PM »
Big fan of under stitching.  Makes a big difference. 

dolcevita

Re: Satin was a terrible mistake
« Reply #12 on: September 07, 2021, 17:29:58 PM »
I'm in the same fan club as @Ohsewsimple - love a bit of understitching. A greatly underestimated method to make the damn things do as they're damn well told. We are still talking about fabric aren't we?

charlotte

Re: Satin was a terrible mistake
« Reply #13 on: September 07, 2021, 17:36:37 PM »
I love understitching. I have even been known to do it by hand where machine-understitching won't work.

Ohsewsimple

Re: Satin was a terrible mistake
« Reply #14 on: September 07, 2021, 18:46:40 PM »
I'm in the same fan club as @Ohsewsimple - love a bit of understitching. A greatly underestimated method to make the damn things do as they're damn well told. We are still talking about fabric aren't we?

 :laughing: :laughing:  Well if not, it’s  never worked for me!