The Sewing Place

Has anyone used wide gauge mesh for dance dress or leotard?

Marniesews

I've just ordered some wide gauge mesh to layer on a juvenile ballroom dress. It's a similar design (and process) to others that I've made with stretch lace but it's just occurred to me that seaming unlined sleeves in wide gauge mesh is going to be quite different to unlined sleeves in stretch lace.

As you can see from the image the holes are pretty big so the seam is going to be very visible through the holes and I'm wondering which will be the best stitch and width to get the neatest result. I'm assuming overlocker of course and wondered if a narrow overlock with the stitch finger pulled might avoid the sight of a flat overlock seam wiggling up the arm? I can't see a 6mm seam lying flat and orderly. It's fairly soft fabric, good and stretchy but will it just make an uncontrollable lumpy mess if I remove the stitch finger?

I've ordered an extra half metre to experiment but I'm hoping someone here might help me shortcut it with some prior experience.

Hopefully back more regularly! Ballroom sewing may be permanently paused but bag making is the current focus.

Catllar

Re: Has anyone used wide gauge mesh for dance dress or leotard?
« Reply #1 on: May 24, 2019, 21:53:46 PM »
I made sleeves and a yoke from this stuff. I used tearaway stabiliser underneath and then close overlocked it with no knife. For extra safety I went over the seams twice. Tore out the stabiliser very carefully! They are fine and they still stretch. 
If life gives you lemons, add to gin and tonic !

Marniesews

Re: Has anyone used wide gauge mesh for dance dress or leotard?
« Reply #2 on: May 26, 2019, 02:51:17 AM »
I'll give that a go. Thanks catllar! :D
Hopefully back more regularly! Ballroom sewing may be permanently paused but bag making is the current focus.

Thecostumelady

Re: Has anyone used wide gauge mesh for dance dress or leotard?
« Reply #3 on: May 26, 2019, 07:00:39 AM »
How about laying it edge to edge on a narrow strip of nude lycra and using a wide 3 step zig zag?  Sort of appliquéing it on to the lycra.  May not work but worth a try?  Ann x

Catllar

Re: Has anyone used wide gauge mesh for dance dress or leotard?
« Reply #4 on: May 26, 2019, 13:51:01 PM »
I like your idea costumelady : one to keep in the memory bank for next time. Could be tricky for sleeves though and I reckon you'd still have to stabilise the mesh cos it moves around a lot under the presser foot.
If life gives you lemons, add to gin and tonic !

Marniesews

Re: Has anyone used wide gauge mesh for dance dress or leotard?
« Reply #5 on: May 27, 2019, 12:01:08 PM »
Another costume maker that I asked has suggested much the same @Thecostumelady so I'll definitely be trying both out when I pick up the fabric later this week.

Catllar's suggestion will give me a finer seam but this one should be stronger. Always nice to have options.

Many thanks  :D I'll let you know the results.
Hopefully back more regularly! Ballroom sewing may be permanently paused but bag making is the current focus.

Sewingforfun

Re: Has anyone used wide gauge mesh for dance dress or leotard?
« Reply #6 on: May 27, 2019, 12:03:26 PM »
How about laying it edge to edge on a narrow strip of nude lycra and using a wide 3 step zig zag?  Sort of appliquéing it on to the lycra.  May not work but worth a try?  Ann x

Nude with coloured mesh might be considered two-tone (and therefore illegal) for a juvenile dress (which is what Jacky is making), but you see it quite a lot like that for adults with the mesh itself stoned.
Dancing too much and trying to remember sewing is for fun! Used to be CarolC.

Marniesews

Re: Has anyone used wide gauge mesh for dance dress or leotard?
« Reply #7 on: May 27, 2019, 16:43:36 PM »
You're absolutely right about the regs @Sewingforfun but I was thinking I'd try using it inside the sleeve with the mesh touching or overlapping slightly (hoping it wouldn't show) and also just as a stabilising strip to see how that compared.

I'd previously thought of trying nude elastic as a stabiliser for the seam. There's clear elastic too (not a favourite with me) but that might reflect under lights.
Hopefully back more regularly! Ballroom sewing may be permanently paused but bag making is the current focus.

Catllar

Re: Has anyone used wide gauge mesh for dance dress or leotard?
« Reply #8 on: May 27, 2019, 21:04:39 PM »
Hint: Not elastic in this case. >:) (tried it - big mess)
If life gives you lemons, add to gin and tonic !

Sewingforfun

Re: Has anyone used wide gauge mesh for dance dress or leotard?
« Reply #9 on: May 27, 2019, 22:59:08 PM »
How about a narrow strip of self-coloured lycra to reinforce the seam?
Dancing too much and trying to remember sewing is for fun! Used to be CarolC.

Marniesews

Re: Has anyone used wide gauge mesh for dance dress or leotard?
« Reply #10 on: May 31, 2019, 12:36:49 PM »
Update from DSI. I emailed both DSI and Chrisanne Clover asking advice on sewing their own wide gauge mesh. DSI replied and said this,

"I have just looked at one of our dresses and we do just stitch the seam together and overlock the edge."

It sounds too simplistic but I've now picked up the fabric so I'll include it in my experiments over the next few days. Very pleased that I've a few methods to try out. Thank you all.

Hopefully back more regularly! Ballroom sewing may be permanently paused but bag making is the current focus.

Sewingforfun

Re: Has anyone used wide gauge mesh for dance dress or leotard?
« Reply #11 on: June 03, 2019, 09:09:08 AM »
Update from DSI. I emailed both DSI and Chrisanne Clover asking advice on sewing their own wide gauge mesh. DSI replied and said this,

"I have just looked at one of our dresses and we do just stitch the seam together and overlock the edge."

It sounds too simplistic but I've now picked up the fabric so I'll include it in my experiments over the next few days. Very pleased that I've a few methods to try out. Thank you all.

For what it's worth, I ran into a friend at a comp over the weekend who has a long sleeved top in the big mesh from TID (Tania International Designs).  I think they use Chrisanne fabrics, and that's all they've done with hers - overlock the seams and coverstich the wrist hem. xxx
Dancing too much and trying to remember sewing is for fun! Used to be CarolC.

Marniesews

UPDATE: Has anyone used wide gauge mesh for dance dress or leotard?
« Reply #12 on: August 03, 2019, 23:39:51 PM »
The dress is done but I haven't got any detailed photos of it yet, I'm afraid. I do have info on the techniques I tried in sewing the wide gauge mesh though!  0_0

Overlaying the wgm onto the lycra wasn't difficult, just a bit slow as I tried to get it nicely matched to the grain then each arm of the diamond shape pinned around the edge of the lycra pattern piece. Lot of pins and I hand basted as it was my first time. In the end sewing around the piece with a narrow 3-step zigzag worked well on my old Bernina with the walking foot on. After that I sewed it up as one piece and the matching of the side seam wasn't too bad, not perfect but flo orange wgm over flo orange lycra helped to disguise near misses.

Similarly, sewing the unlined sleeve to the armscye went well too - just lots of pins & hand basting again.

I was most concerned about the strength of just overlocking the sleeve seams so made a few samples. 

-- Top left: As DSI said they just overlock over mesh and holes regardless, I tried that first and it wasn't too bad at all although much improved by folding over the seam and steam pressing. It went down rather well but the straight line is certainly visible.

-- Top right: Next I tried overlocking with a strip of lycra, trimming it back to the needles then steaming flat again. Similar finish to the first, visible line but a much stronger seam with the stabilising lycra.

-- Bottom: Finally I did the same but with a thinnish nude lycra lining (sewn with nude coloured thread) and pressed. That was strong like the previous one but the seam wasn't at all obvious against the skin and disappeared entirely from a short distance away. No surprise that's the one I went with in the end.

   Wide gauge mesh test samples
Hopefully back more regularly! Ballroom sewing may be permanently paused but bag making is the current focus.