Sew-Along Prep: Supplies and Pre-Shrinking

Hey sew-alongers! Guess what? We now have 140 members of the Sew-Along Flickr Pool. Make sure to join up if you haven't already; there's lots of yummy fabric to look at and fun discussions are happening already. Here are a couple gems to inspire you:

from bred2make

from saffronsthreads

from Lady Science

I can't wait to see these sewn up!

Now, on to the business at hand. I hope you haven't felt there's too much of a lapse in Lady Grey posts. I've kind of been figuring out this sew-along gig as I go along! Thanks for your patience, dears. Today I want to tackle the subject of the tailoring supplies you'll need, as well as pre-shrinking your fabric. Tomorrow, I'll talk about making your muslin. Then I thought we could give ourselves the whole of next week to work out fit issues (make sure to upload muslin pics to the Flickr pool for feedback!) and then we'll begin sewing in earnest on Monday, the 27th. Sound good?

Okay, on to today's topics.

1. First, now's the time to get around to pre-shrinking your coat fabric (and your lining fabric, if necessary). I'm using a wool tweed, and I took mine to the cleaner to have it steam pressed. This is somewhat pricey (around $20, I believe), but convenient. Free, but kind of a pain, is stream pressing your fabric on your own. Some sources recommend getting the fabric damp with a spray bottle, and then pressing with a silk organza press cloth. Press section by section and allow the fabric to thoroughly dry before moving onto the next section. Update: also check out this tutorial, which comes highly recommended. It involves throwing your wool into the dryer with a couple wet towels and it looks fast, easy, and efficient.

Of course, if your fabric is machine-washable (like cotton), you'll want to put it through the wash once to pre-shrink.

As for lining, again, it depends on your fiber and the way you plan to launder the garment. I'm planning on a silk charmeuse lining, and it will be dry cleaned. I've never had a problem with shrinkage this way, but I'll probably give it a steam with a press cloth just to be on the safe side.

2. Gather your tailoring supplies. First, let me say that I'm telling you the supplies you'll need to do a more tailored version of the coat, one that involves things like padstitching and a back stay. Don't feel you have to follow this route. You can follow the pattern recommendations, which are simpler, for a perfectly lovely result. Okay, end of disclaimer. Here's what you'll need:

*Note: this is assuming that you have all the regular stuff needed for sewing, including hand sewing needles, pins, scissors, a tailor's ham, tailor's chalk, etc.

-thread for your coat
-your two buttons
-sew-in interfacing; Hair canvas and hymo are great for tailored wool garments. Check out the selection here.
-Optional: it's not a bad idea to have some fusible interfacing on hand as well, if you decide you want it for the front facing (rather than sew-in) and for the hem. Weft insertion is great for woolens.
-silk thread for padstitching (match it to your fashion fabric)
-beeswax for your thread
-a thimble, if you like to use one
-several yards of 1/4" twill tape (to tape the roll line, etc.)
-pre-shrunk muslin for the back stay (about 1/2 yard)
-Interlining fabric, if using. (Note: this is only if you want to add an extra layer of warmth to your coat. Otherwise, skip this.) Lambswool or cotton flannel (make sure you pre-shrink it) are great. You need the same amount as your lining fabric.
-shoulder pads and sleeve heads, if using. (It's always nice to have some around to test out as you're constructing your coat.)
-If doing bound buttonholes: a small piece of silk organza to match your fashion fabric (1/4 yard is fine)

Okay, I'm almost positive that's it. (Let me know if I've missed anything!)

See you tomorrow for muslin sewing: same time, same place!