MEMBERS ONLY: To gain full access to the Half Yard Club projects please login or sign up
Preparing wool and lace for sewing
Wanting to sew with wool fabric and lace? Here are a few tips that are handy to know, before you get stuck in!
There are many different types of wool fabric, from densely textured boiled wool and felt to lightweight challis and georgette. Many wools are mixed with other fibres such as silk or cotton, and feature traditional designs such as herringbone, suiting, plaid, tweed and dogtooth, amongs others.
Having so many different types of construction means that each fabric will shrink at a different rate. For instance, boiled wool should have little to no shrinkage, whereas a looser weave wool fabric like crêpe may have substantial shrinkage. So, it's always important to wash and dry your fabric before sewing it, in case it shrinks! This is known as pre-shrinking.
There are a couple of ways to pre-shrink your wool fabric.
- The slowest, more well-known method is, using the manufacturer's instructions, either hand or machine wash the fabric then dry it flat.
- The quicker option is to steam the fabric with your iron. Turn the iron to a wool setting and, with your iron hovering a couple of inches above the fabric, evenly blast steam over the material to make sure you cover all areas.
Whether you wash or steam, it's always advisable to test first on a small sample of the fabric.
Lace can be quite stiff unless it is pre-washed. Use a hand-wash detergent and lukewarm water to hand wash your lace. Avoid wringing the lace once washed; gently squeeze out the water. I suggest leaving the lace to dry flat, and giving a little helping hand by patting with a towel. Iron when dry, if necessary, with a warm (not hot!) iron. Some lace is constructed of a mixture of fibres, including elastane which will melt at higher heats, so I'd recommend using a pressing cloth here. As with wool fabric, always test first on a small piece!
Although a little preparation time is needed before sewing, both wools and laces are wonderful fabrics to work with and the results will be worth the effort you put in!
This is content that only logged members can see! Please create an account or login to be able to view project steps, otherwise you'll be limited to non-member content, which is no fun at all!
This is content that only logged members can see! Please create an account or login to be able to view project steps, otherwise you'll be limited to non-member content.
MEMBERS ONLY: To gain full access to the Half Yard Club projects please login or sign up
