SHEER FABRICS

What is a sheer? "Sheer" as defined by Webster when related to fabrics means "very thin", "thin", "transparent", "to shine through", "translucent" or "diaphanous".

Therefore, a sheer fabric may be of any fiber or combination of fibers, woven with any one of several yarn types of weaves, and finished into a crisp bodied fabric or a soft and supple one. Thinness, therefore, is the only distinguishing characteristic which will qualify a fabric to be typed as "sheer".

Types of Sheers

Sheers, when classified in relationship to fash­ion and dress design, fall into two broad groups, soft supple and crisp bodied.

Soft supple types are appropriate for patterns with fullness, draped detail, or fluid lines.

Crisp bodied types relate to the more bouffant designs because these tend to stand away from the figure. While skirts of crisp sheer are usually gathered, the bodice treatment is best kept simple and fitted.

Sheers may also be classified on the basis of maintenance and care. They fall into four main groupings:

1. Washable, requiring little or no ironing. This group includes sheer synthetics, sheers of a mix­ture of synthetic and cotton, and some cottons with wash and wear finish.
2. Washable, but easy to  iron. Group includes sheers of combed cotton, linen, some synthetics.
3. Dry Cleanable. Silk and wool sheers, blends of silk and wool, and some synthetics should be drycleaned. However, some silk sheers are washable and are so labeled.
4. Dry cleanable, bat requiring meticulous care. Silk or wool sheers with a deep crepe weave fall into this category and require careful handling because of shrinkage or stretching and distortion when pressing. These types are usually used with intricate draped detail which further contributes to special care in dry cleaning. Such dresses are exquisite and made primarily for special occa­sions; not for durability and long wear.

Before purchasing any sheer fabric ask for label information relative to care, wash ability and spe­cial finish.

Pattern Selection

Consider these points when you are about to decide on a pattern:
Is it soft and drapeable, or is it crisp and bouf­fant? These characteristics determine the general silhouette and mood.

Consider facings, styling seams, and body seams of pattern. Most sheer dresses, unless com­pletely lined, will not be pleasing to the eye when neckline or sleeve facings are used, or when the bodice has too many styling seams, yoke seams or obvious darts. A fine double fold binding used as a neckline and sleeve finish is more pleasing than shaped facings. Tucks or unstitched darts are generally more pleasing than the usual stitched dart. Designs with yokes and style seams are more distracting and, therefore, less appropriate than designs having a one-piece front bodice unless the garment is lined or the sheer is opaque. The same considerations apply to the whole of the garment, but are obviously more important in the front of the bodice.

Consider strain and tension. A sheer is always more fragile than its counterpart in heavier fabric. Styling and fit must be such that no seam is under tension during wearing. When under strain the sheer fabric at the seam line will normally show slippage rather than stitching breaks. In most in­stances seam slippage is not a repairable dam­age. For these reasons a closely fitted sheath, un­less completely lined, is not appropriate for sheer fabrics.

Consider what you will wear under the sheer. Sheers are less appropriate for heavy or exces­sively thin figures than for the average one. Con­sider the "transparent" or "see through" charac­teristic of sheers. Your slip should be of a matching color with a bodice top that complements the line of the dress. Strapless undergarments are more pleasing under sheers than multiple shoulder straps. Shoulder straps or pads, even when fash­ionable, should be avoided. Lining overcomes these problems.

Consider beauty and satisfaction: While more precautions must be taken with sheers, the re­sults are truly rewarding. A sheer dress will ex­press a mood different from that expressed by other types of fabrics.

Cutting and Marking

Soft sheers are elusive; it's like working with feathers. However, the handling of crisp sheers is similar to the handling of most other fabrics. Therefore, the following precautions relate more to soft sheers than to crisp ones.

The cutting surface for soft sheers should not be highly polished or hard surfaced. The floor or carpet is not the place to cut a soft sheer either. A cork surface cutting table is excellent, but not generally available. The most practical solution is to cover your usual cutting table with a sheet pinned very tightly over the edges. Of course, a felt surface is also good, as is any other soft sur­face with similar characteristics.

Pins should be fine and sharp. Some prefer to pin with needles to avoid marking, snagging, or marring fabric. Others prefer to pin within the seam allowances, dart areas, etc. as a further pre­caution.

Scissors should be very sharp and not exces­sively large and thick. A large or dull scissors will pull sections off grain and cause irregular-edges.

Markings are always essential to proper con­struction. However, most crisp and soft sheers should not be marked with a tracing wheel and paper because the marks will show through and because the harshness of the tracing wheel will mar the fabric. Tailor's tacks are usually more appropriate. Also, notches should not be cut into seam allowances since this may interfere with seam construction or final finishing.

Fine hand sewing needles are essential too. A #9 or #10 needle is excellent; a #8 is not too coarse for many sheers. An embroidery needle with a long eye will be easier to thread in these sizes than a round eye "milliner's" or "sharp" needle.

Preparations for Machine Stitching

Before stitching on sheer fabric be certain your sewing machine is free from dust and lint, and is lightly oiled. Use a size 14 needle. Thread with size 50 mercerized thread using any light color for upper threading and another for bobbin thread­ing. Set stitch length at 10.

Stitch a test sample on a soft muslin, or its equivalent, on the bias and on the lengthwise and crosswise grains. Inspect stitching. The lines of stitching should not pucker, and the stitch forma­tion should appear equally well set on the top and on the underside of the muslin.

Should lines of stitching pucker, you are likely to find they are not set equally at top and under­side. To determine whether your upper tension is too tight or too loose use the "break test" on the bias line of stitching. For tension "break test" grasp stitching tightly between index finger and thumb. Space hands about three inches apart and, with a sharp quick pull, stretch stitching until it breaks. The thread which breaks first is the tighter of the two. If the broken thread is the color of the needle thread, loosen upper tension slightly and repeat test until both threads break together.

Test machine stitching on the true bias and on lengthwise and crosswise grains of fabric,

If the broken thread is the color of the bobbin thread, tighten upper tension slightly and repeat test until both threads break together.

Needles and Thread

Today, the size of the sewing machine needle you will use is determined more by availability of the thread than by the fabric. A sheer requires the finest needle compatible with the thread you must use. The thread must pass freely through the needle eye. If you live in an area where only size 50 mercerized thread is available, you are limited to a size 14 needle. However, if the thread is of better than average quality and has no thick areas, you might use a size 11 needle, knowing that if you encounter needle thread breakage you should change back to a size 14 needle.

Tension "break test" to determine if ten­sions are balanced or one thread tighter than the other.

If you are using size 50 mercerized thread and a size 14 needle, set stitch length at 15 and make a stitch test sample as outlined above. Then per­form the "break test". In most cases the same tension adjustment appropriate for soft muslin will be satisfactory for sheers. Soft sheers some­times require loosening the upper tension slightly, while crisp sheers normally are sewn with a stand­ard balanced tension. If stitching appears equally set on upper and underside, and if the length­wise stitching shows some pucker, it is likely to be caused by improper pressure regulation. (See next section.)

Size "A" silk thread is appropriate for synthetic sheers and should always be used on sheers of silk and wool. A size 11 sewing machine needle is then used.

Dacron or other synthetic threads, when avail­able, may be used on synthetics thus permitting the use of a size 11 needle.

Size 50, two-cord, machine embroidery thread may be used for tucking or surface detailing on cotton, linen and some synthetic sheers. It per­mits the use of a size 11 needle and, in some in­stances, a size 9 needle. This fine, soft thread is not strong enough for the body seams of a gar­ment.

Size 50 mercerized thread is readily obtainable, and is suitable for sheers of cotton, linen and syn­thetics. It requires a size 14 needle.

Pressure Regulation

Pressure is the amount of force the presser foot exerts on the fabric and against the feed. It is reg­ulated by a thumb screw extending from the presser bar on the top of the machine. This screw depresses the pressure spring as it is turned down­ward creating more force, or pressure. Turning the screw upward decreases the pressure.

The pressure, when stitching any fabric, should be light enough to avoid marring the fabric and heavy enough to allow the seam to flow evenly under the foot in a straight path without waver­ing. Too heavy pressure may cause puckering and marring; too light pressure may cause irregu­lar stitch length, skipped stitching and wavy seams.

Soft sheers require the lightest pressure, crisp sheers slightly heavier. Medium weight fabrics require even more pressure.

When guiding sheers under the machine presser foot, remember medium weight fabrics re­quire guiding only in front of the foot. However, soft sheers require a little more support. This is achieved by gently controlling the fabric both in front and in back of the foot taking care not to pull or stretch it.

Stitch Length

The basic stitch length suitable for shears is #15. Tucking, surface detailing and outside stitch­ing may be made with a slightly shorter stitch (more stitches to the inch). Detailing with stitch patterns, when using a zigzag machine, requires a very short stitch (a setting within the "Fine" area).

Construction Details for Sheers: Linings, Interfacing and Facing

The decision on whether or not to use lining on a sheer dress should be made in the planning and pattern selection stages. Lining should be made of a fabric similar in fiber content to the sheer, but in a smooth, firm, usually opaque fab­ric. Colors should match or complement by creat­ing an illusion of color intensity or variation, A complete lining, stitched as one in assembling the garment, changes the mood of a sheer and places it in the category of a heavier fabric thus allowing for the use of, and concealing, stitched darts, styling seams and construction seams. Lin­ing also adds greater strength, durability and re­sistance to strain.

Lining in a dress of full skirt design is usually handled as one with the fabric in the bodice at­tached in the waistline seam, and seamed and hemmed separately in the skirt.

An interesting variation in the use of lining in simply-styled dresses is achieved when the upper bodice is lined with net which is joined to the firm opaque lining in such a fashion as to effect a sheer yoke and sleeve illusion, or a strapless, bare shoulder, covered-only-with-sheer look.

In completely lined garments the lining fabric may be used as interfacing in collars, cuffs and belts, or in girdled waistline treatments.

Select interfacing carefully. For example, use cotton in a cotton sheer; a crisp lawn in a sheer batiste blouse; silk organza or organdy in a soft silk sheer; tissue tafleta in a soft sheer wool crepe; a sheer crisp synthetic in a sheer nylon, Dacron, or permanent finish wash and wear cotton. The interfacing fabric must tolerate the same care in washing- cleaning and ironing, or pressing, as the garment fabric. This rule applies to lining fabrics as well.

Facings are used primarily on lined sheer gar­ments, and may be of the same sheer as the gar­ment. Sheer unlined garments are usually finished without facings, utilizing a double bias binding, corded edge, or one of the fine stitched edge treatments made with a zigzag sewing machine.

Bodice for full blousy garment.

Lining is sometimes sewn separately from the sheer garment and is closely fitted to define the figure contour. The sheer over-garment is bil­lowy, blousy, or flowing to create a misty in­trigue. Such treatment requires careful handling and finishing of all seams in the sheer fabric. Seams must be fine, narrow in width, and com­pletely finished with a fine French seam.

A bodice for this blousy type of garment is made of flat crepe, marquisette, net, organza, voile, China silk, or one of the sheath lining fab­rics. The bodice is joined to the garment at the waistline only. Narrow shoulder straps of the same fabric are used and are held in place at the shoulder line with a belt carrier or a French tack. (See page95). Make the carrier three times the width of the strap. Attach the strap to the bodice at the back and draw strap through the carrier to the front. Then adjust length of strap and pin. Sew strap to bodice by hand or machine.

Interfacing has limited usage in sheer garment construction. A sheer blouse or shirtwaist dress might have a lightweight interfacing in the front overlap to allow for placement of small buttons and buttonholes, or a sheer lining in the collar

SEAMS AND SEAM FINISHES

Baste darts, two fabrics together; then stitch.

Two fabrics basted together through darts and along edges.

Seams in any garment must be stitched ac­curately to pattern allowance. A further requisite when seaming unlined sheers is that, since the seam edges show through they must be finished neatly. A fine, narrow finished seam detracts less from the finished garment than a bulky or un­finished seam. Pinked seams are unsuitable as are many other familiar seam finishes.

Also, the color of the thread must match the sheer since it may show through if it is darker, lighter, or off-color.

Plain Seam

In lined sheers the sheer and lining are treated as one. Work on a flat surface, laying sheer over lining, and carefully hand baste down center of darts where fold lines will fall and around edges near the seam line, but not on it. Crisp sheers, after precise pinning, may be machine basted with a #10 stitch. Darts are stitched before sec­tions are seamed together. Depending upon your skill in handling fabrics and in stitching, pin and baste, if necessary, before stitching. Since lining prevents seams and darts from showing through, you may use normal seam finishing methods. We prefer pressing seams open and finishing the lin­ing and sheer as one with over-edging or with plain, spaced zigzagging (3 or 4 width setting). The extending raw edges are then trimmed.

The seam guide is helpful in achieving an ac­curate seam width. A lined throat plate will make setting the seam guide easy and positive.

Plain seams, edges finished with overcast   or   zigzag   stitching.

French seam, basted and stitched.

French Seam

The French seam is the most popular for un-lined sheers. If made neatly and kept fine and narrow, it is pleasing and does not detract from the garment.

Lay seam edges together, right sides outward. Place first stitching at a distance from the fitted seam line equal to the width of your finished French seam. French seams in sheers should be finished to ¼" or less. Therefore, on a garment allowing a ⅝" seam, the first stitching would be placed ⅜" from the seam edge to allow ¼" be tween first stitching and finished seam line.

After first stitching, press seam as stitched to smooth fabric at stitch line. Then press seam open gently with tip of iron. Hold seam edges together and trim to slightly less than finished seam width. In preparation for final stitching, fold exactly on first stitching so that final seaming will enclose raw edges. Light pressing at this point is helpful. Stitch, forming a seam ¼' or less in width.

Simulated French Seam

The zigzag machine has made possible a vari­ation in the traditional French seam. It meets the same requirements as the French seam, but is easier to handle and is better suited to crisp sheer than to extremely soft sheers.

The first step is the same as that for forming a plain seam. Right sides of garment face each other, and the stitching is placed on the fitted seam line. A second line of straight stitching is placed parallel to the first within the seam al­lowance, but not nearer than ⅛” nor farther than ¼" from the first line of stitching. A line of close narrow zigzag stitching is placed over the second line of straight stitching. The raw edges are now cut away along this finishing stitch.

Simulated French seam.

Stitching to control gathering.
Garment turned and basted enclosing seam.

French Seam to Join Gathered Sections

This construction has many applications in children's clothes, but is used primarily when setting in sleeves or joining a gathered skirt to a fitted bodice. It is familiar to many, but often not recalled when the occasion to use it arises.

The gathering is controlled by three lines of stitching. The first is placed on the seam line, and the remaining two a scant ¼" on each side of the seam line. The seam is then formed with right sides of garment outward. Since twice the fin­ished French seam width is taken up from the un-gathered side and none is taken up from the gath­ered side, the least confusing way to proceed is to trim the gathered seam very close to the gath­ering stitch nearest seam edge. Then, placing this edge even with the straight seam edge, stitch through the center gathering thread. After stitch­ing trim both seam edges to about ⅛" by cut­ting away the edge gathering stitch. Turn gar­ment, forming an enclosed seam and allowing the ungathered portion to fall, as binding does, over the seam edges. The second row of stitching is placed in the channel of the first seam stitch­ing. The remaining row of gathering thread may be removed, or allowed to remain, depending upon effect desired. In very sheer fabrics some prefer to remove the gathering thread under the first seam stitching before final one is placed.

Hairline Seam

The hairline seam is used for collars and other seaming where there is no strain. It eliminates the raw edges that usually show through when sections are joined. Stitch with a narrow, close zigzag stitch on the seam line. An enclosed cord held under this stitching adds to the strength of this seaming. In addition, a short, straight stitch placed on the collar side of this zigzag stitching makes a more sharply turned edge. Cut away seam allowance along the zigzag stitching. Turn collar and press.

Ttvo fabrics folded and basted to enclose cord.

Corded Seam. The fine corded seam is a mark of quality in any garment and is simple to make. It is appropriate for waistline joining, yoke seams, and shoulder seams where fullness is re­leased, as well as for other seams you wish to em­phasize. (See page 60.)

Cover a #9 cable cord with bias. Use two thick­nesses of fabric; one ply of the sheer fabric over a ply of lining fabric. Baste the two fabrics around the cord; then stitch. Machine baste covered cord to one side of seam on seam line. Then form seam and stitch very close to cord. Remove basting and trim, and finish seam edge.

Appropriate Closings

Buttons and Buttonholes. The filmy character­istics of sheers demand fine buttonholes and small buttons. Too heavy or too large a button will weigh down the fabric and is inappropriate. Machine-made buttonholes are usually more suit­able than bound. Crisp sheer interfacing must be used in areas where buttons and buttonholes fall.

Zipper Closings. Zipper closings are more suit­able for lined than unlined sheers. Your favorite method of application may be followed until the final step. Then you may select one of three methods for completing the insertion. You may machine stitch as is normally done, hand stitch using a fine short back stitch, or blind-stitch on a zigzag machine. The method you choose is more a matter of preference than of necessity.

Corded Button Loops

Corded button loops have long been a favorite on sheers and vary in their importance and ap­propriateness with fashion trends. They are nor­mally used with small, full, ball-covered buttons. Cover a #9 cord with a bias of sheer fabric. Two thicknesses are often used to maintain color, tone and luster. Some dye the cord to match their fabric; others prefer to use one ply of lining fab­ric and one or two of sheer to gain opaqueness.

Blind stitch zipper insertion.

Pin and baste fabric close to cord (page 97, step 2). Then stitch, as shown in step 3. Remove bast­ing before turning cord. Trim seam to a very narrow width and turn. Form loops and include them in seam.

HEMS FOR SHEERS

A straight hem in a completely lined sheer, where the lining has been treated as one and seamed with the sheer, may be 2½" to 3½" deep. The lining and sheer are handled as one in hem­ming, but care must be taken to avoid the draped effect of the sheer over the lining. Careful basting and test try-ons are good precautions to take. Hand finish, picking up only one thread of the sheer through the lining with each stitch.

In circular or flared skirts the lining and the hem must be handled separately to avoid the sagging and blousing of the sheer over the lining. A narrow hem finish is essential. It is accom­plished by rolling hem, machine hemming, or use of horsehair braid, as described below.

Flange hemmer used to make a fine machine stitched hem.
Soft flared sheers are often hemmed by hand rolling. A line of machine stitching followed by a close and even trimming are preparations that make hand rolling easier. See page 74 for illus­trated procedure.

A fine machine stitched hem can be made with the flange hemmer, an extra accessory designed especially for sheers that forms a 1/16" machine stitched hem on bias or straight fabric.

Especially suitable for long flared party dresses and evening gowns, the hem, incorporating 1" horsehair braid, may be used on medium and crisp sheers, It adds body and tends to hold the

Lining extended to fold of hem.

Horsehair braid turned to under­side. Hemmed from right side.

skirt out at the bottom. Baste horsehair braid to right side of skirt, edges even. Machine stitch ¼" from cut hem edge. Turn braid to inside of gar­ment. The bottom edge of braid will fall into the crease of the hem. Finish by hand and carefully catch only one thread of the fabric with each stitch.
The double fold hem is a favorite, but can be used only when hem is straight, not flared. The hem allowance is doubled. For example, if a 3" hem is intended, 6" must be allowed. Fold 3" and 3" again. Then hand hem carefully, catch­ing only one thread of the skirt at each stitch and passing the needle inside the fold between stitches to conceal the thread. The double hem adds weight to the bottom edge thus enhancing the hang of the skirt and eliminating the turned raw edge which would normally show through.

The zigzag machine enables you to make a lovely machine stitched decorative hem on crisp sheers. A continuous scroll, leaf, geometric, or scallop design is suitable. Trace design on hem near edge; turn and baste. You must be able to see the design tracing through the right side of the skirt. Machine stitch from right side using a fine satin zigzag stitch to follow design. Trim

Double fold hem with first turn hasted.
Second, fold turned, hasted, and hemmed.

Decorative hem. Design traced on edge. Hem turned and basted.
away excess close to the design on the underside. Some prefer to form the fine satin zigzag stitch over a cord. Tatting thread, buttonhole twist, heavy duty thread, or several strands of the same thread are suitable for filler cord. This procedure may also be used to form a straight edge hem omitting the design.

Double Bias Binding

Necklines and sleeves may be finished with a narrow self-binding. Facings are omitted when edges are bound. Cut binding twice seam allow­ance plus 1". Fold right sides out, raw edges meeting, and press. Carefully hand baste and stitch to neckline on seam allowance taking care not to stretch fabric. Trim seam edges even to slightly less than ¼”. Bring double binding over seam edges. Hand stitch to cover seam stitching.

Stitch   design  from  right  side.   Trim   excess fabric along decorative stitching.

Finishing with Lace

Lace is appropriate for finishing necklines of many sheer garments and may be applied straight or in applique fashion following the pattern of the lace.
To apply lace edging, baste lace in position and then stitch with a fine close zigzag stitch wide enough to cover the selvage of the lace. Trim seam edge close to stitching.

Another method is to turn the seam allowance under, baste the fold over the lace selvage, and stitch with a fine, close zigzag stitch. Trim seam edge closely. This joining is slightly more durable than the first since the stitching is through two

Double bias binding edge finish.
Finishing edge with narrow lace.

Appliquéd lace. Underlay and lace trimmed close to stitching.

layers of fabric rather than only one. The basting step may be eliminated by machine stitching lace to garment through the selvage, right sides to­gether. Turn lace outward or flatten. Then use fine, close zigzag stitch from right side to join lace permanently. Trim seam edge.

Heavy lace, such as Alencon, is lovely when appliquéd to a garment following the pattern of the lace. Baste lace flat to garment allowing the finished edge to form the neckline. If applied to a soft sheer, a crisp sheer underlay of the same color as the fabric is necessary. Follow the lace design with a fine, close zigzag stitch. A cord of tatting thread, buttonhole twist, or several strands of heavy duty thread may be guided under this zigzag stitch to effect a raised stitch. Trim under­lay fabric entirely away and trim excess dress fabric close to stitching.

Tucking and Stitching Detail

Crisp sheers made into blouses, children's clothes, or dresses with tailored bodices lend themselves to tucking and stitched detailing.

Tucks -with decorative stitching.

Such trim is usually. completed on an unshaped section of fabric before it is cut to shape over a plain pattern.

Tucks must be precisely stitched, and there are three sewing machine accessories which will aid you in this precise straight stitching: the tucker, the edge-stitcher, and the seam guide. Refer to your sewing machine instruction book for directions on their use.

If you have a zigzag machine, you may use a decorative stitch instead of a straight stitch to form tucks.

Bands of decorative stitching, alternating with tucking, add to the interest of such detailing. An expensive effect is achieved with subtle contrast of thread, such as off-white thread on white, ecru on white, white on pastels, white on beige, or by using thread one shade darker on any color.

In this area of detailing, the range is unlimited and the results most rewarding.

Shadow Appliqué: For those who can sketch and are creative, lovely effects can be achieved through appliqué. It may be subtle in shading, or bold, depending upon your purpose. Crisp sheers lend themselves to the more subtle effects. The subtlety is increased by shadow rather than con­ventional appliqué. Shadow appliqué differs from conventional only in that it is placed on the under­side of the sheer fabric. In selecting colors for fabric to be appliquéd, do so with a sample of your dress sheer in hand. The shade of the appliqué fabric is muted by the film of the dress sheer. Trace design on right side of appliqué fabric, baste under dress section. Stitch from right side usually using a narrow, close zigzag stitch.

Shadow appliqué. Design appliquéd on first turn of double hem.
Design traced on right side of fabric to be appliquéd. Fabric basted to underside of sheer.

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