Lycra blended with fabric makes a perfect fit
Lycra is a trade name of DuPont for spandex two-way elastic fibers. My favorite garments have Lycra blended into other fibers. It adds stretch to any fabric and improves the fit and comfort. It allows our body to walk, stretch, bend or sit in the garment all day long with ease. It also allows us to gain or lose 10 pounds and still have a good fitting garment. I especially like the way the knees of pant legs don't stretch out of shape while sitting so it doesn't look like you are walking around with shoulder pads on your knees when you stand up. It also helps the garment resists sunlight, body oils and perspiration.
Lycra is blended into cotton, nylon, polyester, microfiber, silk, linen and wool. Cotton/Lycra is dull in appearance and is often used for exercise clothing like bodysuits and leotards. Nylon/Lycra is shiny and is often used for clothing like swimwear. Polyester/Lycra, Microfiber/Lycra, Silk/Lycra, Linen/Lycra and Wool/Lycra are most often used for fashion garments.
Although most of these fabrics don't require prewashing I wash all fabric that comes in my door before I attempt to cut anything out of it.
If it is going to shrink or fade I want to know that before I have used my time to make the garment. Most of the Lycra fabrics can be machine washed in warm water and lightly dried on low heat.
The fabric needs to lay on a flat surface after drying for 24 hours before laying it out to cut; this allows the fabric to relax. To prevent the fabric from stretching as you cut it out, do not let it hang over a table. Use a Lycra or knits-only pattern with simple styling, like an a-line skirt with an elastic waistband, and eliminate as many facings as possible. For close fitting garments the ease will be automatic in the stretch of the fabric when worn. For loose fitting garments the ease should be from 2 to 10 inches depending on the weight of the fabric. The lighter the fabric, the more ease you need so the garment doesn't look skimpy. The heavier the fabric, the less ease you need to avoid bulkiness. Lay out the fabric with the greatest stretch going around the body. Use new pins in the seam allowance or use pattern weights to avoid punctures in the fabric while cutting out the garment. For an accurate cut use a rotary cutter. The darts or other details can be marked with marking chalk, soap slivers, fabric markers or tailor tacks.
Use a size 9 to 11 stretch needle and polyester thread because of the elasticity of the fabric. Slightly loosen the tension until the fabric stretches without the thread breaking. To avoid rippled seams, don't stretch the fabric as you sew. With a conventional sewing machine, use a Teflon coated zigzag foot and double stitch with a narrow zigzag stitch, triple stitch in high stress areas such as the crotch, neckline, shoulder seam, and underarm seams. Trim the seam allowance to less than one-quarter of an inch and overcast the seam edge. Stabilize the neckline, shoulder seam and the crotch area with one-fourth inch clear elastic to prevent seam sag.
If you are using a serger the four-thread serger stitch will give you the best seam since it is strong and has elasticity. Wooly Nylon is not recommended in the loopers since it is not strong enough for seams under stress. The shoulder seams, neckline and armholes can be bound with self-fabric. The self-fabric doesn't need to be cut on the bias since the fabric stretches across the grain. Topstitching around the neck and armholes can be accomplished successfully by using Wonder Tape to prevent stretching of the garment and by sewing with a narrow zigzag stitch. Wonder Tape should also be used when sewing the hemline in place. Avoid zippers when possible and use Solvy on both sides of the fabric when placing buttonholes. For sturdiness on double layers of fabric, place a piece of knit interfacing between the layers.
I like to sew and wear the synthetic blends with Lycra. They are often called 'slinky' since they drape extremely well and seem to slide over the body. They never wrinkle and are terrific for traveling. I use the medium to heavy weight fabrics for pants and the light to medium weight fabrics for skirts and tops.
Janet G. Staats is president of the American Sewing Guild, Pittsburgh Chapter. Questions or suggestions can be sent to her at 130 Carpenter Lane, North Huntingdon, PA 15642-1277 or via e-mail to staats@westol.com . For more information, visit her Web site at www.westol.com/~staats .
