Brocades: Day to Evening Elegance
by Kathryn Brenne
  • Introduction
  • Fabrics
  • Glossary of Terms: Clearing the Confusion
  • Choosing a Pattern
  • Layout and Cutting
  • Needles and Thread
  • Seaming
  • Welt Pocket Primer
  • Setting in a Sleeve
  • Shoulder Pads and Sleeve Heads
  • Bagging a Lining
  • Closures
  • Kathryn's Sample Garment



  • sewing tutorials
  • sewing guides 2004-2009
  • inspiration
  • fabric store
  •   
    Closures

    Close up of hook and eye closure

    Suitable closures for these fabrics include invisible zippers if the fabric is not too bulky, hand-picked zippers, buttons and buttonholes, loops, covered snaps, or hooks and eyes. For my sample jacket, I followed the pattern directions to insert large hooks and eyes as a closure. When stitching the closure bands in place I left 1/4" openings, which allowed me to insert the hooks and eyes. The hooks and eyes were then hand sewn to the garment seam allowances and I took a couple of small stitches to close up the openings. I stitched in the ditch to hold the layers of the under placket together and to prevent them from pulling apart when worn. I hand-stitched the overlay placket together with the garment to prevent it from pulling. I used fine silk thread in a matching color and working from the right side of the garment I did a tiny backstitch through the layers. My backstitch was over one thread of the garment so it was invisible and the length between the stitches was approximately 3/8". The texture of the fabric allowed me to hide my stitches very well.

    Care and Cleaning

    Dry cleaning is recommend for most of these specialty fabrics.

      
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