Ice Mom’s Sewing Guide: Figure Skating Dress Seams

I don't own a serger so I make all my son's skating outfits using my conventional machine. Many basic machines have stretch stitch settings, which is what I use ( I like the overcast stretch stitch ). I only have to run the seam once, and then I clip the seam allowance as close to the stitching as possible. The only draw-back is that when I make a mistake, these stitches are a pain to rip out.

When I'm using a new pattern and I'm not sure about fit, I baste the entire outfit together ( a very long stitch and don't back stitch ) and then it's easy to rip out the stitches and make adjustments.

Some tips I learned in a sewing class –

Use a pack of sticky notes on your machine arm at the seam allowance distance to use as a guide. Because they're raised, it's very easy to keep the raw edges of the material against the guide. And you can pull off the bottom note and have brand new sticky stuff when you have to move your seam guide.

Use a walking foot for your machine when working with slippery material. They're a little pricey, but worth the aggravation they save. This is a foot that's used by quilters. It has a set of feed-dogs for the top fabric, so both pieces get moved along together.

Put the pins in parallel to the fabric edge inside the seam allowance, instead of across the fabric.

If you're putting in an invisible zipper, it's well worth it to purchase an invisible zipper foot for your machine. These have special grooves for the zipper teeth which allow you to stitch very close to the zipper.

When guiding the fabric into the machine, have both top and bottom pieces go over the fingers of your right hand before going under the presser foot. This helps prevent the occurrence of getting to the end of the seam and not having the bottom and top fabric lined up anymore (there's more bottom fabric).

My question is not a seam related question, but fabric related. My son is very picky about the feel of the fabrics, and has complained that a few of the costumes I've sewn for him have been itchy. Has anyone used stretch lining to line an outfit? And if so, has it prevented “itchy” fabric from itching?

Do you have any advice for setting the tension on a serger? I find that this is one of my most time consuming and frustrating steps.

Also off topic. I know you sent me your sites for crystals, but…… Could you send me in the right direction again? As we have music I am going to start moving forward with next year's dress.

Hey, Lynne.

Thanks for the great comment. I have an overcast stretch stitch on my machine, too, but I've always done it the zig-zag way. Old habits, etc.

Glad you do the basting thing, too!

I have a walking foot. I just hate it. I don't know why. However, I know they're good for slippery fabrics.

Please explain the pins parallel to the fabric edge! Why do you pin that way? So you don't have to stop? Doesn't that leave pin marks in the garment fabric instead of in the selvage edge?

Lining. I fully line all of Ice Girl's dresses because she is a freak of nature. I use a nude-colored tricot. She loves the idea that no one can see through her dresses. I guess it's better than wanting people to see everything. I must be grateful. Anyway, I just line the pattern pieces before I assemble the garment. The trouble comes with bulky seams, especially where the bodice meets the panty. I don't suppose that would be a problem for you, though! I've had the itchy problem with Ice Girl, too, especially with fabrics that have glued-on sequins. I can spend hours pulling them off, one-by-one with a tweezers.

Thanks for the many great tips, Lynne!

Hey, Sk8nln

True confession time: I stink with tension controls on my serger. I set the tension wheels according to a fabric type/tension chart in my serger book. After a few tests (you can see where the loopers are too loose or too tight), I tweaked the settings very, very little, wrote the settings on an index card along with the fabric type and I stapled the sample to the card. Now, I just set it according to the index cards.

I might be able to scan in my information on tensions and how to tell which thread is causing problems. I recommend threading with four different colors of thread to track the offender more easily.

I'll e-mail you that crystal list. Dreamtime creations has some sort of sale going on again.

Thanks. I read my manual too – just such a pain. I love your idea of
writing the settings on index cards and clipping to the fabric sample! I
will have to do that.

You put the pins in the seam allowance. Putting them in parallel to the edge of the fabric holds more of the seam with one pin. Since the pins are in the seam allowance, if there are any holes or catches they won't be visible on the finished garment, and will most likely be trimmed off when you trim your seam allowance. I still remove the pins as I sew, but not until I'm close to the pin head so my seam is held together by the pin while I sew. Way back when, in high school, I was shown to put pins in across the fabric so the pin head was at the raw edges. I've found I prefer the parallel pinning method. The one drawback about pinning this way is that when you're pinning you have to pay attention to the direction that you will be sewing so that the pin heads will be facing you as you sew the seam, otherwise it can be difficult to remove the pins as you sew because you're pulling them out away from you towards the back of the machine. I hope I explained this ok.

I like putting the pins parallel too – I think its much easier to pull them out as you go along that way.

As for lining (I have to line nearly all of my stuff), I think it can cut down on the itchiness if the fabric itself is itchy, but usually the problem comes from seams/elastic areas. I had this one dress that felt really smooth, but felt like it was biting me where it was gathered with elastic. For a boy this might not be so much of a problem on the inside of a shirt – perhaps you can cover the seems with something soft (leftover stretch velvet or satin ribbon?), or maybe just sewing down the free edge of the seem so that it doesn't rub the skater (I am thinking about the collar area, I know a lot of people can't focus if the back of the neck is tickled/itchy)? If there is elastic around the top – perhaps doing the two-fabric trick again if it will look ok. Around the legs… for a boy you won't see it, so using a different fabric or covering the edge shouldn't be a problem there either. Hopefully the pants are ok, otherwise you can always line those too… also will make them warmer… lucky boys…

Also, I was wondering if anyone uses ball-point needles instead of stretch needles? They work just as well but cost a lot less…

Haven't tried the walking foot, and when I tried the overcast stitch it just gummed up my machine and broke the needle. Twice. This was probably from inexperience or improper tension (I don't really have any formal training and have pretty much been making it up as I go along; also YouTube is helpful for zippers), but I stick with the zig-zag method because its worked well and none of my dresses have fallen apart so far. Up close I think you can tell that the seem is not as nice as it would be if I used a serger (not in the budget right now), but once you get 3 feet away you really can't tell (especially with stretch velvets…).

Also, I was wondering if there are any tips for finishing the raw edge of a very thin/light/sheer fabric? Without a serger, I have been folding the fabric over twice and using a straight stitch, so that it won't fray, but sometimes I worry that this makes the edge too heavy and that the skirt doesn't have enough flow or movement.

Huh. I'll have to try the parallel pin thing, I guess.

I don't ball-point needles on Lycra because the knit is so fine. I use ball point on things like cotton knits, but I'm terrified of snagging my Lycra garments. I just hate spending so much time cutting the pieces, lining them, basting to fit, constructing…and then snagging something toward the very end. Ugh!

finishing very thin/light/sheer fabric w/o a serger Well, I haven't done this myself, but I tell you: many, many ready-to-wear figure skating garments have unfinished hems. I know. It floors me, too. But look closely at, say, Sharene's stuff. (http://www.shareneskatewear.com/shoppe/product_...) She's not finishing those sheer skirts with the scalloped hems. I'd run a bead of FrayCheck along it, though.

If you're like me and totally freaked out with the idea of not finishing your hems, you could maybe run a very narrow zig-zag along the edge. Try it on scrap, of course.

I will tell you, though, I have seen a gal selling dresses at a local Learn to Skate who had organza skirts with unfinished hems. Naturally, since the fabric's a woven, the hem bottoms were ragged and frayed. They looked terrible

What about you sewers? Do you finish your hems, especially for sheer fabrics?

Thanks for the tips. I'll have to give lining a try. He likes fabric with glitter patterns, but finds even the inside itchy. I already bias bind (I make my own) the collar and add cuffs with a solid, usually stretch velvet. And I make the bottom of the shirt out of a solid material since it isn't visible. The pants are never a problem, except for me still not being able to do a fly zipper properly, so until then the pants remain pull-on.

I finish my edges with a rolled hem on the serger. You can get a similar finish on the sewing machine with a zig-zag stitch. Set your machine for a short, wide stitch. Try length 1, width 3-4 (wider for heavier fabrics). You may need to increase your upper tension a bit. When you sew, you want the machine to zig into the fabric and zag off the edge. The edge of the fabric will roll and the thread will cover the rolled edge.

For lining Rinkhead's dresses I now tape my pattern pieces together so it's a bodysuit, with side/crotch seams.The lining is anchored in the panty elastic, neck and armholes. The one piece gets rid of the bulk. When the top is mesh, I anchoer the mesh to the lining, and then place the lycra/milliskin over the mesh, covering the liningby 1/2 inch.

Yeah, reading the manual isn’t much fun. Technical writers are not known for creating interesting copy with fascinating characters and engaging plot lines. I can say this because I was a *yawn* technical writer *yawn* for a software company. B-o-r-i-n-g.

Yeah, reading the manual isn't much fun. Technical writers are not known for creating interesting copy with fascinating characters and engaging plot lines. I can say this because I was a *yawn* technical writer *yawn* for a software company. B-o-r-i-n-g.

Yes! The leotard method will eliminate the bulk at the panty line. V. smart, Alice!

Yes! The leotard method will eliminate the bulk at the panty line. V. smart, Alice!