Easy Way to "Iron" Linen

What is the difference between the right side of the roll, and the left side?

This linen has been pre- washed, Thoroughly dried,

 and laid in a jumble until I could get to it.

To ready it for putting on a roll, I laid it out 

on the cutting table.

 My cutting table is a yard-sale

 ping pong table top, supported by cabinets

 and is 60" wide by 72" long.

First, I cut off the selvedges. 

Then I sprayed the entire piece with water

from a spray bottle.

With only my hands, I smoothed the fabric,

lengthwise and crosswise.

When satisfied the grain was aligned correctly

and most of the wrinkles gone,

I turned on the ceiling fan, and left it to dry.

That is the ONLY difference

 between the two areas of fabric.

When water is absorbed by the linen, the fiber

relaxes and wrinkles disappear. 
It can expand, but will return to size when dry. 
It is important to avoid over-drying linen.
Do not store it damp, to avoid mildew. 
If my linen is wet, and I can't work it at 
the moment, I will sometimes 
put it in the a plastic bag in the freezer.

When I wash my linen garments, I dry them on the

lowest setting, and when possible, remove

them before they are completely dry.

If they do get dry, I will re-wet them. 

Details will be finger pressed, and

I may hang the garment to finish drying, or

will lay it flat and press with my palms.

I will "iron" a blouse occasionally, depending

on the style and embellishments.

This particular linen is from Dharma Trading.

It is their Lin 21: 3.8 oz. - 52 X 53 tpi.

Its lightness, and slight transparency makes

it suitable for lingerie and blouses. Like all Dharma 

fabrics, it dyes beautifully.

Let's Face it (sometimes you want to)

Sometimes a design in casual garments 

is more effective with a facing,

as opposed to

Piped Bias or a simple bias binding.

While casual wear may not require interfacing, 

at times, a light but firm treatment is called for.

Due to the fact that I primarily use natural
fiber fabrics, I always choose a
natural fiber facing or interfacing.
The same applies to applique.

Cotton and linen will be interfaced with
 cotton organdy/organza
and faced with the same fabric or a contrasting
color of the same fabric.

Silk and wool will be interfaced
with silk organdy/organza.
Likewise, the facing is the same fabric, or
a contrasting color of the same fabric.

Why? Cotton and linen are vegetable fibers
and play well together.
Silk and wool are protein fibers and are
equally compatible.

I almost never use an iron-on facing,
interfacing or applique on garments.

Sometimes I will iron on a fusible
applique before stitching it to a quilt.

Large Thread Spool Storage/Display

Mine has a turntable, and holds 24 spools of thread.

Great Steak

Read Travis Rutherford's answer to My dad is a chef, what relatively easy recipe can I make to impress him? on Quora

Fairy Fabric

While linen is lovely, some think of cotton

 as the poor country cousin in the fabric world.

Before falling for that myth, consider

Swiss Fairy Batiste

Drawing of a house placed UNDER pink Swiss Fairy Batiste

and scanned. 

The fabric was actually dyed an

 azalea pink.

 This is the same fabric folded into 4 layers.

The pink offered by Peanut Butter N Jelly Kids is even less vivid.

I can imagine the fabric for Marie Antoinette's
scandalous dress being done in white Fairy Batiste

Marie Antoinette en chemise, 

1783 portrait by Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun.

 Photo: Wikipedia/Public Domain

The fabric is listed on the website under the headings

Merchandise,

then

 Fabrics

then 

Swiss Fabric

then

Swiss Batiste. 

Available in white, winter green, pink, blue and ecru.

Fair warning: it isn't cheap - but it is worth every cent. 

And they "pull a thread" before cutting, 

to make sure you get every bit you pay for.

Bias Cut Clothes...Who Cares?

The nice thing about bias cut cloth is...

it stretches.

The bad thing about bias cut cloth is...

 it stretches.

Those two statements sum up the dilemma of making bias cut clothing.

If you understand that from the outset, half your battle is won.

Cloth that has been woven with lengthwise threads (the warp)

and crosswise threads (the weft) but is cut at a 

 angle is considered a "bias cut." If the grainline, or center front/center back
 on the pattern is placed at a 45° angle to the selvedge, 

it is a "True Bias"

Every shaped garment has some "bias" within the construction

lines: a curved neckline, armholes and sleeves, the crotch curve 

of slacks. Strictly speaking, those angles will not 

be "true bias" except at some point as 

the seam curves around the body.

Considering a seam stitched "on the bias" will stretch, 

if I want the seam to stretch 

with the garment, I will switch from

a straight stitch to a narrow zigzag stitch. The stitch length

doesn't have to be especially tight. The point is to simply

add length to the stiching, so when the fabric stretches,

the thread will expand rather than break with the stress.

Making a tight "satin stitch" can distort the seamline.

If I don't want the seam to stretch

I will use some means to stabilize it. Shoulders, necklines and

sleeveless armholes are some examples of areas

I do not want to stretch.

There are many "ways and means"
of stabilizing a seam. The most obvious choice
 is rayon seam tape. I prefer narrow silk ribbon
 that is used for silk ribbon embroidery,
if I plan to "tape" a seam.
But then, I am a natural fiber junkie.

Then there is gravity!

When a bias cut garment is stretching around a snug part of the  body, 

it is getting shorter in length. If the weight of the cloth is 

pulling it closer to the body, the garment will get longer.

Another item affected by gravity is the man's necktie. 

If the tie has not been cut perfectly on the true bias, 

the tie will twist as it hangs from the neck.

Gravity affects different fabrics - well, differently.
Some trial and error, fabric preparation, and
 experimentation is necessary.
Cardinal Rule #1 - always buy more fabric
than you think you will need. Sometimes an
important part of "fabric preparation" is allowing the
fabric to drape, and let gravity do the work.

Another consideration is: when joining two pieces of cloth that

are each cut at a different angle, the seam can pucker. An A-Line skirt,

for example should have adjoining panels be cut at the same angle.

So with all this fuss, why would anyone want to sew "on the bias"?

Elegance ~ Comfort ~ Fit ~ Freedom

Before the advent of commercially available knit fabric for sewing,

a bias cut garment was the only way to achieve "that look" - 

garments that "appear to float freely on the body,"* 

caressing rather than constraining.

Or, you may ask, why do we wear tee-shirts?

But if you prefer a more sophisticated look than a tee-shirt, 

 then bias cut, woven, natural fiber fabrics are the way to go.

*the quote is how Wikipedia describes the fashion designs

of Madeleine Vionnet (1876-1975).

I first fell in love with the whole concept
 of bias cut clothing when 

Threads Magazine

published an article about Vionnet in the 

February/March 1989 issue, by author Betty Kirke.

Amazon still carries Kirke's book.

Problems became challenges, while "all the fuss" became
mysteries to be solved. What more could a designer want?

Footnote: In my profile picture, I am wearing
a bias cut linen shirt that I made.
The linen came from Fabrics-Store.com.

The Bog Shirt - Summer of 2018

Variations on the Bog Shirt

made with rayon or linen