Sewing Tips | How to Cut and Sew Slippery Fabrics |

Published : 01/12/2025 14:30:34
Categories : Sewing Tips

When choosing a fabric for your project, you can sometimes be put off by fluid, thin, and flowing fabrics that slip through your hands. You think about the cut that isn't straight, the fabric that frays, the notches that don't match, so you put off this project until later and end up never doing it.

Flowy fabrics are ideal for light and voluptuous clothing for tops and dresses, such as the CIVETTA blouse and the MAKALU dress.

So don't panic, here are some tips for cutting and sewing slippery (or leaky!) fabrics.

 

How_to_cut_and_sew_slippery_fabrics

Starch the fabric before cutting

Before you start cutting, hang the fabric out and spray it with spray starch, the same as for ironing. This will stiffen the fabric slightly and will be easier to handle when spreading and cutting. Be sure to test a piece of fabric first to see how it behaves.

 

Align the fabric with a ruler, set square or table

By laying the fabric flat, it's important to align the fabric with the edge of a table so that the grainlines are square. The pieces will be cut correctly and will not twist once the garment is finished.

 

Use a rotary cutter

For some fabrics, it is better to cut with a rotary cutter to keep everything flat because the result will be more precise. Indeed, cutting with scissors can move light fabrics and make unintentional and unsightly waves that distort the precision of the pieces.

 

Cut the symmetrical pieces one by one

It is easier to cut symmetrical pieces one by one, this allows you to have a better view of the two layers and to replace the fabric correctly before cutting.

 

Interfacing the fabric before cutting

For facings, necklines and collars in slippery fabrics, it's recommended to stick the interfacing before cutting the pieces. Indeed, it's easier to keep the grainline square when the fabric is still a rectangular piece.

 

Basting by hand

If you want a precise garment, it's possible to baste by hand before sewing. I know that this can be seen as a waste of time, but it allows you to avoid unpicking and damaging the fragile fabric. For this type of cloth, you must select a fine basting thread like embroidery threads.

 

I hope that these few tips will allow you to get started sewing slippery fabrics for beautiful, vaporous and delicate garments. Do not hesitate to leave your additional tips in the comments.

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