Sewing with linen: 10 PRO TIPS that will elevate your next project!
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- čas přidán 24. 06. 2024
- I'm excited to share my personal insights and tips on sewing with linen to achieve professional results. Over the past three years, I've learned some valuable lessons, and I'm here to speed up your learning curve. We'll cover everything from choosing the right linen fabric and preparing it to selecting the appropriate thread and finishing seams. Linen can be a bit pricey, so it's worth building your skills to sew it more professionally! I'll guide you through the process and help you create beautiful projects.
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Thread:
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Electric rotary cutter:
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Cutting & ironing table:
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Ironing pad for table:
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Thread holder:
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IKEA Skadis pegboard desk mount:
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Cheaper hooks for IKEA skadis pegboard:
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Iron:
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Sewing machine:
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Pins
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0:00 Introduction
1:00 Consider Opacity
1:32 Pre-Softened
2:10 Pre-wash and dry
3:27 Iron with TONS of steam!
4:05 Follow the Warp, Weft, and Bias!
5:07 Use pattern weights!
6:08 Polyester vs Cotton thread...
7:48 Finish your seams
8:43 Stay-stitch your neckline!
9:15 Keep fabric scraps for mending! - Jak na to + styl
Easy at-home pattern weights: Take 6" squares of fabric and fold them in half. Sew the long side shut to create a tube. Sew one of the short sides shut to create a cylinder pouch. Fill the pouch with 1.5 cups of uncooked rice. Sew the remaining side shut -- poof, you have 3" by 6" pattern weights that weigh about a half a pound.
Nice!! Thanks for sharing the additional tip! I might have to make these someday :) The slate coasters that I'm using now as weights tend to brake when I drop them on the floor, and someday I'll only have pebbles lol.
I have some bad tasting rice that this is perfect for!! Thanks for the idea 😊
I saw in a couple of sewing videos homemade weights done with small, flat rings of metal, bought at the hardware store, and glued together in stacks of 5 or 6. The resulting stacks are heavy enough to really secure the fabric in place, and small enough that you can store a lot of them in a tight space. Some were decorated with colorful strips of cabbage, which also made them more comfortable to handle and less likely to scratch your fabric.
Even easier pattern weights: collect some choice smooth stones during your travels. Free souvenirs and excellent pattern weights.
From the 15th century on, Linen was the basics of all bed sheets. Boiling linen helps fluff it up, and it has a life of decades rather than years.
So boil the fabric, as if I am dyeing? Instead of prewashing in the machine? I love this idea! Have you tried it or only read about it?
Pretty please do a beginners sewing tutorial/tutorials! I am clueless about using a machine but you make me wish I could. ❤
I love linen so much, one day it’s my dream that all my clothes are made with linen 😌
I do too!! And I am slowly getting to that point... everything just becomes a new challenge... like can I make a coat or underwear out of linen?? Someday I'll get there lol
I'm working on that now. I want to start sewing with wool, too.
@redvli8746 I hope that you make your dream a reality soon. I'm fairly new to sewing and it has become my mission to make all of my wearable using undyed organic natural fabrics which is very expensive. I have even replaced all my bedding with organic natural fabrics. One would think that I am insane for paying the prices that I have paid for my sewing items😅. I just really want to move away from toxic chemicals like the ones found in polyester and AZO dyes. Since I have a lot of polyester thread, I use that on my mockups and use I my cotton thread for my finished garments.
The same here. I have lots of dresses.
I am too! My daily wear will be all linen or a linen/cotton mix and the rest of my clothing will be organic cotton or perhaps hemp. Organic cotton is said to have the frequency of 100 which is the same as a healthy human body, but linen has a frequency of 5000. Wool has a frequency of 5000 but is not to be worn with linen as they will cancel each other out.
Linen is the king of fabrics, I think. Feels great, phenomenally durable, really string, can be washed in very hot water if you need to get rid of stains - and it gets drapier and more satiny the more you wear it.
It’s sad to see that high-street stores are starting to sell “fast fashion” linen clothing that isn’t finished with French (or felled) seams any more. That will reduce its lifetime substantially. On the bright side, it’s gonna be great for remaking!
I love linen. Right now I’m working mostly with hand sewing since my sewing machine is out of commission at the moment. I’m working with a lovely linen thread.
Do you have a source to share for linen thread? And what about shrinkage? Is it preshrunk?
Tip 4.5: use distilled water in your iron or else you'll end up with limescale in it
The self-clean feature on the CHI iron is amazing!!! I’ve had mine for almost six years and have only ever used tap water… and I use it all the time.
Also--if you read the instructions for the iron, you will see that they tell you NOT to use distilled water.@@tracir4920
It depends on your iron. Check your manual to see what the manufacturer recommends. Some advise using tap water (which I was surprised to learn).
@@karenneiman856 Yes, some irons are made for using tap water only.
Hello, these are really great tips 👍 I also love your philosophy about sewing your own clothing and linen 💖 thank you so much for sharing your video 🙏☺️
Fun & helpful video! I am a big fan of linen, and for the last 20 years invest in linen bed sheets as love sleeping on it! Made use of a pillow case to patch/mend the worn out area of the flat sheets--when wore out, used the still good edge regions to make a night gown! But also have made some nice shirts & have heavier weight intended for pants... (I collect fabric much faster than I sew! 😂).
Thanks! and ahh I have been reallllly badly wanting to try and make myself some linen bed sheets. I'm just so nervous I will invest in all that fabric and my cats will rip right through them with their claws lol. but so true about the mending!
@sus8e462 - I saw a really good tip from Martha Stewart. Instead of having a set of sheets (a fitted and a flat), she always uses 2 generously sized flat sheets. That way, wear is alternated between the 2 sheets so you will not end up with a worn-through fitted sheet, but still-good flat.
[Flat sheets are also MUCH easier than fitted sheets to put on the clothesline and to fold afterwards. ^_^ )
Forget the sewing…I love the art and mirror arrangement of the wall behind you.
It’s possible to find linen thread. Cotton thread eventually wears out. Polyester may eventually cut through the bast fibers that form the linen cloth. Also, don’t press hard on seams, the fibers will eventually break. Although it might take it some years to break and wear out, your collar, hem and placket edges will wear out well before the rest of the garment if pressed too hard. Instead, iron the flat parts of the garment as usual, using pressure, and then hold the seams, edges and hems up off the ironing board and give them a good burst of steam instead.
Thank you for the extra tips! Any advice on where to find linen thread?
@bethkolle1 - I have seen where you must coat linen thread in wax before using it so it will not break. (Beeswax seems to be the most common type of wax used.) Wouldn't that requirement make linen thread unusable with a machine, but good for hand sewing?
@charliedarwintextiles & @bethkolle1 - do you have experience with this?
@@MossyMozartThe only place I’ve seen that has linen thread (Burley and Trowbridge) doesn’t mention machine sewing instead mentioning what kind of hand sewing each thread listing would be good for at what part of a project: ie bottom holes or general hand sewing.
I got linen thread from Handelsgillet. They're a great company out of Europe that I've bought from before.
@@charliedarwintextiles Gutterman make a linen thread for handsewing only (50m spool) I have found some "Londonderry" linen threads finer than that (sizes 30/3 , 50/3, 80/3 and 100/3) each on 50m looking spools, which I use making bobbin lace.
There are also some 500m spools on etsy which are listed as suitable for machine sewing, but some etsy listings are a bit claim happy so I am not sure wheter tot rust them/ I guess I can only buy and try!
I bought the exact same iron several years ago for quilting. As any sewist or quilter knows, the 30 minute shutoff timer is priceless!
😂 It really is!!!
I love linen. I'm so glad I found you.
Me too! So happy to have you here!
Really nice and educative
Thank you
Excuse me my linen is calling me
Fabulous! Thank you ❤
Great vid! I have plans to make several mini, midi & maxi linen dresses next year; I am online now buying linen! Happy sewing!
Caveat emptor……my first (and last) online fabric purchase was not linen, but some poly-abomination.
I have a small spray bottle to use as well as steam with Linen which I feel helps
Great idea!! I totally agree, the more steam the better!
Excellent information that I needed. Thank you.
I really appreciated this video. Thank you so much!
Really enjoyed this list of tips Thank you for such good advice ! !
Have bought linen from different places and thrift stores. So nice. I wont use the "softeners" as react to many chemicals not needed in different items/foods. I first edge or use pinking shears/rotary to reduce the fraying in wash. Have an awesome bias cut skirt (from thrift store) that is so comfy and get so many compliments on. Had tried to find linen sewing thread. Found some organic natural dyed so would be preshrunk. Yes, finish edges even if just zigzag, or roll over... Found an old stained linen tablecloth and wonder if can make an undershift (selvedge looks handwoven!!) or . Inspiring vid !
Thank you for the extra tips! I didn't know anyone evel sold organic natural dyed sewing thread, that is wild! Did you find it online?
Burnley and Trowbridge has linen thread but they cater to historical costumers and recreations so it’s advertised for hand sewing but they also have silk thread and fabric on their website!
Fantastic!!!
Thank you lady
Charlie! I just found you and I'm so excited to watch more of your channel.
This is wonderful thank you for sharing
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for being here :)
this was so helpful! I havent done much sewing in years but your video came up on my feed and im glad I watched. Very cool!
I love linen. Thanks for the tips. Your sewing looks lovely-
I love linen so much! 💞 Thanks for the tips, especially the threads to use. I hadn’t heard about cotton threads being preshrunk. That will be a game changer! 😘
Happy to help! But do want to clarify-- the cotton thread I use is not pre-shrunk--- lol but I agree that WOULD be a game changer! I've always wondered if that exists...
Great video for beginner!
Thanks for being here, I'm so glad it resonated!
This is a well done CZcams filled with great information!
Glad it was helpful!
Just watched video 🎉. Living in FL tropics - linen is my favorite fabric. I will be following You😊
Awesome! Thank you!
Love my white or blue Belgium linen
I'm glad that I found you. I see these online linen outfits that are adorable, but the sites don't seem legit, so looking into making my own.
I just came across this video - very helpful. It led me to your website, too. And I really like your site, especially your biodegradable science project - brilliant. Thanks for your content.
great video. great info on linen. this is one fabric i will not mess with but it makes me want to do deeper research on it.
Thank you! And you might give it a try, I actually find it is one of the easier fabrics for me since it has no stretch and gets really really flat/crisp when you iron it. Happy sewing!
I bought some linen remnants for scarves, hem 2 edges & fringe the ends. Good way to test weights, lots of it was 54"wide so 1/2 yd makes a scarf.
Thank you so much for all of these tips. I've never sewn an article of clothing before (former knitter/weaver/dyer) but today, arriving from New Zealand, I have some linen fabric being delivered! I'm very excited! I don't have a serger but I took your suggestion about searching for 'clean finished seams'. Found out - my machine has a foot for this and I tried it and it'll do just fine. Again - thank you so much!!!
Oooooh very exciting!! You'll love working with linen, truly addicting, in my opinion! Really glad to hear that the clean finish seams could work on your machine, too. Have so much fun!
Just come across your video, and checked out your website - really very beautiful clothing.
Thank you! So happy to have you here!
Your sharing is very useful. I am starting a small retailing linen garment business, but am struggling on how to make lots of linen fabric shrink before cutting and sewing. I was not sure that I should laundry them or not, but after I watched your video I think I should do it.
So exciting!! Yes, I definitely recommend that you wash and dry it before cutting and sewing with it. I can usually get away with my home washing machine, but when I do really large amounts I head to a laundromat! Good luck with everything :)
Do you have any recommendations for softening linen thanks for the video :)
Thank you inpiring! ( I still use a dress I personally made from a fabric I bought y Fermo, Italy…1996!!!)
That is awesome to hear! Linen holds up so well, it gets better with time!
Secret tip #11!! If you use 100% linen or a linen/cotton blend, you can actually compost your linen fabric scraps! Depending on your environment, they can biodegrade in just a few weeks. (Trust me, I had over 150 people do an experiment with me this summer, all across the US! --> www.charliedarwintextiles.com/shirt2dirtexperiment ). Go ahead and give it a try :)
I was always self-conscious about my zigzag stitched edges and recently learned that my home sewing machine has a "fake overlock" stitch that is similar to an overcast and works great to finish raw edges :) just as a recommendation beyond zigzag!
ooooh thanks for the tip! I just googled it, and I think my machine has the same thing. I have an overlocker, but im going to start recommending the "fake overlock" to those who do my sewing patterns without a serger but might have that setting!
Under lining and linings...no mentions of the efficacy of that and especially when working with linens and woolens. Would you please give your thoughts on that? Loved the hints and tips in your video. 😊
Great question! My experience is with using cotton (sort of a broadcloth) as a lining for linen to make it even less transparent and have more structure. This tends to work great! Just make sure you pre-wash/dry both before sewing. And apologies if your asking me if linen is a good lining fabric-- I haven't really used it as that yet, so unfortunately can't give better tips. But I think it would make for a very soft and breathable lining fabric!
Wow, this is a really good tutorial! Thank you for making it! 😊 Good luck in getting more subscribers❤
Thanks for this video - is there a softners just for Linen?
I haven't tried it yet, but I get all my linen from Fabrics-store.com and they offer an eco-friendly fabric softener that you might check out!
fabrics-store.com/more/eco-friendly-fabric-softener-volume-3.5-oz-scent-unscented
What do you do during the winter months?
Is white vinegar safe to use in the wash to soften linen, or maybe i'll just use my wool balls?
I'm just starting to sew with linen and found this video to be very helpful. I loved the idea of outlining the pattern onto the fabric. How does this work when you are cutting through two layers of fabric? Or do you only cut one layer at a time?
Thank you, glad it has been a help! I do cut two layers of fabric at a time... I draw on the top layers, and I find that as long as my fabric is well ironed, I don't have any shifting as I carefully cut both layers. But (if I remember correctly), I think really lightweight gauze linen is a little bit shiftier and I would probably cut it one layer at a time!
@@charliedarwintextiles Thank you!
Do you have any videos on where you buy your patterns or do you see patterns?
Hello! I actually design my own clothing, and have three sewing patterns available so far! You can find them at charliedarwintextiles.com/patterns
Have you ever dyed linen? I bought white yardage & was wondering how dying would hold up after many washings.
Yes! Tons and tons of times :) I actually plant-dye all of my handmade clothing. The right dyes hold up really well (indigo, tea, cutch) and some others fade quickly (like black beans). I haven't tried using synthetic RIT dye on linen specifically, but I am sure it would definitely hold up after many washings.
Thanks!
A huge benefit to polyester thread: it breaks easily. If a thread on your final garment gets snagged, the polyester thread will break. If you use a really strong thread, the thread won’t break, but it will saw a hole in your garment. I’d rather have a broken thread over a hole in the fabric. Not sure how breakable cotton thread is, but just make sure it’s weaker than whatever fabric you’re using it with. Don’t use silk thread because it’s very strong.
I've never heard it put this way, but really good point! I've heard that cotton thread breaks easier than polyester, but have never thoroughly researched it. Thanks so much for the thought!!
Do you iron on an ironing mat or your cutting pad?
I iron right there on my cutting pad! Its the Sullivan's Home Hobby table (I got mine from Joanns) and the Sullivan's ironing pad cover that you can buy seperately! Loveee this setup!
Do you use Hemp linen? It's the only fabric I wear.
I havent tried it! Is there a place online that you've purchased it from? Would love to check it out sometime!
@@charliedarwintextiles Well i usually get a 3 to 7 oz summer cloth. I don't have allegience to any one supplier, and there are not a lot! But try and get a good price and hopefully you won't have to search far from home, I know the options vary greatly depending on location.
How do you soften linen at home
One way that I've gotten great results is with the eco-friendly fabric softener from Fabrics-store.com! www.fabrics-store.com/more/eco-friendly-fabric-softener-volume-3.5-oz-scent-unscented
Is there not linen thread? Also, have you ever worked with a Jersey knit linen so it's a bit stretchy without being elasticized?
Linen thread for hand sewing isn't hard to come by, but finding a linen thread suitable for machine sewing is a whole other story. I planned to test cabled threads made for sewing leather, but I haven't got to it yet...
Haven't ever found a linen thread for sewing machines (but also havent looked that hard, TBH). I want to try a jersey knit linen someday! Have you ever tried it?
As was mentioned, I haven't found a linen thread for modern sewing machines....however, I used some in my trusty old treadle with no problem whatsoever. (bonus: I can sew when the electric is out! LOL)
My problem with linen is that it is always stiff after washing. How can I avoid this? I don't have a clothes dryer - is this the problem? Should I take my linen down to the laundromat perhaps and use their dryers?
Let it air dry until the fabric is almost dry. Then iron with on hot with steam. That works for me.
Use vinegar as a softener in your rinse water. No chemicals then on your skin or in our water
I know what you mean, this happens when I air dry mine, too (so I usually machine dry). But you might try scrubbing it around in your hands for a couple minutes to soften it up, or check out this eco-friendly fabric softener by fabrics-store.com. I haven't tried it yet, but I love their linen fabric.
fabrics-store.com/more/eco-friendly-fabric-softener-volume-3.5-oz-scent-unscented
Do you “snap” your clothes when you take them down after drying? Give them a good sharp all over shake? I find it softens some kinds of stiffness (not hard water particularly tho)
Yes, it’s called ‘whacking’ among spinners, and it’s a great way to get your fibers to pay attention!
If the linen is scratchy it's made from remie and not flax. Not all linen is made from flax, hemp and remie is also sold as linen. Especially thin fabrics use remie because the flax historically used for gauzes and other thin fabrics have gone extinct after WW1.
I’ve heard of Ramie (from the nettle family). I didn’t know it’s sometimes sold as linen (from the flax plant). Do you know if this is a legal substitution under labeling laws? I’m more familiar with the loopholes in FDA regulations 😠.
@@nightfall3605 It's legal to sell flax, hemp and remie as linnen. They have many of the same properties and are hard to tell apart, so many sellers will only put linnen on them to cover all bases. The place of manufacturing can give you a clue. Flax is harder to dye and print on, so any printed pattern or vivid colour fabric will be remie.
@@nightfall3605 I've seen linen sold online that identifies the plant source as well as weight. Fine, gauze linen is still manufactured and I see it used in liturgical garments such as albs and surplices.
@@mariaborgvall7350 Thank you! Good advice.
These are general sewing tips/practices. Good information for a beginner but certainly not linen pro tips.
Your terms are incorrect. you confuse new sewers. Perpendicular is 90 to a line. Horizontal and perpendicular are NOT the same. Please know your terms.