underlining principles

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This satin bodice created by the authorillustrates many of the structural elements that

would be impossible without underlining.

The facing is catchstitch

to the underlining.

The underlining

bears the

stitching and

grainline

markings.

Beneath unforgiving satin,underlining

contributes to a beautiful, structured bodice.

Boning channels a

sewn to the under

Seam allowances,

padded by and sewn to

the underlining, dont

show through on the

right side.

A pet

waist

invisible

rig

hi

unde

Right Side

Bias-cut cotton flannel

underlining buffers the boning

channels and waist stay.

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How a foundation layer influencesfabrics and finished garments B Y S U S A N K H A L J E

One of the most powerful tools in your sewing

arsenal is underlining. Couture garments almost

always incorporate an inner layer of fabric

(sometimes more than one layer) that supports the fash-

ion fabric. Once joined, the layers work as one.

Underlinings role in a garment can be pronounced

or subtle. It provides a firm base for details that are

attached to the fashion fabric (lace appliqus, trims,

fasteners, and so on). It adds polish by camouflaging

construction details (boning channels, seam allowances,

darts, and hand-applied stitches, for example), while

making others stand out (filled pleats and gathers). It

reduces wrinkling and absorbs perspiration, and it can

even be used to shift the color of the fashion fabric.

While fusibles can be used, sewn-in underlinings

expand your options and are generally better at main-

taining the fashion fabrics essential nature. Here, Ill

explain how to select the correct underlining, and how

to mark it and join it to the fashion fabric.

Its essentialand funto experiment with underlin-

ings to see how they transform your fashion fabrics.

While there are instances when underlining radically

changes the nature of the fashion fabricindeed, thats

part of underlinings geniusfor the most part, its role

is one of support and encouragement behind the scenes,

allowing the fashion fabric to maintain its look and feel.

reads contributing editor Susan Khalje is the author of

Bridal Couture(Krause Publications, 1997) available on

CD at www.SusanKhalje.com.

UnderliningnPrinciples

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WITHOUTUNDERLINING

Select an underliningConsider what you want the underlined area to dodrape, stand up, fold, etc. Then envision the underlinings likely effect on your fas

fabric, and experiment with underlining choices to be sure you achieve the desired effect.

Silk organza is the workhorse of the

underlining world, but there are many

other options. Pick the underlining that

supports your fashion fabric in the way

that you need.

Lofty: Single- or double-faced cotton

flannel camouflages construction details.

Heavy: Cotton broadcloth, muslin,

crinoline, and twill offer firm support.

Drapey: Silk crepe de chine

and rayon maintain movement.

Light: Silk chiffon is gentle; silk

organza, crisp. Cotton voile or cotton

batiste add soft support.

A heavier linen-silk blend works

well with the support and texture of

muslin underlining.

Self fabric works wonderfully as

underlining, if weight doesnt become

an issue.

WITHUNDERLINING

UNDERSTAND THE UNDERLININGS ROLEThere can be different underlinings in different parts of a garment:

a fitted, boned bodice might be underlined with flannel (to camou-flage the boning) and muslin (for strength) while its skirt might beunderlined with silk organza (for lightweight support). The goal isto match your underlining to the effect youd like to achieve withthe fashion fabric.

PRETREAT THE FABRICSThe fashion fabric may or may not shrink, but I find that

fibers can tighten up (especially crepes, as fashion fabriunderlining). Steam the fashion fabric in advance, and w(in hot water) any cotton underlining that might shrinkwash silk organza, though; it wont shrink, and washingmakes it less firm.

Sans underlining, pleated silk forms

a less-structured, softer skirt.

Silk organza underlining supports a f

fuller skirt. The layers were basted to

and function as one.

CAST THE CORRECT UNDERLINING

SILK CHIFFONAND SELF-FABRIC

UNDERLINING

MUSLINUNDERLINING

LINEN-SILKBLEND

Here are some of my favorite fabric and underlining combinations:

SILKCHIFFON

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Mark the inner layerThe underlining is an appropriate canvas for marks to guide stitching, placement details, and more. It makes sense to apply marks from a

muslin or the pattern to the underlining, not the fashion fabric.

GUIDE STITCHING WITH LINES, NOT EDGES

While there are times when the fabrics cut edgeserves as a stitching guide, thats not usually the casein couture garments. Instead, the stitching lines arethe reference, and seam allowances are left wide toallow leeway in fitting and design.

Mark the stitching lines on the underlining. Theycan be referenced from a muslin that was used to fitthe garment (see Muslin Refined in Threadsno. 151),or they can be first marked on the pattern tissue, thentransferred with carbon paper to the underlining.

COPY EVERY DETAILMark important information on the underlining,

sparing the fashion fabric from being marked. Inaddition to stitching lines, youll mark the straightof grain; placement lines for buttons, pockets, andfashion details; reference lines; notches; the hemline;and so on.

Be mindful of the tracing papers color. Dark tracingmarks (while easy to see on the underlining) can showthrough a lighter-colored fashion fabric. The thread

you use to join the two layers together can pull thecolor off the carbon paper, too.In some cases, thecolor you use makes no difference (if youre markingthe underlining for a black wool skirt, for instance),but thats not always the case. White, or light-coloredgarments, need to have their underlinings markedwith white tracing paper (which can be difficult to

see, but its necessary).

Stitchinglines

Mark undecopiously

any detailaid constru

Grainline

Notches

Extend stitching-line mapast their intersectio

Pair four-ply silk crepe

with silk crepe de chine

to preserve drape.

This silk organza

underlining has b

marked with stitc

lines, notches, and

straight of grain.

Silk organza is stable and easy to

work with. Here its matched with

silk dupioni...

... and here, with wool crepe.

Silk organza is also lightweight

and reasonably priced.

SILK ORGANZAUNDERLINING

WOOLCREPE

SILK CREPEDE CHINEUNDERLINING

FOUR-PLYSILK CREPE

SILKDUPIONI

SILK

ORGANZAUNDERLINING

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Align the underlining and fabrBefore basting the underlining and the fabric together, confirm the laye

orientation. A three-part process ensures successful results.

Try altering

a fabrics shade

with underlining.

1

Match the grainlines.Both layers must be oriented identically; caref

layout and pinning is your only chance to guarantee this. Check thatstray threads or bits of fluff are trapped between the layers.

2Pin in the seamallowances.Orient

the pins so that theyreperpendicular to thestitching line.

3Meticulously smooth the layers.Check the fashion fabric side and ras necessary. Flip the layers back and forth to make sure youve got

smoothest layering possible. Ultimately, the fashion fabric has to be thsmoother layer.

LET BIAS-CUT LAYERS HANG OUT.I pin

bias-cut fabric and underlining together along the

top horizontal edges, then hang the layers vertically

so they relax fully before joining.

Tip

SHIFT COLOR WITH UNDERLINING

The result is subtle in silk satin, but

underlining can adjust the shade of your

fashion fabric. Off-white silk organza

is the staple underlining; it does its job

unobtrusively. Ive found, however, that if

a fabrics shade is not quite right, a colored

underlining can do the trick. With white orvery light-colored fabrics, the effect is more

pronounced, of course.

I once underlined a ballgowns pale pink

satin skirt with chocolate brown underlining.

The result was the desired rum pink.

Grainline

WARMER IVORY COOLER IVORY

YELLOWCOTTONFLANNEL

WHITECOTTONFLANNEL

Smooth and pin theunderlining andfabric together,

matching grainlines.

Stitchingline

Stitchinglines

FASHION FABRIC

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Photos:SloanHoward

USE NEW THREAD FOR EVERY LINEIts best to sew each stitching line from a separate thread length.It takes little time to do separate pieces of basting. But once thebasting is removed, you wont inadver-tently remove the stitches from an ad-

jacent seamline. If you can remem-ber to clip the corner threads,then you can use a continuousthreadbut go beyond thecorner points so that you give

yourself a clear indication of

where the seamlines cross.Now that your fabric isunderlined, its time to basteeverything together for afittingknowing that thefashion fabric will be able to doall that you ask of it.

Baste the layers togetherAfter marking and aligning the underlining, baste it and the fashion fabric together. Careful work at this stage is essential, as soon the lay

will be treated as a single unit.

AVOID THE TEMPTATION TO MACHINE-SEW

While joining the fashion fabric and the underlining together by machine might seem appealing (mostly because its quick), its not agood idea. Shifting of the layers is inevitable, and the machine-stitching marks would most likely remain, even if the thread was eventuremoved. Therefore, the layers need to be joined by hand. I find it to be a pleasant process and not really all that time-consuming. Its wworth the effort.

SELECT A PASSING THREAD,

AND START STITCHINGIt helps to use lightweightsilk thread. If you cantfind that, then rayon is agood substitute, thoughcheck that its colorfast.It goes in smoothly, and

just as importantly, pulls

out easily when its timeto remove it. Choose thecolor with care, thoughthat way, there wont be aproblem if the color bleeds, orif fibers remain, later caught in themachine stitching.

Techniques differ, but I begin by knotting my thread; Imcareful when I remove it, though, to clip the knot so that itdoesnt get pulled through the layers.

Your stitches neednt be very small. There may be times, whenworking with something particularly slipperylets say youreapplying silk organza to the princess seam area of a silk satinbodicewhen your stitches might be smallerbut for the mostpart, as long as the layers are held together nicely, a moderatestitch size is fine.

Use silk or rayon threadfor its passability; basting

pulls free easily.

Baste beyondthe stitching-line

intersections forclear corners.

Underlining and fabricshould be basted together

by hand; the pieces areless likely to shift, and itseasier to cleanly remove

the stitches.

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underlining principles

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