Who has never tried cutting slippery fabrics like viscose ?
It slips, slides and warps !
Here are a few tips and tricks to help sew these slippery fabrics.
The first thing we want to do is to stiffen the fabric. Our best option here is starch.
STARCH
You can buy ready to use spray starch or make some yourself with some corn starch from your local grocery shop.
Here is the recipe :
- Pour 3 tablespoons of corn starch in 1 liter of water. Stir well.
- Add a bit of fine grain salt to the mixture to give the fabric some shine and to avoid the iron sticking to it.
- Pour the mixture in a spray bottle. You can keep it up to one month in the refrigerator.
Your fabric will be stiffer and easier to cut.
To return it to the original aspect and texture all you need to do is just wash it.
CUT
Prevent the fabric from hanging over the edge of your table. This stretches the fabric and your cut piece might not match the pattern. Instead, roll the extra fabric and secure it on the table.
Another trick that will help with cutting is to lay another piece of fabric on your table (old sheets or tablecloth) as it will stabilize your fabric and limit its movements. If your table is too small, try working on the floor.
Use a rotary cutter if you have one instead of scissors. When you cut with scissors, the fabric is lifted and may stretch. The rotary cutter is more precise as the fabric stays flat.
Freezer paper is a thick paper that temporarily sticks to the fabric. Use it when you have bias cuts or other pieces that might warp. The cutout will be perfect. When it’s time to sew, remove the paper and continue your assembly normally.
For small pieces that need interfacing, it can be easier and more precise to apply the interfacing first and then cut the fabric as required (a facing for example).
PIN
Last tip for these slippery fabrics : use pins, many pins ! Don’t hesitate to use way more than usual as this will stabilize the fabric.
I hope these tips and tricks will be useful and if you have any other techniques, please share them with us !