4> ~ -,' , :':':;"TEXA'S- AGRICULTURAL , EX-TEN ' . ... -:>-.~ -~•• ,....,~ hi.t~.' ~ ___ '>::"'" - 'J. E .. 'Hutchison, 'Director, College:.shlt~QP" Texas GRAHAM HARD NENA ROBERSON RHEBA MERLE BOYLES FANNIE BROWN EATON EXTENSION CLOTHING SPECIALISTS The A. and M. College of Texas THE CHARACTERISTICS OF FABRICS which . give 3. Fabrics made of chemically treated cotton, them the virtues of quick drying, crease re­ linen and rayon. The resin finishes are the most sistance, little or no ironing, keeping their orig­ commonly used. These finishes should last the inal shape and size during use and care, retaining normal life of a garment. a look of newness and fresh crispness after being worn and cleaned continuously also create sewing FABRIC SELECTION difficulties. The surface often is smoother and The best guides in the selection of quality harder which makes the fabric less pliable and fabrics are informative labels of reputable manu­ more difficult to handle. These qualities can facturers. Good quality finishes add to the cost cause seams to pucker. Even in the softest blends of fabrics, but compensate for the extra cost in there is a springiness which requires more care in durability and appearance. handling ease, as in the sleeve cap. Each fabric presents different problems. Look Wash-and-wear fabrics may be divided into at the fabric and feel it. Is it closely or loosely three groups: woven? Is it soft and firm, or stiff and wiry? 1. Fabrics woven or knitted from yarns of Will it fray? What style pattern do you have in 100 percent man-made fibers. These fabrics, if mind? properly finished, are highly crease resistant and The correctness of fabric grain is important keep their original shape and size during use and in sewing. If the fabric grain was distorted at care. any point in the finishing process, the fibers will 2. Fabrics woven or knitted of yarns made be locked in the off-grain position and Gin not be of blends! or combinations2 of fibers. These straightened. The off-grain condition is not as blends or combinations may be of all man-made noticeable in solid colors or in all-over prints fibers or of man-made and natural fibers. A with no regular repeats as with plaids or prints certain proportion of the proper man-made fiber having a regular design at right angles to the must be present in every blend to insure the de­ selvage. Use this simple test to see if the design sired qualities. Some of the recommended blends is at right angles to the selvage: Unroll about 1 are as follows: yard of fabric from the bolt. Fold about % yard of the fabric back orr itself with the right side of 65 % Dacron - 35% Cotton the fabric on top, carefully matching selvages, 50% Dacron - 50% Cotton Figure 1. The design should be parallel to the 70% Orlon - 30% Rayon folded line if it is straight with the grain of the 80% Acrilan - 20% Cotton fabric. 70% Acrilan - 30% Wool 55 % Dacron - 45% Rayon 80% Orlon - 20% Cotton PATTERN SELECTION 70% Orlon - 30% Wool Select patterns for wash-and-wear fabrics with 70% Acrilan - 30% Rayon as few and as inconspicious seams as possible. 65 % Dacron - 35 % Linen A void intricate tucking and decorative edge 55 % Kodel- 45% Rayon stitching. Seams on a slight bias have less tend­ ency to pucker than do long, straight-grain seams. IBlends are the result of spinning together two or more Sometimes it is impossible to ease the excess full­ fibers, such as wool and nylon, into one yarn. ness such as that in the sleeve cap. A sleeve cut 2Combination is the result of weaving together two or more types of yarns, such as six yarns of wool and two in one with the bodice may be a wise choice. of dacron. Another combination is warp yarns of one Pleats and/or darts give ease with less apparent fiber and the filling yarns of another. bulk than do gathers. 3 Zippers with tape made of man·made are not available to consumers. The cotton of a zipper may not dryas readily as fabric of man-made fibers. Thread may be of mercerized cotton or made. Mercerized cotton is used more often cause it is available in a wider selection of in more stores. CUTTING It is important to check the fit of the and make any necessary alterations before a ment is cut. This will keep any changes in to a minimum after the garment is cut. off-grain fabric is purchased, either solid FOLOJ all-over prints, the straight grain marking of Figure 1. pattern should be placed on the lengthwise of the fabric and the crosswise grain will be There are some wash-and-wear fabrics such regarded when cutting the garment, Figure When the fabric is plaid or has a regular as jersey, soft-textured crepes or other soft fab­ in a print design, the plaid or print design, rics which are satisfactory for soft fullness such than the grain, is followed, Figure 3. The as gathers. ment made from such fabrics may not be factory, but these are suggestions for cutting FINDINGS-TRIMMINGS for the best possible results. For a garment to be wash-and-wear, each com­ Use fine-pointed dressmaker pins to hold ponent part must have the same qualities as the pattern to the fabric. If the fabric pin basic fabric of which the garment is made. place pins in the seam allowance of the Shoulder pads which can not be cleaned by the or use very fine needles. same method as the garment should be remov­ Cut carefully with sharp shears and use able. smooth strokes. Figure 2. Figure 3. 4 If the fabric frays badly, additional seam al­ stitching on wash-and-wear fabrics. It should be lowances may be added as needed for finishing checked before construction begins on any gar­ the seams. ment. A slightly loose tension is needed for these fabrics. In fact, many sewing machine tensions MARKING are tighter than necessary for all fabrics. To get Accuracy is important when transferring pat­ a looser tension, first adjust the top tension. Then tern markings to the fabric. For smooth-sur­ it may be necessary to loosen the tension screw faced, solid color fabric, the tracing wheel (with­ on the bobbin case until the stitch is in balance out carbon) often is sufficient for marking. If and locks in the center of the seam. carbon is used, choose a color that will not show To loosen the tension and achieve a balanced through. Select a clay dressmaker's chalk because stitch on a machine with a removable bobbin wax chalk sometimes is difficult or even impos­ case, use the following procedure: sible to remove from wash-and-wear fabrics. When needle holes are not easily removed from 1. Work with mercerized thread, since this fabric, mark such areas as the center front by test involves breaking the thread. hand basting, using a fine needle and thread. 2. Remove bobbin case with bobbin in cor­ PRESSING rect position inside, and hold it suspended by the thread, Figure 4. If instructions for pressing are given with the fabric, follow them. To press most wash-and­ wear fabrics, use a steam iron, set for steam, or use a warm dry iron and press cloth. To deter­ mine the correct method for pressing and the tem­ perature to use, make tests on a scrap of fabric before pressing the garment. Press seams and folds only after you are sure of final seamlines because once a crease is made it is almost impossible to remove the marks com­ pletely. When sewing wash-and-wear fabrics, as with all other fabrics, press carefully as the con­ struction progresses-step by step. SEWING The key to success in sewing lies in the prop­ Figure 4. er handling of the sewing machine. The instruc­ tion book for the machine is your best guide. a. The tension is correct if the bobbin case Techniques for stitching and machine setting rides slowly down the thread (you may should be selected to suit the characteristics of the encourage slightly) . fabric being sewn. Always test the machine stitch b. The tension is too tight if the bobbin case on a scrap of the fabric that you plan to sew be­ hangs in midair. Loosen the tension fore stitching on the garment. screw. Run the machine at an even speed. The ma­ c. The tension is too loose if the bobbin case chine should be run more slowly for fabrics of drops instantly. Tighten the tension screw man-made fiber than for other fabrics. Hold fab­ as needed. ric firmly when stitching, without pushing or pull­ ing. 3. Replace case with bobbin in the machine. Use a throat plate with a round hole when 4. Turn the top tension screw to position 3. stitching wash-and-wear fabrics. This position may vary with the machine. Tension 5. Use scrap of fabric that you plan to sew, The proper tension on the machine is the big­ and make the following stitching test to find our gest single factor in improving the appearance of if adjustments are necessary to achieve a balanced 5 Figure 5. Figure 7. stitch. This test should be made for each type of uniform length of stitch and to prevent the fabric. from creeping to the side as the seam is stitched. The pressure should be light enough to feed a. Fold a 6-inch square in half, forming a fabric without marking the underside of it.