Good morning, sophisticates and hayseeds!
Desperate to jumpstart my sewing mojo, and feeling a bit giddy and irresponsible yesterday, I hightailed it to the Garment District, determined to return home with something I'd be excited about sewing with. Voilà!
Friends, let me try to describe this fabric -- it's not what it appears. This is a tightly woven stretch knit (nylon-poly-spandex?) with small vinyl cubes adhered to the surface somehow; they don't peel off.
As you can see, the fabric drapes beautifully and looks almost exactly like sequins. Cathy loves it and Michael loves it even more!
I'm not entirely sure how to sew with this stuff. I may need a ballpoint needle for starters. The challenge, I think, is that this fabric can't really be pressed (Can it -- perhaps from the wrong side?).
How do I get the seams to lay flat if I'm stitching over those vinyl cubes? They're soft, but they don't take a crease just from finger pressing. (SEE UPDATE AT BOTTOM)
This fabric has a kind of Seventies disco vibe to me. Here are a few patterns I'm considering, though Michael has insisted I make a tank top for him out of whatever's left -- can you imagine?
I'm fond of all three versions of this 1970 jumpsuit pattern. So Fantastic Voyage.
Then there's this Vogue pattern I've been wanting to make for a long time but never found the right fabric. Truth be told, it's the hood I love; the rest of the jumpsuit is a little meh, don't you think?
If the fabric were easier to sew with -- and I were sure I could press a seam flat -- I might be tempted to try something swingy from Vogue 8727:
There's also McCall's 9630. Is it too Liza-does-HSN?
The there's this vintage swimsuit pattern that's been sitting in my stash for over a year. We'll be spending a few days on Fire Island the week after next, and couldn't you see Cathy peeling down to a black sparkly bikini, a long striped poly chiffon cover-up flapping in the summer wind?
As you can see, I have a very eclectic pattern stash.
Friends, I can use your sophisticated input today.
Have you ever sewn with a synthetic novelty fabric (for lack of a better term)? Was it a total nightmare to work with? Were you able to press it?
I am oddly drawn to both faux fur and sequins and I think I have to get over my fear of them and really go to town.
What would you make with three yards of this fabric?
UPDATE:
It presses -- on the coolest setting, right side down. I pressed the seam allowance to the side (so the vinyl bits aren't directly exposed to the iron plate).
If I want to do a neckline, I'll make a black cotton facing (since it doesn't really stretch with all those vinyl bits anyway) and press from the cotton side. Here are a few quickie samples (as you can see, I need a different needle -- and black thread of course!):
The pink fabric is from an old cotton poly sheet:
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