satin dress puckered seams

[Cassiepod]

Hi everyone can any of you more expert and experienced sewers offer me some advice? I'm making my bridesmaid's dress for my sister's wedding. However all the seams are puckered. how do I get rid of this? i've tried reducing the tension and it helps but doesn't eliminate the problem.

Will I have to unpick and re-sew all the seams..?:(

I don't have flickr or anythign like that so I'm not sure how to get a picture up here.....

Thanks in advance, Cassie

[Susie]

I have this problem with satiny fabrics sometimes, especially if they're lightweight. Are you ironing really thoroughly (through a cloth if it's polyester satin) when you've done the seam? Because that helps. Otherwise you could try: thinner needle? Different stitch length? Play with tension again? In extremis you could perhaps interface the seam but I've never done that, it might make it hang funny.

Also I googled and I saw somewhere you could try using a (very slight) zigzag stitch?

[julie_lanteri]

Hi Cassie, if the seams are really puckered after nomal pressing, then pressing again harder would probably make things worse (set the puckers).
if it's really bad you might want to redo it: there will be photographic evidence of the day!
make sure you're using a brand new sharp needle (the smallest you can find if it's lightweight satin), small stitch length (shorter stitches than normal) and be really carful not to pull/stretch the fabric as you're sewing. Press each seam as you go along.
Good luck!

[Cassiepod]

Hi thank you both. I went with Ironing to stuffing out of the seams, first closed, as you sew them, on both sides and then ironing them open. It seems to have greatly improved the situation :) still not perfect but good enough for me :) next time I know to use finer thread and needle but didn't want to resew it all becauseI have to set off next weekend for the wedding....Will get a icture onto OHs flickr account and post :)

[Cassiepod]

Before ironing

2011_10_02 dress in progress before small.jpg (50.99 KiB) Viewed 6970 times

and then

After ironing

2011_10_02 dress in progress after small.jpg (43.59 KiB) Viewed 6970 times

Still not great around the waistline but the best I'm going to get to I think.

I've now put the boning and the lining into the dress. Just need to fix the shoulder stuff into place and then hem it :)

[Green Aura]

When I did needlework O level - many moons ago - we were taught that when sewing slippery fabrics, like satin, or very fine fabrics like organza, professional seamstresses use tissue paper between to provide a little body and stability to the seam. It rips straight out afterwards leaving no trace.

Sorry it's a bit late!

Looks fab by the way and I think the very slight puckering looks like a deliberate detail in the shaping.

[MKG]

Me? I know zilch about making dresses (I realise how surprising that may be). And it looks OK to me.

But I demand photographic evidence that the whole thing stays up as intended. Actually, I suppose I'm really demanding evidence that it didn't

It looks fantastic - you girls worry far too much!!!!!!!!!

(Still want the photos, though).

Mike

[julie_lanteri]

Me? I know zilch about making dresses (I realise how surprising that may be)

Mike, I was expecting you to give advice on which presser foot and which size needle to use!

The dress looks much better pressed. If when you try it on (finished) the waist puckers still bother you, you still have the option to add a sash/belt.

[bonniethomas06]

Looks fine to me, a brilliant effort Cassiepod. I am sure when you are wearing it, your body will make the fabric taughter (if that is a word?) anyway so any residual puckering won't be as obvious.

Well done - you are brave to even attempt it, especially with such fussy fabric.

[Cassiepod]

Thankyou! Final pics will follow after my sister's big day a week on Saturday. I know have to get my mum and I, the flowers and foliage for the flower arrangements, and both our dresses down to london.... oh and an extra suitacase for my work trip to houston for which I depart the day after the wedding

[mrsflibble]

needle size 70/14 or 80/15, make sure it's a new needle for each project and use tissue paper OR a light, tear-away stabiliser like that used for machine embroidery.

[mrsflibble]

oh and lowering the feed dogs can sometimes help, although on my machine it just makes it complain and pucker more. and using a teflon foot helps too.