Tuesday 23 June 2015

A night with Fabric Expert Gill Thornley from Ditto Fabrics

Wow! What an evening! My head is still whirling with information from our incredibly knowledgable guest Gill Thornley. 

Thank you so much Gill for sharing your knowledge and experience with us! 

More notes will follow but I just wanted to share some snippets that were tweeted last night with the #askditto

Pull fabric across the bias to straighten the grain 

Weft and warp need to be at 90 degrees for a garment to be successful 

If fabric is torn with the grain you can normally pull one thread out

Want try a style or fabric choice you have previously not tried? Pop into shops and try on a ready to wear garment before making your own to see if you like it! 

What are you making and how long do you want to wear it for? Adjust your fabric accordingly

Grease on your silk? Put talc on it and dab it out before washing 

Linens are easier to sew once prewashed

Polyesters have their place, they must have a good weight and drape to them

If you are not sure of a fabric's content, try the burn test. To test a wool, take a small piece and burn it (safely!)  Pure wool will turn to dust, if is is mixed with polyester there will be a sharp edge where burnt. 

Thanks everyone who came along... Pop back in the next few days for more! 

Emma



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