The sound of the word chiffon makes you think of something soft, flowing, gently beautiful and definitely French. Who would have thought that this luxuriously sounding name would simply translate into a three letter word…….RAG! Sewing chiffon does not require your regular rag treatment. No this beautiful, flowing and soft fabric requires some dedication and attention to detail. Many of the steps in sewing sheer fabrics apply to chiffon, however, the difference is that it is prone to fraying and stretches easily. This means the cutting and sewing of this delicate fabric needs to be taken seriously.
The story of chiffon could be the original rags to riches story!
Sewing Chiffon: In 3 Easy Steps
Step One: Cutting chiffon.
- Cover the surface you are using to cut chiffon with tissue paper.
- Lay out the chiffon in single pieces and cut each part of the pattern individually.
- Hold down the fabric with weights instead of pins. Pins will mark the fabric badly.
- Keep the fabric as taut as possible to prevent stretching and slipping.
- Sharp scissors or a rotary cutter is essential.
Step Two: Preparation for sewing
- Transfer any markings with tailor tacks and not pins.
- Stay stitch curved edges to prevent stretching and slipping.
- Check your sewing machine needle sizes and sewing machine tension settings.
Step three: Sewing chiffon
- Follow the same guidelines recommended for sewing sheer fabrics but remember that chiffon frays very easily.
- Use French seams for the seams.
- Hem with a roller hem.
- Press gently with a pressing cloth and your chiffon garment should be looking fantastic.
Voila, the garment is finished!
Now all you need is a petit pet to go with your gorgeous outfit. You could try a designer dog called the Shiffon! It is a cross between a Shih Tzu and a Belgian Griffon……a beautiful little piece of fluff to sit beside you in your chiffon outfit as you feel like a Parisian princess.
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