Chiffon - what kind of fabric is this? What can be sewn from chiffon? How to make DIY chiffon flowers

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

The variety of types of matter sometimes really amazes an inexperienced observer. It seems that it is almost impossible to distinguish, for example, barege fabric from the same grogron, unless you have a certain skill in choosing materials for tailoring. But if you wish, you can understand such subtleties. Fortunately, chiffon is much more famous than these exotic fabrics. Light chiffon dresses, airy scarves, translucent blouses cannot but attract attention. And, probably, every representative of the beautiful half of humanity at least once in her life thought about purchasing clothes and accessories made from this material, which add romance to any image. Chiffon is a great opportunity to emphasize female fragility and defenselessness with stunningly beautiful gizmos.

A bit of history

The first mention of this amazing fabric dates back to the second or third millennium BC. In those distant times, the Chinese believed that such material was ideal forto create clothes for monarchs. Chiffon is a type of silk, lighter, airier, thinner and, importantly, capricious in wear, so even in rich Europe, where it came only in the eighteenth century, only very, very we althy people could afford outfits from this fabric.

The technological revolution of the twentieth century has significantly reduced the cost of the material, making it much more accessible to ordinary people. To date, there are several varieties of chiffon, each of which is used to create stunningly beautiful items of clothing.

Pros

Of course, most often chiffon is chosen as a material for tailoring because of its beauty and lightness, but there are a number of other advantages of this fabric. Due to its lightness and airiness, it dries much faster than many other materials and allows the body to breathe, in addition, it drapes very well, which allows you to play with the shape of clothes and hide all figure flaws. In combination with leather, knitwear, fur, it will look very advantageous, much better than the boring classic combinations of fabrics. Not to mention the strength of some types of chiffon.

And cons

But there are also a number of disadvantages. For example, it is very difficult to sew clothes from chiffon on your own: it just crumbles. Colors tend to fade in the sun, and improper washing (in the machine, for example) will very quickly make the item lose its shape. Some note that sometimes the fabric becomes moldy.

Care

Take care of this airyThe material is very simple: wash only by hand at a low temperature (it is unlikely that the fabric will painlessly transfer water warmer than thirty degrees) with washing powder for delicate washing. Iron through gauze (it is better if the chiffon is still damp) at a temperature of one hundred and twenty degrees.

These simple rules will help keep chiffon clothes and accessories for a very long time.

Hand-made

Despite all the variety of assortment in stores, sometimes it is very difficult to find a blouse of the desired style or a scarf of some unusual color on hangers. And then some, the most desperate, come up with the idea to sew the necessary piece of clothing from chiffon with their own hands. In fact, it is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. You just need to take note of a couple of rules.

Firstly: it's best to start with scraps. No one can guarantee that the sewing machine will not damage the fabric, and many types of seams are not suitable for lightweight fabrics such as chiffon.

Secondly: you need a basting - it will be easier to connect parts of matter with it. To seal the sections, you can use gelatin solutions or, if the fabric is light, starch - just apply the liquid with a brush along the edge of the fabric and iron it through the paper. It is best to sew with small stitches. In no case should you scribble across the pins - holes may remain in the chiffon. To avoid this, you need to put thin paper under the material.

Third: the transparency and lightness of the fabric can play a cruel joke when sewing clothes. To not beyou can see the knots on the darts, for example, you need to remove the upper thread from the machine itself, thread the lower thread in its place, placing it away from the needle (in the opposite direction). The seam will not disperse - it is done with one thread. And when working with the neck of products, it is better to avoid facings that will be visible through the fabric.

Fourthly: even using patterns, chiffon does not always get what you need. You need to sew trousers on one side from top to bottom, and on the other - from bottom to top. So the thing will look neater. Sometimes when working with light fabrics there is a problem of fitting the sleeve. It is very difficult to fix it, so it is best to use an interesting technique for attaching a chiffon sleeve using a knitted strip.

A little more about seams

Chiffon is a very, very whimsical fabric that requires fine sewing needles and a backing that plain paper will do. The seams for processing the material depend on what is being sewn. For example, for a simple skirt or shirt, you can use an overlock or a zigzag for a cut, which is then folded over and simply sewn on a typewriter.

A skirt sewn on an oblique will look much more profitable with an edge trimmed with a small zigzag. And for lush outfits, you will need a slanting inlay, which will make the cut of the product heavier and prevent it from gathering into unnecessary folds. To process the inlay, an elastic fishing line is inserted into the zigzag line (the method mentioned just above).

Some people can't do without an elegant French seam - far from simple, but very beautiful. For him, the edges of the fabric are first folded inside outinside, grind with a seam up to 5 mm wide, the allowance is cut, then the product is turned out so that the front sides of the fabric are now in contact, and a new seam is made.

Another interesting option is the Moscow seam. The edge is folded over in two layers, both hemlines are stitched.

Seams can not only decorate clothes, but also ruin them hopelessly, so in no case should you forget about neatness.

Continuation of hand-made

But we must not forget that this fabric is used not only for sewing clothes and accessories, but also for jewelry. Chiffon flowers will be a great addition to an elegant dress, and they also look very good as independent interior attributes.

Of course, you can easily buy ready-made roses and peonies from translucent material in various stores, but making them yourself is easy.

To make, for example, a rose, you will need fabric, a lighter/matches/candle, a needle, thread and beads for decoration.

It all starts with making the base. We must not forget that chiffon is a very whimsical material, so you need to work with it carefully. Five-leaf flowers of different sizes are cut out, and the more there are, the more magnificent the rose will turn out.

When the "petals" are ready, each "flower" is slightly melted over the flame. It is best to do this over a candle - then both hands will be free. As a result, the edges should turn inward a little, but in no case darken.

After, a thread is passed through all the petals (it is possible through the centers of the cinquefoil), all layers in the center are fastened with beads used for decoration.

The finished chiffon flowers need to be shaken a couple of times to make them more magnificent.

Conclusion

Silk fabrics are versatile. Delicate, sheer, and lightweight, they are perfect for making charming clothes and accessories that will last a very long time if properly cared for.