Sewing - With Silk
Silk is such a delight to wear, but let’s be honest, it can be challenging to sew. In this class you will learn lots of tips and tricks to gain confidence with sewing silk while making a relaxed fit top.
Teacher: Anna Ng
Workshop Duration: Half Day
Description: The thought of sewing with silk can be a daunting for many, but there are lots of cutting and sewing tricks that will help you sew this slippery fabric without tears.
In this technique based class, using the very versatile Lou Box Top pattern by Sew DIY, you’ll learn how to: make thoughtful design decisions reflecting your fabric choice (ie. eliminate unnecessary seams, leave off the pocket and avoid curved hems), cut out silk, select the right sewing needle for your project, sew beautiful French seams, finish the neckline with bias binding, create a narrow double fold hem. We will be sewing the crewneck and straight hem version of the Lou Box Top to ensure that we have enough time to learn the correct techniques.
At the end of the class you will have sewn your very own silk top which will look just as beautiful on the inside as the outside.
Materials to bring:
A copy of the Lou Box Top PDF Pattern and the instructions (Anna will be providing cut out patterns for each size on the day)
1m – 1.4m x 135cm or 1.5m x 115cm (see the fabric consumption chart for more details) of silk fabric
All purpose polyester thread to match your fabric
Sewing machine
Microtex sewing needle (a brand new one will give you the best results)
Fabric scissors
Silk pins (these are finer than regular pins and essential for sewing silk)
Tailors chalk
Measuring tape
Quick unpick
Takeaway: At the end of the class you will have sewn your very own silk top which will look just as beautiful on the inside as the outside.
Level: Advanced Beginner
Prerequisites: Familiarity with a sewing machine and straight-stitching experience.
So I wrote last week a post asking “Is my making fast fashion?”. And then I did a video on Instagram discussing similar topics in a slightly different way. And as always, you lovely humans have helped me clarify some of my thinking with your thoughtful, clever commentary.
And while I think there is so much more to discuss, here are four key possibly-more-meta ideas that have come up for me out of those conversations.
In using the quote last week that suggested that there was no single answer, and suggesting that this was freeing, I really did mean that we should sit in the grey. Not that the lack of “an” answer to this question should mean we get to ignore the question but rather that the lack of “an” answer means that we need to keep asking bigger more beautiful questions. And keep asking them.
Is my making fast fashion?
Am I living my values or merely thinking them?
And how can I make those two things a little more aligned in this moment?
These are my big beautiful questions.
Yours might be different.
And importantly this leads to point 2.