The Fall 2010 issue of Stitch
is officially on the newsstand! If you haven't seen it yet, ask about
it at your fabric store or wherever you buy Interweave magazines (or
order it here). On page 12 of the issue, you'll find a terrific guide to sewing with silk, written by designer, sewing educator, and writer Katrina Walker.
Katrina is a couture sewing expert (that's her in the photo below) who
loves silk in all its forms, and she'll help you sew any kind of silk
with confidence and great results. Katrina's gorgeous Hearts Aglow Silk Curtain,
shown at right and on page 62 in the magazine, is a pieced silk window
covering that will add glamor to your holiday decor; you can make it in
any colors, of course, but Katrina's burgundy, gold, and platinum color
scheme is nothing short of stunning.
To make the Hearts Aglow Silk Curtain,
Katrina uses a quick flat fell seam technique that covers all the raw
edges, on both the right and wrong side of the curtain. This means that
light can shine through the sheer background and pieced silk Log Cabin
squares without any distracting loose threads or unfinished seams; in
addition, silk douppioni ravels easily, so this seaming method will keep
your curtain in top condition for many years. We've put written
instructions for the quick flat fell seam, with illustrations, in the
project instructions (see page 118 in the magazine), but Katrina has
also made a demonstration video that you can access here.
In less than four minutes, you'll see how easy her technique is, and
you can apply it to silk, to denim (where you traditionally see flat
fell seams), or to any other project where you need an elegant but
sturdy seam with all raw edges enclosed.
That's not all! Katrina has also put together a fantastic Silk Fabric Guide that you can download here.
Print this guide out and keep it in your sewing notebook; Katrina
describes sixteen different types of silk and suggests the best types of
projects for each. Katrina will be teaching several classes at the Houston International Quilt Festival in early November, so if you're planning to attend, you might have the chance to meet her in person. Check her class schedule on her website.
Don't forget to complete the Stitch magazine survey for your chance to win a SideWinder bobbin winder, and as always, we'd love to see pictures of your silk creations inspired by Stitch or made from Stitch patterns!
Images: Left, Stitch Fall 2010; top right, Hearts Aglow Silk Curtain by Katrina Walker; lower right, Katrina Walker.