Читать книгу May Martin’s Sewing Bible: 40 years of tips and tricks - May Martin - Страница 24

Another factor to bear in mind when choosing fabric is whether it has a nap – a slightly raised or textured surface that looks different depending on which way up the fabric is. Fabrics with a nap need to be cut out with pattern pieces all laid in the same direction. How do you tell if a fabric has a nap? Take a length of the fabric and fold it back side by side against a piece going in the other direction. If there is a difference in sheen or colour, you will need to position pattern pieces in one direction. If in any doubt, treat as a napped fabric. There is nothing more heart-breaking than nearing completion of a garment and noticing that a section is not quite right. Other factors to bear in mind are:

Pile: Velvet and corduroy both have an obvious pile, which can be challenging to sew as it creeps on seams (one bit walking on top of another). As with any fabric with a nap, it needs to be cut out with all the pieces of the garment lying in the same direction.

Sheen: Silk, satin and other fabrics with a sheen all need to be handled with care and pattern pieces cut out in the same direction.

Pattern: Does the fabric have a distinctive pattern? If so, you may need to allow more fabric as you’ll need to consider the positioning of the paper pattern on the fabric when you cut out your garment. Just as you would for fabric with a nap, you will also need to position your paper pattern with the pieces all laying in the same direction.