How Simple Is It?
Making a faux fur coat is much like sewing a T-shirt! A coat can be cut sewn and finished in about eight to 10 hours. Just close the shoulders, add the flat sleeves close the side seams--and what appears to be a $20,000 coat is well under way. Add the lining using your sewing machine and you're nearly finished. No matter the number of coats you make, you'll never get over that feeling of viewing a nearly finished coat and thinking "Wow, I can't believe I made that!"
Faux Fur
The fur that most closely matches your hair color is often the fabric that is most flattering. Short hair furs such as sable and mink create a sleek silhouette for petite and full-figured women. Long hair, fuller furs make the right choice for luxurious, larger-scale garments and their perfect for lavish collars and accessories.
Faux Fur Pelt Lines
Pelt lines in manmade furs are created in the manufacturing process by shearing. The resulting fabric looks as if narrow strips of fur have been sewn together. By turning up a conventional hem in a pelted fur, scallops form along the lower edge. Pelt lines visually reduce the bulky look of a fur coat, furnishing many vertical lines for a slender silhouette.
Garment Style
Faux furs are fabulous enough to stand on their own without the usual design elements necessary in a coat. A simple, loose-fitting shape with an interesting neckline describes the most classically elegant $50,000 coat--similar, perhaps, to the one you'll want to copy. Bias cut sleeves add a subtle design interest.
Garment Length
A full-length coat is usually the most flattering to every body type, whether slender, heavy, short, or tall. A full-length coat creates a stronger vertical line that a jacket and will be even more vertical in a fabric with pelt lines. Jackets can be flattering, also, but the proper length is crucial. Keep in mind the one-third-two-thirds rule--a jacket should cover either one-third or two-thirds of the body. Avoid garments that appear to divide the body in half.
Pattern Tips
Position pattern pieces so the nap runs down. Sew in the same direction the nap runs, from top to bottom. Dark sheared fabrics, such as black sheared beaver and the long-haired black Mongolian lamb, are the exceptions. Cut these fabrics so the pile runs up.
Seaming Faux Fur
As a general rule, cut faux fur pattern pieces with 1/4-inch seam allowances. Use a full 5/8-inch seam allowance in the neckline in order to have fabric to grasp. Joins seams with a zigzag stitch set at two-inch width width and 3-1/2-inch length. Stitch close to the edge of the 1/4-inch seam allowance. Use an embroidery foot and good quality, all-purpose thread. Reduce presser foot pressure and loosen thread tension. Test seams on scraps to find the best setting for each specific sewing machine.
Tip: Mark notches approximately five inches apart along every seam. Mark rather than cut the notches. Pin seams, matching the notches and pushing the pile to the rights side. This will help you stitch a flawless seam.
Cutting Faux Fur
Cut fur like fabrics single-thickness, face down, using cutting shears in a snipping motion. Cut through the backing only, leaving the pile undisturbed. A razor blade works well for fast, clean cutting.
Faux Fur Embellishment Ideas
- Add faux fur trim to gloves or mittens.
- Add faux fur trim to the hood edge of a favorite coat.
- Add faux fur trim to a favorite felt or knit hat.
- Dress up a sweater for the holidays by adding a faux fur collar.
- Stitch up a doll-sized faux fur coat for practice.
Guests Donna Salyers
Author and owner of Donna Salyers' Fabulous-Furs
601 Madison Ave.
Covington, KY 41011
Phone: 859-291-3300
Toll Free Phone: 800-848-4650
URL:
www.fabulousfurs.com
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