How to Sew With Brocade

Sewing with brocade makes beautiful projects. The fabrics are heavy enough for home decorator projects yet silky enough for your bedding. Brocade comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns. There are some mixtures of brocade with silk and others are man made fibers. Use special sewing techniques to ensure your brocade project looks professional.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Brocade fabric
• Candle
• Serger
• Sewing machine
• Feeder foot
• Fine sewing machine needle

1. Prepare the edges of your brocade fabric so they do not fray. Use a candle to melt the edges or serge the edges of the fabric. Sew around the brocade fabric with a zig zag stitch if you do not have a serger, or cut the edges with pinking shears.

2. Pin the pieces of brocade you want to sew, right sides together.

3. Get a feeder foot for the foot of your sewing machine to help feed the silky brocade fabric at the same time through your machine. Put the feeder foot on your machine.

4. Use a fine sewing machine needle to help the needle from picking up the threads in the Brocade fabric while sewing. This should be a size eight or lower.

5. Feed your pinned pieces of brocade fabric through your sewing machine and sew the two pieces together. Serge the finished edged together when you are finished with your project.

Tips & Warnings

• When melting the edges of the brocade fabric, if it crumbles and does not melt, do not continue to use this technique. Pick another way of avoiding the edges from fraying.

Resources

• Purchase brocade fabric.
• Buy sewing machine needles.

[flygirl799]

on 9/24/2008 I was wondering the best way to hem brocade without having to iron it. A rolled hem will make it wave and I want it straight. I did a zig zag and it is ok but I have to iron it and it scares me that it will ruin it.