Sewing With Tulle
Used in a variety of products that range from petticoats and wedding veils to mosquito nets, tulle is a rather inexpensive see-through mesh fabric, that can add body or flow to a piece. It comes in several textures and is made from a variety of fibers. Looser netted nylon tulle usually has more body and is used for petticoats, among other things, while finely woven silk tulle tends to be soft, as can be seen in bridal veils. Due to the delicate nature of the fabric, sewing with tulle can be tricky, but there are some methods, that will help you smooth the process.
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Cutting Tulle
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Prepare for cutting by covering your table top with a cotton sheet, and make sure to spread the sheet flat with no wrinkles before unfolding your tulle. The cotton will keep the tulle from slipping.Tulle will not fray or ravel, so you won't have to hem the edges of your pieces, but you may leave them raw to maintain the airy nature of the fabric. If you go with this option, take extra care cutting the edges evenly for a clean look. A rotary cutter will allow for straighter edges than scissors, however, you will want to protect your table top with a cutting mat when using a rotary cutter.
Machine Sewing
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Choose a fine needle such as a size 9 or 11, and go for narrow seams to complement the delicacy of the fabric. Place a sheet of thin tissue paper under your fabric, to prevent the machine's feed dogs from crumpling up the tulle. You can easily tear off the tissue paper after you're done. Another option is sewing your tulle onto a water-soluble stabilizer like Solvy. If you would like to sew a ribbon around the edges to create a more decorative seam, carefully fold the ribbon over the edge of your tulle -- just so as if the ribbon was embracing the edge -- then pin the ribbon in place. Gently iron the ribbon to ensure a sharp edge before sewing the ribbon to the tulle.
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Hand Sewing Tulle
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Use a large-enough needle and a thumb thimble for easier sewing. The biggest difficulty in hand sewing tulle is keeping the stitches even while not pulling the thread too tight. If you tug your thread too hard, you will end up gathering the tulle, and instead of laying flat your seam will look bubbly. For the same reason, you will want to stay away from looped stitches. Using a slight zigzag instead of a straight seam may help producing a flat seam. Beware that gathering a lot of material may lead to snags.
Tips & Warnings
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Some tulle fabrics don't do well with ironing, the delicate fibers will simply melt. Check the fabric label before ironing, or turn to steaming your tulle piece instead.
Care: Some tulle fabrics are machine washable. Make sure to read the care instructions on the fabric label before purchasing the tulle. Even if the tulle you purchased is suitable for machine wash, take extra care and and use a mesh laundry bag to protect your tulle piece from rips and tears.
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References
- Home Décor Sewing Techniques Bible - Instruction and Projects for Stylish Décor; Julia Bunting; 2009
- Wednet.com: Wedding Veil - Make One!
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/liquidlibrary/Getty Images
