I am making a blouse that has sort-of cape sleeves* with sheer crinkle material that coordinates with the main fabric. The 3/8" hem that the sleeves call for would be a real bear to do with this material, so I thought I would try singeing the fabric to stop it from fraying instead, and then leaving the edge unhemmed.
I snipped off a small piece of the fabric, because it was from my stash and purchased long ago, long enough that I don't recall the fabric content. In order to determine whether or not this technique will work, I stood over the sink (for fire safety) and used a lighter to burn an edge of the fabric. If the fabric melted and beaded up, I'd be good to go; if it flared up and burned, I'd be hemming after all. Fortunately, it melted! (Here's a very useful list of how various fibers burn. Great for identifying fabric, especially if you shop vintage! https://www.fabricmartfabrics.com/Burn-Test-Chart.html.)
Having already cut out my sleeves, all I had to do was singe the edges that were not going to be sewn. Because this fabric has a crinkle texture, I wanted to be sure to hold the edge taut and flat in the candle flame to get the cleanest edge and to prevent flare-ups. Also, as the melted edge cooled, it left me with a lettuce-like edge that I really love and didn't anticipate.
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| Here you can see that the singed edge is darker from the melted, beaded edge and has become a little curly because I was stretching the crinkle out as it cooled. |
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| A finished sleeve. The top edge is where it will be sewn onto the blouse, and is not singed. You can see it doesn't have the same curly edge as the other 3 sides have. |
- ALWAYS, always, always test your fabric first. It doesn't take a big piece, but do it. Snip off a scrap and test it. Over the sink, please, just in case it catches fire. (That's also why you want a small piece; it will consume itself quickly if it does catch fire.)
- Petroleum-based fabrics give off toxic fumes when they burn. Polyester, the best material for this sort of thing, is petroleum-based. You shouldn't breathe the small amounts of smoke that it gives off. However, working outside makes it really hard to control candle flame, and potentially ruining your project. Work in a large room, with good ventilation. Don't work on large projects for long periods of time. If there's an exhaust fan available, use it.
- I find the best part of the flame is about the middle. Not above (the flame dances around plus heat rises and makes it too hard to control what I'm trying to singe), and not close to the wick (too hot and too close to the melted wax, that I do not want on my fabric)
- Practice on scraps. If you're not sure how it will work, even after you've determined that the fabric will melt and not flame up, practice your technique on scrap pieces of the same fabric. What works for me (see #3) might work differently for you, especially if you're using a different kind of candle (soy burns differently than beeswax burns differently than petroleum) than I do.
- Be prepared to make another one of whatever you're working on, in case air currents suddenly shift and there's now a big hole burned in that piece in your hand. It happens. Plan accordingly.
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* They're not fully cape sleeves, in that they don't connect as a cape over the shoulders, but they don't enclose the arm, either. I tried to find the proper term for what these are, and failed. Will investigate further when I have more time...
