[April Henry]

I received an e-mail from someone inquiring about the fusible interfacing pieces so I’m going to cut and paste the question and my reply in case any one else has the same question in the future.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>Hi April,

>I am in the midst of sewing the oliver + s SWINGSET TUNIC & SKIRT.

>Thanks for your pictorial blog, but I still cannot understand “Assemble the

>front bodice” on page 2 of the instructions.

>

>Step 1 says: Fuse a 1 1/4″ strip of interfacing to the wrong side of the

>back bodice pieces where indicated on the pattern piece.

>I cannot observe any indications on the pattern piece that I have.

>

>Please help me so that I can get on with my project.

>

>Can you give me advice about the method I should use to line the ruffle?

>Their instructions do not include a lining. Should I sew the ruffle and then

>the ruffle lining separately, and then attach both of them to the bodice?

>Would that make it too bulky? I am using a beautiful 100% cotton fabric

>(can’t recall the name of the designer) that I purchased at a great shop in

>Boothbay Harbor, Maine, where we vacationed recently.

>

>I thought that I was a pretty good seamstress. I made my daughter’s wedding

>dress from a very complicated Vogue pattern. Maybe since I’ve been spending

>most of my time quilting, I have lost the “touch.”

>

>Thank you very much!

>

>Barbara

[April Henry]

Here was my reply:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I can’t recall if the pattern has that marking or not, but I’ve noticed that sometimes, the shading can be so light that even I have missed it.

Basically, you will cut a strip of interfacing that is 1 1/4″ wide, but fuse it “just inside” the seamline. I’ll attach a photograph.

A lining is not required for the ruffle portion of the garment, but if you wanted to line it for a sturdier drape, I would just duplicate your pieces for the front and back ruffle (2 of outer fabric and 2 of lining) and baste the two pieces together inside the seam line – then treating both the front and back ruffle as each one piece for the remaining construction of the garment. (Ruffling the outer fabric and lining pieces together because they are now basted as one piece.)

Happy to help!

Your Stitchery Friend,

April

[tonyadel]

April – Thank you for this information. I have a question about the kind of interfacing. I never know what kind of fusible interfacing to buy, and it seems like there are an overwhelming number of choices. What weight of interfacing to you think is best for this application?

Thank you,

Tonya

[tonyadel]

Never mind. I just saw in the notions that it says light weight fusible interfacing. I don’t know how I missed it.

[April Henry]

Last Christmas (day after Thanksgiving sale) I bought several bolts of the really thin, lightweight fusible interfacing at JoAnn’s. It is what I use all the time and works great!