Working With Linen

[Doggy Darb]

I was hoping to begin making a linen suit sometime this fall/winter. Does anyone have any advice on working with linen, particularly in the lapel/collar area? I have not worked with linen for a suit jacket before, but I am aware that this will not be as easy as wool or cotton. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Spatterdash]

While not specific to suit construction and higher end tailoring, this link has good info on ironing, types of seams for linen, setting creases, etc.

http://www.denverfabrics.com/pages/static/linen/linen-fabrics-fabric-care.htm

 

[Lauren]

I just used hair canvas for the collar and mine turned out great. Be careful when laundering linen- the fibers tend to break down. I washed mine, then let it hang dry overnight before I cut into it, I just wanted some of the shrink gone, but I'll dry clean it when it needs laundering. Find a heavier linen for a suit- I've sewn with lighter weights for blouses and dresses and they ravel and loose their body quite quickly when handled. The link Splatterdash gave is very good advice, actually! I'd never seen that before and it would have saved me a lot of trial and error in the past lol
I think that possibly padstitching would show up more on linen than wool because of it's nature? Not sure how you'd go about making invisible padstitching. I didn't actually use any in mine.

 

[Doggy Darb]

Linen

That is an excellent link. I am glad that it was provided for those that may follow this thread later, but I was hoping for more advanced advice. I have worked with linen in the past, so I know the basic troubles. Interfacing is very important, but I have not used it with linen. Additionally, I am aware of the use of horse hair, but I have never dissected a linen garment to observe its use in construction. Would you be able to offer me more information on the use of horse hair or camel hair? I would like to avoid overwhelming the linen and losing the light, soft appearance the cloth has by making it overly stiff in the lapel and collar area. Are there special considerations that I must make? Also, does anyone know of a reasonable outlet for good quality Irish linen?

 

[Lauren]

I admit to being a novice tailor- I learned it at work last year. I don't believe there are many tailors on this board, unfortunately.
Here's some pics I took of the inside of my husband's linen suits I just posted the other day. Maybe they can be of more help? I would love to see pictures of your work
http://thefedoralounge.com/showpost.php?p=827016&postcount=8

I've gotten supplies mostly in the Los Angeles garment district. B Black and Sons also sells online, maybe you can contact them? They have good quality materials and much more in their store than they have online.
http://www.bblackandsons.com/

For interfacing I've had the best luck with wool/goat hair hymo, which I also bought from them. They carry a variety of weights.

 

[Doggy Darb]

I regard my work as crude, amateur at best. Savile Row will never have a place for my home spinning. If this project goes well enough, I will post pictures. Otherwise, I will refrain from attaching my name to my work in such a public way.

The images of the jacket are quite useful. Do you have any pictures that show the full jacket? The construction appears to be good.