How to sew fake fur?

Faux fur invites itself into many locker rooms. Very fashionable, rather ethical and very warm, it is the favorite material of winter dressings. Jackets, vests with or without sleeves, ponchos, chapkas, sleeping bags, or even plaids in faux fur or sherpa are ultra comfortable and allow you to face the wind and falling temperatures.

Sewing faux fur or sherpa requires a few tricks that ikatee details here:

1- Cut pieces in fur fabrics

• cut in the direction of the hair (we lay the hair down) and cut all the pieces in the same direction

• cut the faux fur into a single layer ; it is therefore sometimes necessary to mirror (in symmetry) the pattern pieces that are marked "to be cut to the fold". In any case, do not cut on a double-folded fabric.

• place the pattern pieces on the fabric flat , the base of the fabric (weft or mesh) is visible, the hairs are therefore lying on the cutting table.
• pin with pins with colored heads to identify them well and avoid forgetting them in the fur
• trace the outlines of the pattern pieces with tailor's chalk or a textile pen on the back of the fur (the base of the fabric, weft or knit is visible)
• cut with fine-tipped scissors, parting the hairs, especially if the hairs are long.
• However, from experience, I prefer to shave the hairs on the edges at the level of the seam allowances (we cut the hairs flush on 0.7 to 1cm from the edge) or we can overlock the edges directly in order to make the edges easy to work with. , to be aligned and this does not interfere with the sewing or the correct placement of the hairs after sewing

• A good cleaning is essential at the end of the cutting and the preparation of the parts. We recommend the use of the vacuum cleaner even along the selvedges by adapting the intensity of the aspiration (low intensity).

2- Ironing and interlining of fur fabrics

• It is recommended not to iron fake furs which are mainly made of synthetic fibres. The material would be damaged in contact with iron.
• If you need to reinforce a part such as a facing or a button placket, for example, it is also recommended to sew by hand with a few holding stitches a thin interlining . Even if it can usually be heat-sealed, the interfacing cannot be heat-sealed on a faux fur without risking damaging the synthetic fur.

3- Sewing fur fabrics

• use universal size 90 or 100 needles or needles adapted to the type of material (leather for natural furs, jerseys for sherpa-type knit furs)

• place the base of the material (back of the faux fur) against the claws of the sewing machine; the hairs are therefore visible under the presser foot. If the hairs were at the level of the feed dogs, they would catch in the dogs and block the progress of the seam.
• it is normally necessary to use a machine with a good engine because the fake furs are more or less thick. A motor allowing a good drive is therefore preferable. A double drive foot can be useful as an option. If your material catches a little at the level of the claws, it is often sufficient to place a sheet of thin paper such as tissue paper between the claws and the material to facilitate the sewing and this paper is then easily torn off after sewing.
• straight stitch slightly elongated (minimum length 3 to 4) advancing slowly when sewing in view of the layers to be assembled
• with polyester thread
• NB: if you have overlocked along the edges (or have shaved the hair along the edges at the seam allowances), you will be able to see the edges more easily and therefore ensure a good assembly.
• for an assembly of 2 pieces right sides together, lay the hairs well towards the inside of the piece between the layers to prevent them from being caught in the seam.
• after sewing, straighten the hair caught in the seam using the tip of a needle all the way to prevent a free line of seam from being visible on the right side.

4- Buttonholes, buttons, closures in fur type fabrics

Several options: buttons/buttonholes , press studs to fix or sew or even special furrier staples.

• buttonholes : before embroidering the buttonhole, it is recommended to shave the area a little on a small surface (shave the hairs up to the weft/stitch with the tip of the embroidery scissors). Test a buttonhole on a separate piece of fabric (hair on the visible place). If you encounter some difficulties, place between the fabric and the presser foot a piece of tissue paper or a very thin piece of fabric such as batiste or organza, embroider your buttonhole and cut the thin fabric flush with the buttonhole or simply tear off the paper of silk.
• press studs: prefer press studs to anorak to be fixed (be careful to remember to insert a square of fabric on the back as a reinforcement which will be cut flush after the press studs have been applied) or even opt for press studs to be sewn by hand.

Good sewing

Regarding the sherpa / fur lined suede

1) Report the pattern

You have to transfer the pattern to the suede side (the pieces are symmetrical so everything is fine). This material does not require hemming or overcasting... You can leave the edges raw cut. Remove by hand the "stuffing" of the fleece that has been cut but after that no longer moves.

Buttonhole tip: the suede does not fray, cut a slit in the fabric and reinforce the 2 ends with a small back and forth bar tack.

Finally, save even more time...the seam allowances do not need to be cut (7mm of allowances will not have a significant impact on the model)

And now, it's over ! As I told you...it's super simple and super fast! And for the mittens, the tutorial can be found here .