Taunton's Threads - For people who love to sew
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From the pages of Threads Magazine The Scalloped Hem Make hemlines the center of attention with this delightful couture finish
I want to explore with you some of the options for successfully adding scallops to a garment and also help you with the logistics of calculating size, marking, facing, and stitching scallops. But first, let's talk about fabric choices. Fabric considerations Scallops are most effective worked in fabrics that will curve smoothly along well-defined edges and clearly show the apex of two scallops, or angle where they meet. Firmly woven natural-fiber fabrics like cotton, linen, wool crepe, silk shantung, and silk dupioni are excellent choices. Wool crepe and dupioni were paired for the skirt at left. Loosely woven fabrics and those with loft like thicker satins, moires, jacquards, and piques may produce less effective results. Because scallops require a lot of meticulous clipping, manipulating, and pressing (more about that later), always test your fabric before cutting out to be sure it will cooperate. The results will be better and the sewing much easier.
Begin planning a scalloped edge by making a muslin of the garment and roughly sketching an approximation of the scallops on it (no serious measuring yet). Because there's a lot of drawing, adjusting, and redrawing the scallops at this stage, a muslin is the perfect laboratory for experimentation. (You can also work with the pattern itself for this step, but copy it onto pattern paper so you have a full front and back to work with.) As you plan the scallops on the muslin, keep their overall size in proportion to the garment -- not too small or too large nor too shallow or too deep. If they're too shallow, they might look like an uneven edge. If they're too deep, they might look like flaps. Because each garment is different, this experimentation on the muslin is a trial-and-error process. In terms of the number of scallops on an edge, I think an odd number -- five scallops across the front of a skirt hem, for example -- usually produces a more visually pleasing design than an even number. Using an odd number places the deepest part of the scallop's curve, instead of its apex, at the center of the skirt, which is also more visually pleasing. When scallops are placed along the hemline of a skirt, the bottom of the curve is technically the longest part of the skirt. However, the skirt will often appear shorter because of the areas of the scallops that are cut away. This may not matter in the slightest, but it's worth noting and considering when designing a scalloped garment. After I draw on, pin, manipulate, and cut the muslin -- doing whatever it takes to plan the scallops -- I study it from a distance and look at it in a mirror. Sometimes I even leave it alone for a day or so and check my reaction when I see it again to be sure I'm pleased with the proportions and placement of the scallops. When I'm satisfied, I move on to more precise drawing. Get out the ruler Here comes the math part! But don't run away; calculating scallops is not that complicated if you follow these tips.
A template is the easiest and most accurate way to transfer the scallops to your fabric (I'll tell you more about marking in a moment). It's possible to transfer the scallop markings directly from the muslin or tissue-paper pattern, but using a template is so much easier. Old manila folders make great templates because they're sturdy, easy to cut, and can be pieced together to accommodate any length. Use a tracing wheel to transfer the scallops to the folder. You don't need tracing paper because the spikes of the wheel will perforate the folder's heavy paper. Cut out carefully along the perforations. The cut edge is the stitching line, and you don't need to add a seam allowance on the template. Freezer paper also works well for making templates. You can iron the freezer paper directly onto the wrong side of your fabric using a cool temperature; then use the cut edge as your stitching guide with no further marking. What about facings? Scalloped edges can be bound, but the binding will crease at the apex of the scallop. And narrowly hemming scallops is difficult, to say the least. So the best way to clean-finish a scalloped edge (short of clean-cutting a fabric that doesn't fray) is to use a facing -- either a partial facing or a full facing, which serves the dual purpose of a lining. For a partial facing, make a pattern using your template as a guide. The depth of the facing should be enough to clear the apex by at least 1 in., but not so wide that it droops. Be sure to mark a grainline on this pattern that corresponds with the grainline on your garment pattern, because if the two are not cut on the same grain, the scalloped edge could pull and be difficult to press.
Full facings are the best finishing solution in many cases because they eliminate the need for hemming a partial facing and hand-stitching that in place. Lightweight fabrics can be self-faced or a compatible, lightweight facing can be used when the fashion fabric is heavy. Be sure to align all edges perfectly when sewing a full facing to the garment so that the facing/ lining doesn't bag. When you've determined the type of facing to use, transfer the scalloped stitching-line markings to the wrong side of the facing or to the wrong side of the garment. You don't need to mark both. I think it's a little easier to mark the garment, but if you mark the facing, it will lessen the possibility of the marks showing through to the garment's right side. Use tracing paper and a tracing wheel to mark, carefully guiding the wheel against the edge of the manila template. Sewing, pressing, and clipping When the marking is complete, carefully align the garment and facing, right sides together, and sew along the scalloped stitching line. If you're using a freezer-paper template ironed to the garment's wrong side, just align the facing and sew along the cut edge of the paper (the paper tears away when you're done). Use a small stitch length (about 2mm), which is especially important if your fabric is loosely woven. Small stitches are also the key to forming a sharp, well-defined angle at each apex. And they help stabilize the fabric once the scallops are clipped and turned. After stitching, trim away the excess fabric to a 1/4- to 3/8-in. seam allowance.
After pressing, start clipping the seam allowances of a scallop at its apex, cutting carefully and as deeply as possible). If you don't clip right up to the stitching line, the scallop will never lie flat once turned but will always pucker at the apex. Clip the seam allowances of the curves generously. They'll be encased and protected from abrasion and strain and are unlikely to weaken. If the scallops are in a particularly prominent place, such as a neckline, you might want to clip each layer of the seam allowance separately, staggering the placement of the clips. Press the scallops again from the right side, favoring the seamline so it rolls just to the inside of the garment.
It's impossible to understitch the scallops by machine, but understitching by hand can be done carefully using a tiny backstitch to join the seam allowance to the facing. Be careful not to catch the fashion fabric. Topstitching can also be used to help define the edge of the scallops, but carefully hand-baste the layers together first to prevent distortion or shifting as you stitch. If you need to tack the facing to the garment, stitch as carefully and invisibly as possible using a tiny catchstitch that's hidden between the facing and fashion fabric so that there's no visible thread to snag. The catchstitch also evenly distributes the facing's weight against the garment.
It's time to put some scallops on your sewing menu. I think you'll find them fun to sew and just as fun to wear.
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