6 Expert Tips for Sewing With Sheer Fabric

Tools and materials:

• Sheer fabric
• Seams Great seam and hem finisher
• Pattern weights
• Rotary cutter
• Thread
• Sewing machine

1. Tips for cutting sheer fabric

Because sheer fabric is so fragile, when you are cutting out a pattern, don’t use sewing pins and scissors. Instead, use weights to hold the pattern in place on the sheer fabric, and use a rotary cutter to cut out the pattern.

Did you know that when you cut with scissors, you’re actually lifting the fabric up as you go? That can make the fabric shift and warp. When you use a rotary cutter, your fabric remains flat at all times.

When you are cutting the corners in your sheer fabric, make sure that every thread on the fabric has been cut before you pull the cut piece away.

2. Tips for marking sheer fabric

Place fabric pieces right sides together and insert a sheet of tracing paper between the layers. Then use a tracing wheel to mark the fabric as necessary.

In this case, I am marking darts on my sheer fabric wrap top. If the markings aren’t clear enough, you can go over them, right on the fabric, with wax chalk.

3. Tips for sewing darts in sheer fabric

Here’s a sewing tip you may have never heard before. To sew the darts of my sheer wrap top, I used a one-thread dart technique. Remove the thread from your sewing machine and pull the tail of the bobbin thread out farther than usual. Use the bobbin thread to thread your machine needle backwards.

Start by inserting the bobbin thread into the sewing machine needle from left to right. 

Continue threading the sewing machine backwards, until you get to the tension disk.

Thread the tension disk in the usual direction.

Leave enough tail on the thread to allow you to sew one dart. Make sure to keep that tail out your way as your sewing, so it doesn’t get caught in the tension disk.

This is how it will look: the bottom and top threads are connected, because they are the same thread!

Now fold the dart, put it under the needle and start sewing the dart.

You will end up with a clean and bulk free dart that won’t unravel.

If you need to sew a second dart, remove the remaining thread from the needle on the sewing machine and rethread the bobbin thread as you did before.

4. Tips for needle choice with sheer fabric

Whether you are sewing darts or other seams on sheer fabric, to reduce pulling on the fabric, choose sewing machine needles that are smaller than you would usually use. 

5. Tips for sewing seams on sheer fabric

There is a product called “Seams Great” that is specifically for finishing seams and hems on any fabric. It’s a good choice for sheer fabric that could benefit from some extra reinforcement.

To use this product, simply place it along the seam on the top layer of your fabric, with the wrong side of the fabric facing out, and then sew your seam as you normally would.

Once you have used the Seams Great to reinforce your seams, trim off the excess product and then make French seams. Turn your fabric right-side out, fold the seam allowance to one side (rather than opening it) and now sew on the right side of the fabric along the edge of the seam.

Here’s what a nice, clean French seam looks like.

6. Tip for making roll hems on sheer fabric

Always refer to your sewing machine user manual for guidance on stitch length and recommended thread for making roll hems. When doing this on sheer fabric, use the Seams Great seam and hem finisher again.

You might find, on sheer fabric, that roll hems separate from the fabric. To avoid that problem, place Seams Great along the edge of the hem and then proceed to sew your roll hem.

This is how the finished roll hem with Seams Great looks. If you want, you can then trim off the excess Seams Great.

Tips for sewing with sheer fabric

Here is my finished wrap top, and with the help of all these tips for sewing with sheer fabric, it came out great and everything feels very secure. Please let me know how you liked this tutorial by leaving a comment.