Satin is beautiful and shiny and drapey—which makes it a great option for a variety of costumes, from princesses to vampires.
It is also a pain to work with, so get ready to tame this gorgeous beast.
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Pre-washing
When you buy your fabric, make sure to take a picture of the care instructions from the label on the bolt. This information will tell you if you can wash you satin—or if t is dry-clean only.
If you have the okay to wash your fabric, hand wash it or machine wash it in cold water. You can air dry it or use the low heat of your dryer.
Because satin frays A LOT, you may want to zig zag or serge the edges of the fabric before placing it in the washer.
Cutting
When cutting satin, you will face two demons: Slippage and fraying.
What makes satin fun also makes it a pain to work with: Its smooth surface makes cutting on the fold a challenge. Much like with velvet, you should cut all pattern pieces in one layer. Using a rotary cutter can also minimize slippage.
There will be fraying. I highly recommend that you zigzag or serge all raw edges before you start sewing your seams.
Marking and Pinning
If you are the kind of sewist who cuts though fabric to mark your notches, don’t. As I mentioned a billion times already, satin frays A LOT. Use a marking pencil to transfer notches.
If there are darts or pleats, make sure to use silk pins to avoid holes or snags.The extra fine and sharp point helps them slide into the fabric without damaging it, and their extra length allows you to use fewer pins with less slippage.
Because satin is so slippery, don’t hold off on pins. You may also use basting tape—aka Wonder Tape. This is a double-side adhesive tape that keeps the fabric joined and reduces slippage as you sew your seam. The tape dissolves when you wash your garment. Make sure to try it on a scrap of fabric before using it on your fabric pieces.
Needle Choice
A Sharp/Microtex needle is a great choice when working with satin. 60/8 or 70/10 universal ones will also do the job. If you are working with heavier material, your universal 80/12 will do.
If you happen to be working with stretch satin, you will need a jersey/ballpoint or stretch needle. Let the weight of the fabric determine your choice.
Sewing
When sewing satin, reduce the thread tension to avoid the pulling and puckers. Use a scrap of fabric and play around with the tension until your seams look smooth and flat. If you have a walking foot, this is a good occasion to use it.
Remember the tissue paper you use to avoid vinyl fabric from sticking to the needle plate? You can use it here to help stabilize your slippery fabric. Place it under the fabric, or sandwich it between two sheets of tissue paper. Once you are done, just pull the paper, and it will tear off.
Pressing and Ironing
Satin also does not like heat. A hot iron will scorch it. Test the temperature on a scrap of fabric on a very low setting. To press the seams, use a low setting or a pressing cloth. I have an organza pressing cloth that works really well.
Once you find the right temp, turn your garment inside out and iron it. You can also steam your satin garment, but make sure that your steamer is not in direct contact with your fabric.
How Will You Use Satin?
Satin does not have to be exclusive to Halloween. If you were around in the 90s, I bet you remember the slip dress craze—from Courtney Love to Kate Moss, everybody was wearing it. You can use your new satin superpowers to sew your own goth version of the slip dress (and Mood has a free pattern waiting for you!).
Whatever you choose to do with satin, be ready to feel like the badass princess that you are. Just be careful fighting dragons as satin does not like heat 🙂
