How to Handle Denim

Denim is popular all over the world. Jeans made of denim are worn by millions of people. The term denim is derived from the French “serge de Nimes”, a twilled fabric made in Nimes. France. It was used as “sail” cloth for ships crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

Traditional denim is 100% cotton with indigo blue warp (lengthwise) yarns and white weft (crosswise)yarns. This color combination usually is made with a left-handed twill construction creating the familiar diagonal lines. The twill weave helps create the strength and durability of the fabric.

Many denim fabrics are 50% cotton, 50% Polyester or other fiber combinations. Cotton / Lycra blends offer 14-17 percent stretch for a comfortable fit on close- fitting garments. The cotton / Polyester blends give the best of both fibers  strong wear and comfort, plus limited shrinkage and wrinkling.

Denim comes in a variety of weights. It ranges from the traditional 12 oz. and 14 oz. per yard denims used to make jeans and jackets, to a lightweight 6 oz. version that is soft, drapes well and can be fashioned into skirts and blouses.

The nature of traditional 100% cotton denim is to shrink after washing, fade after wearing and stretch as it gets older. Preshrink denim before sewing to prevent additional shrinkage. Preshrinking removes sizing and other chemical residues that can cause skipped stitches, and it reduces crocking, which is the rubbing off of surface dye onto other fabrics or skin. Sanforized® treatment assures that shrinkage will not exceed 1% in either the lengthwise or crosswise direction. Before washing, serge or zigzag the cut edges of the denim to prevent them from raveling.

Select suitable interfacing to stabilize, shape or add body to garment sections. Always test the interfacing on scraps of fabric before using it on garment pieces. Areas to be interfaced include waistbands, pocket flaps, buttonhole areas, collars and cuffs. Use the stability in the lengthwise direction of the interfacing for waistbands and buttonhole areas. If the denim is firm and stable, it may be necessary to interface only the buttonhole area.

Denim garments usually are not lined. However, a lining may be used to provide comfort, preserve shape, or provide a neat inside appearance. To eliminate bulk in facings pockets and yokes, cut the facing from lining fabric instead of denim.

Handle denim as you would any other firmly woven fabric. For heavy-woven denims use a larger sewing machine needle and a longer stitch length (10 stitches per inch) For lighter-weight denims use a smaller needle size 11 or 14 (70 or 80), and 12 stitches per inch. Adjust the pressure foot pressure so the fabric feeds evenly. Test the sewing machine stitching on a double thickness of fabric before starting to sew.