Working with Burlap/Jute

Burlap is the fabric I associated with my childhood, especially with holidays in the country where my Grandpa had his cottage. He kept farm animals and grew crops. Summer was the time of harvest and so I had a chance to watch him work in the field. Why am I mentioning that? It’s because back then I would never have thought that one day this ghastly fabric that all sacks were made of would land on my cutting table next to all the coutils, silks, satins and brocades. I remember it as rough and itchy fabric in the colour of dirt. Yet here I am writing this article on how to handle burlap (or jute as some might want to call it) and make something beautiful out of it. I got inspired by my favourite designer of all time-Alexander McQueen, whose burlap dress just stole my heart. As devoted fan I wanted to honour his work and so my adventure began. I hope it will last.

I decided to make a new project especially for this article and report all stages of my work. Unfortunately while working on my first ‘Secret Garden’ corset I took very few photos - mostly because it was a ‘night’ project I worked on after my day job and all the commissions I had then.

Before you start

Burlap/jute is not hard to find online. I found mine with no problems and the cost was really low. Probably if it were more expensive I would have thought twice before purchasing it. I don’t suppose it will be available in fabric stores (I haven’t found any Polish fabric shop selling it, yet maybe it’s possible to find it in some DIY stores or gardening centres). Along with the burlap, you need fusible net. You might also use other fusible interfacing, but bear in mind that burlap has a very loose weave and the interfacing will show. Another ‘must-have’ is, of course, coutil – we are making a corset after all. The rest will be quite simple; a busk (optional), steel bones, some binding and twill tape. As the project involves ribbon embroidery it is good to get satin ribbon of your chosen colours. Make sure you buy different widths – it will add to the 3D effect of the finished product. If you’re planning on embroidering some branches you can also prepare some twist.

There is one more thing you need and will regret forgetting if you don't get it: an adhesive lint roller - one of the greatest inventions of our times and the one that will definitely come in handy. I will tell you why a bit later on...

Why not dye it?

Initially I used natural burlap. It comes in nice beige colours (shades may differ). It is lovely as it is, but I wouldn’t be myself if I hadn’t tried dyeing it. As it is a natural fabric I assumed it would dye nicely. However, as it is not originally white, the dyed colour might not be as vivid as in case of white coutil. First I tried to dye it purple, and the effect did not meet my expectations. It turned out really dark and looked dirty so I decided to use black dye next time. It was risky, as black is the hardest colour to achieve and maintain while producing it at home. When the time came I followed the instructions on the package and proceeded with my dyeing. To make sure that the colour would be even I cut the fabric into strips - each around the width of the pattern piece, plus a huge allowance. This way the fabric did not crease and the dye could spread. Make sure that you make the pieces much larger than your pattern pieces as, due to loose weave, the fabric will fray. Yes, fray it will. As burlap is a natural fabric I could boil it while dyeing and later, when it dried, I could iron thoroughly all the creases that appeared. The first stage was completed.

Work step by step

When I had all my burlap pieces ready to work on and my corset pattern at hand, I proceeded to the next stage – fusing. I used a fusible net which is perfect for two reasons; firstly it’s attached to paper, and secondly it’s transparent. Apart from that it works great when it comes to stiffening materials with loose weave before sewing. In my first project – My Secret Garden - which was made of natural jute, I ironed the net on, waited for it to cool down and removed the paper. Then I used soft pencil for marking the outlines. Here I would like to point out that this method requires a lot of precision and - most of all - patience. Burlap itself isn’t smooth. When you add the net marking the outlines, it is like driving your car on uneven paving; a lot of shaking and hard to keep your hands still.

As I mentioned before, for this article I decided to make a new project. This gave me the opportunity to use another technique. First I outlined the pattern pieces on the net (paper side up), and this time I also used a clever idea of joining three pencils to make even seam allowances (I must have seen it somewhere and will appreciate it if you remind me whose idea it is!). Then I cut out the pieces and fused to the fabric. This way I did not have to worry about the quality of lines or them being invisible after a while. We all know that sewing dark fabrics can be tricky if the line washes off.

After trimming the jute around I kept the paper in place and used clips to secure two pieces together for sewing. Before you use the clips it’s good to ‘find’ the lines with a pin. Yet pinning the pieces does not work as due to the stiffness of the paper the pieces move and you end up with about 1mm difference for each piece. Thus using clips although might be more problematic works better in the end. Make sure you stitch at least twice and use short stitch lengths. This way not only will you secure two pieces together, but you will also pierce the paper in such a way that it will be easy later on to remove it without damaging the seams.

After all the pieces are stitched together, make sure to mark the seam allowance on the last piece by simply stitching it the same way you did with the rest of the corset. When removing paper remember to leave this last scrap as reference point for later on. It will also keep the line straight. Don’t throw away the paper strips as they will prove useful in a moment.

NOTE - when you are planning on inserting a busk, then do the same at the front. Paper will keep the front straight and ready for attaching the lining.

The pieces are stitched together, paper is removed and it’s time to give the shell of the corset some shape. Before ironing it’s good to clip delicate notches to enable the seam allowances to open. Be careful not to cut too deeply as it may cause the fabric to fray and not only will it show, but it can also damage the corset.

No matter how curvy you decide your corset to be – use tailor’s ham for ironing. This way you will form the burlap while ironing the seam allowances open. Remember to use the paper scraps you removed to prevent your iron from catching the net. Iron delicately using only the tip of your iron. This stage requires patience and precision. After you have finished, let the corset cool for a moment.

Have I forgotten something?

Of course I have. Earlier in the article I mentioned adhesive roller as one of the ‘must-haves’. At this stage of work you will already know why. Burlap frays like crazy, but not only that, it leaves threads and fibers all around your workplace. When cutting out the pieces you probably noticed that burlap leaves dust-like itchy bits that should be removed right away, otherwise you will end up scratching your body – especially if it stays on your clothes. When I first cut out burlap I remembered exactly why harvesting at my Grandpa’s was such a nuisance, staying in contact with jute makes your body itch, that is why good broom or vacuum cleaner and an adhesive roll are necessary. If you don’t want to find this itchy dust on your following projects you should also secure your ironing board with some kind-of cover and clean it after each ironing.

Embroidery

I am definitely not an expert on embroidery of any kind. I know some basics of cross-embroidery and have vague knowledge of other types. Before I started the burlap project I had carried out an experiment to find out if it’s possible to embroider it at all. I assumed that as it looks similar to the cross-embroidery canvas I should just take a piece and start my work. I was wrong. The loose weave makes all the threads clump together when you try to stitch. This is how I came up with the idea of stabilizing it with adhesive net. Why not other type of fusible interfacing? Well, the first thing is that it would definitely show. Fusibles come mostly in black and white. I sometimes see grey. With natural jute either of these colours was out of the questions. What is more I wanted to make sure that ribbon would go through the fabric smoothly.

I am not going to describe the whole process of embroidering. I think a lot has been written and said about it by experts (for example Lisha Vidler's series, part 1 and part 2), and I learned from them. One thing I can say for sure is that there is no other technique as rewarding and lovely as this one. I learnt the basics of how to make a rose and simple petals which can also serve as leaves. The rest was just improvisation. With the first project I outlined the branches. Later I just worked looking at the corset from a distance from time to time to see where I needed more decoration. With the second project I just kept in mind how I wanted the roses to be arranged and chose the colours and sizes of them in the process.

What about the lining?

You need to use the lining to make boning channels as the shell will be too delicate, and it is good to start with lining, as this way you will not risk it being covered with ‘burlap-dust’. The number of bones and technique is up to you, yet there is one thing you shouldn’t do - don’t press the seams open to apply boning channels in the centre. Using separate boning channels stitched on the seam will prevent you from attaching the shell of the corset to the lining. You may double bone each seam or just press the allowances to one side and top stitch. I also recommend wide seam allowances, especially for the back lacing.

One more thing - remember that this is the time for the waist tape. If you want the corset to be extra sturdy you may want to use two layers of coutil for the lining. I haven’t tried that as I don’t consider heavily-decorated corsets suitable for daily waist training. I haven’t trued flat-lining the burlap to the coutil as well, due to it being embroidered. Yet I think this method would also make the corset extra sturdy. When I finally try this method I will be sure to let everybody know the effects.

Finishing touches

With your shell decorated and lining ready, there is nothing else to wait for... it’s time to bring the corset to life! If you’ve planned to use a busk, remember to mark the loop side correctly. Don’t remove the paper yet. Baste the shell and lining together and stitch as usual. Then remove paper and press the seam open. Insert the busk as you usually do. After that you can do the same with the back. Now it’s the hardest part - as it’s necessary to join the shell and the lining to prevent creasing, you need to align the stitch lines.

Basting comes in handy once again. When you have finished basting the layers together, just stitch in the ditch on the outside of the corset. Make sure you don’t sew over the flowers, as that part will remain floating. When finished, use your iron once again to ‘glue’ the two layers together. Don’t iron the flowers, though, as it will destroy this 3D effect you’ve achieved. When this is done you are ready to prepare bones and finish the corset with binding. I do not recommend really narrow binding. We used wide seam allowances to prevent fraying and the same goes with binding. You can decorate the top or bottom (or both) with decorative lace or keep it simple, it’s all up to you. When inserting the grommets use some ‘fray-stop’ to prevent the threads from showing. You may want to add a modesty panel as I did with my first burlap corset. All additions and decorations are entirely your choice. Do not limit yourself.

Final comments/plans for the future

Working with burlap is definitely different from working with other fabrics. I would put it in the same ‘box’ with lack/pvc, mesh and leather as it requires some different techniques to transform into a wearable piece of garment. As long as you separate it from your skin (so that it does not irritate it) it can serve as beautiful and unusual addition. I think there are endless possibilities to burlap. Recently I’ve even made a notebook cover using this technique and it also worked.

With my next project I will definitely try bleaching burlap and maybe this time I will try different kind of embroidery. I also think mixing jute with other fabrics would work. Making a matching neck corset is in my mind all the time just waiting for a spare minute to become real.