Bridesmaid Dress #2: Spaghetti Strap Tutorial

Straps like Spaghetti, not Linguini

Have you ever seen ready to wear with spaghetti straps which lie flat, have no body and cheapen the dress?  Well isn’t one of the benefits of sewing that you can include garment characteristics or small details which give a piece of clothing the look you want.  So I say “thumbs down” to flimsy spaghetti straps.

As I was making the spaghetti straps for Angela’s dress, I learned a few things worthy of sharing with you.  Here’s a brief tutorial on how to make beautiful, 3-D spaghetti straps that are worthy of the dress they secure.

1.  Cut 4 pieces of 1-1/4″ by 22″  fabric on the bias.  For even edges, use a ruler and rotary cutter.

2.  Cut 2 pieces of 1-1/4″ by 22″ underlining, also on the bias.

3.  Layer 3 pieces of fabric for each strap – fabric on the top and bottom and underlining between the two pieces.  Silk organza works very well.

4.  To keep the 3 layers in place, sew down the middle of the 3 layers using a long stitch (so it’s easy to remove later).

5.  Fold the fabric lengthwise and stitch exactly 5/16″ from the right edge, trying to be as steady as possible.  So you say, why be so exact?  Well, 1/2″ is a tad wide and 3/8″ makes it really tough to turn the strap.

6.  Turn the tube.  I like to use the long crochet hook type turner.

7.  Clip away any bulk to make it easier to pull through the tube.

8.  Ta dah!   What a nice full spaghetti strap – not all flat and ugly.  Work the tube back and forth to smooth it.  Resist the urge to touch an iron to this beauty.

9.  Make the second one.  If you’re as lucky like me, you’ll end up with one strap wider than the other.  Grrrrh.

Q.  Was I really as careful with 5/16″ width?

A.  Yes, I was

Q.  Then what happened?

A.  I think I sewed from opposite directions and as with most fabric, one stretched more than the other.

Q.  How did this get resolved?

A.  I took the low road and just made a third one.  My basic math says it would match one of the two original straps;  and it did.  But I failed to take a photo.

Next time maybe these will appear on the dress.  More later……