How to sew sheer fabric using only the bobbin thread for stitching
In this tutorial, I am going to show you a very interesting and unusual sewing trick – how to sew sheer material using only a bobbin thread for stitching. I sew a lot with silk chiffon and organza fabric. And not only because it’s very beautiful, but it’s also very comfortable to wear in a hot climate, it’s breathable, lightweight, and soft.
Chiffon and organza are often used for evening and wedding gowns, but I like to use chiffon and organza for everyday wear too. I mostly make shrugs, blouses, and scarves from 100% silk chiffon.
Why shrugs? When you are over 50 the skin on your arms doesn’t look young anymore (unless you are a movie star and use Photoshop a lot) and wearing sleeveless or spaghetti strap dresses is often not an option if you care how you look, the sagging skin on the arms just doesn’t look nice.
So, I decided for myself that I will make a shrug for every sleeveless dress I made before. And I made shrugs from chiffon and organza fabric which is so lightweight that I don’t even feel I have some sleeves to cover my aging arms.
Note: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. This means I will receive a commission if you order a product through one of my links. I only recommend products I believe in and use myself.
But there are some difficulties working with sheer fabrics. I wrote an article on how to cut chiffon without problems. And now I want to show you some tricks I use to sew darts that look good in sheer fabric.
When you sew darts in a sheer fabric you can’t just backstitch to secure the seams, it doesn’t look nice. And if you make a knot at the point of dart you still can see some threads through the sheer fabric, not counting that you can probably feel the knot too through the thin fabric.
But there is some technique that makes darts look nice and eliminates the need for backstitching and knots. This technique is quite simple and at the same time, it fascinates me every time I use it. I don’t know really if there is a special term for this in English but I call it “one thread stitching”.
What is the technique? If I make the long story short, it is using a bobbin thread for threading the needle also. So, when you are sewing darts you are using only one thread from the bobbin to make a stitch. Let me show you how to do this.
1. Wind the bobbin using 100% silk thread (of course, the thread has to match the color of your fabric). Silk threads are just amazing! For sewing chiffon and organza you must use them. They are very thin but they are also very strong. Here is an affiliate link where you can buy 100% silk threads for your projects.
More silk thread from Amazon here
2. Thread the needle with the bobbin thread. It is a bit tricky because you have to thread it from the back to the front of the needle (exactly opposite to threading the needle the regular way).
3. Connect the bobbin thread you just inserted to the needle with the upper thread (which you still have on your sewing machine left from sewing previous projects, right?) using a knot.
4. Pull the upper thread so that the bobbin thread is going all the way to the spool pin and make sure that you have enough thread to sew the dart because you will be sewing only with the bobbin thread.
5. Now you are ready to begin sewing the dart.
Keep in mind that in this video below I didn’t sew a real dart, I just used a piece of sheer fabric to illustrate the tip. You have to be really careful at this step. You will have to sew the dart from its point to the side seam (which is the opposite you are used to, right?).
Position the fabric next to the needle and lower the needle to the point where you wish to start. Make sure that the needle actually goes into the fabric and you don’t have any excess thread in the needle so it doesn’t make a loop at the beginning of the dart. Lower the presser foot and start sewing gently guiding the fabric along the seam line letting the fabric feed naturally.
Check out this 5-minute video below with step-by-step instructions on sewing with the bobbin thread in the needle.
Silk fabric from Amazon here
Want to know other cool sewing tricks? Check out these sewing tutorials:
Final note: this “one thread sewing” technique is intended for sewing darts in sheer chiffon and organza fabrics. It can be used for any fabric, but the thick, opaque fabric does not require it since backstitches and knots are not easily visible. But the thin fabric is transparent and any mistake will be easily visible, also the fabric does not react well when removing stitches, often you can see the location of the old stitch, so it is important to do it right the first time.
This can be a challenge if you never used it before and it takes some time to master the technique, I suggest practicing on a scrap before sewing. How do they say: measure twice before cutting once; in this case, practice twice before stitching once! I have used this technique from time to time, but I still test it before each actual use.
Would you like to know more about silk fabric types? Check out my really useful guide “Most common silk fabric types (and tips on how to tell them apart)”.
Did you like this tutorial? If you want to save it for future reference and to use it later when you are ready to use this tip, pin this image to your sewing board on Pinterest and follow me on Pinterest for more tips, tutorials, and inspiration.
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Thanks so much for posting this.
Thank you! That’s so nice of you to say!
Please work on space travel, a balanced budget and world peace. It should be easy for you after doing this.
Ha-ha! Thank you! I am happy to solve some small problems.
Thank you so much ,you are a wonderful Teacher. Thank you for sharing your incredible sewing tips.
Thank you
Very good and nice to know these sewing tips.
Thank you! Happy to hear that!
This was fascinating to watch. I will be back. Didn’t sign up because of 2,200 emails currently.
Thank you.
Thank you, Victoria! Yeah, I agree, we subscribe to too many lists now. If you don’t want to be on my list just save one of the tutorials in favorites on your phone or computer – and you can come back any time. That’s what I do sometimes.
A first for me too, I will definitely try this technique!
Thank you so much.
Thank you for all the tips and what to buy for the sewing machine.
MIND BLOWN!! Thank YOU!!!
Thank you for your sweet comment!
I have been sewing for many years and never saw this technique. Thank you for sharing. The video was very helpful and well done. I can’t wait to try this out.
Thank you!
Absolutely amazing technique!! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! Did you try to do it?
I am a very experienced seamstress but this blew my mind, never seen this before and will definitely try it. Thanks for the super instructions!
Thank you for your sweet note, Erica! I know many other interesting sewing tricks I would like to share but it takes time to create tutorials. But I will try.
Fascinating! Will certainly be using this move!
What happens at the ends threads, are they knotted?
After you finish stitching you will have to secure the threads as usual – it will be two thread tails left in the end, secure them manually. Check the video of the article.
Thank you for sharing this tip. I always wondered how the thread was so or should I say “sew” well hidden. I tried it and it looked really nice. So glad I learned something new.
Thank you for your kind words!
What is the advantage of doing it this way?
When you sew darts and pintucks in sheer fabric you can’t just backstitch to secure the seams, it doesn’t look nice. And if you make a knot at the point of a dart or a pintuck you still can see some threads through the sheer fabric.
So, this technique makes darts look nice and eliminates the need for backstitching and knots when you work with see-through fabric.
I hope it helps!
Hi, I am trying to mend a sheer dress that has pulled apart at the darts. Do you have any special tricks for sewing sheers so that they won’t pull apart so easily? I plan on trying this method to work on the dress.
Thank you!
Catherine, the problem you have with your sheer dress is quite common. It happens usually when a garment is too tight. It’s better to make something from sheer fabric with as little seams and darts as possible. I heard that you can put a strip of sheer or clear stabilizer when sewing seams on sheers but I didn’t try it yet. When I sew chiffon I usually don’t use a complicated pattern, and I choose a design without many seams and darts. I also like to use ruffles and gathers with sheers. I hope it helps.
As for your dress that you try to mend it’s hard to give an advice without seeing the dress. I would go to Pinterest and look for a tutorial on mending clothes. Maybe you can find a useful advice there.
This a very awesome tip, thank you for sharing your detailed instructions for this technique.
Thank you! I am glad my instructions were useful!
This is an amazing. Haven’t tried it yet but I wish I new it years ago.
Thank you! To me, it’s more fascinating than it’s useful but I used it a couple of times though.
Thankyou for this tip.I am an experienced seam stress but I never seen this before.I will try it for sure.
Thank you very much for the sweet note! If you liked this tip I think you may be interested in the other one which is also quite unusual – here is the link https://youtu.be/-6XDlG4b6EU
I have been sewing for years and years and never have I heard of this. I am going to try it. Thank you for your tip.
Thank you for commenting! I am glad to hear that my tip about sewing sheer fabric was useful. We can’t know everything there is to know in sewing. I learn something new almost every day (from my sewing friends or from Pinterest).
Dear Olga,
I was wondering just the other day if I could make a chainstitch on a regular machine, and you have provided the answer!
Thank you very much!
This is amazing. I am wondering how you discovered this.
Thank you! Oh, I didn’t discover it myself for sure but I knew it for many years already, I don’t remember now how; I guess I read about it in one of the Russian sewing books (they are full of really unique sewing tips and techniques by the way). But I looked online now and I see that there are other articles about this technique also.
must admit i love russian crafting sites with online translation apps its opened up a whole new world.
I follow some of them too. You are right, with an online translation app it’s so easy especially if there is a video.
Olga,
I have to say that this tip just blew me away! I have been sewing over 50 years and cannot even begin to say how many wardrobes I have made for myself. There was a time when I had no outerwear that I had not made myself. All my outfits including suits, coats, and evening wear were made for me by me. My business associates would see me at a cocktail party and say, “you didn’t make that…” and I had. But in all that time I had never seen or heard of such a technique! Things like this are what make the internet of such value to many of us.
Absolutely amazing! And… I have a piece of fabric in mind right now that I’m going to use to try this! Thanks so much!
Patricia, thank you very much for your kind words! I am happy to be useful with my sewing tutorials. I make my clothes myself always also, mostly because I like to dress well and to have one of a kind pieces that fit perfectly. I know many sewing tricks but I never know which of them are quite common and which of them are unique. Maybe have a look at some of my other tutorials on the blog. Here is a link to one of them: https://www.ageberry.com/narrow-hem-tutorial/. Sewing is the best hobby ever, right?
Best sewing tip I’ve gotten in a long time! Thank you!
Thank you for kind words!
cannot wait to try this after i re watch the video. clever of you.
Thank you!
Hi Olga!
I really like the 30 minute dress. I will try this for a summer dress.
I will sew the shoulders instead using brooches, because I would be afraid of them opening, and me losing the dress! 🙂
I also enjoyed the video on how to make a fine seam on silk.
Thank you!
I am glad to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to drop me a sweet note!
I’m confused. Is there a spool of thread in the upper thread, the one I’m tieing the bobbin thread with? If so then aren’t I sewing with that as well? Thank you
No, the upper thread has to be removed. You need to tie it to the bobbin thread just to bring the bobbin thread up- otherwise, you just don’t know how to thread the machine. You sew only with the bobbin thread.
There is no audio with your videos.
Yeah, I will need to redo the videos, I made them when I just started my blog and I didn’t have any experience with videos. Now I make much better videos with sound and even publish them on YouTube. Did you see my latest videos? You can check them out at this link https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLblQM8e_J12QQCD6SDtM3sydpkXkOtN2d if you are interested.
The thread on my sheer curtains had been sun eaten away. Could I use this method on the hem?
No, I don’t think so, this method is good for darts mostly, for something that’s not too long. For sheer curtains you should use the other method, you can read all about it here: https://www.ageberry.com/narrow-hem-tutorial/
What do you do with the thread you pull to the top of machine. Is it just sitting there or is is wound around a bobbin? Thanks
I don’t wind it around a spool usually, it’s just sitting there because the length of it is quite short – just enough for a dart.
I have never sewn a piece of clothing and I doubt I ever will but your post caught my eye and I was mesmerized by it! How generous of you to take the time to share your sewing knowledge. I love learning new things and although I won’t use this for my quilting, I will gladly share it with friends. High five!!!
Thank you very much, Lynn! I am happy to hear this!
I’m fascinated by this technique! Thank you for your tips!
I have a simple suggestion for threading the needle from the back. I just remove the needle and insert the thread, in this case from the back. You do have to be careful not to twist the thread around the needle when inserting the needle back into the machine. My old eyes sometimes can’t see the needle eye to thread it and this works very well for me.
Thank you for the great tip, Jennifer! This is very useful indeed!
Can you tell me if you leave the tension set to zero?
No, I don’t. Set the tension to a regular number for the used thread and fabric.
Thank you for reminding me of this trick–I used it years ago & had totally forgotten it, since I am now doing sewing on sturdier fabrics for a couple toddlers!
Can you please recommend a sewing machine for a beginner/intermediate sewer under $400?
Yes. In my opinion the Janome Magnolia 7330 fits the bill here. I did not own this machine myself, I have other Janomes (including from the Magnolia family) and all have performed flawlessly. This one has excellent reviews (on Amazon it is not available, but when it was, it had 93% 4 and 5 stars). It is available on sewingmachinesplus, a site I used and I recommend, here is my affiliate link https://shrsl.com/27nko
If you want to go slightly higher (under $600) I can recommend the Juki F300 https://shrsl.com/27nll (again, affiliate link here) many of my quilter friends swear by Juki, they would never buy anything else.
Hi, This is an excellent tip, Thank you! I wish you would show what you do with the bobbin thread after you pull it up to the top of the machine when threading. Or can you explain it to me? Thank you.
After you pull the thread up, the machine is in effect threaded only with bobbin thread. You have to make sure you pull up enough bobbin thread for the seam length you plan. At the end of the seam there will still be a small length of bobbin thread left in the machine, you will of course pull it out and discard. Carefully, you don’t want to leave pieces of thread in the machine and remember you still have the knot that connects it to the regular thread, that knot might have a hard time coming out through the tension disk so you might need again to adjust the tension to zero to pull it out. Or unthread the machine in reverse, I have a quick video for this here .
Very interesting technique that I have never heard of before but what is the purpose of it? Why just shear fabric?
This is used mostly for chiffon or organza where the loose threads are very visible. The technique does not leave behind thread ends at the tip of the dart. Making a knot and cutting the thread would be visible when the fabric is transparent.
What an innovative technique! You are the best teacher, thanks for making my sewing better.
Thank you! Really glad it helps.
Brilliant brilliant brilliant is all I can think of saying after watching this! Thank you for your generosity in sharing.
Thank you! Glad it helps.
well is this ever neat!! ty so much i would have never thought of this !!!
Thank you; it is not my idea, but indeed it gives results for darts on sheer fabric.
Another piece of info to add to my ‘Jaw Dropping Techniques from Olga!’ You continue to amaze me! Thank you for your willingness to share!
Thank you Barbara. You are good for my ego!
I don’t understand WHY I would want to see this way.
When sewing very sheer fabric, any knot will be visible, also any thread ends will also be visible, even if hidden under a layer of fabric. The purpose of this is to avoid both the knots and the thread ends at the tip of the dart. Making the dart the classic way will leave at least a knot, assuming that you can trim the thread very close, but even that is not really good because the thread might slip and the knot might become undone. The trick is not used very often, very often, but in certain instances it is really necessary.
@Olga Balasa, I understood all of your directions, but I don’t know what you did with the green thread after it was tied to the pink and pulled upwards. Any way you can give details or provide a video of what happens to that thread after you pull it up but before you start stitching?
Thank you! I joined your group a few months ago, purchased two of your books and have really enjoyed getting back to sewing again!
Betty, I have a step-by-step video on YouTube at this link https://youtu.be/47l1z1EFpSk. The green bobbin thread becoming a regular needle thread – it’s threaded exactly as the pink thread was threaded – from spool pin to the needle through all thread guides on a sewing machine.
Very nice explanation and excellent video. Thank you for the useful information.
Thank you!
This is fascinating! I had no idea one thread sewing is possible. Thanks especially for the video- it’s so helpful!
Thank you; it is of course of limited utility, but for darts in visible places on chiffon, the technique is really useful.
Awesome tutorial and video! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you; the technique is of limited use, but when making darts on sheer fabric it really worked for me.
Well done, thanks!
Do you have or know where I can get the pattern?
What a brilliant idea to make sheer shrugs! I’m rapidly reaching a point where I won’t feel comfortable in my sleeveless and backless dresses and as I live in a hot climate a cardigan would get too hot. Thank you for teaching how to sew sheer materials too, that’s what brought me to this page.
Thank you. Since the link is not very obvious in the article here it is in clear: How To Make A Flutter Sleeve
I have been sewing for 60 years. Greatly appreciate your site with all the tips and suggestions. One is never too old to learn. Thank you🤩
Thank you Ann; we all learn all the time. I think I made a joke somewhere: when I was young, I knew everything. Then, the more I learned, the more I realized I do not know!
Very interesting,great tip
Most useful tip on Pintrest. Thanks
Thank you!
Thank you Olga, I will definitely use this technique! I find that it is easier to thread the needle from the back (or the front if you tend to have trouble with threading a needle) if you remove the needle, thread it and then replace it in the machine.
Thank you for the tip! I did not really have trouble threading the needle until recently …
Please I would like to follow by email.
What an interesting way if sewing sheer material ! I will try that but not sure I will need to use it often Thank you !
Wow, that is amazing. Thank you for posting. I have never used such fine material but am armed with your advice when needed.
I would have never thought of doing this. It works beautifully. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge 🤗
It has limited utility, so probably you will not use it often, but for darts on very sheer material it has the advantage that it does not leave thread tails to be seen.
We always called the technique “chain stitch sewing”, it is a great technique!
Thank you for taking the time to enlighten us right is trick, I will definitely have a go.
Thanks; limited usage, but for darts on sheer material, priceless!
Thank you so much!
I found your tutorial, very helpful, although I wish you had shown how much thread from the bobbin you pulled up to the top. Thank you for posting this.
Thank you so much for your instructions and tutorial for using one thread to sew sheer fabrics. I love your shrug. What pattern do you use? If you made the pattern yourself, would you be willing to share it. I would gladly pay for a copy.
Very interesting I will try this
Thank you
It has a limited utility, but for darts in sheer fabric it’s very good because it leaves no thread tails.