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[b]Advantage ... the Ultimate: You order type of fabric which suits your purpose ... from a selection of thousands.
The Fused versus Traditional
Collar. a] Style: A properly fused collar is always 'flat'. A traditional collar is, no matter how accomplished the ironer, always a bit 'wavy'. There are those who like to think that the 'wavy' appearance is more traditional. They are entirely correct. A cobblestone street is also more traditional than an asphalt one. Upon which would you rather drive for eight hours? In the arena of styling, therefore, neither fused or traditional methods are 'better'. Preference here is strictly in the eye of the wearer. In my case, I lean towards fused for my dress shirts and traditional for casual or sport shirts. b] Construction: Without boring you with hours of technical details, the fused collar is much, much more difficult to properly construct than a traditional one. However, it is easier to improperly construct a fused collar than a traditional one. The reasons for these seeming contradictions are many; understanding can be accomplished only by in-person observation. c] A poorly constructed traditional collar will always remain exactly as poorly constructed as it was in the first place. d] A poorly constructed fused collar will get worse continuously throughout its life. A few of the major pitfalls include continuous shrinkage, debonding between the shell fabric and interlining resulting in bubbles in the shell fabric, and debonding of multiple inner layers of interlining resulting in non-removable ridges. e] The majority of fused collars were, during the 1980's and 1990's, poorly constructed. Though the percentage of more appropriately fused collars seems to be on the increase, there is no way other than reputation to judge fusing quality prior to multiple launderings. f] To
the skilled maker, there are a myriad of additional styling options and
wonderful construction features available only through the use of a fused
collar. The Fusing Process I have been asked to describe the fusing process. Fusing is a process involving the use of high temperature (approximately 155 degrees Centigrade) and high pressure (approximately 35 pounds per square inch) which causes the shell fabric (cotton shirting) to adhere to the interlining. The adhesion is provided by a polyamide adhesive. Polyamide adhesive is a type of plastic. In the actual process the cut collar shaped cloth, interlining, and its coating of adhesive are sandwiched together. They are then heated to the specified temperature. When the specified temperature is achieved, the high pressure is applied uniformly to the three part sandwich for a short period of time which varies from 12 to 18 seconds. The pressure is then removed and the sandwich allowed to cool. The resulting collar exterior is now flat and somewhat "hard". It then returns to the normal shirtmaking processes, is made into a collar, and attached to the shirt as any traditional construction might dictate. The polyamide bond is permanent as long as it is not again heated above 150 degrees Centigrade. In the vast majority of commercial operations, this fusing process is accomplished in a fusing machine which contains a heat tunnel through which passes a conveyor belt. The sandwich is placed on the conveyor belt, proceeds through the heat tunnel, and is then run in-between two high pressure rollers. It then continues out the far side of the machine while cooling. The problem with this process is that plastic or a plastic bond, if in motion while cooling, becomes weak. A conveyor belt, due to the nature of its operation, is not a flat path but instead a series of waves caused by the underlying rollers. Thus, when the collar is cooling as it moves out of the tunnel, it is not only in forward motion but also undergoing the bending motion provided by the wave characteristics of the belt's rollers. My determination (back in 1982 as previously detailed) was that I needed a machine which would keep the collar/polyamide/interlining sandwich stationery during the cooling process. If you look carefully at the machine, you will see a large aluminum plate suspended from springs. This is the heat surface. The collar sandwich is inserted on a flat metal plate underneath the heat surface where it is then allowed to achieve the necessary temperature. At that time, the 12 ton hydraulic jack you see at the top forces the heat plate down onto the collar sandwich. After the required dwell time, the heating surface raises off of the now fused collar. The metal plate is then withdrawn and its contents allowed to rest motionless until they return to room temperature. Hence, the collar remains perfectly stationary on a stable surface while the bond is drying. This results in the strongest possible bond. Theory is wonderful; product testing reality. Prior to releasing any of the fused collars to my clients, I tested the machine and the resulting products for a period of 18 months. I have one of the original collars I fused back in 1984 on a pink broadcloth shirt. It has been laundered more than 250 times, which is completely unprovable, and I keep it here for all who might be interested in seeing it. The collar began at exactly 16.5 inches in size and is now 16.25 inches in size. More to come. Thanks for reading. Sewing a Collar I received the following question from a member who is hesitant to post:
This is an extremely difficult question to answer without showing ... but I'll give it a quick shot. Step One: Sew the three pieces of the collar leaf (2 shell cloth and 1 interlining) together on the three sides which do not join to the collarband. Step two: Trim all excess cloth and interlining away from the point areas leaving 1/16" of each remaining outside the stitch. Trim back from the point about 3/8". Step Three: Using your fingernails after years of practice or an iron in the interim, crease and fold the seam allowance 180°. Press as flat as possible. Step Four: This is the hard to write part. Place your thumb over the folded under seam allowance so that your thumbnail is right on the point and pushing into it on one of the short sides. Place your index finger in the same position, at the same corner, on the long side. Grasp the uppermost layer of the shell cloth and turn the shell cloth over the other two pieces (1 shell cloth, 1 interlining) in the same manner in which you would right an inside-out pillowcase. Do not, under any circumstances, release the pressure of your thumb and index finger on the seam allowance. Step Five: With your free hand, begin to work a bone folder or other small pointed object down into the corner until you can feel it under the thumb and index finger. A ground-round small screwdriver is fine if you haven't a bone folder. Once you feel the folder point has reached your thumbnail, you may release pressure. Step Six: Using a gentle but firm circular motion, move the bone folder 'round and 'round in the corner, pushing to and fro until the point begins to take shape. You can pinch the point with your free fingernails or your teeth all of which, in combination with the folder, is meant to push the point out from the inside as much as possible (until all interior stitches are at the seam edge) without pushing the folder through the cloth and making a hole. Step Seven: Repeat for the other point. Step Eight: Using your free hand to guide the shaping, pull the undercloth sufficiently while ironing to cause the seam edge to be ever-so-slightly to the underside. Press flat. Step Nine: Topstitch the three showing sides. Step Ten: Run a staystitch along the non-showing side to keep the three layers taut while performing the next process, attaching the collar band.
It
has been pointed out to me (thanks Luis) that I never said that all seam
allowances on professional shirts are always 1/4". Copyright © 2005 Alexander S. Kabbaz. All rights reserved.
http://www.CustomShirt1.com
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As
I've watched over the years, there has been thread after thread on
the 
