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Sew & Tell –– April Favorites
Hi sewing and designing friends. Welcome to our monthly celebration of creativity! Each month, we get to showcase the incredible talent and unique designs of our subscribers. From stunning dresses to cozy sweaters, we’re always amazed by the skill and passion you pour into your handmade garments. I’ll be sharing some of my absolute favorite pieces that have been submitted this month. These creations not only reflect beautiful craftsmanship, but they also embody the spirit of our community. Let’s dive in and get inspired by these fabulous, one-of-a-kind garments!
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Sew & Tell –– March Favorites
Hi sewing and designing friends. Welcome to our monthly celebration of creativity! Each month, we get to showcase the incredible talent and unique designs of our subscribers. From stunning dresses to cozy sweaters, we’re always amazed by the skill and passion you pour into your handmade garments. I’ll be sharing some of my absolute favorite pieces that have been submitted this month. These creations not only reflect beautiful craftsmanship, but they also embody the spirit of our community. Let’s dive in and get inspired by these fabulous, one-of-a-kind garments!
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Sew & Tell — February Favorites
Hi sewing and designing friends. Welcome to our monthly celebration of creativity! Each month, we get to showcase the incredible talent and unique designs of our subscribers. From stunning dresses to cozy sweaters, we’re always amazed by the skill and passion you pour into your handmade garments. I’ll be sharing some of my absolute favorite pieces that have been submitted this month. These creations not only reflect beautiful craftsmanship, but they also embody the spirit of our community. Let’s dive in and get inspired by these fabulous, one-of-a-kind garments! Judith G. made this lovely Sherpa knit zip. It is not an easy fabric to work with. Sherpa can look lumpy and thick when sewn improperly, but she’s done the right thing with the fabric. Seams are smooth and even. The zipper is just right. Right color, right amount of space, and well-designed pull tabs. I love the under layer. Color and texture are perfect, and the quilting is straight from European ready-to-wear. Love it! Sally P. worked with a fleece zip in a completely different way. Classic, simple pattern but it pops with this plaid and works well without getting overly complicated. Her pattern matching is great! By cutting the sleeves and details on the bias, it makes the design more interesting and the fabric moves along the figure in a more flattering way. Workwear with pizzazz! Very nice job on the zippers, not easy to do. I like the tabs on the sleeves, such a fashionable and functional detail. Leslie B. made this classic blazer and shirt set that looks right out of European ready-to-wear. Fabulous combination of pattern and fabric! I love how she used the underside of the fabric for the undercollar. The tailoring on the blazer is impeccable and her matching of plaids is expert level. I love her detail at the cuffs as well. I love the tabs, they allow either full-length sleeve or rolled. The shirt in Japanese linen is perfect on its own. Another incredible example of matching pattern and fabric. It's a classic little shirt with so much style. She used the selvedges in just the right places. There’s design interest all the way around the figure. Truly well done!A big thank you to everyone who submitted their garments. I love to be inspired by what you are working on. Stay tuned for next month's favorites.Happy sewing!
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To Treat or Not to Treat? - Fabric Care Tips
For 90 out of 100 fabrics the care is the same: wash/dry gentle, or wash/hand wash and air dry. Almost all fabrics can be laundered, even silks and wools. I DO recommend testing a swatch before tossing the entire piece in the machine. Cut a 4-8” piece across the width of the fabric, then cut in 1/2 crosswise so you have 2 pieces. I toss these in with a load of laundry to wash on delicate. One piece I put in the dryer, the other I air-dry. Then compare and make my decision. Some of the garments I make, coats and jackets will never be laundered, but I do rely on hanging things outside to air them out - am doing that now as I transition from warm to cooler weather. A day in the fresh air and sun and a bit of pressing makes things good as newIn the rare event that a fabric should be dry cleaned we will mention that. However, I have not been to a dry cleaners in 20 years!True confessions - I often do nothing before cutting, no pre-treating at all as I find many fabrics are easier to work with straight off the bolt. My MO for caring for my handmade clothes is always the same. I have a top loader. (next machine will be a front loader as I think they are more gentle). Cold water, wash delicate, low spin, air dry. I NEVER put my handmade clothes in the dryer. In warm weather I hang things outside, in cooler weather I have a rod above the washer/dryer and hang things to dry. If something is stubborn about drying, I will pop it in the dryer for a short time.In getting feedback from customers who had ‘issues’, we have found that it depends on the kind of washing machine a person uses. The same guidelines can have different results in top loaders and front loaders, in older machines and newer machines. When I have gotten complaints from customers I try the same guideline on my machines and usually find there is no change in the fabric on my machine as on theirs.I also rely on common sense - if a person is smart enough to know how to sew, it seems reasonable that they are also able to decide about treating a piece of fabric.We also have customers who like to stress or beat up their fabrics before cutting and sewing because they want a distressed effect - and this is a trend in contemporary upscale RTW, reflected in the current fashion trends towards wrinkled and weathered looks.We do have a guideline for pre-treating fabrics on the website. Here is the link to Fabric Care on the website in case you've missed it.Happy sewing!
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A Kantha Coat
Stitching by hand brings me great joy. Whether I’m working on my ‘Potholder Project’, (currently on #79 of a goal of 100), embellishing a garment or repairing a tear, I love to pull out my basket of threads and a needle and start quietly stitching. So, when I find hand-stitched fabric, be it yardage, a quilt or a throw, the love affair begins. From a source in India we carefully chose a selection of vintage kantha quilts, composed of layers of recycled/re-used cotton saris, pieced, hand stitched (thousands of tiny stitches), then, in some cases over printed and/or over-dyed. The colors and designs indicate their age, history and the design sense of the maker - made by women for their families. Soft and supple, they feel delicious, the fine overall stitching is appealing to the touch and creates a subtle texture. The colors mix in surprisingly beautiful ways, some bright, some soft.One kantha from a recent collection called to me to use for a transitional coat. I modified my coat pattern, Butterick 6919 shown here. Design and Cutting Tips Use the basic shape of the coat, eliminating the curved seams. Match/overlay the seam lines, then pin or tape the curves on the front and back to make one back, one left front and one right front. Put all the complete pattern pieces out of the envelope and on the design table — this helps to facilitate the layout. Lay out all the pattern pieces on the quilt, moving them around to make best use of the quilt design. Make sure you have a left and right side for the two fronts and sleeves! Sewing Tips Side seams and sleeves are stitched on the machine to secure. ALL the other seams: facings, edges and hems are sewn by hand. I used the facings all the way around: back neck, front edges, lower hem and sleeve hem. Facings are placed wrong sides together and stitched together by hand. I kept the hand stitches simple: a double overcast stitch around all the edges. This is a simple overcast stitch but going in 2 directions which forms a V and nicely covers the raw edge. This means I go around all the edges twice, once in each direction. Patch pockets were collaged and hand-stitched with fabric scraps and then hand stitched to the coat front. Hand Stitching and Threads I use a variety of embroidery threads from DMC, Valdani and any other interesting yarns I can find. I usually use a #9 embroidery needle with an eye large enough to to accept whichever thread I am using. The thread and needle depend on which color thread I have on hand and want to use. (I lose and find so many needles that I often use whatever one is near.) Can’t wait to bring my kantha coat to Paris with me, keeping me chic and cozy as the temperatures drop along with the leaves.Happy sewing!
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Tips for Working with Corduroy
It is OK to toss corduroy in the washer dryer to prepare for cutting. DO test a swatch first, just in case, as all machines give different results. I cut/tear a 6-9” strip, then cut that in half along the cross grain. I put the pieces in with a load of laundry, then put one in the dryer and air dry the other to see which works best. After sewing, turn inside out, launder gentle and air dry, touch up press. Use a shapr/denim/microtex needle in a size that relates to the weight of the fabric. Adjust the stitch length to the weight of the fabric. Use a longer stitch for a heavier cord. Cut the garment with the nap going ‘down’, cutting all pieces in the same direction I do NOT recommend cutting with the nap going ‘up’, This technique has had its ‘moments’ in the ‘70’s, but does not work. I’ve tried it, not a good idea as the fabric with nap running ‘up’ is not comfortable to wear or to sit in - crushes the nap when sitting and grabs the upholstery. Corduroy and velvet can ‘creep’ as you sew; the 2 naps grab each other. Use a walking foot to sew seams, stitching in the direction of the nap to prevent creeping. Use pins every half inch or so. I place the pins on the seamline, parallel to the cut edge and positioned to pull out as I sew. Or, if a seam is still creeping, hand baste, using silk thread and a diagonal basting stitch plus using a walking foot. Raise the presser foot if the fabric is creeping, smoothing it out by holding taut crosswise to the stitching line. Press with care, testing on scraps before working on the garment. Some cords are easy. Others can crush with too much pressure. Place a fluffy terry cloth towel on the ironing board as a base. Press using steam and light pressure from the iron. Test the amount of pressure on scraps so you have the feeling for pressing on the garment. Use a pressing cloth. A scrap of velvet works well with corduroy. Use a clapper after steam pressing to keep things flat without crushing. Do not pound, simply place the clapper in place while the area cools down. Topstitching can work on corduroy. Test for the best stitch length, and stitch with the direction of the nap using a walking foot. Serge the seams to help eliminate raveling and contain the small dots of fabric that fall off in cutting. Press as you sew. After stitching a seam, press flat as sewn, then press open. Test a swatch if you want to try a fusible interfacing to see if it crushes the pile. Consider using a plain fabric for facings. On a jacket or coat, consider lining the sleeves and making a half back lining with a smooth lining fabric.
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Opt for a Checkered Future
An updated version of the classic ’boyfriend’ shirt, B6995 is fluid with a hint of romance. A double-wide front placket with offset buttons and buttonholes, softly pointed front sides and a longer back enhance this quintessential style.Classic, cool, and on-trend, a cotton gingham check shirt is always a good warm weather wardrobe idea. Even better than one gingham check is when you can find a similar gingham check in a different scale or color. The base fabrics do not need to be identical but should be similar in weight. Designed for a light/mid/shirting weight woven fabric it works in weights from hanky linen to flannels depending on the desired drape. Pockets are included in the pattern and are optional. On the pattern envelope the white version is hanky linen and has no pockets to avoid show through. The sleeveless blue version is a linen/cotton blend with pockets.You will notice in the photo that the wrong side of the fabric is visible from the longer back side. If this is bothersome visually, choose a solid color, a yarn-dyed plaid, a check or stripe, a light jacquard or a printed fabric without a lot of contrast between the front and back sides.Note that the buttonholes are sewn off-set in the right front placket before the placket is stitched to the front and enclosed in the collar. The center front of the placket, lines up with the center front of the shirt, providing overlap for the buttons. The stitching line that holds the placket in place is offset on the right front and serves as a balance to the buttons, especially if stitched in a contrast color.Fabric used: Mimi Japanese Cotton Seersucker for the main body, Right Bank Check for the contrast. French buttons stitched with red thread.Originally the tunic was cut and stitched together in only the Mimi small checked seersucker. When I put it on the dress form to view I realized that a contrast check in the placket would make it more fun. By seeing a bit of the larger contrast check with the smaller it became clear that this was the way to go.One cuff and the placket were carefully unstitched (using my favorite seam ripper). A new placket and new cuff were cut from the contrast check, stitched together and added. With red stitches in the buttons the shirt became just right. A few embroidery stitches may be added as well… Changes I made to B6995: Cut the placket and one cuff out of the contrasting fabric. Cut the back center panel on the bias. Balanced the collar to be the same width on both sides so it ends at the center front (not enclosing the placket as noted in the directions). Added a simplified facing to both sides of the front. One inch finished width with a light interfacing. Stitched the shirt together (except for the placket and the hem, which is done at the very end). Finished the placket. After the long edge of the placket is stitched, pressed and turned right side out, slip-stitch the top and bottom edges closed). After buttonholes are added, stitched placket to the right front. Center of placket lines up with the center front which is where the two fronts butt together. For my next version I’m going to eliminate the buttons and placket, straighten the center front at the lower edge, add seam allowances to make it a seam — with a simple facing leaving room for my head — and have a tunic/dress. B6995 is a shirt/tunic that can be designed and re-designed endlessly. This gingham check version is the first of many iterations that I can imagine.Happy sewing!
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