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Stabilizing Knits
Even really good sewers are afraid of knits. They're afraid of the knit stretching and not being able to control it. Right from the get-go, you want to build in some stabilizing. In this video, I show you how to add fusible tricot to shoulder seams. It will keep your neckline from stretching while you work. Use a lightweight tear-away stabilizer like Totally Stable on the underside of the dart to keep the narrow fold of the dart smooth and the stitches even. This will prevent stretching and keep the end of the dart from being sucked down into the needle hole. You can change the stitch length to small stitches for the last 1/2 inch at the tip of the dart to secure the threads without the need to tie them off. I work on a tailor's ham a lot. I press the dart flat to blend in the stitches. Then you want to press your darts, going up. It will give a more youthful appearance, as you wear it. Remember that you want to make your darts as invisible as possible; all but disappearing when you wear your garment. Sewing with the interfacing on top will keep your fabric from stretching, buckling, and puckering as you sew. Threading your pins through before you begin will help to hold your pieces in place. After stitching, press each of the shoulder seams flat and then open, toward the back, to further set the seams. You can use any width double needle. I prefer the 4.0mm #12/80 size. You can wind wooly nylon in the bobbin, and use black for dark colors, and beige for light. The wooly nylon in the bobbin keeps the knit from stretching in most cases. BUT…if you see your fabric stretching, use stay stitching and as you sew, apply pressure to the back of the presser foot, using one finger and an even tension. The potential for knit sleeves growing as you work with them is very real. But little sticky dots along with fusible web (pressed in the stable vs. stretchy direction) for the entire length of the sleeve can help you avoid this problem.
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Sewing & Pressing Tips for Velvet
Sewing Velvet Mark with tailor’s tacks.Use embroidery thread—it doesn’t pull out easily. Take one stitch only through both layers of the fabric, leaving ¾” tails. Then gently separate the layers and clip the threads to mark both sides cleanly. This traditional method keeps markings visible without bruising the pile.Or, mark with a dressmaker’s pencil.Make a small dot at each marking. To deepen the color and help it last, lick the pencil tip lightly before marking. This simple trick adds contrast on plush or dark fabrics.Prevent shifting as you sew.The biggest challenge with velvet is keeping the layers from moving. The best solution is to use a walking foot in combination with a temporary spray adhesive such as 505 Spray.Apply adhesive correctly.Cover your work surface with paper, and carefully mask off the seam allowance with strips of paper. Spray a light, even coat of adhesive within the seam allowance only. Then align the edges, right sides together, and stitch as usual.A couture secret revealed.It’s a little-known secret of couture houses that seamstresses have relied on similar spray adhesives for years to stabilize velvet and other delicate fabrics. The result: smooth seams, aligned pile, and professional finish—fast, effective, and beautifully precise. Pressing Velvet Keep a light hand.Velvet demands delicacy—press, don’t press down. Let the heat and steam do the work rather than pressure from the iron.Use plenty of steam.Generous steam helps relax the pile and set seams without crushing the fabric’s surface. Hover the iron just above the velvet.Finish with a clapper.After steaming, lightly press with a clapper to lock the shape in place as the fabric cools. It sets the seam beautifully while preserving that soft, dimensional sheen velvet is known for. Happy Sewing!
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Core Wardrobe Outfit Contest Winner
Congratulations Eve Kovacs, the winner of a $200 gift card in Marcy's Core Wardrobe Outfit Contest.
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Core Wardobe Contest
As we wrap up our Core Wardrobe series, we hope that our ideas have inspired new ideas for you. To celebrate, I am excited to bring you an opportunity to showcase your sewing talents for a chance to earn a $200 gift card. It’s time to Sew & Tell! We’re celebrating the finale of our Core Wardrobe series with an Outfit Contest—your chance to showcase the creativity and craftsmanship that make our community shine. Photograph an outfit made by you from your Core Wardrobe (minimum of 3 pieces), and email your photos to outfit@marcytilton.com.Prizes are simple: $100 for Marcy’s favorite outfit, and $200 if it’s made with Marcy Tilton fabrics. Enter as many outfits as you like, and remember that photography counts.Here are some hints to help you win. Photograph your outfit on you, a friend, a model, a dress form, or hung/flat—all on a plain background. Keep it simple and clear so that your sewing skills shine!Entries are due by October 24. I will announce the winner from Paris on November 1 and feature the winning outfit on my blog.
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Core Wardrobe — Fall 2025
Creating and developing a core wardrobe is a concept I've been exploring for what feels like forever. I incorporate it into my own closet and used to teach it in my classes. A core wardrobe can be built from scratch or grown organically, by adding new pieces to what’s already in your closet. While my personal wardrobe’s core color is black, it could just as easily be navy, brown, green, or a blend of seasonal hues, like the ones shown here.For fun, this fall Katherine and I put together a core wardrobe from scratch. This project was inspired by a magical moment while we were out in the ArtBarn on a Sunday afternoon playing with fabrics from our marcytilton.com collection. We started by tossing fabrics on the table to see what colors, textures, and patterns work together. A back-and-forth process led to realizing that what blends together is more important than perfect matching. Take a look - we designed these garments to inspire our wonderful creative community to run with the idea and develop a core wardrobe (or a few pieces) that will work with your lifestyle, your own taste, personal coloring, what already exists in your wardrobe, and your fabric stash. It took about a month to make the garments. Katherine and I each made a few pieces and our friend Jean stitched up the rest. This core wardrobe is the result. 11 pieces in all: Coat, Jacket, Vest, Shirt, Cardigan, Hoodie, T-shirt, Dress, 3 pants. Pockets in almost everything - the next version of a t-shirt will have pockets, and we are already planning future garments to work with this core! With a Paris trip on the horizon, we were inspired by travel, but the concept can work from country casual to city chic. Coat that goes over everything: The coat is the key piece that ties things together and easily layers over everything else, while blending the other colors and patterns. It can serve as a neutral, a solid, or feature a pattern or print. Consider how the length, neckline, and sleeves will nest together with the other garments. We used Butterick 6919 in Fir and Moss, a smooth, double-sided rainwear fabric that stands on its own while blending with other pieces. The fabric's smooth surface allows the coat to glide easily over other garments, and it resists wrinkles. Plus, it folds up flat, making it perfect for travel or everyday wear. The coat design features curved seams that can be sewn to the outside with raw edges or stitched right sides together. We tested sewing the seams to the outside, but the result was not right - stitching right sides together, then serging the edges worked beautifully. Jacket that layers under the coat, over the vest, and cardigan:We used V1817 in Double Dot Jacquard Taffeta. I search for and love this kind of fabric. It could be silk, nylon, or polyester like this: thin and smooth yet with enough crispness and structure to work as a jacket. It crushes, yet wrinkles fall out, and other fabrics will slide over/under easily. I swapped out the collar from another pattern, V9230, cut on the bias so it lies softly and can be worn up or down. We eliminated the horizontal seams and used the reverse side of the fabric for the side panels and sleeve facings. Vest that fits under (or over) the coat and jacket:Cozy yet lightweight, the vest is V1817 made in Dusk Garden, a soft and supple Japanese micro-wale corduroy. Here too, I eliminated the horizontal seams. The small collar nests perfectly with the jacket and coat. Love how this soft floral print blends with the other colors and patterns in the jacket, coat, cardigan, and pants. Knit Top/s, T-Shirt or Shell: could be knit or woven with your best neckline, body shaping, and sleeve length, and will nest under the vest/jacket/coat:V9027 is Marcy’s go-to basic T-shirt, made in Bronze Green—one of our fabulous Dutch cotton knits—accented with Greenway Stripe USA Knit. I’ve made several variations of the pattern, experimenting with different necklines, silhouettes, hem lengths, and sleeves, which makes cutting and sewing quick and easy. However, I always fit as I sew, since each knit hangs differently; I pay close attention to adjusting the neck shape and shoulder width for the best fit. Using a stripe for the neckband and facing adds a touch of contrast, and I love collecting stripes specifically for this purpose. Having about a yard on hand gives just the right amount to experiment with. When cutting strips for the neck binding, I rely on my heavy metal ruler—2" by 48"—to ensure precise, straight cuts. Pants:Slimline pant Katherine and I each made a slim-lined pant in stretch denim. Katherine used B6668 in Vida Blue Stretch Denim Marcy used V8859 in Ebony Mist Stretch Denim, adding front double welt pockets. Soft pant in a silhouette and length that flatters your figureMarcy used V1959 in Frisco Fog Stretch Corduroy, using a striped lining fabric from her stash for the pocket facings. As wider-leg pants become a popular trend, I’ve been exploring ways to adapt the length, width, and shaping into softer, fuller silhouettes. For fall, I cut this pair slightly longer than my warm-weather versions and adjusted the width along the side seams for a look that is right with the corduroy. Cardigan that goes over the t-shirts and under the jacket or vestV1959 in Etched Moss Knit worked like a charm - it is soft and cozy, feels delicious! Do bookmark this pattern as an ideal layering piece. The only thing I would change is to lengthen it by 2-4”. Using a fabric where both sides show is a must. Since this knit does not ravel, we simply turned under the edges ⅝” and topstitched in place to finish off the front edges and hem. Shirt/Shirt Jacket: Your version of a button-up shirt that works with the t-shirts and tops --- ideal if the vest slips over. Ranges from a classic shirt, to jean jacket, to Miyake big shirts.Katherine loves and wears shirts almost every day. For this version, she used B6689 in Taj Indian Cotton, cutting on both the straight grain and bias to highlight the seam details. She further emphasized the design with hand stitching, giving it a personalized and polished touch. Skirt or Dress in a shape and length that works on your figure, in your life, and goes with any/some of the other pieces.We opted for a dress, a favorite, B6784 in Cadet Navy Danish French Cotton, an ideal fabric for this sculptural style. It’s incredibly comfortable, cozy, and flattering. Katherine added delicate hand stitching in olive green along the seams to highlight the design details. Interestingly, this dress looks best layered under the coat, as the lines of the vest, jacket, and cardigan don’t quite align perfectly on their own. Hoodie: a modern garment that is part jacket, part cardigan, and can be kicked back or dressed up, fitted or slouchy, buttoned or zippered. I love a hoodie for everyday, for travel, as a casual extra layer.Shown here made in V9244 using Blue Angel Dutch cotton French terry, which has a super soft brushed back side. Perfect with jeans, the vibrant print adds a splash of color and casual note to the core wardrobe. In no special order, here are some ways the pieces combine and layer together.
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Sew & Tell — Summer 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! Deborah TurklesonI purchased a vintage Kantha throw from Marcy Tilton in August 2024 and finally got the courage to cut into it, making a reversible jacket. I used gold silk dupioni scraps for the binding and the welt pocket.Pamela CondeI absolutely love my new dress made with Marcy Tilton's Grant Avenue Dutch cotton knit. It drapes beautifully, creating an elegant look in Style Arc’s Toni Dress pattern. This has become the most comfortable dress I've ever made, and the stunning print adds a perfect touch of style.Janice Cittasubha SheppardThis is the A Little Something Jacket from CNT Patterns, crafted in your beautiful Black Hills Linen Blend Jacquard Woven.Perri KimonoJacket: Pendleton 1949 Women’s Jacket Pattern, featuring elegant Stockwell ceramic buttonsFabric: Rich teal Japanese wide-wale stretch cotton corduroyDetails: Seam bound and facings finished with a stylish poly stripe fabric from Marcy Jessica ArgyleThese are a simple style from Style Arc called Annie's Cami, in two variants—both made from fabrics purchased at your online shop. My friend Rosalind, a well-published writer, and I share a studio in the same building. The first cami is made from a linen fabric from a year or two ago, and the second features a stunning, large-print ikat cotton from last year.Helen Williams Vogue V9057Made with Vogue V9057, this garment truly highlights the beauty of the print. The figure of the woman in the fabric resembles me and my sisters, so my mom personalized it by naming three of us on the garment. Every time she wears it, it consistently gets oohs and ahs—and 🔥—from her young granddaughters.Phyllis CarlyleThis garment features three different fabrics from marcytilton.com and draws lots of inspiration from the Tilton sisters’ design principles—embracing asymmetry, mixing stripes with other patterns, and using striped fabric for bindings. I used pattern-making software to replicate a top I saw online, which was a fun challenge involving multiple layers and precise adjustments to align the diagonal pieces just right. Debra OliverThis dress combines Mariah Dots Crinkle Knit with stash black bamboo knit for the sleeves. It’s a patchwork creation, blending several patterns I adapted long ago—so long ago that I honestly don’t remember their origins. At this point, I consider it an original design. Since I’ve never worked with this type of knit before, it feels Oh so comfy—almost like a nightgown! I also experimented with zipper placement, inspired by ready-to-wear garments, adding a neat touch of detail.Thank you to all of you who submitted. Happy sewing and stay tuned for next months favorites!
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