Innholdsfortegnelse for #193 - October-November 2017 i Threads Magazine

What designer do you admire most and why? RUTH CABBLE (“Copy a Beloved Garment,” p. 54) says, “I admire Bill Blass the most. His sister was my neighbor. Every time she received a box of samples from Bill, I was absorbed looking at the fabric, the design, and the construction. I wanted all of my clothes to look as great as those designer garments. His designs were simply classic.” Ruth, who taught home economics to high school students for 34 years, started sewing at age 6. She was sewing most of her clothes by the time she reached eighth grade. “To this day, I sew every garment I own,” she says. “Tailoring is my true love. All my suits and coats have bound buttonholes.” MARY FUNT (“Sculpt a Versatile Shoulder…

When you can wear a dress that is perfectly proper but you still make heads turn, it’s a good night out. The vintage gown at left features black sequined embellishments encrusted on a sheer net foundation. It’s almost entirely transparent, but the dress is likely to have been worn over some type of slip or other foundation garment for modesty. This sheer effect has been a popular look on fashion runways and on red carpets in recent seasons. If you want to try it but aren’t ready to bare all, consider some of the options on the next page. Some thoughtful material choices and construction techniques make a dress that looks more daring than it is. Reveal or conceal your legs On this gown, the skirt is made of gathered…

LOOK FOR THESE ICONS ON THE PATTERN REVIEWS Includes sizes 24 and up Fast and easy Challenging techniques Petite options For knits Downloadable pattern Decades of Style: 1950s Alicia Claire Blouse 5009 (DecadesOfStyle.com) This pullover blouse has an asymmetrical neckline, shawl collar with a single button closure, three-quarter set-in sleeves, and tulip petal cuffs. It is shaped with bust darts, front and back waist darts, back shoulder darts, and elbow darts. Our tester recommends being careful to place the left and right front pattern pieces correctly on the fabric. Additionally, he suggests understitching the collar; setting the sleeve cap first, then closing the underarm and side seams and, finally, completing the armscye seam. The sewing instructions, illustrations, and match points are accurate. Our staff seamstress notes that some of the…

The Chanel suit, with its matching skirt and softly constructed jacket, has been a fashion ideal since Coco Chanel (1883–1971) introduced it during World War I. A beautifully fitted jacket that moved with the wearer was critical to Chanel. Her jacket’s high, tight armholes and slim sleeves were the keys to the legendary fit and comfort. She was known to reset sleeves multiple times to get the exact fit and look she wanted. The jacket’s classic construction technique employs a silk lining that was machine-quilted to a loosely woven tweed or bouclé, with no provision for additional shoulder shaping. Most women aren’t built like models, and many would like extra shaping in the shoulder area. Shoulder pads can add width to balance larger hips, compensate for uneven shoulder heights, or…

This season’s trends offer relaxed feminine suits, romantic floral skirts, full-legged trousers, chunky oversized sweaters, and elegant evening gowns often in silver metallics. Designers played with matching or coordinated ensembles for every day of the week and time of day: workdays, evenings, and even—in a modified form—weekends. The expectation appeared to be that no matter where you are going—to the office, out for dinner and drinks, to the library, to run errands, to the school play—you’ll want to look pulled together. Comfort is essential in these contemporary looks. Top designers focused on styles of cozy yet polished and on sophisticated layered ensembles. These styles intend to provide a cocoon of comfort and luxury. Colors evoked by influential cities The color forecasters at the Pantone Color Institute assembled two fashion color…

There are a number of ways the addition of a seam allowance can save or enhance a garment. If, for example, you’ve inadvertently cut a garment section intended to be placed on the fold as two separate pieces—minus seam allowances—you can save the garment by “creating” a seam allowance. I have a clever method for doing this. (Hint: The lining saves the day.) I’ll show you a version for straight seams and another for curved seams. I’ve used the same technique to enlarge a too-small garment, and to connect garment fabrics that are too thick to seam together. If your fabric is narrow, and you’re barely able to fit a pattern piece on it, try this approach. It also works well for reversible fabrics, as it produces an attractive finish…

Adress can be alluring when it hints at nudity, but it’s more modest and comfortable to wear when the transparency is only an illusion. This gown—undated but timeless—could hold its own on any red carpet or in a glamorous setting today with a skin-toned slip or underlining. Learn tricks for constructing a dress that shows a little “skin,” while precluding wardrobe malfunctions, on p. 22.…

INSPIRING VIEW I just finished reading the article “Inside a Well-Made Jacket” by Daryl Lancaster in Threads #192, Aug./Sept. 2017. I have always enjoyed making tailored jackets. They are the projects I use to challenge myself and keep in practice with various tailoring techniques involved in the construction process. I have not made a jacket for a few years, but I have a pattern I mean to use. Reading the article motivates me to get started on my next jacket. Happily, that means a trip to my favorite fabric store. Thank you for the article. —Dorothy Field, via email EMBROIDERY KNOWLEDGE I was pleased to see India Hayford’s article, “Simple Stitches, Complex Designs” about Yemenite embroidery in Threads #186, Aug./Sept. 2016. I appreciate her sharing knowledge and illustrations of this…

TECHNIQUES • COMMUNITY • PROJECTS • SEWING NEWS • CONTESTS & MORE Celebrate and Win with Threads September is National Sewing Month, and Threads has a fabulous sewing prize package to give away, as well as special online content all month. Just visit ThreadsMagazine.com during September to sign up for the giveaway. You’ll also find a new sewing project each week during September on our blog. Download a Custom Shoulder Pad Pattern The correct shoulder pads add the perfect touch of structure to a garment. In this issue, author Mary Funt details how she constructs designer-inspired shoulder pads, shaping them from layers of cotton batting. Visit our website to download the PDF pattern for her shoulder pads at ThreadsMagazine.com/CustomShoulderPad. Soon you will be sewing your own and achieving a great…

Casual, contemporary attire should be effortless: It should move gracefully during wear and express your personal aesthetic. Garments with a soft, drapey hand and thoughtfully selected prints, patterns, and colors fit the bill perfectly. Yet sewers who appreciate fine fabrics often have a stash of silks, rayon wovens, and refined cottons and linens that sit unused, waiting for a special occasion. Consider combining bits and pieces of these textiles into a one-of-a-kind top or easy jacket. It’s a great way to add style and interest to a wardrobe of everyday separates—and it’s a smart and creative stash buster. When joining these fabrics, you don’t want your sewing methods to work against the materials’ inherent suppleness. To avoid stiff or unstable seams and edges, I’ve adapted some traditional quilting techniques that…

Every sewer has a go-to outfit in the closet that fits beautifully and always looks great. When your favorite garment shows too much wear, don’t send it to the thrift store. Turn it into a perfectly fitting pattern. I have a smart method for accurately copying a garment. This minimizes the need to alter patterns to achieve an ideal fit. The sample I’m using is a vintage dress, but the process can be used for almost any garment. It is a fabulous way to re-create favorite pants that are almost threadbare. You don’t need special talents. Just take good graphs, make thorough marks, and record careful notes before deconstructing the cherished garment to make a pattern. Follow my method, and you’ll photo-have a new favorite pattern and the directions to…

Years ago, I fell in love with a pricey designer sweater jacket. It had a distinctive fluted front and a chunky knit collar. I decided to figure out how to make a version of it out of woven fabric. I’ll share how I modified a pattern to make the front “flow” between buttons. Start the process with a close-fitting jacket design. Look for a pattern that has a center-front opening and shoulder princess seams. I’ll guide you through the process of making left and right asymmetrical front patterns and how to shape a new neckline for this eye-catching jacket. Modify the left front The left front extends past the center to the body’s right side. It provides a foundation for buttons to secure the right front. Its curved edge is…

How to whiten yellowed linen Q I have a white linen blouse that’s been hanging in the closet for a few seasons, and now it has a yellowed stain on one shoulder. What’s the best way to remove this stain? I’ve heard that chlorine bleach is a no-no on linen. —Hannah Venema, Amsterdam, New York A Textile expert Julianne Bramson, who wrote about linen in Threads #186 (Aug./Sept. 2016) suggests the following: Without knowing the source of the stain, it’s difficult to specify how to remove it. However, I’ve researched treatments for whitening linen in general, and there are a few options to try on linen and other plant-based textiles. Start with a natural brightening treatment: lemon juice. Wet the stained area, squeeze some lemon juice on the stain, and…

The Threads staff, plus special guest Kenneth D. King, on June 30, 2017: (back row, left to right) Sarah McFarland, Katie Strano, and Hayley Joyal; (second row, from left) Renee Jordan, Carol J. Fresia, and Jeannine Clegg; (front row, from left) Kenneth, Aimee N. Seaver, and Norma Bucko. The Threads team has been developing a tradition. For the past few years, we’ve made an annual day trip to New York City, about two hours from our Connecticut o≤ces, to see the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute exhibition. It began in 2014 with Charles James: Beyond Fashion. We returned in 2016 to view Manus X Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology. This year, we gathered at the Met to see Rei Kawakubo and the Art of the In-Between. It…

Hemp sounds earthy and ancient, and it is. It may be the earliest plant to have been cultivated as a textile fiber, possibly as far back as 10,000 years ago. The plant was a crucial source of fiber, oil, and food for centuries. It contributed to the economies of Asian, European, and North American nations into the 18th century. Beginning in the 1930s, hemp production was prohibited in the United States when all cannabis cultivation was made illegal. In recent decades, some growth and importation laws have been relaxed, so hemp fabric is relatively easy to find now. I encourage you to try sewing with this versatile and distinctive fiber. Andrea Schewe is a Simplicity pattern designer and expert on costume construction. AndreaScheweDesign.com HEMP SOURCES Fabrics shown are courtesy of:…

I’ve always been a doodler, and I’ve been making my own patterned textiles for as long as I can remember. So it was only a matter of time before I wanted to make my doodles into custom prints on fabric. I’ve used all sorts of media to do so, from hand embroidery to paints, dyes, and custom fabric printing. You can do the same, making one-of-a-kind, specific patterned textiles that fully express your garment-artistic flair. You’ll see in my garments that I’ve doodled in different ways: For the tunic on p. 27, I used fabric with motifs scattered all over the garment. On the other tops, the motifs are placed to emphasize a design feature (p. 29) or to ance an overall silhouette (at right). There bal-are no rules for…

Excess fabric in the armhole is a frequent fitting complaint, especially for sewers who make full-bust adjustments. A poorly fitting armhole can throw off the overall look of a garment. Surplus fabric can cause the bust or upper chest area to be rumpled or cause the lower armhole to gape. This is a problem especially in a sleeveless top. Pinning a dart from the armhole improves the fit. From there, you can easily rotate an armhole dart into a side bust dart, or to take it a step further, into a discreet and flattering French dart. The French dart is a graceful construction element that removes surplus fabric, resulting in a more flattering and stylish fit. 1 Mark your bust apex. Start by constructing a muslin in fabric similar to what…

The name itself always raises a few eyebrows—horsehair? What? As you might imagine, horsehair braid was once woven from horsehair. In fact, horsehair is still used in everything from paintbrushes to fishing line to fabric. The horsehair braid we’re focusing on, though, is now made from plastic, typically polyester or nylon, that’s woven in various widths, thicknesses, and colors. It’s a wonderful tool to have at your disposal, and its uses range from the practical to the decorative. Long a millinery staple, horsehair gives the illusion of ribbon, but has far more strength. When used in garments, it’s sometimes visible, sometimes hidden, but strength is its primary characteristic. Horsehair is available in a variety of weights and thicknesses, from lightweight and flexible versions all the way to firm, stiffer versions.…

I bumped into a fellow seamstress friend at a local bargain haunt recently. She was looking through some men’s athleticwear when we took a few minutes to catch up. Her big news was that her sedentary middle-aged husband had taken up yoga—“the hot kind,” she explained. “Ah yes, Bikram,” I replied. I pointed to the shorts in her cart and asked why she didn’t just whip him up a pair from her voluminous fabric stash. She said it wasn’t worth the bother because she knew he wouldn’t wear what she’d make. Her comment gave me a déjà vu moment, and I chuckled to myself. She looked at me curiously. When I returned home, I plowed through my box of someday projects/mending/sewing memorabilia. Yes, I still had them. When Bikram yoga became…