Innholdsfortegnelse for #201 - February-March 2019 i Threads Magazine

JUNE COLBURN (“Embellishments: Rescued embroidery,” p. 20) says, “No sewing project makes me prouder than the sewers and quilters in my life. Since I left Japan, several of my students there have become teachers. My friends Noreen and Holly Fling and I took quilts to orphans in Ethiopia in 2007, working with a local charity that became the nonprofit Quilts Beyond Borders. The organization has thrived over the years, providing quilts to children all over the world. ” June is a fiber artist and an instructor. She lives in Florida. JuneColburn.com RACHEL SIEGEL (“Precise Interior Finish,” p. 44) says, “I am proud of almost everything I sew, especially when I successfully implement a new technique or resolve a problem with the pattern, fit, or a shortage of fabric or time.…

This issue’s winner receives: ■ Sewing Essentials: Serger Techniques, by Pamela Leggett. If you own a serger or are contemplating getting one, then you’ll want to learn all the techniques, tips, and tricks for mastering this specialized sewing machine. This instructional guidebook and DVD workshop combo provides you with the know-how for getting the most out of your serger. ($26.95) ■ Create a Master Bodice Pattern with Sarah Veblen. Fitting expert Sarah Veblen offers an innovative approach to personalizing a basic bodice pattern. She walks you through the process in detail, so you can learn to fit anyone, of any body type. Once you’ve made a master bodice pattern, you can use it as the basis for countless new, flattering designs of your choosing. ($74.95) ■ How to Sew a…

View this garment at ThreadsMagazine.com The allure of vintage kimono embroidery is reborn when the embellishment is appliquéd onto a contemporary garment. I lived in Japan for a time and fell in love with the aesthetic, salvaging kimono embroideries. This blend of old and new, delicate and sturdy produces clothes of unusual beauty. Embellish handmade garments or use a suitable ready-to-wear “blank” garment. The main requirements for using this technique are: Choose a piece that is simple, stylish, and flattering; and avoid fussy details and prominent darts, which can affect the shaping of the embroidery. Most medium-weight fabrics are suitable choices, even stable double knits. I’ll describe some kimono types and typical embroidery motifs, then explain how to harvest embroideries. The most difficult part of designing may be taking the…

Fabric has always been the basis of fashion; without fabric, fashion does not exist. The fibers and weaves available are an integral part of shaping the styles of the times. As different fibers were introduced into Western fashion, garments and silhouettes evolved to make the most of what these new fabrics could do. Fabric in Fashion, presented at the Fashion and Textile History Gallery at the Museum at FIT (the Fashion Institute of Technology), New York City, examines garments and textiles from the past 250 years to reveal the role fabric plays in creating fashion. This exhibition runs through May 4, 2019. It is organized by Elizabeth Way, assistant curator of costume at the museum. “I wanted to present this narrative focusing on textiles and fashion—areas of study that…

In the early 1950s, when I was in junior high school, we were required to take sewing. My sewing teacher made it clear that there was only one right way to sew, and that was her way. Although our sturdy Singer machines could sew in reverse, the teacher was adamant that we were not to use reverse stitching to back-tack a seam. The only acceptable method was to pull the top thread to the underside with a pin and tie it in a knot with the bobbin thread. I fell behind my classmates, and the pressure to complete my apron on time became too great. Frustrated with tying the threads, I back-tacked to finish my seams. My transgression could barely be seen with a magnifying glass, but the teacher gave…

EDITOR’S NOTE No better time to sew I’m lucky to be surrounded on a daily basis by people who “get” sewing. We have varying opinions about what to sew and how to sew it, but we share the drive to create. We are excited about constructing garments and understand clothing is a powerful tool of personal expression. Sometimes, however, when I meet someone new and I mention what I do, I have to explain. Yes, many people still sew. No, it doesn’t save money, but it is rewarding. A garment must be more than what we can spend the least for: It should fit a real body. In “Quick Fitting Solutions,” p. 38, Contributing Editor Louise Cutting explains why fitting adjustments become increasingly important. It’s not just that the years…

For a playful construction treatment full of possibilities, connect garment sections through fabric loops. The alternating loops work like a hinge, with cotton cord or ribbon running through. Depending on the loops’ size and placement, you connect sections with more or less of a peekaboo effect. Each section can flex and move, and be unlaced and replaced. I spotted this detail connecting the hem flounce on a Derek Lam 10 Crosby chiffon dress. My first thought was: What a fun treatment. The openwork effect was pretty. My second thought was: I could unlace that flounce and add another to change the dress length. By experimenting, you can find the variety of design options this treatment offers. I’ve covered the basic concept here with a pencil skirt. You can refine the…

You can re-create the beautiful binding found on ready-to-wear T-shirts and tops with the double-fold bias binder attachment for knits or wovens. This accessory is a useful addition to your cover-stitching tools, and it’s worth learning to use it for the professional results you’ll achieve. The double-fold bias binder screws onto the machine bed of select coverstitch and coverstitch-capable machines. The binder works well on knits, as shown on the following pages, but it can also bind woven fabrics. As the binder name suggests, woven fabrics must be cut on the bias. However, knit fabrics should be cut on the cross-grain. The double-fold bias binder comes in 8-mm, 10-mm, and 15-mm versions. These measurements correspond with the width of the finished binding. As the binding strip and garment edge pass…

In my custom-clothing business, I design and produce garments that are classic in style but modern in detail, fabricated in luxurious textiles. Pieces like these can be expensive, but they’re worth the price. Their versatility makes them good-looking staples for any wardrobe. A perennial favorite garment from my collections is a cowl-neck tunic, which I sew in top-quality white fabrics. It’s a sophisticated update to the traditional white blouse, and it works with skirts, pants, and even under easy-fitting jackets and sweaters. In white, the tunic has a minimalist appeal. Try it in a patterned or colored fabric for a different effect. You can adapt a basic shirt pattern to make your own version of this tunic. Choose a pattern with some ease and a relatively flat sleeve cap. Avoid…

This 1944 blazer bears the label of the Young-Quinlan Co., a venerable, high-end Minneapolis department store, but it represents an even more fascinating piece of fashion history. Inside the jacket is a label printed with a U.S. patent number. The patent was issued to New York apparel manufacturer Melville Davidow in 1943 for a method he devised to finish jacket edges without a facing. His goal was to economize on fabric during World War II. The technique involved folding under the raw edges and applying three rows of topstitching to support and secure them. The jacket, made of wool basketweave tweed, has the look of a tailored garment but remains soft and supple. For more information on the Davidow edge, see p. 32.…

BEST TIP Double down on pins Working on a bra pattern with ¼-inch-wide seam allowances, as well as multiple layers of slippery fabric, tested my patience. Repeatedly, I carefully pinned as instructed, only to have layers slide out as I sewed. After staring at the fabric for a while, wondering if glue was an option, I realized I needed two rows of pins. The first was as indicated: close and parallel to the fabric’s raw edge. The second was approximately ½ inch away, parallel to the original row. This allowed room for my presser foot to glide along while I removed the pins from the first row as I sewed. The second row of pins kept the inner fabrics from sliding out of place. —Denise Stahl, Spring, Texas MATCH PLAIDS…

Stretch mesh is a semisheer knit with great recovery. It can be sewn into flowing or body-hugging designs. In either type of silhouette, this knit fabric does not add a great deal of bulk, especially if you use appropriate seam and edge treatments. Stretch mesh is suitable for sheer T-shirts, slips, layered skirts, contrast sleeves, and binding strips on necklines and armholes. It comes in a fun array of solids or prints, and it is available in nylon and polyester in various weights. I’ve found the heavier mesh tends to be of better quality. I often make T-shirts with two-layer stretch mesh fronts and backs for more opacity, leaving the sleeves a single layer. If your stretch mesh is a print, make the underlayer a solid to give more clarity…

LOOK FOR THESE ICONS ON THE PATTERN REVIEWS Includes sizes 24 and up Fast and easy Challenging techniques Petite options For knits Downloadable pattern Threads Insider and tablet exclusive Atacac: Shareware No. 17 /-shirt (Atacac.com) This is a one-piece pattern for a top with an asymmetrical V-neckline and angled front seam, Y-shaped back seam, and sleeves that wrap from the back panel and are inset into the front armscye. Atacac offers patterns for free. The downloadable PDF is available in size 3 only, although sewers with CLO 3-D software can access all five sizes. There are no sewing instructions, yardage amounts, or supplies listed. A size 3 sample required ½ yards of 60-inch fabric. Most matching edges are labeled with letters. The front neckline and sleeve hems are finished with…

We all know that a pattern rarely fits anyone without at least a few alterations. As we acquire sewing experience, we often notice that more changes are needed. This is partly because our bodies change over time and are less similar to the standard that commercial patterns are drafted for. It’s also partly because experienced sewers become more discerning in their assessment of fit. They recognize the tell-tale drag lines, wrinkles, and droopy edges that reveal an incorrect fit. It can be frustrating to improve your sewing skills but still not feel great about the way a garment looks on your body. In my years of teaching and designing patterns, I’ve worked with sewers of all shapes and sizes. In the process, I have discovered a number of fit issues…

Patch pockets grace every style and type of garment—shirts, jackets, skirts, and pants. They appear on tops, bottoms, fronts, backs, and sides. Patch pockets are popular, and they may seem simple. It takes practice, however, as well as a few methods not typically taught in pattern guide sheets, to sew them so they do not look homemade. A typical commercial garment pattern provides a single pocket pattern piece. You attach the fabric pocket to the garment by topstitching along three sides of the pocket. You must mark the pocket placement on the garment, finish the top edge of the pocket, then sew the pocket to the garment. I have tips and enhancements for each stage of pocket application. I’ll show you how to achieve results that look better than ready-to-wear.…