Innholdsfortegnelse for October - November 2017 i Sew News

DEAR READERS, Two years ago, in October, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I received an outpouring of support from the sewing community, which helped me in ways I could have never imagined. Many of you reached out to me with your own stories, and I’m humbled by your willingness to share. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kind encouragement, generous gifts and uplifting notes. I’m grateful beyond words. Although my diagnosis, treatment and recovery has forever changed me, there’s one thing that hasn’t changed: my love for sewing. Sewing, and crafting in general, has so many therapeutic benefits. The problem solving keeps us sharp; the feel of fabric under our fingers soothes us; the hum of the sewing machine comforts us; the accomplishment we feel…

Play & Win! What is it? Pictured at left is part of a photo from this issue.When you find it, enter online at sewnews.com or send a postcard with the page you found it on to Sew News, Hide & Seek, 741 Corporate Circle, Ste. A, Golden, CO 80401. Responses are due Oct 31, 2017. From the correct responses, we’ll randomly draw five winners, one of which could be you. The Oct/Nov ’17 winners will receive a wonderful prize! Congratulations to the Aug/Sept ’17 Hide & Seek winners! We randomly selected five winners to receive a fabulous prize. Monica L., Ann Arbor, MI Cornelia D., La Vergne, CA Cynthia B., Jeffersonville, PA Kandrolyn P., Willis, TX Marcie A., Dunnellon, FL…

Connie Crawford is a licensed designer for the McCall Pattern Company under the Butterick label and is president and CEO of Fashion Patterns by Coni. She’s a nationally and internationally recognized lecturer, fashion specialist, educator and author of sewing DVDs and sewing and pattern textbooks. These include A Guide to Fashion Sewing, The Art of Fashion Draping and Patternmaking Made Easy. When did you learn to sew? Where do you find inspiration? What's the last hobby you picked up? What is your must-have tool in your studio? What do you consider your greatest achievement? Who is your dream client and what would you want to create for them? What is your favorite fabric to work with? What's your motto?…

WOW FACTOR The collar alteration is definitely the star of this jacket. That said, the light-colored metallic twill complements the collar and gives the piece an elegant feel. To really showcase the unique aspect of this pattern hack, choose a solid or subtly-patterned fabric. Anything bright or intricate will draw the eye away from the collar detail. Look for a medium- to lightly-colored fabric like in the sample, as it will be harder to see the folds—and harder to appreciate the sewist’s hard work—if sewn in a dark color, such as black or navy. Skill level: Advanced SUPPLIES • Fitted jacket pattern with shoulder princess seams (such as McCall’s 5668)• Stiff fabric, lining & medium- to heavyweight fusible interfacing (such as denim, corduroy or thick twill; amount according to pattern…

CARDI COUTURE When cold weather arrives, there’s nothing quite as divine as snuggling into a warm sweater. And because chunky, cozy knits are in this fall, it’s the perfect time to make yourself a staple piece that will take you all the way through to summer and beyond. For those of us who lack the skills, patience or time to knit something like this classic cardigan, sweater knit fabric is the perfect solution. Add a leather binding for an edgy touch and you’ll be both stylish and comfortable—the ultimate goal of any sewist! Skill Level: Intermediate SUPPLIES • 21/3 yards of 50"-wide textured knit (plus ½ yard for sizes 12 and larger)• 3½ yards of 1½"-wide leather binding strips• ¾ yard of ¼"-wide seam or twill tape• Fabric glue• All-purpose…

SEPTEMBER KAYLEE TUNIC THE PATTERN The easy, breezy Kaylee Tunic is as simple to sew as it is to wear. This dynamic transitional piece with subtle Boho styling features ruffles galore and three-quarter sleeves with an optional elastic or drawstring at the waist for shaping. For even more design options, use contrasting fabric, lace or lace overlay for the yoke, sleeves or lower skirt. The pattern includes sizes XXS through XXL and can be sewn up in a variety of fabrics, including cotton lawn, cotton voile, rayon, knit, double gauze, lightweight linen, silk or quilting cotton. Grab the pattern at shopsewitall.com and join us as Kay covers the following special topics on the Sew News blog: September 12: Choosing Fabrics & Special Substrates September 19: Working with Lace Fabrics &…

Yes No ❏ ❏ Does the garment fit your lifestyle? ❏ ❏ Would you wear it if it were sized appropriately? ❏ ❏ Does the garment coordinate with other garments in your wardrobe, shoes or accessories so it can immediately be put to use once it’s adjusted? ❏ ❏ Is the fabric appropriate for the climate where you live? ❏ ❏ Is the fabric strong enough to be adjusted? This is particularly important with vintage garments. ❏ ❏ Does the garment have sentimental value that would delight you if you could wear it again in some shape or form? ❏ ❏ Is it too loose? Usually loose garments can be reduced in size to fit unless they are extremely over-sized. ❏ ❏ Is it too tight? Snug garments are good…

WISE CRAFT QUILTS  by Blair Stocker Celebrated quilt designer and crafter Blair Stocker shares ways to use cherished fabrics to make quilts with more meaning. Each of the 21 featured quilts uses a special collection of fabric and outlines a new technique. Create quilts that have a story to tell and you’ll find a whole new level of appreciation for what they represent in your life and the lives of the ones you love. roostbooks.com HACK THAT TOTE!  by Mary Abreu This isn’t just a book about sewing projects. It’s a book about pattern alteration. Starting with one simple tote bag pattern, Mary Abreu teaches you everything you need to change it up—from size alterations, fabrics, pocket details and embellishments. Get started hacking with the included projects that range from…

RAE CUMBIE (“Ready to Wear Refashion”—page 56) is the Creative Director at Fit for Art Patterns, which offers patterns for modern wardrobe basics that focus on fit and include artful design options. She coaches sewists of all skill levels, in classes and on her blog, to stitch up a fun and comfortable wardrobe and design more creatively. fitforartpatterns.com ANA JANKOVIC (“Office Posh”—page 28) is a computer programmer who expresses her creativity by sewing in her free time. She’s a self-taught sewist and designer residing in Belgrade, Serbia. stepalica.blogspot.com JOI MAHON (“Joi of Fitting: Shoulder Shaping”— page 14) is a fashion designer and owner of Dress Forms Design Studio, LLC. She’s a past winner of the American Sewing Expo Passion for Fashion contest and is the founder of Baby Lock’s Love…

Happy Haunting! FAIRFIELD JACK IN THE BOX Your child will have so much fun trick-or-treating in this Jack-in-the-Box costume. This simple-sew costume comes together easily using Oly*fun multipurpose craft material and Project Foam from Fairfield. Visit our website to check out other great Halloween decorating and costume ideas from Fairfield . . . you never know what might pop up! www.fairfieldworld.com www.fairfieldworld.com/project-category/halloween BURDASTYLE.COM SWEET & SPOOKY DÉCOR Don’t be scared! These bats are just hanging around, quietly waiting for Halloween so they can share their sweet treasure with you. Quick and easy to make, these decorations combine everyone’s favorite elements of Halloween: fun décor and candy. Visit burdastyle.com for simple instructions, then explore further for great costume ideas and tutorials. www.burdastyle.com www.burdastyle.com/blog/halloween-decoration-bats THERM O WEB SWEET SCARECROW COSTUME Create cute…

The best way to perfect hand stitches is to make samples. Practice different stitches and keep the samples for future reference. SUPPLIES • ¼ yard of cotton broadcloth• Hand-sewing needle, size 8, 9, or 10• All-purpose thread From the broadcloth, cut six 6"×9" rectangles. With the fabric right side down, fold one long edge ¼" toward the wrong side; press. Fold the edge again 1"; press. Pin along the folded edge. Cut an 18" length of thread. Thread a hand-sewing needle and knot one end. Practice the following stitches along the first fold. For more on hand sewing, visit sewdaily.com.…

SWEATER KNIT FABRICS Unlike other stretch fabrics, sweater knit fabrics look and feel similar to traditionally hand-knit fabric, with thicker yarns, an open structure and more intricate patterns. Most sweater knits are considered a stretch fabric, however, the stretch percentage varies greatly across fabrics. Some are so densely knitted that they’re considered stable and treated like a woven. Additionally, sweater knits are available in a wide array of fiber content, textures and weights. SELECTION One of the most important factors when selecting a sweater knit is that it should have good stretch and recovery. When stretched, the fabric should return to its original shape. If it doesn’t recover, the fabric will be more difficult to sew and easily stretch out of shape. For beginner sewists, select a sweater knit that…

Discover simple tips and tricks for working with knit fabric. • Use a stretch or narrow zigzag stitch for knit seams that stretch. • A ballpoint needle has a rounded point that prevents holes and snags during stitching because it glides through the fibers instead of piercing them. • Always stabilize shoulder seams and pocket openings to prevent the fabric from stretching and distorting the seam. • Experiment with a twin needle on hems for a professional-looking finish. The two upper threads are connected with one bobbin thread in a zigzag formation on the fabric wrong side, giving the stitch stretch to match the fabric stretch.…

This October marks 20 years since the passing of John Denver, who was tragically killed in a plane crash off the coast of California on Oct 12, 1997. We celebrate the life of the humanitarian, political activist, award-winning songwriter and performer by paying tribute to his personal sewist and costumer, who sewed his extravagant stage shirts for 10 years. Anna Zapp, a former Sew News contributor, shares what it was like to work with John Denver and how he changed her life, taking her sewing business to the next level and helping her become a sewist for the stars. “My dream as a young teenager was to sew and design for famous people.” SN: How old were you when you learned to sew? AZ: The first time my hands touched…

You may have noticed a new trend popping up at your local fabric store—cosplay. Many stores now have a special section dedicated to cosplay fabrics, trims and patterns. It may seem that this is a flash-in-the-pan trend that came out of nowhere, but cosplay has actually been around for a long time. With the current rise in the popularity of “geek culture” and the related conventions across the globe, cosplay has finally made its way into the public eye. These days, being a cosplayer is easy. Supplies are readily found in stores or online, and there’s a wide range of internet resources that cosplayers in 1999 didn’t have access to. Even so, cosplayers sometimes have difficulty finding these resources, especially newcomers to the hobby. Tracy Mooney and Cheryl Sleboda are…

BUTTON UP Plackets are a type of lapped closure that serve both functional and design purposes in a garment. Also referred to as “front bands” on commercial patterns, plackets form the structure that supports the buttons and buttonhole closure. While typically found at the center front of both men’s and women’s shirts, plackets are also present on skirt, pant and sleeve openings. The following tutorial focuses on shirt plackets. There are three primary types of applied shirt plackets: the tailored shirt placket, the partial placket and the concealed button placket. The tailored shirt placket is the most common form of placket and is generally found on men’s dress shirts and classic tailored shirts. The placket is an interfaced strip of fabric that is applied to the entire center front, forming…

1. SEWING CADDY Use a shower caddy in your sewing room to organize sewing supplies. Jean P., email 2. PARCHMENT PATTERNS Trace sewing patterns onto parchment paper, and then make alterations as necessary to the traced copy. If the alteration doesn’t turn out, you still have the original pattern for reference. LaVonne W., Facebook 3. FLOSS FIX Instead of using a basting stitch to create ruffles, zigzag stitch on the widest setting over unflavored dental floss or cording. Push the fabric down the cording to create easy ruffles without straining your hands. Kara H., email 4. HANDS ON When sewing with a large piece of fabric, wear a pair of clean winter gloves to manipulate and guide the fabric without slipping. Beth T., email 5. IT’S A STRETCH When sewing…

Avery common issue that curvy women have with sewing patterns is sleeves that don’t fit well. There’s lots of variety in women’s arm circumference, so naturally, not all sleeves fit everyone. Knit sleeves are a little easier as they stretch with the body, but if you’re making a woven garment, you may find your arms just don’t fit or that the sleeves don’t have enough ease to be comfortable. The good news is that it’s a pretty easy alteration to make with a Full Bicep Adjustment. Measure Your Arm & the Pattern To assess how much extra you need to add to your sleeve, measure your arm at the widest part (typically next to your armpit). Next, find the bicep measurement of the pattern; if it’s not printed on the…

A MESSAGE FROM MEG, ONLINE EDITOR FOR BURDASTYLE After I graduated fashion school, I made so many leggings with all sorts of panels in different colors and spandex prints. To say I love wearing and making leggings is an understatement, and I’m so happy to share my custom leggings process. It’s my favorite way to use up little bits of scrap stretch fabric. You can also use this pattern and process to make shorts and athletic capris. Honestly though, I love wearing these edgy panel leggings not just to the gym, but walking the city streets. Skill Level: Intermediate SUPPLIES • Leggings pattern (such as BurdaStyle #124 06/2012)• ¾ yard of gray knit fabric• ¾ yard each of matte leather spandex & stretch mesh• 1 yard of 1"-wide knit elastic•…

FINE LINE In addition to stash busting, this project is perfect for showing off a beloved coordinating fabric line. Pair pretty florals with geometrics for subtle impact or use novelty prints and make the perfect camper pillow! Fabric swatches supplied by Art Gallery Fabrics and Birch Organic Fabrics. SUPPLIES • 5/8 yard of cotton sateen or home decor-weight print (fabric A; see “Sources”)• 5/8 yard of cotton sateen or home decor-weight print (fabric B; see “Sources”)• 1 yard of cotton sateen or home decor-weight print (fabric C; see “Sources”)• Removable fabric marker• ¼ yard of fusible woven interfacing• 19" of ½"-wide hook-and-loop tape• 18" square pillow form• Coordinating & contrasting thread (See “Sources.”) PREPARE From fabric A, cut one 19"×25" rectangle (pleated front). From fabric B, cut two 4"×19" strips…

Choose from two additional methods to easily bind the cardigan edges. WOVEN FOLD-OVER ELASTIC Select ½"-wide fold-over elastic. Enclose the garment raw edge with the binding, making sure the narrower edge is on the garment right side. Select a straight or narrow zigzag stitch. Edgestitch the binding, catching the wider binding edge within the stitching. To create mitered corners, stitch the binding up to the edge. Fold the binding 45º to miter the corner; pin. Continue stitching the binding from the corner. At the front lower edge, fold the binding end 3/8" toward the wrong side, and then finish stitching. On the sleeves, fold the binding end 3/8" toward the wrong side. Overlap the opposite binding short end with the folded end, and then finish stitching. JERSEY BINDING Cut 2¼"-wide…

GETTING STARTED Begin by putting on the garment right side out and assessing your needs. Observe the shape and balance of the garment. A well-fitting, symmetrical garment will have a hem that hangs parallel to the floor with the fabric draping gracefully along the curves of the body. It helps if you have a trusted friend who can offer advice and help you pin out the adjustments, or at least take some photos so you can figure out where you need to pin. Try to make adjustments in the seams or darts that already exist so the changes are organic and don’t distort the overall garment shape. Pinch out excess fabric and insert pins vertically where the garment is large to get a sense of the effect of your planned…

THE BACKGROUND I buy lots (and lots!) of fabric online, but sweater knits are difficult: There are so many variables with regard to texture, weight, weave, sheen, etc. I’ve also been thinking a lot about my wardrobe this year, finally taking a good, hard look at what’s in my closet that I don’t wear. I found a gold sweater with the perfect amount of subtle sparkle but the fit and style weren't me anymore. I like a loose, boxy silhouette these days and found the perfect pattern for experimenting. SUPPLIES • Boxy blouse pattern for knits with drop or raglan sleeves (such as McCall’s 7020)• Mediumweight knit fabric (amount according to the pattern envelope)• One readymade sweater to repurpose• Removable fabric marker PREPARE Check the sweater closely for picks and…