Innholdsfortegnelse for #187 - October-November 2016 i Threads Magazine

RYLISS BOD (“Dive Into Scuba Knits,” page 36) made a wonderful discovery. “I found an unusual print in a lightweight, stretchable, breathable waterproof raincoat fabric from Italy at Metro Textiles in New York City,” Ryliss says. “I drafted a raincoat pattern from my knit block developed in Lynda Maynard’s workshop. I wore the coat nonstop this spring.” Ryliss is the director and head instructor of the Sewing and Design School in Tacoma, Washington. She shares her expertise and experience through sewing, pattern drafting, and alteration classes; fashion fabric field trips; and workshops. RUTH CIEMNOCZOLOWSKI (“Embellishments: Artistic buttonholes,” page 14) discovered francs were nothing like dimes. “It was Paris, 1989. I found black embellished lace at a fancy fabric store,” Ruth says. “I was not familiar with exchange rates, and later…

Buttons often serve as decorative elements on a garment, and they deserve equally attractive button-holes. A great way to enhance buttonholes, whether stitched or bound, is to embroider or bead the openings, or even combine the two. I have come up with several creative ways to beautify buttonholes. Before working on a garment, test the buttonhole embellishment in the chosen fabric to make sure it pleases you and that it is the right size to complement the button. If you can sew whipstitches, buttonhole stitches, blanket stitches, straight stitches, and chainstitches, you already have the necessary skills for embellishing buttonholes. I’ll show you how to use these simple hand stitches and others, as well as beads, to add interest and detail to buttonholes. There’s no reason buttonholes must be purely…

Celebrate National Sewing Month with the Threads Sweepstakes September is National Sewing Month, and to celebrate, Threads is giving away weekly prize packages in our online sweepstakes. Visit ThreadsMagazine.com to find out all the details. Each prize package is different, but all include wonderful notions, patterns, great Threads books and DVDs, and more for sewing enthusiasts to enjoy. All-New Video Tutorials: Three Techniques for Better Piped Edges and Seams Learn how to sew piping to a curve, reduce bulk in piped seams, and create ripple-free piped edges in our newest Threads Essential Techniques videos. The tutorials feature Special Projects Editor Stephani L. Miller. New Tailoring Technique from Kenneth D. King In his latest Insider article, Kenneth D. King provides an in-depth lesson on how to draft a pattern for what…

You may have noticed an unfamiliar dense knit labeled “scuba” at your local fabric store recently. What is it? Manufacturers are classifying many thick, closely knitted fabrics made of polyester, spandex, and other fibers as “scuba knits.” The moniker comes from its similarities to neoprene, a synthetic rubber used for water-sport and scuba-diving suits. In addition to outdoor wear and computer accessories, neoprene is now also used for fashion designs, as is its trendy cousin, scuba. Both are increasingly available to home sewers thanks to fashion designers’ use of the fabrics in recent collections. Confusingly, online retailers often use “neoprene” and “scuba” interchangeably, or sometimes “neoprene/scuba.” Without accurate labeling it’s difficult to know which fabric you’re purchasing. And once you’ve got that figured out, how do you sew it? I…

About 10 years ago, a thread company asked me to experiment with some new decorative serger threads. The threads were much thicker than standard, and they were designed to be used in a serger’s upper and lower looper. While researching techniques, I came across an older embroidery book that explained how to work with thick threads in a sewing machine’s bobbin, and I fell in love with bobbinwork. In bobbinwork, you sew with the fabric right side down, so that the decorative bobbin thread shows on the fabric’s right side. You don’t see the results until you’re finished; you only see the uninteresting wrong side while working. This adds an extra thrill to using bobbinwork for embellishment. Combining free-motion stitching with bobbinwork can look like hand embroidery, and you can…

Jeans are a wardrobe staple for many, but unless you make them yourself, it is difficult to find a great-fitting pair. A common issue is that the waistband is either too tight or too loose. Letting out or taking in a waistband creates a thick, lumpy seam and disrupts the belt loop placement. What can you do? Remove the waistband and replace it with a waistband that fits from another pair of jeans. If the jeans waistband is too tight, replace it with a larger one. If it’s too loose, replace it with a smaller one. If possible, match the new waistband’s denim color to the jeans receiving it. You may own jeans of different sizes from which you can salvage the waistbands. You can also find low-priced jeans at…

Couture pressing guidelines Q I keep an eye on red-carpet fashion and enjoy studying the details of couture gowns. I’ve noticed that, in some dresses, the vertical seams aren’t pressed flat. In all the sewing how-to books and magazines I’ve read, there’s a strong emphasis on thorough pressing during and after garment construction. So what gives? Can you tell me the rules for pressing, especially for handling garments made of costly fabrics? —Jean Fenn, Sherman Oaks, California A Threads contributing editor Susan Khalje, who has worked with and visited numerous couture design houses, replies: Pressing is a critical element in any garment’s successful construction, but it must be done with care, otherwise, it can harm rather than help. When we’re learning to sew, we hear so much about the importance…

A few issues ago, I wrote to you about my struggle to declutter anything to do with my sewing. Many of you responded sympathetically to my predicament, as well as to my decision to embrace the potential in—and ongoing storage of—fabric, notions, and sewing machines. However, in the four months or so since I wrote about hanging on to my materials, I made a discovery. There are some sewing items I can let go of. I’m able to give up garments I’ve sewn, without a twinge of regret. I used to find it impossible to let go of anything I had made. I would remember the fabric, the techniques, and spending hours on a garment. Yet every garment is a journey (creating it) and a destination (wearing it) and I don’t…

LOOK FOR THESE ICONS ON THE PATTERN REVIEWS Includes sizes 24 and up Fast and easy Challenging techniques For knits Petite options Downloadable pattern Style Arc: Taylor Knit Skirt (StyleArc.com.au) Try a quick, below-knee, pull-on knit skirt. This design is form-fitting, with negative ease. It consists of two panels joined by diagonal seams in front and in back, with edgestitching along the front seam and a front hemline slit. The waistline is finished with an elastic facing and shaped with side darts. Our tester found this project great for a beginner. The sewing can be done in a couple of hours. It is a well-thought-out design and nicely drafted, resembling designs used in the apparel industry, with narrower seam allowances, and essential markings and notches. A placement line for stripe…

A key feature of trapunto, a quilting style originating in late-medieval Italy, is that the padding or stuffing is placed within the outlines of figural elements, rather than as a uniform layer throughout the quilt. These details then appear to have been embossed on the finished project’s surface. There are several ways to achieve this effect. I’ll show you the traditional method and an updated, simplified version. Try this decorative technique on garments, accessories, or full-scale quilts. MATERIALS Use a top fabric that is opaque enough that the padding doesn’t show through. I prefer a fabric that has soft give, such as crepe. Select a stable woven backing layer that can be seen through, such as silk organza or a lightweight muslin. You’ll need loose fiberfill for the traditional technique and…

Easy to recognize, comfortable to wear, and perfect for just about any occasion, the iconic Chanel jacket is possibly the most covetable garment design ever created. This simple yet sophisticated jacket has been popular for more than 50 years. Unlike most couture houses that jumped onto the mid-century ready-to-wear bandwagon, the House of Chanel didn’t introduce a ready-to-wear collection—Chanel Creations—until 1978. In 1983, the house’s new artistic director, Karl Lagerfeld, launched Chanel Boutique. Lagerfeld, like his predecessors, frequently used Chanel archive designs for inspiration in both the haute couture and boutique collections. Sometimes the design elements of couture and boutique designs are so similar it can be difficult to distinguish one from the other. Why, then, does one cost about five times as much as the other? Is it just…

Trends pass, but great style lives on—and it doesn’t have to be haute couture to last. Simple but effective design elements, on garments that wear well for years, can bring comfort, joy, and wonderful memories. One such detail is the Detroit cuff, a sleeve finish introduced in 1955 by the American workwear company Carhartt. This adjustable, functional, faced jacket cuff was introduced with the Detroit jacket, a perennial part of Carhartt’s clothing line. The detail is now part of the company DNA and is included on several other outerwear styles. The Detroit cuff has an adjustable closure, so it can be tightened to keep out the elements; loosened to accommodate heavy gloves; or opened so the faced cuff can be folded up and out of the way. All these features…

Pink Alençon Lace Dress By Linda Henry Linda Henry of Fair Oaks, California, made this dress to wear to her daughter’s wedding. She adapted Vogue 8828 and loves the way the design skims her figure. Linda chose Alençon lace and underlined it with peau de soie. She wanted to eliminate all except the essential seams. This was a challenge, since the dress was designed with a six-piece front and an eight-piece back. By omitting the waist seam, she reduced the number of main pattern pieces to seven. Linda sewed about 60 percent of this project by hand, and the first 9-inch seam took her about three hours to sew. The center-back zipper presented another challenge, because she didn’t want the zipper tape to peek through the lace on the unlined…

Stitch sharp corners BEST TIP When sewing collars, or anything with an outside corner, I sew a short seam diagonally across the corner before trimming and turning it. This results in a sharper point. The concept is similar to taking diagonal stitches at a corner, but this seam is separate, so you have more control over the number and angle of stitches. Depending on the fabric thickness, you may need one or more stitches in the corner. A linen shirt might require one stitch, whereas a wool jacket might take two or three. Then trim as you normally would, and turn the collar right side out. —Janie Marks, Irving, Texas SKINNY PIPING FOOT When making very narrow piping, feed it through your invisible zipper foot to get a neat, even…

This season, the biggest trend isn’t an “it” garment or silhouette. Instead, a few key looks prevailed on runways. This gives sewers more leeway to interpret and personalize trends. The common thread through fall/winter 2016-17 runway presentations was quiet, sensible luxury. Great comfort, ease, quality, and practicality, rendered in sumptuous fabrics, dominate the garment designs. The clothes—whether blouses, dresses, or suits—convey understated opulence, sophistication, and everyday serviceability. A few trends have carried over from last fall, including the 1970s revival. This year’s ’70s interpretation is influenced by ’60s mod style, with a playful, eclectic, and funky attitude. The ladylike peplum took a brief sabbatical, but it has returned refreshed: It is more refined and less exuberant than past iterations and is cut as one with the garment’s body. Midi-length, A-line…

Fitting side bust darts properly is one of the best ways to achieve a fit that improves the look and feel of blouses, shirts, dresses, and jackets. Shaping fabric exactly where your body needs it takes care of two problems: It eliminates tightness through the entire upper bodice and removes excess fabric and awkward drag lines, so your garment gives you a sleeker silhouette. THE LIMITATIONS OF FLAT-PATTERN ADJUSTMENTS Full-busted women (with a cup size of C or greater) often begin their fitting with a flat-pattern change called a full bust adjustment (FBA). While this adjustment adds width and length to the bodice, there are disadvantages to this approach. First, pattern manipulation adds more fabric between the bust apex and the armhole, which can create the visual effect of extra…

Adding a lining is typically the last step in garment construction, and it’s a process you shouldn’t rush through if you’re aiming for a high-quality result. A lining is a complete, separate fabric layer added to a garment’s interior. It conceals the inner construction details, provides overall support to the fashion fabric, and makes dressing easier. There are a number of ways to insert a lining, but to achieve a perfect fit, the best method is to install it by hand. Since a garment is created in the round, and it encircles the body during wear, the lining must fit within that round silhouette correctly. Inserting it by hand helps to mold the lining to the garment’s interior for a bulk-free installation every time. Fabric guidelines For great results, consider…

Pattern designer Andrea Schewe has become something of a fairy god-mother of costume patterns. She has designed so many Halloween, cos-play, and historically inspired patterns that even she doesn’t know the precise count. She didn’t start out intending to pursue a career in the sewing industry, despite an early interest in sewing and costume-making. However, for the past 30 years she has been a designer for sewing pattern companies, first creating patterns for the McCall Pattern Company, and now for Simplicity. Andrea designs and drafts patterns and sews samples at her home studio in Maryland. She also travels to a few sewing shows every year to teach her unique bag of tricks—gleaned from years working in costume shops and designing patterns—to enthusiastic home sewers. Threads talked to Andrea about her…

Trapunto is a whole-cloth quilting technique that brings decorative imagery into high relief. Combining this ages-old quilting style with metal stud accents draws attention to the fitted silhouette of a dress from the 1930s or 1940s. The traditional method for creating trapunto is not difficult, but it is time-consuming. A new approach speeds the process along, so you can achieve this dimensional look more quickly on today’s garments. Learn both ways to create trapunto effects on pages 28 and 29.…