Innholdsfortegnelse for #202 - April-May 2019 i Threads Magazine

ELLEN W. MILLER (“Soutache Revival,” p. 58) says, “You get to meet amazing people who love to sew. While planning a trip to London last year, I wrote to Kate Davies of Fabrickated.com because I love her blog, asking if we could meet. Kate agreed and we spent a wonderful afternoon together at the Victoria and Albert Museum, and we became fast friends. Now Kate and her husband are planning to visit us in New England.” Ellen, an accomplished couture sewer, is the author of Creating Couture Embellishment (Laurence King, 2017). She taught at the School of Fashion Design in Boston for a decade. CreatingEmbellishment.com MARCY HARRIELL (“Wax Prints,” p. 42) says, “I’ve always found joy in making something with my hands, but my passion for sewing gives me much…

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…

Layer dimensional appliqués, made from freestanding embroidery designs, on top of a machine-embroidered lace motif stitched on a sheer fabric to create this stunning 3-D effect. When you make your own lace, you have an unlimited combination of colors and styles to choose from, so you can create an embellishment that coordinates with your fashion fabric perfectly. Purchased lace can be expensive, and purchased lace with dimensional appliqué is even more so. Not only is this technique customizable to your taste and style, it won’t break the bank. Use this technique to create statement sleeves, as in the sample, or a stunning illusion neckline or lace skirt overlay. You are limited only by the embroidery capabilities of your machine. Let’s take a look at how to make your own appliqué-embellished…

The unusual treatment of the raglan sleeve shoulder in a vintage Leslie Fay double-knit wool dress makes the garment a tasteful standout. A clever pleat accents the shoulder and marries the structured shape of a set-in sleeve with a raglan style. The pleat has no visible seamline and is maintained by a fabric stay within the dress. It is further supported with a small shoulder pad. A standard raglan sleeve is easy to sew and generally easy to fit. You can adapt a raglan-sleeve pattern to get the effect that is shown. Begin with a one-piece raglan pattern that includes a shoulder dart. The dart’s tip will be concealed inside the pleat, so the dart mimics a shoulder seam. Try the process on a test sleeve to determine the desired…

Soutache was a favorite trim during the Victorian era, when women’s gowns and men’s vests and jackets were heavily ornamented. Since richly embellished clothing was time-consuming and costly to create, only wealthy people could afford these ornate clothes. Today, soutache, like many trims, is mass-produced and can be sewn on by machine. Use soutache to create scroll-like motifs with curves and swirls. Waves, spirals, loose braids, paisleys, and serpentine patterns come to life with soutache. Straight lines and angles are also within the canon of soutache embellishment. In Hungarian, sujtás means trim; the French transliteration is soutache, and the term is used to describe a specific kind of braid. Also known as Russian braid, soutache is made with two or more cotton cords wrapped together side by side by a…

EDITOR’S NOTE Experiment for success All the elements we use to sew are intrinsically beautiful. Fabrics, threads, trims, patterns, tools—even sewing machines have style. I love having these accoutrements around. I used to hesitate cutting into a beautiful length of fabric because it was lovely as intact yardage. As I’m sure you’ll agree, though, when all goes well, creating a garment is even more rewarding. “When all goes well” is the key. Time and time again, as I’ve examined samples, or been in awe of a challenge-winning garment, I’ve learned that the sewer who made it experimented first, until everything was just right. In “Blind Hems by Machine,” p. 36, Sandra Miller explains how to ensure the classic stitch works wonderfully on any fabric, with the appropriate preparation and by…

Buttons with cute images Give garments individualized flair with these crimp-style shank buttons from Winky&Dutch. They are available in a host of fun themes, including sewing and knitting, nautical, and emojis. The image is sealed in resin for a smooth, long-lasting finish. Order the buttons in 13-mm (about ½ inch) and 18-mm (about ¾ inch) sizes. They are machine-washable and dryable because they contain no adhesives. The shank is brass electroplated with nickel. The buttons are manufactured in the United States and sold individually or in sets of six. (ShopWinky.com; $2.27 each, $11.99 for six) On-the-go steam iron Traveling without an iron can leave you with wrinkled clothing, but steam irons are often too heavy or bulky to pack in luggage. The Ovo 150GT from Reliable is a travel-size iron…

My stylish coworker came in one day in a striped top that offered a neat twist on the basic Breton tee: Each long sleeve was embellished with a flounce that wound from top to bottom, on a diagonal. The flounce was incorporated into a single seam, spiraling around the arm. Each sleeve was cut as a single piece—but we could tell it was an unusual shape. We immediately set ourselves the task of re-creating this sleeve from a basic pattern. It looked difficult but turned out to be simple. The patternwork and the sewing are surprisingly straightforward. This method works for knits or wovens. We show it with three wraps, but you could plan a spiral that corkscrews around the arm many more times. Insert a flounce or other trim,…

Bralettes offer a comfortable and casual alternative to a regular bra. For the home sewer, they are easy to make, and they offer many variations in design and style. A bralette is an unstructured, underwire-free bra. The style was once mainly worn as loungewear. Bralettes were invented as a comfortable alternative to structured underwire bras and were mostly ignored by fashion retailers. Today, however, they are no longer intended solely for at-home wear. Bralettes are worn under any garment and, in some cases, have become fashion garments in their own right. A bralette is quick to create and requires only basic sewing and fitting skills, so it is a great introduction to sewing lingerie. A common misconception is that bralettes are intended only for smaller busts. It is true that…

My family recently decided to move to a new house. “Moving” is a word that strikes dread into any sewer’s heart. To me, it means I must admit that I have too much fabric. Looking around at the supplies, notions, zippers, and buttons overflowing from shelves in my sewing room, I sigh. Most of my stash needs to be culled so it will fit in the moving van. As I sort, the scraps cascade across the floor in an avalanche of memories. Some are links to people and places I have lost. In my sewing room is the Victory Quilt my great-grandmother worked in red and blue bandanas and old sheets during the lean days of World War II, as well as the quilts my mother fashioned from house dresses…

Silk crepe de Chine has a slightly crinkly surface formed by twisted yarns. It is available in three weights: two-ply, the most common; three-ply, the favorite of top-notch designers; and four-ply, found in tailored pants and jackets by European designers. The Japanese unit of measurement, known as momme, refers to fabric weight. The higher the momme, the heavier the fabric. Two-ply silk is 14 to 16 momme, three-ply silk is 30 momme, and four-ply silk is 40 momme. However, some versions of crepe de Chine can fall outside those guidelines. Unlike polyester crepe de Chine, silk crepe de Chine has a beautiful drape and enables you to sew pucker-free seams. All three silk weights work for tailored shirts and blouses; three-ply and four-ply work for tailored jackets, pants, blouses, straight…

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 Butterick 5930 (Butterick.com) Featuring a vintage-inspired silhouette, this feminine dress flatters many body types. All three views include a fitted, fully lined bodice with a seam at the natural waist, mock crossover front, detachable dickey, center-back zipper closure, princess seams, and front and back low V-neckline. Views A and B feature a flared skirt with side seam pockets; view A is sleeveless with a contrast shawl collar, and view B has short sleeves and a shawl collar in the same fabric as the body. View C is sleeveless with a semifitted straight skirt with a left side-front slit and notched shawl…

Spring is an opportunity to lighten up with feminine coordinates after months of wearing heavy winter layers. To swiftly add a few seasonal garments to build a sewn wardrobe, here are two coordinate pieces with on-trend appeal. The pieces are a cinch to make and to customize for a variety of looks. Plus, they are made in knit fabrics. Stretch textiles keep comfort in the equation, even when you dress to look your best. First, I’ll show you how to make a twisted-cowl tank that can easily be made in a rainbow of colors for a wardrobe basic with simple sophistication. It is a great piece to wear under jackets or cardigans in air-conditioned settings. On the following pages, I’ll show you how to sew a paper-bagwaist skirt in a…

A skillfully set-in sleeve using professional techniques enhances any garment you sew. Even if you’re venturing into tailoring territory for the first time, you can master this process and create jackets, coats, and other garments that surpass costly ready-to-wear pieces. The hallmark of a well-set sleeve is a smooth sleeve cap, free of puckers or tucks in the armscye seam. It curves softly over the upper shoulder and may be supported by a sleeve head or an added shoulder pad or shaper. Often, a commercial pattern’s sleeve cap has more ease than can be handled in your chosen fashion fabric. I’ll show you how to determine the existing ease amount and how to reduce it for a more realistic sleeve-to-armscye ratio. This pattern adjustment helps you achieve a well-sewn sleeve with…

Founded in 1947, the Leslie Fay label made affordable, stylish dresses that were sold in department stores to discerning women. This cream wool double-knit day dress with brown faux-leather piping is from 1983. Its clean lines and subtle details—including an interesting variation on the raglan sleeve—fit right in with current styles. Ponte knit fabrics are perfect for re-creating the elegant, softly structured silhouette. See how to manipulate the raglan sleeve to create the elegant shoulder effect on p. 30.…