Innholdsfortegnelse for #215 - Fall 2021 i Threads Magazine

What are you sewing for fall 2021? RACHAEL GILBERT-BURNS (“Pattern Projection,” p. 48) says, “I’m going to delve further into shirt- and blouse-making. I am creeping slowly and steadily into more ‘feminine’ clothing with lots of gathers and billowy sleeves after years of wearing boxy outfits. It’s exciting to adjust patterns to fit my plus-size body and learn new techniques to improve my garment finishing.” A software engineer, Rachael brings her curiosity and technical expertise into her sewing by testing new developments such as projector sewing. She is based in Cumbria, United Kingdom. HELEN HAUGHEY (“Unraveling Bouclé,” p. 74) says, “My sewing this fall will begin with a travel capsule wardrobe in a blue and burgundy color palette for a January trip I am hosting to Italy. The capsule will…

Sew and win with a runway-inspired look Our four digital ambassadors, right, create looks to teach and inspire. Sew and submit images of your own runway-inspired garments by November 3, 2021, for a chance to win one of two prize packages. An audience-choice winner receives products from Beautiful Textiles, Janome, and Wild Ginger Software, and a winner selected by the digital ambassadors receives Threads products. For contest details and rules, go to ThreadsMagazine.com/2021DigitalAmbassadorsChallenge. DIGITAL Ambassadors Runway SEWN YOUR WAY Challenge Check out these Web Extras Bouclé all day: This supplement to Helen Haughey’s investigation of the textured fabric in “Unraveling Bouclé,” p. 74, offers additional resources in one place. The collection guides you toward Chanel-inspired success. Peek into the life: Threads Digital Ambassador Marcy Harriell shows that you don’t need a…

Burn-out fabrics feature a sheer ground with opaque, often textured motifs. The name comes from the traditional technique for creating the velvet-on-silk variety, a blended textile in which the ground fabric is a different fiber type than the pile. A rayon-dissolving weak acid solution is applied to silk/rayon-blend velvet, burning away select areas and leaving behind a pattern of velvet motifs on silk chiffon. The chemically created fabric is also known as devoré, from the French for “devoured,” because the velvet pile is eaten away by the applied chemicals. This fabric type is sometimes referred to as wedding ring velvet because, despite the velvet’s texture, the width of the fine fabric can be slipped through a wedding ring. It results in flowing garments with a luxurious hand and prints with…

The dress shown on the back cover was made by the mother of a friend of a friend. A talented “amateur,” this dressmaker reveled in using couture techniques to make each garment special. When the dress was given to me, I took a close look at how it was made. I came away impressed with the dressmaker’s skill. She used several construction tricks I had never seen before. For this example, she began with Vogue Couturier 1591, a pattern from 1966 created by Irene Galitzine. The design has a classic mid-1960s shift silhouette, with an asymmetrical front opening and diagonal seams from the right underarm to the left hip. This view finishes just above the knee (there is a floor-length view as well), and the maker opted for a sleeveless…

Projector sewing has gained an enthusiastic following in recent years. More and more home sewers are utilizing the technology to project their sewing patterns directly onto fabric on their cutting tables. Along with an entire community of projector sewists, I can now mostly bypass the paperwork stage of garment making. Taping together pages of home-printed PDF patterns, then tracing the desired size, is a part of the process I have managed to eliminate. In doing so, I have regained valuable sewing hours. EMBRACE THE BENEFITS The advantage of projecting patterns is the ease it offers. Beaming a pattern directly onto fabric allows for straightforward positioning and cutting of pattern pieces. Key fit adjustments such as lengthening, shortening, and grading between sizes can be completed on the fly. Projecting makes it…

This champagne-colored brocade dress was made from a 1966 Vogue Couturier Design pattern by Italian designer Irene Galitzine. The garment’s maker, a home sewer who lived from 1914 to 2003, was not known to have taken sewing lessons, yet she enjoyed creating dressy garments for herself and her daughter and sewing tailored suits for her brothers. Although she was the only one in her extended family to sew, she was talented and had a dedicated sewing room. The dress features many hallmarks of sewing expertise, including bound buttonholes and perfectly matched motifs on the front. It’s a fine example of how skilled home sewers can be, even without extensive formal training. Turn to p. 28 to see meticulous finishing details inside the dress.…

I think we'd all agree: The days of sewing as a way to make clothing at a savings are gone. The expense of yardage and notions can’t compete with the low prices of fast fashion—although we also acknowledge there are human and environmental costs contributing to those impossible-to-beat prices. Sewing may no longer be a way to economize in initial outlay. However, it o≠ers many ways to make a richer, more valuable wardrobe, with less of a toll on humanity and the environment. In this issue, we have a number of techniques to make original, unique clothes fit better and last longer. We also offer ideas to restore beloved garments and keep them functional. Mary Ray’s “Artful Mending,” p. 58, shares her imaginative and beautiful ideas for repairing garments. Mending becomes…

LOOK FOR THESE ICONS ON THE PATTERN REVIEWS Includes sizes 24 and up Fast and easy Challenging techniques Petite options For knits Downloadable pattern Vogue 1703 (SomethingDelightful.com) This flowy skirt with a bohemian vibe has seams that add visual interest. It has a four-piece, bias-cut yoke that dips in a slight V at center front. The skirt’s upper section is cut on-grain while the lower flounce is cut on the cross-grain. View A has a straight hemline that ends about 4 inches below the knee. View B has a high-low hemline that cascades to floor length in back. The skirt is fully lined and has a center-back invisible zipper closure. It is fitted through the yoke and upper hip, allows more ease through the lower hip, then widens below. The…

My love affair with bouclé began almost 30 years ago, when I constructed my first jacket. In the years since, I have found it to be the most amazing fabric. If my stitching is not perfect, only I know, as bouclé’s texture hides it. When I travel and pack a bouclé dress in a compression bag, I can pull it right out and put it on and it looks like new, no ironing required. My comfort is always assured, as bouclé has amazing drape and molds beautifully to the figure. CHIC VERSATILITY During many years living in the American Midwest, with its distinct winter season, I could be cozy in wool-based bouclés. Now, living year-round in a warm climate, I can still enjoy bouclé with a cotton base. No wonder…

REMEMBERING DAVID PAGE COFFIN The Taunton Press mourned the loss of retired Threads staffer David Page Coffin this spring. The former senior editor of Threads passed away May 2, 2021. He was a fixture at the magazine for years and was well-known in the sewing world as a book author, teacher, and mentor to sewing students. David first appeared in Threads #4, April/May 1986. He authored a feature article about making professional-looking shirt collars. SHIRTMAKING BOOK By 1988, he had joined the staff as assistant editor and was promoted to associate editor in 1990. His book Shirtmaking: Developing Skills for Fine Sewing (The Taunton Press, 1993) continues to be a favorite reference. Bill Godfrey, imaging supervisor at the Taunton Press, remembers his first encounter with David was while preparing the…

Take a cue from traditional school uniforms or medieval heraldry and try this fun and creative appliqué technique. It is an easy-to-learn way to add panache to your clothes without the hassle of folded-edge appliqué or hours of intricate stitching. Just use boiled wool as a base and ready-made metallic and crystal embellishments. I'll explain the process and some methods to assemble layered motifs with readily available trims. In no time, you'll have a rich crest that reflects your personal style. Gilbert Muniz is a Threads digital ambassador, with a growing library of tutorials at ThreadsMagazine.com. SUPPLIES Bright check purl (flexible coil that can be cut into short lengths and looped) Broad plate (narrow metallic ribbon) or ⅛-inch-wide stiff ribbon Chain rhinestones Chalk pencil Closed-tip thimble Embroidery floss or pearl…

It’s a challenge for every sewer: How do you keep precious tools and materials neat, accessible, and arranged so you can find what you need when you need it? There are a multitude of solutions and options for this common dilemma. Threads asked some of our contributors to share their conventional and unconventional methods for organizing typical sewing tools and materials. There are some universal themes running through these tips: Keep your mind open and look beyond the original purpose of items, and it’s not necessary to make a big outlay to be organized. Enjoy and share what works for you—it might work for someone else, too. To discuss storage and organization further, hop online and join the conversations in the forums at ThreadsMagazine.com. “For me, it’s all about pegboard.…