Innholdsfortegnelse for Winter 2025 i Threads Magazine

If you turn to p. 81, you’ll see that my title is prompted by Brooks Ann Camper’s thoughtful “Closures” essay. Like her, I’ve been thinking about how important it is to recognize the individuality of every sewn item, and the value the maker behind it. Those of us who sew are driven by our vision of what is beautiful, elegant, cool, edgy, fun, or whatever quality we seek in our lives and personal styles. When we realize that vision in a garment and wear it out into the world, we hope others will see it the same way. In this issue, we feature a number of sewists sharing their vision in different ways. The winners of the national Make It With Wool contest, p. 32, and the devoted members of…

I’m at a time in my life when I enjoy doing small projects that are easy, don’t take much time, and use up some of the fabric scraps I’ve saved over the years. Updating garments in my wardrobe is on my list as well, and recently I’ve been focusing on sweatshirts: old sweatshirts with visible wear—the kind you might not wear out of the house, but love too much to toss. Enhancing them with patchwork appliqué is a fun way to get my creative juices flowing while giving new life to the garments and scraps. The techniques I use for taking basic sweatshirts to another level are easy and mostly quick to complete. I’ll walk you through my design process for three projects. Keep in mind, I don’t use a…

Puff-Sleeve Blouse PATTERN EMPORIUM: LYRICAL SHIRT (PatternEmporium.com) Skill level: The sewing is moderate; the collar and collar-stand option might be challenging for some beginners. For help, you can access online tutorials and videos. Size range and fitting: Sized AU 4 through 30 for busts 27 ½ inches to 54 ¾ inches, and waists 21 ½ inches to 48 ¾ inches. Don’t be tempted to size down, even if the finished garment measurements show a lot of ease at the bust. This ease includes the gathers from the back yoke. Sizing down could cause the side seams to skew forward. Fabrics: For a soft drape, use lightweight fabrics like rayon challis, silk or polyester crepe, or chiffon. Crisp fabrics yield a more billowy sleeve. Silks and lace make this into a romantic…

Plush faux fur garments have been on trend for the past several years. They are perfect for cool and downright cold weather, layering nicely over sweaters and vests. I had seen many fun versions, in particular “teddy” jackets, and was inspired to make my own. The teddy jacket is so called because the fabric has a loose, shaggy pile, giving it the look of a well-loved teddy bear. Although this was new and out-of-the-box for me, I ventured forth into sewing my first teddy jacket. If you are new to sewing faux fur, you’ll appreciate these tips. Short pile fur is easier to work with than long pile fur. Keep in mind that many faux fur fabrics are actually knits. Those that are suitable for a teddy look are especially…

MARY RAY (“Exploring Design: Sweatshirt Upgrades,” p. 12) says, “My favorite, very satisfying sewing project was to give a much-loved dress a lift with a little embroidery. I got a bit carried away. Or is it still a work in progress? It was so much fun making it up as I went along with all that colorful floss.” A former Threads associate editor and retired college instructor, Mary still teaches. EVE KOVACS (“Profiles in Sewing: Haute Couture Club of Chicago,” p. 76) says, “One of my favorite projects was to use 2 yards of black textured Tencel to make a wrap skirt and dressy shorts. The fabric drape was perfect for these garments, the sewing was interesting and required precision, and the finished results fit well and are flattering to…

When there is a baby on the way, you may be excited to sew new clothes for the expectant mom. There aren’t a lot of maternity patterns available these days, and the styles can be outdated. However, you don’t need to start from scratch to create garments that help the expectant mom feel great all through her pregnancy. Use an already fitted pattern—one the recipient loves—and adjust it to accommodate her changing body. The trick to designing and crafting successful maternity tops is to start with a pattern that has been personalized to the individual’s size before pregnancy. Then you’ll add needed space in the correct places. The fit at the shoulders and in back remains the same, but the bust and belly areas need to expand—and possibly expand again…

The 2024–2025 Make It With Wool (MIWW) contest called for top sewing skills and design acumen. The six winning looks featured here exemplify these abilities and more. From teens to adults, the makers demonstrate style and the discipline to realize their vision. To make it to the national competition, the contestants had to succeed at the state level or, if they reside in a state without a state contest, to enter the organization’s at-large contest. At every level, the entries are judged on excellence of construction, appropriate choice and use of materials, and suitability of the garments to the maker’s needs. The judges also look at fit, overall appearance, and presentation of the garment by the contestant. These criteria ensure that the winning garments are beautifully made of quality fabrics,…

BONUS CONTENT Get the complete look: Kenneth D. King shows how to make an inset collar on a tailored jacket, a construction extra for the strap shoulder jackets shown on p. 83 and in Kenneth’s article, “How Did They Sew That: Square Your Shoulders,” p. 20. These how-to steps can help you get the full vintage jacket look. Help for a new mom: Create a nursing top by adding invisible zippers along seamlines in this follow-up to “Sewing For Every Body: Maternity Modifications,” p. 16. Machine threading for a twin needle: Learn how to thread your machine to use a twin needle for pin-tucking, as described in “Embellishments: Heirloom Pin Tucks,” p. 71. ON-DEMAND LEARNING with Cynthia Guffey Learn how darts work, why they are an important fitting detail, and…

The coat shown on p. 83 features a timeless style: square shoulders, turned-back lapels, and a belted waist. In keeping with many women’s coats from the 1940s, the silhouette isn’t just a smaller version of menswear tailoring. Instead, the shoulders are shaped with ingenious seams that create angular volume in the sleeve cap. I learned about this detail when I was studying couture tailoring intensively. It’s called a “strap sleeve.” I like this sleeve style not just for its sharp silhouette, but also because the patternmaking results in a short seam along the sleeve cap that parallels the armscye seam and, in this case, the bodice’s princess seam. Apply this design element to any set-in sleeve to create a sophisticated look. Establish the Strap Seamline To make a strap sleeve…

Tucks are a centuries-old method used to change a garment’s shape and fit. They became popular in the 1800s, especially in France, when they were used by all the couture houses of the time. Pin tucks were popular in children’s clothing, too, as they could be removed to make a garment larger. Many were sewn painstakingly by hand or machine by folding and stitching. You may find pin-tucking with a double needle is easier and just as precise. Twin-needle tucks require two spools of thread that are fed into a twin machine needle. The sewing machine’s single bobbin thread pulls the two top threads together on the fabric’s wrong side, creating a tuck on the right side. The tuck size depends on the width of the twin needle. I have…

American women’s clothing during the Second World War was required to follow Regulation L-85, an order that specified how much fabric could be used to create garments. The coat shown, a belted wool bouclé example from the early or mid-1940s, is cleverly cut to be on-trend and thrifty. A popular style in the ’40s was the reefer coat, a single-breasted style with broad shoulders, lapels, a slight A-line skirt, and a fitted, belted waistline. This coat’s collar has a cut-on, rolled-back lapel, with the back collar inset in a seamline that resembles the shape of a notched collar. The garment’s body has princess panels—narrow pattern pieces that conserve fabric in the cutting. The wide, angular shoulder line comes from a strap sleeve: The sleeve cap is extended and shaped with…