Innholdsfortegnelse for Embellishments Summer 2015 i Threads Magazine

Embellishments can turn a garden-variety garment into a showstopper. If you’re looking for special details to beautify your projects, look no further. This issue is loaded with inspiring adornments to personalize all your sewing projects. In putting together this special edition, I was reminded of all the wonderful ways there are to enrich garments, from surface design and beadwork to trims and embroidery. I’ve resolved to take the extra step that will make my projects sing and spark admiration in the hearts of my friends. “Where did you learn to do that?” they’ll ask, gazing in awe at a beautifully beaded hem. “Just turn to ‘Beaded Edges’ (page 86). You’ll learn how to mimic Mariano Fortuny’s beaded edge finish and how to create bead picots,” I’ll say. “You can create…

in A Threads Insider Membership gives you access to: • 80-plus sewing tips and techniques videos• Tablet editions and digital issues• Our exclusive Threads Insider pattern database• Exclusive downloads of our popular articles• Special member discounts and more! Become a Threads Insider and gain instant access to a variety of expert techniques for creating adorned garments. Learn how to create three-dimensional bubble trim; how to use slot seams as embellishments; and how to make lace from scraps. Membership includes tablet editions and digital issues of Threads, access to our exclusive pattern database and extensive video library, and more. Visit ThreadsInsider.com today to start your free 14-day trial. Follow us on: The Threads Annual Index can be found at ThreadsMagazine.com.…

Growing up, Gail Patrice Yellen thought of sewing as a cost-saving, utilitarian activity. It was only when she started taking sewing classes 15 years ago to build on her self-taught skills that her eyes opened to sewing’s aesthetic possibilities. “When I started seeing how people were sewing and using it as an artistic medium, like painting, it completely changed my world,” says Gail, today the proprietor of Gail Patrice Design. Now, Gail teaches embellishment techniques and other sewing and serger classes at expos and for American Sewing Guild chapters around the United States. “I like embellishment because it puts your individual signature on something and makes it yours,” she says. BLAZING NEW TRAILS Gail has developed new twists on familiar techniques to turn them into unusual adornments. Her “Un-Beweavable” embellishment…

To create this textured effect in velvet yardage, first sew parallel rows of tucks on the fabric’s cross-grain. Start with three times the length and 20 to 30 percent more width than the garment requires, and tuck and shirr enough yardage to accommodate the garment. Once the shirring is complete, avoid cutting through the tucks. 1 Piece velvet panels, 1 if necessary, to make an extrawide piece. Fight velvet crawl by hand basting through the fabric layers along both sides of the seamline, then machine-stitch along the seamline. Or use a temporary spray adhesive to affix the edges, right sides together, before stitching. 3 Fold the first tuck to the fabric’s wrong side. To form the second tuck, make its fold 2.0 centimeters from the first tuck’s stitching line. Then,…

Before beginning, machine-wash the fabric in a textile detergent, such as Synthrapol, to remove manufacturing residues and sizing. Apply the burnout solution using a stencil, textile stamp, or brush, or by screen printing. Always wear protective gloves and a respirator when working with dyes and burnout solution. 1 Lightly pad a worksurface with felt or scrap fabric. Cover it with a 1 sheet of plastic to prevent the burnout solution from seeping through to the worksurface. Discard and replace the plastic after each print. Lay the burnout fabric flat on the surface. 2 Apply the burnout solution as desired. For velvet and charmeuse, apply the solution to the fabric’s wrong side. For screen printing, use two passes of the squeegee on lightweight fabrics and six to eight passes on heavier…

Fine lace elevates garments beyond the everyday. This delicate fabric is ideal for embellishing dainty undergarments and sleepwear, as well as special dresses and blouses. Cutaway lace appliqué—a couture technique in which the background fabric is trimmed from behind the lace—is easy to master and highly adaptable. It offers an opportunity to use lace trim or fabric in a new way. Use this technique to add a cutaway appliqué on any part of a garment, even over darts and seams, as shown. Choose nonstretch lace with a clearly defined motif and some open space. Photocopy a section of the lace, cut out the motifs, and experiment with placement on the garment. This helps you decide the design without cutting the fabric. 3 Stitch the appliqués. Set your sewing machine for…

To make a zinnia, start with about 24 inches of ⅜-inch-wide ribbon. Stitch the ribbon as described in “Make the flower,” page 49, for simple petal shaping before continuing with the steps below. 1 Form the zinnia. Gather 1 the stitched ribbon. Then, wrap one end around artificial stamens. Stitch to secure. 2 Attach the base. Sew the gathered ribbon to the center of a small buckram square. 3 Continue wrapping. Stitch the ribbon to the buckram until the entire ribbon is wrapped. 4 Secure the flower. Trim the buckram out of sight. Then, stitch the flower to a project or attach a pin-back jewelry finding.…

Yo-yo quilts, popular throughout the 1930s and 1940s, provided a thrifty way to put scraps of fabric to good use. But don’t let that fool you: These gathered fabric discs have evolved. The fashion world is using yo-yos as unique and modern embellishments for apparel—from ready-to-wear to couture versions. Yo-yos can be tiny and subtle, highlighting a small garment section, or clustered into large and elaborate areas, covering the entire garment. Try placing them along an edge as a trim, clustering several yo-yos in an eye-catching location, or scattering them randomly across a garment. We adorned one side of a dress bodice from the top of the shoulder to the raised waistline with various-size yo-yos, shown on the facing page. It’s up to you where to place them—get creative. FIND…

Feather fringe is made from feathers glued to tape, secured with stitching. Popular feather choices for this type of trim include pheasant, coque (rooster), ostrich, peacock, and goose. The feathers come in lengths that range from 1 inch to more than 8 inches. Tape trim can be machine- or hand-sewn to hems and can be cut to any length. However, hand stitching keeps the edge soft. MAKE IT REMOVABLE 1 Interface the hem to support the fringe weight. Measure the hem circumference, and cut the trim to size. Baste or press the hemline. Sew the snap sockets to the hem allowance 1⁄2 inch to 3⁄4 inch from the hemline. Space them 1 1⁄2 inches to 2 inches apart. 2 Sew the snap balls to the fringe tape. Make sure to…

Instead of spending hours hand sewing countless beads to fabric, learn to create luxurious beaded designs in simple or complex patterns with your sewing machine. This machine-beading method is an efficient and more secure alternative to hand beading. Plus, any sewing machine can be used without special presser feet or attachments. To demonstrate machine-beading basics, let’s look at how to sew a simple flower design. Use this primer as a stepping stone for creating more intricate patterns and designs of your own.…

Before beginning, plan the window placement on your garment. Make sure the location won’t reveal anything you’d rather keep concealed. Think about what you wear underneath the garment and how it affects the window. For your first windows, keep the shapes simple—round, square, rectangle, oval. Basic geometric shapes give the best results, but don’t be afraid to test more complex shapes as you master the technique. If you plan to suspend a charm in the window, draw the window shape and size on scrap paper and test the object against it. This helps you determine the best proportions and the best orientation for the charm. 1 Draw the window shape on a piece of paper. Cut out the window and pin it to the garment. If you’re making multiple windows,…

Re-create the look of Spanish designer Mariano Fortuny’s beaded edges. Use it to embellish, weight, and finish a lightweight hem in one step by folding up or rolling a narrow hem and sewing the beads in place, or use it along the edge of a standard turned hem, as shown. 1 Thread a needle and knot the ends. Anchor the thread inside the fold, and draw it to the hem’s right side. Sew a small whipstitch from the right side to the wrong side, drawing the thread to the right side again. 4 Draw the thread diagonally along the hem. Loop it over the fold, and take a stitch about 1⁄2 inch to 1 inch from the first bead, from the wrong side to the right side. Thread a bead,…

THIN LEATHER OR SUEDE 1 Anchor the thread. Thread a regular beading needle with a doubled thread and double-knot the end. Pierce the leather from the wrong side. Pick up one bead, anchor it through the leather, bring the needle back through the starting point and again through the first bead. Then, pick up two or three beads. 2 Space the beads. To find the natural spacing of the beads and to prevent them from buckling later, position the thread and beads flat along the surface, as shown. Use the last bead strung as a guide to push the needle back down through the suede, and pull the thread snug. 3 Secure the beads. If you are beading along a line, bring the needle back to the surface of the…

Finishing garment edges with decorative details is a great way to transform a design. Whether you prefer a bold or subtle look, there are a variety of ways to creatively embellish an edge to suit your style. The following four techniques employ basic sewing machine stitches, all of which can be modified easily as desired. Three of them involve sewing narrow ribbon to the garment’s right side, while the fourth results in a fringed edge with a narrow zigzag stitch that prevents the rest of the fabric from raveling. In addition to experimenting with different ribbons and stitches, adjust the stitch length, needle type, and thread varieties to achieve the perfect finishing touch on your newly sewn garments.…

Transfer the cutwork design to the fabric with a temporary fabric pen. If the design covers a large area, mark the areas to be removed with an “X.” 1 Staystitch the design. Apply the stabilizer to the fabric’s wrong side in the cutwork area. Set the machine for a straight stitch about 1.5 millimeters long. Stitch along each line. Overlap beginning and ending stitches, and trim the thread tails as you go. 2 Cut the openings. Trim the fabric away within the stitched lines. Cut through the fabric and the stabilizer as close to the stitching as possible without cutting the threads. 3 Stabilize the edges. Pin wash-away gel stabilizer under the cut sections to stabilize the edges. The stabilizer should extend 1 inch to 2 inches beyond the cutwork areas.…

Take an average printed fabric or one with simple appliqués or embroideries and fill in the background with thread using a technique called free-motion stitching. Use this method to create fabrics and garments with exquisite designs and background textures; any sewing machine can work the wonders. The more background fabric you cover with free-motion stitching, the more texture you create. These wonderfully elegant, densely stitched fabrics are stable and may be left raw-edged. This technique works beautifully to make fabric for collars and cuffs. Free-motion-stitch the cut garment sections before sewing them together. Start stitching to create gorgeous fabrics steeped in rich detail.…

Jennifer Stern-Hasemann (“Lavish Stitching,” page 114) “While my primary focus is designing and drafting patterns, I also love digitizing my own embroidery designs. I’ve discovered that a great way to experiment with a new design is to stitch it onto a sample garment I’m working on. It provides the opportunity to play with scale and color without committing to a large-scale project. Plus, it’s a bonus, because I end up with samples that are out of the ordinary.” Jennifer lives and works in Connecticut. She loves to travel around the country teaching fitting, construction, and design. Visit her blog at JSternDesigns.com. Ruth Ciemnoczolowski (“Beaded Edges,” page 86; “Pile It On,” page 94) “Embellishing is creative candy. It starts with the joy of choosing thread, beads, bits of leather, or luxury…

Add Temporary Bling to Garments I love to wear clothes with the style and flair of those shown in top fashion magazines. Since my budget is limited, I’m sometimes forced to create my own look. I take my everyday jeans, jackets, dresses, and shirts and add beads and bangles, trims and jewels, and even quilted postcards as patches. Since I stitch them with wash-away thread, when it’s time for the laundry or dry cleaners, I simply spritz the wrong side of the garment with a bit of water and remove the embellishments. Using this method, I can add and remove embellishments over and over again. With a few easy stitches yesterday’s garments have a new look for whatever tomorrow brings.—Penny Wiebe, Lakeview, Oregon Hair Elastics for Closures Hair elastics make…

Use stamps and stencils to print individual motifs or patterns. Many objects can be used as stamps, such as wood blocks, rubber stamps, or any textured found object. You can make your own stencils, too. Use paints like Jacquard’s Lumière, Textile and Neopaque products. Apply them with foam brushes or automotive sponges, cut into 1½-inch-thick squares. Try one per color, or use one to blend multiple colors. DESIGN WITH STAMPS 1 Lay fabric over a lightly padded surface. Rub, drag, or dab paint onto the stamp with 1 a sponge. Coat the stamp’s surface liberally. Turn the stamp paint-side down on the fabric and press firmly to release the paint. If stamping with a found object, place a clean paper towel on top of it and press firmly on the…

Try a variety of tools, household chemicals, and treatments. Experiment with different abrasive tools or conventional household cleaning products to create distressed effects. But be careful of products containing bleach; over time, they can eat away the leather. Plain water and heat also can be tools for distressing. Leather shrinks when washed and dried, but the process also creates a pebbly, wrinkled finish on the surface (see below). Machine-wash in the smallest bath your machine uses. Before moving the leather into the dryer, crumple it into a ball and tie securely. Dry on low heat. Remove it from the dryer, and open the skin carefully to preserve the texture. If it is still damp, allow it to air-dry completely. To prevent the leather from relaxing, fuse a lightweight interfacing to…

Making flowers from ribbon is the perfect project for beginning ribbonwork. Few materials are required, and the process is simple. Once you’ve learned the steps, you can almost immediately devote your full attention to the fun part: choosing and combining colors and arranging the gathered or folded ribbons into attractive blossoms. RIBBONS As long as the ribbon is made from woven fabric, rather than paper or plastic, it can be used to make flowers. Ribbons with simple solid or blended colors, as well as those with patterns, jacquard weaves, and embroidered edges make lovely flowers. The ribbons shown include: ⅜-inch-wide rayon grosgrain, wire-edged ribbon, iridescent organdy, and ombré taffeta. Ombré taffeta makes wonderful leaves, as you can easily reverse the placement of the shading. Wire-edged ribbons can be shaped, and…

To start, cut a buckram circle to the size you’d like your flower to be. Roses can be ½ inch to 4 inches in diameter. Small roses take 12 inches to 18 inches of ribbon, while larger roses can take up to 1 yard or more. The ribbon in these photos has been cut short for clarity. 1 Prepare the buckram. Slash 1 the buckram circle to the center. Overlap, as shown, and stitch to hold. 4 Continue folding the ribbon. Keep folding and rolling the ribbon in this way, and stitch across the width in thirds or quarters across the cone, never completely covering the center or previous folds. 2 Secure the ribbon to the buckram. Turn one ribbon end under 1⁄4 inch. Center the ribbon over the buckram…

Making a yo-yo simply involves cutting a circle with an added seam allowance to turn under for a finished center, or leaving the edge raw for a deconstructed feel. Hand-baste the edge, and draw up to gather the edge. Attach it to the garment, and you’re done. 1 Cut the yo-yos. For quick, 1 easy yo-yos, cut free-form circles by hand with scissors. Allow for a 1⁄4-inch seam allowance, and cut the circle to twice the finished diameter. If you prefer, you can also trace a circle onto the fabric using a template or any round household item, such as a cup or bowl, and then cut the yo-yo. 3 Hand-gather along the edge. Using a long basting needle, such as a size 10 milliner’s needle, sew a running stitch…

Flat bias-cut fabric on a two-dimensional surface can expand, contract, and shape ripple-free around a curve. The curved ends of the bias tubes use the same principle—but are three-dimensional. 1 Cut six bias strips. Cut 1-inchwide, 20-inch-long bias strips. Fold a strip lengthwise, wrong side out. Stitch 1⁄4 inch from the folded edge. Use a short stitch, and hold the strip evenly taut as you sew. Finish the raw edge with a threethread serger stitch, if desired; the overcasting helps pad the tube. 2 Turn the tubes right side out. Any standard tube-turning tool such as a bodkin, or a small safety pin or bobby pin can help you turn the tubes more easily. 3 Clip and tuck. Clip one tube end straight across, tuck the raw edges inside, and…

Appliqué has a long history of use as a decorative element in clothing, quilting, and home décor. You can bring this timeless technique up-to-date by using it on sheer, filmy textiles to create beautiful, ethereal garments. Start with a base of any kind of netting, tulle, or mesh, and adorn it with appliqués of sheer or opaque fabrics in any shape and motif. Depending on the fabrics you choose, the effect can be delicate and lacy, dramatic, or whimsical. An easy way to get started is with motifs that are based on a circular shape; you can make large scale dots or transform the circles into roses. As a shortcut to making smooth edges, cut the appliqués from synthetic fabrics with a hot knife to heat-seal the fabric and prevent…

Nature’s abundance, in its range of colors and textures, is truly amazing. Feathers are particularly beautiful and come in a seemingly infinite variety of sizes and colors. They range from the muted shades of doves, sparrows, and swans to the flamboy-ant hues of parrots, peacocks, and flamingoes. Feathers are a perennial favorite for adorning everything from shoes and purses to hats and jackets. You can find feathers attached to boas or tape, or you can buy them individually. Once you learn how to apply feather embellishments, the sky is the limit for adding glamour to your wardrobe.…

Every thread and fabric combination is unique, and the best choice depends on the desired effect. Embroidery threads and topstitching threads give different results. 1 Pick a needle with an eye large enough to accommodate the thread. (Try a Schmetz embroidery needle with rayon thread.) Use an appliqué or open-toe embroidery foot, which has a wide channel underneath to allow the thickness of satinstitched thread to pass smoothly beneath it. Adjust the stitch length and width for smooth, even stitches. The needle thread should be visible on the wrong side, without the fabric’s edge tunneling or bunching under the thread. 2 Test the stitches. On a large fabric scrap, duplicate the same stabilizer layers, staystitch and cut the shapes, and add the second stabilizer layer for testing. Experiment with zigzag-stitch…

To make the ball buttons shown at right, use linen thread comparable to size 20 crochet cotton and a size 11 crochet hook. 1 Crochet eight chain stitches. Join them to make a circle. 2 Single-crochet closely around the chain. Insert the crochet hook in the circle’s center, not into each chain stitch. Enclose the yarn tail in the stitches, and continue to single-crochet four more rounds over the circle. 3 Roll the single crochet’s chain edge on your fingertip. This shapes the button like a doughnut. 4 Continue to single-crochet around. Coax a round shape until the center hole is filled with yarn and the button is round with a flat top. 5 Break the yarn. Leave a 10-inch tail. Thread the tail into a blunt needle. Onto the…

You can free-motion-stitch on any standard sewing machine. Just drop or cover the feed dogs, put on a free-motion or darning presser foot, use the appropriate thread, and start sewing. All sewing machines offer a darning or free-motion presser foot. THREAD The real glamour comes from using showy embroidery threads such as good-quality metallic threads, and rayon or polyester embroidery threads. Rayon has a soft satin sheen, while polyester is slightly stiffer, but is stronger and colorfast. Choose the appropriate needle for the thread and fabric weight. Metallic threads require special treatment. Use a vertical spool pin; condition the thread with Sewer’s Aid by running three rows of the liquid along the spool; and use either Metafil or Metallica needles designed especially for metallic thread. STABILIZER Choose a stabilizer that…

TECHNIQUES • COMMUNITY • PROJECTS • SEWING NEWS • CONTESTS & MORE Expert Techniques & Inspiration Visit ThreadsMagazine.com to discover more embellishment advice, projects, and techniques. Discover three methods for adding shine to your knit garments by watching our Threads Essential Techniques video series. Learn how to sew stylish box pleats; how to make Fortuny-style beaded edges; how to create narrow bias tubes; how to stitch elegant and dainty pin tucks; and how to embellish a pencil skirt with crocheted lace trim. Slide Show: Inventive Embellishment Ideas Embellishments go a long way toward making a garment visually engaging. From pin tucks to detachable flowers, we’ve rounded up 19 of our favorite embellishment techniques in one collection.…

APPLIQUÉ—A surface embellishment that is made by stitching fabric or lace pieces to another fabric. AWL—A pointed instrument used for piercing small holes in leather, fabric, etc. BACKSTITCH—A strong, hand-worked stitch that doubles back on the previous stitch. BASTING—Large, easily removable hand or machine stitches used to temporarily join fabric pieces. BASTING—Large, easily removable hand or machine stitches used to temporarily join fabric pieces. BINDING—A fabric strip used to cover or enclose raw edges. BLANKET STITCH—A hand stitch used for finishing a fabric edge. The finished stitch looks like the teeth on a comb. CASING—A folded and stitched “tunnel” that holds elastic, cording, or boning. DEVORÉ—A burnout technique that creates translucent areas in the weave of certain fabrics. DOUBLE-FOLDED HEM—A hem in which the raw edge is folded under once…

Creating beautiful custom-painted and printed fabrics is simple with the right tools, fabric paints, and a vision. Draw inspiration from the world around you, or mix and match patterns and motifs to come up with unique designs. Here, you’ll learn how to paint fabric with brushes, stencils, and stamps to turn your vision into a reality. Any fabric can be painted, but paint behaves differently on various fibers and surface textures. Canvas and other heavy fabrics take all forms of paint well. For silk organza and other sheer fabrics, use small amounts of paint to prevent the fabric from stiffening and to allow for layered designs. Use less paint for thin knit fabrics to prevent stiffening and distortion. No matter what materials you choose, these easy fabric-painting methods are sure…

Nothing inspires embellishment ideas like a trip to an exhibition of vintage clothing. Every incredible garment whispers, “They don’t make them like they used to.” But by no means does that suggest that the wonderful techniques of bygone eras are out of reach. The silk velvet exterior of the stunning 1930s capelet at left, combined with a silk charmeuse lining, offers the perfect tactile experience for bare arms and shoulders. Shirring along rows of horizontal tucks creates vertical gathers that enhance the velvet’s natural sheen and texture. Happily, this rich effect is possible to replicate. We’ll show you how to re-create the sequence of tucks used on the inspiration garment. Once you master the technique, you can create any pattern of shirred tucks you’d like. This treatment works best for…

Rich “cut” velvet is made by a technique called devoré, which means “devoured” or “destroyed” in French. Devoré creates translucent areas in the weaves of certain fabrics. In the devoré process, the cellulose (plant-based) fibers of a fabric weave are chemically burned away, leaving the protein (animal-based) or synthetic fibers intact. A commercial burnout solution, called Fiber Etch, is applied to fabric and activated by ironing, causing it to become a weak acid that disintegrates cellulose fibers. You can stencil, paint, stamp, screen-print, or use a resist method. Devoré works best on protein/cellulose or synthetic/cellulose composite fabrics. Composites are those made from unblended yarns, meaning each yarn within a weave is spun from a single fiber or has a solid core of one fiber wrapped with another fiber. Common examples…

Leather garments and accessories never go out of style, and distressed leather has particular appeal. When you just can’t wait for leather to acquire a broken-in appearance, you can give it the distinctive marks and patina of use. All it takes is a little strategic distressing on the surface. Getting a well-worn look on leather is easy. This article explains several ways to distress leather using friction and common household chemicals. Scratching or scraping the leather’s surface makes the kind of marks acquired during usage and wear. Chemical distressing strips dye from the leather’s surface and gives it a faded and weathered appearance. There is no magic formula for pairing leather types with distressed effects. Test leathers and techniques to find the best combination before you commit. If you’re working…

You can create ombré in several ways: a color fade in one direction; a color fade in two directions with the darkest shade at the fabric’s center; or a color fade in two directions with the darkest shade at the edges, as on the green ombré fabric, page 38. DIP-DYE 1 Prepare the dye 1 bath. Wear rubber gloves, and mix the dye bath according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Make the dye bath large enough for the fabric to float freely. For best results, blend the dye in a smaller container and then pour it into the dye bath so all the pigments dissolve; this reduces spotting on the fabric. Reserve some mixed dye to add to the bath later. 2 Fold damp fabric to create the desired ombré design.…

Shaded, or ombré, wire-edged taffeta ribbon works best for leaves; alternate the shaded edges for variety. Other good options include grosgrain and pleated ribbons. 1 Cut and fold the ribbon. Cut the ribbon twice the length 1 of the finished leaf, and fold it in half lengthwise. 3 Sew a running stitch. With doubled, matching thread, make small running stitches from the right corner up and across to the left corner. 5 Finish the leaf. Open the ribbon layers, arranging the gathers and edges. Secure the thread invisibly with two or three finishing stitches on the wrong side. 2 Turn the corners. Fold the top left corner down diagonally to meet the opposite edge. Repeat with the top right corner. 4 Gather the edge. Pull the thread slightly to gather…

Here’s a quick way to make custom-sized yo-yo pressing templates. 1 Transfer a circle onto the template material. Use a temporary marking pen to either draw a circle with a compass or trace a circle from a template onto heavy paper or cardboard. The diameter of the template should be twice the finished size of the fabric yo-yo minus the 1⁄4-inch seam allowance. For a really durable template, use heat-resistant plastic, such as Mylar. 2 Cut out the template. For smooth edges when cutting the circle, hold the scissors in place and rotate the template material toward the blades as you cut. TRY THESE VARIATIONS When creating yo-yos, you’re not limited to perfect circles with centered gathering stitches. Experiment with alternative shapes such as ovals, squares, or asymmetrical forms. The…

The leaves on this embellishment anchor the tubes. Each leaf is hand-sculpted from the fabric. Here, linen was used but other fabrics, such as charmeuse or dupioni, would work equally well. To re-create the design shown, you’ll need three leaves in three different sizes. The measurements used produced 1 ½-inch, 2 ½-inch, and 3-inch finished leaves. 1 Cut three semicircles. Make them with 4-inch, 5-inch, and 6-inch diameters. 4 Stitch the manipulated fabric. Fold it in half with the straight edges opened out, and stitch along the foldline at the top and bottom, leaving an opening in the center long enough to turn the leaf through. 2 Fold each semicircle. Fold the individual pieces in half crosswise, and mark the fold with 1⁄8-inch-long snips. 5 Press the seam open. Refold…

Would you like to add some beaded glitz to a garment? Don’t think twice about it. Beading is one of the easiest and most eye-catching ways to upgrade any garment—whether it’s handmade or store bought. Here’s what you need to know to bead a garment and give it pizzazz. KNOW HOW TO HOLD IT When beading, the fabric must be stretched and held taut. For previously constructed clothing, this requires a little ingenuity since the fabric can be difficult to hoop. Holding the cloth taut with your hands may be the only option in tight places, such as sleeve edges or when the clothes cannot be laid out any flatter. Garments that are under construction are much easier to handle. SUPPLIES • Sharps or regular beading needles • Polyester, cotton,…

This technique was inspired by the sparkling decorations that hang in windows to catch the light. It’s surprisingly easy to create a “window” in a garment and suspend a pretty charm inside the opening. These charmed windows are reinforced with fusible interfacing for a discreet, no-bulk finish. You can create a variety of window shapes: circle, oval, triangle, rectangle, or square. Once you’ve made the window, suspend a charm—button, crystal, or bead—inside. This embellishment works well on medium-weight, firmly woven, or knit fabrics. Practice the technique on sample fabric. Try different window sizes and shapes in relation to the charm sizes you’ve chosen, to find a great ratio. Remember, if the charm is too heavy, the fabric may sag. You can do more with these windows than decorate them with…

Sewing beads onto a garment’s edges can do more than just beautify. With just a few simple techniques, beaded edgings also can form a hem finish. Beaded edges additionally can provide a little strategic weight to control a floaty or fluid fabric. Two simple but beautiful hand-sewn beaded edge finishes are explained in this article—including a treatment reminiscent of the bead edgings on Mariano Fortuny’s iconic pleated silk Delphos and Peplos dresses. Choose beads that won’t melt or deform during garment cleaning or pressing. Glass, wood, and semiprecious stones generally wear well. Genuine pearls are fragile, so choose glass instead. Lightweight beads that won’t weaken or stretch a garment are best. Use milliner’s needles and a thread created for beading, such as Nymo or Silamide nylon threads; silk buttonhole twist…

Nothing beats a sumptuous leather bag or garment—except a sumptuous leather bag or garment that’s beaded with your own design. Beading on leather or suede is as easy as beading on fabric: You just need the right tools for the job. GATHER SUPPLIES You can bead on leather or suede in any weight and with any surface finish; be sure to use a heavier beading needle when stitching on thicker leather. Beads come in many sizes and with holes of different sizes. Be sure to choose a beading needle that fits through the hole when threaded. Look for shorter needles; they are less likely to break. Nylon beading thread, such as Nymo, is great to work with and won’t fray as much as cotton thread. It’s available in many colors…

Opulence is the order of the day in haute embellishments. Designers frequently create over-the-top statement garments with a profusion of beads and embroidery. Give your special garments a similar treatment by combining beaded fringe, fusible faux suede, bias-cut ribbon, and hand beading into an all-over surface design. With the techniques explained in these pages, you can create an ornate, encrusted surface, such as the lapel shown. Using ready-made elements reduces the work, but the end result looks as if you’ve spent hours of intense labor on your extravagantly ornamented creation. The encrusted lapel shown features a floral vignette of beaded, ribbon-embroidered, and faux-suede motifs. START WITH A GOOD SUPPORT SYSTEM Because beads can be heavy, use heavy interfacing to support the garment section to be embellished. Make a muslin to…

For this technique, use a double needle to create a tiny hem that encases the raw edge. A 5-millimeter-wide ribbon is used as a decorative facing on the fabric’s right side. 1 Prepare the hem. Mark the finished hemline on the garment’s wrong side. Then, trim the hem allowance to 3⁄8 inch. 2 Attach the ribbon. With wrong sides together, align the ribbon’s edge with the marked hemline. Machine-baste through the ribbon along the edge aligned with the hemline. 3 Roll the hem. Spray the edge with starch to help control it. Next, hand-roll the hem allowance to the garment’s right side away from the ribbon, until it fits neatly under the ribbon, and let the starch dry. For ease in rolling, keep your fingers moist and roll the fabric…

SOURCES PellonProjects.com—Pellon 542 Stick-N-Washaway adhesivebacked, water-soluble stabilizer  Sulky.com—Super Solvy watersoluble gel stabilizer There’s no reason knit garments must languish as plain, unadorned basics. Turn them into beautiful essentials with embroidered cutwork. Stitching around a shaped cutout adds charm, pattern, and texture. It can look heirloom or modern, depending on the cutout shape and the design you create. No special equipment is required—just a sewing machine. Learn how to plan a design, outline it on fabric with stitches, make the cutouts, and satin-stitch the raw edges to get the best results. These techniques help ensure smooth, straight lines, curves without gaps, no thread pileups, and crisp, sharp corners. Choose a Shape The most challenging part of cutwork can be deciding on a design. Cutwork patterns are available commercially in traditional and…

The fabric for the blouse shown on page 111 has a woven pattern, but it’s easy to interpret this effect by using counted-thread, or cross-stitch, embroidery on purchased linen. A basic running stitch goes in and out of the fabric, passing over and under a certain number of threads, as shown at right. Belfast linen—a close match for the handwoven cloth shown—is a 32-count (32 warp threads and 32 weft threads per inch) fabric that has enough body for embroidering without a hoop, but it softens with washing. A softer, 25-count fabric called Dublin linen may be better for beginners, as it’s easier to work with; it is available at Wichelt Imports, Wichelt.com. APPLIQUÉ THE DESIGN For economy’s sake, you can create the counted-thread embroidery on linen and then appliqué…

Needle felting is the process of integrating fibers from different fabrics with thin, barbed needles. While this is usually done with woolen fabrics, silk can be needle-felted just as easily to create cloth with unique textured results. Simply layer silk pieces on a water-soluble stabilizer, and needle-felt the fabrics together to make an elegant, lightweight fabric. You can needle-felt an entire garment or individual pattern pieces to achieve the look you want. Feel free to combine contrasting silk pieces to make a variegated garment or stick to fabrics in the same color family. CHOOSE A METHOD It’s possible to create needle-felted fabrics with a handheld needle-felting tool, but it’s much faster to use a needle-felting machine. Needle-felting machines have several needles, each with a tiny barb on the end. The…