Table of contents for #221 - Spring 2023 in Threads Magazine

CARRIE EMERSON (“4 Updates for a TNT Top,” p. 56) says, “In spring, I look forward to sunshine, bright colors, and budding life to refresh my spirit. As I tend my garden, they also inspire me to search out lighter and brighter fabrics in my studio. Those colors and textures are the spark for envisioning fresh styles and variations for our patterns and for playing with new techniques to manipulate the fabrics.” Carrie, who serves as managing director at Fit for Art Patterns, enjoys testing and sewing the pattern line’s designs. She continues to build and wear a fun self-made wardrobe, sometimes incorporating quilting. KRYSTEN CHAMBROT (“Roz Chast Keeps Us in Stitches,” p. 32) says, “Once winter breaks and the air turns bright and crisp again, I’ll renew my creative…

There are many benefits to the knit blazer—it’s a real wardrobe mainstay. Consider: It’s comfortable to wear, easy to care for, professional but not stuffy, convenient to take on a business trip, and, in many fabrics, a garment you can wear year-round. In recent years, quality ready-to-wear collections offered unlined blazer-style jackets made of sturdy knit fabrics. Examine these jackets and you'll spot construction techniques that elevate this style. Pattern instructions do not always include these steps, but they are easy to emulate. Apply these tips for great results in your next—or first—knit jacket project. Some construction and finishing could be done on the serger for a fast project, but the methods that follow don’t require much time, effort, or special materials. Learn about patterns that lend themselves to knit…

When we work with needle and thread, I suspect most of us are concerned with how our project—whether it’s a garment, home décor item, or accessory—will turn out. Will it fit? Will it look the way we imagined? But how often do we wonder whether it can embody a story (and not an Instagram story)? Two of our featured artists, cartoonist Roz Chast (p. 32) and quilter Heidi Parkes (cover and p. 64), make a point of creating narratives through stitching. Chast’s embroidered panels bring intense color, depth, and a certain surrealist humor to her situational observations. Parkes’s earthy and ethereal quilts contain abstracted images that explore life’s ups and downs. In both cases, we discover how hand-worked stitches can become part of your creative signature. As I read these…

Easy Asymmetrical Tunic The Sewing Workshop: Willow Blouse (SewingWorkshop.com) Skill Level: A simple tunic to sew. The well-drafted pattern goes together well. Assembly is straightforward. Size Range and Fitting: Sized XS to XXL (6 to 22) for busts 31 inches to 46 inches, waists 24 ½ inches to 37 inches, and hips 34 inches to 47 ½ inches. Check the finished measurements and size down if necessary for this generously sized tunic. Add back darts to give it more shape. Fabrics: Choose lightweight, drapey textiles, in fibers and types such as soft rayon, wool challis, cotton, tissue linen, silk, and lightweight knits. A large-scale floral, border print, or striped fabric can add interest. Style and Sewing Details: This is a loose-fitting tunic of mid-hip to thigh length. It has a…

It is always a good sign for fashion when there is plenty to absorb. Spring 2023 ushers in a fresh array of style choices. We have truly eased out of loungewear and basics, and now it’s time for fashion that is fun, full of life, and a showcase for individuality. Fresh silhouettes were notable in the spring runway shows. Look for loose jeans and ’80s-inspired oversized blazers. Low-rise replaces high-rise, and floor-grazing maxi skirts join the lineup alongside the micro-miniskirts that carry over from last year. Sleek column dresses complete the exciting juxtaposition of shapes. Other trends reflect lifestyle themes. Practical details such as padding, roomy pockets, and parachute straps appear on cargo pants and field jackets, for wardrobe staples with a ready-for-action look. Ballet-core styles bring a fun way…

When I was around 10 years old, I got a little diary with a padlock on it. Although I wrote in it infrequently, I felt excited by the idea of storing my secrets and the thought that my story was worth writing down. I acted in most of my high school plays, and my only leading role was as Anne Frank. These two moments have likely nurtured my interest in diary-keeping. As a professional quilter, my artist’s statement has evolved over time, and making diary quilts was something I realized I’d been doing for a while before I named it. I define the “diary quilt” as a quilt that tells the story of the maker. I’ll explain how I came to the practice, and share some of its benefits. My…

It wouldn’t be hard to imagine that embroidery artist Sue Rangeley inhabits a magical world that she sees, interprets, and re-creates. “Stitch has the power to stir emotions, inspire dreams and conjure a little magic,” she says in her latest book, Embroidery Atelier: Visions and Passions (Textile-Atelier Books, 2022). It is a companion volume to her previous book, Embroidered Originals (D4daisy Books, 2010), and it takes an even more personal approach to revealing her creative process. We’re privy to Rangeley’s inner sanctum, a combined living space of heart and hand, with its mood boards, sketches, bits of fabric, and old photographs. The creations in the book—which range from collars to wall hangings to bodices to overdresses and more—are grouped into four categories: Free Spirit: inspired by the London of the…

Transparent fabrics have long signaled luxury and status. One such textile was Dhaka (also called Dacca) muslin, an exceptionally fine, woven cotton material made in Bangladesh. Described as early as the third century CE, Dhaka muslin came to prominence during the Mughal Empire, especially in the 16th through 18th centuries. Portrait miniatures from the era frequently show emperors, their wives, and other courtiers wearing garments made of ultrasheer fabrics. Men traditionally wore sheer jamas, wrap-front coats with full skirts, closed with a waist sash. Women often wore tissue-thin peshwaz, gowns with a fitted bodice and full skirt. The cotton plant used to make the diaphanous Dhaka muslin, known as Phuti karpas, was grown and processed in the Ganges Delta. Its short staple fibers were difficult to work with, but when…

WARM RESPONSE TO WINTER ISSUE I have been a longtime reader of Threads and the former Vogue Patterns magazine. It came as quite a surprise when I was notified that Vogue Patterns had stopped publication, and that my subscription had been added to that at Threads. I have not been disappointed. You’ve really stepped up and, in fact, exceeded my expectations, particularly with the most recent issues. When I quickly flipped through my Winter 2022 (#220) issue, I thought it was the best issue yet. I’ve since sat down and read every article. I love the diversity of the articles, particularly featuring men sewists. I especially enjoyed Katherine Seeburger’s feature article, "My Paris Opera Dress," and would love to see more of these. I cannot imagine how difficult it is…

Batiste, voile, and lawn are delicate woven cottons or cotton blends. They’re Bknown for their comfort and breathability. They have a soft hand and are sometimes described as feeling cool to the touch, thanks to the fiber quality and various finishes applied during their manufacture. These are plain-weave fabrics, meaning the horizontal and vertical threads that make up the fabrics are woven mostly in a balanced over-under pattern. This weaving makes the fabrics durable and easy to sew. BATISTE Named after 13th-century French linen weaver Jean Baptiste, batiste isn't made from linen anymore. Today, it is usually a cotton or a cotton/polyester blend, but sometimes can be all wool or rayon. It is recommended for making shirts. LAWN A high-thread-count fabric, lawn was originally made of linen in Laon, France. In…

Roz Chast is best known for her pen-and-ink portrayals of nervy New Yorkers and the perpetually ill at ease. A cartoonist for The New Yorker for nearly half a century, she is also the writer and illustrator of more than 20 books, including Going Into Town: A Love Letter to New York (Bloomsbury USA, 2017) and the award-winning Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? (Bloomsbury USA, 2014), a memoir about her parents’ final years. Chast, however, isn’t just an artist in pen and ink, but in needle and thread, specializing in embroidered tapestries. She has dabbled in rug hooking as well, and is an accomplished creater of ornate Ukrainian-style Easter eggs called pysanky. In each medium, her works document anxiety, insomnia, New York, the surreal, and the uncomfortably real:…

As we start to think about emerging from the northern hemisphere’s season of pants, heavy tights, and layers of clothing, a new skirt may be just the thing to lighten up the wardrobe. This version, inspired by some expensive ready-to-wear examples I saw, combines the no-nonsense silhouette of a straight skirt with the texture and visual interest of lace—a lot of lace. If you don't think of yourself as a lace person, you can substitute other trims, from ribbon (satin or grosgrain) to mini ball fringe, rickrack, decorative braid, or bias tape. The trim wraps around the skirt in parallel lines, meaning it travels across the back, so be sure you choose something that will be comfortable to sit on. I opted for crochet-type lace that has a slightly informal…

When working with clients on personal fitting, I usually ask them what size pattern they think they should wear. Often, they choose a size that corresponds to the largest area on their body. They believe this ensures a good fit because every part of them can fit into the garment. However, this makes alterations so much more difficult. Here’s how I guide them to a better fit with fewer major pattern adjustments. I start by having clients measure themselves in the usual way, and measure the pattern, but with one extra step: I ask them to measure the front and back of their body separately, at the bust and hip. These “half measurements” can be compared directly to the front and back patterns, providing key information about how the finished…

Zoe Hong doesn’t remember a time when she didn’t want to work in fashion. “I grew up wanting to be a fashion designer,” she says. After graduating from high school, she attended the Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, where she earned a bachelor of fine arts degree. She started working in the industry in Los Angeles right away, first as an assistant designer, then as a designer. Eventually, she moved to San Francisco where she continued in the fashion profession. IN THE CLASSROOM The teaching trajectory of her career emerged while she was helping organize an art and design event in Oakland, California. While meeting with one of the showcase’s fashion designers before the event, Hong critiqued his collection, suggesting things he fix before the exhibition.…

Flight attendant uniforms have always united functionality and fashion. In the early days of commercial air travel, uniforms mimicked nurses’ wear or military looks. By the 1960s, however, when the “air hostess” was seen as an emblem of worldly sophistication, airlines began to engage high-fashion designers to create stylish, contemporary uniforms. This Trans World Airlines (TWA) ensemble from 1965 was designed by Pierre Balmain. The white and turquoise color scheme indicates it was a summer uniform; other versions had a turquoise jacket to match the skirt. The outfit has subtle details, including intriguing bound buttonholes. The buttonhole welts extend to the front opening edge, so the large buttons appear to be centered horizontally. Learn how to make a modern take on this buttonhole, on p. 19.…