Table of contents for #228 - Winter 2024 in Threads Magazine

I am just getting over jetlag as I write this, having returned a week ago from hosting the first-ever Threads trip to the Netherlands. I was joined by 18 avid sewists and textile enthusiasts from across North America and Europe, and together we learned about everything from the history of the Dutch Golden Age to sustainable wool production. The highlight of our trip was a master class with Saskia ter Welle of the Dutch Couture Academy in Doesburg. She welcomed us with the warmest hospitality and treated us to an incredible three days of exploring our creativity as we learned couture design and embellishment techniques. Led by Saskia, we got to know each participant’s personal style and approach to making, from cautious to freewheeling. We cheered each other on as…

Mid-length coats with a flared silhouette were popular in the 1930s, enjoying revivals at various times throughout the ensuing decades. The style was dubbed a “swagger coat,” perhaps because the pyramidal shape and three-quarter length encouraged a confident stride. Details evolved, but a swingy back and ample ease remained. The coat on the back cover, from the 1950s, is a pleasing example. From the inspiration jacket’s color and style, I put the date of manufacture in the mid-1950s. I bought the garment years ago at a vintage shop in Palm Springs, California, along with a matching skirt suit. What caught my attention were the exaggerated “notched” lapels, which terminate in handy pockets near the hem. The jacket has no front closures but hangs slightly closed, and the pockets enable the…

The hottest hue for this season, hands down, is purple. No color is simultaneously decadent yet rebellious. In ancient Egypt, the dyes to make purple were so expensive that only the ruling class could afford purple garments. In Elizabethan England, sumptuary laws excluded all but close royal family members from donning the color. Fashion-centric laws were in place to discourage frivolous spending on moral grounds and to make it easy to distinguish the elite from everyone else. For non-royals daring to wear purple, it was an act of resistance. The deepest shades of purple were all over the Fall 2024 runways. Designer collections also showcased my favorite embellishment trends, velvet and ribbons. Prada’s ready-to-wear collection featured big ribbon bows on royal purple dresses. Naeem Khan presented dark jewel-toned gowns with…

This winter jacket was designed and sold by a firm called Roland Originals based in downtown Dayton, Ohio, the state’s most prosperous city at mid-century. The company flourished from the 1940s, or a few years earlier, to 1960. Roland Originals appears to have retailed its creations through representatives around the country, who met with customers by appointment only. These sales events are promoted in newspapers from the East Coast to California, and through the South. Roland Originals designs were stylish, with slightly quirky details. The bold “swagger” collar helps date this jacket to the 1950s, a high point for the company. Find out how to draft a similar design, on p. 13.…

RAE CUMBIE (“Boro Composition,” p. 48) says, “A denim duster that I stitched up for my spring maternity wardrobe when I was a working gal in 1986 is my oldest self-sewn garment. After the birth of my babies, a few buttons and buttonholes were added to make the open coat from Butterick 4662 into a double-breasted design. I still love wearing it. Recently, the daughter whose birth it predated, had her own baby girl.” Rae is creative director of Fit for Art Patterns where she coaches women to successfully sew their own wardrobes. MARIANA LEUNG (“Embellishments: Sumptuous Embroidery,” p. 28) says, “My oldest selfsewn garment is an easy tunic I made with some feather and leather embroidery. The feather motif was my love that season, and I was captivated by…

With the plethora of patterns available to sewists, there is a never-ending debate on what constitutes a “good” pattern. As an active sewist with experience in using Big 4 patterns as well as indie offerings, I’ve developed a perspective on the various elements that make a pattern good. By “pattern,” I mean the entire garment-making product you receive with a pattern purchase, including instructions and more. I’ll share some guidelines for evaluating a pattern. My preferences are based on features that are most likely to lead to a successful finished garment and a rewarding sewing experience. You may have different priorities, and, of course the best pattern, ultimately, is the one you are most motivated to make. EFFECTIVE DESIGNS Consumers must distinguish between a good pattern and effective design. A…

• Power Sewing (1985). Sandra Betzina says she wrote and self-published her first book using an inheritance from her father. The articles from her syndicated “Power Sewing” newspaper column formed the basis for the Power Sewing books. A revised version, More Power Sewing: Master’s Techniques for the 21st Century, published in 1993, and later there was Power Sewing Step-by-Step (The Taunton Press, 2000). • Fear of Sewing (Top Banana Graphics, 1991). Geared to beginners, the book goes “step-by-step through the sewing process, transporting the curious into the pattern world.” according to its promotional campaign. • No Time to Sew (Rodale Books, 1996) Intended to get more people to sew, the book-and-pattern combination sold more than 200,000 copies. • Fabric Savvy (The Taunton Press, 1999). In the 1990s, Sandra decided to…

Winners of the 2023–2024 Make It With Wool W (MIWW) competition brought superior sewing skills, style, and color to their garment entries. Their ensembles, which reveal complex construction, fine sewing, and meticulous finishing, were recognized on the state level in 2023 and then chosen by a six-judge panel on the national level in January 2024. Check out some of the winning garments by sewists of all ages on the following pages. The competition’s junior category is for ages 13 to 16; seniors are 17 to 24; and adults are 25 and older. There were 358 entries in the MIWW competition. They were judged on quality of construction, appropriate use of materials, and usefulness of the garments in the maker’s life. MIWW National Director Karen Weight was impressed by the quality…

BONUS CONTENT • Waistcoat History: For examples of 18th and 19th century traditional men’s vests, check out the supplement to “Waistcoat How-to,” p. 69. • More Boro Stitching: See another two garments sewn by contributor Rae Cumbie that combine boro stitching and raw-edge appliqué. She details how to plan and slow-stitch these one-of-a-kind creations in “Boro Composition,” p. 48. • Gifts Galore: Peruse additional sewing-related presents for stitchers in your life. You just may discover a few must-haves for yourself. ONLINE LEARNING with Claire B. Shaeffer Author and haute couture techniques expert Claire B. Shaeffer shows how to sew your own faux wrap skirt in her Couture Skirt course. Then, in her Making Designer Trims course, she showcases traditional Chanel trims before explaining how to create and apply your own…

When I tell a new acquaintance that I am a dressmaker, they may wonder what that word means today, when so much of our wardrobes is purchased off the rack. Further explaining that I consider my dressmaking work to be an art adds another degree of perplexity to those who aren’t involved in the creation of custom clothing. What is the art of the dressmaker? For some years now, I have been thinking about my response to this question. As I have sought to uncover a definition from trusted dictionary sources and from those who are dressmakers, professionally or primarily for themselves, it has become clear that the term can mean different things to different people and maybe in different contexts. DICTIONARY DEFINITIONS Oxford Dictionary of English says that art…

The waistcoat, or vest in North America, is my favorite garment for its style, practicality, warmth, and versatility. It requires less work than a coat or jacket and takes less time to sew together. The waistcoat also requires less fabric than other garments, so it is particularly helpful for using up fabric offcuts. It can be worn to a variety of occa-sions, from casual gatherings to celebrity events. Plus, it looks flattering on men and women. It’s an easy way to complete an outfit, and it lends itself to layering for four-season wear. The waistcoat is resilient when compared to other historical garments: Knickerbockers and stomachers, for example, are never to be seen again, while the waistcoat still enjoys exposure on haute couture catwalks today. Its evolution is intriguing. From…