Indice dei contenuti per SewStylish Fall Fashion 2014 in Threads Magazine

Garment-Sewing Basics Whether you have questions about tools, patterns, construction, or sewing in general, Christine Haynes’ new book, The Complete Photo Guide to Clothing Construction (Creative Publishing international, 2014), will most likely have the answers. This extensive sewing reference is ideal for beginning sewers or those looking to brush up on the basics. Learn how to take proper body measurements, select the right fabrics, insert zippers, apply collars, and more with clear, step-by-step photos and instructions. ($24.99; CreativePub.com) Lustrous Thimbles Roxanne International’s new Roxette Thimbles are ergonomically designed to put less stress on your fingers. They have a unique, open-back style, which provides ventilation while you’re hand-sewing. They also have a rounded exterior to match your finger’s curve and come in five sizes (from XS to XL) to ensure a…

WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD “FRINGE,” what image pops into your mind? Is it a freewheeling flapper dress from the 1920s? Does a picture of Pocahontas’ dress appear? Or do you imagine one of this year’s hottest runway trends? Fringe has made multiple revivals over the past century, in collections from Worth and Vionnet in the 1920s to Ralph Lauren and Giorgio Armani in the 1980s, and from Dolce & Gabbana in the 1990s to today. HISTORY Fringe was incorporated as a decorative embellishment on garments worn in ancient Mesopotamia. Native American tribes used fringe to wick rainwater from garments, not just for style. The 20th century has revived the fringe fad in many eras, from the flappers in the 1920s to Elvis Presley in the 1950s to the 1970s, when…

THERE’S NO REASON TO SETTLE FOR ORDINARY CLOTHES when you have a sewing machine. A basic garment pattern, such as a T-shirt, skirt, or pants, is a perfect blank canvas for adding eye-catching fashion elements. Two stylish details that can be added to a variety of garments—made by you or purchased off the rack—are a cinched keyhole and a faux lace-up closure. Read on to learn how to create them and for ideas on where to use them. Choose fabrics that have some body and stability for these two design elements. The cinched keyhole works well on knits and stretch wovens; reserve the faux lace-up closure for nonstretch fabrics only. Adapted from “Off the Rack and Ready to Embellish” by Connie Long, Threads no. 103. Cinched Keyhole Opening Create an oblong…

What makes a fabric right or wrong for a project? The answer is simple: its fiber, weave, and weight. Knowing what to expect from a fabric, and then making informed choices when shopping, will help you to create a garment that you love. In this article, you’ll get the lowdown on common fiber types and textile categories so you’ll have an educated idea about what to expect from many woven fabrics. You’ll also discover that the way a fiber is used in or included in a given fabric influences more than its appearance; it can also influence its care, drape, and weight. So take stock in these secrets. Knowledge, experience, and testing give you the information to decide if a fabric is suitable for a project. Not only is it…

Sewing projects often require a lot of mobility. You might begin working at the cutting table, move to the sewing machine, head over to the serger, finish at the ironing board, and then start all over again. All of this movement can significantly slow down the process, which is why I spend most of my time at the ironing board. The long, flat surface provides a great place to measure, pin, trim, and press. But, before long, it’s covered with tools and scraps, leaving barely any room to iron. Solve this problem by making an ironing board cover with a built-in tool caddy that folds up when it’s time to put away the ironing board. Add a removable pincushion and as many pockets as necessary to the caddy to store…

Have you ever wondered how some sewers manage to make their garments look professional? A lot of it has to do with pressing. Although this may seem like the least technical part of sewing, there are numerous pressing tips and techniques that transform the shape and structure of a garment. From using the right tools to providing enough steam, pressing can make a monumental difference in your wardrobe. Fabric is another factor that influences a garment’s end form, as certain types are more suitable for pressing than others. We’ll provide an overview of the pressing basics and demonstrate how to effectively press darts, princess seams, set-in sleeves, and rolled collars. Your garments will be upgraded to designer level, and you’ll learn just how simple it is to mold fabric with…

A CARDI-WRAP MAKES ANY OUTFIT INSTANTLY ELEGANT. This cross between a cardigan sweater and a shawl is as fashionable as it is comfortable and cozy. It’s a perfect layering piece for wearing around the house or for lounging at a café. Our cardi-wrap is just a rectangle with sleeves borrowed from another knit pattern, so it’s easy and quick to make. You can cut and construct one in less than an hour. Choose any kind of lightweight, two-way stretch knit fabric for your cardi-wrap: fluid jersey, pretty pointelle, gossamer sweaterknit, stretch lace, ribbed knit, or novelty knits. The fabric can be thin and smooth or lofty and textured. As long as it’s lightweight and compresses easily when layered and tied, it will work for this cardi-wrap. You can wear this…

Do you know about SABLE? It’s an acronym for Stash Acquired Beyond Life Expectancy. When I first read it, I laughed and felt guilty at the same time. It was so appropriate. I have a chronic case of SABLE. If I could safely keep fabric in my oven, I would. (I do have fabric in those hard-to-reach cupboards above the refrigerator). It’s under my bed and in the back of my closet. When I use my suitcase, I first have to unpack the fabric stored in it. I’ll always love shopping for fabric, but I don’t want to keep accumulating it. I want to spend more time sewing—and wearing—my stash than figuring out how to pack it away. That means overcoming the fear of making a mistake. When I had…

Extra! Extra! Visit SewStylish.com to discover bonus content from this issue. Improve your sewing skills with two more of Susan Khalje’s techniques from “Couture Know-how: Understitch by Hand” (page 24), and watch our burn-test video to learn how to identify fiber types, in an extra from “Fabric Selection Success” (page 42). Also, learn how to adjust your pattern to accommodate a smocked section, in an extra from “Trend to Technique: Fashion Smocking” (page 20). More Exciting Projects & Techniques Find other innovative techniques and fall projects on our website. Sew an embellished pencil skirt, learn how to sew curved seams in slippery fabric, and make a pattern from your favorite T-shirt. Join Today! Go to SewStylish.com and create your profile to: • Ask our experts a question • Read and…

ALTHOUGH SMOCKING IS AN AGE-OLD TECHNIQUE, it has made a comeback in modern design. On the runway, Rodarte and Alexander McQueen used smocking in their Fall/Winter 2014 collections to create elegantly textured bodice effects. Many current ready-to-wear garments are also embellished with smocked sections that accentuate sleeves, create cinched waistlines, line bodice edges, and more. Smocking is done by pleating fabric and stitching it in place. While there are several types of traditional smocking, the following two patterns—known as the lattice and the lozenge—focus on the North American variety. This type of smocking incorporates slack into alternating stitches to create soft folds between them. Although this technique is generally time-consuming, the methods shown are done by hand at an enlarged size, making them faster to stitch. Once you understand how…

Leather is wonderful to sew and wear—it’s luxurious, sensuous, and practical all at once. Leather and suede garments are hot in the fashion world, in the runway collections of Alexander Wang, Ralph Lauren, and Bottega Veneta. The great news for sewing enthusiasts is that leather garments are affordable when you sew your own. Here’s an instant-gratification method that lets you make and wear your leather garment in no time. Single-layer construction eliminates many tasks traditional to working with leather, such as pounding and cementing seam allowances open. And because leather doesn’t ravel as fabric does, it’s perfect for lapped seams and decorative edge finishes. The formula for making instant leather garments starts with choosing a simple pattern and then cutting out the leather, lapping the seams once, and stitching them.…

This roomy, trapeze-style tote is simple to sew but still packed with details culled from expensive designer handbags. It’s large enough to hold magazines, an extra sweater, a scarf, a tablet, and more. It has an expandable structure, so you can really stuff it for a weekend away, or just let it settle and be soft and slouchy when you don’t need to carry as much. The interior features a patch pocket trimmed with the exterior fabric or leather. The strap tabs are faced with lining fabric instead of leather, so the tabs are not bulky and much easier to sew to the bag sides. The top closure is a separating zipper. Each zipper side is sewn into a straight edge, so it’s the easiest possible zipper application. Once you make…

Precise, beautiful, machine-stitched buttonholes are a sign of an expertly sewn garment. Ideally, finished buttonholes will look similar to those on high-end ready-to-wear garments, and they will stand up over time without unraveling or gaping. Here you’ll discover many buttonhole tips and techniques. You’ll get an overview of stitching and cutting steps. If you make a mistake (and every sewer does), you’ll also see how to cleanly remove the stitching of an uncut buttonhole. For most projects, the buttonholes are the last detail, a scary prospect if you’re nervous about making a mistake. With this information, you’ll learn how to confidently sew them as a project’s finishing touch. Adapted from “Teach Yourself to Sew: Buttonhole Basics” by Linda Lee, Threads no. 168. Prepare and Test Before You Sew It is essential…

ARMSCYE—Armhole. BACKSTITCH—A hand-worked stitch that doubles back on the previous stitch. BASTE—To temporarily join fabric pieces with large, easily removable hand or machine stitches. BIAS—Any line diagonal to the crosswise and lengthwise grains. “True bias” is on a 45-degree angle to the selvage, and allows for the most stretch in wovens. BIAS TAPE—A fabric strip cut along the fabric’s true bias; often used for binding. Also referred to as a “bias strip.” BINDING—A fabric strip used to cover or enclose raw edges. BODKIN—A small tool used for threading elastic, cording, etc., through a casing. BOUND EDGES—Raw edges that are covered with strips of fabric or trim. CASING—A channel that holds elastic, cording, or boning. CENTER BACK—The true vertical center on a garment’s back. CENTER FRONT—The true vertical center on a…

Anna Mazur (“Fast and Fabulous: Quick Wrap,” page 90) “I have sewn just about everything except the one garment I’ve wanted to make for a long time. It’s a jacket made from tissue-weight wool flannel. It would be hand-embroidered all over with Madeira cutwork using floche embroidery thread and embellished with antique Czech glass beads. I have all the supplies, but because the jacket will certainly be labor intensive, I keep pushing the project aside.” Anna was born on the island of Madeira, where she learned to hand-embroider at a young age. She feels time is precious; therefore, she only sews and wears garments that make her smile. Kelsey Plate (“Designer Insider: Leanne Marshall,” page 16) “I would love to sew an elegant evening gown. It would be an adventure…

AFTER WINNING PROJECT RUNWAY’S FIFTH SEASON, LEANNE MARSHALL moved from her hometown in Portland, Oregon, and created a name for herself in New York City with her ready-to-wear and bridal fashions. A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in San Francisco, California, Leanne has shown her ready-to-wear and bridal collections at New York Fashion Week for six seasons and, in 2011, she started designing patterns for Simplicity. Her patterns include a skirt, a top, and a variety of dresses. She shares some of her design inspiration and tips and explains how sewing trumps doing the laundry. By Kelsey Plate, editorial intern at Threads and SewStylish. SS: Can you explain the process of designing a pattern for Simplicity? LM: A lot of the Simplicity patterns I’ve done have been…

UNDERSTITCHING IS AN IMPORTANT FINISHING STEP, and it instantly improves the look of garments you sew. Facings and linings have a tendency to roll to a garment’s right side at necklines and armholes, giving an unfinished appearance. Understitching—a row of stitches that anchors a facing or lining to its seam allowances—adds stability to a garment’s edges and secures the facing’s or lining’s position. You can understitch by machine, but hand understitching gives easier access to areas that would be difficult to reach on a sewing machine. It also gives you greater control and a more pliable finish than machine understitching can provide. For this hand-understitching technique, you’ll use a variation on a backstitch called a pickstitch. To make a backstitch, you sew a step backward on the fabric’s surface and then…

Perforating fabric and leaving the edges raw can look elegant or rough. In current fall fashion, it’s part of the trend for deconstruction, and was represented in runway fashions by Milly by Michelle Smith and Ann-Sophie Back. I’ll show you how to use a buttonhole chisel and eyelet punch on garments to create deconstructed details. You can “punch” and “slash” your own sewing for garment embellishments that age beautifully. Over time, the edges fray and soften, enriching the designs with dimension and texture. It’s best to use these techniques on garments that are laundered infrequently or handwashed to control the level of fraying. However, some fabrics—notably denim—can withstand a lot fraying, and the more deconstructed you wish your punched or slashed designs to look, the more they benefit from laundering.…

There’s nothing like rich and opulent velvet. Velvet captures light and feels wonderful to the touch. Although there are a few tricks to sewing with it, the payoff from working with this plush fabric is well worth it in beautiful garments. This skirt is a great introductory project for sewing with velvet. There are only two seams, and the fit is easy and adaptable: It works for 32-inch to 44-inch hips and 24-inch to 36-inch waist measurements. The hips are shaped with three rows of couched elastic cord, which creates a shirred effect in the velvet, an excellent way to emphasize the fabric’s texture. The waist is gathered until it approximates your waist measurement, then bound with extrawide double-fold binding. A zipper in the left side seam completes the closure…

THE NARROWER THE SKIRT, the more essential a kick pleat is for walking ease. Sleek and classic pencil skirts are on-trend for Fall 2014, perfect to wear with slim sweaters and fitted jackets. Here are step-by-step instructions for sewing a basic kick pleat. It’s a smart method with precise, crisp results that you can master quickly. The technique is simple. Just mark and stabilize key areas, then sew and press for crisp corners. This kick pleat is a detail you can add to a self-designed skirt or a commercial pattern. If a kick pleat is included in the pattern you are making, you may want to follow these simple steps for sewing it. Adapted from “Teach Yourself to Sew: The basic kick pleat” by Pamela Leggett, Threads no. 164. Add Pleat…

YOU CAN TACKLE ANY SEWING PROJECT WITH SUCCESS. It’s just a matter of knowing what to do. At Threads, we’re continually coming up with new ways to teach smart sewing techniques, as well as inspiring projects to keep sewing fun and rewarding. Take a quick look at our new and upcoming instructional products. Whether you enjoy print, video, or both, we know you’ll quickly be applying the skills you learn. Fashion Serge Featuring popular instructor Pamela Leggett, this instructional DVD teaches imaginative and new ways to use your serger. Pamela demonstrates serging techniques to achieve fashion-forward details, from a flatlock embellishment to lace slot seams. Available now at TauntonStore.com. Designer Techniques, Volume 2 This special issue reveals some of the amazing methods designers like Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent used to…