Table of contents for #227 - Fall 2024 in Threads Magazine

When I meet Threads readers “in the wild,” I am always struck by a common characteristic: curiosity. Whether they are garmentmakers obsessed with the perfect fit, embellishment enthusiasts, quilters, or all-around textile artists, they always want to know more. They are eager to make connections between what they know and what is still to be learned. Our authors are of the same type, and it is a joy to see how they constantly challenge themselves to discover and master new skills. For example, we know Susan Khalje as a teacher of fine, mostly French couture sewing techniques. But did you realize that she is also an avid student and collector of Central Asian textiles (p. 52)? Duane MacLeod, an accomplished self-taught sewer, decided to dive into professional training in bespoke…

Occasionally, I’m given garments that are from someone’s family. These are special to the giver for sentimental reasons, but they recognize that I, as someone who sews, will find them interesting for design reasons as well. That’s how I obtained the mid-20th-century jacket on p. 83. The salient features of this shapely jacket are its dual-flap pockets. Each front pocket has a flap that folds down and is secured with a button. Mirroring this flap is another that folds up and is buttoned in place. This type of detail is characteristic of garments from the 1950s, which often included elements to enhance an otherwise classic jacket style. As in many 1950s garments, the pockets emphasize a curved hipline and narrow waist, which was a favorite silhouette of the decade. However,…

Bra-making entered my life the same way it does for many sewists: Out of frustration. Petite and barely a B cup, I couldn’t find any cute bras or bralettes in my size. So I said those famous words, “I can make that!” The timing was fortuitous. I was working in technical design for Anthropologie and had to spec, fit, and approve lingerie samples. To understand the category better, I decided to make an underwire bra. I quickly realized that finding patterns, fabrics, and supplies was extremely difficult. That was nearly a decade ago and since then, I’ve been on a mission to offer size- and gender-inclusive patterns and styles. Everybody deserves to feel and look good in lingerie. UNDERSTAND THE SIZE CONUNDRUM The search for the right size in lingerie…

If you had told me 12 years ago that the Japanese sewing book Men’s Coats by Ryuichiro Shimazaki (Bunka Shuppankyoku, 2008) would eventually take me to tailoring school in England, I would never have believed you. But that’s exactly what happened. My journey in making started well before I encountered Shimazaki’s book, yet the experience of sewing one of the featured coat designs pointed me in a direction I hadn’t anticipated. I have always been a “maker.” My brother reminded me that our parents were as well. My father, an optician, built additions onto our house. My mother was my Cub Scout den mother. The other boys in our neighborhood came over, and she helped us make things. The creative making never stopped. I eventually built my own house and…

What’s on your sewing bucket list? DUANE MACLEOD “A Tale of Tailoring,” p. 66) says, “Having studied British tailoring last year, I want to explore and experiment with Neapolitan style menswear. “There seems to be a growing interest, which may be a reflection of our more casual lifestyle. “The tailoring world has long been shrouded in trade secrets, and the Italians are no exception. I’ll have to come up with my own rendition, but that’s the fun of tailoring.” Duane has a fledgling bespoke tailoring business, HoldFastBespoke.com, on the Maine coast. KANDI CHRISTIAN-BLACKWELL “Embellishments: Drawn Thread Work by Machine,” p. 74) says, “I’m hoping to have time to make some things for myself, since I spend most of my sewing time making samples for classes or testing my embroidery designs.…

Whether you draft your own patterns or sew from commercial offerings, choosing the fabrics for your garments calls for you to be the designer. This can be one of the most fun—and challenging—steps of sewing your own clothes. Beginners and experts will likely never know the answer to “how will this fabric work with this design?” before testing the material. I’ve been studying fabrics for nearly 30 years, and it’s a never-ending education. But that’s one of the things I love most about sewing. It is a lifelong learning experiment where I get to be a sewing scientist. If you have a stash of fabrics for future projects, that’s a great place to start playing around and doing some detective work. However, even if you haven’t yet purchased the fabric…

Ikats are produced all over the world, and the term has become a generic description of the resist-dye technique that these textiles all have in common. The word, ikat (pronounced EE-kät) is derived from the Malay-Indonesian verb mengikat, which means to bind, tie, or wind around. Indeed, to create a woven ikat textile, an artisan binds the warp yarns and successively dyes them in different colors to make patterns. When the warp yarns are threaded onto the loom, the designs are woven directly into the fabric. The effect produced is soft, with motifs that have slightly blurred edges. There’s something captivating about these textiles, which so clearly show the hand of the makers. Ikat designs—largely those from Central Asia—have become part of popular culture. They’ve been widely copied in the…

The centuries-old art of drawn thread work is a form of embroidery. Also called drawn thread embroidery and drawn threadwork, the traditionally hand-sewn embellishment is generally done on linen fabric for garments and home decor. It involves pulling or drawing threads from fabric across the grain (the woof, or horizontal weft) or along the straight grain (the warp). In some cases, the threads are drawn in both directions, as on napkins, tablecloths, or kick pleats on skirts or jackets. Once the first threads are removed, the remaining threads are pulled two to six threads at a time. Technically, the initial threads are “drawn” from the fabric, and the remaining threads in the area from which the threads were drawn are then “pulled” together with stitching. Now you can sew beautiful…

BONUS CONTENT • Patterns for Fall: See options to create trending fall fashions. Scan the QR code on p. 33 for links to all the patterns listed in “Fall Fashion Goes Big.” • Pocket Pattern: Create a 1950s-inspired mirrored-flap pockets, as shown on p. 26, with the help of the downloadable template at ThreadsMagazine.com. • Swatching Ease: Download and print free swatch cards you can fill out to easily build a library of fabric samples, as explained in “Essential Techniques: Swatch Your Style,” p. 16.…

LOOK FOR THESE ICONS ON THE PATTERN REVIEWS Includes sizes 24 and up Fast and easy Challenging techniques Downloadable pattern Printed pattern Projectable pattern Pants with Unique Pockets CREATION DOMUM: NETTA PANTS (CreationDomum.etsy.com) Skill level: Other than the fly-front zipper closure, the construction is straightforward. The sewing instructions are easy to follow, but the design is best for an intermediate or advanced sewist. Size range and fitting: The pattern comes in two size ranges: US 2 to 14/UK 6 to 18 for waists 24½ inches to 34 inches and hips 34 inches to 43½ inches. The second range is US 14 to 26 / UK 18 to 30 for waists 34½ inches to 48 ¾ inches and hips 44 inches to 58½ inches. This is a loose-fitting style. For size…

The colorful, intricate designs that characterize Seminole clothing have an immediate artistic appeal. While many admirers focus on the traditional roots of the Seminole patchwork technique, it’s also appropriate to look at the work as modern. After all, this type of piecing emerged in the 20th century, with the most extravagant examples dating from the 1920s to the present. ORIGINS IN THE EARLY 1900S The Seminole practice of decorating garments with contrasting fabric bands began before 1920. Some accounts say that the patchwork method evolved when fabrics were scarce and makers chose to combine two colors into ornamental bands. These extra seams were facilitated by the use of hand-cranked sewing machines. In fact, a visitor to South Florida in 1892 noted that every Seminole camp had sewing machines. By the…

Pieced, patched, hand-stitched, and cutaway techniques for clothing have been around forever, but emerging brands have come on the scene that are highlighting these vintage artisan skills. Brands such as By Walid produce clothes that speak of craft, history, and quality. A medley of textiles from around the world are reinterpreted and modernized into one-of-a-kind handworked heirlooms. Mieko Mintz uses ethnic textiles in the kantha tradition to produce unique jackets that are rich in color and comfort. Aneeth Arora, the designer behind the Péro label, is one of India’s most respected young designers. She gives traditional Indian textiles a western design sensibility while maintaining an emphasis on sustainability. At The Sewing Workshop, we have had a longstanding interest in the fine craft of clothing construction, but we also enjoy breaking…

To modern eyes, this dress looks like a chic example of 1940s style. But it represents a fraught period in history. Its maker, Jeanne van Leur-de Loos, was a Dutch expatriate living in Indo in Indonesia during World War II. She was interned by the Japanese in a camp on the island of Makassar, from 1943 to 1945. Her husband, Job van Leur, was killed in 1942 during the Battle of the Java Sea, which led to the Japanese occupation. Jeanne made the dress between 1945 and 1946. She returned to the Netherlands in 1948, as Indonesia was securing independence from Dutch rule. The dress is made from two maps, printed on silk for the use of Royal Air Force pilots, active in Southeast Asia during World War II. The…

Women’s suits in the 1950s often featured smart details that added a touch of interest and elegance. This jacket sports statement pockets with paired, buttoned flaps. The flaps add visual width across the hipline, in keeping with the decade’s preference for an hourglass silhouette. However, pockets like these would look just as good on a contemporary jacket, coat, or vest of any proportions. The jacket’s label says “Fashioned by Eisenberg,” which strongly suggests the garment was produced by Eisenberg & Sons, a company that sold dresses, suits, and—most successfully—costume jewelry from the 1920s through the late 1950s. The brand was founded in Chicago but soon was retailing in exclusive stores across the country. Initially, the jewelry was included with the garments, but it became so popular on its own that,…