Table of contents for No. 25-1 in Australian Stitches

Welcome to Stitches Vol 25 No 1! You may wonder why I’ve mentioned the Volume and Issue number on the Editor’s page – it means 2 decades of my life have been spent working on the magazine! Now that’s dedication for you (or is it just insanity?)! Anyway, there’s still several more years left in me yet, so we’ll see how many issues I can get to you. This issue we introduce Megan Nielsen, and her Indie Pattern Company. Megan is joining the team as a regular contributor and will feature sewing techniques using her gorgeous patterns. The following pages are a great mix for everyone – couture to casual, fashion trends for ‘every age’, sewing techniques and information, machine embroidery and textile art, plus 2 trial-a-patterns. Until next time,…

Fabric and Pattern Loose-fitting, unlined jackets have front band variations extending into back collar. A: Sleeve bands. B: Pockets. Close-fitting, pullover top has neckband. A, C: Narrow hems, wrong side shows. Close-fitting, tapered, leggings (below waist) have yoke and side-front seams. B, D: stitched hems. The pattern is designed for lightweight to medium-weight moderate stretch knits. Moderate stretch knits combine the characteristics of stable and stretch knits - 25% stretch ratio. They are comfortable to wear and can provide a close-to-the-body fit, and are commonly used in casual sportswear and outerwear. Although I used the stretch guide on the pattern envelope, further consideration needs to be taken with pattern sizing and fabric stretch for the pant. Typically, for ‘moderate stretch’, your normal pattern size is used. My chosen fabric is…

Bold Florals ‘Florals for Spring? Groundbreaking!’, quipped Miranda Priestly, the fearsome Editor-in-Chief in the movie ‘The Devil wears Prada’ … but, she obviously wasn’t talking about this spring’s crop! A wild profusion of bold bouquets are now bursting on the scene in a blaze of raucous, riotous hues … They are now splashed over everything (even the season’s favourite easier pant shape!), but look especially fresh on all sorts of dresses, from a sleek shift or a classic shirtdress to floating, flaring styles. In the wildest abstract patterns and the sharpest shades, they’re definitely not shrinking violets, but if you don’t have the courage to flash so many florals yet, start with a bold, blazing accessory or two that will brighten up some of your basic neutrals. Even just a…

An open-toe zigzag/satin-stitch foot, photo 1, offers even more visibility than its regular counterpart but fabric can bunch a little in front of it due to the lack of contact with the feed-dogs (feed teeth) but this can be overcome by reducing the foot pressure, if this feature is available. The open-toe is very useful when applying ribbon and braid with fancy stitches, matching up difficult intersections where restricted visibility would create a mismatch and when using a twin needle. Fabrics that have a novelty or uneven texture can get stuck on a normal foot, while an open-toe allows the stitch to form and feed through a little more effortlessly. The open-toe foot is perfect for stitching on a lace edging using a buttonhole appliqué stitch and then cutting away…

Well-known teacher and designer, Connie Crawford, is a licensed designer for the McCall Pattern Company under the Butterick label. Connie draws from her extensive fashion industry experience to create the patterns for Butterick and her own personal collection, Fashion Patterns by Coni. Connie is a nationally and internationally recognized lecturer, fashion specialist and educator. She has authored numerous sewing DVD’s, sewing and pattern textbooks including, A Guide to Fashion Sewing, The Art of Fashion Draping, Patternmaking Made Easy, and Grading Workbook. Connie earned her degree in Fashion Design from Los Angeles Trade Technical College and received her teaching credentials from the University of California Los Angeles. Her professional experience also includes positions as a designer, design consultant, patternmaker, and grader in the Los Angeles garment industry, as well as designing…

MISSONI sets the bar high when it comes to colourful knitwear designs. Renowned for its texture and luxurious feel, Missoni has inspired all aspect of our lives from clothing to homewares. Its eclectic use of colour has inspired us, at Martin & Savage Fabrics, with a woven and knit ‘cut and sew’ collection of vibrant colours and textures. Watch for crafted effects, degradation of colour – a true global village appeal. And, the great thing about these fabrics is they star on their own – so designs can be simple – perhaps a pencil skirt with a turtle jumper, a wrap coat or jacket, or a simple shift shape with a jumper underneath. Happy Sewing, David M Tinworth, Martin & Savage fabrics. 1. Elke, design: 29, 91%polyester/9% spandex, colour: Blue,…

The Trench Jacket How we utilise fashion has changed … we seldom, if ever, just wear (or sew) a pre-digested head-to-toe look off the runway that’s obsolete after a season. Gucci’s influential creative director Alessandro Michele put it best in a recent interview, “For the last few years, the fashion world has been full of rules. You have to buy and buy to be ‘á la page’, as the French say, and not to keep things you love. But I was thinking to add the new (to what one already has).” With that modern thinking in mind, let’s look at a few items that someone of any age can add to their wardrobe this season. If you don’t have one in your closet, now’s the time to sew one! A…

If you would like to make this Free! Pattern from Patons, email stitches@wpco.com.au  and it is yours. Please state in the ‘subject line’: Stitches/Patons Knitting Pattern Vol 25 No 1. If ordering multiple patterns, just state in the email body text the numbers of each relevant volume you require. To view more patterns in the Patons range go to www.patonsyarn.com.au…

People always ask me how I got started sewing, so I thought I’d firstly share with you how it all began. I learnt to sew when I was 10/11 years old. I had my own ideas about what my Barbies should be wearing, and so I cut up my own clothing, and hand-sewed little outfits for them. My mum gave me an Elna Lotus sewing machine, from the ‘60s, taught me how to use it, and helped me with my first real apparel project using a sewing pattern – a quarter-circle wrap skirt. I spent the next few years teaching myself to sew, ripping things apart to figure out how they were made, what stitches and finishes were used (reverse engineering). I also began collecting books and tools – this…

Vogue Patterns recommend this style for Triangle and Hourglass figure types and a good fit is critical for maximum comfort in this figure-enhancing dress. Recommended fabrics are Ponté knit, crepe, gabardine and piqué. The fabric I have used is Lycra™ Ponté purchased from The Fabric Store in Brisbane. Even though knit fabric is recommended, there is no knit gauge on the pattern envelope. So, to ensure a good fit, I made a trial garment using calico and fitted it close to the model’s body. This worked very well and there was only minor alteration needed to the shape of the side seams in the skirt. How to Maximise the Benefits of Making a Toile When making a toile, it is worth taking the time to mark all seam lines, grain…

In a recent interview with Vogue Pattern magazine, and the launch of her new Vogue sewing pattern range, Zandra Rhodes talked about her simple design philosophy. “I design what I like. While the clothes may be edgy, they’re also ageless. My customers aren’t always young,” she says. Her advice for those unsure of how to wear her designs, “Stand in front of a mirror, put up different fabrics and pick what you love. If black & white is what you feel, then fabulous. If not, fine something else. You have choices – that’s the beauty of making your own clothes,” she says. Pattern: Vogue V1484 – Vogue Patterns Designer Original Zandra Rhodes Dress Sizes: 6 – 22. Figure types: Triangle, Inverted Triangle & Hourglass figure shapes Sewing Rating: Average Fabrics:…

SEPTEMBER 2-4 The Gem and Bead Show will be held at the Harvey Lowe Pavilion at the Castle Hill Showgrounds. All things gem and bead with a spiritual twist await you. See all of the lovely gems and beads on offer or take a Swarovski crystals or beading workshop. It’s all here! Open: 10am – 4pm Entry: $5 Enquiries: Phone Jesse Roznicki on 0404 848 581 or email jesse@auscraftnet.com.au SEPTEMBER 2-4 The Goonellabah Quilters will hold their Spring Quilt Show at the Lismore Workers Club, Keen Street, Lismore. Every four years the group exhibits their quilts. Their show will cover all aspects of member’s techniques and will showcase their ways of working with fabrics, patchwork and quilting, as well as an exciting display of fibre arts projects. Open: Friday and…

Guidelines for Selecting Interfacings The choice of interfacing should not alter the weight of the fashion fabric or adversely affect the garment’s final appearance. Interfacing is never to be selected by feel, because all properties change when the interfacing is combined with the fashion fabric. Select interfacing based on fibre content, weave, finish (iron-on or sew-in), colour, and weight. The interfacing chart describes the five types of interfacing and gives guidelines for selecting the most appropriate interfacing to complement the appearance, durability, maintenance, and comfort of a garment. The finished look of your garment reflects the interfacing that was selected. The purpose of interfacing is to maintain the shape of the garment and to add body to selected areas of the garment and, sometimes, the entire garment. Therefore, the interfacing…

So … what exactly are darts? Darts are triangular-shaped folds of fabric essential in moulding a two-dimensional piece of fabric over a three-dimensional body where it bulges. Typical body bulges are the bustline, hipline, shoulder blades, abdomen, buttocks, and elbows. See photo 1. Darts can come to a single point such as side bust or back shoulder darts. Darts can also be pointed on each end such as waistline darts for sheath styles. See photo 2. Body irregularities such as dowager hump may also produce bulges. See photo 3. If you have body bulges, you NEED darts. What you may not realize is that many seams in a garment are some type of ‘dart’. Side seams, shoulder seams, and sleeve underarm seams are also ‘darts’. Any seam that is changing…

Once upon a time, the fashion season ‘resort’ meant clothes to wear on holiday for the very rich as they took off to sunnier climes. They weren’t really a big deal … just a few nice things to take away on that cruise (or if one was very lucky) to wear on one’s own yacht. Nowadays, it’s one of the most important ‘seasons’ around, with the big fashion houses staging extravagant spectacles in increasingly exotic locations (Gucci showed recently in Westminster Abbey, Louis Vuitton took off to Rio de Janero, and Chanel even presented its recent show in Cuba, of all places!). Resort collections are also increasingly important to a designer’s bottom line, often even surpassing the performance of their main ‘Autumn/Winter’ or ‘Spring/Summer’ collections. Also, with the focus now…

Baste – Baste is the American term for tacking and can be worked by hand or machine. Many modern machines have a long stitch programmed as a basting stitch, otherwise use a long standard straight stitch. A slightly less than perfect tension allows the basting to be removed easily. A perfect way to use up odd coloured bobbins and thread other than red or black as these two colours often leave marks from loose dye when removed. Bias Grain – The true bias grain of a woven fabric is the 45 degree angle between the warp and weft straight grains. If the bias is not accurately determined a bias binding will ripple when applied instead of moulding around a curve and a garment cut on the ‘not perfect bias’ may…

OK, I have had enough. In a slight departure from the generally not all that useful content of my columns, and hopefully to save the lingering sanity of a few of my good friends, I have decided to share with you what I, a graduate of the school of many mistakes, have learned about fit. This might take a few columns, but then again it’s my sewing mind we’re downloading. Begin at the beginning Years ago I worked in Australia at a tech college. For fun I decided to offer an extra-curricular course on basic sewing. Two of my students were twin brothers, welders, who had committed to sewing themselves velvet pants. Very young and completely out of my depth, I struggled to explain the meaning of sewing patterns across…