Table of contents for SewStylish Fall Fashion 2013 in Threads Magazine

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IF I HAD TO DESCRIBE RUFFLES IN JUST ONE WORD, that word would be fun. They’re simple and enjoyable to make, and they’re fabulous to wear. And I absolutely love their versatility. Depending on their size, placement, and fabrication, ruffles’ overall effect can be soft or crisp, sophisticated or perky, subtle or over-the-top. Ruffles can be fashioned from all sorts of fabrics, even ribbon and novelty trims, so I urge you to experiment. The only fabrics I recommend avoiding are super-thick, stiff types such as brocade, tapestry, or heavy denim. In terms of creativity, everything else is fair game. Meet the 3 Ruffle Types Ruffles are fun, but they aren’t all play—they do require planning, which I call the 3-4-2 choice. There are three types of ruffles: strip (also known…

More Exciting Projects & Videos Visit us online for more creative projects that are perfect for fall. Whip up a super-simple tucked skirt, download a pattern for a stylish shift dress, or sew a notched jacket lapel. Also, learn how to make a personal fashion figure, or croquis, with illustrator Yelen Ayé’s latest video tutorial. Extra! Extra! Log on to SewStylish.com to find bonus content from this issue. Learn how to turn vintage neckties into binding strips, and how to make a sweet corduroy rose pin in two extras from “Inspired Sewing” (page 36). Find out how to transfer a draped design onto pattern paper in an extra from “Learn to Drape Skirts” (page 50). Discover three more fabulous trim options for finishing your garments in an extra from “Gorgeous…

Fabric choice can take any sewing project in a new direction. After all, next to the pattern selection, it’s the most important decision you’ll make before sewing a garment. Here, we invited three sewers to start with the new Simplicity SewStylish 1542 pattern. The pattern features a jacket with three lapel variations and a skirt that sits below the waist. Here and there, the textile choice required some customized techniques for the best results. The methods shown can be adapted to a multitude of projects. There are some great, personalized benefits when you tailor the techniques to the textile. Fringe Benefits My version of the Simplicity SewStylish 1542 jacket, view C, has a tuxedo lapel in black faux suede to stand out from the jacket body’s novelty wool fabric. The…

When you first start sewing, machine needles can be baffling. There are a host of needles available on the market, but it’s easy to pick the right one once you know what to consider. Here, you’ll learn about basic and specialty needle sizes, and about pairing needles with specific fabric and thread types. Many beginners assume one needle works on all fabrics, and then when they have trouble sewing, they think it’s the cloth’s fault and avoid using that fabric again. However, the fabric is usually innocent, and instead the needle is the culprit. Follow this advice, and you’ll find out which needle to employ when. FABRIC ISN’T THE ONLY CONSIDERATION There is a common misconception that the size of a needle directly relates to fabric weight. In reality, there…

INVISIBLE ZIPPERS HAVE BEEN standard in the garment industry for years, and home sewers have come to love the streamlined look these lightweight, flexible zippers offer, as well. Most sewers learn to insert invisible zippers using a special presser foot and to sew the zipper into an open seam. Therefore, if a pattern calls for a standard zipper, installing an invisible zipper with an invisible zipper foot may require changing the pattern’s assembly sequence. There’s an easier, quicker way. It is an adaptation of an industrial method that uses the basic zipper foot that comes with most sewing machines. This technique doesn’t change the garment’s assembly sequence, and it can be used to insert a zipper into a seam that’s already partially sewn, as it would be for a standard…

This Fall 2013 edition of SewStylish is packed with techniques and projects inspired by runway fashions. We’ll show you how to improve your sewing skills so you can take on exciting and ambitious projects. Have you ever struggled with an invisible zipper? You won’t ever again, once you see our fast, professional method to sew this common closure. It’s a skill you’ll use often, and you won’t see this simple technique in typical pattern instructions. Are you intrigued by elegant trims? Discover how ribbons, braids, fringes, and more are made. See how to make your own, and learn ways to use them to transform even simple sewing projects into stunning fashions, like our cover garment. Are you eager to design your own clothes? You’ll be amazed at how easy it…

GRETCHEN HIRSCH (MORE COMMONLY KNOWN AS GERTIE) IS AN INSATIABLE VINTAGE PATTERN COLLECTOR, as well as a blogger, author, teacher, and pattern designer, who resides in Beacon, New York. With a love for vintage garments and their feminine silhouettes, Gretchen was determined to make a living out of her new-found passion. In 2009, she set out to stitch all 14 looks from an iconic 1950s sewing book, Vogue’s New Book for Better Sewing (Simon and Schuster, 1952), and started a blog to record her progress. Gertie’s New Blog for Better Sewing (BlogForBetterSewing.com) soon became a place for Gretchen to share tutorials and posts about sewing and its relationship to fashion history, pop culture, body image, and gender. She later approached the McCall Pattern Company about designing a line of patterns…

A wool jacket gains feminine chic when it’s trimmed in a classic floral print by Liberty of London. This English house has been collaborating with fashion houses for many years. In the 1980s, Cacharel’s Liberty blouses and dresses first captured my eye as a little girl, while today J. Crew and AG Jeans have incorporated the prints into their collections. The Simplicity SewStylish jacket, view B, has a single-layer ruffle sewn into a lapel panel seam. I cut the ruffle on the bias from the Liberty print Tana lawn, and I added a Hong Kong finish to the jacket’s front opening with the same beautiful fabric cut on the bias. CUT THE FABRIC 1 Cut the jacket body from the main fabric. To accentuate the Liberty fabric, select a solid-color, matte…

You don’t need a design degree to drape a closet full of unique, wearable fashions. If you own any kind of fairly sturdy dress form with standard markings, all you need to get started with draping are some basic guidelines, a willingness to experiment, and a few yards of inexpensive muslin fabric. Draping is used by designers (just like those on TV’s Project Runway) as a direct, hands-on way to quickly realize a particular garment concept. You can try this method of garment design and, at the same time, create a variety of interesting and pretty skirts. Starting your draping efforts with skirts keeps things simple because there’s no bodice or crotch fitting to worry about, and it increases the likelihood of getting wearable results right away. Draping on a…

Make jackets look better and wear longer While it isn’t always necessary to line the body of a jacket, lining just the sleeves helps the jacket slip on and off smoothly and offers a couple of additional benefits. First, it doesn’t add weight or warmth to the garment body—perfect if you need a lightweight jacket. Also, if you don’t want to retrofit a jacket with a full lining, a sleeve lining improves wearability with little extra effort. This lining can be attached entirely by machine. The process might seem a little awkward at first, but it works like a charm. Start by constructing the jacket, including the hem. Sew the sleeve hem, leaving a ½-inch allowance free for applying the lining. Then, follow the instructions on these pages for cutting,…

PERMISSION GRANTED to copy for personal use. Geometric Jacket, page 64 This pattern is for three jacket sizes. The sample jackets worn by the models are size small (48 inches in circumference). Size medium is 52 inches in circumference, and size large is 56 inches in circumference. Copy the pieces onto 1-inch gridded pattern paper, or use a photocopier to enlarge the illustrations for fullsize pattern pieces. The pattern includes ½-inch-wide seam allowances. Layered Lace Tote, page 58 Copy the bag pieces onto 1-inch gridded paper, or use a photocopier to enlarge the illustrations for full-size pattern pieces. The pattern includes ½-inch-wide seam allowances.…

Juliette Lanvers (“Inspired Sewing,” page 36) “Lately, I have been sewing from my stash, particularly my small collection of Liberty of London fabrics mixed with other linen and cotton fabrics. My next goal is to take the plunge into the world of slippery silk and airy batiste or dotted Swiss to fashion some simple but luxe tops and camisoles.” Juliette Lanvers lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she is a sewing expert for Bernina’s WeAllSew.com. Learn more at ChickpeaStudio.typepad.com. Sunni Standing (“Inspired Sewing,” page 36) “I am impressed by wool and silk crepe every time I use them—especially wool crepe. It’s such a beautiful fabric that responds well to pressing, has an incredible spongy textural effect, and has spectacular drape. Crepe looks fabulous as a dress, pair of pants,…

IF YOU WANT A RICH GARMENT WITH A LUSTROUS HAND, turn to velvet. This versatile textile comes in a variety of weights and fiber types that suit a range of styles, including dresses, jackets, tops, skirts, and more. Velvet lends itself to close-fitting garments and to full, drapey styles. Plus, if you prewash and dry velvet, it can be used for easy-care garments. To top it off, this night-out-worthy fabric not only has the looks, but it also is remarkably comfortable to wear. Grab Bag Not just for clothes, velvet is a great choice for accessories, too. Anna Sui’s bright pink velvet bag is fun and fabulous. hand- Go Green Velvet is ever dressy but has more spunk when you choose bright, colorful hues, as evidenced in this gorgeous and vivid…

HERE’S A SIMPLE TECHNIQUE FOR CREATING sweet, embellished bags. The bags come together quickly, there’s great potential for making fun and interesting fabric combinations, and you can easily size them up or down. Plus, they’re perfect as gifts for any special occasion. To start, choose a trio of coordinating fabrics: one for the bag, one for the ruffle, and one for the lining. For the exterior, you can choose a durable fabric like tapestry, brocade, or soft leather, or you can interface a lighter-weight material. A lightweight fabric is great for the ruffle, and can be graphically interesting if you choose a stripe or plaid, which you can cut on the bias. Or you can opt to use a gorgeous trim or braid in place of a ruffle. For the…

MOST SEWERS HAVE RANDOM BUT-TONS HIDING in the corners of their sewing spaces. You know the ones: the extras that came with ready-to-wear garments, the interesting buttons that you just had to take home, the odd leftover buttons from completed projects. It’s unlikely they’ll ever be used, but you just can’t get rid of them. Give these buttons new life by incorporating them into a stunning embroidered adornment on garments, accessories, or home décor. Caught within simple web-like stitches of pretty thread, buttons become eye-catching embellishments. Using buttons as embellishments isn’t new, but in this technique the threads securing the buttons are highly visible design elements. You can use any buttons that have holes, as well as other sewable objects that have at least one hole. You just have to…

What says fall better than a plaid jacket and coordinating corduroy skirt? These rich, inviting fabrics are autumn wardrobe staples. Cutting and sewing plaids doesn’t have to be difficult, just well planned. Start with a simple design, eliminate seams where possible, and, if you can’t match the plaid everywhere, plan to place a few sections on the bias. I also chose to incorporate a knit cuff and collar (no plaid-matching required), since stable or double knits can be easily sewn together with wovens. PLAN KNIT CUFFS AND LAPELS 1 Make a cuff pattern. Simplicity SewStylish 1542 has a two-piece sleeve. Cut the sleeve pattern pieces apart at the desired cuff depth, and add5 ⁄8-inch seam allowances to the sleeve and cuff portions. 2 Cut the knit cuffs and lapels and the plaid…

Everyone needs a go-to tote. It should be at the ready for work or the weekend, with comfy double straps, sturdy construction, and feet to protect the bottom. You don’t have to settle for canvas, denim, or cotton prints, though, if your style is more fashion-forward. This bag is a great example, and it combines three hot trends in fashion: color, lace, and shine. It features a coral lace overlay on a gunmetal background and a sleek design that can go easily from day into night. If it’s a little large for going out, make a matching clutch following our zipper bags tutorial on page 22. The lace is layered over lamé for a soft take on the metallic trend. The bag bottom is fitted with extra metal “feet” to…

Creative solutions for better ironing ressing can seem like a waste of time, especially when you’re in a rush to finish a project. Whether the ironing board is too far away, you don’t think it will make a difference, or you’re finally in the zone and can’t bear to disrupt how much progress you’re making at the sewing machine, there’s always an excuse. As it turns out, pressing is actually one of the most important steps in the sewing process, and certainly not one that you can afford to skip. Applying heat and pressure to each seam as you sew can transform projects from looking home-sewn to designer-made. It’s as simple as that. This is why we have compiled our favorite tips to make pressing more approachable. Each tip was…

ANY GOOD SEWER WILL TELL YOU that the fine points are what elevate the quality of any garment, whether it’s couture, ready-to-wear, or handmade. Elegant Chinese knots are a perfect example of a beautiful designer detail. On vintage garments, they were often used as buttons, made with soft, padded cord ties. Follow these instructions to make your own designer ties and Chinese knots. These lovely little accents can be used on jackets, shirts, coats, dresses, and more, and give even simple garments a couture accent. Fill the Cord Making cords is simple, but here’s a trick to make them softer and easier to tie into Chinese knots. You want a cord filled with something that keeps it soft but also supports it enough so it maintains its cylindrical shape, such as…