This is the ultimate guide to sewing with piping. Learn how to sew with piping, and how to make it yourself. Sewing with piping is easy - if you know the right tips and tricks.
It was Karen’s Apron sewalong that put me in mind of (yes that’s a real phrase!) aprons and things. I narrowed my choices down to these two patterns on Etsy but could only afford the one (internati…
Advance 5691; ca. 1951; Blouse with Long or Three-quarter Sleeves. Sleeveless Blouse. Street-length Skirt with Button or Strap Closing and Self Belt - Braid or Velvet Bias Binding Optional. Long-length Skirt with Button or Strap Closing - Purchased Belt. As featured in Mademoiselle; [insert your photos of this pattern made up] [insert your username, and make sure your preferences allow for people to contact you via e-mail. Do not list your email address here!]
Sewing (the artist's wife) detail, 1913, Hans Heysen. Germany (1877 - 1968)
A slim fit wool skirt such as the Charlotte really begs to be lined. Adding a layer of smooth and slippery fabric makes a wool skirt more comfortable to wear (especially with tights) and extends the life of the garment. Sewing a lining is fairly simple, however, there's another technique that serves the same purpose: underlining. In general, underlining is used to stabilize fabric, add weight and "heft" to a lightweight fabric, or add opacity to a transparent fabric. Using normal lining fabric, such as Bemberg, lightweight silk or even cotton batiste to underline a garment gives the same benefits of a a skirt lining, with a bit less bulk. Typically, the underlining fabric is cut to the exact size of the pattern pieces and sewn to the fashion fabric at the very edges. The pieces are then dealt with as a single layer. Since the seams edges will be visible on the inside of the garment, the raw edges are finished together, either with an overlock stitch or a Hong Kong finish. Enter the combined Hong Kong finish + underlining method. By cutting and sewing the fabric and underlining in a slightly different way, you get a beautifully finished seam and underlining all at the same time. It takes some patience and accuracy in cutting and sewing, but the results are so worth it! Ready to dive in? Let's get started! In addition to everything else you need to sew a skirt, you'll also need an accurate clear ruler, marking chalk (I LOVE this Clover roller chalker) and your rotary cutter. For this tutorial, I've made a little "mini" version of the skirt Front so the big picture is easier to see. Start with cutting out the front and back pieces in fashion fabric. Lay the pieces on your well-pressed lining fabric. Use a few pins or weights to keep the fabric from shifting around. Then, along the vertical seams only (side/ back seams), mark an additional 5/8" seam allowance. Very carefully, cut the lining fabric using the new guidelines at the side/ back seams, and cutting at the normal cut line for the horizontal edges. Here's what it looks like: Now, with right sides facing, pin the side seams of the lining and fashion fabric. Obviously, the lining fabric is wider, so they will not lie flat. Find yourself a 1/4" presser foot and carefully sew EXACTLY 1/4" from the raw edges. Turn the fabric inside out. Both right sides should now be facing out. Wiggle the lining/ fashion fabric so that the lining fabric goes exactly around the edge of the fashion fabric without creasing the fashion fabric. Carefully press. Once pressed on both edges, the fabric and underlining pieces should be even, with no bunching, pulling or creasing. Since you haven't trimmed any of the fashion fabric from the sides, you can sew the pieces as normal, with a 5/8" seam allowance. Sewing darts for the skirt needs a little special attention for underlined fabric. First off, mark the dart legs and vanishing point. Draw a line connecting the vanishing point to the middle of the dart. This is your sewing guide. Sew down this marked line (the middle of the dart), beginning your stitching a centimeter or so away from the vanishing point and sewing toward the raw edge. Fold the dart along the sew line and sew as usual. Press over a ham. Continue sewing the skirt as usual. If you've added a kick pleat, there are just a few more steps. Clip the seam allowance right above the curve and finish the rest of the pleat as described in my earlier post. For the hem, I used rayon seam binding to finish the edge and then used a blind stitch (only catching the underlining) to hem. With a beautiful finish like this, it will be hard to keep from showing it off!
In this post, I'll go over how to find free vintage sewing books. There are a lot of vintage and antique books that are in the public domain now.
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Need a refresher on the different types of seams at your disposal? Or maybe you’re starting out and doing research to better acquaint yourself with your
Sewing professionals and designers share their secrets for comfortable, fashionable waistbands.
Discover rococo, bullion, and chain and how to use each in projects.
I've been asked a number of times how I do a french seam at the armhole of my blouses, so I put together a little tutorial to demonstrate the process. It might sound difficult, but if you can sew a regular french seam you can do an armhole french seam easily. The NUMBER ONE rule for sewing with french seams is to make sure you are using a somewhat thin fabric. I've attempted them before on fabrics like bottom weight denim and the outcome is bulky and happy-hands-at-home looking. ***Picture order is top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right.*** 1. Sew a line of gathering stitches onto the prepared sleeve. I actually like to sew 2 lines with a 4mm stitch length and leave the thread ends long enough to pull. 2. Pull one set of threads to gather the sleeve slightly. You can always gather it more when you get it situated in the sleeve but this gives you a little head start. 3. When I'm sewing french seams that will intersect, I always iron them in different directions. For example, here where the side seam meets the sleeve seam, I've ironed the side seam towards the back and the sleeve seam towards the front. Even in an especially thin fabric, french seams cause some bulk, and ironing them in different directions cuts down on this. 4. Pin the sleeve to the bodice WRONG SIDES TOGETHER. Line up your notches and adjust your gathers. I use long pins so I double insert them for a good grip. Don't cut your long gathering threads yet. The gathers on this sturdy cotton aren't going anywhere but they could slip out in something silky. 5. If possible, adjust your needle position to a little less then .25 inches. A standard seam line is 5/8" so I half that a reduce a little more for turn of cloth. You'll want to line up the right side of the machine foot with the fabric to give you an even line of stitches. 6. Stitch. When you get to the area with the gather, try to smooth out any bumps to avoid puckers. 7. When you get done with the first seam, inspect your work. Any big tucks need to be undone, readjusted and restitched. 8. Press. I pull the sleeve out so that I'm ironing on the front bodice and pressing the seam towards the sleeve. Pull on the sleeve a little to ensure a crisp edge for the second seam. 9. Here's what the first seam should look like when you're done pressing. 10. Trim away about half of this first seam allowance. I always put my hand under the edges being snipped to that I don't catch my bodice fabric on accident. 11. My sleeve is done being trimmed. 12. Turn the garment to the inside and pin for the second seam. Adjust gathering threads if needed. I like to sew this seam with the gathers up so that I can adjust any areas that might need it. 13. Stitch, keeping the needle in the same position as the first seam and aligning the fabric with the right edge. 14. The finished sleeve seam. Inspect for tucks and clip the gathering threads off. 15. Pull the sleeve through the armhole and iron from the inside, pressing the seam towards the sleeve. 16. Done!
How to sew a curved hem? Well it depends! I've made a few videos explaining different techniques for sewing around curves.
It's another practical evening wrap, this time the 1920s version of the cape. Sewn of crepe satin, and trimmed with thin strip of fur at the base of the neck frill, this "tip" provides all the instruc
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Hi, all! Well, another Friday is here - are you ready to get your whoop whoop on? It's been a very busy week for me - moving all the quilt ministry supplies from my house to the church and organizing our new space there - but I've been showing you pictures all week of that and I'm sure you're bored with it! I'm hoping to get to some sewing this weekend, though.... And I have a sewing machine just like this one! So what have you been working on this week? Time to show it off! Link up with the party, check out some of the other links and share some love!!! The linky party will stay open until Sunday night..... Be there or be square!! Hugs! Sarah
A fun sewing tip, brought to you weekly! In this week's tip, learn how to make a straight edge when matching curved seams. Seam allowance is important here!
Do your kids or grandkids watch you sew and want to learn? Amy Friend from the blog During Quiettime shares how you can teach them valuable skills and make memories at the same time.
I’ve had a number of people ask for the details on how I made the kangaroo pocket on my recent Fen mods: tunic and dress variations. Following is how I do it — and since I’m not a sewing professional, there may be people with even better advice in the comments on this. You can […]
Claire Knox Bentham, Origin 2011 www.originuk.org/exhibitor/clare-knox-bentham
My First pattern is so close to coming out, but there are still a few things to wrap up before I share it with all of you. I know there are a few of you that are following very closely and waiting for the release of the pattern, so in the meantime I've decided to share the pattern information, so you can gather your fabric and materials needed! Named after the poppy (coquelicot in French) the “Coquelicot skirt” is a flowy and adaptable skirt thanks to its adjustable waistband. This skirt was ins
How many times you would have wanted to know how to properly sew? Sewing is an activity that can be learned pretty easy if you have the right person to teach you, but if not and you learned by yourself, a few tips and tricks on how to sew like a PRO will surely take […]
Learning how to make Waldorf Dolls can be a bit tricky. They are not made the regular or conventional way. The face is a little rounder, the features of the doll head are shaped.
When we released the Fairy Tale Dress sewing pattern a few weeks ago we recommended that you make a muslin to test the fit before sewing up the pattern. This dress is a more fitted pattern than our…
Step into another century whenever you wear this stunning, retro shawl. The Bluebell Shawl is a vintage knitting pattern that's been reprinted online just for you. Use these knitting instructions from that past to create a timeless piece that you'll love wearing over and over again. Throwing this shawl over an outfit is an easy way to accessorize and stay warm on a chilly day.
New to the world of overlockers and sergers? Understanding your serger will help you feel comfortable and confident while using your machine.
It’s never too late to learn the right way to do things: button sewing technique via imgur → more…
I’ve made good progress with my Down the Rabbit Hole quilt, I got a bit behind but this week I finished appliquing all the leaves and today I finished all the houses! I think last month I was…
How to do a ladder stitch (also know as an invisible stitch or hidden stitch) step by step video tutorial. This tutorial is perfect for beginners!
What's the best sewing or quilting advice you ever received? The advice that I use every time I sew, came from my mom. “Sew, press, sew, press.” I can hear
We're back with another guide, and this time we're focusing on presser foot attachments! One of the most important pieces to any sewing machine and project,
