There are some techniques used in tailoring that are rarely found in the pattern instructions. One of those is a chest piece, or chest shield.

The chest shield is a layer — or, sometimes, multiple layers — that provide stability, body, and reinforcement to the upper front of a jacket. Every woman, even if large-busted, has a little crease or hollow next to the armhole in the chest area that can cause vertical wrinkles or folds in the upper chest of a jacket or coat. To remedy this, we put in a chest shield. The shield enhances the overall fit and appearance, and gives structure, support, and shape to the chest area. It also contributes to a more flattering and tailored look, creating a smooth and well-defined silhouette.

Although chest shields are common in men’s jackets and couture tailored garments, they are rarely seen in women’s ready-to-wear. Chest shields can be made from quality canvas, silk organza, batting, muslin, Pellon Fleece, or Thermolam. If more structure is needed, they can be multi-layered and any combination of the above.

TIP: Do not use fusible fleece as this is a high stress area on the garment and it will not stay fused.

The chest shield is cut according to the jacket pattern to assure it matches the shape and size of the front panels but can be customized to your own body shape and preferences to ensure a personalized fit.

Use your jacket or coat front to make a pattern by drawing a curved line from about two-thirds down the armhole up to the shoulder. Do not go into the roll line (Figure 1). Cut a chest piece for each front.

After you have applied interfacing to the jacket fronts, pin the chest pieces along the shoulder and armhole seams and baste them in place. Fold the curved edge back about 1/2″ and tack the chest piece to the jacket with a very loose running stitch, checking to be sure it does not show on the right side of the garment (Figure 2).

Sew the chest piece right into the shoulder and armhole seams during construction and trim the excess seam allowance from the chest pieces to reduce bulk. If your garment will be lined, the chest piece will go between the outer fabric and the inner lining.

Press the chest area over a ham and allow the garment to cool and dry in that position. The ham simulates the curves of the body and will help to shape the garment to your figure.

As sewing enthusiasts, most of us make a lot of bags in our lifetime—from totes to backpacks and beyond. Most may be soft or lightly structured, but few are actually shaped by frames. So, let’s take a look at some accent frames and how to use them.

Types of Frames

Frames provide the external structure for a bag and allow it to support the weight of its contents. Some provide for shoulder strapping and others simply frame a clutch.

Available in many shapes and sizes kiss-lock frames get their name from the interlocking knobs or other shapes that provide the closure for the bag. These frames come in plastic, wood or metal and they can be curved, squared or otherwise shaped at the upper edge.

Frames come in many sizes, from tiny coin-purse versions to larger luggage-style options.

There are simple metal frames, shiny or matte, or they can be more elaborate with filagree work or bedecked with jewels. Some frames have small loops to attach straps or chains, others have hinged loops that fit down into the bag so it can also be used as a clutch. Some metal frames have novelty shaped handles built in for closure in lieu of kiss locking closures.

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All purse frames have a channel between the outer and inner frame portions. This is where the top edge of the finished bag body slides in and is secured.

Attachment Styles

Sew-on frames are perhaps the most common type of frame and they come with small holes along the channel opening for hand stitching the bag to the frame. You can attach the bag body using a running stitch, backstitch or a decorative hand embroidery stitch, and you can even add beads to help hide the stitches if you prefer.

Screw-on frames attach the bag body with tiny screws on the frame inside, invisible from the outside. The bag body simply slides into the channels and is held in place when the screws are tightened. Glue can be added for additional hold prior to insertion.

Glue-on frames rely totally on adhesive to hold the bag body in place. Depending on the fabric your bag is made of, the channel may be wider than the fabric thicknesses, so you can insert a small cord to fill the gap. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for type of glue and application, as errant glue can damage a frame. With this type of frame, it’s important to be sure both sides of the upper bag edges are glued securely to both the frame front and back for maximum strength.

Crimp-on frames must be clamped once the bag body upper edges are positioned, as that’s what holds the fabric in place. Purse crimpers or flat-jaw pliers are required for a secure squeeze and some kind of protection is needed between the tool and the metal frame to avoid damage—a fleece scrap works fine to avoid scratches. Some frames have inside teeth for better gripping, and other manufacturers recommend adding glue before crimping.

How to Attach Frames

Most purse frames come with a pattern for the bag body, so follow the manufacturer’s instructions to make the bag body. This process will create a finished upper edge, ready to mount to the frame.

1. First, find the center of the frame and the bag body upper edge. Mark it with tape or a thread.

2. 

   Open the frame hinges as far as possible to expose the channel where the bag upper edge will go. For most frames, you’ll want to run a very thin line of glue in the channel. Begin inserting the bag body matching the center points. Use a small screwdriver, stiletto or skewer to push the upper edge all the way into the channel. Continue from the center outward in the same manner until you reach the hinge area of the frame and clamp in place, protecting the metal frame with fabric scraps. Repeat for the second half of the same side. For some bags, the frame is shorter than the bag edge, so push in a few gathers evenly spaced. If the channel seems to have extra room, add in a string or tiny cord to fill the gap and glue in place.

3. Wait for the first half of the bag frame to dry completely, then repeat the process for the second half.
4. If you’re working with a clamp-on or screw-on frame, continue with that process. For a sew-on version, stitch through the frame holes.

~Linda Griepentrog is the owner of G Wiz Creative Services and she does writing, editing and designing for companies in the sewing, crafting and quilting industries. In addition, she escorts fabric shopping tours to Hong Kong. She lives at the Oregon Coast with her husband Keith, and three dogs, Yohnuh, Abby, and Lizzie. Contact her at .

It never fails that the closer we get to the holidays, there’s more to do, and time can get crunched. But if you need quick gifts for friends or family, your sewing skills can come in handy to save the day. The two items detailed in today’s ASG blog post are great for almost anyone on your gift list… and you can whip them up in a short time, likely from what you have in your stash or with a quick trip to the fabric store.

Bracelet Trio

Make them match, make them different; give one, two or three—the choice is yours.

What you Need

• Your local craft store (or online resource) will likely have wooden bracelet blanks. They come in varying widths and with rounded or flat surfaces, depending on the desired look. Choose them singly or in sets.
• Fabric glue
• Fabric strips at least 1” wide
• Matching or contrasting threads, regular or topstitching weight
• Topstitching needle, if using heavier threads
• Spring clips
• Bias tape maker (1/2”) (optional)
  • Learn how to make your own bias tape
  • Watch a video on making bias tape

Preparation

1. Cut the fabric strips 1” wide across the fabric width (42”-60”). Use different fabrics or all the same, depending on the number of bracelets you’re making and desired finished look.

2. 

   Press under the long raw edges of the fabric strips to create ½”-wide folded strips. Option: Use a bias-tape maker to make the folded strips, following the manufacturer’s instructions.

3. Edgestitch the fabric strips using a slightly longer than normal stitch. Press the strips flat.

Assembly

1. Place one short end of a fabric strip inside the bracelet and glue in place. Allow to dry.
2. Wrap the strip tightly around the wooden bracelet and continue with successive wraps, overlapping the previous strip ever so slightly. The wooden bracelet should not be visible. Pull the strip snugly to avoid any gaps. Use spring clips to hold the wraps in place and add dots of glue randomly to secure the wrapping.
3. Continue wrapping to cover the entire bracelet surface. If you run out of strip length, trim so that the end is on the inside of the bracelet and glue the strip end in place. Begin a new strip where the old one left off by initially gluing the end and clipping in place.
4. Once the entire bracelet is covered, trim the end of the fabric strip so that it will be on the bracelet inside; glue and clip in place.

Bracelet Tips

• Use the decorative stitches on your sewing machine to embellish the fabric strips prior to folding.
• For a more casual look, cut narrower strips and fringe the edges.
• Wrap with pre-made flat trim for the quickest bracelet ever. Think metallic!

Covered Hangers

Perfect for guys or gals, these fun hangers add a bit of fun to anyone’s closet.

What you Need

• Wire or plastic hangers (if you don’t have any, try these from Amazon)
• 1/4 yard fabric (for each)
• Matching thread
• Pattern tracing paper
• Ribbon/trim (optional)
• Fusible web (optional)

Preparation

1. Trace around the hanger shape up to the neck hook. Add 3/8” for seam allowances on all the edges.
2. Cut two pieces of fabric the shape of the pattern created in step 1.
3. To embellish the hanger, stitch any ribbons or trims in place on the single-layer fabric as desired.

Assembly

1. Place the hanger cover pieces right sides together and sew the side angles together, leaving open the neck hole.
2. Turn the cover right side out and press the edges. On the neck and lower edges, press under the seam allowance to the wrong side.
3. Carefully insert the hanger hook through the lower cover edge. Pin together the pressed-under lower edges and hand-stitch closed. When covering metal hangers, the lower edges can be fused together instead of stitched, but do not fuse the edges when using a plastic hanger as it may melt.
4. To finish, tie a ribbon around the hanger neck and/or wrap the hook portion in ribbon to totally cover it. Hand-stitch (or glue) the ribbon ends in place after wrapping.

Hangers can be covered with bandannas or scarves instead of fabric off the bolt.

~Linda Griepentrog is the owner of G Wiz Creative Services and she does writing, editing and designing for companies in the sewing, crafting and quilting industries. In addition, she escorts fabric shopping tours to Hong Kong. She lives at the Oregon Coast with her husband Keith, and three dogs, Yohnuh, Abby, and Lizzie. Contact her at .