ASG Sewing Blog – Page 38

April 1, 2022

The Gilded Chain of Chanel

The gilded chain is an attractive, decorative trim on the inside of most Chanel jackets at the hemline, and is one of the most Chanelisms (the term used by the editors of Vogue Magazine to describe distinctive Chanel techniques). The chain is generally made of brass or heavy metal and is used instead of inexpensive lead weights that are hidden between the hem allowance and outer shell in traditional tailored jackets.

The chain is an essential component and plays an integral role in controlling the drape of Chanel’s distinctive jackets. Many of these featherweight designs have only two fabric layers — a lightweight fashion fabric and a blouse-weight lining that have been quilted together. They are often assembled without the usual interfacings, underlinings, facings, and linings.

S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G it! Everything you need to know about choosing elastic

Elastic sleeves — Photo courtesy of Bernina

We all know the convenience of elastic—it allows us flexibility around the waistline for that extra helping of dessert and also holds up our undies in style. But there are so many types of elastic it’s hard to know which one to choose for what. Some elastics are hidden inside casings, while others show themselves with aplomb.

So, let’s talk about this supreme stretchiness and some elastics that may be new to you.

Elastic Types

For encased stretch, look for braided, knitted or woven elastics. They come in a variety of widths starting at 1/8”, depending on their use. You can purchase elastic by the yard or in pre-cut, packaged lengths and usually only in black or white. Braided elastic gets narrower and curls as it stretches, while woven and knitted elastics hold their width during sewing and wearing. Braided elastic looks ribbed due to its construction process and should be used in casings only, not sewn through, as it easily distorts.

Non-roll elastic from Amazon — Non-roll elastic available on Amazon.

Non-roll elastic is woven with extra ribs to help it hold its shape and to prevent twisting. It’s ideal inside waistband casings.

Pajama elastic is a soft, lightweight woven elastic, designed to be used against the skin, like at the waistline of your favorite pj’s, as the name suggests.

Clear elastic is an extruded product that can be stretched up to three times its original length. Also available in a variety of widths, you’ll find this sometimes used for bra straps to create an invisible look, in swimsuits and often to stabilize shoulder and neckline seams in knit garments. It’s easily sewn through without distorting and you can even cut it along the length if a narrower piece is needed—there’s no raveling. The serger knife can easily trim it during application.

Clear elastic from Amazon — Clear elastic available on Amazon

Plush-back elastic is made to be seen. It’s applied to waistlines, sleeves and leg openings in lingerie with the soft fuzzy side toward the body for comfort.

Picot-edge elastic has a looped edge that extends decoratively beyond the garment edge when the elastic is applied. Look for it on lingerie and sometimes on childrenswear as a neckline or armhole finish.

Ruffle-edge elastic has a woven in ruffle that extends beyond its edge(s). Single-edge ruffles can be used like picot-edge elastic, and double-edge ruffles are often used for straps, belts or pony-tail holders.

Fold-over elastic is made specifically for finishing the edge of knit or woven fabric. A special channel down the center creates a built-in fold line to encase a fabric edge. It can be applied with a 1:1 ratio or with a slight stretch to help ease a neckline or other curved edge, while still maintaining flexibility. This elastic is available in myriad solid colors and prints, and it’s often used for binding infantwear edges.

Fold-over elastic from Amazon — Fold-over elastic available on Amazon

Round or oval cord elastic looks like a very large thread. These are ideal for small areas that benefit from stretch, like button loops, mask earpieces, jewelry making, etc. Round elastic can also be used for flexible gathering—just zigzag over it, being careful not to catch the elastic, then pull the elastic to the desired size and tie off.

Elastic thread is a stretchable thread. Sewing parallel lines with elastic thread in the bobbin and matching fabric colored thread in the top creates a shirred look that can be adjusted as desired.

Buttonhole elastic is woven with evenly placed slits in it to match buttons. When used to back a waistline, it creates size options—especially handy for maternity wear or children’s clothing.

Buttonhole elastic from Amazon — Buttonhole elastic available on Amazon

Gripper elastic has silicone on the wrong side to help keep garments in place when the silicone is placed next to the skin. Look for this type of elastic in bike shorts (along the leg hems) and in evening wear bodices to help keep them from slipping out of place. Available in multiple widths and colors.

Gripper elestic on Amazon — Gripper elastic available on Amazon

Novelty waistband elastic is wide and designed to be seen. It comes in myriad colors, some metallics, and also with stripes woven into it. This elastic is applied to the outside of the garment in lieu of a waistband. It can also be used for belting.

Drawstring elastic offers a built-in cord down the center that can be pulled and tied to snug up the fit of pants or shorts at the waistline. The cord is embedded in the elastic as it’s constructed and is accessible as this elastic is applied directly to the garment wrong side, not inside a casing.

Drawcord (drawstring) elastic from Amazon — Drawcord/drawstring elastic available from Amazon

Swimwear elastic, available in narrow and wider widths, is made to withstand chlorine and salt without damage to it. It’s used in the legs, armholes and neckline of bathing suits. Regular elastic is damaged by exposure to pool chlorine and will rot.

~Linda Griepentrog
Linda 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 two dogs, Yohnuh and Abby. Contact her at .

March 18, 2022

Shirt Chic

Custom shirt expert, Pamela Erny shares her sewing tips for achieving impeccable results, as well as ideas for adding a personal twist to traditional silhouettes. Pamela told us that many of her techniques can be used with both men’s and women’s shirts. Men’s shirts, women’s shirts, and children’s shirts all present countless opportunities for boundless creativity. Boundless? Yes!

Shirts

“I absolutely enjoy every minute of my profession as a shirtmaker. The fabrics, the patterns, the design details, and the opportunity to bring my own original designs “to life” in fabric make the many hours spent in my studio joyful ones.”

Choosing Fabrics

Shirtmaking creativity begins right at the get-go when you are picking the fabric. Sure, there are fabrics actually labeled “shirting fabrics” and they are lovely to sew on, but if you cannot find “official” shirting fabrics, there are plenty of other options. Consider luxury sheets for fabric yardage. Beautiful high-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets are available at reasonable prices from many online sources. And what about other fabrics? Here’s where the excitement begins. Silk dupioni, washed in hot water until the color fades, the slubs swell, and the shine is barely there, becomes wonderful “unexpected” fabric for shirts for both men and women. Or perhaps some linen tossed into a washer filled with hot water and some clean tennis balls (yes, tennis balls) and run through a few wash cycles, then tossed — tennis balls included — into a hot dryer, for a lovely distressed look fabric that’s perfect for making a fun, stylish shirt.

Hanging shirts

Pamela designs and hand-drafts many of the shirts that she sews, but she also uses commercial patterns as well. There are some fabulous patterns available for shirts for both men and women. Sources range from the major pattern companies to wonderful shirt designs from the small independent pattern lines. Vintage patterns, particularly when sewing men’s shirts, provide even more options.

Fine-Tuning the Construction

By and large, the most frequently asked questions about shirtmaking are about constructing collars, adjusting a pattern to accommodate a prominent abdomen, and the use of interfacing.

Interfacing: It is important to interface all areas of a shirt that experience stress and/or require added body. Of course, that includes the collar, front button band, and the cuffs. If any shirt details are cut on the bias, such as the front placket, be sure to cut the interfacing on the straight grain so that the bias is completely stabilized.

Collars: One hallmark of a poorly made shirt is a collar with lumpy points that refuse to lay flat. The solution is to ever-so-slightly change the angle of the point. This allows the seam allowances to have more room to settle flat and smooth when the collar is stitched, turned, and pressed. This simple method will work with any pointed collar, including shirt collars that are attached to a stand.

In this diagram of a collar pattern, the black line is the original pattern. The dotted blue line shows how to alter the angle of the point. The method is easy:

Trace a copy of the pattern, without seam allowances.
Make a mark on the outer edge of the collar, 1⁄8″ to 1⁄4″ in from the point.
Draw a line from the collar’s center front neck edge to the mark at the outer edge.
Cut along this newly drawn line to establish the new front edge of the collar.
Add the appropriate seam allowances and cut out your collar.

Center front

Since you haven’t changed the length or shape of the neck edge, all the “parts” will stitch together as usual.

Full Abdomen and Hip Adjustment: One of the most common shirt fitting problems for both men and women is a garment that fits fine in the chest and shoulders but is too tight in the hip and/or stomach area. The alteration, which is quite simple, eliminates all the problems that would occur by moving up to the next larger pattern size. After slashing and spreading the pattern the necessary amount (as indicated in the illustrations below), “true” the lines of the pattern as shown.

LEFT image shows full abdomen alternation made on front pattern piece only. RIGHT image shows full hip alternation made on both front and back pattern pieces.

V-Bottom Patch Pocket: Here’s an easy way to achieve perfectly symmetrical results when constructing this classic shirt pocket.

First, change your pocket pattern by reducing the side and bottom seam allowances to 3⁄8″ or less.
To help with accuracy while cutting, place your fabric on a stable padded surface, such as your ironing board. Stab-pin the pattern through the fabric and into the padded surface, so that the fabric will not shift. Cut out your pocket. Mark the center at the upper edge of the pocket.
With wrong side up, press the seam allowances in on one side and one angle edge.
With right sides together, fold the pocket lengthwise from the point of the V to the center mark on the upper edge. Press the remaining bottom and side seam allowances under so that the two halves of the pocket match. Don’t worry if the seam allowances vary in width.
Now we need to address the pocket’s top (hem) edge. Before folding and pressing it into position, slide the top edges of the seam allowances in a scant 1⁄8″. By doing this, you have less bulk when the pocket is stitched to the garment.
Finish the top raw edge of the pocket hem as desired. Fold down to the wrong side and press.

Adding Designer Details: One of the delights of shirtmaking is adding your own designer details. Over the years, Pamela has developed some favorites that transform even the simplest shirt into one that is fashionably chic.

Pleated Collar: This detail works well on a woman’s shirt with a flat collar, i.e., one that has no “stand.” It is very simple to do because the collar is pleated after it is constructed and attached to the neckline of the shirt. Just fold out a 1⁄2″ to 3⁄4″ deep pleat on each front edge of the collar and pin to hold the pleat temporarily. Adjust, if needed, so that the pleat is smooth and a consistent depth all around the collar, then hand stitch the pleat folds in place on the underside of the collar.

Note: Some collars are too narrow for this technique. To test, make a muslin collar before cutting out your shirt. If necessary, increase the depth of your collar pattern.

Edge-Stitched Back Pleat: Shirt patterns for men and women may have a center back pleat below the yoke. If not, you can create one by adding 3″ at the center of the shirt back pattern piece. This will give you a 11⁄2″ box pleat, the standard size on most shirts. Then, why not make it more of a design detail by edgestitching the folds? Before attaching the yoke, press the back pleat folds from the top edge to the hem, the entire length of the shirt back. Now, very carefully, edge-stitch along each pressed fold. Attach the yoke and proceed with the construction of the shirt.

Accent Mini Tucks: Check out the details on these illustrations. What appear to be black lines are actually minute tucks on yellow distressed linen. These tiny tucks, which add dramatic accents to your shirts, require no pattern alterations!

On this shirt, a diagonal mini tuck was added near the shoulder, another on the pocket, and a vertical tuck near the center front. If you limit your tucks to no more than two per main pattern piece, it won’t affect the size or shape of the shirt.

After the pattern pieces are cut out, decide where you want to place your tucks and draw a chalk line to mark each placement. Then, working at the ironing board, fold the fabric wrong sides together along your marked lines and press. Edge stitch along the pressed fold, no more than 1⁄16″ inch from the edge. Your mini tuck is complete, and you can continue with the construction of your shirt.

Pleated Sleeve Hem: Here is a nice detail to add interest to a short sleeve. It’s also an easy fix if you decide that the sleeves are too wide after you’ve finished sewing the shirt.

Cuff Find the mid-point of the sleeve hem by pressing the sleeve in half. At that mid-point, pinch out a pleat that is 1⁄2″ to 1″ wide. Fold it toward the back or the front (your choice), and secure with a button.

Mother-of-Pearl Buttons: Mother-of-pearl buttons on shirts and blouses are beautiful, but they can vary widely in price from elegant, antique ones to thin, decorative ones (sometimes found in a bulk bag near the regular buttons). The thinner ones are more fragile, and usually don’t survive the washer and dryer unless you give them some help. Using a liquid glue that’s made to attach embellishments to fabric, coat the back side of the button, being careful to avoid filling in the holes. The glue will look “milky” when wet, but will be clear (and strong) when dry.

~Pamela Erny designs menswear fashions including custom-made shirts. She also enjoys designing fashions for children and sharing creative sewing and design techniques with others through articles, classes, and studio workshops. You can find her professional interfacing products at https://www.fashionsewingsupply.com, while www.offthe- cuff-style.blogspot.com is full of tips, techniques, and useful shirtmaking information. This article was adapted from an article printed in a previous issue of Notions.

March 16, 2022

How to use the Piping Foot (video)

Watch this 60 second video on how to use a piping foot.

March 11, 2022

Thinking Outside the Sewing Store — Ideas for Tools & Notions

Some tools/notions used in sewing are not necessarily purchased as “sewing” items. ASG member, Judith Weyl shared some of her favorite innovative notion ideas with us:

Home Improvement Stores

A 3′ Section of Wood Handrail makes a wonderful tool for pressing seams open without leaving an imprint on the garment. It’s round on one side and flat on the other, which keeps it from rolling off the ironing board. The 3′ length is great for pressing seams in a pant leg but you could have it cut any length.

Galvanized or Zinc-Plated Washers (about 2” diameter) make great pattern weights. They have a hole in the center and can be stored on a small dowel or hook. Judith rarely use pins to hold pattern to the fabric any longer. An added bonus to using the washers is that they are so thin, you can place an acrylic ruler on top of them along the edge of the pattern and there’s enough clearance to use a rotary cutter to glide along the ruler’s edge. Don’t stop there though! When Judith made drapes for her dining room, she sewed a small pocket from the lining fabric for each washer and pinned them as weights at the hem of the drapes.

Blue Painter’s Tape makes a handy guide for seam allowances. Using a razor, carefully make two deep cuts into the roll about 2” apart and remove the entire cut area which should be about 1/8” to ¼” thick. Place this on the bed of your machine the required distance from the needle. Even if you use specialty feet or attachments, adding the tape gives you a further marking and lets the fabric ride along it well before reaching the needle. And because it doesn’t leave a residue, you can reposition the tape as needed. When it loses its stickiness, just remove the bottom layer of tape to rejuvenate your strip.

Office Supply Store

Vertical Mail or File Sorters are great for storing acrylic rulers. Judith says this multi-slotted desktop sorter doesn’t have enough slots for all the rulers, but they are still held conveniently in one place.

Supermarket or Drug Store

Toothpicks can be used as shank spacers when sewing on buttons. When sewing a button on by machine, slip a toothpick under the foot directly over the buttonholes before stitching, making sure to hand-turn the wheel to be sure the zigzag stitch is clearing the toothpick.

Wooden Skewers or Chopsticks are excellent for guiding your fabric to the needle and holding that final edge when piecing. You can’t get your fingers that close! A bonus is that you can share the extras at your next ASG meeting.

Tweezers are a great tool to help when unpicking a seam. Use them to grasp the cut end of threads and you will easily be able to yank a long thread out of the fabric. It also helps when clipping or trimming embroidery threads as you can hold the thread with the tweezers and get very close to the fabric.

Other Ideas

We loved Judith’s ideas so much, we decided to poke around the house and see if we could channel similar creative-outside-the-box thinking department as she did. Here’s what we came up with:

Pipe Cleaners would make a great brush to remove dust and debris from under your presser foot and in the bobbin case. You may want to double it up or even make a loop with it.
A Portable Book Light velcroed or taped (use Painter’s Tape to avoid tape residue) to your machine can add some additional light and you can swing the little arm to where you need it.
Velcro Hair Rollers (oh, remember the days?!) would make a great tool for picking up loose threads.
Magnet tape to pick up stray pins.

Thanks so much to Judith for these fabulous sewing room ideas! She advises that when you see tools and notions advertised, look around your home or in non-sewing stores for similar items that are non-traditional but will still serve the purpose.

~ Judith Weyl, Greater Lehigh Valley ASG Chapter