ASG Sewing Blog – Page 55

October 9, 2020

What I’m Sewing: Itch-to-Stitch Bonn Shirt

Q. Item Created
A. Blouse

Q. Independent Pattern Designer
A. Itch-to-Stitch

Q. Name and Number of Pattern
A. Bonn Shirt/Dress

Q. Fabric Used:
A. Picasso Rayon Poplin in teal

Q. Special Embellishments/Notions Used
A. Superior MasterPiece cotton thread

Q. Skill level required?
A. Advanced beginner or Intermediate

Q. Are the instructions easy to follow?
A. Yes, and they are quite thorough. There are several sleeve variations of long, short, mid-length and flare; this is the long flare. I’ve made the mid-length also, in a blue rayon print. Have not made the dress.

Q. Are you pleased with the finished result? Did it meet your expectations?
A. Very pleased. I had a bit of difficulty with the hem this time. I chose to use a rolled hem foot to make it simpler than trying to press 1/8″ double ironed hem with slippery rayon. The result is that the hem has a fluttery look, which mimics the flared sleeve.

Q. Did it look like the picture?
A. Yes, it did.

Q. Did you make any modifications in the pattern?
A. No.

Q. Are there any changes you would have made?
A. I might try it with a straight hem, rather than a curved one, and perhaps add a side slit. If I did that, I would also do the mid-length sleeve and make that hemmed rather than gathered and banded.

Q. Did the pattern teach you any unique or special techniques?
A. This was the first flared sleeve I’ve sewn. I like the effect.

Q. Would you make this again?
A. Yes.

Q. Would you recommend this pattern to others?
A. Yes, I would.

Pattern Link: https://itch-to-stitch.com/pattern-release-bonn-shirt-dress/

I purchased the fabric from a store in Missoula, Montana that also has a web site, The Confident Stitch. The online store and their customer service customer are top notch.

~Joanne Jensen, Plano Chapter

October 2, 2020

Sewing with Multi-Color Threads

The sewist’s crayons!

Not really designed for construction, variegated threads are multiple colors within a single strand. When you look at a spool, you may see distinct color patterns or simply a blending of similar colors, depending on the brand, how the thread is dyed and how it’s wound on the spool or cone. Stitching with these threads on your sewing machine also produces differing results. Sometimes, surprises happen unexpectedly!

The spacing and repetition of colors within the spool vary by thread type and brand. Some multi-color threads repeat colors in a regular sequence, others offer random color repeats and others may change hue every inch, or every few feet. Colors can be related by shade, such as a light, medium and dark tone of the same color, or they can be bold contrasting colors, like a mix of red, white and blue within the same strand.

Sometimes the color change is distinct, abruptly changing from one to the another, but more often the changes are gradual with a melding from one shade to the next.

How the thread is dyed determines how it stitches out, in combination with other factors like stitch length and width, and the actual stitch selection.

Look for variegated threads in multiple fiber options—cotton, polyester, rayon, metallic, silk and texturized nylon. They also come in different thread sizes, depending on the use. Heavier weights are ideal for multi-color free-motion quilting.

Stitch Subtleties

Variegated threads can be used in a number of ways. Satin stitching takes on an entirely new persona creating stripes of color—either distinct or melding.

Top to bottom: Sulky Ultratwist, Superior Rainbow, DMC Cotton, Sulky PolyLite

Appliqué using variegated thread; photo by Bernina

A striped appliqué edge is interesting as well. Topstitching with variegated thread is fun, free-motion quilting allows for blending colors found in fabric prints, and the world is your oyster with decorative machine stitches.

When selecting decorative stitches, look for those that are formed only with a forward motion for the best color clarity. If you choose reverse-motion stitches, you can end up with slightly different colors on top of each other as the stitch is formed.

Variegated thread also makes interesting serging stitching lines, whether used as an edge finish or for flatlocking within a garment. Unless both sides show, use the variegated thread only in the upper looper and needle, along with a coordinating solid in the lower looper.

Machine embroidery is a great place to use variegated threads for either subtle or bold shade changes. But, be aware that depending on the thread patterning, you can end up with stripes in your programmed design.

Before committing to a project, be sure to test-stitch with the variegated thread and stitch settings you plan to use to see how the color variations will actually stitch out. Or, better yet, try the same design with different variegated thread types and brands.

A New Twist

Another type of multi-color thread is twisted thread—two or three plies of different colors twisted together to create a heathery look. Look for analogous color shades (like light blue and dark blue) creating a denim look, or more contrast in colors for bolder effect.

Twist threads are ideal for embroidering animal motifs with fur or feathers, topstitching and decorative stitching where you don’t want stripes to be prominent.

Hand Sewing

There are several types of hand-stitching threads available with multi-coloration. Look for embroidery floss and fine wools, as well as multiple sizes of variegated pearl cottons.

So, add some color changing to your world!

~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 .

September 25, 2020

Rise of the Sew Bro

Why Men Have Been Crafting Their Own Clothes Over Lockdown

by Nick Pope, adapted from a story on esquire.com/uk/ on 8/18/20

It all started with a pair of old curtains. In late March, as Colorado crept into lockdown, 23-year-old Jonathan Simanjuntak began his search for a new hobby. “Quarantine was getting really serious,” he told me from his home in Aurora, a city spread across two of the state’s hardest hit counties. It didn’t take him long to land on sewing. “If I’m being super honest, the fact that I can’t afford Gucci and APC [a French RTW brand] had a lot to do with it.”

Before the local government could stop him, Jonathan raided thrift shops for fusty fabrics, damaged clothes, and any rag that might prove useful. Three months later, after a lot of trial-and-error and YouTube tutorials, he uploaded his first big project to the 260,000-strong Reddit community /r/sewing: a Dickies-inspired work jacket, upcycled from a blanket and some floral curtains he found at Goodwill. It immediately shot to the top of a subreddit almost entirely dominated by dresses. “Thank you everyone for the nice comments,” he wrote at the top of the post, which gained seven thousand upvotes. “I’m smiling a lot!”

Fusty: smelling stale, damp, or stuffy

It should come as no great surprise that /r/sewing has grown in popularity. As stringent lockdown measures loomed, the world got busy keeping busy. Google searches for “sewing machines” jumped by 400 percent in the U.S., and John Lewis [a British department store] reported that sales of them had risen by 127 percent over April. What might come as a surprise, however, is the number of men who began posting their own creations—from face masks to full outfits—on the forum, a real rarity before the pandemic hit. “I see a lot of new seamsters like me popping up in the subreddit every day,” Jonathan told me. “The first time you put your own work on your body feels like magic—it’s wild addicting.”

According to Merchant & Mills, a former warehouse-turned-sewing emporium in Rye, East Sussex, England, more men than ever are taking to the craft. The British draper received a month’s worth of orders each day at the start of lockdown, but it was their template for a men’s workwear silhouette that reigned supreme. “The Foreman Jacket shot through the roof. It was the best-selling pattern by miles,” says Carolyn Denham, who co-founded the company ten years ago. Even before lockdown, she noticed that men were finally beginning to see the value in producing their own clothes with long-lasting materials. “Sewing doesn’t have to be this mumsy, cutesy thing with pink scissors,” she told me. “Men relate to it being a ‘quality’ thing. I think they hook straight into that.”

Redditor Mehedi Sarri, a 32-year-old librarian from Toulouse, France, learned to sew when he lost his job back in 2017. “When you start sewing, spending six to eight hours on a garment, you realize the value of your clothes.” he says. A new job in 2018 meant that Mehedi’s hobby fell by the wayside, but lockdown presented the perfect opportunity to get back on the horse. A fan of Japanese fabrics like Kokka and Nani IRO, he crafted his own shirts, coats, trousers, and of course, face masks. “Three of my friends expressed their will to have some training sessions with me.That made me so happy,” he says. “I also taught one friend how to sew right after confinement, and he made a bunch of masks.”

Ishmael Jasmin, a 20-year-old Redditor from Los Angeles, has even started selling his own streetwear pieces crafted with woven blanket materials, including a pair of Space Jam-themed shorts. “Sewing has been very beneficial to my mental health,” he told me. “Don’t get me wrong, some projects can be draining and annoying. But when I’m creating something, I don’t have to really worry about any outside noise. Just me and my machine is a perfect combo.”

Original article on esquire.com/uk/

~Betty Watts, ASG member
Betty was the publisher of the print edition of ASG Notions for 20 years. She says, “I like Jonathan’s word ‘seamsters’ much better than sewers or sewists.”

September 18, 2020

Sewing Basics: Measuring Tools

Measure Twice, Cut Once

We’ve all done it. You cut that precious fabric, and you cut it wrong. Once you’ve made that cut, you can’t undo it. And now you don’t have enough to recover from your mistake. ARGH! Whether taking body measurements, marking seam allowances, or cutting quilt squares, when we sew, we need to measure accurately every time if we want our project to come out correctly.

Accurate measurements help to ensure a proper fit in garments, desired proportions in home dec, beautifully square and align quilt pieces and more. We definitely need to pay close attention to what we are doing, but making a small investment in a few helpful measuring tools can help. These are your must-haves:

Tape Measure
Clear ruler
Seam Gauge

So let’s take a look at these three tools in more depth…

Tape Measure

Also called a measuring tape, it’s a flexible strip of cloth, plastic or other pliable material with measurement markings. They usually measure about 60” long and 5/8” wide. It is generally reversible with inches on one side and centimeters on the other to help take a more accurate measurements, and can easily be rolled up when not in use.

Pro Tip: Since a tape measure is usually 5/8” wide, you can use it to check the accuracy or placement of your 5/8 seam allowances.

Tape measures can be used for just about everything when it comes to sewing. Use it to:

Measure your body to make the right size in garment patterns
Determine the length of a skirt or shirt, the size of a home dec or accessory project, etc.
Measure pattern pieces
Measure seam lines to make sure they match
Confirm a pattern piece is positioned accurately on the grain line

Many resources suggest that the flexible material that tape measures are made of will not stretch. However, that is not always the case. It’s a good idea to check the accuracy of your tape measure every few months just to be sure an inch is still an inch. Many are made of fabric and then coated, which helps to make them last longer and discourages stretching. You can look for a non-stretch fiberglass model instead of fabric to solve the stretching issue. Choosing one with metal tips can also prevent fraying.

Clear Rulers

Clear rulers are extremely helpful when measuring and drawing seamlines and cutting lines. They are made of sturdy transparent plastic or acrylic and have easy-to-read measurement markings. They also come in a variety of sizes and shapes, such as square, rectangle and even a French curve.

Sometimes, they are also marked with helpful 30, 45 and 60 degree angled lines which makes them great for marking straight edges and parallel lines, buttonholes, tucks and pleats. It can also be used to check the grainline of the fabric. The best thing about this type of ruler is that since you can see through them, it makes it so much easier to align the marking and cutting lines perfectly with the designs on the fabric.

Many sewists like having both a large ruler (15 x 60 cm or 6” x 24”) for long straight lines, and a small one (3 x 30 cm or 1” x 12.5”) for the details. Another favorite is a 5/8” curve ruler that can be used to mark seam allowances or add that extra ¼” to a pattern piece to give a little extra ease in the final garment.

Pro Tip: Clear rulers can be slippery on fabric. Try adding a strip of Dritz Omnigris Invisi-Grip or a few TrueCut TrueGrips non-slip adhesive rings to give it some gripping power. Alternatively, choose a no-slip ruler like the Quilter’s Select Rulers.

There is one additional measurement tool in this category to share. While not necessarily a ruler by the truest definition, templates like the welt pocket template and the fly zipper template found on Stitch Buzz are extremely useful. Watch the interview with Claire Cochran, owner/inventor to learn about the Stitchbuzz rulers and templates. ASG members can also get a 20% ASG discount by using the discount code in the ASG Member’s Only Special Offers section!

Seam Gauge

Seam gauges are rulers, usually 6” long with a sliding pointer that can be used sort of like a caliper. They are often marked in both inches and centimeters and are great tools for marking buttonholes, pleats, hems, etc. because they aren’t flexible and, thus, allow for more accurate measurements.

Though the most common length for a Seam gauge is 6”, you can also find them in longer lengths. Dritz makes one that is 7” long with a point turner on one end, making it a multi-purpose tool. Clover makes one called a 5-in-1 that can be found not only in the 6” length, but also in an 11” length.

Summary

These tools will get you off to a great start. As your sewing skills become more advanced, you may want to invest and experiment with other more specialized measuring tools to help you do the job more efficiently. There are many measuring tools with different shapes, measurements, sizes and neat gadgets to choose from.

If you do choose to add some new tools to your sewing box, don’t forget to check the Member’s Only Special Offers. Many of these tools are available to members at a discount. The table in this blog article summarizes just of few of the discounts available .

~Sheryl Belson

September 16, 2020

Fireside Chat: Kimberly Jolly, Fat Quarter Shop

We recently had the pleasure of talking with Kimberly Jolly, owner of the Fat Quarter Shop and It’s Sew Emma. Between those two companies, she covers all sorts of quilting and cross stitching fabrics, supplies, and patterns. It was great fun to hear how this accountant turned creative and made her journey to where she is today. And it was especially interesting to hear about her connection to the Make a Wish campaign! Learn about her patterns, fabrics, subscription clubs and YouTube channel in this 20 minute video.

~Sheryl Belson