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September 6, 2019

Meet Linda Lee

Congratulations to Linda Lee on her induction into the 2019 ASG Hall of Fame!

Linda LeeLinda has long been one of ASG’s most popular educators at ASG conferences as well as a sought-after speaker at ASG chapters throughout the country. She began her sewing journey at a very young age sewing doll clothes and, by the sixth grade, she had begun her first business venture by making and selling felt beanie hats for $1 each. She soon expanded her line with dirndl skirts and a career was born. Her formal training began at Kansas State University with a degree in Interior Design which included two years as a Clothing and Textiles major.

Her resume reflects a number of business endeavors including I, a commercial and residential interior company; Threadwear, a retail fabric store; and The Sewing Workshop, a sewing school in San Francisco. When asked about how this all came about, Linda commented, “When you don’t have access to good fabric, then doesn’t it make sense to open a fabric store? It did to me. I had heard about a woman in Kansas City named Karen Ladish who knew the insides of the garment district in New York. She took me there and showed me how to buy fabric from the jobbers and brokers at the right prices. It was fascinating!”

The Sewing Workshop


As a shop owner, Linda took a class from sewing icon Sandra Betzina and said, “I couldn’t get enough of what she had to say. That was the first time I had ever heard of The Sewing Workshop, a sewing school in San Francisco. I went there and fell in love with the place. And it was Sandra who encouraged me to buy it. So let’s see, if you don’t have access to good sewing education, then doesn’t it make sense to buy a school? It did to me.”

Continuing to reflect on the path her career has taken, Linda said, “The best seamstress I have ever met, Shermane Fouche, was teaching at The Sewing Workshop at the time. One Sunday night I was in her studio while she was putting the finishing touches on her first pattern collection. This was before Fedex and I discovered that the patterns needed to be at her printer the following day in Manhattan, KS. Well, I was flying home to Kansas, so I offered to hand deliver the patterns to McCalls in Kansas. And that’s where the idea of starting a Sewing Workshop pattern collection began.”

Linda Lee patternLinda describes these patterns as “designs that are simple but have a little ‘edge’ to them so they are more interesting to construct—a unique detail, a fine finish, asymmetry. I think it is important to teach people the correct way to do things and to offer some challenges as well. Over time, we have evolved from a pattern company that had mostly oversized Asian-inspired designs to a much more wearable wardrobe concept theme. They are designed to fit a lot of body types and to span the generations, too. If I wear them at 71 and my daughter at 30 wears them, then I consider that a success. The steps to construct each pattern are illustrated in great detail making it easy to make one of our patterns. All of the production of our patterns happens in-house so we are in complete control of every step. The only thing we sub-contract is the fashion illustration on the cover of the envelope.”

Getting back to her career path, Linda continued, “At the same time, I started the Sewing Workshop pattern collection, I received a phone call from Vogue/Butterick pattern company in New York who wanted to use The Sewing Workshop as the site for filming a pilot television show. Of course I took that phone call and promptly converted the school to a filming studio for about a week. The pilot sold to PBS and 30 shows needed to be produced. They needed ideas for the 30 shows, so I became the content editor and writer for all of the shows. This is where I honed my skills for making step-out samples, writing scripts and boiling content down to a few minutes—all within a really tight timeline and budget.”

Linda also filmed over 100 how-to shows on HGTV, filmed shows for Sew It All and It’s Sew Easy for PBS, became a contributing editor to Threads magazine, and wrote 13 books related to sewing and home decorating. Her latest book is Sewing Knits from Fit to Finish. And if that wasn’t enough, she also produced a tutorial program called Sew Confident! featuring fitting, pattern variations, wardrobing, sewing techniques, and sewing inspiration with over 65 online sewing tutorials on her website.

With this wealth of knowledge and experience, it is no wonder that students flock to her classes when we are fortunate to have her teach at conference. And if you haven’t been able to get into one of her classes there, don’t despair. Linda also has a number of classes on Bluprint.com (formerly Craftsy).

When asked what she has enjoyed most about her career, she was quick to respond, “I love the thrill of marketing and selling the best. I think that anyone who is in business needs to love that part of a business; otherwise, it is pointless. I am bored by the repetitive aspects of what my business requires such as sewing. I don’t like to make the same thing twice; however, unfortunately, that has to happen when developing a pattern. I like to think about things and then delegate. Don’t get me wrong, I love to sew, but I would prefer to sew without deadlines and just for me instead of constantly sewing for a purpose in the business. I do use some really fine seamstresses to make some of the samples but, ultimately, I need to sew most of the samples garments in order to understand the hurdles of a design or a particular fabric.”

Linda reflected, “Everything has come together and formed a rich career that I can’t seem to leave. But I am watching the young people in my company begin to implement new ideas and take charge. My daughter Alex will complete her Masters in Fashion Management from the London College of Fashion this October. Will she join my company? I hope so! I have never felt more positive about the future of sewing — it really is in good hands. I enjoy reading blogs, following mind-blowing fashions, and staying tuned into Instagram. I am looking forward to seeing where The Sewing Workshop will be in 10 years. Hopefully I will be starting some new project, because if I don’t have access to something I need, perhaps I will start it or buy it.”

Linda Lee bag


Linda is a proud ASG member in the Kansas City Chapter and offers fellow ASG members a generous one-time per year discount of 25%. Check the Special Offers page in the Members Only area for the code. Be sure to check out Linda’s collection of patterns and other items on The Sewing Workshop website.


~Rosemary Fajgier

The American Sewing Guild is truly fortunate to be able to count many gifted sewing designers and instructors among our friends, members, and supporters. Throughout this coming year we will be featuring some of them in our Notions Blog. We hope you will enjoy reading about them and take the opportunity to get to know them better and explore their many talents by visiting their websites, taking their classes, and discovering the wide variety of designs they bring to the home sewing market.

Tagged With: books, instructor, patterns, sewing

August 30, 2019

National Sewing Month 2019

The Sewing & Craft Alliance commissioned a new logo in 2019 for the September is NationalSewingMonth.org celebration

On September 21, 1982, at the request of the American Home Sewing & Craft Association, an industry and trade association supporting the sewing and craft industries, President Ronald Reagan declared September as National Sewing Month “In recognition of the importance of home sewing to our Nation.”

Subsequent Proclamations in 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1988 celebrated sewing as an industry, skill and self-reliance which are so characteristic of our Nation.

2019 Campaign: Sewing is your path to self-expression. Download free materials at NationalSewingMonth.org.

President Reagan was no stranger to the benefits of sewing. His mother, Nellie, was a seamstress whose talents brought in precious funds during the Great Depression to supplement his father’s wages. And, at times, the income from Nellie’s stitching was the only income the family had.

Today, sewing continues to reflect the character of a nation built on an ever-evolving industry, creative skill and a fierce self-reliance that provides a path to self-expression. As a source of income, the doors have flung wide open to opportunities that wouldn’t have been considered in 1982. As opportunities for business have increased, so too have the ways to learn, share and connect with others who sew, whether it be for need, business or for the sheer pleasure of taking hand and/or machine to fabric and creating a personal masterpiece.

National Sewing Month provides us with an opportunity to focus our voices as one and promote an activity that encourages stress relief, improves hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, offers an opportunity for lifetime learning, stimulates brain growth, and increases happiness (until you’ve had to rip that seam out for the third time!). Sewing, whether one is a novice or an expert, opens the door to an entire community of people — and potential new friends — who share your passion, whether that be a local neighborhood group that meets weekly or an online chat group where encouragement, answers, suggestions and praise are simply a post away.

As we enter a new year for National Sewing Month, we recognize the changes that have brought us to where we are. The original champions of National Sewing Month, the American Home Sewing & Craft Association (later becoming the Home Sewing Association), closed its doors at the end of 2007. However, in early 2008, the American Sewing Guild (formerly a part of HSA) joined forces with the Sewing & Craft Alliance, a new program started by HSA’s former Executive Director and its former webmaster, to continue the promotion of National Sewing Month and provide a central location for the distribution of information and free advertising materials to organizations, educators, sewing enthusiasts and anyone else interested in promoting and/or participating in activities for National Sewing Month.

September is a time to celebrate our passion, but we know the creative, therapeutic and calming effects of sewing are joys that we can celebrate throughout the entire year. To learn more about National Sewing Month, learn the history of this celebration and download the free materials, visit www.NationalSewingMonth.org.


~Janice Blasko, Sewing & Craft Alliance & Webgoddess for ASG.org

Tagged With: National Sewing Month, September

August 23, 2019

You Sew, Could You…

Whenever I hear those words, every cell in my body goes on high alert. I never know what will follow, but it is rarely good.  “Could you replace this zipper—in my jeans?”  “Could you hem my daughter’s prom gown, all six layers with ruffles?”  “Could you make floor to ceiling pinch pleat draperies for my 6 dining room windows by next Friday, just in time for my Christmas party?”

Over the years I have cultivated the ability to say NO to most of these requests, but when a dear friend approached me recently, what she offered was an interesting challenge. She handed me two identical designer ties and asked me to make “something” from them as a gag gift for the wife of a co-worker. She explained that it was a long standing tradition that she gave a designer tie to the co-worker each year for Christmas, and she recently found out that his wife liked the ties so much that she “dressed” him around the ties. Now that he was retiring, it was the wife’s turn to get a tie. She left the ties with me. First mistake.

I have seen curtains, vests, skirts, quilts, and other items made from a collection of old ties, but I had never seen anything from just two identical ones. My mind raced with a million practical questions like:

  • How much fabric could possibly be in a tie?
  • What could be constructed from something that is only about 4 inches across at the widest point and tapers down from there?
  • How could I piece these varying narrow strips together and make it look good?
  • What would be worth my time creating that might be a gag gift, but still be practical enough to use and look good?

“With each question, the level of dread rose steadily. How could I have allowed myself to be sucked into this undertaking? Why did I say yes? Did I even say yes or did she just leave the ties?”

Off to my sewing room I went, armed with two ties and a seam ripper. The deconstruction aspect was not as tiresome as I feared. Actually, it was quite easy, just some hand stitching to undo and remove the designer labels. Oh, but there was a receipt in the bag. The ties had cost $20 each, marked down from $40. That meant that for the two ties, the equivalent of about a quarter yard of fabric, she had paid $40. It didn’t take a genius to do the math and come up with an equivalent price of $160 per yard, marked down from $320!  Oh, no pressure! I think it took me about a month before I gathered the courage to make the first cut, and then I did so gingerly for fear of wasting even a tiny inch of fabric and coming up short.

Could I, Should I… Make a Purse?

Since I love making purses, I decided to go in that direction. The deconstructed tie yielded a piece of fabric that was 7 ½ inches at its widest point. I took two foundation pieces of fabric and laid the wide points of the ties centered on the foundation. Then I played with the remaining pieces and tried to match the swirls of color on either side of the main sections. Luckily the ties were close enough to being identical that I was able to get both the front and back to look similar. But how could I attach the pieces and make them look attractive and not just patched?

Time for some creativity…

I solved this dilemma by making very narrow piping to place between the sections. It gave the impression of an accent piece and was just enough to divert the eye from seeing that the prints did not match up exactly. And the black made the royal purple of the tie pop.

Once the three sections were stitched to the foundation piece, I gave the bag some shape by rounding the lower corners and making the front and back identical. From there it was easy. I cut a lining from the same black fabric that I had used for the piping, inserted a zipper between the two layers, then seamed around the outside edge, also using the piping to accent. I even made a prairie point accent on the front and sewed a gold button on it to bring a bit more glitz to the project. The handle was created from a piece of jewelry chain that I doubled and twisted together for added strength.

When it was done, I was amazed. It didn’t look like two ties thrown together. It looked pretty darn good! The finished bag measured about 9” x 12”, and there were still a few scraps left over. Not one to waste fabric (especially at that equivalent $160 per yard) I pieced the remaining sections together to make an eyeglass case and a credit card carrier.


Looking for handbag handles for your new bag? Amazon offers wooden handles, leather straps, chain, bamboo, cord, ribbon and more!

I was so pleased with the finished item, I took it to every ASG meeting I went to for “Show and Tell.”  I was rewarded with not only their “ooohs” and “ahhhhs” but also requests to teach the project. These sewing friends gave me all the encouragement I needed to finally turn the purse over. And my friend was duly impressed. She said she couldn’t believe I had made something so large, attractive, and useful from those ties. She no longer thought of it as a gag gift, but rather a truly one of a kind designer purse.

So maybe I shouldn’t automatically say no when I hear someone say, “you sew… “  But I am still not replacing zippers in jeans!

ASG Members can access the instructions for making this Necktie Purse by logging in to Member’s Only and going to the ASG Online! area (under Education).


~Rosemary Fajgier

Tagged With: project, purse, sewing

August 16, 2019

An Interview with Kenneth D. King

ASG Conference 2019 is over but the memories live on. There are so many conference highlights, but the topic of this article is the pleasure I had of interviewing Kenneth D. King on Thursday evening. The room filled with anticipation as the interview began. I had been working with Kenneth for months to prepare and the time was finally here. As we sat in front of the audience in our easy chairs, what unfolded was a fun “living room chat” filled with interesting tidbits and lots of laughter. Video of this event will be shared in the future, but that will take a little longer so, in the meantime, I hope you will enjoy these highlights. If you missed the event, you can at least get a taste of the great time we had spending the evening with Kenneth D. King.

Kenneth D. King

Kenneth D. King

Kenneth D. King started his life journey in Salinas, KS. That journey has continued through OKC, San Francisco, and ultimately today, to NYC. He graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BS in Fashion Merchandising in OKC which launched his professional career. From there he moved to San Francisco to work in window display, but decided that he wanted his own business, which he started in 1986. His focus at that time was millinery.

After being in business for three years, he studied French Couture patternmaking for 9 months with Simmin (pronounced “Simone”) Sethna. His career began as a display manager in Oklahoma, but his true identity began to emerge and flourish after branching out on his own. Today we see him as an accomplished designer, adjunct professor, workshop teacher, author of 5 books and more articles and educational publications than I can count. He also has a novel, a podcast, and an audiobook to his credit. His work has been displayed in museums, seen on the red carpet, worn in concert tours, commercials, music videos, and highlighted in publications. His list of accomplishments is long and impressive. What a pleasure it is to spend time hearing from Kenneth D. King.


The Man Behind the Designs

How do you define yourself? Teacher, Designer, Author, or Other?

I’m a hybrid. I call myself a couture designer first, then a teacher, author, and storyteller. Over the years, I’ve realized that the central pivot of my career, has been—my craft. It’s been about making things, figuring out how to make things, writing about that, telling stories about that, teaching that, and entertaining myself and others with that.

More recently, as a writer, I’m embarking on another project—telling a particular story. I have the novel, which spawned the screenplay, and the podcast. Another project to add to my life.


Tell us about your latest book

And by the way, did you know we sold over 150 books for this event!

Why did you write it?

Smart Fitting Solutions by Kenneth D. King
Order Smart Fitting Solutions

I wrote it because Judy Neukam understood better what was in my head than I did. She intuitively knew the information was far more useful, and also knew how to format it in such a way to give value to as many as possible. Also, since I’m a little lazy, she insisted. She also championed the project to the good people at Taunton.

What was the favorite part of the process?

Working with Judy Neukam.

The hardest part?

The fittings and muslins. That was a heavy lift—I did the main part of the sewing, before we photographed, and during, as we were generating the second and third muslins.

How long was this book in the works?

As I remember, it was at least 18 months, but may have stretched a little longer. Books have a long lead time.

Someone asked why you didn’t address pants in this book? Can you talk about that?

Fitting trousers is a whole other topic. For women more than men. Men have two basic shapes and are easier. Since women are more genetically diverse (men have blank spaces on the Y chromosome which explains so much), there is an infinite variety of hip shapes. Hence another book.


Over the Years

How have you seen your style/techniques change over time?

My early work was more structured, with more interlinings and such. My first wave was what I called the “embellishment” work. It was a particular technique that answered a question. I did an evening vest with embellished lapels, and that was my breakout hit—it got me out of retail. But I’m dyslexic, and needed a method to make the embellishments appear symmetrical. I hit on using yardage trim, because of a regular unit of repeat. Answering that question of symmetry made a body of work.

I moved onto sheer fabrics, because the inside is visible from the outside. So there were different questions I had to ask—like how to smock organza without the thread showing, or how to make a complex garment without seams or apparent seams. It’s answering the questions that develops the techniques.

What has shaped those changes?

Simple avoidance of boredom, that’s the easy answer. On a more complex level, I wanted to develop something that wasn’t there already. It’s a response to an experience I had years ago, when I got the see the collection of John Galliano in Paris that got him the job with LVMH.


Those Fabulous Hats!

Tell us the story behind the Elton John hats you designed.

I adored Elton as a teenager. So, when I started in my business selling to a store in L.A. called Maxfield, it was his lyricist Bernie Taupin who bought a vest first. I guess he saw it on Bernie. He went into the store, bought a vest, ordered more, and we were off and running. He has the really good pieces—accessories, hats, vests, dinner jackets, the first footstool. Each hat has a story, but the Diet Coke hat was exciting. He ordered a specific red—lipstick red—so I thought it might be for a specific project. The concert tour in 1988 was wildly exciting and scary—I had to tame a monster (the owner of Maxfield) first, though.


The Barbie Project

You have been involved with so many various projects. This next one looks like it was a lot of fun.

Tell us the story behind your recent Barbie couture project.

I got my start sewing Barbie clothes when I was four. So in January, my sister-in-law gently suggested that her granddaughter was Barbie age and might like some Barbie clothes. I bought a reproduction of the old-school doll, and started making clothes, and posting on Instagram. The fashion editor for New York Magazine saw them, contacted me, and asked me to replicate some looks from the collections for an article they were doing on Barbie as Influencer. So I got paid a whopping amount to make some tiny couture. Then it turned into a rabbit hole—I don’t see an end in sight. But jumping scale, as my friend Marshall says, made me re-think how things go together, as tiny clothes don’t construct like real sized clothes. So little Charlie is getting collections, birthday and Christmas.

https://www.asg.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/KK5-BarbieVideo-1.mp4

 


On Display

You also have some of your work displayed in museums. Where are they? What are they?

I have work in four museums—an evening wrap at the Oakland Museum; three pieces at the DeYoung in San Francisco (hat, evening soufflé jacket, and black faille evening coat); The L.A. County Museum of Art (mermaid gown, couple of hats, couple of vests); and the V&A in London (an hat).

Kenneth D. King museum pieces

How did they end up being on display?

Some were gifted by me, some were gifted by clients, and some were gifted from estates of clients. A museum curator told me years ago that generally it was after 25 years in a client’s collection that they go into museums. That I have so many pieces there is good. I’ve been officially in business since 1987.


Strictly Entertainment

You also have another side to your creativity that veers into the entertainment business. I’m very interested to hear more about those creative avenues. You have a podcast, a novel and screenplay. How did you get involved in these?

I’m always looking to expand my horizons. Also, my second Saturn Return (age 60) was looming, and I was asking myself where to go next.

When I lived in San Francisco, I used to go to stand-up comedy, for enjoyment, as well as to observe and learn how they interact with an audience. After I moved to New York, I would go to what I call “Gay boy summer camp,” upstate. They always had a talent show, and a drag closet. So I decided for my talent to dress up and do some stand-up.

After one of these gigs, someone in the audience came up and told me I was good at it. He was a professional storyteller and said that I really knew how to tell a story. It occurred to me that I’ve been telling stories in class and to friends, so this seemed to be an avenue to follow.

Kenneth King: All Grown Up Now on Amazon

Listen to a personal reading from Kenneth D. King

The novel came about as a talking cure. In the mid-90’s, I had to help a friend out of an abusive relationship. It didn’t turn out like I had planned—it turned my life into a Fellini film for three years. Afterwards, I started writing to make sense of it. That turned into the novel, All Grown Up Now, a friendship in three acts. I self-published it after a frustrating round of talking to agents, them weighing in on what it should be, then saying they weren’t interested even if I changed it.

The novel brought forth the screenplay—it is act three in the novel. It was the story of going to Los Angeles to snatch my friend away, and what happened after. I’ve worked with a writing coach to refine it, and he has said it’s ready to shop around. I’m working with a woman who finds financing for films as well.

The podcast started as a way to get the novel in front of people—it’s the novel in installments. Episodes 1-29 are the novel, which I then turned into an audiobook. Starting with episode 30, people said I should continue, so I call it Season 2: Tales of a Checkered Past. This will one day morph into another audiobook.

I am enjoying the technique of telling a story with sound effects. I find the right sound effect can nail a pint or make a joke. This is an extension of studying stand-up; I listen to talk radio and observe how they use sound effects in addition to talk.

The podcast is also there to promote the film, to anyone who might be interested. It’s my way of telling this particular story to the world. That time in my life was huge—it really was a time where I learned a lot and stretched into a new area of life.


From Here to Where?

Where do you see these creative adventures going in the future?

Time will tell, but my aim is to have the film made, to tell this story. It’s about domestic violence in the gay community—something that isn’t talked about much. But domestic violence doesn’t have a gender, a social class, sexual preference—it’s just violence. It’s a universal story that just happens to be about two men. It’s also a tale of friendship—my friend Mark who got me out of Oklahoma, and how years later I got him out of that hellish relationship.

What should we be watching for next from Kenneth King? Anything new on the horizon you can tell us about?

Aside from pushing my projects forward, I have some articles for Threads Magazine coming out. This time seems to be one of gestation.


The Wisdom of Kenneth D. King

If you could leave us with 3 pearls of sewing wisdom, what would they be?

First—perfectionism is a disease. One can create the illusion of perfection, that’s the best one can do. It will never be perfect. Perfectionism is a form of fear—you can’t really learn anything from mistakes if you are obsessed with being perfect. Also, in my experience, perfectionists seem not to get anything finished.

This leads to the next bit—don’t be afraid of ruining a quantity of fabric, some good. It is the dues you will pay to be proficient. I had a student once who took 18 months to make a tailored jacket—as her first project. She was also a perfectionist. When she was finished (at my insistence), she was disappointed. She asked me how I got so good—my reply was that it wasn’t by taking 18 months on one piece.

Lastly, you don’t have to be good at everything. You just need to be good at what you want to make. That said, try new things, and try to be at least passable in other things.

A smart woman said to me years ago that if one is always at one’s best, one is, at best, mediocre. You don’t have to be brilliant at everything.

Oh. And make muslins!

 


~Sheryl Belson

Note: All images shared with permission

Tagged With: ASG Conference, Fashion, fitting, garment sewing, Kenneth D. King, sewing books

August 9, 2019

Sewing Swimwear – Tips of the Trade

Sewing Swimwear - Tips of the Trade by DIYStyle

DIYStyle® for the Millennial Sewer

by Cindy Cummins

Editor’s Note August, 2022: This article has been updated to remove links that are no longer operational

To say that I’m passionate about sewing is an understatement. With more than 35 years’ experience in the industry, from working in sewing education to designing some of the first serger patterns, I’ve gained some valuable knowledge to pass down to young sewists. This is one of the reasons that I launched DIYStyle® along with designer (and my daughter) Allyce King. We frequently offer tips on anything and everything related to sewing, but we are particularly qualified to give tips on a certain subject: Sewing Knits & Swimwear.

History

In addition to working together at DIYStyle, Allyce and I made up part of the team at Allyce King Swim, a custom swimwear company that focuses not only on suits for the pool, but suits for the stage. Our line was worn by competitors nationwide, including Miss USA, Miss America, Miss Teen USA, and Mrs. United States, just to name a few.

Allyce first started learning swim and activewear design and sewing techniques in fashion design school, graduating from Stephens College. She later honed her designs and techniques with seamstresses in the sample workroom, and in production. Design, line, fit, color, and optimal style for body type are of key importance with these discerning customers. Allyce was one of only a handful of designers in this niche, and many clients won in Allyce King Swim suits.

Our Swimwear Creation Tips

It all starts with the best tools, good lining, and best quality 4-way stretch fabrics. These are a few of our favorite notions/tools and tips that are important as we are creating new sample pieces.

Must-have notions for swimwear

  • Use clips instead of pins for most all construction, including applying elastics. We especially like the pointed ones for ultimate control in tight places.
  • Tech Elastic works best for swim and activewear as it is latex free, does not break down with chlorine or sweat, and does not have that messy powder like some other rubber elastic tapes. We discovered this while Allyce did pageant swimsuits, as many of the girls had latex allergies. We use this for all of Allyce King Swim pieces.
  • Use a chalk liner for markings. It brushes off most swim and activewear fabrics. Test color first on a swatch. We most often use white and pink for most colors.
  • Texturized thread is great for ultimate stretch with 4-way stretch fabrics and the movement swim and activewear garments require. This thread is nylon or poly, and is crimped. It has some “spring” to it, making it stretch and recover–just like the S-T-R-E-T-C-H knit fabric.

Tips for Swim/Activewear Construction

Cut precisely & control fabric

Cut with precision. A 1/4” difference is a LOT in swim and activewear. Use a set-up that does not distort or stretch the fabric when cutting. Our magnetic DIYStyle Pattern and Cutting System works great for this! The low-profile magnets hold slippery fabrics like swimwear in place, while keeping the fabric from pulling and stretching. We also use our Pro T-square for cutting straps and bands precisely. We’ll give you more information on our system below.

An ongoing debate with sewers! Are you team Rotary cutter or team Shears? We lean to the rotary cutter in our studio, as we feel it cuts faster and is accurate for our needs. But some sewers feel more comfortable with a great pair of sharp shears. As long as you are not lifting up or moving the fabric as you are cutting (thus distorting the cutting line) both work just fine. Especially helpful with either method our FabricMagnets™ (in lieu of pattern weights) along with the magnetic mat, hold everything in place for cutting precisely.

Team rotary cutter for swimwear

Make a stretch muslin. We use fabrics that are similar stretch to the finished design to judge the fit and design of a garment. It’s so much easier to make adjustments on the muslin than to fit and reverse sew the fashion stretch fabric! Once the muslin is fit, sewing the final piece goes so much faster.

Linings are important in swimwear. Don’t ever leave out the lining. We have a special lining that we use for the Allyce King Swim line that is heavier for our pageant (stage) clients. For a suit worn in the water, the lining must have similar stretch as the fashion fabric to fit properly. White swim lining makes fabrics look brighter, nude is another choice standard, and black for dark fabrics. And interlining with a stretch mesh adds another layer of control, hugging the body and smoothing lumps and bumps. Cut this the same as the lining, sandwiching between the swim (or activewear) fabric and lining.

Use Tech elastic to control edges, and where elastic is needed. We like 3/8” wide for all of our suits, and it’s most appropriate for all swim and activewear. Here are the steps we use for applying and finishing elastic quickly and neatly.

1. Apply Tech Elastic to edge. We use the serger for a professional application. The edge of the elastic tape rides along the seam line (our patterns have ½” seam allowance, so we trim a scant 1/8” while applying. Use a 3-thread wide stitch with a 2.5 stitch length.

Swimwear11-Elastic1 Swimwear12-Elastic2

2. Fold over and secure. We prefer the coverstitch for this step, but you can also use a multi-step zig-zag or regular zig-zag for finishing. A wide or narrow coverstitch can be used, with a 2.5 stitch length. This is also where the texturized nylon thread works great in the looper for ultimate stretch. Be sure to fold over, then stretch the elastic up to the fabric, but do NOT stretch the fabric as you are securing the elastic. Stitch close to the inside edge of the elastic, with both needles penetrating the elastic.

3. Prevent tunneling (that ruffled looking edge) by pulling elastic taught, while smoothing the stretch fabric at the same time before securing.

Ongoing debate #2! Sewing machine vs. Serger for sewing swim and activewear. While we prefer the serger and coverstitch combo, you can definitely sew swim and activewear with a sewing machine that has just straight and a few zig-zag stitches. Because you are sewing a stretch fabric, you will need a stitch that gives and recovers with the fabric. The only time we use a straight stitch in swimwear is for basting linings, gathers, and stabilizing areas with twill tape that we do not want to stretch. A narrow zig-zag is appropriate for seams, while a multi-step zigzag is best for applying elastic and finishing.

Speaking of seams, watch the exact seam (stitching) line as you are sewing. As stated above, ¼” is a lot in swim and activewear! As you are sewing or serging, be sure the needle is directly on the seam line. If serging, engage the knife so the excess is trimmed off. If sewing, trim the excess after, close to the zig-zag stitching. For serging use a 3-thread wide stitch, 2.0 stitch length. For sewing, use a multi-step zig-zag, with 2.5 stitch length, and 3.0 width.

Straps need elastic! Fabric tubes alone are not sufficient for hold and stretch on a swimsuit (or workout garment), especially once that suit hits the water! We use a French-filled strap method for creating all swim and activewear straps. This creates a professionally finished and pretty strap, filled with elastic.

Swimwear13-straps Swimwear14-straps Swimwear15-straps

Creating your own swim and active pieces is actually faster than shopping for a swimsuit (and we know how we all dread that)! Using these tricks of the trade, and you will be on your way to adding your own custom suits to your wardrobe.

Saving Time—Increasing Accuracy

Along the (sewing) journey at Allyce King Swim, we invented a new system and method for cutting fabrics fast as well as making patterns efficiently. Used in our studio for a few years, we recently brought our new Magnetic DIYStyle Pattern and Cutting System to the home sewer.

With this new magnetic set-up, you can cut fabrics in 2/3 the time, as well as increase accuracy in cutting (1/4” is a LOT in swimwear). No more pins! This is especially important in producing a line for customers–reducing time spent in the prep is key.

We also use our specially designed Pro T-Square for aligning pieces, as well as cutting strips. We are extremely proud to have our DIYStyle Pattern and Cutting System made in the USA. In doing so, we employ several individuals with disabilities, as well as veterans.

With the addition of this new product, DIYStyle® revolves around designing, developing and promoting new products that help the home sewer and small design businesses. And we continue to offer the on-trend fashion projects creators love.


~Cindy Cummins, DIYStyle

Tagged With: Cindy Cummins, DIYStyle, sewing, sewing tips, swimwear

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