Clone Yourself A Fitting Assistant

Making a Shirred-Back Dress, Part One: Modifying Your Pattern As promised! This technique isn't difficult, but it has a few parts, so I'm going to break it up into three posts. Part one is modifying a dress back pattern so it's the right size to be shirred with elastic thread. We're going to be talking about strappy and strapless patterns, so no full-coverage dress backs. (Note: there is a way to shirr a full coverage dress back, and that's to change the style lines so you have side panels underneath the arms, and then shirr those.) You can modify a basic dress back bodice like so. Important: don't forget to add a seam allowance at the top of the new back pattern piece. If you're using a basic sloper or simple dress pattern, you'll also want to change the front. Or a simple straight front: Isn't patternmaking fun? We'll be shirring the whole back, rather than side back panels, which is often what you'll see on vintage sarong dress and rompers. Now, close up the back darts and trace the pattern. Tomorrow we shall shirr.

19th C. Pocket Solutions Because You Have to Put Your iPhone Somewhere Reticule Pocket seen in 1875 Godey’s Hidden pockets. Wide pockets. Tiny pockets. Welt pockets. Watch pockets. It truly is amazing the variety and locations of pockets in 19th Century clothing! For easy reference, let’s look at where our ancestors carried personal items in pockets sewn into their garments. Regency 1800-1820: 1800 Lady with Reticule Bag Before the Regency era, personal items were held in pocket bags that were tied underneath the petticoats (skirts) and accessed through slits in the sides. And what woman wouldn’t want a lovely new accessory to show off! c.1830 Muslin Dress with 1800-1825 Purple Silk Reticule Rarely would you find an attached pocket sewn into a Regency skirt seam. Romantic Era 1820-1840: 1838 Full Skirted Dresses I love this time period! As women’s skirts became fuller, reticules were still used but hand pockets were added into the side seams of skirts. Also, a new addition of a watch pocket is seen on surviving articles later in this period.

Off The Cuff ~Sewing Style~ Sewing School Welcome to the Sewing School! I get a lot of emails and comments asking about how to do certain sewing related things and where to find old posts on my blog and so in an effort to consolidate the tutorials and sewing advice you find here on A Fashionable Stitch, I’ve made up this handy dandy Table of Contents page to navigate you through what’s available here. It’s due to be added to every now and then, so check back when you are searching for something and can’t find it. Happy Sewing Adventures! xoxo, Sunni Making a muslin or a test garment (also known as a toile) is a great way to find out if certain alterations are needed for a particular pattern. Alterations for Pants/Trousers Getting a pair of pants or trousers to fit perfectly can be one of the hardest fittings we ever do as sewists. Flat Pattern Adjustments Flat Pattern Adjustments are adjustments made to the pattern before you make a muslin. Ready to add a few techniques to your to your sewing box? Need a little inspiration?

10 Better Sewing Habits Your sewing habits can often make or break a project. Good habits enhance your results, while bad habits-which may at first seem rewarding-stymie success. In this article from Threads #164 (December '12/January '13), we asked our authors to share what they considered to be good habits for a better sewing experience. It's easy to believe that developing good habits requires herculean efforts. But to replace one behavior with another, you simply need to be aware of how you sew, rather than sewing on auto-pilot. Take small steps; change one behavior for each new project. Sewers sometimes drag a garment through the needle and feed dogs in an attempt to get a smooth, pucker-free seam or to move delicate fabric through the machine without snagging. To eliminate puckers the correct way, adjust your machine's tension setting, and use the correct needle and the correct size thread. 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10next> View all