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Sewing Dresses & Apparel Tips from Suzannah: National Sewing Month 2013

September 7, 2013 by AllFreeSewing

It’s Day Seven of National Sewing Month! Too see the daily blog posts, projects of the day, and more National Sewing Month details, click here.

National Sewing Month 2013

Today we welcome guest blogger, Suzannah from Adventures in Dressmaking who is sharing tips on her specialty: dressmaking/apparel sewing!

For a couple years now I’ve had a feature on my blog called”Sewing Circle.” It started when a reader sent me a question about how to choose patterns to go with a few fabrics she’d collected. It’s sometimes hard to imagine how you can make a sewing pattern on your own, so we had fun talking about styles she was interested and how she could make them out of her fabrics. I posted about it on my blog and the series was born. Since then I’ve gotten a lot of questions from readers about how to copy a dress they’ve seen in a magazine or even a store window, and a lot of general questions from sewing beginners.

I thought I’d summarize a few of my favorite sewing techniques and tips based on some top Sewing Circle questions I’ve received.

How to Cut Out the Right Pattern Size

Using patterns can be confusing, but before you even cut them out, you have to choose the right size — which can be even trickier! I can lend some insight into how to choose the right size and cut out the right fit.

  • Sewing patterns use standard body measurements developed by the US Department of Standards during WWII. These are fairly outdated now, so many of us feel may need to cut out a size 3-5 sizes bigger than our current ready-to-wear dress size!
  • But, most people don’t have the exact bust, waist, and hip measurements of any particular size. When cutting out a dress or top, the bust measurement is probably most important. Use the size that matches your bust measurement, and taper at the waist (angle in or out when cutting after measuring) to fit. On a dress with a gathered skirt, for example, the hip measurement doesn’t matter at all, and even for the A-line skirts, it’s not as important as waist and bust, so you may be able to ignore that number and cut out the right size for your bust and waist. For pants or skirts, use the pattern that matches your hip measurement and make the waist fit. Or, if the numbers are pretty close, I usually use the average size. If your bust is an 8, your waist a 12, and your hips a 10, for example, use the size 10 pattern as a base.
  • Unfortunately, modern sewing patterns are not designed to fit as snugly as some of us might like for tailored garments. You may find you cut out what is supposed to be the right size in something, only to be swimming in it once you put it together. There are a couple possible reasons for this: 1) most sewing patterns are not high fashion and are not often made for trendy juniors’ sizes and snug fits. 2) most patterns are intended for a 5/8” seam allowance, and if you use a 1/2″ or smaller, it actually makes a big difference in fit.
  • Also note: patterns will usually tell you the “finished garment” measurements as well as the bust, waist, etc. to use when picking out your size. If your bust is 36″, the dress’s bust may be 38″ or 39″ to allow for movement and wearing ease. If you see these measurements and want something snugger, check the finished garment measurements for the smaller size down — maybe you should cut out that one.
  • If you want to test out a pattern, make a “muslin” out of whatever cheap fabric you can find — an old sheet, a thrift store find, or a fabric that you got on sale would be great! This way you can test out the pattern without spending too much time or expensive fabric. You don’t have to finish the edges of the muslin or add fastenings or anything.

You can custom-make patterns for your size, by measuring the pattern pieces as you cut.

  • The first thing you should do when cutting out a new pattern (when you don’t know how tightly or loosely it will fit) is measure the pieces and how large it will be when you sew them together. To do this, you need to lay them out taking into account the seam allowances (if you use 5/8″, overlap them 1 1/4″ at each seam) and measure across the bust and waist.
  • Try on the garment before you assemble to fashion fabric to the lining–it’s way easier to take in seams before you have two layers and a join at the top edge, for example. Pin the bodice closed where the zipper will be and look in the mirror. Use pins and a fabric marker if you like to pinch in where it’s too big or mark where it’s too small.
  • If all that fails and the garment is still too big, take it in some at the sides as well as the back—you don’t want your side seams to be so far off your sides. It’ll look kind of funky if anyone sees, and it may pull weirdly at the waist since the bodice is curved for the smallest part. You don’t have to take the bodice all the way apart, just 3-4″ or so on each side at the top, then go in and take it in.

It may sound like a lot, but once you get started with a muslin or simple pattern to start with, you’ll get more comfortable tailoring clothes for your shape and style!

Good Fabrics for Beginning Sewers

Some fabrics are better than others if you’re just getting comfortable with making your own clothes.

First, almost all clothing patterns will tell you on the back what the recommended fabrics are, although they’re not always helpful. Always read the back of the pattern if you’re concerned, and look at those types of fabrics while you’re in the fabric store.

The biggest differences in fabric are in weight — you can’t make a heavy coat out of a sheer chiffon. So think about fabrics in terms of the garment you’d make out of them, and stick to that. Some fabrics, like “shirtings,” are great for blouses and tops, but not great for pants or shorts. A nice linen with an embroidered pattern is good for a skirt or maybe a dress, but too heavy for a shirt. And, of course, a knit fabric is best for patterns that are meant for knits (they will tell you on the pattern). And alternatively, don’t make a pattern that’s meant for a woven fabric out of a stretchy one. It won’t work.

Generally, the fabrics that are best for apparel are in the front of the fabric store. They are often seasonal colors or named for the types of things they’re best for (“suitings,” “bottomweights,”…). You can take the recommendations of the store displays!

Quilting fabrics, often near the back of the store, come in super cute prints but are not meant for clothing. They can work for clothing, with a lining or appropriate finishing, but they are best for quilts or shower curtains or little home dec projects. I know, some of the prints are sooooo cute, but it is hard to make them durable and wearable. I don’t use them for clothing myself, although some people I know do.

The other very important thing to consider are the accessory fabrics that you’ll need to use: linings and interfacings. A very lightweight but crisp cotton is lovely for a lining, but poly/nylon linings are cheap and easy to find. I use lightweight fusible interfacing on pieces of the garment that need reinforcing. Don’t skip the lining and interfacing! As for my personal preference, I like natural fibers better than nylon, polyester, acrylic, fleece, etc. any day. I do use artificial fibers for many linings, and for some silk tops. But I love a good cotton dress!

How to Combine Patterns to Make Your Own Styles

Now that you’ve got the basics of cutting out your pattern and choosing the fabric, get creative! Some of my favorite dresses feature two different fabrics, one for the bodice and one for the skirt.

The basic idea is, combine two patterns of the same 1) size and 2) fit/shape. So, if your waist is 28″, you could combine the bodice for ANY dress that hits at the natural waistline and has a finished waist measurement of 28″ with ANY skirt pattern that also has a waist of 28″! Or, as I do, you don’t have to use a pattern for the skirt if you pleat or gather it into the waist. Or add a waistband — making sure you make the bodice above it shorter to accommodate it.  The tricky part comes when you use a skirt or bodice that has a scooped front, and you may need to adjust the skirt or bodice to match the skirt or bodice you’re pairing it with.

And, of course, you want to combine patterns of the same fit/shape. What I mean by that is: you can’t combine an empire waist bodice with a skirt that’s meant to hit at the natural waist, obviously (you’d get a weird baby-doll, and unless that’s the look you’re going for, it’s not going to work!). You can’t combine the bodice for a loose, flowy, knit dress with a pencil skirt dress pattern. So look at the finished garment measurements on the pattern package to guide you (if it has anything for the waist or wherever you’re combining) and just use common sense, and you’ll be fine. Here I combined a spaghetti strap fitted bodice with a pencil skirt (and added my own ruffle!) and got…

Sometimes with sleeves or even the waist, there’s a difference of 1/2″ or so, and you can normally stretch or pleat a little to make it fit (as long as you match your center front, back, and sides) or, try on the lining or unfinished bodice and see which pattern you want to cater to — if the armhole is too tight but the sleeve fits fine, cut the armhole a little deeper in the armpit, for example. If the waist is too big on the dress but fine on the skirt, take in the side seam on the dress a little.

These are some of my fave tips on making your own clothes and dresses! Check out my blog, Adventures in Dressmaking, for more of my fave ideas and projects for clothes, home, crafts, food, and more!

 

Have you ever started to make a dress for someone else and then decided to keep it for yourself?

 

 

Filed Under: National Sewing Month Tagged With: craft tips, guest contribution, Guest Post, helpful tips and tricks, How Tos, National Sewing Month 2013, sewn clothes, techniques, tips and tricks

Bias Tape with Melissa from Melly Sews: National Sewing Month 2013

September 4, 2013 by AllFreeSewing

It’s Day Four of National Sewing Month! Too see the daily blog posts, projects of the day, and more National Sewing Month details, click here.

National Sewing Month 2013

Hi – I’m Melissa, and I blog at Melly Sews, as well as design sewing patterns at www.BlankSlatePatterns.com. I’m so happy to be here for National Sewing Month! Today I want to talk to you about bias tape.

So, what is bias tape? Bias tape is fabric that is cut on the diagonal, then has the raw edges folded to the wrong side. Single-fold bias tape has the edges folded once, double-fold has the edges folded twice. It can be used to finish seams or add a decorative touch to a garment, or both.

For years I had a hate/hate relationship with bias tape. I hated it because the polyester pre-made stuff was rough and often only in ugly colors. And I hated it because I always tried to save time by sandwiching it where I needed it to be and sewed it only once. Then it wouldn’t stay in place or would end up all wonky and I’d blame the bias tape instead of myself for sewing it incorrectly.

But now? I love bias tape. So, today I’m going to share how to properly attach bias tape, and how to make your own out of cute fabric so you don’t have to rely on the ugly and/or rough pre-made stuff from the store.

Here’s the RIGHT way (not the Melissa in a hurry way that will not save time!) to attach bias tape:

I’m going to show you how to use double-fold bias tape, as this is the more commonly used kind to finish edges – think place mats or necklines.

Start by unfolding the tape and pinning it to the wrong side of the fabric with the raw edges even.

bias-tape09-copy

Sew right in the fold of the bias tape.

bias-tape10-copy

Wrap the tape to the right side of the fabric and pin, just covering the stitching line with the folded edge.

bias-tape11-copy

Stitch very closely to the edge of the tape.

bias-tape12-copy

And on the back side it looks like this:

bias-tape13-copy

Because bias tape is cut on the diagonal, or bias, you can stretch it around curves. At corners, you’ll want to miter the corner – this is a good tutorial to show you how to do that.

How to Make Your Own Bias

Now let’s have some fun making your own bias tape and using it to add a professional looking finish and a pop of color and pattern to your sewing.

Here’s how to make your own bias tape – and you only have to sew 2 seams!
This is much easier than it appears. I usually use a fat quarter of fabric, and from that I can get 4 yards of 1/2″ double-fold tape or 8 yards of 1/2″ single-fold.

Start by folding your fabric on the bias – this is the same method I was taught to make a square out of a rectangular piece of paper. I always iron my fabric on the fold to mark it. Then, cut off the excess fabric to make this a square, and then cut along the bias fold.

Start by folding - How to Make Continuous Bias Tape - Melly Sews

Match two straight grain edges right sides together like this and sew. I use a 1/4″ seam when I do this.

How to Make Continuous Bias Tape - Melly Sews

Press the seam open. Your piece will look like this now, with the seam in the middle and the arrow marking the bias grain.

Bias Grain - How to Make Continuous Bias Tape - Melly Sews

Using a ruler, mark lines on the bias grain of the fabric on the wrong side. If you are doing double-fold tape, your lines should be 4x the final width apart (i.e. if you want 1/2″ tape at the end, your lines need to be 1/2″ x 4 = 2″ apart). If you want single-fold tape, your lines should be double the width of the final tape width apart (i.e. if you want 1/2″ single-fold tape you do 1/2″ x 2 = 1″ apart).

Mark cutting lines - How to Make Continuous Bias Tape - Melly Sews

Fold your fabric, imagining that the spaces are numbered like this on one side. On the other side, imagine the numbers start with 1 instead of 0. You’ll match the edges, so you’re pinning the #1 space on one edge to the #1 space on the other side. The arrow shows where the #4’s would line up. Stitch this seam with a 1/4″ seam allowance, and press open.

Match edges - How to Make Continuous Bias Tape - Melly Sews

Your sewn tube will look like this – one on each side is offset a little.

Cut bias tape from tube - How to Make Continuous Bias Tape - Melly Sews

Now start cutting on your lines. I use scissors and go slowly. You could try a rotary cutter, just be careful not to cut through the bottom layer.

Cutting Bias tape - How to Make Continuous Bias Tape - Melly Sews

Bias Tape from the sewn tube - How to Make Continuous Bias Tape - Melly Sews

Continue cutting until you have a pile of unfolded bias tape.

8 yards of 1" wide bias tape - How to Make Continuous Bias Tape - Melly Sews

Now, you could use a cardboard bias tape rig (tutorial on MellySews.com), but I prefer to use these Clover Bias Tape Maker tips. You feed the bias tape through and then iron as you pull the tip away from the iron.

Use bias tape tip to iron - How to Make Continuous Bias Tape - Melly Sews

When you’re done ironing (which goes by pretty fast) you get tape that looks like this (outside on top, wrong side on bottom).

Front and back view of single fold bias tape - How to Make Continuous Bias Tape - Melly Sews

If you then want to turn this into double-fold bias tape, you’ll fold it in half by hand and iron again.

I save the little pieces of cardboard from my store bought bias tape (I do still use it on occasion) and wrap the handmade tape on them.

Make Bias Tape Tutorial - Melly Sews

Happy National Sewing Month, and I hope you come by to visit me at Melly Sews!

To find more projects from Melissa, check out her designer profile and get all of her social media links.

What do you use bias tape on?

Filed Under: National Sewing Month Tagged With: How Tos, National Sewing Month, National Sewing Month 2013, sewing basics, sewing patterns, sewing projects

How to Start Sewing

March 11, 2012 by AllFreeSewing

Whether you used to be very familiar with the sewing machine or the two of you have never met, sewing basics never go out of style. Every now and then it’s time for a refresher. Or, if you’re new to sewing, you can use these tricks and tutorials to teach yourself how to sew. It’s a great lifelong skill to have. Not to mention, you can create fun clothing and accessories that will have that special handmade element and won’t break the bank! At first, sewing something may seem overwhelming. If you’re not sure where to start, what supplies you’ll need or even what kind of projects you’d want to make, fear not. We’ve put together this post just for you! Let’s get started, shall we?

Basic Sewing Supplies:

Sewing doesn’t always require a bunch of new purchases. Once you commit to buying quality supplies and tools, you’ll be set for a while. Of course, there are some needles and notions you’ll need as your sewing skills progress. For now, let’s focus on the basics. Here are a few things every sewists needs:

  • Fabric
  • Thread
  • Sewing Scissors
  • Rotary Cutter
  • Rotating Cutting Mat
  • Machine Needles
  • Bobbins and Bobbin Storage

 

Easy Sewing Tips and Techniques:

Since you’re learning a new skill, you’ll need to pick up on some simple tips and techniques. Below we’ve rounded up helpful sewing tips. Check out these easy lessons before you start sewing. It’s our best advice to any new sewist!

Applique Basics

Bound Seams

Creating Pintucks

Handmade Buttonholes

Sewing Straight Lines

 

Simple Beginner Sewing Projects:

         

15 Minute Mouse Pad Wrist Rest – A quick and easy sewing project you can use daily.

20 Minute Skirt Tutorial – A simple skirt project that’s totally wearable.

5 Things to Make with Fat Quarters – Several fun ideas that all require small amounts of fabric.

For an entire collection of easy project ideas, check out this handy round up: 14 Quick and Easy Sewing Projects

 

How To Sew: Video Tutorials

For all you visual learners, we’ve got video tutorials that were created to help new sewists learn how to pick up the craft. Below you’ll find a few videos we recommend to anyone learning how to sew or even those of you who just need a little refresher. Let Amy Renea, our newest video creator, lead you through a few simple basics you’ll need to know for sewing.

 

Hopefully we’ve given you enough direction to start sewing. Remember, all you need is a little inspiration and these sewing tips and tutorials to get started. Our sewing site, AllFreeSewing.com is constantly updated with new project ideas, tips, video tutorials and more. Check back often to find even more sewing inspiration. You can also subscribe to our sewing newsletter, Sewing It Up and receive the latest on all things sewing right to your inbox!

 

And while you’re picking up a new craft, why not check out a new project and giveaway everyday in March? We’re celebrating National Craft Month in a big way. Check out today’s post for your chance to win an awesome prize!

 

What’s your best piece of advice to new sewists?

 

 

 

Filed Under: Full Project Tutorials Tagged With: fabric, free sewing patterns, giveaway, giveaways, How Tos, Kirsten Kwon, Sewing, sewing basics, sewing tutorials, video tutorials

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Full Project Tutorials

Make A Recycled Card Journal

This guest post was written by David Leon Morgan.   *This contest is now over. Please enjoy the free tutorial below. Create beautiful, handmade journals using old birthday cards, gift card holders or table cards. Any thick, folded card can be transformed into a journal! Here’s what you will need: A card of any size […]

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Our First Free eBook! Gorgeous Paper Crafts: 18 Card Making Ideas, Scrapbook Layouts, and DIY Paper Flowers

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