The Sewing Place
The Emporia => In the wardrobe => Technical Help => Topic started by: Morgan on January 23, 2018, 12:05:33 PM
-
A thread for those gems that can help you step up the quality of your sewing
-
A couple of really useful ideas to take away from this article by Kathleen Fasanella. (https://fashion-incubator.com/a-tale-and-tutorial-of-three-collars/)
Read it through to the end, it's worth it.
(It doesn't just apply to dressmaking - it can be applied to anything that involves a pattern or template)
- to control how you want your seams and edges to behave, alter and adapt your pattern pieces before cutting out, rather than relying on pressing, easing and stretching to make things work
(the article uses the illustration of working with a collar, but the principle applies to anything where you want to control seams at edges, eg. cuffs, collars, jacket & coat front edges, etc.)
- take a step back, look at the process from beginning to end think about and do the pattern work and organise a sewing plan that will make the sewing and achieving the result more accurate.
Another really useful article is about Accuracy and in this case, cutting out.
https://fashion-incubator.com/marking_cutting/ (https://fashion-incubator.com/marking_cutting/)
and
https://fashion-incubator.com/the-7-minute-cutting-test/ (https://fashion-incubator.com/the-7-minute-cutting-test/)
https://fashion-incubator.com/the-7-minute-cutting-test-pt-2/ (https://fashion-incubator.com/the-7-minute-cutting-test-pt-2/)
and
https://fashion-incubator.com/tracing_and_marking/ (https://fashion-incubator.com/tracing_and_marking/)
-
Interesting, but she is talking about sewing that is several magnitudes higher than mine and, I suspect, a lot of us. I used to trace off my patterns and also took great pains NOT to cut off the traced line. 0_0
-
a list of 15 tips on how to improve (https://blog.colettehq.com/tutorials/15-things-home-sewers-can-learn-from-industrial-sewing) your sewing -
(Nos. 3 and 4 repeats points made by Kathleen Fasanella, cut to the line and cut cleanly/accurately)
I think No. 10 is key - Perform similar operations at the same time and sew flat.
It helps to take a step back, look at all the steps and organise (and write down) your own sewing plan/assembly process so that you can perform similar operations at the same time.
I think this idea of similar operations includes some of the earlier points eg. do the cutting and marking, do all the interfacing and so on.
For Point 12. Learn to sew without pins (or use as few as you can)
See this video by Janet Pray (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mATpe5HmRE&list=PL6qW2JBMOs09HFZvxDBqX7oViXk6fNeXV) it includes - the benefits of a flat surface, how to line up and control fabric for sewing without pins and also techniques for how to stitch around inside and outside curves. Try it and practise, it really does work even if it may feel a bit strange at first.
About No. 1, Change Seam allowances.
for Dressmaking, I am a great believer in using different seam allowances for different parts of the garment, it makes assembly so much easier.
Also, depending on what seams will be used where, I adjust the seam allowances accordingly, for example:
- on a shirt where I will use flat fell seams, I use a smaller allowance on the side that will be trapped inside the seam and larger allowance on the side that will provide the folded wrap. (In effect. I don't see the point of cutting pieces the same size, sewing the first pass and then trimming away the edge of one layer. Really I'm just cutting away that excess before stitching.
Different widths of Flatfelled seams need different sized seam allowances.
- on collars, stands, necklines etc. I use 0.5cm as my standard allowance.
-
What a lovely thread. I have learned lots already. I hope this is going to "sit" at the top for easy future access?
-
Machined ease technique, also known as crowding or crimping.
It's a great technique to softly and evenly pull up the ease in a fabric for turning up hems on circle and flared skirts, easing in waists, also for ease shaping sleeve caps and so on.
It's an easing technique not gathering or ruching.
Video tutorial of Machine Ease Stitching (Crowding/Crimping) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBJKujPvRHc)
Photo tutorial to use crowding to assist with hemming a flared hem (https://www.thelaststitch.com/2016/08/shaping-flared-hem-machine-ease-stitching/)
A video demonstrating the technique on a sleeve cap (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKo6VJn6Vu0)
-
Those Fashion Incubator tutorials are now bookmarked! I was pleased to see that some of the shirt techniques she lays out, eg, cuffs & plackets, are the same ones I've been using since forever. The front fastening button marking tip was new to me, though - I've always done it with pins - but her method looks like it would be faster.
Will work my way through the others as time allows.
-
I've tried this crowding/crimping technique, but it didn't work for me. All it gave me was crinkles in the fabric - otherwise it was completely flat and not gathered at all. I had a similar experience following a tutorial for gathering where the stitch was max length and the tension increased - that didn't work either. Is it me or my machine?
-
Here's another demo of the crowding/crimping technique (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRlrGRHN41I).
(Disengage any IDT, even feed system or walking foot)
Use a stitch length of 2.5mm - 3mm or more. The longer the stitch length, the more the effect of the crowding should be.
Also, it can help to reduce the foot pressure.
Press the barrier tight up against the back of the presser foot.
The way the technique works is to manipulate the effect of the feed dogs on the fabric.
It's a bit like creating your own manual differential feed.
@Greybird I don't know whether the not gathering issue is something to do with your machine or not.
The tightening gather technique (long stitch length + top tension tightened by 3 - 4 units) works on all my machines, however I prefer to use the technique of 2 rows of long stitch length + slack top tension and manually pull up on the bobbin thread
-
I'm a fan of the crowding technique as I get a juicy more even ease going on.
@Greybird you shouldn't get gathering with this technique. It's just about pulling up the excess ease.
-
Never had a problem with ease using the 2 rows of stitching method but I am going to try the method Joy uses next time I put a sleeve as it seems to save the need to pull up the stiches.
Plus I love the way she has her scissors attached to her machines, now that is definitely something I am going to do.
-
Thank you @Morgan - I'll give this another try (as soon as the grandchildren have gone home!). It just struck me as odd that both these techniques didn't work for me.
@Ohsewsimple the gathering was something I tried some weeks ago. It looked so easy and as I had miles of tulle to gather I was so disappointed it didn't work. Then when I tried the crimping technique and that didn't work either I couldn't work out whether it was me or the machine.
-
Kathleen has done a great service to the research of producing garments in a good quality time efficient manner - truly written for professional garment production.
I prefer to focus on the quality of my results and not concern myself with speed. However her opinion on an area causing one some difficulty can be quite helpful. She has a tendency to utilize her own approach to things ( a very sharp mind) and these can sometimes break the issue down into manageable parts for a home sewist.
-
test all the machines and stitches you plan to use on scraps before the actual garment, and try to have the scraps mocked up to a similar thickness ie 2 layers or 4 layers etc.
Then you can adjust length, width, tension etc.
(after I've cut out the garment I keep all the teeny scraps in a basket near the machine to do the stitch testing)
-
What a good one looks like - just look at the accurate sewing and attention to detail on Fiona's Jacket (https://chainstitcher.blogspot.com/2019/07/denim-and-copper-hampton-jean-jacket.html)
A great standard to aim for.
-
Stumbled across this thread. Wonderful.
I have been concentrating on grain - not in wovens as I have used the pull a thread technique for ages - but on knits, especially since receiving a couple of pieces that were scatterwampus. My tip to share in case it's new to someone is to "baste" a line down a rib. In a recent project, I did a trial layout of the pattern pieces (https://www.flickr.com/photos/104062052@N04/50881661561/in/dateposted/) - basted the rib line in approximately the same location as the grainline marking on the pattern. Used those to align my pattern pieces appropriately before cutting.
I had never basted a rib line for each pattern piece before, but am pretty happy with the results. So I thought I would share.
Edited to Add: Here's a photo with the knit dress partially constructed (https://www.flickr.com/photos/104062052@N04/50899422272/in/photostream/) with the basting for the rib lines still in. (In case the previous link didn't really explain the tip.)
-
A couple of really useful ideas to take away from this article by Kathleen Fasanella. (https://fashion-incubator.com/a-tale-and-tutorial-of-three-collars/)
Read it through to the end, it's worth it.
(It doesn't just apply to dressmaking - it can be applied to anything that involves a pattern or template)
- to control how you want your seams and edges to behave, alter and adapt your pattern pieces before cutting out, rather than relying on pressing, easing and stretching to make things work
(the article uses the illustration of working with a collar, but the principle applies to anything where you want to control seams at edges, eg. cuffs, collars, jacket & coat front edges, etc.)
- take a step back, look at the process from beginning to end think about and do the pattern work and organise a sewing plan that will make the sewing and achieving the result more accurate.
Another really useful article is about Accuracy and in this case, cutting out.
https://fashion-incubator.com/marking_cutting/ (https://fashion-incubator.com/marking_cutting/)
and
https://fashion-incubator.com/the-7-minute-cutting-test/ (https://fashion-incubator.com/the-7-minute-cutting-test/)
https://fashion-incubator.com/the-7-minute-cutting-test-pt-2/ (https://fashion-incubator.com/the-7-minute-cutting-test-pt-2/)
and
https://fashion-incubator.com/tracing_and_marking/ (https://fashion-incubator.com/tracing_and_marking/)
this is where patterns without seam allowance from the likes of burda and fibre mood work well. They force you to appreciate how pieces fit together.
Though the same can be said for well drafted and instructed patterns. Being prompted and reminded to pin at the seam line is a game changer for an improving sewist like me. Currently eorking on a project where the Sean's don't match at the seam line and it's really throwing me into a funk. I'm persevering because lovely fabric.
-
Well goodness, I never saw this thread before lol
And yet, I doubt if the quality of my sewing will ever improve. I make plans to go carefully and precisely, then it all goes out the window :laughing:
BB
-
RTW allows for so many mistakes and issues before it becomes a factory second. Once you realize how bad some of the stuff they allow for sale...you then figure out your doing better then that and most of the time, you can go on.
If your standard is more on the higher end MTM or couture...standards rise.
I'd dare say those that sew already have a higher quality standard than what you can buy.
-
Yeah RTW kind of sucks. I don't even buy the cheap clothes preferring the moderate range. I bought some knit pants recently and one leg is so far off grain it's ridiculous. It looked fine in the store but washing brought out it's true nature.
With knits I always cut single layer but I've done OK using the selvedge. I often cut single layer with wovens as well. I'm far too lazy to pull threads.
Pressing each seam as you sew definitely improves the way it looks. I prefer to finish my edges with the seam/overcast stitch. Serger/overlocker is fine to use too but the one on my Viking is pretty nice so I usually use it. I use it on knits and wovens. I dislike seeing curled seams in knits.
I also have this weird thing where I have to wash something before photographing it for my diary here or a review on PR. I think the garment always looks better after a little agitation and good press. Some people do reviews on PR and look like they skip the whole pressing step. Everyone on this site seems to do it right.
But you improve by practicing. If you're making buttonholes make a lot of practice ones before doing it on the garment. Or if your seams are crooked work on slowing down to keep control. Use a lot of pins when putting smaller/trickier pieces together. Consider hand basting in that case too so you can more easily reposition if necessary. Hand basting can work too but that type of work hurts my hands so I don't do it.