Sewaholic » Work in Progress

A Different Kind of Waist Stay

Tasia — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:00:26 +0000

I mentioned the other day that this pattern, McCalls 7743, has a waist stay built into the dress. It’s constructed in a different way than the method I picture when I think ‘waist stay’ so I wanted to show you how it was done.

It’s really quite smart, you sew seam binding into the skirt’s waistline seam, edge-stitching the top and bottom so it’s nice and strong, and then when the bodice and skirt are sewn together, there’s a stable, thick waistline seam in there to accentuate the waistline and strengthen that area of the garment. This is what I love about vintage sewing patterns, there’s always a few little gems in there, construction methods that we don’t see that often in simple modern sewing patterns.

If you have a dress with a waistline seam, you could add this to your project too!

Here’s how it’s done. First cut a length of seam binding according to the guide. The guide is basically the measurement of the skirt’s waistline, if you are adding this to a different pattern. Or, if you think the waistline needs to be a little tighter, cut it the length you want the waistline to be, plus seam allowance on each side.

Sew the skirt pieces together, and pin the seam binding to the top edge of the waistline. Baste in place. (I think I skipped basting and went right to sewing it permanently.)

Now, edgestitch both the upper and lower edges of the seam binding. These two rows of stitching help to strengthen the waistline, as adding topstitching adds stiffness. Sewing it to both sides makes it strong and keeps one side from stretching out. This seam allowance doesn’t get trimmed, we’ve sewn the binding to the seam allowance and it’s going to stay that wide.

Now, sew the bodice to the skirt, along the seamline. The seamline is going to be right where the seam binding ends. Here’s what it will look like when it’s sewn. I’m glad I have contrast stitching to show you!

Here is what it looks like as we sew up the lining:

It’s going to be hidden between the layers, nothing more fancy than a strong, untrimmed allowance reinforced with binding. Our waistline will never stretch out but it won’t be too restrictive either.

A step back, looking at the same thing as the last photo:

And that’s it! It’s completely hidden in the inner workings of the dress.

What do you think of this method? Does it count as a ‘waist stay’ in your opinion? Have you ever seen this type of construction in a sewing pattern before?

Surprising Things about McCalls 7743

Tasia — Wed, 08 May 2013 13:00:36 +0000

This vintage dress pattern has some interesting things in the instructions!

For one, you make a bound buttonhole at the top of the back opening. Seems like a lot of work, doesn’t it? In all the years I wore the first version of this dress, I never once had to unbutton the button on the tab. This time, I’m going to make the bound buttonhole for looks but sew the button flat on top of both layers.

I didn’t notice this the first time, but the instructions suggest you line the skirt with sew-in interfacing! I’m guessing that it would create even more of an A-line silhouette, a bell-like structured skirt. Perhaps for a very thin fabric that would be a good idea!

Either way, it’s quite unusual. Have you ever seen that before in a pattern, an interfaced skirt? It’s surprising because there’s no interfacing used anywhere else in the garment besides the belt.

Speaking of the belt, how cute is this bow?

The made-up pattern piece worked great so I’m glad I’ve noted it down for next time. So cute! (Now you’ve seen the fabric choice too, I love it! Great minds think alike – Karen from Didyoumakethat just made a skirt in this exact same fabric!)

I didn’t remember this from the first time around, probably because I skipped it, but there’s a waist stay built into the dress. It’s done in a neat way and I think I’ll show it off in a separate post, because it looks like a good method to build stability into the waistline without too much work or bulk.

More to come! It’s nice to sew something just for fun, and finally make a second version of a dress I loved.

McCalls 7743: Revisiting a Favourite Vintage Dress

Tasia — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:00:47 +0000

Remember this dress? (Perhaps not – I sewed it three years ago!)

The pattern is McCalls 7743, a vintage dress pattern from 1965. I’ve worn the first version of this dress (the one in the picture above) so many times that it’s worn right out. The neckline has developed holes, the fabric is fading and the underarms are worn down.

This is one of the amazing benefits to sewing. If your favourite handmade dress starts to wear out, you can make it again! There’s no worry of not being able to find a similar style or fit in stores. (Unless you love shopping. To me, the thought of searching the mall for a new dress as good as the old one is not a fun idea!) When you sew, you can make the same style, with the same fit, all over again.

So I dug out the pattern,

and found that I’d left myself some clues!

I’d traced off the bodice front and back pieces after making it the first time, I know it must be after the first version because I didn’t make any changes the first time around. (Did I make changes on the traced pieces? Let’s see! I don’t remember tracing these off…)

Comparing the new pieces to the originals shows me that I’d lowered the neckline on the front, and raised the V in the back.

Raising the back was one of the changes I wanted to make for round two, as I knew that my bra was sometimes showing. I’d wear a dark bra so it wasn’t bright red showing, and pull it as far down my back as I could, but I could feel it creeping up throughout the day, and who wants to be constantly fiddling with their underwear? Not me.

I also wanted to add to the bodice length, as it was just a little bit too high for my natural waistline. Fine for wearing on its own, but a belt would naturally slip into my real waist, just a hint lower than the dress’s waist seam.

Want to know more about lengthening a bodice? Check out this older post here. (I just noticed that in this photo I hadn’t finished redrawing the sideseams, don’t worry I did fix up that pointed edge!)

I’d also pinned up the hemline of the skirt pieces three years ago. Compared to the first dress, the pieces are about 2″ longer, which seems perfect. I like the short hemline but I agree with my previous self that it could use just a touch more length.

The only problem I found is that the belt’s ‘Bow’ piece is missing. It looks to be about the same width as the belt piece, and about half the length, so I’m going to start there and adjust if needed. (I cut my bow piece 18″ long, using the belt pattern piece to measure off the width.)

I sewed the first version of this dress when I was still employed – that’s how long ago it was! (I only remember because I would sew it before work, at 6 in the morning, and still managed to sew it fairly quickly. It’ll be even faster this time around, I’m sure!)

As I fixed up the pattern, I thought about what kind of fabric to use. I love the multicoloured cotton print of the original but also thought the pattern would make an amazing solid-coloured dress to wear with everything. This is a wonderfully bike-able dress because the A-line skirt allows room to pedal, but is not so full to expose anything. (Totally safe if a gust of wind comes my way! Or if I pedal really fast…)

Wondering what fabric I decided to use for version 2? Come back soon to find out!

Freedom Fridays

Tasia — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 14:00:14 +0000

Sounds kind of patriotic, doesn’t it? A while back I talked about the challenge of fitting sewing for pleasure into my life now that the business has grown. I really appreciated the comments on that post. Many of you responded that of course, I need to take time for creativity! (It seems so obvious to you guys from the outside, but there is always so much to do here on the inside!) And also that I’m a relentless and demanding boss of myself, but if anyone is going to succeed in running a small business, we have to be hard on ourselves. So there’s that.

Rachel W said it well when she talked about taking time away from work to sew for pleasure: “And then there’s the guilt– I’m convinced that my customers are waiting just outside my windows. Watching me take time off. JUDGING.” Rachel, I hear you!

Many of you suggested that I get a separate machine for home, which is a great idea if I had the space and the funds. I’m in a small apartment that simply has no room for a sewing space! (I actually tried to set up a second sewing machine in the bedroom at one point last year, that didn’t work out too well…) Not to mention I’d have to buy a second machine, plus a whole new set of tools to keep at home. Unless we end up in a house or larger apartment, it’s not going to work. Mr Sewaholic was pretty happy to get me out of his home office, he’s not going to let me back in!

In January, I made a real effort to close the computer and just sew for at least a couple of hours on Fridays. Even if that couple hours comes right at the end of the day, once the work is done.

Here’s the proof! I made a muslin of the Hazel Dress:

My hand is demonstrating where my actual waistline falls. I decided to leave the waistline as designed.

Showing off the pockets! I decided I wanted a little more fullness in the skirt, so I cut a larger size. I also added length because I’m conservative like that, and in the summer I prefer slightly longer dresses for cycling. (It may seem backwards, but I like short skirts in the winter, longer skirts in the summer. Shorter skirts in winter means that less skirt sticks out from my coat and gets rained on. Longer in summer leaves less chance of exposing myself, plus it fully covers my unsexy bike shorts.)

While I had the muslin out, I also muslin-ed Parfait!

Isn’t that a flattering bodice, with the gathers and midriff piece?

You can see the difference in fit between the two designs. They’re the exact same size, but one is quite snug (Parfait) and one is fitted with ease to eat and move (Hazel).

This next photo demonstrates a simple reason to make a muslin – the dress straps are placed too far apart to cover my bra straps. It’s something that isn’t a big deal as far as fit goes, but it would make the finished dress so much better! Take a photo of yourself from the back when fitting, I may not have noticed this without taking the photo.

I can see that the skirt back doesn’t fit perfectly from this photo. It’s pulling upwards at centre back, causing diagonal wrinkles. There’s extra fabric at the sides which is giving my silhouette a little side fluff. It would be hardly noticeable in the finished garment especially in a bold print, but I can fix that!

You can see the extra fabric better from the side view here:

It’s like if I were to pinch out that extra fabric, the skirt would hang better.

Since the Hazel muslin fit fairly well, that’s where I went next. Parfait is on hold for now. although that bodice detailing is gorgeous and I have a great piece of fabric all lined up.

Isn’t this floral border print perfect for Hazel? It’s a vintage cotton print, I can tell because it’s only 35″ wide. Luckily the Hazel doesn’t require a lot of fabric!

I also wrote on my sewing table, you can see it in the photo above. I marked off ’1 METRE’ and ’1 YARD’ lengths on my table for quick measuring of fabric. This way if I find a piece in my collection, it’s easy to measure it off quickly to find out how much I have.

At my previous job, I had to measure and count all kinds of things – tape, ribbon, elastic – so I had the table in the notions area all marked up to make the job quicker. This table isn’t precious, so I didn’t mind marking it up a little if it made my life easier. You might not want to do this with your table at home.

How do I feel about the start of Freedom Fridays? I feel 90% great, and 10% guilty for not sewing up the striped Renfrew Top and writing tutorials for it. (But I’ll get there, and I’ll probably feel more inspired to do it since I’m getting some fun sewing in my week as well.) I’m excited about my new Hazel Dress and I’m looking forward to working out the fitting of Parfait.

Most importantly, I feel like I’m getting in that sewing time that I’ve been missing, and know that even though Mondays are busy, by the end of the week I’ll be back in front of the sewing machine, making stuff!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Renfrew Top: Finishing It Up! Sleeves & Bands

Tasia — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 14:00:26 +0000

Hey, everyone! It’s a Friday, the end of the week and what’s even better, the end of sewing this purple top.

Today we’ll sew in the sleeves (easy!) and sew bands to the hems (just as easy!) to finish off the top. None of these steps are particularly hard, but I thought I’d complete the demonstration of this top, from start to finish.

Catch up on the whole series! Check out the list of posts here. (Get the pattern here.)

Let’s get started! You’ll need your sleeve pieces. All three sleeve styles – short, three-quarter, and long – are all sewn the exact same way.

What’s great about these sleeves, as opposed to woven set-in sleeves, is that they are sewn in flat. If you’ve ever set in a sleeve into a woven dress, blouse or jacket, you’ll appreciate how simple it is to sew these sleeves!

Let’s get started. Arrange your shirt body, right sides up, with the armhole spread open like in the picture. Place the sleeve, right side up, near the armhole with the sleeve cap facing the shoulder seam.

Now, flip the sleeve over, so the wrong side is up, while the sleeve cap is still facing the shoulder seam.

Pin the sleeve to the armhole, matching the top notch on the sleeve to the shoulder seamline.

After pinning the middle, pin the sleeve into the armhole at each end.

Put as many pins as you want in between the ends and the middle. I tend to sew without very many pins, so I didn’t add any. (But don’t let me stop you from pinning your sleeves!)

Sew the sleeve into the armhole.

If you didn’t use a lot of pins, like me, make sure that both layers of fabric are meeting at the raw edges.

I lightened up this next picture so you can see how I’m lining up the layers. Make sure the fullness is distributed evenly, and you don’t sew any puckers.

This is a seam where you want to use a stretchy stitch, as the area is under strain when we get dressed, move our arms, yawn, lift things…

Sleeve is sewn!

I finished the seam allowances, because I like how it looks.

Press seam allowances towards the sleeve. (Try it on your dress form if you like and admire how nice that set-in sleeve looks.)

The last step, before sewing the hem bands, is sewing the underarm and side seam. We get to sew this seam in one non-stop motion!

Fold your shirt right sides together and pin the underarm and sleeve seam.

Pin the layers together at the armpit, sleeve edge, and lower edge, and as many pins as you need in between.

Sew this seam and finish seam allowances if desired.

Ok! Just the bands left to do. We’ll start with the hem at the bottom of the top. (Bottom of the top, that sounds funny. I mean bottom of the shirt.)

Pin the short ends of the band together, with right sides together. Sew this seam.

After this seam is sewn, fold the band wrong sides together and line up the raw edges.

Pin band at notches. We’ll use these pinned markings to line up the band along our shirt’s hemline.

Line up the seam of the band with the shirt’s left sideseam. Pin in place.

Pin band to shirt, matching notches to other sideseam and to centre front and back notches.

Sew band to shirt, using a stretchy stitch. Here’s what it will look like!

Unlike the neckline, I didn’t topstitch the band-to-shirt seam. I prefer not to draw attention there, and the bands are wide enough to hide the seam allowance even if it did flip downwards.

Repeat these steps with the cuffs.

I like to sew the cuffs from the inside, with the cuff on the outside of the sleeve.

Cuffs are done!

And that’s it for the purple Renfrew Top! I know you’ve seen what the top looks like finished, but I’ll still take photos of this purple version when the weather clears up. (Or indoors, if it has to be that way.)

I hope all of these Renfrew-related posts have been helpful! I still have the striped Renfrew cut out, but not a stitch of sewing done. Things are really busy so I may not get to it right away. Hopefully the motivation of wearing a new striped tee will encourage me to finish it up, and I’ll talk about sewing stripes along the way!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Renfrew Top: That Tricky Cowl Collar

Tasia — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 14:00:02 +0000

Hey, everyone! Today I’m back to demonstrating sewing the Renfrew Top, working on the collar of View C next. I’m excited to add this demo to the library as it will answer a lot of questions!

Here’s where we left off, if you’re just catching up – Sewing and Stabilizing the Shoulder Seams. Or if you want to catch up on the whole series, check out the list of posts here. (Get the pattern here.)

Next, we’ll construct the collar and sew it to the neckline of our top. We’ll finish the seam allowances, and then secure the seam allowances to the neckline with zigzag (or other stretchy) stitching.

Remember, you’ll need two pieces of the collar. The collar or cowl is self-lined, which means that it’s double-layered, sewn together at the edge where there would normally be a hem if it was a single layer.

There are two good reasons to do it this way: one, your cowl collar will be twice as warm and two, it’s easier to sew a seam than to sew a nice-looking stretchy hem.

If you have less fabric, or didn’t want to have a double-layered cowl, simply cut one collar piece. Instead of following the sewing directions, sew the centre back seam of the cowl and then hem the edge. (If you have tips on how to get a nice-looking hemmed cowl, let us know!)

Next, place the collar pieces on top of each other, right sides together. (Yes, it says wrong sides together in the instruction sheets! This is corrected in the second print run but it’s incorrect in the first printing. Here’s a link to the Errata page as a reference. I strive for perfection but sometimes it escapes me!)

It’s a bit hard to see what’s happening in that photo, I’m pinning along the top edge. The one without any notches, the edge that is wider than the other edge. Right sides of the fabric are on the inside.

Sew along this pinned edge.

If your fabric is likely to get chewed up by the machine at the edges, stop just short of the edge. (I’d forgotten to make this note but remembered as soon as I saw this photo!)

I’m stopping about 1/4″ (6mm) from the raw edge of the fabric, backstitching, and then going forward slowly, instead of sewing right to the raw edge.

I trimmed the seam allowances of this seam.

Ok. We’re approaching the part where people got confused. These aren’t the greatest photos, but bear with me. I think they demonstrate the collar construction and how to arrange your fabric pieces pretty well.

We’ve just finished sewing the seam, right? Our piece is still on the table, right sides together, exactly as it came out of the machine. Now lift up the top layer of the collar..

.. and spread the collar piece open. The right side of your fabric is facing you.

Now grab the closest edge to you, the bottom edge from how the piece is oriented, and lift it upwards like you’re folding a sheet, lining it up with the top edge.

The wrong side of the collar is facing you, the shorter edges are lined up, raw edges together, the right side of the collar is on the inside. Are you still with me?

Now pin along the raw edge that’s opposite the folded edge. (I’ve rotated the piece since the image above, what was the top is now the right side edge.)

Sew this seam. The picture below has the collar hanging off the table a little just so it would fit.

Press this seam open. I used a seam roll so that the seam allowances wouldn’t show on the right side and so I didn’t have to stretch the collar over my ironing board.

We have a collar tube at this point. Now, fold the collar in half, wrong sides together, lining up the raw edges.

See? Now we have the completed collar, ready to attach to our necklines. I hope this was easy to follow!

Next we’ll line up the raw edges, to prepare them for sewing to the shirt. Make sure the seam allowances are still open when we line them up.

Pin at each notch and seam point, lining up the raw edges. What we’re doing is making it easier to pin the collar into the neckline, if we’ve already lined up the collar’s two edges, then we only have to line up the collar to the neckline, rather than worrying about all three layers separately.

Next, get your top! We’re nearly finished. Arrange your top body so that the right side is facing you, with the top right side out.

Next, we’ll line up the four points on the collar to four points on the neckline.

Here’s what lines up to what:

Centre Back Collar Seam – centre back notches on neckline
Sideseam notches – shoulder seams on neckline
Centre Front Notch – centre front notch

If you start with the centre back, the rest will fall into place.

Start pinning centre back to centre back, matching the seam of the collar to the notches at the back neckline.

In between the pins at the notches, make sure all three layers are lined up. Use as many pins as you need to feel comfortable sewing the seam.

Next, sew the neckline. This is where you want to use a stretchy stitch. I’m using my machine’s stretch stitch and stretching the fabric ever so slightly.

Here’s what it will look like, fresh out of the machine!

It’s normal for it to look a little puckery around the curve, as long as there are no actual puckers. A good press will take care of that!

First, I finished the seam allowance. Again, it’s optional, but I like the look.

Now, we’ll press the seam allowance down, away from the collar, towards the body.

Next, we’ll topstitch around the neckline! This is optional. You don’t have to topstitch around the neckline, but there are a few reasons I do it. One, it keeps the seam allowance secured. Ever had a purchased tee shirt where after washing, the neckline seam would flip out? I like my seam allowances to behave, so I’ll topstitch to keep them in place. It also creates a flatter seam, and defines the neckline. (And if you don’t like it, the cowl mostly covers it anyways!)

If you do topstitch, use a zigzag or other stretchy stitch.

Not sure about how your stitch is going to look, or if it will stretch? Sew a row on a scrap of fabric. Experiment with different stitch lengths and widths to get the look you want.

Press the neckline seam.

Now that’s a nice-looking neckline!

And with the cowl folded down..

That was a lot of photos! I hope this clears up some of the confusion on how to sew the collar. Once you try it for yourself, I bet it will all make a lot of sense. Let me know if you have questions!

Renfrew Top: Sewing & Stabilizing the Shoulder Seams

Tasia — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 14:00:18 +0000

Ok! Today I’m going to talk about sewing the Renfrew Top. We’ve done several posts leading up to this moment, talking all about knit fabrics, cutting, choosing a view to make, and general tips for sewing knits. The sewing is going to seem so quick compared to all of the preparation!

Here are all of the blog posts about the Renfrew Top so far. (Get the pattern here.)

First, let’s sew the shoulder seams. We’ll add stabilizing tape to the shoulders, so that they don’t stretch out over time. (Check out this post for more on why we bother with the shoulder seam stabilizing.)

Sew the shoulder seams, backstitching at both ends. I didn’t worry about sewing with a stretchy stitch as we’re going to reinforce these seams to remove all stretch.

You can see I’ve got my stay tape ready! Measure off the amount you need for the shoulder seam.

I cut down the middle of my tape so I have two pieces! You can’t do this with any kind of tape. Stay tape like this works, because it won’t fray when cut lengthwise. Fusible tapes would work, but regular woven tapes will fray and lose strength.

Next, pin the stabilizing tape to the seam. I like to pin mine just inside the seam allowance. The reason I like to pin inside the seam allowance, rather than exactly on top of the seam stitch line, is because this tape is a little inflexible. If I were to stitch it right on top of the seamline, and then tried to press the seam allowance, the tape would stop the fabric from pressing nicely. If I keep it inside the seam allowance, so that the edge of the tape doesn’t cross the shoulder stitch line, I’ll be able to press the seam allowances without the tape interfering.

Stitch through the tape.

Then, finish the seam allowances. You don’t have to finish the seam allowances. Most knit fabrics are not going to fray or unravel, and we’ve stitched the seam twice (once for the seam, once to add the tape) so it’s going to be nice and strong. I like to finish the seam allowance for looks mostly.

Repeat for the other shoulder seam, if you haven’t already!

Ok. You can see I’ve placed the stay tape on the front side of the shoulder seam. Now, you might want to do it differently if you’re sensitive to scratchy tape.

Take a look at the photo below:

The seam allowances get pressed towards the back. So if you apply the stay tape to the front, like I did, the stay tape is what ends up on the outside against your shoulders. You can see on the right side, where the seam allowance is pushed forward, how much softer it might be.

So, if you’re worried about feeling the tape on your shoulders when you wear the finished top, apply it to the back of the seams instead!

That’s it for now! In the next post, we’ll sew the cowl for View C. I still get questions about how to sew this cowl collar, so I’m hoping that being able to see it in step-by-step photos will be helpful. Everything is clearer to understand when you can watch it happen, rather than read about it in words.

Approaches to Sewing Knits

Tasia — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 13:00:16 +0000

Since we’re talking about sewing the Renfrew Top out of knit fabric, and there are all kinds of fabric-related questions that come up about knit fabrics, I’d like to recommend this book, Claire Shaeffer’s Fabric Sewing Guide by Claire Shaeffer. This book is a great resource for answering the question ‘How do I work with this fabric?’

She talks about matching fabric to pattern, planning the garment to get the most out of the fabric’s natural properties. Pressing, needle recommendations and stitch length are all covered.

Of all the sewing books on my shelf, this is the one I refer to most often. Often it’s to confirm what I suspected, or to see if my planned choices are correct before proceeding. It also helps identify fabrics in your collection – do you have a double knit, or an interlock knit? This book will help you know the difference!

Also, before I start posting how I sewed the most recent Renfrew Top, I thought I would talk about my approach to sewing knits. Otherwise, you might have a lot of questions as to why I did certain things!

Plus, if you decide on a general approach to sewing knits before you start, it’s a lot easier to work through the project.You’ll have already decided how to sew each seam, what stitch to use, and what machine to use (serger vs. straight stitch) for each stage. Planning it out beforehand saves time as you sew!

My approach to sewing knits

I tend to treat knits as wovens, almost. I like to sew the seams first, then serge them. You don’t have to do this, you’ll see inside your purchased tee shirts than the seams will be serged only. This creates a stretchy seam that’s fast to sew (just one pass through the machine!) and the edges are finished all in one step.

But I like the extra security of having a seam, and the serging separate. Both seams have to break before I have to mend the shirt, which is good in my books. I like durability in my clothing. You might not want to sew your knit tops this way, and that’s all right too! I thought I’d talk about why I’ve done it a certain way now, rather than each time I talk about a sewing step.

I don’t have a coverstitch machine or the option to convert my serger to a coverstitch. Personally, I don’t desire a coverstitch option. I’m not a fan of any hem that can come completely undone and unfinished with one loose thread. (Ever had the hems come down on a store-bought top? It’s a pain to re-stitch that unfinished edge!)

I like the look of zigzag stitching. I know, I know! You might not agree. Many of you have commented that visible zigzag stitching looks homemade. I suppose that’s because in factories, their straight-stitch machines can only straight-stitch. In order to sew a zigzag, they have to move to a completely separate machine. The garment would have to be passed to a second operator to sew the zigzag stitch, then back to straight stitching (or serging.) It’s not cost-effective to have zigzagged stitching in a factory setting, unless the factory does a lot of volume in zigzag-stitched garments. So that’s likely why we don’t see it in store-bought clothing. It’s truly a mark of a home-sewn garment. (Is that really so bad, or is just that we’re so used to seeing factory-sewn clothing that anything else looks unusual to us now?)

There are plenty of options to the zigzag stitch – basically, any decorative stitch that stretches will work! We’ll talk about that when we get to that part of the sewing instructions.

I do switch to a proper needle for sewing knits. I use a ballpoint needle or a needle marked ‘Jersey’ – these needles are designed to poke through the knit loops of your fabric, rather than pierce them or puncture the fabric. (Imagine poking a pencil through a sweater, dividing the loops to get through to the other side, rather than poking a sweater with a sharp skewer, which could pierce the yarns, weakening them, potentially causing holes. That’s the general concept of using a ballpoint needle!)

Your approach to sewing knits?

Your turn! Tell me how you approach sewing knits. How do you feel about zigzag stitch? Do you trust the strength of a serged-only seam? Is there a book that really helped you sew confidently with knit fabrics?

Here are more blog posts about the Renfrew Top. (Get the pattern here.)

Seam Allowances on the Renfrew Top

Tasia — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 13:00:12 +0000

Every time I go to sew the Renfrew Top, I think of something new to talk about! Today it’s seam allowances. (Thought of it just as I went to sew the very first seam.) This is good, bit by bit I’ll have answered every possible question about the Renfrew top pattern!

What are the seam allowances on the Renfrew Top? I’ve made them 5/8″ (1.5cm), the same as all other Sewaholic Patterns. All patterns after the Renfrew Top have the seam allowances labelled on the pattern pieces to make it easy for you, it’s the earlier patterns that have it in the instructions only.

Often you’ll see knit patterns with narrower seam allowances, so it’s important to check the pattern if you’re using it for the first time.

You may prefer narrower seam allowances on a knit fabric. If you’re going straight to the serger, a 1/4″ (6mm) seam allowance is probably all you need.

Why did I choose 5/8″ as the seam allowance? One, because it’s standard. It’s easy to remember that all of the Sewaholic Patterns use the same size range and the same seam allowance. Also, because if you’re scared of knits, it’s even scarier to sew with teeny seam allowances. Having a generous seam allowance gives you more room to sew confidently. It also provides just a little more room for fitting and adjusting. If you need to add just the tiniest bit at the sides, you can using the space in the seam allowance.

Tell me, which do you prefer when it comes to sewing knits? Standard 5/8″ (1.5cm) seam allowances? Narrow seam allowances? Or would you prefer that the pattern has regular ones so you can choose to trim them down or not?

Here are more blog posts about the Renfrew Top. (Get the pattern here.)

Why Add Twill Tape to the Shoulders? Plus Possible Substitutions

Tasia — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 13:00:23 +0000

Hello, everyone! Today I’m talking about twill tape. What is it for? Why do we put it in the shoulders of the Renfrew Top? And what could we possibly use as a substitute if we can’t find twill tape locally?

Let’s start with why we add the twill tape, then talk about possible options if twill tape is hard to find.

Why add twill tape?

The twill tape is added to strengthen the shoulder seams. In most knit tops with a set-in sleeve, the shoulder seams are cut along the horizontal grain, the stretchiest direction. This is great for getting stretch around the body, but we’ll want to stabilize the shoulder seams or they’ll stretch, sag or break. If you look in your tee shirt drawer, it’s likely that your tee shirts have some sort of stabilizer across the shoulders.

You might see self-fabric binding go around the back neck and across the shoulders, common in men’s undershirts and basic tees. There might be a clear, stretchy elastic sewn into the seams, this is common in manufactured tee shirts. (Though I’ve seen the clear elastic break over time.)

(one of Mr Sewaholic’s old tee shirts with self-fabric binding stabilizing the shoulders and back neck)

So why does the pattern specify twill tape? I chose twill tape because I thought it would be the simplest, most common notion to find around the world. It seems that it’s challenging to buy in some places though, so we’ll talk about what you could use in place of it to get the same result.

What could we use instead?

Basically, the whole purpose of the twill tape is to keep the shoulders from stretching out. I always find it’s easier to think up a substitute when you know what the original purpose was. So we just need to add something to that seam that doesn’t stretch.

That could be any number of things:

selvedges left over from your fabric
twill tape as directed
stay tape, which you can trim down the middle for less bulk
ribbon
seam binding – the thinner the better
clear elastic if you can find it

What else could you use? (I’d love to hear your suggestions, too!) When you’re thinking of a substitution, you’ll also want to consider the bulk you might be adding. Or the itch factor. For example, stay tape is super light and sheer, great for lightweight knits and just about any knit fabric. If you’re subbing with selvedges, make sure they aren’t too bulky and stiff. Thinner is better. Stay away from bias tape as it’s stretchy and won’t support the seam. Whatever you sew, when the seam is sewn it should not stretch at all. (Or if you used clear elastic, it will stretch but return to its original dimensions.)

For my purple top, I’m using stay tape. That’s what I have on hand, and I’m trying to use up the supplies I have on hand as much as possible. (My notions box has become a bit of a scary pit and I’ve been buying new trims instead of digging through my disorganized stash. I really need to clean that up and make it functional. That’s a project for another day though!)

Here are more blog posts about the Renfrew Top. (Get the pattern here.)

How do you usually stabilize your shoulder seams? What’s your favourite stabilizing material to use?