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Category Archives: How-To


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Wedding Dress – Hemming silk and chiffon..

wedding_dress_hem

I’d be lying big time if I said that hemming is fun. To me it’s more like a necessary evil. About half way through, I was contemplating attacking the hem with a stapler. Even though it would’ve worked, I’m glad I sticked to the good ol’ hand-sewing. But now, 9m of hem later, the dress is finally completely finished! Now all I need to worry about is saying ‘yes’ at the right moment :)

Oh, and I thought I’d share a few things I’ve learnt about hemming silk and silk chiffon. The silk was pretty easy to work with and I was able to make a seam that’s as good as invisible on both sides. The chiffon however, is a different story. The fabric slides around like crazy and it’s extremely hard to sew a ~2mm hem using the first method. The approached I used was to first press a crease ~2-3mm below the skirt’s length. Then cut off any excess fabric but leave a ~2mm seam allowance below the crease. Using your fingers and the needle, fold the crease upwards and you’ll get a 2mm hem. When sewing, first let the needles slide through the ‘front fabric’ and continue downwards through the hem. The thread will then force the hem in place by wrapping around it. See pictures below for a more visual explanation :)

Using this type of stitch, the seam is invisible from both sides.

Using this type of stitch, the seam is invisible from both sides.

This type of stitch works well with chiffon since it keeps the fabric in place better than the first one. On the downside, it's not invisible on both sides.

This type of stitch works well with chiffon since it keeps the fabric in place better than the first one. On the downside, it’s not invisible on both sides.

 

This is how both types of hem look like on the face side.

This is how both types of hem look like from the face side.


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How to make a French seam

French seams are a bit time-consuming but a great way of making sure your garment looks as good on the inside as it does on the outside.

  1. Pin wrong sides together and sew it together at half your seam allowance (I usually have 1cm which leaves me with ½cm).
  2. Now press the seam (still with wrong sides together). Trim down the seam allowance as close to the seam as you can.

    French seam step 2. Trim excess fabric.

    Step 2. Trim excess fabric.

  3. Open up the two fabric sides and press the allowance towards one side (I find this a good preparation for the next step but I think it can be omitted).

    Step 3. Press seam allowance towards one side.

    Step 3. Press seam allowance towards one side.

  4. Press face sides together and pin.

    Step 4. Press and pin.

    Step 4. Press and pin.

  5. Sew together at half the total seam allowance.
  6. Press the seam allowance to the side like in step 3.


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Transformational Reconstruction (TR Design)

Example of dress made using Transformational Reconstruction

Example of dress made using Transformational Reconstruction

Earlier, I promised you a post about a cool pattern making technique and here it is – Transformational Reconstruction! The designer behind the idea is Shingo Sato. As far as I know, he’s written one book on the subject, holds workshops and to top it off, runs a Youtube channel with “watch-and-learn-guides”.

The basic idea behind TR Design is to manipulate your  garment in 3D and not in 2D. Begin by creating a muslin with fitting of your choice and then fit it onto your mannequin (or other test subject). Next step is to grab a pen and draw your design straight onto the muslin. When your happy with your new design, remove the muslin from the mannequin and cut it open. You will most likely have a flat pattern ready to use by now but it that’s not the case, I recommend having a look at the video TR Cutting School – Easing and Forming. The last step is to cut out the new pattern pieces in a proper fabric and sew everything together.

I’m actually trying this out when making the pattern for my wedding dress. So far, I’m rather happy with this way of working. I had to make quite a few adjustments on my second muslin after noticing that there’s a huge difference in making a dress with one shoulder-strap and two shoulder-straps. Apparently one needs to make a really fitted bodice if one expects it to stay in one place. Today I learn. On the plus side, I just had to remove the straps and make the darned thing smaller and then later on, reattached the straps. Bridezilla transformation: successfully aborted! BOYAH!

Some day (when I’ve finished the dress) I’ll try out an even more elaborate design using transformational reconstruction.

For more information, I recommend checking out the Youtube channel, http://www.youtube.com/user/trpattern


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Origami Crane Trivet

trivet1If you’re following the sewing topic on WordPress, I don’t think you could’ve missed A Thousand Quilted Cranes. I must admit that my first thought on that project was “OCD much?” But once I read more about it, I kinda like the idea. I myself don’t have the stamina to make 1k cranes so I’ll just settle for one :) So here it is, my one Origami Crane Trivet!

Not sure I would put a pot straight from the oven on it but it’s very nice for the tea-pot!

It’s made from some old discarded jeans, with one fabric lighter than the other. I used about 2 legs, cut roughly below the knee. The trivet consists of 3 layers of jeans, front, middle and back. I added some extra filling to the middle to fill the gap between the seam allowances. I’m really fond of this design so I’m sharing the pattern I reproduced. It might not be exactly as the original but I reckon it’s good enough :)

And yes, I was obviously sleepwalking when putting my socks on today ;)


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Kid’s skirt with snails

The finished skirt!

The finished skirt!

It’s my niece’s birthday and she’s getting a cute skirt with snails on it. Been thinking about doing something with the leftover fabric from the onesie and I reckon a birthday present is a good enough excuse for spending a couple of hours at the sewing machine. I always try to learn something new or refine an old method with each garment I make. This time I tried making a French seam to hide the overlock seam and I’m pretty happy with the end result (just can’t believe I didn’t think of it sooner!?). I also tried a new way of making a “waistband” from the same piece of fabric as the skirt, without cutting.

For once I thought I’d include a how-to.

Material: Fabric of your choice, elastic band and thread.

  1. Measure and cut the fabric. Fabric width = width*2, Length = length + ~4cm (hemline) + ~8cm (for the waistband). Adjust waistband size according to the size of the elastic band (the band I’m using is 2cm wide). The length of my elastic band is 50cm and the length of the finished skirt is 30cm. In theory this should fit a 1-1½ year old. Fingers crossed I’m right :)
  2. Pin the fabric with the wrong sides facing each other and sew. If you’re working with a patterned fabric, don’t forget to match it when pinning together. I’m using the overlocker for this seam.
  3. Iron, fold inside out and pin it face together. Give it a good press before sewing together.
  4. Fold inside out again, press and admire your work! Apparently this is called a “French seam” (learnt that from Great British Sewing Bee).
  5. Time for the waistline! I start by overlocking just to make the fabric a bit more manageable (it just keeps folding round and round…). I’m using another, more manageable fabric to show how I went about doing this.
  6. Fold down ~1cm and press.
    1. Fold over once more. Measure how big you want your waistband to be (mine’s 3cm).
    2. Fold again and press.
    3. Open up the folds. Fold up ~1cm from the skirt towards, and up onto the waistband.
    4. Press and fold it all together again. See picture for how it should look like.
    5. Sew the fold you made in step 6.3. Press the fold up like in the picture.
    6. Now sew it all together but don’t forget to leave an opening for the elastic band. Sew from the face side in order to make a neat and even seam. This is what the end result looks like.
    7. …and this is what it should look like from the wrong side. Neat and nice there as well.
  7. Put in the elastic band, sew it together and close the opening.
  8. Press and sew the hemline. Give it a final press, admire the skirt and feel good about yourself :D
Step 2. Pin the fabric with the wrong sides facing each other and sew.
Step 3. Iron, fold inside out and pin it face together.
Step 4. Press and admire!
Step 6. Fold down ~1cm and press.
Step 6.1. Fold over once more. Measure how big you want your waistband to be (mine’s 3cm).
Step 6.2. Fold again and press.
Step 6.3. Open up the folds. Fold up ~1cm from the skirt towards and up onto the waistband.
Step 6.4. Press and fold it all together again. This is how it should look like.
Step 6.5. Sew the fold you made in step 6.3. Press the fold up like in the picture.
Step 6.6. Now sew it all together but don’t forget to leave an opening for the elastic band. Sew from the face side in order to make a neat and even seam. This is what the end result looks like.
Step 6.7. …and this is what it should look like from the wrong side. Neat and nice there as well.