No-Bubble Interfacing Application

The blouse is close to finished. I have to go out and get some buttons for it. Strange - I have no buttons that go with an orange striped fabric. Go figure....


Occasionally I'll get a question about applying fusible interfacing. One thing that drives me crazy is interfacing that has bubbled. This happens thanks to poor application methods. And it isn't only limited to home-sewn garments. I once paid a fair amount of money for a Liz Claiborne blouse, and after about 4 wearings/washings, the interfacing bubbled like overheated pudding. I was not a happy camper, and to this day I won't buy Claiborne because of that.


The good news is (for us sewing mavens anyway) that good, bubble-resistant application of interfacing is easy, and doesn't take too much time. Let me show you how I do it.


Choose the Right Interfacing
There's job one. I only use woven or tricot fusible interfacings. Never in a million years will you find me putting a non-woven interfacing in a garment (handbags are another matter - but we're not talking about them here). I also only use interfacings that have the glue evenly dispersed on the surface. I want a nice, even glue application. I avoid the types of interfacings where you can see little dots of glue all over them.
(Shameless plug alert!) Personally, I get all my interfacings from Pam at Fashion Sewing Supply. NAYY - I just like it best of all the interfacings I have used. Palmer-Pletsch also makes good quality interfacing.


Would You Like that Gespritz?
Lay your interfacing -glue side down, of course - on the wrong side of your fabric. Using a spray mister (you can buy them at beauty supply stores, most CVS's and garden shops) spray the interfacing until it's good and damp, but not soaking wet.

Like the Blue Nails?

Press Cloth is Key

Lay a sheer press cloth over your interfacing/fabric. I use silk organza. It's strong, it resists high heat, and it allows you to see what you are doing. It also acts as a bit of an insulator so you can up the temperature on your iron a bit. I set my iron on the highest setting for most interfacings. If I'm using a low-temperature fusible, I set my iron to the wool setting.

The other reason to use a press cloth is to protect your iron. If you (ahem) ever have been in the situation where you are fusing before you've had your morning coffee (ahem), then you might mistakenly place the interfacing glue-side up. Using the press cloth saves you the hassle and expletives involved in cleaning interfacing glue off your iron.

Baby You Can Do It/Take Your Time/Do It Right

Place your iron over the press cloth and hold it there for between 15 and 20 seconds without moving it. That's important - if you move your iron around, you run the risk of smooshing your interfacing. Pick your iron up, position it onto another section, and hold it for 15-20 seconds. Repeat until all interfaced areas are fused.

Let the interfaced piece cool completely before removing the press cloth and taking it off the ironing board.

I've used this method for interfacing for years, and I never have problems with bubbling. Hopefully it will help you.

Happy sewing!

Believe It or Not...

... I really do practice what I preach.

Yesterday Sewing Diva Phyllis came up to the studio and we worked on projects. She worked on test samples for her Chado Ralph Rucci dress. It is going to be gorgeous! I made a muslin of the Burda dress. Phyllis helped me fit it. Before I made the muslin, I did an FBA on the pattern itself, since I knew already that I would need it. I put it on and Phyllis pinned it for me. I'm really falling more and more in love with Burda patterns, both the BWOF and the printed ones. They do some very nice RTW and designer inspired touches that the Big 4 don't even try. And they fit me pretty well right out of the chute. This dress needed a couple of small adjustments, and Phyllis pinned them in for me.

One side note here. When I try on a muslin, I like to try it on and adjust it with the seam allowances on the outside. That makes it easier to pin exactly the way you want it to be shaped, and increases your accuracy. And since it's a muslin (not wearable :) ), no one will care if your seams are exposed. You can see here where Phyllis pinned the bodice for me to eliminate excess fabric above the bust:
I used a marker to rough in the new seamlines. Later I trued up the lines with a French curve.

The second thing she did was adjust very slightly in the back. I don't have a swayback, but she pinned just a little out of the Center-Back-to-Side-Back seams, tapering out to nothing at the other seams. This makes it fall perfectly over my, um, posterior.
Once the muslin was adjusted, I carefully took it apart at the seams and pressed it flat. The bonus, and yet another reason I love muslins, is because when you take them apart, lo and behold, you get a full-body pattern. You can just lay it out on your fabric and start cutting. No need to pick up a piece, flip it over and cut. It also allows you to cut your fashion fabric in a single layer. This enables you to save on fabric over a double thickness pattern layout, and it makes it easy to ensure your fabric and pattern piece are on grain. Check it out - no guesswork, and very little hassle.
Some folks may be wondering why I'm going on and on about the wonderfulness of muslins. Because I really think they are great, that's why! After I did my post on (un)Wearable Muslins, a friend pointed out to me that there was a discussion about them, which got rather heated on both sides, on a public forum. Muslins must have been in the air for the past week. I really believe in them. They give great results. Do you need to do a muslin for every single garment? Hell no! But for the ones you care about, or for something you hope to have for a long time, a muslin is worth every bit of effort you put into it.

Okay, soapbox (actually, I'm trying to make it more of a sales pitch than a soapbox) aside. Now I can get to work on sewing my dress. Hopefully I'll have some good progress over the next day or so.

Oh and on a very happy note, DH started his new job today!!!

Happy sewing!

On the Sewing Table - HotPatterns Homage Tote

Next on the table is the HP Homage tote.


I've actually started making two versions. One from a very kewl ponyskin in my stash. Alas, I discovered that the leather I was going to use for the reverse side is black, but the dark color of the ponyskin is really dark brown. So I'm putting that on hold until next week when I will get another hide of the pony from Leather Suede Skins. In the meantime, I am making it out of some black leather that I have in my stash, and a small piece of zebra printed leather that I bought at Leather Suede Skins when I was there with Phyllis something like 4 years ago.

A couple of notes about this pattern and the bag. It's ginormous! Seriously, you can fit a week's worth of groceries in this puppy and go camping. I actually really like it. But if you're not as amazonian as I am, you might want to think about scaling it down just a bit before cutting it out. I don't have the dimensions in front of me. Oh wait - yes I do. The bag is 20 inches wide by 21 inches high - without the straps, and it's a rather slouchy design. When picking out a fabric for this, if you don't make it in leather, I recommend using something with good body to it.
Someone recently told me that she loves it when I get on my soapbox. Well, make some popcorn and gird your loins folks, because I'm about to start knocking heads! I'm not naming any names, and if you think I'm talking about you, you're wrong, but I have to vent for a moment. I read an article about sewing leather recently. I was absolutely appalled at the advice they gave about how to work with leather. I know a little bit about working with leather. I designed and manufactured handbags, and I have been sewing with leather for longer than I'm going to admit here. So it was with horror that I read advice on working with leather that was not only just plain wrong, but would give disastrous results if you followed it! So as I work on this bag, I'll take you through the steps I use. These are not the only ways to get good results, but they work well.

Sharpies Work Great for Marking
Mark darts, tucks, pleats, and anything else on the back of your skin with a Sharpie marker. The exception is on the thinnest of skins, and sometimes even on those, they work like a charm. If you are working with a black hide, I like to use a white wax marker. But I've also used silver colored Sharpies.
Never, Ever, Ever Pin Leather
Hard and fast rule. Common pins, safety pins, T-pins - keep them away from your skins! Look - leather is expensive. Even cheap leather is expensive. Pins will do three things - 1) distort your leather before you sew it, 2) leave holes behind, and 3) weaken the hide. Oh wait: four things: waste your money. Save the pins for fabric projects.

Use Small Binder Clips
Also called butterfly clips, these are available at any office supply store. I use the smallest size.


Regular Thread Is Just Fine Unless You're Working With Heavy Skins
I learned this by doing it. You can use a regular polyester thread with just as good results for a lot less money. When I first started manufacturing handbags, I specified to my contract sewing company that I wanted them to use heavy duty thread. The head of production called me up the next day and said, "Ann, you can do that, but it won't do anything but increase your costs. Why do you think you need it?"

"Well, it's a handbag. Don't we want super strong thread?"

"Sure, if you want lower margins with no real benefit. I've made tens of thousands of bags with standard poly thread and I haven't had a failure yet. If it's luggage, that's another story. When you start designing luggage, we'll talk."

You know what? I never had a failure at the seams with any of my bags. Save your pennies and just use regular thread. Even on leather.

Use the Smallest Sized Leather Needle You Can Get Away With
Leather needles don't come in small sizes. I think the smallest I've seen is a 90/14. They may make smaller ones. The needle leaves holes in your skin, so I like to minimize the size of those holes. On lightweight skins, like lambskin or lamb suede, you can even sometimes get away with a regular needle or (my preference) a titanium needle in a 70/10. Test on a scrap to make sure you don't get any skipped stitches.

Use a Teflon Foot and Straight Stitch Plate
The teflon foot glides over leather. You can also find feet that have rollers on them. In a pinch you can put scotch tape on the bottom of your regular presser foot. Any of these will ease your sewing. I also use a straight stitch plate, especially with lambskin or lamb suede. While most leather won't get caught in the throat plate, it provides extra insurance, and that's never a bad thing.

Use a Longer Stitch Length
When sewing with leather, I use a stitch length of 3.5mm. For topstitching, I use a stitch length of 4mm.

Smash it With a Hammer!
10 points to anyone who can tell me what movie I took that quote from. Seriously, Since you don't press leather seams open, the best way to open out your seams is to gently tap them with a hammer. I use a regular hammer. Well, actually it's a tool that does everything that DH bought and gave to me when I was putting all the Ikea stuff together. It works great. But you can use a specialized rubber mallet, or even a flat-sided kitchen hammer. I've had good results with all of them.

Topstitch Seams
Rather than gluing my seams open (which is a good option in many cases), you can also use topstitching on either side of a major seam to make sure your seam allowances lay flat. I did this with the pieced front and back of my bag. It works best on flat seams, and it adds a nice touch. It doesn't add any strength to the seam. It's more for aesthetic purposes.

Okay that's enough for tonight. I hope to finish the bag tomorrow. I was going great guns, then I got tired and screwed up on the zipped pocket in the lining. So I took a break. But I'll be back at it shortly and I will have lots more advice to dispense then.

Happy sewing!

Pattern Review - HotPatterns Fit to be Tied Blouse

Pattern Description: (from the HotPatterns website) "You’re going to adore this stunningly stylish Shirt, designed for classic shirting fabrics like crisp linen, cotton poplin, lawn or silk twill, but just as glorious in crisp taffeta, single-ply Thai silk, silk dupioni or chambray denim.
Fitted Shirt has a shaped hem, slightly cut-in armholes, shoulder yoke, front button band and shirt collar with stand. Shirt back is pleated onto the yoke, and features shoulder princess seams. Shirt front is gathered onto the button band and has an optional tie. Long sleeves have an inverted pleat at the sleeve head, finishing with French cuffs-perfect for cufflinks!
How many ways to wear this fabulous shirt ? Team it with a sober Jacket and Pants or Skirt for a beautiful office look; wear it with your favorite evening Pants; or try it to dress up some artfully distressed vintage jeans"

Sizing: 6 to 26. I made a 10

Did it look like the photo or drawing when you got through? Yes

How were the instructions? So-so. This is billed as a pattern for intermdiate-level sewers, and that's absolutely right. This is a great looking shirt, and if you know how to do shirt construction, you won't have any problems. But if you are a relative newbie or less experienced sewer, you will definitely want to have a reference on shirt construction nearby.

Fabric Used: Tessuti Stretch Cotton Shirting in Brown:


Any changes? Not in the styling of the blouse, but I did construct it differently from the way they recommend. For one thing, Rather than leave the front button bands open at the bottom and then hemming them as you do the rest of the shirt hem, I sewed across the bottom of the band at the hemline, like you do with a facing, before sewing the band to the shirt fronts. I think it gives a cleaner look.

Likes/Dislikes: Love the style. I really love the raglan sleeves. They make for a very interesting design focal point. I also love the fact that, between the collar, the button band and the cuffs there are loads of opportunities to play with grain. We all know how much I love that!

One thing to note, and this isn't a dislike, is that the instructions assume you already have a lot of construction knowledge. So they tell you to apply the cuffs and the collar, but they don't take you step by step through the process, and the illustrations are more like schematics for some of the steps. It's not insurmountable, and in fact, as I commented on Kathleen Fasanella's site, I would rather have a chic pattern with no instructions than a dowdy one with flawless instructions. If you keep a good sewing reference nearby, you will do just fine. I recommend Shirtmaking by David Page Coffin. Another fabulous reference is Pam's blog, Off the Cuff Style.

Construction Notes: There are a few things here that may help you. Since the gathering is the most prominent design feature of this pattern, I wasn't going to fool around. I ran a double row of hand-basting stitches (each stitch was about 3/8 inch).
The instructions tell you to pull the basting stitches up so the notches on the front match up to those on the button band. If it makes it easier for you, the notches are 2 1/2 inches apart, so you can use a ruler to measure it.

The hand basting gives you control over the exact placement of the gathers, making for a better result. That's really critical in this design, so I think it's worth the extra five minutes total that it adds to your sewing time. Like I say, you're worth it, don't you think?

Would you do it again? Would you recommend it? I would definitely sew it again. This would be a real stunner in a 4 ply silk. I recommend it with the caveats above. You either need to know what you are doing or have a good reference nearby.

Conclusion: I really love this shirt. It's a very cool look and on, it makes the girls look perky and the waist look tiny. There's two great selling points right there! Here's a picture on the dress form. It looks better on me. Also, I haven't yet found the perfect buttons for it, but I will, and it will be fabulous!


Happy sewing!

Binding the Edges of Knits

Melinda asked about how I finished the edges of the Jalie Criss Cross Top. I made a binding from a Solid Rayon Jersey in Beaujolais Wine. I did a write-up on how to make this kind of edging on BeSewStylish.com on April 4th. The nice thing is you don't need a binder to do it and get good results. Taunton press will eventually be moving that post to the Sewing Section of CraftStylish, but it isn't there yet.

I'll post about my new toy later today.
Happy sewing!

Not-so-instant Replay: Deconstructed Skirt

Well, as long as I'm republishing the jacket, I figure I might as well put up the skirt I made to go with it. This pattern is based on Butterick 4614.

Pattern Description: Misses skirt variations. Straight with kick pleats or A-line with godets. I made View C.

Pattern Sizing: 6-24

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the envelope No, but that was intentional

How were the instructions? I didn't use them because I changed the pattern and style significantly. Looking at them now, they seem very straightforward.

Likes/Dislikes? I wanted a skirt to go with the jacket I made. I thought a skirt with godets might work well, but I didn't want to use my stash KwikSew pattern. I wanted something with larger godets so it would really highlight the contrast fabric. And I wanted something with a zipped waistline rather than an elastic waist. When I looked through the pattern books, this one jumped out at me.

Fabric: Double faced cotton/lycra.

Any changes to the pattern or design? Lots. Like the jacket, I wanted this to be deconstructed, so I changed a ton. First, I wanted to have seams inset with the contrast (yellow) side of the fabric:

So I changed the godet pattern to add a long strip of fabric coming from the top of the triangle. You can see the resulting godet here:


Next I traced the pattern pieces onto and machine basted the side seam allowances. Then I cut the pattern at the seam lines. To construct it, I butted the raw edges of the sides together, centering them over the godet/seam insert and sewed 1/4" away from the raw edges. You can see the inside here:


I also eliminated the waistband facing and used petersham ribbon for a facing, stitching it 5/8" from the top. I trimmed the seam allowance to 1/4".

Finally, I stitched along the hemline and trimmed the hem about 1/4" away so the fabric will ravel in the wash.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I will sew it again, more conventionally next time. I would recommend this pattern. It goes together easily and it is very au courant.

Conclusion Here is a picture of the skirt with the jacket:

It will get much softer as it gets washed. I'm very happy with how this turned out.

Happy Sewing!

Not-so-instant Replay: Deconstructed Jacket

I made this pattern three years ago, but since I'm recommending techniques that I used to make it for a double-faced coating, I thought it would be worthwhile re-issuing it.

Pattern Description: Princess seamed, semi-fitted jacket with mandarin collar and fold up cuffs

Pattern Sizing: 8-22, I made a 12.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? No, but that was intentional.

How were the instructions? I didn't read them, because I wanted to try some new techniques. I debated about even calling this a Simplicity pattern, since I changed it so much, but the base shell is the pattern, so let's give them credit where it is due.

Likes/Dislikes? I loved this fabric the minute I saw it. But what to make of it? I figured a reversible jacket, kind of like Phyllis C's Edgy Jacket would be a good choice. Now that I look at the two jackets, I think I borrowed a lot more from Phyl than I intended (my bad). Thanks for the inspiration Phyllis!

There was not much that I disliked. I liked the lines, and I liked the fact that this was a relatively simple jacket, despite the princess seams. The back has darts rather than princess seams. I removed them (more on why later).

Fabric Used: A really neat yellow and tan double faced cotton-lycra. Here is an image of the other face of the jacket.


Design Changes or Alterations? Tons. I wanted to add pockets, so I cut the pattern pieces (front, side, back) off below the waist. I added 5/8" seam allowances to the resulting pieces, and during construction I sewed them together, leaving openings for the pockets.
I used a plain patch pocket that I copied from Claire Shaeffer's book Sew Any Patch Pocket. I attached that on the yellow side using edge stitching. It looks kind of like a welt pocket from the tan side. I eliminated the facings altogether. Since I planned to make this reversible I didn't need them, and I'm leaving the edges raw so they will ravel when it is washed. I cut the sleeves at the cuff and added a seam there for design consistency.

I overlapped the pattern pieces at the seamlines and did a double row of stitching on either side of the seam, about 1/4" away from the raw edges. Here you can see the stitching at the shoulder on the princess seam.

On the sleeves, I kept the stitching much closer together to avoid bulk and puckering.

I interfaced one side of the collar and overlapped the seams with the seamline of the jacket neck. I basted each collar piece to its respective side just inside the seamline, then I sewed along the seam. I edgstitched the hem and fronts of the jacket, and in that same stitching line I sewed the two faces of the collar together. I added a second row of stitching and trimmed the hem and front. The plan is to let the jacket edges ravel in the wash.

Oh yeah, I did my usual FBA starting with a size 12. But I got all involved and forgot to add the usual ease in the waistline to bring it out to a 14 (doh!). So it's a little snug, even though I left out the back darts.

Would you sew it again? Yes I would sew it again. In its "virgin" state, this jacket is very easy to put together. It is unlined, so I would guess it goes together quickly. It was perfect for my experiment because of its simple lines. Some hints when sewing with double faced fabrics: keep the pattern lines to a minimum, don't use sleeves that require a lot of easing into the armscye, don't drink too much coffee when sewing, and keep both a bobbin and a spool wound with matching threads for both sides, unless you use a contrast thread.

The jacket as I made it took about 6-7 hours of sewing time. The trickiest piece of work was sewing the sleeves. Because I overlapped the seams, I had to sew the length of the sleeve starting at the armhole. This takes time and patience (hence, no coffee), to keep from catching the fabric in the needle. But I think the results were worth it.

Conclusion I wanted to try something completely different, and this was it! I am happy with how this turned out. When you look at patterns, don't just be swayed by how the pictures or drawings on the pattern envelope depict it. Use your imagination and see what alternative options you can come up with. That's the beauty of sewing your own clothes. You don't have to look like anyone else out there!

HTH!
Ann

FBA on McCalls 5464

I'm working on McCalls 5464, the jumper pattern. I like it. It has a good cut for someone like me, and when I made the muslin, I was very pleased with the results. As always, I needed to do a FBA on it, but this is one of the easiest FBAs I've done in a while. If you look at the line drawings, you'll see that it is a princess line dress, but the princess lines are incorporated into a dart, rather than into separate seams. This actually simplifies the process of performing a FBA. Here's what I did to accomplish it:

First, I drew a line across the entire width of the pattern, through the bust point (I love that most patterns mark it clearly these days), and parallel to the Center Front/grainline.

Next, I slashed the pattern along this line, from the CF and up to, but not through, the cutting line. Next I slashed the dart above this line, along the dart's slash line printed on the pattern. In effect, I ended up with three (well, 2 9/10ths) pattern pieces. Then I proceeded to do a standard princess line FBA. I spread the center front of the bodice at the slash line by 1 inch, to accomodate a D cup. I placed tissue paper underneath it and taped it down. Then I separated the side front bodice piece so that it was 1 matched the front, as you can see here:
.

I then trued up the darts. Sorry, I should have done my truing in pencil, then sharpied it in, but I did it in a sharpie and realized I had not done the correct job. The actual new dart legs are the ones on either side of the dart slash that are closer to the CF. I think you get the idea though. The reason I say this is an easy princess FBA is because the CF and side front are one continuous piece, there is no guesswork about where the side front slash should go.

I should be finished with this tomorrow, and I'll post a review of the pattern when I finish. Until then,
Happy Sewing!
=

Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble

This post could also be titled "Oil and Water", and it refers to silk charmeuse and fusible tricot interfacing. I'm making the Cosmopolitan dress from an absolutely gorgeous Pucci-type silk charmeuse that I bought from Kashi at Metro Textiles. It is so wonderful, and I just love it - the colors, the flow of the fabric, you name it!

While cutting it out today I decided to use my fave rave fusible tricot interfacing. I use this kind of interfacing on just about everything. It really fuses beautifully. But there's always an exception, right? Check it out:

Gah! I checked all my settings. I had preshrunk the interfacing, and I used a silk organza press cloth and a spritz bottle to moisten it lightly before fusing. This is all standard procedure and works fine on just about every fabric, including many other silk charmeuse fabrics I have sewn with. But not this one! I used my standard silk setting on my gravity feed, and it bubbled like a pan of pudding over high heat. There's always an exception to every rule, right? And this one shows that not all charmeuses are amenable to this kind of treatment.

So in the spirit of "drop back and punt", I took a deep breath, dragged out the ol' silk organza (which, BTW, you can never have too much of in your stash) and cut new cuffs and facings using silk instead. I applied them using long hand basting stitches about 1/4 inch from the cut edges of the fabric. Here are the results:

Much better!

Now I just have to actually make the dress. Back to the sewing room!

Raising a Neckline

Alright, Poppets, I promised you a tutorial, and here you go! This is a fast and dirty one, hence the reason it's living here on this blog and not at The Sewing Divas. But it works, and here's the how.

If you ever run into a problem where the neckline of your bodice is too low, you can raise it without too much difficulty. Let's take for example the Cosmopolitan Dress that I just finished. The mock-wrap neckline is rather low for some tastes, and if you have any kind of scar on your chest, it will bare it for all to see.


Raising this neckline to a more modest height is not terribly difficult. First, let's have a look at the original pattern piece:

You can see that it scoops along the bustline, crossing at the Center Front. Let's take a look at it on the dress form:

I want to raise it about 2 inches, so you see less of the sternum. Once I determine how much I want to raise it, I go back to the cutting table and get out the tracing paper. I trace off the original pattern piece onto a large sheet of tracing paper. I then mark the Center Front, in this case with a green Sharpie. I have a gridded cutting mat, so I line up my CF on this and mark a spot two inches above the original cutting line:

Using my curved ruler, I draw a new neckline (in Orange) to the marking at the CF. I then taper from the center front to the original side cutting line. You may want to experiment with the curvature of the new neckline from the CF to the side seam, to see where you prefer the wrap to hit on your body.

Here's a picture of the new bodice piece, side-by-side with the original. The tracing paper I have curls up at the edges, so the side seams look different, but they are exactly the same length.

Once you have the bodice adjusted, you need to make the exact same adjustments to the facings. In the interest of time, I didn't do that here, but make a note that it will be necessary in faced neckline applications.

Sew the garment together now, just as you normally would. Because you have a change of slope in the CF of your bodice, you will need to clip the neckline or facings at the CF to get it to lie smoothly:


Once your bodice is done, try it on to see that it is high enough for your tastes. You can see here the finished muslin.

As you see, it's showing significantly less skin than the original, Depending on your fabric, you may also want to tack the CFs together at the neckline.

There, that wasn't too hard, was it?
Happy sewing!