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* LEARN TO SEW
* EXTRA PATTERN SUPPORT
* FABRIC TIPS
* FITTING HELP
* SEWING TOOLS
* DESIGN DETAILS + HACKS
* SEWING BUSINESS + LIFESTYLE
* SHOP
* SEWING PATTERNS
* BOOKS
* ONLINE WORKSHOPS
* MAKE FRIENDS WITH A SEWING MACHINE
* MAKE FRIENDS WITH AN OVERLOCKER
* LEARN TO SEW A BUTTON-FRONT DRESS OR BLOUSE
* LEARN TO SEW KNICKERS
* LEARN TO SEW SKIRTS
* SEW AN EASY DRESS
* SEW YOUR OWN KNOCKOUT DRESS
* LEARN TO SEW JERSEY TOPS
* SEW YOUR OWN SHIRT OR SHIRT DRESS
* LEARN TO SEW SWIMWEAR
* ABOUT
* JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST
* BEHIND THE SCENES
* YOUR MAKES
* TILLY'S MAKES
* WORK WITH US
* WHOLESALE
* FAQ
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* LET’S GET SOCIAL
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li>
30 JANUARY 2013
INTRODUCING... THE MATHILDE BLOUSE SEWING PATTERN!
Readers, I’m soooooo excited to share this with you! You can now make your own
version of my button-back blouse – aka the Mathilde Blouse!
After numerous requests – and months of resizing, tweaking, testing and writing
the most comprehensive instructions you've ever seen – I’ve finally finished
perfecting a multisized digital version of the pattern for you to print and sew
at home. The pattern costs is available RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!
The Mathilde Blouse is a cute and versatile garment with an understated
elegance. Loose fitting with vertical tucks, gently puffed sleeves and
button-back opening, it works well in lightweight drapey fabrics – from cottons
to rayons to silks (if you’re game!). Team with bright buttons to create a
surprise when you turn around! Dress me up with a pencil skirt or dress me down
with skinny jeans. Check out some Mathilde Blouses already made – both by me and
by my wonderful testers (thanks you guys!) – in the Maker Gallery.
The pattern comes with not one but TWO versions of the instructions:
1) Simplified paper instructions
If you’re an experienced stitcher and just want to crack on with it, you can
print out a simplified, text-only summary of the instructions. Complete with
handy tickboxes to celebrate your progress!
2) Detailed digital instructions
If you haven’t sewn many things before, or if you are a visual learner, or if
you would just like some guidance with a particular technique, the digital
version of the instructions will hold your hand at each stage with step-by-step
photo tutorials. Over the next few weeks, a new post will be added to the How to
Make a Mathilde Blouse web page almost daily, building up to form a sewing
workshop in everything you need to know to create your own version. We will
cover various topics and techniques along the way, from understanding
interfacing to fashioning beautiful tucks, from setting in a sleeve to stitching
French seams. You can sew along as the posts go live, or you can bookmark the
page and revisit any page you need whenever you need it. Check out everything
we’ll be covering.
Get your Mathilde Blouse sewing pattern here!
Thank you soooo much to everyone who has helped me with this - Mel, Claire,
Suzy, Sarah, Lauren, Sarah, Zoe, Marie, Mai, Helene, Jaimie... and last but not
least James and Sara R xxx
[Soundtrack: ‘Mathilde’ by Scott Walker]
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Labels: mathilde blouse
29 JANUARY 2013
SEWING CONSTRUCTION: THE BASICS
This post is part of Learn to Sew, aimed at beginners.
When I first started sewing, the biggest head-scratching moment for me was when
it came to putting my first garment together. I wore clothes every day (you’ll
be pleased to hear) – but I’d never considered how the pieces of fabric had been
put together to create the garments in the first place. I have a distinct memory
of day one of my sewing class, pinning together my first dress and very nearly
sewing the armholes up - simply because I hadn’t got my head around what I was
doing, nor why I was doing it.
So I want to make an attempt at answering some of the questions my brain was
screaming at me when I first set fabric to machine. Hopefully the answers may
help novice stitchers understand some of the basics of sewing construction.
You’ve prepared your fabric. You’ve cut your fabric to your pattern. You've
threaded your machine. Now we’re going to turn those flat pieces of fabric into
a 3D form that you can hang on your body. This is where magic happens!
Okay so I’ve cut my fabric… now what?
Now you need to put the pieces of fabric together. Your pattern instructions
will tell you which bits need to be sewn to each other.
The pattern is telling me to place them “right sides together”. What does this
mean, please?
When you join two or more pieces of fabric together, the line of stitching
usually goes on the inside so that it’s hidden when the garment is worn. So when
you’re pinning fabric together ready to stitch it, you need the sides of the
fabric that will form the inside of the garment to be facing outwards, and the
sides of the fabric that will be on show to be facing each other. The inside is
referred to in sewing terminology as the “wrong” side, the outside as the
“right” side.
So an expression you’ll come across a lot in sewing instructions is “right sides
together”. If it’s not written, it’s usually assumed. (An example of when you
would sew “wrong” sides together would be when you’re making French seams, but
don’t worry about that for now.)
Do I just put the pieces on top of each other?
If you’ve got two pieces of fabric that need to be sewn together along a certain
seam, say the side seam, place the edges of that seam together exactly.
Sometimes they’ll match up easily with your fabric pieces staying nice and flat
against each other. Other times it may look at first glance that the edges won’t
align - for example, if you’re attaching a convex curve to a concave curve - so
you’ll need to mould the fabric in such a way that the seams do match.
Most patterns include notches on the side seams, marked by either a tiny
triangle or a little perpendicular line. These serve as little markers to help
you align your pieces of fabric together. Snip these marks into your fabric when
you cut it out. A single snip is a better idea than cutting the whole triangle,
IMHO – firstly, it’s quicker, and secondly, it’ll make your fabric less likely
to tear or distort out of shape. Make sure they’re shorter than your seam
allowance so they won’t show on the outside of your garment. These little snips
will help you align your pieces accurately when it comes to assembling your
fabric pieces.
Now keep it all in place with some pins.
Which way do I stick the pins in?
If you’ve got nimble fingers, pinning perpendicular to the edge of the fabric
with the heads sticking towards outwards will allow you to whip out those bad
boys while you’re stitching. Okay, so this will only really save you a few
seconds per seam, possibly an hour or two over the course of your lifetime – so
not essential. But it looks really cool if you can do it!!
No one’s going to judge you on the angle you put your pins in though. Personally
I chop and change between parallel and perpendicular to the seam line –
sometimes diagonal if I’m feeling particularly wild - depending on what I’m
stitching.
What is essential is to remove the pins before they reach the sewing machine
needle. Sometimes you can get away with sewing over pins, but there’s always a
chance the needle could snap and fly in your face – not a good look!
Professional stitchers often avoid using pins altogether unless absolutely
necessary. But as far as I’m concerned, pins are my friends, and if you’re new
to sewing you should make friends with them too!
What’s a “seam allowance”?
You probably know what a seam is - the extra space on the other side of the
stitching line, which ends up on the inside of the garment. The seam allowance
is the amount of extra space allowed on a pattern - and thus on the pieces of
fabric that you cut - for the seam. Your sewing pattern should tell you what
seam allowance has been added. A standard seam allowance for sewing patterns is
5/8” or 15mm (often ½” in the fashion industry - saves fabric!). When you take
your fabric to the machine, keep the edge aligned with the 5/8” or 15mm mark to
stitch at the correct seam allowance.
Which bits am I actually sewing together?
To avoid repeating the Tilly mistake of nearly sewing up your dress’s armpits,
before you sew, stop and think for a second (or a few minutes!) about which part
of the garment the seam line corresponds to, and thus what it’s going to look
like on the outside once it’s sewn together. I know this can be tricky when
you’re not used to thinking about how clothing is made. What really helps is
taking an active interest in the clothing in your wardrobe – turn some garments
inside out and notice how the pieces have been attached to create the final
shape. It’ll make a lot more sense once you’ve sewn a few projects, I promise!
I hope this helps explain some of the things that can throw you as a novice
stitcher. If something still doesn’t make sense, do leave a comment and I’ll try
to explain. Equally, if you’re an experienced stitcher and have a brilliant
analogy for explaining construction concepts to a novice, do share!
Like this? Read more Learn to Sew.
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Labels: learn to sew
27 JANUARY 2013
THE MATHILDE BLOUSE IN CHAMBRAY
*Update: Due to popular demand, the sewing pattern for this blouse is now
available to buy*
You know the button-back blouse that I keep making? Well, I've finally given it
a name! It's now called the Mathilde Blouse. (Long story. Short version here.)
This is my latest iteration - this time in Chambray. I'm so glad the pattern
works in a casual cotton as well as elegant silk... or cheapo poly, in my case
(ssshh!).
Mmm... lovely wooden buttons to go with the Chambray. I love look of the linear
tucks juxtaposed with the gentle puff of the sleeves (does that sound really
pretentious?!). Plus I sewed French seams on all but the armholes, so the blouse
looks as pretty on the inside as it does on the outside.
I think I was about to topple over in this one...
Oh my goodness, I love this blouse so much! I just can't stop making it!
[Soundtrack: 'Matilda' by alt-J]
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Labels: button-back blouse, finished project, mathilde blouse
24 JANUARY 2013
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF ROCHELLE - LUCKY LUCILLE
For this month's A Day in the Life, we get to be a fly on the wall chez Rochelle
from Lucky Lucille, one of the sweetest, most colourful sewing bloggers there
is! Rochelle has launched her own line of delightful homemade accessories in
gorgeous prints that match her personality so perfectly. Want to find out what
it's like to sew for business on a daily basis? And what she wears while she's
doing it, of course. Read on...
******
"I was lucky enough to grow up in a home with a sewing machine so I suppose it
was inevitable that I carry on the crafty tradition in my family. The first job
I got after moving to Vermont was at a quaint fabric and yarn boutique. That
experience, paired with Vermont’s genuine enthusiasm for small business and
handmade, inspired me to start selling my accessories full time at local craft
fairs and online. This whole 'I’m the boss' thing is quite new to me, but so far
it’s been a real dream come true! I can’t wait to take Lucky Lucille to the next
level, and I have big plans for 2013! (I suppose I should specify that Lucille
is my rescued pup and the love of my life! The other love of my life is William,
who plays an important part in this whole story too. I’m so very lucky to have
his support through all of this!)
I set my alarm for 7:30 every morning so I can check my email first thing and
package up any orders I may have received over night, and have them ready to
ship off with Wil on his way in to the office. I work from a studio space out of
our home and we share a car, so Wil is kind enough to do Post Office errands for
me. If I don’t actually need to get out of bed at 7:30, Lucille and I snuggle
and lay around for an hour or so before starting our day. I usually wear comfy
clothes such as leggings or fleece pants and a sweatshirt when I’m working since
sitting down and sewing for hours on end isn’t the most comfortable thing to do!
Plus, wouldn’t you work in your PJ’s all day if you could get away with it?
A morning walk with Lucille is the first thing on my agenda. It’s the middle of
winter in good ole’ New England right now so our walks have been really quick!
(Lucille hates the cold.) After that, I make myself some tea or hot chocolate,
paired with toast or a muffin and a few eggs. Lucille gets her breakfast while
mine is cooking, and I usually make an extra egg for her as a treat. As I eat I
like to check my social media stuff and reply to blog comments and things like
that.
Mondays are my 'prep days' that I spend setting myself up for a smooth
productive work week. They’re not exactly scheduled, but here are the things I
generally try to complete on Mondays:
1. Thoroughly clean my house and do all the chores that might distract me later.
2. Write out a long list of goals, deadlines, and other general “to-do” things
that I want/need to accomplish for the rest of the week.
3. Schedule a few blog posts in advance so I don’t have to worry about blogging
during the week.
4. Answer emails and keep up with social media platforms.
5. Research! I have a lot of plans for 2013 as far as new products and things
like that, so I’ve been researching and collecting inspiration for styles,
fabrics, etc.
6. Work on some personal non shop related sewing – aka ME projects! This helps
me get excited and motivated for the rest of the week!
7. I hope it’s obvious that showering and other personal hygiene habits fall on
this list somewhere too ;)
I usually do all these things while half watching/mostly listening to a movie or
TV show on Netflix. Right now I’m mildly obsessed with 1940’s Film Noir and
BBC’s Top Gear! I try not to give myself numerical time frames to work from
because I have a terrible concept of time and it frustrates me when I feel like
I’m working against the clock. I do however like to keep a general structure to
my work day, and that all goes something like this:
Tuesdays and Wednesdays start very much like Mondays, except after I finish
breakfast I take a shower straight away and then get right to working. I like to
work assembly line style, meaning I’ll spend all of Tuesday cutting out pieces
so I can spend the rest of the week sewing them together. I set up the iPad on
my sewing table so I can listen to music or some TV while I work, and Lucille
settles down for her mid morning nap. This is usually around 10am. I’ll work
until lunch time and then make myself some soup or a quick microwave meal. While
I eat I check in with Will via Google chat to see how his day is going, and try
to beat my brother in Words With Friends (that doesn’t happen often). Then I
take Lucille out for a walk. When there isn’t 3 feet of snow on the ground, we
like to walk for a mile or so on the trails near our house. As I mentioned, it’s
very snowy and cold right now so usually these walks are more of a run to the
side yard and back. But when the weather is warmer, I really love a nice long
walk with Lucille in the woods. It’s the perfect way to break up the day.
After lunch and a walk, I get back to working and Lucille gets back to napping.
I’ll sew, cut, sketch, plan, trace patterns, or whatever I was working on until
around 4pm when I take a break until Wil gets home at 5:30. During this time I
like to read, knit, or browse around online to clear my head and recharge.
Lucille usually starts getting antsy around this time too and decides I need to
pay attention to her instead of business. When Will gets home, he’s around to
keep her occupied as I finish up a few things before dinner. Will usually cooks
unless I have a slow cooker meal ready from that morning (my chicken and
biscuits are always a hit!).
After dinner I package up any orders from earlier in the day and put them near
Will’s desk for the morning. At this point I’m only selling items that I have
pre-made so everything that sells will usually ship the next day. After I write
myself a note of where to start for the next morning, the rest of the night is
mine. I’ll read, knit, catch up on blogs, or watch an episode of something to
relax before bed. Some evenings I’ll go snowboarding for an hour or two after
dinner since we live really close to a ski resort! Another perk of living in
Vermont ;) Sometimes I like to work later into the night if I’ve gotten a late
start that morning, or had errands to run during the day, but usually I’m in bed
between 10:00 and 12:30.
On Thursdays and Fridays Will takes Lucille into the office with him so she can
have a social day and I can get super focused! It’s hard sometimes to stick to a
schedule with her in the house. She’s a very good girl, but she has her needy
days just like the rest of us haha ☺ I save the weekends for any product or blog
photos that I can’t get without Will’s help, and also for stocking up on
supplies. I like to support the local small fabric shops often.
Well, that’s pretty much what my days look like! I’m working on going back to
school online for business, so we’ll see how that factors in to the schedule
when I start.
I feel very blessed to be able to call this my job, and I’m eager to grow it
into a career. Slow and steady wins the race, they say! I have a lot of goals
for 2013, including turning a few of my accessories into PDF patterns, selling
wholesale to local shops, and designing more fabrics for Spoonflower! I also
feel extremely blessed to know so many creative and encouraging women online who
have supported me and helped my success. I’m one lucky girl!
Well, thank you so much for reading, and thank you Tilly for having me! It’s
been an honor and a pleasure ☺"
******
Aw it was lovely to have you, Rochelle! Our lifestyles are pretty similar really
- I read Bloglovin after dinner, you go snowboarding after dinner... Wait,
what?! How awesome is that?!!
Want more Days in the Life? Catch up with previous posts from the likes of
Gertie, Tasia Sewaholic, Sublime Stitching, Colette Patterns and many more
lovely ladies!
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Labels: day in the life, interviews
20 JANUARY 2013
MARKING AND CUTTING FABRIC
The other day a good friend who is learning to sew asked me how to go about
transferring sewing pattern markings onto fabric. There are loads of different
ways of doing it, and everyone has their favourite method. Let's talk through
some of the options...
MARKING TOOLS
Test out a few different marking tools to see which ones you prefer. Test them
out on your fabric too - different fabrics will respond differently to different
markers, so try them out on a small scrap of whichever fabric you're using to
check that 1) it shows up enough for you to see it, but 2) it won’t stain the
fabric permanently!
Washable pens → These pens are cheap and widely available in multi-coloured
packs (check the children’s department in stationery shops). They show up well
on lots of fabrics and will come out in the first wash (though do check first!).
Tracing wheel → Place dressmaker's carbon faced down on your fabric, lay the
pattern on top, then use a tracing wheel to trace the lines onto the fabric.
Nifty!
Hera marker → This little gadget, used a lot in quilting, scratches a little
groove into fabric fibres, which will come out in the wash.
Chalk pencil → Usually available in white, blue and pink, chalk pencils are easy
to use, and they rub off fairly easily - which is both a pro and a con,
depending on which way you look at it.
Tailor’s chalk → These chalk triangles have slim edges and are useful for making
quick, smooth lines onto fabric and pretending you work on Saville Row.
Other options for marking include tailor’s tacks and disappearing ink.
CUTTING TOOLS
I’m a big advocate of making do, but if you want to get yourself a proper
cutting arsenal, this is what you’ll need:
Dressmaking scissors → Invest in a nice, sharp pair of dressmaking scissors
which will glide through fabric easily. Keep them away from paper to keep them
sharper for longer.
Rotary cutter → Optional and a matter of personal preference. A rotary cutter is
useful for speedy cutting and for fabric that slips and slides around easily.
Watch out for that blade though – ouch! Keep fingers and toes away and keep it
closed when not in use.
Embroidery scissors or thread snippers → Keep these handy for snipping your
threads.
Paper scissors → To keep your dressmaking scissors sharp, have some dedicated
paper scissors for cutting out your patterns.
Pinking shears → Not shown here as I don’t have any, but some people like using
pinking shears to cut a zigzag edge on seams for a speedy finish.
Cutting mat → A seriously good idea if you don’t want to scratch your kitchen
table!
CUTTING METHODS
Righto, so now let's talk about how to use these tools to cut out your fabric.
The key to accurate cutting is to keep your fabric as flat as possible against
the table. Take your time when cutting and use the hand you’re not cutting with
to gently hold your fabric in place.
Option 1) Pins + Dressmaking Scissors
Cut the pattern pieces out with paper scissors – either exactly on (or just
within) the lines, or leaving some extra paper around the lines. Pin the pattern
pieces to the fabric – use enough pins to hold the pattern in place, but not so
many that the pins distort the pattern or fabric.
Now cut the fabric with dressmaking scissors. If you’ve cut the pattern pieces
out roughly, cut directly on the lines through both pattern and fabric. This can
dull your fabric scissors though; but on the other hand, it can be more accurate
than cutting around a pre-cut pattern.
Option 2) Pattern Weights + Chalk/Pen + Dressmaking Scissors/Rotary Cutter
Cut the pattern pieces out with paper scissors precisely on (or just within) the
lines. Instead of pinning the pattern pieces in place, this time use weights to
hold them in place. The idea is that weights keep the pattern and fabric flatter
than the pinning method. You don't have to buy specialist pattern weights - you
can use whatever you have around the house, such as food tins.
Draw around the pieces with a sharp chalk pencil or washable pen. Remove the
pattern and use dressmaking scissors or a rotary cutter to cut the fabric just
within the pattern lines you've just drawn.
Option 3) Pattern Weights + Dressmaker's Carbon + Tracing Wheel + Dressmaking
Scissors
This is my favourite way of marking and cutting fabric, particularly when I
don't want to cut into my pattern. Hold the pattern pieces down on the fabric
with weights. Slip a piece of dressmaker's carbon between the pattern and
fabric, face down against the fabric. Trace over the pattern lines using a
blunt tracing wheel moving the dressmaker's carbon as you need to.
Remove the pattern. Cut out the fabric directly on the traced lines using
dressmaking scissors.
As well as marking the cutting lines of the pattern, don't forget to mark in the
other bits and bobs such as darts, buttonholes and gather points.
What's your favourite method of marking and cutting fabric?
If you'd like some more help getting started with sewing patterns - from cutting
through basic clothing construction - try our online video workshop, Learn to
Sew Skirts.
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Labels: how to, learn to sew, tutorials
16 JANUARY 2013
CHUNKY CORDUROY MOSS (NOT TOO MINI) SKIRT
Finiiiiished!! The Moss Mini Skirt - or Not Too Mini Skirt in my case - by
Grainline Studio. This was my first time working with a pattern by Grainline and
I must say I really enjoyed both using this pattern and the novelty of diverting
my sewing away from my usual choice of self-drafted, Colette or commercial
patterns. The Grainline pattern line seems to fill a niche for simple (in a good
way), modern and wearable patterns aimed at younger stitchers. Having said that,
I did lengthen my skirt significantly (3" in the end, in the middle rather than
adding the hem band), so I'm clearly too grandma for the target demographic!
The skirt has some lovely style lines, such as the triangular back yoke pointing
towards a centre seam. The silhouette is still fairly straight though, which
makes it relatively simple to fit. The only change I made to the shape was to
cut a triangle out of the top of the centre back seam, as I have a sway back /
protruding derrière [delete according to preference]. If - or more likely when -
I make this pattern again, I'd probably fit it to my waistline as opposed to
this iteration's hipster fit, and would add belt loops before sewing the
waistband (mmm... belt loops).
The fabric is a mega chunky tomato red corduroy which I bought on my Goldhawk
Road splurge* that Jane forced me to go on. (Okay, so it may have been my idea,
but all the same, Jane is a bad influence.) As the fabric was so thick, I
decided to make the pockets, pocket facings and waistband facing in a medium
weight Summersville cotton leftover from my Life's Too Short skirt. Even then,
the thickness of some of the layers - particularly around the zipper - played
havoc with my poor little humble sewing machine. Needles were snapped. Bobbins
were scratched. (I know!!) Expletives were uttered. And a random little nubbin
was left at on the fly opening. But we got through it, and I LOVE the result.
I have a funny story about sewing a fly zipper which I will regale you with one
of these days. But until then, let's admire my lovely skirt. Definitely cake.
*Speaking of fabric splurges, I will be exercising extreeeeme will power at
Stevie's Walthamstow meet-up on 2nd February. I'm gathering up some lovely
patterns and fabric to bring to the Swap. Hope to see some of you there!
[Soundtrack: 'Grandma's Hands' by Bill Withers]
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Labels: finished project, grainline, skirt
14 JANUARY 2013
BEFORE YOU CUT YOUR FABRIC...
You've got your pattern and your fabric to make your first sewing project. How
do you go about cutting it out? Well, before we get to wield the scissors, there
are a few little things to do first...
Pre-wash your fabric
I know you’re desperate to get cracking and this is a really boring step, but
it’s a reeeeeally good idea to pre-wash your fabric before you cut it out (or
steam/dry clean, depending on your fabric choice). It may well shrink a little,
or change other properties such as the drape, resulting in a garment that’s too
tight for you if you don't wash it first. Just get into the habit of whacking it
in the wash as soon as you get home from fabric shopping and you’ll save a lot
of frustration later.
Press your fabric
Once it's washed and dry, get your iron out and press out any creases in your
fabric. You'll want to get it nice and smooth to help ensure the shapes and
sizes you cut are accurate. Test out the iron on a small patch first to check
that the temperature and steam/non-steam setting you use is suitable for your
fabric and won’t leave a mark.
Prepare your pattern
Patterns usually come on a massive sheet of paper and need dividing up into
different pieces. Cut around each piece using paper scissors. In the next post
I'll outline different methods of cutting the fabric - depending on which option
you choose, you may want to cut the pattern roughly or accurately. For now, a
good option is to cut around each piece leaving a bit of extra space outside the
lines.
Give your pattern a press if it’s folded or crumpled, again to help with
accurate cutting. Most pattern paper will be fine with a low, dry iron –
although do test a small patch first as the ink on some patterns can smudge.
Lay out your fabric
Find as long a table as you can get, clear everything off it and give it a wipe
down. If you don’t have a table at all, you can get a large fold-out cutting mat
for the floor.
Fold your fabric in half lengthways, right sides together, matching up the two
selvedges. Okay, so there's a lot of information in that sentence, so let's
break it down:
- Folding the fabric in half makes it easier to cut two of the same piece at
once - for example, sleeves or half a bodice when there's an opening in the
middle. Folding also allows you to cut single symmetrical pieces - notice that
some pattern pieces correspond to half of a fabric piece only, and will say
"place on fold" if they're to be cut like this.
- The “right” side is the front of the fabric if it has a print or slightly
different weave on one side - it's the side you want to show on the outside of
your finished garment. Take a close look – it’s not always obvious if they're
different at first glance! The opposite of the right side in this context is the
"wrong" side, rather than left side. You'll hear the expression "right sides
together" a lot in sewing instructions.
- The "selvedges" (or selvages in US English) are the woven edges of the fabric
running lengthways.
Smooth the fabric out to make both sides as flat as possible. If your fabric is
longer than your table, lay out as much as you can and keep one end rolled up
neatly. That way you can cut a few pieces at a time and unroll more when you
free up some space. Just check that all the pattern pieces fit on the fabric
before you start cutting.
Lay out your pattern
Place your pattern pieces on top of your fabric. This part is a bit like a
puzzle. If you’re feeling thrifty, the aim of the game is to fit all the pattern
pieces on as short a piece of fabric as you can manage. Your pattern
instructions will include a suggested layout, or you can play around to see what
works best for the width of fabric you have and the size you're mkaing. You can
also rearrange the fabric fold if it saves fabric – for example, folding one
third over two thirds – as long as the selvedges remain exactly parallel to each
other.
Each pattern piece will give you some instructions as to how to position them:
- “Place on fold” or “Cut 1 on fold” → Line up the fold edge indicated on the
pattern with the fold of the fabric. You'll end up cutting one symmetrical piece
of fabric from a pattern piece which corresponds to half.
- “Cut 1” or “Cut 2” → Cut out one piece on a single layer of fabric or matching
pairs on a double layer of fabric.
- “Cut 2 + 2” → On Tilly and the Buttons patterns we say "Cut 2 + 2
interfacing", but if you're using another brand of pattern the second number
refers to the interfacing. So in this example, you’d cut two pieces in fabric
and two matching pieces in interfacing.
- Most pieces are laid out face up, unless they’re shaded on the pattern layout
diagram, in which case they go face down.
- A long double-pointed arrow across a pattern piece indicates the grainline.
The grainline arrow shows you how to position your pieces in relation to the
direction of threads which make up the fabric. Line up the arrow parallel to the
selvedge or fold, ie. running lengthwise down the fabric. An easy way to do this
is to start by sticking a pin in one end of the grainline arrow. Measure the
distance from the arrow to the selvedge. Now pivot the piece so that the other
end of the arrow is the same distance away from the selvedge. Once you’re happy
with the positioning, pin the other end of the arrow to hold it in place.
So that's what to do just before you cut your fabric!
If you'd like some more help getting started with sewing patterns - from cutting
through basic clothing construction - try our online video workshop, Learn to
Sew Skirts.
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Labels: how to, learn to sew
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