No More Grommets! No more 'Pinch Pleats'. Hello 'Ripplefold'

 A new home means I need to sew more window treatments.  I thought I would be able to use some of my window treatments from my old home.  No such luck.😞  Nothing fit.  I still have them packed away.

Fabric Options:  1.  Local big box fabric/craft stores: very limited selection.   2. Bed sheets: Inexpensive, great seamless yardage, easy to sew and clean.  3. Interior Design Shops:  custom order, super expensive. Expect to pay $75. a yard and more.  4. Home Dec Warehouses offer the best selection and best prices if you can find them.  5. On-Line Shops -  I'm not a fan of purchasing fabrics on line if they aren't willing to send samples. 

Home Dec. on Long Island: I found some gorgeous embroidered linen fabric at the Mill End Shoppe in East Islip that just screamed "buy me, buy me".   So I bought the whole bolt even though I didn't have a clue in the world what I was making.  I only knew the fabric would be gone if I procrastinated. There's also the Fabric Mill in Plainview which has a HUGE selection. 

Ideas:  I spent days, weeks and months scanning through Pinterest to get some ideas for my windows.  I wasn't about to cut into this fabric until I knew exactly what I wanted to create.  The hardest part is the research and planning. 

Planning:  The main window in my bedroom is a triple window measuring  113 inches wide.   Then there are two narrow windows on either side of the bed.  (5 windows)  The fabric is a very large embroidered design. If the window treatment is too shallow the entire embroidered design will be totally lost.   I  was pretty much convinced that I needed to do full length drapes to appreciate the overall design of the embroidery.  I'm not a huge fan of pinch pleats because the pleats are NOT easy to sew if you are using a home sewing machine.  Way too bulky getting the pleat under the presser foot.  The header tape that mimics a pinch pleat with a three finger hook is not an appealing substitute to me.  'Ripple-Fold' snap tape is super easy to sew and the fullness is just as nice as a pinch pleat. 

In the photo below you can see the ripple fold effect from using the snap tape.  The traverse drapery rod is visible.  I'm planning on creating a valance or a cornice to cover up the hardware. 

The Valance is 15 running feet including the contrast inset pleats.  The lining can be one continuous piece with no seams if you want to cut the valance out parallel to the selvage.  That's five yards of lining fabric.  The problem I have with that option has to do with 'grain'.   The grainlines would be opposing and therefore the manner in which the valance hangs will have draping issues. 

I want to keep all my grainlines going in the same direction so they all hang or drape in the same manner.  Notice I did NOT cut out any shape on the lining.   I merely placed the shaped valance on top of the lining.  Then I used a lot of weights to keep it flat and smooth while I pinned the curved edge in place.  I want to avoid the layers from shifting creating any ripples. 

I used an electric staple gun to attach the valance to the wood.  I did not cover the wood with fabric.  I honestly do not understand why so many people do that.  Painted wood is easier to dust off.  I thought about using Velcro but the weight of the valance is fairly substantial.

Sorry for the poor light quality.  Can't get good lighting shooting toward a window. 

I added a 1/4 inch covered piping cord across the upper edge.  Stapled onto the board.

I was so pleased with the outcome.  Now I'm all inspired to keep going! 

Summer Tank Dress - 'Burrito Style' Kicked Up a Notch

 So, what exactly is a 'burrito-style' method ?   That's where you roll up a portion of your garment like a hot dog and pull it through a narrow area.  The technique is designed to eliminate all raw seam edges with the clean finish of a facing. This tank dress requires a full bodice facing to accomplish the task.   Tank style tops or dresses will actually pass through the shoulder straps providing the strap width isn't too terribly narrow.  This same technique is often seen on men's shirts.  The double yoke encloses the neckline and horizontal back shoulder seam.  I have also seen this done on the wide hem of a pillow case.  That being said, the fabric can't be too thick and bulky or it simply will not pass through a tube that is too narrow.  

 In the photo below the dress is being pulled through the shoulder seam which is only 2" wide.  A shoulder strap width of 2 1/2" is definitely easier to work with.  The turning process will be much easier.  Adding strips of silk organza to the seams as they are being stitched will add significant strength.  My goal is to keep the seams from popping.

Working with Knits:  (Typical complaints with easy solutions)

1. Knit fabrics curl and Ripple.  Go 'old-school'.  Baste the edges down.  Side seams and hemlines are easily controlled by basting.  Basting is rather fast and very accurate. The layers wont shift causing ripples at the hem lines.

2.  Stitches pop.   On areas like armholes and necklines there are several techniques that I like to use to prevent  seams from popping and stretching out of shape. Stitch over a narrow strip of silk organza or rayon seam binding. These will stop 'gap-osis'.  On tailored garments you would attach a strip of twill tape.  You can always stitch the seam line twice if you do not have a narrow strip of trim. 

See how the edges curl and need to be 'tamed'.

Construction Steps:  

1. Fuse knit interfacing to the armhole and neckline facing pieces to give a little extra body to the fabric and to minimize stretching of the fabric.  Armholes in knits are prone to stretching out of shape from stress and body warmth.  Bosal 'Silky' fusible interfacing is super light weight with strength.

2.Stitch the shoulder seams.  DO NOT STITCH ANY ARMHOLES OR SIDE SEAMS !!!

3. Stitch Neckline.  I use 3/8" seams on knits.  Grade and clip seams. 

4. Armholes:   First turn the neck hole portion of the dress inside out.   The wrong sides of the facing and the garment will be together.  Place the garment on the table with the Right side of the garment facing you.  The facing needs to be turned and should be below the garment closest to the table.   Roll one side of the garment over the neck hole toward the opposite armhole. 

The 'rolled up' portion of the garment is  actually inside the strap.  You can see the bulk in the strap.  Take note... the body of the garment is brought to the armhole area almost to the facing edge.   I allow 1/8 " away from the armhole for the 'favoring process'.  This keeps the facing portion from being exposed to the outside by removing a hint of the seam allowance. 

 

For the Khaki giraffe jersey knit I sewed over 1/4 inch strips of silk organza around the armscye to prevent stitches from popping. 

Grading and Clipping:  Trim the facing seam allowance in half.  Clip the curved edges approximately 1/2 inch apart.  Clip each layer SEPARATELY so the opening actually straddle over one another.  This helps to eliminate pie wedge openings. 

Top Stitching:  On a knit garment this line of stitching is perhaps more functional than decorative.  Locking the public side of the garment to the facing plus stitching through all the layers of the seam allowance on the neckline and armholes will definitely help any gap-osis,  I basted with a double thread on the lower armhole area to prevent drag lines which are prevalent when you stitch in a different grain direction.  You are stitching downwards on one side of the armhole and then upwards on the opposite side of the armhole.  You're bound to see a few ripples if you choose not to lock the fabric with basting.

Hemlines:

Weighting a Hemline:  If the fabric wants to curl and flip it needs to be weighted.  This can be done by stabilizing with a bias strip of lightweight bias fusible interfacing and/or making the hem deeper.  I prefer to make knits about 1 1/4 inches deep to avoid curling.  (This rose and grey knit has a 1/2 inch hem that has curled.)

Bodice Facing:  This dress has a full bodice facing a few inches below the bust line.  Either use a cover stitch to secure it to the dress or a 'stretch utility stitch'.   Every now and then I find the cover stitch gets snagged and comes apart.  On this turquoise print (from Emma One Sock Fabrics) I used a 'multi-stretch' zig-zag.  It is fairly well hidden in the print and will be very durable. 

Bumble Bee Print:  This fabrication is a double border rail road print out.  Cutting out a garment with a border means the garment will be cut on the 'cross grain'.  Whether it is a woven or a knit the drape and fit will be altered. Go ahead and construct a garment to see for yourself.  My best sewing buddy says it is the 'acid test'.   It is best to select a garment that is loosely fitted to avoid fitting discomfort if you must cut cross grain.  Cutting a garment on the cross grain is usually a nightmare.  This tank style summer dress is a good choice for this circumstance.  I added strips of silk organza in the armholes and neckline for added insurance.  

Bodice Facing: I used a three-step multi-stretch zig-zag stitch across the bodice instead of a cover stitch simply because the individual stitches are larger and more prone to snagging.  I used tape as a guide line for a straight stitch .

I

I made five or six dresses this week.  Each one sewed up a little faster. 

Hope a few of these tips will take the fear out of sewing knits.

If you have questions you can always post a question.  Happy Sewing! 

Retiring an Old T-Shirt into a NEW Pattern

It's time to move on and get rid of some old clothes!  I have no idea how old this purple and white t-shirt could be.  I bet family and friends are glad I took it out of public circulation.  Technically I didn't throw it in the garbage;  I took it apart to create a pattern.  This took an hour or so to remove the stitches.  Just couldn't get the needle thread to release.  

This purple and white lightweight cotton/lyrca knit is very stretchy.  If your new fabric doesn't have the SAME amount of stretch as the original fabric your new garment will NOT fit as expected.   I folded the old t-shirt fabric to test the percentage of stretch.  It stretched from 4 inches to over 6 1/2 inches.  That's a big factor to consider when you select new fabric to duplicate a pre-existing garment.  Use that stretch guide on the reverse side of the pattern envelope. Lighter weight fabrics typically have more stretch. (The built-in lycra provides recovery.)  To be safe you may wish to add an extra 1/4 inch to those side seams!   This chart was printed on the tissue pattern from a vintage 1974 Simplicity pattern. 

Stabilizer Tip:  I spray the actual fabric pieces with Terial Magic fabric stabilizer.  Let it air dry for a while (hour or two) and then press with an iron until dry.   This will 'lock' the stretch (grain) so you will be able to draw your new pattern without stretch and/or distortion.  The Terial Magic will also keep the edges from curling!

The New Pattern:  I use 'Pellon 830 Easy Pattern' for my new pattern.   When I trace around the original fabric pattern I add a little more to their seam allowance .  The seam allowances on the original garment are ONLY a scant 1/4 inch because they have already been trimmed with their commercial serger.  You need to add 1/4-3/8"  onto your seam allowance because your serger will stitch a new seam at 3/8" plus it may trim 1/8 inch as well.  (Plus an 1/8 extra gives me peace of mind for possible shrinkage. The distance from the left needle to the cutting edge.)   Special NOTE:  The shoulder seam near the neckline has a small 'dog-ear' angle rather than totally straight.  When the edge of the neckline is folded over about 1/2" this extra bit of an angle will allow the 'turn of the neckline' to be flatter,  Otherwise you may get a few puckers trying to fold the neckline edge.  (See neckline photo of finished garment near end of post.)

Hand Basting:  You can use pins if you choose.  I try to avoid using pins because that means I have to stop and start frequently to remove the pins.  I have no patience for that.  (It's like driving in heavy 'stop and go' traffic.)  Frequent stopping may cause an inconsistent stitching line.  I basted in orange for better visibility.  If you baste in a matching color then you do not have to remove the basting if you choose not to.  Sometimes I give myself permission to get lazy.

More reasons to baste seams:  l.) keeps the edges from curling!  and 2.) to eliminate any possible chance of a forward pucker in the seam line!    If you get a pucker then you have to remove the seam and start all over.  It would drive me nuts.  Light weight knits have a tendency to squish, pucker and curl.  

Going over Seam Allowances:  Bumpy side seams with inconsistent stitches are unsightly in my opinion.  People who sew notice these things.  So, here's a technique that works reasonably well on all our domestic machines. Climbing over the bulk with a height compensation tool ( a.k.a. -hump jumper) definitely helps on your regular sewing machine.  It's a little harder to use your hands to support the feed of your fabric with a serger.  (You don't want to smash your fingers under that machine.)  Since I am working with a lightweight knit I will make the hem slightly deeper for better drape. The depth of my hemline will be 1 1/8"- 1 1/4".  Lightweight knits tend to curl if the hemline is too shallow.  Look at the first picture below.  I'm going to clip and twist the seam allowance.   I placed a straight pin at the seam line to prevent my scissor from clipping into the seam.  In the second picture you can see how I flip and twist the seam allowance to the opposite side.  When I fold up the hemline the bulk will be distributed evenly. Sewing across intersections with the seam allowance turned in the same direction causes an unbalanced seam.  This cuts the bulk in half.  Definitely better.

As you can see, there's less bulk at the intersection.  The stitches are more consistent than going across both seams folded in the same direction.  Most machines will 'jam' up trying to stitch over the intersections.   (And this was sewn on my Bernina L890 serger!)

Here's a better visual of what happens when the upper neckline fabric is folded to inside of garment.  On this demo sample (woven) I made a  bunch of 'clips' in order to turn the neckline.  The fabric needs to be stretchy enough to compensate for the areas it must fill.  This is a good neckline for the lightweight rayon-viscose knits. 

What do you think about adding a flat, stretchy elastic as a facing ?  Hmmm.  Some of the scalloped lingerie elastics may conform nicely to a curved edge without adding too much bulk.  Something to explore on my next T-shirt. 

The Easiest Knit Neckline Ever!

The minute I saw this super plain neckline on a 'ready-to-wear' T-shirt I knew I needed to make a pattern from this garment.  It screamed "simple" and looked really attractive too !  The 'neckline' is the first thing you see when you look at a garment  and the most challenging component of the construction process on a knit top.   Constructing a neckline with the correct amount of stretch and recovery means finding the perfect fabric or elastic.  There are tons and tons of notions available these days if you want to take on that challenge.  I just want a knit top to be super easy. 

I don't normally sew too many knit garments. Not really my thing.  Knit garments are everywhere and the prices are ridiculously reasonable.  I would rather spend my time sewing gorgeous woven fabrics like linen, silk, wool and pimas cottons. It's very difficult these days to find beautifully constructed natural fiber garments.  (That's another long topic.)   That's why I sew!   I made four (4) of these tops this week with my knit remnants!!! Super fast.  Super easy.  

Step 1:  Copy the garment.   Place a large piece of paper onto a surface that will accept pins.  (You can use the wrong side of a table mat if you still own one that isn't being used.)  Place tons of straight pins into the seam line of the garment.  Disregard the seam allowances.   (inside out)

Step 2:  After the garment is completely pinned down you can pull out all the pins.  Now get out a pencil and connect the dots.  All those tiny little holes.    Since this garment is a T-shirt I only needed to pin one-half of the garment.  Place the pattern on the fold for a whole pattern piece.

Step 3:  Add the amount of seam allowance you wish to sew with.  For knits I like using 3/8 inch. Add the hemline depth too.   I like to add 1 1/2 inches in case my washer and dryer decide to shrink my fabric.  What are the chances of growing taller ? 😁

Step 4:  Repeat the same process for the T-shirt back to create your pattern.

Step 5:  Repeat process for the sleeve.  Knit garments frequently have sleeves where the front and back shape is almost identical.  This is not the case for woven fabrics.

Step 6:   Last pattern piece.  Pin and trace the wedge-shaped shoulder gusset-like insets.  

(If you want to completely de-construct your old T-shirt then you have a pattern !)

This is a sample of the fusible knit interfacing.  Notice the open weave.  This allows for stretch.

Step 1:  Fuse a 1inch strip of fusible knit interfacing to the horizontal neckline edge.  The upper edge of the neckline is folded over One Inch and Stitched on your standard sewing machine.   I prefer a 3.0 stitch length.  The fusible interfacing will give the neckline a little bit of support and also keeps the cross-wise top stitching from popping! This particular interfacing has stretch in both directions after the fusing process.  All-Bias and woven fusible interfacings do NOT have stretch after they are fused.  The rayon viscose fabric is rather limp so this will provide a little bit of body.  Mid-weight cotton knits may not need any support at all.

Step 2:  Repeat the one inch fusible interfacing on the hem line.

Step 3:  Add the folded gusset wedges to the upper edge by the armholes on the neck front.  The remainder of this garment is sewn using a serger.  It can be sewn with a standard sewing machine as well.  Machines today offer several stitches specifically designed for knits. 

  Serge over the gusset pieces and the raw edge of the neckline if you want the edges to be finished.  Fold over the neck edge one inch.  Press.  Top stitch across the upper edge from one armhole to the opposite armhole.   This is the entire front of the neckline. 

Step 4:  Repeat the same process with the back of the neckline.  

Step 5:  Adding the sleeves. 

Step 6:  Side seam, under arm and sleeve.  Stitch from the hemline up towards the underarm.  Underarm seams should match.  Continue stitching toward the sleeve and toward the sleeve band.

Step 7:  Cover Stitch:  I am 'over the moon' with my Bernina L890 Serger !  The self-threading feature and the built-in video tutorials are beyond my expectations!  This serger sews flawlessly over the intersection of the underarm seam allowances.

 

This is a cotton knit with lycra from 'Emma One Sock.'    Notice how the stitches actually 'sink and lock' rather than just float ?  This was sewn with the Bernina L890 serger cover-stitch !  

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Happy Sewing!