Summer Time Sewing

Summer time sewing and crafting always generates great memories for me.  I spent many hot summer vacations sewing with my friends during junior and senior high.  Since central air didn't exist in those days we managed to keep fairly cool by engaging in some sort of hands-on project down in my dry basement. My friends would come over and we would chill out sewing or crafting with buttons, beads etc.  I specifically remember an elastic bracelet covered with tons of antique buttons sewn to one inch wide elastic. Some buttons were sterling, mother of pearl etc.  My Mother always had spare beads from a broken strand of a necklace.  The concept kind of reminds me of the Pandora bracelets so popular now.  And of course, besides crafting,  I always managed to create a few new garments for the new school year.

This summer I have a brand new sewing challenge;  I just bought the Viking Epic sewing computer.   This electronic wonder has embroidery storage in the 'cloud'.  And this machine can read ANY file format for all those embroidery graphics!!!   Your fingers simply swipe and move things on that tablet like screen.  I'm on Cloud 9.   I'll be showing off some of that in a future blog.

 Here it is late June and the schools are officially winding down.  Around here the kids walk home if they are within one mile.  As I was driving home I observed a pack of students with their heads down and their thumbs punching away on their cell phones.  (who cares about watching the traffic)   I wonder what activities they have planned ?   I just bet my Viking Epic will be more engaging and productive than exercising my thumbs on a key board.

Last summer I approached my local school district hoping to offer a summer sewing camp for residents in the community.  Sadly, due to insurance reasons they turned me down!   Even the local libraries come up with excuses why they can't participate.  Any ideas where to teach summer sewing camps ?  I would love the opportunity to share some positive hands-on time!

Now, down to the sewing. I like my summer time creations to be fairly simple; no buttons, zippers or full linings.   Wrap dresses are fast and forgiving.  I like being able to adjust the tie belt accordingly as the weather gets more humid.  Given the fact summer clothes are in the wash more frequently I like to incorporate seam finishes that will survive the washing machine.  On this wrap dress I used cotton batiste in my bias binder and Hong Kong seam finishes on the neckline facings.

This is a 1953 McCalls wrap dress.  There are tons of web sites where you can get vintage patterns.
Simplicity recently released  a vintage inspired wrap #8085 just like this vintage Mc Calls. Unlike my Burda pattern with the princess dart this dress has two darts.  To hide the structural components I lined the bodice area with a light weight cotton batiste.  The fabric is Hawaiian Bark cloth which is breathable and fairly wrinkle resistant. 

This is a typical Bias Binder attachment which fits many Singer machines.  If I add my Bernina shank adapter I can use it on many of my Berninas.








The BOUND seam finishes are incredibly durable for unlined garments and hold up really well when machine washed.

This is the bodice inside shot.  I lined the bodice with cotton batiste to cover the construction features of the darts.  The bodice lining also provides a hint more of structural privacy.  The facings are finished with a Hong Kong seam finish here as opposed to the BOUND seam finishes in the skirt.  The neckline is also 'piped' with a solid black cotton piping.  The piping keeps the facing from rolling to the public side, prevents the neckline from stretching and is decorative. 

I have always enjoyed tropical prints and this Bark cloth is very comfortable on those hot summer days.













The back view shown below.

Sewing Before the Days of Technology

I simply can't go anywhere for any length of time without my sewing!  Sewing is such a productive and practical past time.  It's such a good feeling to create something useful.  ( I can't relate to exercising my thumbs on a mini key board all day long!  How is that a satisfying or productive experience?)

If you are a baby-boomer then you know first hand what it is like to sew with super basic equipment . We grew up before they had home sergers or computerized embroidery machines.  When rotary blades, cutting mats and clear view rulers entered the sewing market I was thrilled!  About the same time a lot of fusible products entered the sewing arena. Can't really say I like the firm, inflexible and crusty feel of  fusible zippers, liquid stitch or Fray Check.  Honestly, basting still produces significantly nicer results!  I still remember sewing over 2,000 beads by hand on my wedding gown.  Bottom line, some of the tried and true basics still produce great results.

This past week I spent some quality time with my 90 year old Mom.  I sewed two wrap dresses during my visit and she made several lap blankets for people in wheel chairs.   All I  have  is my trusty 1935 Singer Featherweight straight stitch sewing machine, scissors , pins, seam ripper and a few spools of thread.  (Not a good idea to transport a serger and rotary equipment on a plane.)

I select my patterns and projects very carefully when I travel.  I avoid making any garments that require special pressing equipment.  At her home I have a basic iron and an old solid wood ironing board.  I have no clue how old that ironing board is.  (The same rules apply when you sew in a hotel room.  You are forced to lay out your fabric and cut on top of that desk or dresser.) I also avoid patterns with buttonholes because that means packing a heavy buttonhole attachment.  The buttonhole attachment actually produces a very nice buttonhole but I still prefer the Bernina 830 LE buttonhole.  I'm spoiled by the features of that machine!  I am always over-riding the default on the spread between the bead rows.

This is Burda 3737.   A super simple wrap with attached tie belt.   I made French seams everywhere including the princess bust seam lines. This is possible if  the princess seam lines are not very curvy. The weave of the fabric is a major consideration too.  Tightly woven fabrics like twill most likely will not be as successful as crepe. Look for pliable weaves. And of course do a test sample before actually sewing on your garment.  Clearly the French seams are the most attractive in my opinion providing the fabric is light weight.  If you can't do a French seam then your options are narrowed down to a clean finish .  The zig-zag finish is the last resort for my sewing since I prefer cleaner finishes.  ( I do have a zig-zag attachment for the Featherweight but I didn't bring that on the plane either.) Truth be told, sergers add quite a bit of bulk to a seam finish with all that thread unless you are able to find extremely fine weight thread.  Lastly, French seams hold up really well with frequent laundering!

I forgot to bring a few safety pins to turn the tie bands inside out.   I used the handle of a wooden spoon.  I taped the fabric on the tip of the handle before I pushed it through the tube.

Sewing During the Hurricane

Every time I tell my friends that I sewed during the hurricane they asked me if I was using my grandmother's treadle.  Sadly, she electrified that machine back in the 60's.  I wish she hadn't done that. What are you supposed to do when there's no power? Desperate times call for desperate measures!

During hurricane Sandy we were without power for 12 days.  I honestly didn't mind heating up water on our gas stove for a warm bath.  I didn't miss the television one bit.  But honestly, going 12 days without sewing is just beyond reasonable.  So, got out the extension cord and plugged it into my car.  I ran that cord into the house and set up my featherweight.  These machines probably use less power than a radio.

I'm pretty sure the Bernina 930 required a touch more electric but it still worked just fine!  I honestly don't know how much power they draw but it's not like an embroidery machine that runs for 45 minutes without stopping.  I don't think it would be a good idea to use computerized machines.

I ended up making a few basic potholders just to keep busy.

My Babylock Sashiko Debut !

I am one of those procrastinators who waits for a fabric to 'speak to me' before I have the guts to plunge into a new garment.  I can spend endless hours perusing (and fondling)  my fabric sample cards trying to match the fabric into the perfect pattern. People who sew have to have that tactile experience!   There are times when I question why I bought a particular fabric.  That's the best opportunity to use those fabrics for the muslin test samples.
This silk fabric is from Sawyer Brook Fabrics. The variegated yarns in this fabric may camoflage single rows of top stitching.  I selected a triple thread stitch which I liked.  Yes, I absolutely tested my sample first.  I have no intention of spending time removing unwanted stitches. I also felt  the collar needed to be a contrast fabric.  Then I tested out a few samples to evaluate how top-stitching would look on the collar.  Finally the light bulb went on and I tested the 'hand picked' stitch by using my Babylock Shasiko machine.  BINGO !  I used a Valdani   35 weight variegated cotton thread which provided the necessary texture.

This is a fully lined dress (Ambiance Rayon.)




I had to re-set the right sleeve three times until I got it right.  That is precisely why I never, ever remove my contrast thread tailor tacks until the job is done and fits to my satisfaction.  Sleeve caps really need to have the ease distributed evenly between those dots or you end up with puckers.  It's easy to see if the sleeves are tilted when there are horizontal stripes.


Having a dress mannequin is a handy way to stand back and evaluate the garment from a distance.  I put off purchasing one for many years!  They are extremely helpful when you want to audition a possible item.



The pattern calls for a 'hook and eye'
closure at the base of the collar where my blue straight pin is currently located.  I'm thinking of a loop and button closure. I will pin something on for a day or two to evaluate how well I like it.

I ended up sewing on a large hook and eye .











I photographed the dress with a belt.  I think it may need a fancier belt if I chose to wear one.

Perfect Piping or Piping Pitfalls

There's nothing quite like custom piping to accent a garment or home dec project !  Pre-packaged polyester/cotton piping simply can't compare to custom! I just love adding piping to a neckline; it keeps the lining or facing from rolling to the public side.

There are many filler cord options depending on how you would like the piping to perform.  I have experimented with cotton yarn, cotton cable cord, rayon mouse tail, rayon rat tail and polyester mouse tail.  I like using the cotton yarn as my filler cord for garments because it is more pliable than rayon mouse tail. This is especially important when piped seam lines intersect other seam allowances; the machine can sew over the intersection much more easily and there's a much flatter intersection. (see black denim vest above)  Also, the cotton yarn piping washes and dries beautifully.  Rayon mouse tail offers a very smooth surface, however, it tends to be somewhat rigid in many garment fabrics making it stiff at seam line intersections. (You can always remove 1/2 inch of the filler cord near the seam allowances to reduce the bulk.)  I certainly don't want my piped seams to look or feel like spokes on a lamp shade!  On bridal wear and corset- type garments this can provide additional support.  Cotton cable cord is a better choice for home dec projects where the cable ribs are less likely to echo through on heavier weight fabrics. This is exactly why I spend time testing a few samples to evaluate the pliability and size of each cord in the respective fabric.

Begin the process of making bias strips by folding the selvage (finished edge) of the fabric to a 90 degree angle.(see bias strip at end of post.)  The soft fold will be a true 45 degree angle.  Slice up this fold.  I like to cut my strips anywhere from 1 inch to 1 1/4 inches.

If my piping fabric is a slippery fabric like silk charmeuse I know I am going to be hand-basting my filler cord into the bias strip.  Cotton fabrics  usually have enough 'tooth' and may not
necessarily need to be hand basted. Often times the strategic placement of my fingers from both hands is enough to keep the layers from producing a forward ripple.  If your finished piping tends to 'curl' or 'coil up' before it is attached to your garment then you definitely have stretched and twisted the bias strips around your filler cord.  Twisted piping will cause your finished seams to appear rippled or cupped. Hand basting usually results in a smoother finished product.  Sorry, short cuts generally aren't time savers in the end.   Note: the raw edges of the piping are staggered .  This will save a step in trimming down the layers.



The zipper foot simply can't stitch close enough to the piping. The 'finished width' will be too broad.

The center /middle piping was sewn without any basting or pinning. The forward gravity of the feed dogs causes the top layer to move forward.  The end result is a twisted/coiled length of piping.

The right hand sample is hand basted. The bias fabric strip is relaxed, not stretched, and straight.

(Please click on picture to enlarge for the details.)


And yes, I HAND BASTE the piping onto the garment.  Anytime you are sewing layers of fabric together the top layers want to travel forward.  As I am folding the bias over the cord I allow the raw edges to be at least 1/8 inch apart.  This way I do not have to grade my seam allowances after the piping is installed. I do NOT advocate pinning the piping.  It's very, very difficult to get the piping stitched on straight when using pins.  Stopping every few inches to remove a pin interrupts the continuous momentum of the stitching line.


I particularly like the 3 groove pin tucking foot for installing piping.  I find the zipper foot sometimes produces an inconsistent line of stitching exposing uneven amounts of piping.

I prefer not to 'lap' the ends of bias strips simply because of the bulk. On garments a seamed intersection is smoother and more finished.

Save the 'lapped' bias strip method for the home dec projects.

French Seams with a Side Vent

Yes, you can actually have a vent and a French seam at the same time!  I chose this mid weight cotton as my testing sample. This is a wonderful seam finish for light weight linen, cotton and sheer fabrics. Avoid loosely woven fabrics. An open weave will result in a hole in the area of transition.


This second sample at the right is sewn with matching thread. Take note how the END of the FRENCH seam tapers into a CURVE !



 I also used a pencil on the fabric for visibility.  You would substitute a water soluble marker or thread trace your lines. The thread trace is visible from both sides and will not damage any fabric. 
(Sometimes pencil will wash out.  Test first)


I used dark thread for better visibility.




A brief summary.... French seams are sewn with the WRONG sides of  the fabric together.  You stitch on the RIGHT side at 3/8". Trim the seams in half.  That means you will be left with a seam allowance between 1/8 and 1/4.   (That's 3/16" for those of us that still think in terms of inches.)  If you trim the seam allowance down to 1/8 inch it will be too hard to press the seam allowance open with the iron.  I don't care to burn my fingers!




Draw a line on the RIGHT side of your fabric where the French seam stops and the vent begins.  The vertical line I added helps you to stitch toward the intersection.   Yes, the line of stitching is taking a turn toward that point of intersection!  As you approach this intersection switch your stitch length to 1.0 stitch length rather than back stitching.  Back stitching tends to add too much thread.  Stitching in reverse often causes a pucker on sheer fabrics.
You can also use the tie-off knot feature on newer machines.  Do NOT use more than 3 knots or you will have a hard knot. I'm not really a fan of the tie off feature because it is more difficult to remove without damaging the fabric.













With super pointy tiny scissors (Gingher) clip a 45 degree angle to the intersection.

Always press the first seam open before you press the fold or your seam will not be exactly on the fold.  A Clover iron with a small iron shoe is helpful.  A Dritz or June Tailor wood tailoring board is very handy for this task.








Do NOT trim off the dog ears at the top of the vent.  This tiny corner will be folded under as you fold the vent seam allowances under.


The final line of stitching on the French seam is sewn 1/4 inch.  If you have a presser foot with the metal flange on the right hand side of the foot you will achieve straighter stitching lines. (foot #57 for Bernina)

As you approach the intersection where the French seam ends and the vent begins switch to a smaller stitch.

Do NOT clip off thread tails.  Leave about 3 inches. Use a needle to thread the tail and hide the tail into the seam.
This will prevent the seam from opening.
And it looks nicer!

Do NOT be tempted to use a Fray block product. They frequently are rough, crusty and visible on most fabrics.

 For the area where you have the vent opening simply fold and press the seam allowances under. Edge stitch the folded edge in place. Once again, a foot with a flange (center flange this time) will offer a straighter stitch.



This is a really clean way to finish off the side seams for those light weight summer tops !


Width of Side Vents:  You are NOT limited to using the 5/8 inch seam for the side vents.  The vents can be cut to any width of your choice.  A wider vent generally hangs straighter without twisting.

World War II Fashion

Now that my Mom is 90 I am spending a lot of time listening to her childhood memories both good and bad.  I have a whole new appreciation for clothing because of  her stories which I will cherish forever.  These stories have allowed me to understand how fashion was influenced by the economy and circumstances of the time.  She told me her Mother made her a suit from a man's suit because they didn't have money or the resources to make her a garment from scratch.  The quilts my Grandmother made often incorporated swatches of cotton flour sacks. Clothes were passed down and altered for each child. These people were resourceful!

There were several books written at the time teaching people how to Make Do and Mend.

In March of l942 the War Production Board (WPB) issued Regulation L-85, specifying
restrictions for every item of clothing produced. Our country needed all the natural fibers for parachutes and uniforms. Nylon, silk and leather were in very short supply.  Childrens clothing, sheets and undergarments were greatly affected.  This regulation limited the use of natural fibers and limited skirts to a seventy-two inch circumference. It banned knife pleats, ruffles and patch pockets part of a "no fabric over fabric rule".  The ration coupons allowed men and women to purchase only two pair of shoes.  The soles were made of wood composition.  Metal zippers were replaced by plastic coils .  Rayon was used extensively and was known as artificial silk.  The substitutions weren't wonderful but everyone 'made do'. Manufacturers shortened the hemlines to conserve fabric.   Designer  garments had to conform to regulations as well.
Pattern sales increased noticeably.  Simplicity offered a line of patterns featuring garments which required 3 yards or less.

I came across this photo of my Mom wearing a
beautiful fur trimmed winter coat.
As a young child I didn't understand how they had the money for fur when she always talked about how poor they were.  As it turns out, the fur industry sky rocketed during the war because natural fibers were limited and fur wasn't a valuable resource for parachutes or uniforms.
Now it makes sense!  You just can't pass judgement until you know the whole story.












So, how did I get started on this trip down memory
lane ?   I came across this gorgeous piece of wool and cashmere hounds tooth fabric from Banksville Fabrics. The colors were reminiscent of my Father's Army blanket. Subdued colors like blue-grey, bottle green and donkey brown were prominent.

Next thing I knew I decided to shorten this Vogue Adri  # 1157  jumper to a length more proportional to my height.  Long garments really aren't that terribly flattering on people who are five feet and two inches tall.

If this were 1942 I clearly  wouldn't be able to have a garment this long!

This particular wool and cashmere fabric is a current, recent purchase.  It is not part of my coveted stash.  History repeats itself.

This pattern does not include a lining but I chose to add one.  I am using china silk with French seam allowances.









Oh, by the way,  did you happen to notice the new release of Simplicity patterns from the early 60's ?
Shoulder darts and elbow darts are making a come back.  Does this mean we can look forward to better fitting garments ?




And here's a great book for those individuals who truly enjoy reading about pattern history.













Most Vogue Adri patterns are produced without an option for lining.  Linings add warmth, allow the garment to hang more smoothly plus add a nicer finished touch.  I added china silk as my lining.  I normally like to use a 'pick stitch' rather than a felling stitch simply because it acts like an understitch which keeps the edge from rolling.

Bias bindings are used in the UN lined version.  I continued to use them over my lining so the lining wouldn't show at the armholes.  I always hand baste bindings to keep ripples from forming as I machine stitch the edges into position.











 I also used the 'Pick Stitch' around my Bound Buttonhole which provides a cleaner finish.




 In the picture below you can see I ended up using the metal D-Rings instead of the Mother of Pearl belt buckle.  The strap feeds through the bound buttonhole.

The belt carriers ended up being sewn into the seam allowance instead of folding the edge and top-stitching like the carriers on pants.  I felt they were somewhat bulky and somewhat unfinished

Here's the finished garment on my 'Rosie'.

My version is knee length rather than ankle length.

There are no large square patch pockets on the sides of the hips.  Saddle bags simply aren't flattering at the hip level for many women.  Besides, the belts and fasteners provided just enough of a design element.