Shoulder Reinforcement and Twill Tape

Shoulder Reinforcement

A shoulder reinforcement is a piece of hair canvas or wool that is cut to fit the area between the shoulder and the bust (it's really the upper chest area). This extra piece helps to provide structure to the area, "filling in" any hollows and creating a smooth look to the front of the jacket. Patterns generally do not include a shoulder reinforcement piece, but it is really easy to draft. This tailoring book is a great reference, and includes a photo and directions on how to draft a shoulder reinforcement patch. Basically, you just have to take the front jacket interfacing pattern, place a piece of medical paper or tracing paper over the pattern, and follow the line of the shoulder, down the curve of the armhole, down the side seam for about 2 inches, curve toward center front and then back up toward the shoulder. The patch should be about 1/8-inch inside of the seam lines. The photo below shows the shoulder reinforcement patch that was machine-stitched onto the hair canvas interfacing for the jacket front.



After the shoulder reinforcement piece is stitched onto the interfacing, the entire front interfacing piece is hand-basted onto the jacket fronts. As you can see in the photo, the stitches are long and evenly spaced. Catch stitches are used at the shoulder and the side seams to securely attach the interfacing to those areas. The armhole and neckline seam allowances will be machine-stitched, as those areas will need stability.

Twill Tape

For tailoring projects, I use 3/8-inch cotton twill tape, not the polyester twill tape that comes folded in a little package. Cotton twill tape is sold by the yard, and is thicker than the polyester tape. For tailoring, the twill tape is used to provide structure at the lapel and the jacket front edges, so it is important that they are substantial. I always preshrink the twill tape before using it by soaking it in hot water and letting it air dry, then running an iron over it to smooth it out. The Sparkly Tweedy Jacket doesn't have a lapel, but I do need to tape the front edges.



The stitch I like to use is a simple basting stitch on both sides of the tape, as shown in the photo above. It is quick and easy and secures the tape to the jacket. One caution: it is important to keep the tape outside of the seam allowance --- the basting stitches are a good guide, but I also measure the seam allowance periodically as I'm stitching to make sure there is enough space for the seam. For this jacket, I just had to baste along the front edges of the jacket fronts, from neck edge to top of the hem. Easy!

Marla Duran at the Artistry in Fashion Event

The Artistry in Fashion event held yesterday at Canada College was really fun, with the highlight being an inspiring talk by Marla Duran, a contestant from Project Runway (PR) Season 2. What I found most interesting about Marla was the fact that she had already been an accomplished designer and businesswoman prior to the PR experience, and it was the stories of how she developed as a designer over the years that I found to be more interesting than the "PR blip" in her overall career.



A self-taught sewist with no formal fashion design training, Marla started out designing baby clothes that she sold to local stores. It was a confidence-building experience, as it represented validation of her work --- one of those "I can do it" moments. She expanded her designing to include women's clothing, and her designs continued to sell well at local boutiques. Soon after, luck intervened in the form of a random conversation at a luncheon, which led to a significant retail contract and the upsizing of her business to manufacturing larger quantities of her designs. Her commitment to quality and can-do attitude earned a positive ongoing relationship with the retailer, which led to additional retail contracts and further growth of her business. Today, she has a retail store in Pennsylvania in addition to her wholesale business, and travels frequently to craft/art shows to promote her work.

So how did she end up on PR? The path sounded like this: a call from a cousin in the TV industry; encouragement from friends and family; a trip to New York; standing in front of Tim Gunn, Jay McCarroll and two others discussing what she could bring to PR; loads of questionnaires and paperwork that dug deep into her background; a call from a psychiatrist (?!?!); and finally THE call from Tim Gunn confirming her selection. The days on the show sounded heavily regimented, with cameras everywhere, ready and waiting to pick up any drama. Apparently, showing stress in the workroom was cause for the cameras to crowd around you, so she said she tried not to show her stress. Can you imagine that? If I were on the show, I'm sure I would have been one ball of stress, 24/7. I can't recall the episode when she left the show, but she said it was kind of a relief to be let go by that time. She said it was a good experience, the best part being that she was able to get to know Tim, whom she described as a "truly warm person".

Fashionista to Recessionista to Depressionista?

I just saw this article on the New York Times website called A Label for a Pleather Economy. During these challenging economic times, fashion retailers want to find a way to encourage consumers to spend on fashion, and have come up with the concept of a "Recessionista" --- a style-conscious person who remains fixed on acquiring designer labels, but at lower price points (think Target and Kohl's). The concept here is that retailers and PR people are saying it is okay to continue to covet designer goods, even though the economy continues to sour, and look --- we're offering them to you for a fraction of the old cost! Such chameleons --- it is interesting to see the conceptual change from "the must-have 'It' bag" from a couple of years ago to "the moderately-priced must-have 'It' bag" of today. Not surprisingly, squeezing $50 from consumers is still better than getting $0, so I guess that concept hasn't changed.

Pad stitching

Pad stitching is a small stitch, most commonly done by hand, that attaches a sew-in interfacing to the collar and lapel areas. In addition to securely attaching the interfacing to the fabric, the pad stitching adds body to the pieces and allows you to subtly shape the curve of the collar and the lapel.



Here's an reference with illustrations of some hand stitches.

I used pad stitching to attach my hair canvas interfacing to the under collar piece. Some points:

1. Mark the seam allowances clearly, as the pad stitching needs to fall within the collar and not extend into the seam allowance. Later, the seam allowance will be cut off.

2. Mark the center of the collar with a line, which corresponds with the center back of the jacket. From there, I mark parallel lines about 1/4-inch apart to guide the pad stitching. Closer to the corners, I angle the lines and make them closer together --- pad stitching closer together and using smaller stitches are helpful for areas that may need more shaping, such as the collar points or the roll line of a lapel.

3. One of the neat things about pad stitching by hand is that you can start to mold the piece that you are working on by curving the piece in a certain way or shaping the direction as you stitch.

4. My Sparkly Tweedy Jacket is easy because it calls for a mandarin-style collar and no lapel. For this, the pad stitching is worked perpendicular to the seam line to ensure the collar maintains the stand shape. I start my stitching from the center back line.

If you are using a sew-in interfacing, I think pad stitching the collar and lapels, while time-consuming, is well worth the effort. I've seen in books that you can also pad stitch using a machine, but I'm not sure if the results will be as nice or the process as satisfying. Like knitting, hand stitching can be relaxing and therapeutic!

Interfacing

When I first started to sew, I didn't realize that there were so many types of interfacing available. I literally just used the paper-y stuff that fuses with a hot iron, which was the least expensive option. Now, for most of my projects, I still use fusible interfacing (the stuff that fuses with an iron) but not the paper-y ones. Fusi-Knit is a nice one, as is So Sheer interfacing. These feel like a lightweight fabric, so when they are fused onto the fabric, the result is much nicer and drapier than with the paper-y ones.

The best piece of advice I ever received about fusible interfacings was to test a variety of them on your garment fabric before committing to one type --- cut square samples of the interfacing and fabric, fuse and feel. It is really interesting how the choice of interfacing can really change the character of your fabric, so it is really worthwhile to test them. Of course the other piece of advice I received was to never use the paper-y interfacing for garments! Here's a brief article on interfacing.

In addition to fusibles, there are sew-in interfacings, which I typically use for jackets or coats or for fabrics that I don't want to fuse anything to. Fusibles can definitely be used for jackets, and often yield beautiful results, but sew-ins seem to give the jacket more substance or heft. For the Sparkly Tweedy Jacket, I am using hair canvas, which is the traditional sew-in interfacing for tailoring projects. Hair canvas is a stiff fabric that is typically made from wool and goat hair, and provides a good amount of structure to the garment, which is why it is great for tailored pieces. Here's a photo of my hair canvas with the pattern pieces for the front jacket interfacing and the collar.



Some points about interfacing:

1. It is a good idea to thoroughly preshrink the interfacing using a steam iron. For a fusible, I like to place the interfacing on the fabric piece and hold the iron just above the interfacing without touching it and let the steam do the work. For a sew-in, I just steam press the interfacing like any other fabric. I am obsessive about preshrinking the interfacing, because I have had experiences where pieces of a finished garment were off because the preshrinking wasn't adequate.

2. For a sew-in, I like to clearly mark the seam allowances, because they will have to be trimmed away later.

3. You can use different types of interfacing within one project. I used a fusible for the pocket flaps on the Sparkly Tweedy Jacket, but am using a sew-in for other areas.

Pocket Flaps

The pattern for the Sparkly Tweedy Jacket calls for these pointed flaps in the front that cover the double welt pockets. I almost decided to ditch the flaps because I'm not a huge fan of them, but I tried them in muslin and thought they looked okay. I made them in my fabric, and they look okay --- I'm not crazy about them, but perhaps they will grow on me. While they definitely add interest to the design, the main problem I have is that the wool tweed has texture and some bulk to it, so the flaps, which hit right at the challenging abdominal area, add more volume than needed. I'll just go with it --- perhaps the added volume will magically go away!

One plus about the flap is that the dart runs right through it down to the point --- it looks elongating, which is a plus.





Just a note, but I wouldn't recommend using a contrast thread for the pocket sack (above) --- I was lazy and just used the red thread that was in my machine.

Really Quick Project Runway Tidbit

Okay, I just found out that my husband's friend knows Leanne, the winner of Project Runway! Well, I guess to be more accurate, he knows Leanne's brother, who is taking care of his family's cows up in Yuba City, Calif. Apparently the brother went to New York for the whole shebang, and he said it was a crazy experience. What a small world!

Double Welt Pockets

My Sparkly Tweedy Jacket requires a couple of double welt pockets on the fronts. I will admit this --- I really like making these things! Once you get the hang of it, the process results in really neat pockets --- like magic!



The photo above includes one of the pockets and the jacket lining fabric, a beautiful silk charmeuse. I made the pocket "sack" using the charmeuse.

I would definitely recommend a class to learn how to make this type of pocket. It is a bit tricky and requires precise sewing and cutting, but the end result is fantastic. I learned a great technique in a tailoring class, but I haven't been able to find it in any of my books or even online. I'll keep looking, and if I find it, I will post it. This same technique is used to make bound buttonholes on tailored jackets, which look really snazzy as well. Here is the backside of the bound buttonholes I made on one of my other jackets.

Underlining and Marking

This hand-basting process to attach the silk organza underlining to the wool for my Sparkly Tweedy Jacket is taking a while, but it will be worth it in the end.



This is a side view of the front jacket panel with the basted organza --- I marked the center front line and waistline as well. That fabric really looks sparkly! Some points I like to keep in mind when working with jacket fabrics:

1. In addition to basting the organza to the wool, I use basting stitches to mark key lines and details, such as darts, center front, center back, waistline, buttonhole placement, pocket placement, etc. Most people probably use tailor's tacks or some other marking method, but I'm not good at them and I have found that hand-basting works fine for me.

2. It really helps to use a contrasting color thread that stands out against the fabric --- this makes it easy to spot the markings on the right side of the fabric, especially when using wools and other textured fabrics. For this project, I am using a bright red silk thread --- the silk is great because it glides and doesn't snag the fabric when you pull the basting stitches out.

3. When basting, I use small stitches at the beginning and end to anchor the thread to the fabric, because these stitches will need to be pulled out later.

4. I try to baste just inside the seam line, in this case just short of the half-inch seam allowance.

I have just a few more pieces to go, then it will be on to making double-welt pockets!

Presidential Debate and Project Runway

With the final presidential debate and the Project Runway finale last night, I didn't have a chance to work on my sparkly tweedy jacket. However, it was worth it!

I'll leave the dissection of the debate to the pundits, but I went away with a solid decision of who would get my vote on November 4. Of course the Project Runway finale was fabulous, and I was thrilled that Leanne was the winner --- I loved her "wave" designs, the intricacy of her work and the serene color palette. She definitely deserved the win.

Tonight, it is back to the jacket!

Cutting and Underlining

After preshrinking the fabrics for the sparkly tweedy jacket, I folded the wool in half lengthwise, right sides together, and used safety pins to hold the edges in place. Because I am planning to underline the jacket with silk organza, I placed the silk on the wool, wrong sides together, and pinned with safety pins. I pinned the pattern pieces on the fabric, with the grainlines running in the same direction, and cut.

A more accurate way to do this would be to just have a single layer of wool and a single layer of organza, as the folded fabric (in this case wool) is thick, so you run the risk of one cut piece being slightly larger than the other.

Underlining

Here's a short article about underlining from Threads magazine.

I chose to underline the jacket because the weave of the wool is on the looser side, and the underlining will add stability. Also, I am planning to use sew-in (non-fusible) interfacing, so having the organza layer will help to hide the hand stitching. It is definitely an extra step, because after cutting out the pattern pieces, I now have to hand-baste the organza to the wool, just inside the seam allowances, to ensure that the wool and organza are treated as one. I think the extra effort is worth it, though. One of the things I enjoy about making jackets is the inner construction --- the stuff that you can't see when you look at the finished jacket, but somehow makes the jacket look and feel perfect.

Muslin and Onward

Here's a neat on-line resource for shortening patterns, courtesy of the Burda website.

Muslin Sample

I have moved on to sewing a muslin sample of my Sparkly Tweedy Jacket. I always like to make sure my muslin is on-grain before I start placing my pattern pieces --- this prevents weird tweaks in the sample and allows you to make sure the garment hangs correctly during fitting. I usually mark all of my center fronts (vertical lines) and waistlines/hemlines (horizontal lines), which are great indicators of garment hang during fitting, but I cheated this time and only marked the vertical lines --- too lazy!

Here's a photo of the muslin sample (no sleeves yet) on my dress form. The armhole looks tight because of the square shoulder adjustment (the dress form doesn't have this issue). It hangs well and the side seams, center front and center back are in the right place. The form is a bit larger than I am in parts, so even though the muslin looks form-fitting, it has enough room on me.



After this, I went ahead and made a sleeve muslin as well and sewed to the body to check the arm length, armhole fit and overall roominess of the sleeve. Looks good!

Lining Patterns

I'm happy with the fit, so I went ahead and made patterns for the jacket lining. In general, most lining and garment patterns are the same. In this case, the lining for the front piece (with the pockets) doesn't require pockets, so Burda generously supplied that lining pattern. For jackets, the lining back piece is always slightly different from the garment back piece, so I almost always have to draft this pattern. I traced out the garment back piece, taking away the back neck facing area and adding the appropriate seam allowance. Then I added an inch along center back to accommodate a pleat, which allows movement in the back.



Preshrinking Fabrics

Preshrinking fabrics is a good thing to do in front of the TV. I always preshrink my fabrics, zippers, trims, etc. to minimize any shrinkage of the garment post-sewing. Some people send their yardage out to their local dry cleaners, but that can get costly. For machine washables, it is easy to preshrink in the wash. In this case, I steam pressed my fabric using my trusty old iron and ironing board.

Artfibers in SF is Closing

I was devastated to learn today that Artfibers --- my all-time favorite yarn shop --- will be closing its doors at the end of January 2009. While they will still maintain an on-line presence, I will very much miss the quirky little storefront on Sutter and Montgomery.

I learned about Artfibers a few years ago. I can't remember how I learned about it --- must have heard it from someone. I made my way there on the Bart train, getting off at Montgomery station and walking up to Sutter. It isn't a typical yarn shop. You have to keep a close watch for a pink sign that indicates the entrance to a narrow hall with a set of stairs that look like they have seen better days. Climbing up to the second floor, the walls are lined with sketches and knit swatches, and you start to get the idea that perhaps there is something wonderful just a few steps away. When I first entered, I was completely underwhelmed and surprised at how small the space was. However, as I started to really look around, I became enchanted. The textures and colors were so beautiful and unique --- I literally wanted to buy everything in the store. I loved the cones of yarn --- so much more efficient (and fewer ends to sew)! And the customer service, then and now, has always been outstanding.

One of the first fibers I bought there was Phos --- a funky, coral-like yarn that became a little triangular shawl. Since then, I've made a number of scarves and sweaters using their gorgeous yarns. I know I'll still be able to purchase them on-line, but it just will not be the same as taking a train ride into the City and being able to stand in that tiny little store and be completely and utterly inspired. I will definitely miss this place.

Yarn: Zoe

Yarn: Ginko

Yarn: Ginko

Yarn: Origami

Yarn: Zingaro and Sumo

Pattern Fittings and Adjustments

I finished tracing out the pattern pieces for the Sparkly Tweedy Jacket, making sure to mark my half-inch seam allowances, as Burda patterns do not include seam allowances. Commercial sewing patterns include five-eighths inch seam allowances, which is standard, but I got used to using the narrower allowance and prefer it (less trimming). If I were making this for someone else, I would definitely add wider seam allowances for the main seams, up to one-inch, so I would be able to take out fabric, if needed, during the pattern and muslin fitting stages.

Luckily for me, this pattern is drafted for petite sizes, so the number of pattern adjustments I need to do is minimal. The one adjustment I always need to do is a "square shoulder" adjustment. My shoulders are squarer than standard, so the shoulder slope needs to be decreased and the armhole needs to be raised accordingly. Here's the adjustment:



I also decreased the arm length, which is pretty standard for me, even with petite patterns! If this were a standard-size pattern, I would have had to make the following adjustments as well:

1. Decrease the shoulder length
2. Decrease the length between shoulder and bust and between bust and waist.
3. Decrease the length between waist and hip.

After making the adjustments, I pinned the paper pieces (just the main body pieces) together at the seamlines and tried the jacket on. The fit was good, maybe a bit snug at the underarm area, but otherwise okay. The next step is taking it to muslin, where the fit can be further refined.

I took a pattern fitting class, which was invaluable for learning how to manipulate patterns to accommodate various figure types. Here are a couple of resources that I use for fit issues: Fabulous Fit and Fast Fit.

Sparkly Tweedy Jacket

My latest sewing project is a jacket made with this wonderful sparkly tweed fabric from Emma One Sock. Unlike the gorgeous blue brocade fabric I was obsessed about, I actually managed to purchase this fabric before it sold out, so I'm ready to go. The photo doesn't do the fabric justice --- it is a black/white/gray tweed with silver flecks on the right side, and it has a nice drape to it.

Photo from www.emmaonesock.com.

The pattern I'll be using is from my August 2007 issue of Burda Magazine. It is a pretty straightforward, fitted style with a simple stand collar. Given the texture of the fabric, I think the simplicity of the lines will work well.

Image from www.burdafashion.com.

Tracing Out the Pattern

I love receiving my Burda issues every month, and I think it is so cool how there are over 50 or so patterns included in every issue. However, these patterns are all squeezed onto a couple of sheets, albeit very large sheets, that are stapled to the center of the magazine. It takes some practice, and a keen eye, to make sure the correct patterns are traced in the correct size (each pattern piece comes in multiple sizes). Here's an example:



For this jacket, I had to find Sheet G and identify the pattern pieces marked with the red lines and make sure to trace the correct size. Also, Burda accommodates international audiences, so any notes on the pattern pieces, such as "center front", are written in German, Russian and English. The pattern sheets really look like a mess, but once you get used to them, it isn't that difficult to trace.



I like to use medical paper (the paper at the doctor's office that crackles when you sit on it) for all of my pattern tracing, because it is substantial enough to withstand pattern alterations but translucent enough for tracing. I learned this from one of my pattern drafting classes, and love it. I actually trace all of my commercial tissue patterns onto medical paper as well, because I find it is easier to manipulate and this method preserves the original patterns.

Yves Saint Laurent Exhibit at the de Young Museum

Photo from www.famsf.org/deyoung. Yves Saint Laurent, Cocktail Dress in Tribute to Piet Mondrian, Fall–Winter 1965. Wool jersey. Courtesy Fondation Pierre Bergé–Yves Saint Laurent.

There is an upcoming exhibit of Yves Saint Laurent and his inspirations and designs at the de Young Museum in San Francisco. The exhibit opens on November 1 and runs through April 5, 2009, so there is plenty of time to check it out.

Swing Coat Finished

So I decided to press on and continue with the swing coat that I almost gave up on. I love it!



It definitely has the "swing" I was going for, especially in the back, and it has that retro look that I think is kind of snazzy. Love that mandarin collar and the three-quarter sleeves! No closures required.



I used my favorite moss stitch for the body and knit a simple seed stitch for the edgings. I contrasted the cream with a black accent, which is done in crochet --- one row of crab stitch and one row of single crochet.

Stitches West 2009 - Feb 26 to Mar 1

I can't believe how popular Stitches West has become in the last several years! This is an amazing fiber arts event that is held annually in the San Francisco Bay Area. The classes are always good, but the marketplace is the best --- so cool to see yarns from independent or smaller companies --- I always walk away with amazing finds. In addition to yarns, I've always had good luck finding unique buttons and clasps.

The first year I went, which was 2003 I think, the event was held in a much smaller venue in Oakland. Now it is at the Santa Clara convention center, which is just huge. They offer many more classes now and the marketplace (great shopping) is absolutely grand. I just saw that many of the classes are already sold out, so if you are interested in attending, it would be good to sign up soon. It is definitely better to be registered for a class, so you can go to the marketplace on Thursday, before it opens to the public. Also, you can bypass the long lines of people entering the marketplace, because there is a separate entrance for class registrants.

I've taken several classes at Stitches, and all have been great. Judy Pascale and Jean Frost have held excellent classes that have been fun and informative. Of course the Lily Chin classes are always good --- I like how she adapts dressmaking techniques to knitting and crochet.

Artistry in Fashion Event in the SF Bay Area

The Artistry in Fashion event is coming up on October 25, and I highly recommend going. It is an annual designer sale and open house hosted by Canada College's fashion design department, and draws a large number of fashion, jewelry and accessory designers from the local area as well as from around the U.S. --- it is a great opportunity to see (and buy!) very unique pieces as well as meet the artisans who crafted them. This year's special guest speaker will be Marla Duran, a competitor on Project Runway a couple of seasons ago who I most associate with "wearable art" fashion. Exciting!



I am a big supporter of the event and the fashion design program, as I've had the opportunity to take a number of classes there, from patternmaking to entrepreneurship, and all have been excellent. Highly recommended!

To Undo or Not

I've been diligently working on my cream swing coat for last week or so, but it has been a struggle. The knitted fabric is gorgeous, as the yarn provides good stitch definition and texture, so I think it might be the shape that is bothering me. I love the look of swing coats or jackets, especially when paired with something narrow like a pencil skirt. But there is something about the bulkiness of the fabric and the wide shape that are sending warning signals to my brain --- perhaps this combination might overwhelm my petite frame. Or maybe a bulky yarn shouldn't be used for this garment shape. I stopped a few times last night, wondering if I should just rip the stitches or keep going. I'm at the point where I've finished all of my decreases, so I'm up to the underarm area --- a huge knitting investment in terms of time and effort. Sigh.