Tag:

technique

Sleeve width adjustment

by Pauline Alice 20 January, 2016

written by Pauline Alice

Today we’ll see how to adjust sleeve width.
I received some emails recently about how to increase the width of the Xerea dress sleeves and I thought it would be nice to prepare a tutorial. This is something you can apply to every “one piece” sleeves.

Method 1.
Trace two perpendicular lines accross the sleeve: one from armhole bas to armhole base and the other from the sleeve cap to the hem (in red here).
Cut along these lines and spread the sides apart, making sure the bases are still touching at the extremities. Add the cm you need in the center and tape together your new sleeve piece. The good thing about this method is that the sleeve armhole is not modified.Method 2.
On one side of the sleeve, trace a line perpendicular to the grainline starting from the armhole base and about 4-5 cm long (about 2″). From this point, draw a perpendicular line to the hem. Repeat on the other side.
Cut along the lines you just traced and slash the piece away from the sleeve the extra cm you need. Tape together and redraw the sleeve curve if needed. With this method, you’ll add width to the sleeve as well as to the sleeve armhole. You’ll need to ease the sleeve more.I hope that was helpful. Let me know if you have any questions.
PS: by the way, the sleeve width on the larger sizes of the Xerea dress has been increased for the PDF pattern.

20 January, 2016 1 comment

Blog Tutorials and techniques

Tutorial: how to sew a right-angle seam

by Pauline Alice 27 November, 2014

written by Pauline Alice

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Today, I’ll share with you a tutorial I wrote for Craftsy on right-angle seams.

If you ever had to sew a right-angled seam, you know how difficult it can be to get a neat and flat corner without any pluckers. As a pattern designer, it’s always a challenge to explain these complex steps with easy-to-understand illustrations.

The Malvarosa dress has drop shoulders with right-angle seams, and I know that it’s the most feared step of an otherwise relatively easy pattern. But, fear this step no more!

Here are two different methods for stitching these right-angle seams: one you can use on normal fabrics and the other for more delicate and fraying fabrics.

Method 1: For “normal” fabric

Use this method if you have a normal fabric (not prone to fray excessively or very delicate). It’s the easiest one and will give you very nice results. But I would still recommend making a test version first

1. Here are your 2 pieces of fabric, right sides facing up. Seam allowances will depend of your pattern (usually 5/8″).

2. Pin the side together. As you can see, the top edges don’t meet: You should have about twice the seam allowance length
overlapping the corner.

3. Stitch until the apex point (where the seam allowances meet) using short stitches.

4. Carefully, clip the seam allowance up to the stitching line, (snip into just the bottom layer, the one with the angle in).

5. Pin the other sides together. You can see how it looks from both sides. Pivot the angle at the apex point so the edges meet and pin.

Stitch the other side until you reach the apex (make sure not to stitch over the fabic “fold”, the two lines of stitches will meet at the corner).

6. Press the seams to the outside. Here is the right side: if you see a little plucker like here, you can clip carefully a little bit closer to the stitches from the wrong side.

Method 2: For delicate fabrics

As you can see with the previous sewing method, we were clipping first into the seam allowances and then stitching very close to the edge. But with a delicate fabric or one fraying easily, it wouldn’t be possible to get a nice corner seam. So we’re going to use a piece of organza to create new seam allowances, similar to what you would do to sew gussets.

1. Pin a piece of organza over the inside angle, on the right side of the fabric. Make sure the apex point is covered (this is
where the seam allowances meet).

2. Stitch the organza around the angle, pivoting at the apex. Clip both layers diagonally into the corner, as close as possible
to the stitches.

3. Press the organza to the inside, folding it on the stitches line.

4. Pin the outer angle to the inner angle, using the piece of organza to lay both layers flat against each other. As you can
see, the organza seam allowances will allow you to stitch easily into the corner. Stitch, pivoting at the corner.

5. Press the seam allowances to the outside. From the right side and from the wrong side of the fabric.

Right-angle seams are mostly featured as style lines as they don’t usually give any shaping like a princess seam or a dart. But used as a gusset, they serve both purpose: interesting design lines and pattern making functionality. You should definitely give them a try!

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27 November, 2014 3 comments

Blog Tutoriels et techniques

Flat-fell seam tutorial

by Pauline Alice 22 August, 2014

written by Pauline Alice

One thing you need to know is that I don’t have a serger. It means I’m obsessed about seam allowances and how to finish them neatly so they don’t fray or even show on the inside. My favourite techniques are lining (I line everything I can, now you know why the Alameda dress is fully lined!), french seams, bias binding and when there is no other solution, the zig-zag stitch (the less, the better).

But with trousers, there is another seam available, which is strong, beautiful on the outside AND on the inside and leaves all the raw edges enclosed: the flat-fell seam!

So let’s see how to make this flat-fell seam as you’re going to use it on your Turia dungarees. This is also the typical seam you can find on denim trousers or men shirts.

FLAT-FELL SEAM

Place your pieces WRONG SIDES together (yes, yes, wrong sides, I know it’s weird!). Pin and stitch together (note: 1,5 cm or 5/8″ seam allowances included in the pattern).

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Press the seam allowances to one side.

Note: for the center front and center back seam, it’s important to press the seam in the opposite direction if you want them to match at the crotch. For example, press the center front seam allowances to the right and the center back seam allowances to the left.

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Trim the bottom seam allowance to a minimum (about 0.5 cm or 3/16″).

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Fold the superior seam allowance over the trimmed one. It should enclose the bottom seam allowance. Press.

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Stitch very close to the folded edge. Try to keep your stitches parallel to the first stitching line.

There you go: a very strong and clean seam with double topstitching from the right side and no raw edges on the inside.

Did you know the flat-fell seam? I hope you’re going to use it on your sewing projects, it’s a great technique!

22 August, 2014 7 comments