Why should you be behind when everyone is wearing one exaggerated sleeve after the other? And if you have a flounce sleeve on your dress, you have one, and a pretty one at that, without the extra fullness of the usual eye-catching sleeves. What is a flounce sleeve? A flounce sleeve is a very feminine … Read more
What is the meaning of the term ‘inseam’ Inseam is the short form for the ‘inside seam.’ In pants, inseams are the vertical seams between the legs. The inseam length is the distance from the base of the crotch of your pants to the bottom edge of the legs of the pant. In sewing, the … Read more
Imagine a fabric that stretches so well that it can hold at least 5 of you if the clothing is your normal size and then return to the original size when you are done stretching, without a single fiber getting damaged – no bagging, no sagging! Yes, spandex or elastane fabrics, made from polyurethane do … Read more
A bias tape is a fabric strip cut diagonally on the fabric at an angle of 45° to the selvedge. The fabric strip is cut on the bias to bring stretch and flexibility to woven fabrics. The bias binding tape has this stretch, giving it great versatility in sewing. It doesnot fray at the cut … Read more
I love Rayon – that is, to see it and wear it. It is soft, lustrous and beautiful. It drapes nicely on the body. But on my home sewing machine, it is, at times, a little frustrating. Missed stitches, frayed seams and difficulty in interfacing are all some of the problems. Rayon is a manufactured … Read more
A cap sleeve is a type of very short sleeve that acts like a cap over the top of the arm. This is a very common sleeve on kids frocks and also on tops, dresses and gowns for adults. As a short sleeve, the cap sleeve exposes most of the arm, so it is usually … Read more
Satin is glossy; satin is smooth; satin is drapey. And therein lies all its problems. Sewing with satin may prove to be one of the most frustrating, if you allow it to be. Marking & cutting Satin Satin is one fabric which calls for a muslin first before making the final garment. It may be … Read more
How to draft the pattern and sew a queen Anne style high collar neckline.
Beads can amp up the dullest of things. And on old clothes, they can truly transform. You can add beads to the edges of the neckline to change the complete look of it. Here are some very easy ways to make a beaded neckline edge. You can sew beads on all kinds of necklines and … Read more
Fold-over elastic is a particular type of elastic tape that is used as a binding elastic in sewing – it has enough width to go over an edge and a dent down the center of the elastic on either sides, which aids in easy folding over fabrics. There are two things that the elastic does … Read more
A 2-needle coverstitch hem is a turned down hem consisting of 2 parallel lines which are 1/4 to 1/8 inch apart on the front side and a binding coverstitch on the back. It is usually found on ready-to-wear clothes, unless you have a coverstitch machine. But it is an expensive purchase and not many have … Read more
Among all the sheer dreamy fabrics you will find that organza is one of the least troublesome to sew – here are some extra tips to make sewing with organza really ‘the’ least troublesome. One of the most important characteristics of organza is that it is a crisp sheer fabric, so it is not slippery … Read more
The question really is, “How do you open the stitching with a seam-ripper without jeopardizing the cloth?”. The ‘jeopardizing’ part needs a double emphasis. I have seen that, done that – ripped the fabric instead of the stitches! Everyone owns a seam-ripper, ie everyone who sews. It needs absolutely no introduction. A seam-ripper is a … Read more
This post is a step by step tutorial to sew a shirt collar properly. Study the terminology used for a shirt collar and the different types of shirt collars you can sew here. Interfacing – There is no place where Interfacing is more needed than a shirt collar. The interfacing is necessarily attached to the … Read more
A flat collar is the type of collar that you regularly see on women’s dresses blouses; As the name suggests, it lies close to the garment’s neckline – the inside edge of the collar and the neckline are the same. It is a casual and feminine-looking collar. This is an oft seen collar on kids’ … Read more
Fusible interfacing gives strength and stability to fabric without making it evident that you are using another layer. That is if it is correctly applied and perfectly bonded. In worst-case scenarios, the interfacing can cause bubbling on the fabric surface; it can come off when handling, washing, or change the fabric’s drape—all in all, a … Read more
Fake fur is a delightful discovery – a synthetic material that imitates the real fur of animals and gives you all its advantages without doing anything to endanger any living being. And so cozy and warm on top of being top notch attractive. But it comes with a number of challenges when you try to … Read more
Lettuce edge is a decorative wavy edge finish made on knit fabrics/stretchy fabrics and even for woven fabrics. This curly edge is a very easy way to finish the hem of knit garments. The edge ends up looking like a frill. You just need a zig-zag stitch to make this edge finish You can use … Read more
When my friend saw my sewing thread collection and I elaborated on the problems in storing them she teased me by saying “rich people problems”. Then I sorted through my threads and found out that I have over 20 threads in shades of turquoise blue. Rich people problem, indeed. But for a sewist, having lots … Read more
In an embroidery sewing machine, you will have several pre-programmed decorative stitches and it is very easy to come up with beautiful embroidery designs and embellishments with it – and for this, you have to pay a premium price for the embroidery machine. But those with simple home sewing machines can also embellish their projects … Read more