Garment Construction

12 Feb

Posted at 16:03h in Garment Construction, Off-the-Rails Sewing Patterns, Sewing by
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If you have a single retro bone in your body you will have come across a circle skirt at some point in your sewing life.  And they are fabulous, no question.  However they have two possible drawbacks in the making.  They are:  you waste a lot of fabric and you always have to level the hem and in some fabrics that can be an ongoing process. In this post I will only be dealing with the waste fabric from cutting circle skirts.  You'll find more information about Circle Skirts in my other blog posts.

26 Oct

Posted at 12:53h in Garment Construction, Pattern Puzzles by
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We've all seen this particular style over the past few years on the catwalk and in the shops.  But unlike many fashion trends I think this one will be good for quite a while.  It's so flattering with the distracting diagonal drape across the tummy and hip area.
I've featured this particular pattern making move twice on this blog:  Twist and Turnback Top 2013,the Twist Jumper 2013 & Turnback Thinking 2014.  I've also made a number of samples in the past few years, testing different materials and design details.  I'm going to share those samples here and let you know which of the features and fabrics work the best for this design.

30 Aug

Posted at 11:11h in Garment Construction, Pattern Puzzle Sewing Patterns, Pattern Puzzles, Sewing patterns, Stretch Patterns, Vintage Patterns by
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The Retro Wrap was one of my earliest Pattern Puzzle patterns and easily one of the all-time favourites.  I've made the original pattern and all the adjustments necessary to prepare it for conversion into a PDF Sewing Pattern.  And I do admit that working out the grading plan for this style was a huge challenge.  When the grade document is returned I'll let you know if it was successful.

 

17 Aug

Posted at 10:00h in Garment Construction, Pattern Puzzles, Stretch Patterns, Womens Knit Block by
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The Twist Tee pattern puzzle was always one of the easiest versions of jersey twist patterns I've ever produced.  You don't even need your own garment blocks to make this pattern.  Any simple top or tee shirt shape pattern is a good place to start for this project.  The sample I have posted here is the double twist version.  It's possible to make this as a single twist pattern from the original post if you have access to the appropriate fabric.

10 Nov

Posted at 13:42h in Garment Construction, Off-the-Rails Sewing Patterns, Sewing, Sewing patterns by
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When you'e making your own clothes the first and most important bit of information is what size pattern you'll be using.  To work this out you need the Size Chart (body measurements used to make the patterns), your own basic body measurements (bust, waist and hips), and if possible the pattern measurements as provided by the pattern company.  My Pencil Skirt Sewing Pattern has been designed for woven cloth with no stretch and I've allowed 5cm garment ease in the fit of the hip on the skirt.  So once you know your own hip measurement it's important that the pattern you use is at least 5cm (2") larger in the hip.  This 5cm (2") is added to the pattern as garment ease for basic comfort and good fit.

29 Sep

Posted at 18:36h in Garment Construction, Pattern Puzzle Sewing Patterns, Sewing, Sewing patterns by
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The fabulous thing about this pattern is that for many it can be made in a woven or a knit fabric.  The Drape Back Tunic sewing pattern is available as a one-size only pattern with instructions to increase the size and length printed on the pattern.  These images are for the sewing instructions for woven fabrics but I will make notes regarding the sewing instructions you need for knit fabrics.  If you cut this pattern as it is in a woven fabric it'll fit up to Aus Size 12.  If you cut it in a two-way (four-way in the US) stretch knit fabric that has some elastane content it can fit up to a Aus Size 22.

23 Sep

Posted at 13:10h in Garment Construction, Off-the-Rails Sewing Patterns, Sewing patterns by
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It was over ten years ago that I designed and made this shirt for sale and I've had so many different versions of it in my wardrobe since.  The fit of this shirt is tailored and body conscious with a back yoke, panel seams front and back, a two-piece collar and tab, and a dinner shirt style bib in the front.  There is a short and long sleeve version with the option of cutting the sleeves on either the straight or bias grain.  The Dinner Shirt Sewing Pattern is so versatile in design as to be both a conservative work shirt and fun party shirt in the one pattern.

24 Apr

Posted at 13:31h in Garment Construction, Pattern Puzzle Sewing Patterns, Sewing patterns by
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The Japan Skirt has it's origin in Japanese folk costume.  It's based on a simple rectangle of fabric, wrapped around the waist.  In this case I've finessed the fit on the waist by including a dart shape in the zip/drape seam.  Even with the dart you'll find the waist of the skirt is positioned more in the low waist area, and is not a tight fit.  If you would like to create a closer fit on the waist you'll find all the details at the end of this post.

28 Sep

Posted at 13:31h in Garment Construction, Pattern Puzzle Sewing Patterns, Pattern Puzzles, Sewing patterns, Stretch Patterns by
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The Hip Twist Sewing Pattern has been a long time in coming, and I thank all of you for your patience.  The past few months have been less than usual and I've had my focus diverted on other projects closer to home.  Now it's such a pleasure to get back to business and deal with all my wonderful patterns.  You'll get the best results with this pattern by using two-way stretch knit (four-way stretch in the US) that has elastane content (Lycra, Spandex).  I have achieved the best results with rayon, polyester and wool knits with elastane.  Some cotton knits may work if they are not too stiff.
Hip Twist Top Sewing Pattern (PDF download)

30 May

Posted at 14:07h in Garment Construction, Off-the-Rails Sewing Patterns, Sewing, Sewing patterns by
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The Pencil Skirt Sewing Pattern is an absolute classic for your wardrobe.  The complete sewing pattern has a full lining pattern included in the download.  However when you first receive the pattern it is my recommendation that your first make is an unlined version so you have an opportunity to test the fit and make of this new pattern.  For an unlined skirt, I would recommend a medium weight woven fabric and have made myself several version using both quality cotton prints from heirloom cotton patchwork fabrics and stunning African print cotton.  These skirts make the most ideal summer skirts.
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