Elevate the quality of a garment with fabric covered snaps. Often seen on pricier apparel, these snaps only take a few minutes to sew. But, can change the look dramatically. Before I start, here are a few tips to help in the process. I have found that light weight fabric works the best as it lets the snaps, actually 'snap'. When choosing the size of snaps, consider where in the garment the snaps will be placed. I suggest not using a size any smaller than 18mm, or you will have a great deal of difficulty covering the snap in fabric. MaterialsStep 1Cut out a fabric circle 1/4" larger than snap. Step 2Hand sew a running stitch approximately 1/8" away from circle raw edge. Step 3Completing one snap at a time, place right side of snap facing down. Gently pull the end of the running stitch with loose threads until fabric circle is sitting snug around snap. For extra security, feel free to run a few stitches through the back layers. Tie a knot once you are satisfied. Step 4Repeat step 3 to the corresponding snap. Covered snaps should look like the bottom set shown in the photo below. All four snaps displayed are right sides facing up, once the fabric is covered its difficult to see what the snap looks like. So I have placed 'naked' snaps above to help you. Step 5Snap your snaps together. This process will break the fabric on the male side of the snap. If you find you are getting alot of frays, simply run a small amount of clear nail polish along the raw edge. Just a heads up, when you are trying to snap the set together, the first time will be difficult due to the extra fabric in the way. Once the fabric breaks away, your snaps will snap away normally. You can now proceed with hand sewing snaps onto your garment.
Happy Sewing! Photographed and written by Sheila Wong Studios
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Rolled up pants are everywhere right now. For a more permanent and tailored version, create your own cuffed hem. In this tutorial, learn step by step how to draft a pattern to a cuffed hem and how to sew it. Step 1Prior to cutting out fabric, you need to take into consideration that you are making a cuffed hem during the pattern drafting stage. Here is a diagram on the measurements required to create a cuffed hem. First, you will need to decide the height of your cuff. In this example, I have used 1.5" as the final height of the cuff. This is average height for a pant/short cuffed hem. The Finished Garment Hem line is the final length of your complete garment. We must add length to create a cuffed hem. I want my cuff height to be 1.5" thus I add 1.5" twice, as the cuff needs to be folded up to create a front and back. You will also need to include a seam allowance for the raw edge to be hidden away inside the garment. I added a 4/8" seam allowance. I suggest finishing off the raw edge accordingly to your fabric choice and garment. In this example, I have applied a serged edge. Step 2Now onto the sewing part of a cuffed hem. A hem is completed at the very end of the construction process. Sew the side seams first. Step 3Take the time now to finish off the raw edge at the bottom. I have applied a serged edge. Step 4On the right side of your garment, mark the above lines as per Step 1. Mark all the way around the hem to ensure a balanced cuff. Step 5Press hem in at Top of Cuff line. Please refer to Step 1 to see lines. Step 6To keep bottom of hem clean and upright, sew a line 1/4" away from raw edge (serged edge in this example). Step 7Press cuff up at Bottom of Cuff line. Once pressed, the hem will start to resemble a cuffed hem. Step 8To finish, at the seams, tack the body of the garment to the cuff. Tacking is a hand-sewing technique used to keep two areas of a garment attached/secure without any visible stitching on the exterior of the garment. Each tack is approximately 3-5 stitches is one small area, just enough to hold the two areas tight. Completed Cuffed HemPlease note for the purpose of instruction and clear photos, I have used a contrasting thread color. You will want to use a matching thread color.
Happy Sewing! Photographed and written by Sheila Wong Studios I have been waiting for the perfect fabric to design a skater skirt. So the moment I found a thick boiled wool fabric, it was time. A skater skirt is a high waisted skirt that has dramatic flare. The term 'skater skirt' originates from what a female figure skater would wear. When a figure skater did their spins, their skirt would flow around them beautifully, hence the term skater skirt. I wanted to design my version of the skater skirt with as much flare as possible. Check out highlights from my design process below. Project Specs
FabricI used a thick black boiled wool fabric. It is fantastic for the winter, but looking back it was not fun hand sewing the waistband due to the thick seam allowances it was creating. Regardless, it was worth it! I purchased the fabric from Fabricland on Marine Drive. Boiling wool dates back to the Middle Ages. It is the process of taking already weaved or knitted fibers, which makes fabric, then boiling and agitating it in hot water. This process shrinks the fabric resulting in a really tight and dense fabric. This create the heavy weight you feel. I am fairly sure my skater skirt weighs at least 2 pounds. Pattern DraftingI wanted as much flare as possible in this skirt with out having to add any gathers or pleats. So, I drafting a complete circle with enough space in the middle to fit my waist. A waistband was also drafted (sorry not shown) that fit right around my natural waist. Seams are only on the side seams. Ideally, it would have been nice to only have a center back seam to decrease the weight with the boiled wool. Another term for this style of skirt is a circle skirt. Any guesses why it would be called this? Just have a look at the pattern! Construction DetailsThis skirt was almost fully hand sewn with the exception of the side seams, the zipper and the initial attachment of the waistband to the skirt. Normally hook and eyes are used to accompany a zipper closure, but I opted for snaps as I find the larger snaps much more secure and discreet. The majority of my time was spent preparing and hand sewing the hem. The length of the entire hem all the way around is 145 inches, so you can only imagine how long that would take to hand sew. I applied a blind slip stitch to finish the hem. A helpful characteristic of boiled wool is that when pressed or steamed the fabric will mold to the shape you require. This made pressing the hem into place really easy with out any excess fabric in the hem seam allowance. I thought I would include an inside view of the skirt for you. How cool does it look laying flat? Makes me want to twirl around to show off the flare. Final DesignLearn how to make your own skater skirt by booking yourself in for a sewing lesson with me. This is how I wore my skater skirt. Now its time to twirl! Happy Sewing!
Designed, photographed and written by Sheila Wong Studios A self bound seam finish is a variation on a bound seam finish. But it does not require you to prepare an extra piece of bias/straight tape to enclose the raw edges of your seam allowance. Its best used when you want to bind both seam allowances together and for light to medium weight fabrics. Also works better on straight to slight curved seams only. For a step by step sewing tutorial on a bound seam finish click HERE. Step 1If you are familiar with a regular bound seam finish, you know that either bias or straight tape is used to bind the raw edges of the seam allowance. In a self bound seam finish we need to allow for extra seam allowance to self bind. A 3/4" seam allowance is required to have a 1/4" finished self bound seam. Sew at a 3/4" seam allowance. Step 2Trim one of your seam allowances down to 1/4". Step 3Press the raw edges of the longer seam allowance in to line up with the raw edge of the shorter one. Step 4Press the folded edge in to meet up with the original sew line. Leave a 1/16" or smaller space in between the edge and the sew line to ensure the seam lays flat. Step 5Edge stitch down your pressed seam allowance as shown in photo above. Edge stitch is approximately 1/6" away from the folded edge. Step 6On the right side, press seam allowance to one side. Completed SeamHappy Sewing! Photographed and written by Sheila Wong Studios Winter has technically arrived according to the calendar, even if snow decided to come earlier. As each new season approaches, I customarily peruse through designer collections to see what key fashion trends or pieces I need in my closet. I have had a bit of down time in between holiday feasts this season to organize what I feel are the top 3 key fashion pieces you can sew. And I am not promising anything, but I will try to sew these 3 fashion trends for you in the next few months. Basic Dress Made in Opulent FabricsThe title should be descriptive enough for you. I call it a basic dress as to describe the pattern drafting is rather basic in this one. Pattern pieces would consist of a basic set in sleeve, a front dress (probably cut on fold) and a back dress piece that probably has a zipper down the center back as closure. What makes this dress so coveted would be the opulent fabric choice. So I guess I am on the hunt for the perfect fabric! Minimalist CapesCapes come and go each season, but I am really loving the silhouette of these Winter 2014 capes. Its fairly boxy with clean lines. I have always found past capes with flare are a bit much and just remind me of Robin hood. Notice the hand/arm openings are rather streamlined. It is as if they do not exist or you could even wear the cape without having to use the openings. Made out of wool, this would be a perfect layering piece in Vancouver. Long Vest CoatBeen really feeling the longer top silhouette over pants recently. It has a very worldly feel about it. In our colder climate, you can see variations of this vest in the zip off sleeves option of a winter coat. Personally I don't want a coat with zip off sleeves. I feel the zipper teeth may snag a scarf. I will try to find a dark grey or indigo color to make this long vest coat. This will be perfect to wear closer to the end of winter. If you are going to be making this one, don't let the hem fall past your knees. It may shorten you. I know it is the last thing I want...being short and all. Happy Sewing!
Written by Sheila Wong Studios Speak to anyone who sews, and they will let you know that all the steps leading up to sewing take longer than the actual sewing itself. These steps can include pattern drafting, fabric preparation, pattern placement, pinning, cutting and marking. In this post I will focus on two steps in which you can easily improve your skills. These include pinning and cutting fabric. Other areas will be covered in future posts. PinningPinning well will ensure the fabric cut out, looks like the pattern. Here is how I approach pin placement. Cutting FabricLets use the table to our advantage. Keep the bottom blade of your fabric shears always sitting on the table. This will give each cut a stable feel. The only time I will ever lift up the fabric shears from the table, is if I am cutting out a small pattern the size of my hand. If you are right handed cut with the pattern to the right of your shears and the fabric to the left. Reverse if you are left handed. You will notice a cleaner cut that resembles your pattern. WOOT! Hope you have enjoyed these few pinning and cutting techniques that will make your a better sewer. If you have any questions feel free to leave them below.
Happy Sewing! Photographed and written by Sheila Wong Studios Corners in sewing are tricky, they can look clean and professional if you put the effort into them. Here is a step by step sewing tutorial on how to sew a mitered corner. A mitered corner can be sewn in a variety of areas in a garment. Commonly seen at the hem intersecting with the center front opening of a garment or perhaps at the hem at the back opening vent. Step 1On the right side of your garment, mark your hem seam allowance or your fold in line. It is OK if the two are not the exact same measurement. Most likely your hem is larger in measurement. Please refer to your pattern for hem seam allowance. In this example, I am using 1". Step 2Press your marked hem seam allowance back, one at a time. Once pressed, you will get an intersecting point or what will become the corner of the garment. Step 3Right sides of fabric facing each other, line up pressed lines as shown below. Pin pressed lines in place, and mark where the intersecting point is exactly. Step 4With an L ruler or anything that will give you a right angle, line up 90 degree corner to intersecting point as shown below and mark sew line. Step 5Sew marked line at 1.5 stitch length. Ensure you sew all the way to the intersection point exactly. Step 6Trim seam allowance down to 1/8". Step 7Flip corner inside-out and poke corner until it looks as close to a right angle as possible. If it is looking bulky, go back and trim off more seam allowance from step 6. To create a super clean look to easy fray fabric, finish the raw edges prior to completing any of these steps. An easy way to finish the raw edges would be to serge. Happy Sewing! Photographed and written by Sheila Wong Studios My latest design is a structured crop top made from a Cotton blend fabric. The inspiration really originated from the fabric, as most of my designs do. I wanted to maintain clean straight lines. With only one curve in the pattern at the neckline, as required. I wanted to give you an inside view into my design process, so I have documented with photos along the way. Materials cost approximately $15 and 0.9M of fabric was used. The total process took a total of 9.5 hours, over the span of 2 weeks, from conceptualization to completion of construction. Concept & InspirationI was shopping in the interior fabrics section at Fabricana, when this print caught my eye. Here is a lesson for you, do not ignore the interior fabrics just because it was originally designed to be used for home decor projects. Some of my favorite designs are made from "interior" fabrics. At the time of purchase, I had no clue what I would design from it yet, but knew it had to be structured due to the stiffness of the fabric. Almost a year later....here we are. DrapingThis crop top called for draping as I wanted the raglan sleeve seams to hit certain spots and I wanted a side panel in the design. You will notice I left ample seam allowance to create my first muslin. Fit Sample (Muslin) #1Based on my draped pieces prior, I sewed them together and turned in the hems to get a real feel to what the top would look like. I had to make a few adjustments by marking the muslin with chalk. I dropped the armhole by 1/2" to give room for movement. Did not want to walk like a robot. I also re-curved the hem to make up for the bust lifting up the hem. Pattern DraftingFrom the draping and fitting, I created 2D paper pattern pieces reflecting the fabric pieces. Fit Sample (Muslin) #2A second muslin was created from the paper patterns to make sure the adjustments sat correctly. I decided to try this on since I will be wearing the final design. As you can tell from the photo, the neckline was a tad tight, so I marked that appropriately. Final Pattern DraftingOnce I was happy with the neckline correction, I finalized all the pattern pieces with seam allowances, grain-lines, titles and notches. Cut out FabricPaper pattern pieces down, pin and cut. Prepping for the garment sewing stage, I had to show you what this top looks like all lined up. Garment ConstructionThe sleeves are a combination of a raglan and cap sleeve. I wanted to stay away from an inset sleeve to create the sleeve hem flare. The most challenging part sewing this top would be where all the seams collide under the armhole at the corners of the side panel. Eight seam allowances converging at one point, four from the exterior and four from the lining. In this situation it is important to mark the exact point that all should converge, so you don't sew over. Patience was key here. This top is fully lined with the same fabric as the exterior. This means I have to make two tops first, then bring them together. Because of all the style lines and seams, it is fairly important that I pressed open each seam along the way prior to bringing the exterior and lining tops together. A fully lined garment means no raw or exposed fabric edges are visible. A small opening is left un-sewn at the hem to flip garment right side out. Hand sew a slip stitch to close up opening. After a good final press, I hand sewed a hook and eye to the top center back. I wanted to maintain an airy feel to the design but not have it fall off, so only one hook and eye was required.
For those curious and not familiar with the design process, all the step leading up to construction usually take longer than the actual garment sewing. In this case, it was approximately 30% sewing to 70% pattern creation and prep. Wondering what I will wear this top with? Check out my Instagram feed. Happy Sewing! Designed, photographed and written by Sheila Wong Studios This tutorial is inspired by my client Connie who made a traditional stocking for her grand daughter. We created beautiful felt poinsettia's to be hand sewn onto the front of a stocking. Now, I will admit I had no clue what a poinsettia was, but they are big during the holiday season. I was so inspired, that I started to think where else could these fabric poinsettia's be placed. Thought of decoration around the house, tree ornaments, brooches and even extra décor on gifts. Materials
Step 1Create a pattern or download free patterns online. I found mine HERE on First Palette. Cut out your paper pattern. Step 2Pin and cut out your poinsettia felt layers. Step 3Position 3 layers of felt to create a flower, and pin in place. Step 4Thread up a hand sewing needle. Prior to sewing beads, secure the 3 layers of your flower with a few stitches going top to bottom in the center 3-4 times. Sew as many beads as you like, keeping beads centered in the poinsettia. Finish and tie a knot in the back. Step 5Now you can decide how you will use your poinsettia. Hand sew a ribbon to the back if you are making it into a decoration. I'm making my poinsettia into a brooch. First hand sew the brooch back to the back of flower. Next, cut out a small piece of felt and hand sew felt down around the circle. Happy Sewing!
Photographed and written by Sheila Wong Studios A bound seam finish is not often seen in mass produced garments. Its a beautiful way to finish off raw edges inside of a garment. It is typically used to finish unlined garments in which the fabric has a high fray rate. Follow this step by step tutorial on how to apply a bound seam finish. Step 1Right sides facing sew your seam at 1/2" seam allowance and press seam open. Please note for this tutorial I will be using a 1/2" seam allowance, please check your pattern prior to sewing to see what the allocated seam allowance is. You have the choice to bind the seam allowances together, or bind them separately. Consider the thickness of your fabric, where the seam is located in the garment, and what style you desire. For this tutorial, I will demonstrate how to sew them separately. Step 2Now its time to create the binding tape. For a straight seam, cut a strip of fabric on grain or on the crossgrain as per sketch below. If you are applying a bound finish to a curved seam, cut your strip on bias. If you are unfamiliar with the terms: grain-line, crossgrain and bias please click HERE to learn. Its best to use light to medium weight 100% cotton for the binding tape. Step 3This is a 3 part pressing process to create the binding tape. Follow photos from left to right. Once the 3 part pressing steps are complete, you will have 4 sections measuring 3/8" each. This fits the original 1/2" seam allowance from step 1. Step 4Pick one side of your seam allowance, right sides facing pin the binding tape to seam allowance. Sew binding tape to seam allowance on first fold line. Step 5Wrap binding tape around seam allowance to the back, lay flat and edge stitch (approx 1/16") tape down. This sew line should capture the back of the binding tape too. Click on my video link below to see the TOP and BOTTOM views. YoutubeHere is a clip I took on what the Bound Seam Finish should look like from the top and bottom view of the seam allowance. Happy Sewing!
Photographed and written by Sheila Wong Studios |
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