Fitting Tips
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1. Measure your body (bust, waist, hips) separately front and back. I am a full size larger in front than in the back and cut my front pattern pieces accordingly.
2. Cut side seams with 1 inch seam allowances (add 3/8 inch to 5/8 inch seam allowances). This allows for alterations while fitting, or weight gain in the future. If desired, trim the seam allowances after fitting.
3. If a C-cup or larger, purchase patterns using your upper chest measurement, not bust measurement, then make a full bust adjustment. The garment will fit properly through the neckline and shoulders.
4. Fitting full, high hips is easier by adding darts at the waist rather than trying to taper in at the side seams. Cut the pattern according to your hip measurement, than add darts as necessary to fit your waist, starting in the back and then the front if needed. For example, if the waist needs to be reduced by 2 inches, create two 1-inch darts in the back, at least an inch away from the existing darts. This makes for a smoother transition between the high hip and waist. (Published in Threads, Reader's Tips, Issue #119).
5. Invest in a dress form, then make it duplicate your figure. I recommend purchasing a dress form slightly smaller than your figure, then padding it out to match not only your measurements, but exactly where you need the padding (protruding tummy or derriere, large bust vs. small back, dowager's hump, full hips, etc.) Just because the measurements on the dress form match yours does not mean the padding is in the right place. A 38 inch bust could mean a full bust, but could also mean a dowager's hump or broad back. 40 inch hips could mean a full derriere, or full hips, or both. Try a dress that fits you well on the dress form - does it look the same on the form as it does on you? Study your figure and the dress form side by side in a mirror to make sure the contours are the same. The dress form in my pictures is from Fabulous Fit and came with pads shaped to duplicate specific body parts. In addition, I also used cotton batting wrapped several times from the waist down to re-create my figure. It has been a tremendous help in fitting, especially the back, as we all know how difficult it is to fit ourselves. A dress form can also be used to experiment with designs, or tissue fitting the pattern pieces or muslin.
Finishing Backs of Bound Buttonholes
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When I first started making bound buttonholes, I would finish the backs by creating a faced opening in the facing with a strip of lining fabric or organza and slipstitching it to the back of the buttonhole. This sometimes created extra bulk in medium to heavy weight fabrics. (Red jacket) The solution I came up with was to create a machine made buttonhole on the facing that corresponds to the bound buttonhole. (Wine jacket) Make sure to interface the area before making the buttonhole if the facing is not already interfaced. If the fabric is light weight or loosely woven, you may want to add an extra layer of interfacing in the buttonhole area. After the facing is attached, mark the location of the buttonhole by inserting a pin at each end of the bound buttonhole, through the facing underneath. Mark the location on the facing and create a machine made buttonhole on the facing. Make the buttonhole on the facing slightly wider than the bound buttonhole. Make sure the buttonhole is neat with no loose threads that might poke out through the bound buttonhole on the right side. Finish by stitching-in-the-ditch, by hand or machine, through all layers on the right side of the bound buttonhole lips. Make sure the facing buttonhole is in alignment with the bound buttonhole.
Don't Be Afraid To...
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Change the Order of Construction
Sewing the side seams last makes for much easier fitting adjustments. For example, on a sleeveless bodice with shoulder seams at least 2quot wide, sew princess seams or darts on the front and back, complete the lining or facing, stitch the shoulder seams on both garment and lining or facing, stitch the lining or facing to the garment at the neck, trim the seam and understitch. At this point, check to make sure the lining or facing is even with the garment at the shoulder. I usually trim off 1/8quot to 1/4quot to ensure a good quotturn of clothquot, meaning the lining sits smoothly under the garment. Stitch the lining or facing to the garment at the front and back armholes, trim the seam, clip at curves, and understitch the seam as far as possible. To turn right side out, pull each bodice back section through the shoulder and press. Open out the lining or facing and stitch the side seams in a continuous seam from the bottom of the garment, through the armhole seam, to the bottom of the lining or facing. Using this order of construction enables easy alterations at the side seams without having to rip out the armscye seam. After fitting, secure the lining or facing to the garment by stitching in the ditch for half an inch or so at the side seam under the arm.
This same principle can be applied to a skirt that has no waistband (lined to the edge).
1. Mark the darts on the skirt and lining as usual.
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2. Stay-stitch the waist and hip areas on both skirt and lining pieces.
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3. Sew the back seam and insert the zipper and complete any back openings such as a pleat or vent in both skirt and lining. Leave an opening in the lining for the zipper.
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4. Attach the lining to the skirt at the waist, right sides together, on front and back. Trim the seam to ¼”, understitch the skirt to the lining, and press the seam towards the lining.
5. Now sew the darts as if the skirt were a dress, either by starting at the waistline seam and ending at each point, or starting at the points, and overlapping the stitching at the waistline seam. (I personally get a better shaped dart by starting at the point.) Press the darts toward the center front and center back.
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6. Sew the side seams of the skirt and lining in one continuous seam, starting at the bottom of the skirt, sewing towards the waist and ending at the bottom of the lining. Press the side seams open. Incidentally, I like to cut the side seam allowances 1” wide to allow for future alterations.
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7. Turn the lining to the inside of the skirt, press the waistline seam, and slipstitch the lining to the zipper tape. If you inserted an invisible zipper, the lining can be attached to the zipper tape with a zipper foot before turning the lining to the inside. Sew a hook and eye above the zipper.
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8. If desired, tack the skirt and lining together at the side seams and darts.
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9. Hem the skirt and lining as usual.
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With this construction method, the darts and side seams can be adjusted without separating the lining from the skirt at the waist. Simply pull up the lining and let in or out the darts or side seams and re-press the skirt. If altering the side seams all the way to the hem, the hem will still need to be ripped out and re-sewn on the skirt. I find that ripping out the hem on the lining can usually be avoided by tapering any side seam adjustments to the hemline. The front waistline seam can also be easily deepened, tapering to nothing at the side seams. This will help the skirt drape properly for a figure that has a waistline that is lower in the front than the back, resulting in the hemline being parallel to the floor.
(This was developed into a feature article in Threads, Issue #157, November 2011, Easy-to-Alter Waistline.)
Change the Design
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Feel free to change a design element on a garment, or combine different patterns to create a new garment. I frequently combine a bodice from one pattern with a skirt from another, for example. Just make sure the seamlines match and make adjustments as needed. If extreme changes are made, a muslin should be made to test your new design. Change the collar, omit or add pockets, deepen or shorten a neckline, switch sleeve styles, etc. What's great about sewing is that a garment can be created using your personal preferences including fabric choices and design details.
Miscellaneous Tips
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Snug Up a Gaping Neckline
Sometimes, despite careful planning, you may find yourself with a gaping neckline or armhole upon completing a garment. Of course, prior to cutting into your fabric, you should always at minimum tissue-fit the pattern to your body or dress form. At this stage you can pinch out any gaping areas (neckline, front or back armhole on sleeveless garments, etc.) I find that on a C-cup or larger, I always end up pinching about ½” of tissue on deep v-necks, and ¼” on the front and back armhole. This can be done on the tissue, or fitting muslin if you are going this extra step.
The next stage of defense against stretching and gaping is to stay-stitch the neckline (or armhole), or even sew in stay-tape in these areas. Measure the length of stay-tape needed from the stitching line on the pattern piece, pin it to the garment, easing the fabric to the stay-tape, if necessary, and stitch just inside the seam line. Fusible stay-tape can also be used. On armholes, I find if I hold my finger in back of the pressure foot while staystitching, this helps ease in the curved areas a bit, and they will hug the body better. Staystitch just inside the seam line, from the shoulder to the underarm seam.
However, if the neckline or armholes still do not lay quite flat against the body, here is a trick I came across while making a deep v-neck evening gown. I noticed while beading the edge of the neckline, the stitching was also shortening the length of the seam line, therefore snugging it up a bit and making it lay flatter against the chest. I discovered that a simple line of running stitches, just on the inside of the lining, caused the same effect. To try this method, start with a double strand of thread. Secure the stitching with a few small backstitches at the point of the V, and sew small running stitches close to the edge of the seam line, just beside the understitching on the lining or facing. Continue up towards the shoulder, stopping before the shoulder seam. Pull the thread until the seam line is the correct length and secure with a few backstitches. Using a presscloth, press the neckline on the right side over a ham until the seam lies flat. A shot of steam with the iron held about an inch above the fabric, and then patting the fabric flat may also work. The same technique could also work on gaping armholes.
Save Your Fabric Scraps
I intentionally purchase ¼ to ½ yard more fabric than required for a project in case I decide to change the design or lengthen a hemline, and to allow for possible shrinkage if prewashing. This frequently leaves me with good-sized fabric scraps which I save for later use as test garments. This works especially well with knits, as “muslin” cannot be used to make a “muslin” for a knit garment. This usually means a test garment made out of different colors, but of course, no one but you will see it.
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Replacing Zipper Pull Tab
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I was recently charged with the task of repairing or replacing a zipper on a down ski jacket. Thinking I would try the easy way first, I purchased a zipper repair kit for around $15.00 and set out to replace the zipper pull – remove the top stop with pliers, slide on a new zipper pull in the matching size and replace the top stop. Should have been easy, except the new zipper pull would barely budge up and down the zipper and the bottom of the zipper would pull apart after I managed to get the zipper pulled up. Also, replacement pulls do not come in different colors, so I was planning on painting the zipper pull with model paint to match the original. Thinking the zipper teeth were somehow damaged, I bought a new zipper for around $4.00 and prepared to replace the zipper. Since the new zipper needed to be shortened before inserting it into the jacket, I removed an inch of teeth, and then it occurred to me that the pull on the new zipper was now free to try on the zipper still attached to the jacket. It worked perfectly and the teeth remained closed after pulling the zipper up. And the zipper pull color matched the jacket. Hooray! I only had to replace the top stop of the zipper and it was good to go. The lesson learned here is to forget the expensive zipper repair kit, buy a zipper in the color needed to match the garment and use the zipper pull for the repair. If the zipper still needs to be replaced, you already have the zipper. (An edited version of this tip was published in Threads, Reader's Tips, November 2010, issue #151).