Sewing Details
Leave room beneath a hand-sewn button for the fabric it will fasten
A small thread shank gives a flat button room to close over thicker fabric. Learn how to judge the space using the actual garment layers.
MATERIAL / METHOD / CARE
Sewing Details
Sewing Details
A flat-felled seam hides its raw edges inside a strong, tidy join
Understand how a flat-felled seam encloses its edges, where it suits a project, and what to check on a fabric sample before sewing the garment.
Sewing Details
Grade a Bulky Seam Before Turning the Collar Right Side Out
Reduce seam bulk in a collar or facing by trimming allowances to different widths while protecting the stitching and planning for the fabric’s behaviour.
Sewing Details
Clipping and Notching Curves: Two Small Cuts With Different Jobs
Understand when a curved seam needs clips or wedge-shaped notches, and practise without cutting through the stitching.
Sewing Details
Two Rows of Gathering Stitches Make a Ruffle Easier to Control
Two parallel gathering rows give you more control when distributing fabric into a ruffle and attaching it to a straight edge.
Sewing Details
Single-Fold and Double-Fold Bias Tape Finish an Edge Differently
Choose bias tape by the edge you want to finish, and test the fold, width and reverse-side stitching before sewing the garment.
Sewing Details
Basting Gives a Difficult Seam a Rehearsal
Use temporary basting stitches to check alignment, fit and fabric movement before sewing a difficult seam permanently.
Sewing Details
Sew a Dart Towards Its Point Without Leaving a Pucker
Mark both dart legs, sew smoothly towards the point and press with the garment’s shape in mind to reduce puckers in woven fabric.
Sewing Details
Understitch a Facing So It Stays on the Inside
Learn where understitching goes, how it supports a facing and how to practise the seam on a curved scrap before sewing a neckline.