Tailoring

I have started my tailoring class at Baylor this fall. It’s going to be lots of work but hopefully lots of fun as well. Here I will post different steps and phases of my adventure through tailoring as I make a pair of dress pants and a jacket.  Wish me luck!

9/24/2011 8:35PM

Tailoring: A Great Pair of Pants-

A pair of well fitting, versatile dress slacks can be a well invested addition to your closet. Pants are easy to make, but hard to fit so here are some tools I’ve learned while fitting my pants.

Pick a pattern that you enjoy and matches your sewing skill level.



My pattern



I’ve chosen the Simplicity pattern 2562. This pattern is a traditional trouser that has a wide countered waistband that sits an inch under the natural waist.

Once you have your pattern, have your measurements taken (it’s best to have someone help you to get accurate measurements it’d be a tad difficult to take them yourself). Measure your waist, high hips, full hips, thigh, crotch length, crotch depth, and leg length. Use a piece of elastic tied around your waist to have as a reference of your natural waist. Compare your measurements to the measurements you take of your chosen pattern.

Measure your waist where the elastic sits (the smallest part of your torso).

Measure your high hip approximately 3inches below the waist line (about where your hip bones are located).

Measure around the fullest part of your hips, (the fullest part of your bum) located approximately 9inches from your waist.

Measure the fullest part of your upper thigh.

To measure your crotch length, sit on a flat surface and measure the distance from your waist to the fullest part of a thigh at an angle. **Tip: measuring at an angle instead of straight down to the table gives a measurement that is more accommodating for when you sit in your pants.

To measure your crotch depth, measure from the elastic around the waist in the front, through the legs to the elastic point in the back. **Tip: measure the distance from the elastic in the front to the center of the crotch (where the seam of a pair of pants crosses) and the distance from the back elastic to the center of the crotch so you can adjust the appropriate amount in the front and back of your pattern.

To measure the length of your pants, measure down the side of your body from your waist to your ankle bone. **Tip: when adjusting your pattern, make sure to account for your hem! (Around 1 ¼ to 1 ½ inch hem).

To have a pair of nice fitting trousers, there must be some wearing ease so they don’t fit snug like a pair of skinny jeans.

Waist: 1”

High Hip: 1”

Full hips: 2”-3”

Thigh: 2”-3”

Crotch length: 1”-2”

Crotch depth: ½”-1”

Make the adjustment to your pants for a custom fit and create a proto-type to strive for the best fitting pair of wool dress trousers in your closet!

11/2/2011 9:50PM

Tailoring: The Perfect Zipper

Zippers are an efficient, convenient closure to get in and out of a garment, especially pants. For me, I know I always end up taking out my zipper while constructing garments two if not three times! A very time consuming and annoying process. For my tailored pants we worked on our fly front zipper step by step through these ten step instructions and I finished without a glitch! My fist perfect zipper on the first try. So stop getting frustrated with your zippers and let them become a design element you can’t live without!

These directions are in the “Easy Guide to Sewing”

Fly Front Zipper (basted seam method)

In women’s pants, the fly laps from the right to the left.

Step one: Interface the wrong side of the fly. I recommend using a fusible, it’s easy and convenient to use. Make sure you preshrink it!

Step two: Starting at 1 ½ in from the inner crotch stitch on your seam allowance (usually 5/8) to ¼ from the zipper stop. Then from there continue on the center front to the raw edge with a basting stitch (this basting will stay in till the end!)

Step tree: make a clip under the fly to allow it to press open.

Step four: On the inside of the pants, left fly, draw a line ½ in away parallel to the center front. Fold the extension under and press.

Step five: With zipper up, pin the zipper tape to the extension so its close to the zipper teeth (the zipper stop should be where you started basting)

Step six: Needle to the right of the zipper foot, stitch up the zipper tape (stay stitch your ends!)

Step seven: Turn over the zipper pulling out the folded extension, pin the second side of the zipper to the left fly extension. Stitch through the middle of the tape and extension.

Step eight: Turn the garment over. Looking at your pants, on the left side (the wearers right) mark your fly front top stitching. (I found it easiest to get a smooth perfect top stitching to make a template from a file folder) the width of the top stitching should be about 1 ¼ in and come from the raw edge down curving at the bottom ending under the zipper stop but catching the zipper tape (this is where you ended your stitching and started your basting ¼in under your zipper stop).

Step nine: Tape the pattern down and stitch right around it through the tape. Bar tack on the center front seam horizontally to the seam to keep your reinforcement hidden.

Step ten: Steam press and remove your basting!

With ten steps you have now completed your fly front zipper! I hope it went as smoothly as mine did!

12/1/2011
Covered Snap

                Snaps are an easy, convenient closure for many garments, such as jackets and the under lap of a trouser waistband, in replace of buttons and buttonholes or hooks and eyes. However, snaps are not always the most professional, attractive, or matched style of closure. Covering your snaps with fabric is an easy fix to allow you to use snaps for their convenience and match them to your garment.

1)      Cut two circles out of a light weight fabric that matches your garment slightly larger than the diameter of your snap. If your wool, cotton or other type of fabric is light enough that two layers can fit between the snaps, feel free to use your fashion fabric. However, if your snap wont fully snap use a lighter weight lining fabric that matches.

2)      Make a small running stitch around the edge. This is just a traditional single thread stitch used to hand baste. Make a knot in one end of the string so you can’t pull it out.

3)      Place the inner side of the snap in the circle face down. Pull the lose end of the basting so that the fabric is drawn around the snap. Secure the threads with small stitches.

4)      For the other circle, sew a running stitch around the edge as well and draw it around the snap. With a needle or pin, spread apart the yarns to create a hole for the outer part of the snap to poke through. This will allow the snap to fit together.

5)      Test your snaps.

6)      Attach the snap with the outer ball to the overlap in its proper location. Using a buttonhole stitch make several stitches through the holes of the snaps. Use a double thread to secure your snap to your garment. Match where the inner half of the snap will be on the under lap. Stitch this side of the snap from the fabric under the snap hiding the stitching.

Your stylish snaps are now complete!

12/3/2011
Before you Sew!

                Before you begin constructing your garments, it is important to preshrink your fabric. Fabrics come from the store with temporary finishes and haven’t been dried, and the last thing you want is to happen is for you to finish constructing a beautiful garment and for it to shrink in the first wash. Trust me. Don’t you hate when you buy a new shirt and you love the fit then it shrinks after you wash it? Save yourself some unneeded frustration and preshrink your fabric!

Fusible interfacing: Immerse into hot water and let it soak until the water is cool. Roll up in a towel to remove excess water and let hang over a towel bar or shower rod to dry. (NOTE: this is the only fabric you can hang dry. Others will stretch and become off grain.)

Hair Canvas: Spray hair canvas with a spray bottle and press dry.

Cottons and linens: Immerse in hot water then dry in your dryer. Press wrinkles if needed.

Wool: Immerse into warm water and squeeze out the excess. Lay out wool into a dry bed sheet and fold it up together. Allow to sit in a plastic bag for 24 hours. Then lay out wool on a flat surface to dry. Press out wrinkles if needed.

Zippers, edge tape and other accessories: Immerse into hot water and let soak until the water has cooled. Allow to air dry then press.

Save yourself the time and preshrink before you sew! Do your research and test a piece of your fabric to see how much it will shrink. Put in that much more work and give yourself a good fitting garment that will last past the first wash!

12/4/2011
Sequence of constructing your tailored jacket

                When sewing something as intricate and structured as a Tailored Blazer, the order must be given some attention. The fit of your jacket is affected by each component and adjust and move slightly as the construction of your jacket progresses. Here is the order in which the construction of my jacket has been done in to allow for a step by step map.

1.       Layout and cut your jacket pieces. (Find the best way to lay them out to save fabric and make sure they are all on grain!)

2.       Mark your fabric with an appropriate marking tool. (Make sure the markings will be able to washout without leaving an oil mark!)

a.       Mark notches

b.      Mark grain lines and center front

c.       Mark dots

d.      mark darts, pleats, gathers, and vents

e.      Mark seam allowances

f.        Mark any other tool on your pattern to help align your garment pieces

3.       Interface where necessary. (Research the appropriate interfacing. I recommend using fusible where possible!)

4.       Sew all darts and princess seams. (After sewing any seams make sure you press appropriately)

5.       Apply any pockets and bound buttonholes. (Make a sample first!)

6.       Sew in seam tape.

7.       Sew in front facings. (Pay attention to how to make your front edge seams roll under so they aren’t visible in the finished product!)

8.       Sew in shoulder seams and side seams. (First fitting: asses and adjustments needed.)

9.       Sew and shape the under collar. (Pay attention to your roll line!)

10.   Sew the under and upper collar together. (Trim, press, and shape: make sure the seams and corners aren’t bulky!)

11.   Apply the collar to the jacket. (Baste and check how it shapes before permanently stitching!)

12.   Sew together if have two piece sleeves and baste in. (Second fitting: Make sure the collar lies against the neck properly and the sleeves hang straight.) Permanently sew in sleeves.

13.   Sew in Shoulder pads and sleeve heads.

14.   Finish your bound buttonhole or sew in machine buttonholes.

15.   Finish hem and vents.

16.   Sew on buttons or snaps.

17.   Steam your garment. (Make your garment shell look as if you were going to wear it without lining! It’s easier to steam and press without your lining in.)

18.   Make sure your lining pattern includes pleats and other fitting ease. Layout and Cut lining. (Be careful with slippery fabrics they like to move when you cut!)

19.   Sew up your lining seams.

20.   Hand sew in your lining.


Notched collars
A Notched collar is the traditional collar seen on a tailored blazer. When shaped well, a notched collar is sharp, professional, and well fitted improving the quality of the look of your jacket.

1.       Start with your under collar.

a.       Make sure all your seams and your roll line is marked.

b.      Interface the under collar with a fusible interfacing. Keep interfacing out of the seam allowances to reduce bulk.

c.       Sew the center seam, stabilizing the edges and press open.

d.      Stitch on the roll line. Then stitch parallel every ¼” inch from the roll line to the curved edge.

e.      Folding right sides together on the roll line and press on a pressing ham to shape and make the collar stand on its own.

f.        Line up the straight edge of the upper collar and under collar and stitch from the corner on the rounded side, to the other side of the collar. Stay-stitch the edge.

g.       Miter the corners. Be careful not to cut too far so you don’t get frayed rabbit ears.

h.      Grade and clip the straight edge seam then turn the collar right side out.

i.         Press the collar. Make the seams and corner as flat as possible.

2.       Attach the Collar to the jacket.

a.       Right sides together, sew the under collar to the jacket starting at the back center front out. The end of the collar should match to the point where the lapel is sewn together.

b.      Right sides together sew the facing to the upper collar. Grade, clip and notch the seams between the facing and the neckline to remove any bulk.

c.       Stitch these seams together.

d.      Press and fold on roll line. Steam but DO NOT press roll line.

Shaping your shoulders.

The Shape of your jacket is important to making a good looking blazer. Like the collar, the shoulder structure of your jacket is an important component to make your jacket fit well and look sharp and professional. There are multiple components to add in your jacket shoulders to achieve the smooth structure.

1.       Shoulder pads

a.       Shoulder pads may be associated with the 80’s, but they are still well used and needed to shape your jacket shoulders. You may buy shoulder pads from the store, or you can make your own from pellon and fleece.

b.      Shoulder pads should be large enough to cover your shoulder without intruding into the neckline.

c.       Shoulder pads should be the correct thickness to fill in the hollow parts of a shoulder and for the style of jacket.

2.       Sleeve heads

a.       Sleeve heads aid shoulder pads in filling in the hollow parts that fall off the shoulder into the arm. They also prevent the seam allowance from showing through to the outside. Sleeve heads are easy to make but can be purchased as well.

b.      Sleeve heads are sewn into the seam allowances so that the fold into the sleeve.

3.       Further shaping

a.       Depending on the weight of your fabric, stays on the front and/or back may also be needed to fill out the hollow spaces.

b.      For front and back stays, use your pattern to cut a section that matches the shape of your shoulders from a light weight muslin, pin and stitch to shoulder seams.