TUTORIAL...How to Sew a "Designer" Elasticated Casing

 

This blouse in soft cotton batik is one that I made from 

this HotPatterns design...

This style can either be made with neck and sleeve bindings, or elasticated casings. I chose to make it with casings because I think it may be more comfortable in hot weather.

Making a casing for elastic is certainly one of our easier sewing tasks. Turn, stitch, insert elastic...done!  Sewn this conventional way, we end up with a perfectly acceptable casing that looks something like the photo below, after the elastic is inserted.  Fine...yet a little "bubbly and wobbly"...but something we have come to accept with elasticated casings.

However, by taking one additional construction step, you can achieve a "designer" look to an elastic casing garment. A very simple step that will result in a flat, even-edge casing every time, like the one in the finished garment shown....here is a close-up photo--  

 

So what's that extra construction step?  Edge-stitching!

After the casing is folded to the wrong side of the garment and stitched along the BOTTOM edge (leaving an opening to later insert the elastic, of course)....All that we need to do next to lend that "designer touch" is to edge-stitch the TOP fold of the casing...all the way around, as shown below--

By taking this one easy extra step, our casings lose the bubbles, 

and gain some designer panache!

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TUTORIAL...How to Sew a "Designer" Elasticated Casing

 

This blouse in soft cotton batik is one that I made from 

this HotPatterns design...

This style can either be made with neck and sleeve bindings, or elasticated casings. I chose to make it with casings because I think it may be more comfortable in hot weather.

Making a casing for elastic is certainly one of our easier sewing tasks. Turn, stitch, insert elastic...done!  Sewn this conventional way, we end up with a perfectly acceptable casing that looks something like the photo below, after the elastic is inserted.  Fine...yet a little "bubbly and wobbly"...but something we have come to accept with elasticated casings.

However, by taking one additional construction step, you can achieve a "designer" look to an elastic casing garment. A very simple step that will result in a flat, even-edge casing every time, like the one in the finished garment shown....here is a close-up photo--  

 

So what's that extra construction step?  Edge-stitching!

After the casing is folded to the wrong side of the garment and stitched along the BOTTOM edge (leaving an opening to later insert the elastic, of course)....All that we need to do next to lend that "designer touch" is to edge-stitch the TOP fold of the casing...all the way around, as shown below--

By taking this one easy extra step, our casings lose the bubbles, 

and gain some designer panache!

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Sewing Tutorial- "Cuffed-Hem" Sleeve

Recently I made this custom shirt for one of my clients from light-weight distressed denim. It is one of my original designs and features  pin-tucks on the pocket and right front...and special "Cuffed-Hems" on the sleeves (see Tutorial below).  The Coconut Shell Buttons and Pro-Weft Interfacing used on this shirt are from www.FashionSewingSupply.

How to make a "Cuffed-Hem" Sleeve

For an approximately 1" finished Cuffed-Hem, you only need to make one simple change to your sleeve pattern. Just change the hem allowance to 2.25 inches (2-1/4"), as shown in this sample pattern.

After cutting out your sleeve, turn the bottom (hem edge) of the sleeve to the Wrong side by 1-1/8", then turn it again by the same amount (1-1/8"), then Press.  All we are doing here is "turning it twice to the wrong side" by 1-1/8" each time...just as if we were making a double hem.  This photo shows the bottom edge turned twice. The sleeve is shown photographed from the side so that you can see the folds--

When the folds have been pressed completely flat, take your sleeve to the sewing machine. 

Now Top-Stitch along the Bottom Edge  about 1/4", through all the layers. After stitching, this is what the sleeve will look like from the Wrong Side--

To finish the Cuffed-Hem, turn down the top fold (the one that was NOT stitched) and press. 

Here is what the finished Cuffed-Hem Sleeve looks like from the right side and the wrong side. The wrong side will have the raw edge enclosed, and the right side will have the Cuffed "Lip" that was formed when you stitched it!

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TUTORIAL-- Fast and Fabulous Fabric Loops!

I do not have much time to sew these days, but I do have time to show you how I make "fabric loops"...for functional purposes. There is such a loop included in the Colette Patterns Negroni Shirt.

There are similar methods for making a length of tube to use for multiple buttons, however please note that this tutorial shows how I make a single flat loop for the specific purpose of replacing a buttonhole at the very top of a Convertible Collar shirt.

 ~Click Photos to enlarge...to return to blog, click your browser's Back Button~

To make a single button loop, first start by cutting a strip of fabric on the bias that is about 1" wide and about 3" long.   Then as shown above, fold it in half width-wise (RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER) and "finger press" along the folded edge to make a center crease.

Now at your machine, pull out a long length of both the bobbin and top thread. As shown above, leave a loop of both thread tails behind the presser foot.  Then lay the rest of the pulled thread tails along the inner "valley" of the fold you made in the fabric strip.  What we are doing here is making our own "tool" out of thread, that we will later use as a handle to easily turn our loop!

Fold the bias strip in half, enclosing the thread tails as shown above. Loosen the top tension of your machine a little bit (if it is set at 5 for instance, loosen to 4.5).... then stitch a 1/4" seam.

The photo above shows what your stitched bias strip will look like after it is removed from the machine.  

Note that the thread tails are attached at one end of the seam, but loose inside the fold of the strip.

Now grasp the UNATTACHED thread tails, and start to gently pull them...turning your sewn bias strip right sides out.  Continue pulling those thread "handles" and turning the tube until all the seam allowances are inside.

Then take your turned strip to your pressing surface and press it flat, with the seam along one edge, as shown above.

Now we are going to "set" the bias and make our turned strip narrow and neat.  While still at your pressing surface, spray your flattened strip on both sides with some plain water until it is quite damp. Then pick it up, holding the short edges, one in each hand...and pull. Pull hard, so that the bias strip stretches, lengthens, and becomes more narrow.  Then cover with a press cloth, and press the stretched strip until it is dry. It will look something like this--

Now trim the ends, cut to the desired size, form your loop, and insert according to the pattern instructions.

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TUTORIAL-- Clean-Finished No Bulk Facing (Shown on the Negroni Shirt)

Here's a "Custom Turn" on a technique many of you may already use to finish the outside edge of a facing. In this short tutorial I am demonstrating this method on the front facing of the Negroni Camp Shirt Pattern.

^ STEP 1 ^

The photo above shows the facing pattern cut out as usual on the CF edge (to the right), BUT cut about 1/8" wider on the curved outer edge (the edge my scissors are "pointing" to).

 ^ STEPS 2 & 3 ^

Next cut out your interfacing using THE CUT OUT FABRIC FACING PIECE for the INTERFACING "PATTERN" (I am using one of my custom-milled interfacings, Pro-Sheer Elegance Fusible Interfacing available exclusively at Fashion Sewing Supply). 

Then, place the Interfacing and Fabric Facing piece RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER (the fusible side of the interfacing will be "up"), and stitch them together with an 1/8" seam along the curved edge. If you click the photo above to enlarge it, this stitching is more visible.

^ STEP 4 ^

Now, open up (separate the 2 layers), and move the piece to your pressing surface.

 ^ STEP 5 ^

At your pressing surface, turn the interfacing to the wrong side, WRAPPING the interfacing OVER and AROUND THE NARROW SEAM, enclosing the seam allowances. Now fuse the interfacing according to the instructions.  Please note--The interfacing will not reach the long straight CF edge of the facing..and this is a good thing...no added bulk in that seam when it is later sewn !

The photo above shows the completed "Clean Finish" of this facing.  

Usually when the basic method of this technique is used, the allowances of that little seam are completely turned to the wrong side, then the interfacing is fused to hold them down. However, when the seam-allowances are WRAPPED by the interfacing, they are not only clean finished, but thin and bulk-free. And the added bonus is that when the shirt is completely sewn, it will look like flat piping has been sewn to the facing edge. This is such a nice custom look without the bulk that would transfer to the right side as a wrinkle/ridge every time the shirt is pressed !

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NEW Tutorial-- Stretch NeckBand with Stable Back Seam

Most of us have made tops with necklines finished with simple stretch neckbands instead of binding. Here is rather dressy style that I made for myself with a narrow self-fabric Stretch Neckband...

And here is a casually styled Toddler Sweatshirt that I recently made for my favorite one-year-old little girl, with a neckband made from rib-knit...

Whether casual or dressy, made with self-fabric or ribbing...it is all too easy for a Stretch Neckband to end up looking "wonky" because the layers have shifted while being sewn to the neckline.  Keeping the seamed edges of a Stretch Neckband completely straight and stable while sewing it to the neckline can be tricky...especially with slippery knits !

Here is a way to stabilize and neatly enclose the back seam allowance of a Basic Stretch Neckband. This method may be common to experienced sewists, but it may be new to those who do not have much experience sewing with knits. Regardless, I hope you find it useful :)

So let's start :)

After you have determined how wide and long to make your Stretch Neckband (be it from a pattern piece, or your own design preference), it will look something like this example below...a single thickness of knit fabric.

(Please Note-- In this tutorial I am demonstrating with Rib Knit, aka "Ribbing")

The next step is to fold the strip in half, Right Sides Together so that the short ends meet, as shown below.

Usually, this is when we would sew the Back Seam of the Neckband, by stitching the short raw edges closed to form a circle (loop). But the next step is where this method differs from the norm.

Next, fold the entire strip in half again...this time from the top down. After making this fold you will have 4  (longer) raw edge layers that meet, 4 (short) raw edge layers that meet, and 2 folded ends that meet, as shown below.

Now take your folded Neckband Strip to the sewing machine, and stitch a seam starting from the TOP fold, through all four stacked short layers, as shown in the next 2 photos below. In this example I am using a 1/4-inch seam allowance.

We now have a twice-folded Neckband piece, that has had the 4 (short) layers seamed together. As a result, we also now have 4 layers of seam allowance. At this point, you can choose to grade the seam by trimming the 2 inner seam allowances.  

If I decide to grade this seam, I trim the 2 inner seam allowance layers by about half their width.

Now...finally...you will see the point of the extra fold and stitching those 4 stacked short edges together!

After the top edge is turned (flipped) over the seam allowances and all the raw edges meet,  your Stretch Collar Band is ready to be sewn to the neckline of your garment.

The folded back seam allowances have been "locked" together by the stitching that was done, and now will not shift or slip when being sewn to the garment...yay!

QUICK REVIEW--The following sketch illustrates the usual way a Stretch Neckline Band is sewn to the neckline of a garment.
From top to bottom: 1. Quarter-mark the raw edges of the Stretch Neckband, using the Center-Back Seam as one of the marks. 2. Quarter-mark the neckline edge of the Garment.  3. With right sides together, match the marks of the Stretch Neckband to the marks of the neckline, then sew the Neckline Band to garment...stretching the Neckline Band to fit the neckline edge.

^Click photo to Enlarge^

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Tutorial-- Quick, Easy, Draped Cowl Variations !

With even more draped cowl patterns like this one from McCalls appearing in recent pattern catalogs, this revisit of a popular tutorial I wrote a few years ago is even more relevant today.

So, now I'll show you how quick and easy it is to make countless variations like these shown below from a basic draped cowl neckline...that can be done in mere minutes!

First, start with a drape-front cowl (photo #1 below) already in your wardrobe, or make one with the many patterns that exist for this style.

As shown In photo #2, turn the garment inside out and flip the front facing up to expose the wrong side of front of the top.

Next, for the most basic variation, pinch some fabric near center front, twist it a bit, and hold the “twisted pinched” fabric with a rubber band, as shown in photo #3.  I am showing this with a regular rubber band so it shows up in the photo, however a small clear "ponytail" band works best. Later, if you want to make this design change permanent, the 'twist' can be stitched. Or just remove the band, and you have your original draped cowl back again :)

Now turn down the facing to cover the banded fabric, as shown in photo #4.

As shown in photo #5 below,  when the garment is turned right-side-out, the twisted detail becomes a new interesting design feature of the top.

Where you pinch and band the fabric is totally up to you: higher, lower, to the left or right of center, using 2 or 3 twists, etc. There are infinite possibilities for design variations like these.... Have fun!

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TUTORIAL: Ravel Grading...A Master Tailor's Technique

There are many ways to grade seams. Among them are trimming one seam allowance narrower than the other, turning the scissors on edge to "bevel" the allowances, and using Pinking Shears.  But the hands-down most elegant and effective way I was ever shown, is to "Ravel Grade".  This was the favored technique taught to me by my Master Tailor mentors during my apprenticeship. You are unlikely to find this technique in any tailoring books, as it is a very esoteric "old world" technique.

Below you will see a photo of 2 pieces of wool, that have been underlined with Pro-Weft Fusible Interfacing to within 3/16-inch of the seam edges. The 2 pieces of wool have been placed right sides together, and you can see (very faintly in blue), that a 5/8" seam has been sewn down the length of the two pieces, on the right.

^ Click to enlarge ^

The first and only step in the "Ravel Grading" process is very easy. Merely ravel off a few threads from the edge of both seam allowances, leaving soft fringed edges. So what does that accomplish?  In this example, by completely removing the warp (lengthwise) thread  from the seam allowance edges...the fabric there is now half as thick as before!
NOTE--Both seam allowances will be trimmed to 3/8" in some areas like lapel edges and jacket fronts before being Ravel Graded, and will remain "married" (not pressed open).  But instead of being the thickness of 2 layers of fabric, one layer has been raveled away resulting in the edge-bulk being totally eliminated...the finished lapel and jacket front edges (collar edges, etc) will be sharp and completely flat after pressing.

^ Click to enlarge ^

In the photo below, you will see the seam allowance pressed open. Notice how elegantly the bulk from the allowance edge has disappeared, because the fabric there is now half  of it's original thickness!  And to think that all that needed to be done was ravel away a few threads :)

^ Click to enlarge ^

So I ask you...which seam allowance shown below will be far less likely to leave a "pressing ridge" on the right side of a finished garment?  The "pinked" side...or the side that was Ravel Graded ?  Especially if your fashion fabric is very thick, highly slubbed, or other wise textured?  Why the "Ravel Graded" side, of course :)

^ Click to enlarge ^

SEWING NOTES: Medium weight wool flannel fabric is underlined with Pro-Weft Fusible Interfacing, a very lightweight highly flexible interfacing available exclusively at Fashion Sewing Supply.  

In case you are wondering...about half the beautifully tailored, very expensive garments that were created in the shop during my apprenticeship were made with fusible interfacings that my mentors imported from Italy.  When I created my own line of custom-milled fusible interfacings, I managed to reproduce the same uncompromising "premium" professional quality. If they were still on this earth, I dearly hope that my mentors would be proud of my efforts :)

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