WORK-IN-PROGRESS: Stays

I am back to the bias stays/facing theme as I used bias stays and bias facings on my flapper dress.

{edit} If you are new to this - thanks, Oona, for reminding - stays are used to stabilize seamlines or garment edges to prevent stretching, not to be confused with the waist stay.

 It is probably one of the more fascinating subjects for me since stays belong to those invisible but crucial techniques in couture sewing. And once you dig into this topic you will uncover quite a few options. Who knows what to use? and why?... After taking several classes with Susan Khalje, making quite a few couture garments myself, and researching a range of available resources I began to understand the choices; and so, today, I want to share my findings with you.

I don't use fusible stays, so I won't cover those. But I hope this brief overview of sew-in stays will help you save your time when looking for the most appropriate stabilizing choice. 

TWILL TAPE 

Availablility: Black or white, polyester (less bulky) or cotton.

Width: 1/4" is preferred for stabilizing

Characteristics: straight grain, stabilized seams will never stretch, will behave equally well after washing

Fabric suitability: heavy- to mediumweight woven fabrics

Fit: close fit, tailored styles

Support: only on straight edges or seams, such as waistline, or top edge of the strapless bodice, etc.

FABRIC SELVAGE & STRAIGHT-GRAIN STAYS  

Availablility: fashion fabric selvage, can be made of china silk, silk organza, silk chiffon or cotton voile. Chose the stay to match the weight, the color and draping characteristics of your fabric. Stays cut on lengthwise grain can also be used, as well as crossgrain stays, but they are not as sturdy as the selvage, and, in addition, the crossgrain-cut stay will have some stretch. If you do use stays cut on lengthwise or crossgrain, do press them and stretch while pressing to remove all the stretch. I explain the reasons below, under bias-cut stays.

Width: 1/4" is preferred for stabilizing

Characteristics: firm support, perfect match in color and weight because it is cut from the same fabric, minimum bulk

Fabric suitability: sheer or delicate woven fabrics, medium-weight fabrics, bouclé.

Fit: any styles

Support:  straight edges or seams, such as waistline, or top edge of the strapless bodice, etc.

ELASTIC STAY

Availability: purchase braided elastic (gets narrow when stretched)

Width: approximately 1/4"(0.5 cm)

Characteristics: flexible support, allows to move, but returns to shape; bulky, so cannot be used on light-weight fabrics.

Fabric and Style Suitability: medium-weight fabrics, especially on dresses and tops with plunging necklines; also used for armholes.  


Fit: close fit


Support: deep necklines, armholes, and similar applications. Here I want to add that on those deep necklines you can always consider using boning to keep the neckline close to your body.  Elastic can keep the neckline taut, while boning will prevent the garment from revealing too much when you move. More on it later.

Application: it is applied using the catchstitch, which encases the elastic on both sides without piercing it - elastic should be able to move. The elastic is then pulled up to the desired length and securily sewn to the garment at the end.

SEAMS GREAT

Availablility: 100 % percent nylon; in black, white or ivory; bias or straight grain.

Width: available in 5/8"

Characteristics: light support, sheer and lightweight, minimum bulk,

Fabric suitability: sheer or delicate woven fabrics

Support: straight or slightly curved seams, prevents seam slippage.

Notes: Susan Khalje also recommends using bias-cut tricot to stabilize scalloped seams on knit fabrics.

BIAS-CUT STAY

on the top, the strip after pressing, stretching and steaming out the bias;
below, initial width. 

Availablility: DIY, I use a matching silk organza to make this bias stays because organza and sturdy and sheer at the same time. Bias stays need to be cut on true bias and then stretched and presses until all the stretch disappears. (Read my earlier post on bias stays)

Width: 1/4" - 3/8" 

Characteristics: light support, perfect match in color and weight because it can be cut from matching silk organza, minimum bulk, minimal fraying. The width of the strip reduces to almost a third of the original after pressing, the length increases, and the strip does tend to return to original shape if moved. It's simple mechanics, and so that's why you remove all bias with pressing - the strip can only get slightly shorter during the wear - making the stay perfect for necklines and armholes. In this, this stay works similarly as the elastic stay mentioned above. Finally, because of the bias the stay creates a softer edge (or roll) where it is applied, which I personally like more. Straight-grain stays, or folds produce a crisper edge when pressed. 

Fabric suitability: sheer or delicate woven fabrics, knits, lace.

Fit: any styles

Support:  shaped seams on wovens, straight and shaped seams on knits, seams on bias-cut garments, especially zippers, etc.

MY FAVORITES

I tend to use organza selvage for straight/ on-grain edges and shoulder seams. If seams are cut on the bias (V-neck, for example), especially on the lightweight fabrics, I prefer using bias stays, also from silk organza.

TUTORIALS & RESOURCES

At this point I cannot link to tutorials on how to apply this different type of stays - I am working on the bias stay tutorial - but you can find some information in the following resources.

• Bridal Couture by Susan Khalje (out of print) (overview of stays and twill tape application on top edge, and more)
• Couture Sewing Techniques by Claire Shaeffer (overview of stays)
• Couture Techniques Workshop DVD by Claire Shaeffer, (covers stay application and elastic stay)
• Professional Sewing Techniques for Designers by Julie Cole and Sharon Czachor (entire chapter dedicated to stays, or stabilizers)
• Threads Magazine - Threads Insider area (paid) gives you access to the Couture Techniques Workshop  DVD for free, as well as access to many great articles and videos by industry experts.

Readers, do you use different stays in your sewing? What were your biggest stay frustration moments? Are you interested in a tutorial on how to apply any of those stays? 

A comment from Claire Shaeffer!

Dear readers,

Today I received an email from Amazon saying that I got  a comment on my review of Claire Shaeffer's revised edition of Couture Sewing Techniques. And as I have already gave away in the title of this post the commenter was Claire Shaeffer in person! Yes, it was, a little bit, a celebrity moment for me. But what I was more excited about is that we, as readers of these books and customers of Amazon, have this great opportunity to influence what is offered to us by authors and publishers! So, here is the comment:

"Yes, authors read the reviews on Amazon. When I began the revision, I had several goals which included making the book more user friendly and making it different enough that owners of the first edition would want to buy it. I reviewed the posts for the earlier edition and listened to comments from my students.  

I own many of the garments photographed in the new book so I could examine them again and again if needed. This isn't always possible with museum garments.  

I cried at times because I had to replace many of the photos in the original book and highly recommend you buy it. There are some text deletions and many photo substitutions in the Revision.  

Yes, writing is sometimes painful; but, if you like the book, it's worth it. 

Claire Shaeffer"

Do you review books on your blog, or on Amazon, or anywhere else? If yes, what's your motivation to sit down and to write a review?

Couture Techniques: Faced Waistband (Part I)

It seems, some projects never end; and this is especially true for couture projects... such as my red bouclé skirt, for example. It reminds me of Tolstoy's four-volume War and Peace, which we had to read and analyze at school for more than three months. My bouclé skirt may not be the finest literary achievement, but I swear, dear readers, what I learnt by making it could well be described in four volumes.

If you have read previous posts, I underlined the skirt in nice cotton batiste, not the usual silk organza. And since I wanted to know why batiste was better, I read several old Threads articles, Claire Shaeffer's and Susan Khalje's books before I came up with a decision. (Let me know if you are interested to hear more about my experience with underlining choice for bouclé.)

I also converted darts to ease, so the fabric pattern was not disturbed. I blogged about it here.

In addition, I quilted the fabric to the underlining to extend the life expectancy of the skirt by preventing sagging of this rather loosely woven bouclé. (Haven't blogged about it, since there will be more quilting projects coming up soon - this is so exciting, I can hardly keep it to myself. Ask me, ask me, please!)

So, what else is left? How much couture can you squeeze into one skirt? Honestly, the more I learn, the less I seem to know...

... There is this last thing with this skirt I wanted to share with you: the faced waistband.

This post is Part One of a two-part tutorial showing how to make a faced waistband. What you will read is the result of my experimenting using tips and instructions from Claire Shaeffer's Couture Sewing Techniques and from her article 'Facing Finesse' in the Issue 30 of Threads magazine, (which was also reprinted in Jackets, Coats and Suits from Threads).

It is really easy to make a faced waistband once you learnt the technique. There is more instruction, really, than work, so, do try it if it's new to you.

1. Choosing and preparing the interfacing

The choice of interfacing for a faced waistband includes sew-in hair canvas, petersham ribbon and other woven interfacings. Choose flexible interfacing to be able to shape it so it conforms to body contours. The more shaping is required (as for wide or shaped waistbands), the more flexibility you will need. So, for example, petersham ribbon will work fine with straight and narrow waistbands. In addition, interfacing needs to be crisp, especially for heavier fabrics. For my skirt, I chose sew-in hair canvas - it just felt right for this loosely-woven, somewhat bulky bouclé.

a) For one waistband, cut a strip of interfacing at least 3" wide (for 1"-wide waistband cut 3"-wide strip, and increase the width accordingly). For the length, take your waist measurement, if the skirt or the pants hit at the waist, and add 5" to get the final length. These 5" will provide some room for corrections as well as enough length for an underlap or overlap of the waistband.

b) Fold the strip in half lengthwise and zigzag it at appr. 1/4" from the edge. My zigzag width was 1/4", and the length 2.5 mm. Stitch two or three parallel lines, leaving the space of 1/4" between the stitched lines. Zigzag makes interfacing crisper preserving flexibility of the waistband.

As you see on this picture I have stitched six lines on a wider strip of fabric - I save time and get three interfacing strips of 1" to 1.25".

IMPORTANT: Before you cut a strip for your waistband, make sure you cut off the fold and any selvedges, so your waistband is equally flexible on all sides! 

I cut the wider strip into six strips of slightly different width.
I chose the narrowest (1") for the bouclé skirt.

2. Marking the fabric

This is another relatively fast and straightforward step. For bouclé, I decided to thread trace for the best visibility on bouclé. Uneven basting hand stitch is perfect for this purpose - it has shorter stitches on the wrong/ interfacing side, and longer stitches on the right side.

Mark waistband edges and seamlines at the top and at the bottom, as well as at the ends. Then proceed with side seams (perpendicular markings), center front and center back - this provides matching points for the final assembly.

The marked waistband from the right side. 

NOTE: The height of the finished waistband should be 1/4" wider than the height of the interfacing. This difference allows for the turn of the cloth. Generally, the bulkier is the fabric, the more allowance you should provide. 1/8" was a reasonable amount for this bouclé.

3. Attaching interfacing to the waistband

Now, place the interfacing on the marked waistband. Make sure that the turn of the cloth allowance is provided on all sides.

Next, pin the interfacing to the fabric (optional) and baste it using an even basting stitch. I made two rows of basting to secure the interfacing.

Wrap the seam allowances around the interfacing and baste in place.

Don't worry about the bulk at the ends of the waistband - the corners will be nicely mitered after the waistband is fitted.

Before you proceed, check whether the thread-traced seamlines of the waistband are exactly on the edge of the band.

4. Shaping & Preparing for fitting

Yay, we are almost done! Now let's press! Claire Schaeffer says pressing is important to set fibers of interfacing and fabric "so that they grab together". In addition, pressing helps shape the waistband to make it conform to body curves.

Surprisingly (for me), even with this narrow waistband, you will want to slightly ease its upper edge. I trust Shaeffer, and so I went for an additional 1/2". I must admit, I haven't measured it, but it seemed close to this number.

NOTE: Press the interfacing side of the fabric, not the right side!

Baste the waistband on top of the skirt seam allowances and make sure that the matching points align at the side seams, center front and center back.

The waistband basted to the skirt

A close-up of the waistband before the fitting

Et voila, we reached the end of the part 1 of the tutorial. I have four hours to catch up on some sleep before going to work this morning... And, by the way, I pricked my right thumb while I was working. Remember? It means 'joy at work', they say at Chanel! Let's see...

Grainline and Fitting

How many times have I read about the importance of the grainline for the final look of a garment and for the fit. I take extra care when marking and cutting my garments, making sure that pattern pieces are aligned with the grain of the fabric.

But once the toile, or fashion fabric (when I skipped making toile), was cut, I ignored the grain line thinking enough had been done. I usually end up making several alterations, especially, when using commercial patterns. With all the individual figure issues (uneven shoulders, etc. etc.) my fitting was based on trial-and-error approach before: pulling fabric on one side, letting out on the other…

The result? DISTORTED BALANCE!!!! The garment pulled and twisted, especially after washing.

Why marking grain lines?

Hours wasted, garments abandoned, a stash of UFOs grew because of the poor fit. Are you familiar with this scenario, dear readers? I am, unfortunately!

What helps (and it is so obvious to me now) is the careful marking of the grainlines on the toile (and on fashion fabric).

A wonderful book, Fitting & Pattern Alteration (a little bit pricey but totally worth it!) explains in detail how to use grainline to evaluate fit. The authors caution that the grainline can be difficult to recognize, especially for less experienced dressmakers. “To simplify recognizing grainline during the fitting process and in the completed garment, it is advisable to transfer pattern grainlines onto fabric pieces with a marking tool such as pencil, transfer paper, or thread, depending on the type of fabric and the use of the garment… with practice, your eye will quickly identify grain position on the body and recognize even subtle needs for adjustments.”

an example of poor fit (Ben Chmura, a Project Runway designer, was eliminated for this design)

I realized all the advantages of marking grainlines when I started with draping. It took me less time to see where I had excess fabric, or where I needed to let out more. I believe this is possible because, once you have correct placement for lengthwise grain and crossgrain markings, you work on the fitting issues on smaller portions of garments enclosed by those marking lines.

“Recognizing accuracy or error in the position of the fabric grain or marked grainlines while on the body provides clues as to the success or failure of the fit. For example, if a crosswise grain curves up or down where it should be parallel, it is due to a body bulge or hollow directly above the curve of the grain,” explains the Fitting & Pattern Alteration book.

Draping guides are very explicit about the grainline marking and its use in fitting.  And in Haute Couture this is an extensively used technique according to Claire Shaeffer who writes in her Threads article “Sew your Hautes” that “garment centers and crossgrains are thread traced to be used as guidelines during the fitting.” (Issue 141, Feb/Mar 2009)

Why haven’t I seen this advice in many sewing books. Well, it seams it is not in the same league as home sewing… Ok, I agree, thread tracing, tailor tucks, and similar, do require additional time; but, at the same time, grainline marking IS a great fitting shortcut.

So now, I diligently trace my grainlines. And, Oh, dear readers, it is such a relief! 

Where to mark?

On muslin, I mark the lines with a fineliner and, if I need them to be visible on both sides, I tread trace them, (it really depends on the complexity of design).

If the muslin fits perfectly, great, just transfer the pattern to the fashion fabric. However, the reality is that the toile fabric and the fashion fabric drape differently, and, in this case, I often thread-trace grain lines and crossgrains on fashion fabric as well. One thing to be cautious about is the needle and the thread you are using for thread tracing – they should not leave marks on your fashion fabric. If you are not sure, use a scrap fabric to try a few stitches.

So where do you want to thread-trace?

LENGTHWISE GRAIN

Generally, lengthwise grain markings on a pattern are a good guide, so transfer those to your fabric making sure the line is marked all the way from the top to the bottom of the garment piece.

CROSSGRAIN

On skirts, mark the hip line (easy one!).

On blouses, jackets and dresses, in addition to the hipline, mark the bust line, cross-chest and cross-back lines. Claire Shaeffer explains in her book Couture Sewing Techniques: “The cross-chest and cross-back lines fall at the narrowest part of the chest and at the midpoint of the armscye. The bustline falls at the base of the underarm and may not actually be at the bust point.”

For marking crossgrain on sleeves, Shaeffer recommends marking the cap line and the biceps line. “The biceps line connects the top of the underarm seam and marks the crossgrain... The capline is located on the crossgrain midway between biceps line and shoulder point.”

For pants, it is recommended to thread trace the cross grains at the crotchline and the knee. I was a little disappointed, however, to find out that there are hardly any directions on thread –tracing of cross grains in Shaeffer’s Custom Couture patterns. Only the crotchline was marked on the pattern. I guess you would have to measure the distance from the crotchline/ or waistline to your knee and mark a perpendicular to the grainline at that point.

Fitting

Lengthwise grain should always remain straight and perpendicular to the floor, the cross grain should run parallel to the floor on all basic straight designs.

Claire Shaeffer explains how to fit the skirt toile (p. 107). I am quoting only the crossgrain related comments: “The crossgrain at the hipline should be parallel to the floor for several inches at the center front and back. As it approaches the side seams, this crossgrain will begin to drop on all skirts with any flare, but not any basic straight designs. On a correctly balanced skirt , the crossgrain will drop an equal amount on both sides.

For sleeves, she says (p. 137) that “when the sleeve is correctly balanced, the lengthwise grain will hang straight from the shoulder point and be perpendicular to the floor, and the crossgrain will be parallel to the floor.”

On pants, the lengthwise grain will bend softly over the curve, but going downwards, from the widest point of your hips, it should run perfectly straight. 

Claire Shaeffer Custom Couture patterns (cont.): V8489 bias dress

This dress (V8489) must look gorgeous. It is cut on bias, uses piecing technique and has a great neckline. The pattern is recommended for hourglass and triangle figures. The dress is evening length, but if I did it for myself, I would probably make it knee-length.

The pattern is still available on Vogue Patterns website for the regular price of $16,50. On sale, it can cost as low as $3.50. I highly recommend this pattern for anyone who wants to practice bias construction. As always, I love comparing couture and regular construction techniques. Have you made this dress? if so, please comment with a link to your blog, I will add it to the Couture Patterns page under  this design.

MISSES' DRESS: Close-fitting, A-line, bias dress, evening length has shoulder straps and left side zipper, using couture sewing methods. Purchased trim on shoulder straps and armholes.

NOTIONS: 14" Zipper, 1 3/4 Yds. of approximately 1/2" beaded trim, Hooks and Eyes.
FABRICS: Wool Crepe, Wool Jersey and Crepe Back Satin. For piecing, allow extra fabric to match design. Lining: Organza. Unsuitable for obvious diagonals, plaids or stripes. Use nap yardages/layouts for pile, shaded or one-way design fabrics. *with nap. **without nap. No provision made for above waist adjustment.
COMBINATIONS: AA(6-8-10-12), EE(14-16-18-20)

A great review of the pattern and construction techniques is on the And She Sews blog.

If you are looking for information on other couture patterns by Claire Shaeffer, check out my Couture Patterns page. I am constantly updating it with new patterns.

P.S. I have contacted Vogue Patterns asking them whether they had a list of all Custom Couture Patterns they printed, but the answer was a "No". Hard to believe that they have no records to refer to, but well... I will try to contact Claire Shaeffer personally. But meanwhile, I will just continue posting my finds, hoping that one day I will have full list.

BOOK REVIEW: The Dressmaker's Handbook of Couture Sewing Techniques: Essential Step-by-Step Techniques for Professional Results

I bought this book three month before its release without knowing who the author was or what the contents were. I saw the magic word 'Couture' and put it in my shopping cart.

Here is it: 

The Dressmaker's Handbook of Couture Sewing Techniques: Essential Step-by-Step Techniques for Professional Results

The author is Lynda Maynard (I have never heard of her, but this doesn't mean anything). She has a BA in textiles and clothing from San Jose State University and is an adjunct professor in the fashion design departments of two community colleges and a private design school in the San Francisco Bay area. Apparently she is also an author of the CD book Demystifying Fit.

Nevertheless, my experience with instruction books like this is that it's not about all the titles and affiliations with prestigious organizations but about the commitment of the author to his subject.

So, here you have a very well illustrated and designed handbook for ESSENTIAL couture techniques, not more not less. 

I liked how it is organized:

It starts with a Couture Technique Selector, which is a thumb preview of exactly thirty-nine couture techniques. These are divided into Binding and Finishes, Design Details: On Show, and Design Details: Concealed.

Each technique is accompanied with a number of illustrations and steps. The author also includes so-called Couture Secrets and tips on materials, pressing, construction and style. With my rather patchy knowledge of couture techniques I do see that a lot of information that I have seen scattered across different books dedicated to Couture has been very nicely compiled and presented under individual techniques. 

For example, in a section on Banding V-Neck on Woven Fabric, Ms Maynard says 

"Silk organza is an indispensable  item in the couturier's supply arsenal. Use it to underline and interface garment sections, stabilize curves and angles, tape straight edges, and steady wiggly fabrics for specific procedures."

In Style Suggestion she adds:

" This technique works well on bateau necklines also, since each shoulder seam join functions as a V. try using a contrasting fabric or color, or experiment with bias stripes for added dash."

The part Design Details: On Show includes

Channel-stitched accents

Corded accents 

Petersham "peek" seam

Petersham "peek" on a wrap skirt

Hong Kong finish on the outside

Wide charmeuse hem band

Ribbon-trimmed hem

Decorative trim hem

Flange closure for chiffon

Charmeuse welt edging

Charmeuse welt-edging: add a picot finish

Ribbon-trimmed collar band

Boned cuff

Shoulder Pad (I don't know why this technique is in 'On Show' section)

Button-on garment sections

I especially loved Design Details: Concealed

It includes techniques on

Lining/Binding skirt panels

Couture waistband (I had to re-read this one in Claire Schaeffer's book couple of times to understand)

High-waist couture facing (using boning! how clever)

Easy double-needle hem (for stretch fabrics)

Organza "bubble" hem finish (to prevent hem on skirts and dresses from collapsing)

Faced hem  (great for dresses with longer drapey skirts)

Horsehair braid hem (I wish I could see a garment with such a hem - the effect of this technique is difficult to imagine)

Concealing horsehair braid in the hem

Balanced dart (this technique is widely covered in most books on couture techniques)

Couture dart (the secret of sewing a dart on a machine with only one thread. I remember this technique was covered in Roberta Carr's "Couture: The Art of Fine Sewing" )

Satin pocket bags

Waistline "flip-out" pouch 

The book includes a section on "all the essential equipment for the couture sewer", which included a sewing machine and a serger ( I thought a serger is a no-no in couture sewing?). It goes on to tools like scissors, pins, patternmaking tools and other. Finally it lists pressing equipment. 

I thought this part in the book was not so great since nowhere in the book does the author explain how or where to use many of these tools. 

A section on underlinings/ backings is interesting. I thought, finally, more than a page on underlinings, but, unfortunately the technique of applying underlining is just half a page. But to compensate this, the author gives eight pages with images comparing several combinations of backed and unbacked fabrics, explaining the effect the backing/ underlining has on the fashion fabric. 

Directory of Luxury Fabrics and Trims includes 

Linings - discussing application, practical points for silk crepe de chine and acetate satin. Honestly, what about China Silk, Silk Charmeuse? I hear all the time how Chanel skirt are lined with charmeuse. These were not covered here 

Underlinings describe Rayon Challis, Batiste, Voile, Silk Organza, Cotton Flannel, Muslin, Hair Canvas. 

Charmeuse finally appears under Luxury Fabrics, together with Hammered Satin, Silk Dupioni, Silk Chiffon, Handkerchief Linen, Lightweight Knits, Silk Velvet, Lightweight Wool, Cotton Batiste, Voile, organdy, Silk Gazar and Linen. 

Trims cover applications for Rayon Ribbon, Mousetail, String, Petersham, Yarn, Satin Ribbon, Grosgrain Ribbon, Rattail, Decorative Trim and Decorative Ribbon

To give you my opinion on Fabrics & Trims section, I think you are much better served with  Claire Shaeffer's Fabric Sewing Guide

Maynard's book dedicates its final pages to Essential Couture Techniques (yet again? what about Couture Techniques part that takes up most of the book). She explains how to do French Seam, Spaced Tucks, Hand-Finished Zipper, Underlining, Hanging Loops, Adding Grosgrain Ribbon, Piped Cuff, Shoestring Straps, Buttons, Buttonholes on Sheer Fabric, Snaps, Hand-Bound Buttonhole and two pages on Making a Muslin. The muslin part is somewhat brief and is handled in a by-the-way manner. It could have been explained in more detail at the beginning of the book. Why all these techniques ended up on final few pages is a mystery to me. Nevertheless they are worth learning. 

I know, I have criticized several sections in the book, but I have to say that the main part - those 39 and 12 more techniques hidden toward the end of the book - is really interesting. However, this book is not a substitute for Couture Sewing Techniques by Claire Schaeffer (which covers couture construction process from start to finish) but a great collection of selected techniques. It's a great addition to my library and I will start applying these techniques starting with the next projects. 

What books on Couture Sewing do you recommend?