September Meeting: Couture Vests Done!

Couture Vest Challenge 2010

Couture is based on custom fit and a style that flatters. The questions we asked ourselves were: Does my pattern have some shape and does it have construction details that allow me fit opportunities? Does the style draw attention to my face or emphasize my best features?

We did a muslin to perfect the fit and test the style. Silhouette, length, ease, proportion were all assessed. Was the fabric the best match for the pattern? Did the construction techniques eliminate bulk and were hand stitches emphasized over machine stitching? Thoughts were also given to types of facings and closures, such as snaps, buttons, or ties. Choice of interfacing, such as woven and sewn in types, and the type of lining, whether it's silk or other fiber, print or solid all affected the overall design of the garment.

Discussing what worked and what didn't work for each of our designs and fabrics helped make better choices for future garment construction.

Here are examples from the vest challenge:

 Jenny's vest

Here is what Jenny has to say about her vest challenge:

The vest challenge was a great creative exercise. When our group first decided upon the challenge, I thought it meant sewing a vest by a particular date. “No problem,” I thought. Then during our initial conversation about how we were going to challenge ourselves I got it -- time to apply some constraints so this project would stretch my skills. I decided to use a piece of linen that had been aging in my stash for 20+ years (waiting for just the right project to appear), fitted my first princess vest pattern, added a covered placket to the front, and applied an embellishment with frayed edges.

What was the hardest aspect of the challenge? Those raw edges! Couture techniques generally emphasize beautiful seam finishes, so calling attention to the raw edges of the vest as a focal point was a real stretch.
There’s still a step or two to complete: seams to be catchstitched to the underlining, a bias facing for the armholes, and tacking down the placket so it stays where it should. Thanks to everyone who gave me encouragement and advice at the meeting on the final details. I had fun and learned a lot!
This is what Martha says about her vest:
Using Nancy Erickson's blazer pattern, fitted by Pam Howard, I constructed this vest, mostly out of silk dupioni remnants. I followed Mary Ray's 3 articles in Threads magazines concerning quilted garments. The exterior pieces were assembled by cutting flannel batting generously for each of the pieces in this and then attaching the silk remnants in a sew-and-flip manner. Then I basted the silver silk to the other side of the flannel for the lining. After machine quilting each piece, I re-cut each garment piece to more precise measurements and sewed the pieces together in a typical manner. I tried out various seam finishes and the result is *almost* reversible, although I plan to add buttons and won't try to make that part reversible.

Here's what Nancy has to say about the vest she made for her daughter:

 "First of all I would like to say that it was a good learning experience for me, thanks to Martina who guided me in this "couture" adventure, I was able to make the vest with all handmade details. The vest pattern originally is Vogue, the collar and part of the pockets are "chenille" (my very first time doing this technique) the other part of the pockets are made with the vest material with horizontal and vertical stitches, the buttons were made by my daughter from old pennies; she also made the bracelet from scraps of vest material and chenille."       

frayed edges

When using frayed edges to finish a garment there are several factors to keep in mind. The first is your fabric. Choose something that has a loose weave or is lightweight so it will ravel easily with a stiff brush. Then be certain you love working with it. If you think it takes a long time to finish seam edges, wait until you ravel a few!

Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind:

These techniques are all about the fabric, so find one that’s interesting with unraveled edges. For example, a fabric with different color warp and weft yarns has an entirely different look when unraveled.

Make lots of samples so you can see results before committing your time.

• Bias, crosswise and lengthwise grain may yield very different final results in color, texture, length and thickness of fringe.
• Experiment with different width seam allowances to get the look you want.

Make some sketches of your finished piece to determine which edges you want to fray. Frayed seam allowances in the body of a garment can be used to accent inside design lines.

When raveling fabrics, use a stiletto to work from the outer edge in, especially on bias edges.

If raveling on crosswise or lengthwise grain anchor the fabric along the edge you are fraying. You can do this by pressing the work with your anchoring hand against a flat surface. Keep tension on the yarns that are perpendicular to the yarn you are pulling to make the work go faster.

fringe

Here is my take on Kenneth King’s technique for making a brush fringe.

(Source: Threads Magazine, Issue #137)

Think of this fringe technique as a fabric sandwich. You have a top and bottom piece of fashion fabric that have fringed edges and a stabilizing layer in-between.

Here are the steps:

Cut your top and bottom pieces out of fashion fabric. From your samples, you’ll know if you want to have both pieces on the same grain or if you want to cut the bottom piece with the grain running in a different direction for a better fringe effect.

Cut your support fabric layer. Experiment to find the right level of support, the fabric could range from organza to hair canvas interfacing.

Sew the support layer to the wrong side of the top layer on the seam allowance.

On the support layer only: trim corners and clip or notch curves, as needed. Press the seam allowance away from the edge you will fringe.

Add the bottom layer to the “sandwich”. Place the wrong side of the bottom layer against the support layer. Sew on the previous stitching line from the top.

Add a decorative chain stitch to cover the stitching line, using yarn harvested from the fabric, if desired.

Ravel edges on top and bottom layers to create fringe.

frayed edge

Here is my interpretation of Louise Cutting’s technique for making a frayed raw edge.

(Source: Threads Magazine, Issue #121)

Think of this edge as a frayed trim. You have a bias strip with frayed raw edges sewn to the back of your fashion fabric and flipped to the front. Experiment with different fabrics to find the most appealing combination - sheers seem to work especially well with this technique.

Don’t give up couture techniques because you’ve chosen a simple embellishment. Use an underlining if your fabric calls for it, it can add to the trim effect. And if you’re using this edge in lieu of a facing you can add a stay tape to stabilize the edge, too.

Here are the steps:

Cut your fashion fabric, leaving seam allowances at the edges. (Underline as usual, if your fabric calls for it.)

Cut a bias strip that is twice as wide as the seam allowance, minus 1/4 inch. (If your seam allowance is 5/8 inch, the bias strip would be 5/8 + 5/8 - 1/4 = 1 inch.

Align the edges of the fashion fabric and bias strip, wrong sides together.

Stitch together on the seam allowance.

Turn the fashion fabric seam allowance and bias strip to the right side and understitch 1/8 inch from previous stitching line, catching only one side of the bias strip. (The bias strip will be flat, with the understitched edge on the garment and the other edge off the garment.)

If you want to add stay tape to the edge, carefully sandwich it under the fashion fabric on the right side before understitching, butting it against the fold. (Or baste it in place on the front side, with one edge on the previous stitching line before turning the seam allowance to the front.)

Press the other edge of the bias strip over the understitching.








Fray the edges of the bias strip and fashion fabric with a stiff brush.