the sewing book a

CLOTHES • HOME ACCESSORIES • BEST TOOLS STEP-BY-STEP TECHNIQUES • CREATIVE PROJECTS ALISON SMITH SEWING BOOK THE 001_UK_SD397.indd 1 2/10/08 16:57:56 SEWING BOOK THE US_001_SD397.indd 1 20/10/08 15:08:55 002-003_UK_SD397.indd 2 6/10/08 14:35:09US_002-003_SD397.indd 2 20/10/08 15:07:19 002-003_UK_SD397.indd 3 2/10/08 17:00:35 SEWING BOOK THE ALISON SMITH US_002-003_SD397.indd 3 20/10/08 15:07:27 004-005_UK_SD397.indd 4 6/10/08 14:39:15 London, New York, Melbourne, Munich, and Delhi PROJECT EDITOR Norma MacMillan PROJECT DESIGNERS Viv Brar Nicola Collings Mandy Earey Heather McCarry PHOTOGRAPHY Peter Anderson (Tools and Techniques) Kate Whitaker (Projects) For Dorling Kindersley PROJECT EDITOR Ariane Durkin PROJECT ART EDITOR Caroline de Souza MANAGING EDITOR Dawn Henderson MANAGING ART EDITOR Christine Keilty SENIOR JACKET CREATIVE Nicola Powling SENIOR PRODUCTION EDITOR Jenny Woodcock SENIOR PRODUCTION CONTROLLER Mandy Inness CREATIVE TECHNICAL SUPPORT Sonia Charbonnier First American Edition, 2009 Published in the United States by DK Publishing 375 Hudson Street New York, New York 10014 09 10 11 12 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 SD397—04/09 Copyright © 2009 Dorling Kindersley Limited All rights reserved Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book. Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley Limited. A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. ISBN 978–0–7566–4280–8 DK books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk for sales promotions, premiums, fund-raising, or educational use. For details, contact: DK Publishing Special Markets, 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014 or SpecialSales@dk.com. Color reproduction by MDP, UK Printed and bound in China by L.Rex Printing Co. Ltd Discover more at www.dk.com US_004-005_SD397.indd 4 21/10/08 17:53:01 004-005_UK_SD397.indd 5 6/10/08 14:41:48 Introduction 6 TOOLS 10 Sewing equipment 12 Fabrics 38 Patterns 56 TECHNIQUES 84 Stitch essentials 86 Darts, tucks, pleats, and gathers 104 Facings and necklines 142 Collars 158 Waistlines, belts, and tie-backs 168 Sleeves and sleeve finishes 188 CONTENTS Pockets 210 Hems and edges 226 Fasteners 248 Linings and interfacings 274 Professional techniques 280 Mending 296 PROJECTS 304 Directory of fashion and soft furnishings 384 Glossary 390 Index, Acknowledgments, and Useful websites 394 US_004-005_SD397.indd 5 21/10/08 17:53:09 006-007_UK_SD397.indd 6 2/10/08 16:58:09 INTRODUCTION The Sewing Book provides a comprehensive guide to all sewing techniques, whether it be for dressmaking, tailoring, crafts, or soft furnishings. If you are new to sewing, you’ll find many tips to help and guide you; if you have been sewing for many years, there will be lots of new ideas to try. I also hope the book will be a valuable reference for all students studying textiles and fashion. Having sewn since my teenage years and taught dressmaking and fashion for all my adult life, I am truly passionate about sewing. It can be so therapeutic—relaxing and satisfying. The ability to produce a unique item of clothing or something for your home is truly rewarding. The book is divided into three sections. The first, Tools, covers all the equipment required to sew, including sewing machines; gives an up-to-date guide to fabrics— their properties, care, and how to sew them; and explains how to alter patterns to make clothes that fit you perfectly. The next section is Techniques, with over 300 different sewing techniques to try, all in a step-by-step photographic format, covering everything from basic stitches and seams through to professional tailoring techniques. Each chapter begins with a visual directory of what the techniques are used for, be it types of pleats or pockets, necklines or sleeves, or buttonhole shapes. The third section of the book is Projects, where you will find 18 items to make, ranging from quick and easy hats through to Roman blinds and kimonos. All the projects use techniques that appear in the second section of the book. The final section includes an illustrated directory of fashion and home furnishing styles, as well as a useful glossary of sewing terms. Enjoy and happy sewing. US_006-007_SD397.indd 6 20/10/08 15:06:30 006-007_UK_SD397.indd 7 2/10/08 16:58:16US_006-007_SD397.indd 7 20/10/08 15:06:40 008-009_UK_SD397.indd 8 6/10/08 17:33:53 ABOUT THIS BOOK For the photographs, we have often used sewing threads of a contrast color in order for the stitching to be visible. I recommend that you sew with a thread that matches your fabric as closely as possible. All of the techniques and projects are graded according to difficulty, from * (simple and straightforward) to ***** (more complex and challenging). US_008-009_SD397.indd 8 20/10/08 16:24:19 [...]... that is the same width as standard seam allowance (5⁄8 in/ 1.5 cm), because it will prove very useful MEASURING TOOLS AND MARKING AIDS Marking aids Marking certain parts of your work is essential, to make sure that things like pockets and darts are placed correctly and seamlines are straight as drawn on the pattern With some marking tools, such as pens and a tracing wheel and carbon paper, it is always... be able to be removed easily CHALK PENCIL Available in blue, pink, and white As it can be sharpened like a normal pencil, it will draw accurate lines on fabric TAILOR’S CHALK Also known as French chalk, this solid piece of chalk in either a square or triangular shape is available in a large variety of colors The chalk easily brushes off fabric 19 20 TOOLS TOOLS USEFUL EXTRAS There are many more accessories... corners and gathers Use in conjunction with the pressing mat IRON A good-quality steam iron is a wonderful asset Choose a reasonably heavy iron that has steam and a shot of steam facility PRESSING MAT A heat-resistant mat for pressing small items PRESSING AIDS TAILOR’S HAM A ham-shaped pressing cushion that is used to press darts and the shape into curves of collars and shoulders, and in making tailored... under the buttonhole chisel SEAM RIPPER A sharp, pointed hook to slide under a stitch, with a small cutting blade at the base to cut through the thread Various sizes of seam ripper are available, to cut through light to heavyweight fabric seams CUTTING TOOLS 17 BENT-HANDLED SHEARS This type of shear has a blade that can sit flat against the table when cutting out, due to the angle between the blade and... WATER/AIR-SOLUBLE PEN This resembles a felt marker Marks made can be removed from the fabric with either a spray of water or by leaving to air-dry Be careful—if you press over the marks, they may become permanent TRACING WHEEL AND CARBON PAPER These two items are used together to transfer markings from a paper pattern or a design on to fabric Not suitable for all types of fabric though, as marks may not... edges accurately Available in both imperial and metric DRESSMAKER’S DUMMY An adjustable form that is useful when fitting garments as it can be adjusted to personal body measurements Excellent to help in the turning up of hemlines Available in female, male, and children’s shapes and sizes PATTERN PAPER This can be plain or printed with dots and crosses at regular intervals The paper can be used for drafting... sewing, a seam ripper, and a container to hold everything An iron and ironing board will also be needed There are, however, many other handy gadgets that are invaluable, and for the more enthusiastic sewer, a sewing machine and possibly a serger are essential Whether you are a beginner to sewing or a sewer with many years of experience, some of the following pieces of equipment will no doubt find their way... example fasteners such as buttons, snaps, hooks and eyes, and Velcro™ But haberdashery also includes elastics, ribbons, trims of all types, TOOLS and boning Buttons Buttons can be made from almost anything—shell, bone, coconut, nylon, plastic, brass, silver They can be any shape, from geometric to abstract to animal shapes A button may have a shank or have holes on the surface to enable it to be attached... Extra long and extra fine, this pin is favored by many professional dressmakers, because it is easy to use and doesn’t damage finer fabrics GLASS-HEADED Similar to pearl-headed pins but shorter They have the advantage that they can be pressed over without melting DRESSMAKER’S Similar to a household pin in shape and thickness, but slightly longer These are the pins for beginners to choose SAFETY PINS Available... always a good idea to test on a scrap of fabric first to make sure that the mark made will not be permanent CHALK PROPELING PENCIL Chalk leads of different colors can be inserted into this propeling pencil, making it a very versatile marking tool The leads can be sharpened DRAFTING RULER A plastic curved tool, also called a pattern marking ruler, used primarily when drafting or altering patterns WATER/AIR-SOLUBLE . hand sewing. Thimbles are available in various shapes and sizes. See page 21. ZIPPERS It is always a good idea to keep a couple of zippers in your sewing kit. Black, cream, and navy are the. a thimble, threads for sewing, a seam ripper, and a container to hold everything. An iron and ironing board will also be needed. There are, however, many other handy gadgets that are invaluable,. 15:43:52 17 BENT-HANDLED SHEARS This type of shear has a blade that can sit flat against the table when cutting out, due to the angle between the blade and handle. Popular for cutting long, straight