Support us on Patreon! Love to Sew Podcast

Follow Helen! Blog: Helen’s  Closet Patterns, Instagram: @helens__closet

Follow Caroline! Shop: Blackbird Fabrics, Instagram: @blackbirdfabrics

Follow the Podcast! Instagram: @lovetosew.podcast, Facebook: /LovetoSewPod

Leave us a voicemail with your questions, comments, and feedback: 1-844-SEW-WHAT (1-844-739-9428)

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

Sign up for our newsletter to get weekly episode updates, special news, and even some exclusive content that you won’t find anywhere else.

Leave us a review! It will help other sewists discover us.

---

Transcript:

Caroline: We are recording today on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw peoples, including Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, Musqueam, and K’ómoks first nations.

Hello, and welcome to Love to Sew. I’m Caroline, the owner of Blackbird Fabrics.

Helen: And I’m Helen, the designer behind Helen’s Closet Patterns.

Caroline: We’re two sewing buds who love to sew our own clothes and want to encourage you on your sewing journey, too.

Helen: Join us for today’s topic: sewing vocabulary.

Caroline: Hello, Helen.

Helen: Hi, Caroline.

Caroline: How are you doing today?

Helen: I’m doing great. How are you?

Caroline: I’m also doing great. Tell me, I feel like you have some news to share. I can see it in your eyes.

Helen: I am so, so excited today. We have a new pattern available in our shop this week. It’s called, wait for it, the March Top and Dress. And yes, it’s also March right now. And it’s called March.

Caroline: Did you plan that?

Helen: I know it’s confusing. I did plan that, but I also have some regrets because it’s, it’s confusing me in my, like, to-do lists and my… everything, but we’ll get there.

Caroline: Oh, congratulations. I love this top. I mean, I know I say this about all your patterns when we have these conversations on the podcast, but honestly, when you first sent me that little, like, sneak peek of this pattern back in December, I freaked out. It’s so cute. It’s so exactly what I want to be sewing right now. Please tell our listeners about March because she’s gorgeous.

Helen: Aw, thank you. Yeah, I’m really excited, too. This, kind of, whimsical style just came to me in December over the holidays. And I ended up making several versions of it because I had time, and I was just really feeling the design. And I love when that creative spark hits, and I can just run with it.

So it features a voluminous gathered skirt or a peplum for the top option. It’s very 70s retro. It also has, like, gathered sleeves that are kind of poofy. And it has a really cool front and back panel design which is essentially, like, an exterior facing, and it’s fully interfaced. So I thought this was a great opportunity for people who want to play with things like embroidery or beading or even just statement fabrics.

Like, I’m wearing a version right now because I knew I’d be talking about it, and I wanted to feel extra special today. I’m wearing a version right now that has a contrast stripe on this panel. And it’s just really fun to play with fabric here and a good opportunity for scrap busting which is a cool thing to incorporate into a pattern design.

Caroline: Absolutely. Yeah. I love patterns where you can play around with stripe directions and different kinds of, like, options for customization. And this totally has all of that.

Helen: Yes, and it has a neck tie that’s optional, and it has pockets. It’s really got it all. And I have to say that this instruction booklet for this pattern is one of my favorites that we’ve done yet. It’s super detailed, and the illustrations are really fun, and we’ve included tons of beginner tips. It’s marked as intermediate, but I know you adventurous beginner listeners out there can do it. So don’t hesitate if you’re interested in this pattern.

And we have an amazing lineup this week that we’re launching. I’ve got three different models, and we’ve got several guest bloggers, and I’ll be showcasing my versions as well. So tons of different fabrics, different bodies. And I’m just so excited to share more about this. So I hope that you come over to my Instagram, and check it out, even just to see the beautiful models cause they look great.

Caroline: Aw, and personally, I can’t wait to see all of the samples sewn up because I know you’re using a lot of Blackbird fabrics.

Helen: Of course!

Caroline: So I’m so excited to see what you picked out for that. And I can’t wait to make my own version.

Helen: Yeah!

Caroline: They’re so cute. And I can just imagine all the hacks that you have planned. I feel like this is such a hackable pattern.

Helen: Oh yeah.

Caroline: There’s so many ways, even just, like, lengthening different sections of it, different areas of it…

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: …or, like, mixing, I’m really excited to try a version out, like, mixing prints or patterns. Like, I feel like there’s so much potential there. So congrats.

Helen: Thank you. Yes. Go check out March. It’s on sale until the end of, you guessed it, March.

Caroline: That’s confusing.

Helen: I know. Alright, what are we talking about today, Caroline? Let’s get into this.

Caroline: Oh, okay. So every once in a while I feel like we do an episode, this probably happens more than we’d like, an episode where we’re like, why do we not have this episode already? Like, why have we not thought of this? And this was one of those ones for me where I was like, of course we should have an episode where all of the sewing terminology vocabulary that you, kind of, learn when you get introduced to the sewing world is all in one place, and we can explain all of these different terms that maybe feel unknown or mysterious to beginners. Like, of course, we need an episode like that. All about sewing vocabulary.

Helen: Yes. We’re going to explain some common sewing vocabulary to help you feel equipped to tackle new-to-you projects and techniques. There’s so much to learn when you first start to sew, so we hope that this helps our beginners out there. It can be a companion to our Beginner Sewing Episode. And for you more seasoned sewists, we’re covering some of the terms that you might not have heard of, or maybe you have and you just never knew what it meant. So hopefully you’ll get something out of this episode, too.

Caroline: Yes, I’m so excited. Okay. Do you have a favorite sewing term and why?

Helen: My favorite sewing term is not an official sewing term, but I think my favorite sewing word is janky. Because that’s how I describe a lot of the things that I sew. I’m like, it’s kind of janky, but it’s fine. Or like, I sewed that seam, and it looks a little janky, but whatever. Like, I just say that word a lot, and I think it applies so well to sewing because sewing is not perfect. It never is. So I think it’s totally fine if things look a little janky.

Caroline: You’re going to have to, okay, you have to define the word janky cause I don’t think it’s in our list.

Helen: It’s true. Janky just means a little wonky, a little, a little off center, a little outside the lines, a little weird. It’s cool. It’s all good. How about you, Caroline?

Caroline: Well, I also love the word janky, but my favorite term is pre-washing because you should always do it. I’m just going to leave it at that.

Helen: Spoken like a true fabric store there.

Caroline: Okay. So we’re going to go through these terms in alphabetical order, starting with B, because there are no A terms apparently. And we’re going to start with backstitch.

Helen: Yes. Backstitching can refer to two different sewing techniques. One is done on the sewing machine, and the other is done by hand. So to backstitch on a sewing machine is to sew your stitches backwards. There’s a backstitch function on most sewing machines, and you simply have to press it down and sew backwards. Or sometimes it’s an on/off button, and it’s done at the beginning and end of a seam so that the stitches don’t unravel, and it’s super handy.

Uh, you don’t have to do it if you’re sewing two intersecting seams, but I just do it all the time because why not? And it’s a good habit to, to make, right? So you can always backstitch. It’s no big deal. A standard backstitch is typically three stitches, but you can do five. You can do 10. It’s all good.

Caroline: Yeah, definitely. And back stitching isn’t always the best way to reinforce the start and end of a seam. So that is one thing to keep in mind. In Episode 134: Sewing with Delicate Fabrics, we talked about how backstitching can create unwanted puckers in delicate fabrics. So instead of backstitching, in this case, you can just leave long thread tails, and tie them off.

So, sometimes when you’re working with tricky fabrics, it’s a good thing to test out. Some sewing machines, like mine, also have a thread knotting button, so it’s right near the backstitch button, but basically, it stitches in place a few times to lock the stitches and prevent unraveling. And for me, sometimes this works better for certain applications or certain fabrics than actually, like, sewing back and forth.

Sometimes you can get, like, a little bit of knotting happening in your thread or, like, a little nest with a backstitch, but I don’t get it with the thread knotting. So something to look out for if you have a sewing machine, and maybe you have that button and you don’t even know that you have it.

Helen: Yeah, I love that button. I’ve been using it more often lately, and it’s great.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Backstitching can also be done by hand. And it’s actually one of the strongest hand stitches that you can make. So you insert the needle through the right side of the fabric, and then you insert the needle back at the starting point. So bring the needle through to the right side, one stitch length ahead of the previously made stitch and then you go back to the beginning. So you’re, kind of, making this, like, double reinforced stitch as you go along. And obviously watching a video would be ideal here, but…

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: …I hope my little description helps.

Caroline: No, I think it makes a lot of sense, and I’m sure we’ll be posting a little source in the show notes so people can actually see a picture as well.

Helen: Yes.

Caroline: Okay. The next one we’re going to talk about is bar tack. A bar tack is a short narrow series of zigzag stitches. And this is often placed at stress points on garments for added strength. So you can find bar tacks often on jeans, maybe around the side seam, kind of, where it meets the waistband, where there’s a lot of tension when you sit down. Or maybe on pockets, you might find it on outerwear pockets to reinforce those areas that get a lot of stress.

You can sew bar tacks in a different thread color which is really fun. It adds, kind of, like, a fun design feature. And we do have a tip for bar tacks. If you want to achieve a smoother bar tack, loosen the tension on your machine. So this is actually going to allow the top thread to pull to the bottom layer which makes it look smoother on the surface.

Helen: Yeah, this is called a satin stitch, and I love doing this. If you have a bar tack setting on your machine, it might automatically adjust your tension for you. So you don’t have to worry about this, but if you don’t have a bar tack setting, you can just set it to zigzag. Maybe even turn off your feed dogs or make the stitch length really, really short so that the needle’s barely moving forward. And then you can make a bar tack that way, too.

Caroline: Yeah, definitely. Ooh, I have a bonus tip.

Helen: Ooh.

Caroline: If you are having trouble bar tacking on jeans, which is something that can happen when there are a lot of layers of fabric, try hammering it. So use, like, a hammer and just, like, hammer the crud out of that fabric, and it’ll really, like, squish the layer down and make the bar tack happen a lot easier.

Helen: Yes. Bar tacking onto belt loops on 14 ounce denim… you need a hammer.

Caroline: Yeah. You need a hammer, and it’s a great way to get out frustration and anger, too. Just saying.

Helen: Okay. Next is basting. Basting comes up a lot in sewing, and it can be done by hand or by machine. It’s a series of long running stitches to hold fabric layers in place, and these are usually temporary stitches. So they’re eventually removed after the actual seam is sewn up with shorter, stronger stitches, and basting can also sometimes allow us to test try on a garment or to prevent something from moving while we’re sewing or just act as a temporary stitch until the final seam is sewn.

And so often if you’re making a muslin, you might sew it all using basting stitches, so that it’s really easy to take it apart and resew it with a different seam allowance, for example, or if you’re putting something in place temporarily using a basting stitch, so it’s super easy to pull out after.

Caroline: Yeah, definitely. And of course, machine basting is faster than hand basting. Uh, machine basted stitches also tend to be stronger than hand based stitches because they tend to be a little bit shorter and just, kind of, more uniform. So a little bit stronger, depending on the application.

If you’re thinking about when would be a good time to hand baste, we think that this provides better control, so you would want to choose hand basing on projects where you want to have better accuracy. Personally, I like to hand baste things like zippers and waistbands, especially, like, a waistband where I have to stitch in the ditch to, like, catch the waistband facing or the inner waistband. I love hand basting that because I just have so much control. I can distribute everything perfectly and evenly. And then I go in with my machine to do that final stitch in the ditch.

Machine stitching can leave holes in certain fabrics, so look out for this. If you’re working with something more delicate, you might want to test that out. I personally find machine basting easier to rip out. So I think that it’s something that you can use, like, if you’re doing, like, a muslin and you want to then, like, rip, rip it apart, I find machine basting is the way to go there. Just be careful that you don’t damage your fabric. So you don’t want to try to, like, rip out basting stitches on something that you think might get damaged. Look out for that.

Helen: Yeah. Be careful. Don’t, if you’re yarding on it and it’s, doesn’t want to give, then you know, get in there with a seam ripper and break up those basting stitches, so you don’t risk ripping your fabric.

Caroline: Totally.

Helen: I’ve definitely been there, especially when I’m doing a lot of gathering cause once you gather it up and sew it on, sometimes those basting stitches can get stuck and it can be really tempting to, to yard on them.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Ask me how I know. Alright, next up is bias. Now this term comes up a lot in sewing because it can refer to the diagonal grainline, but it also is used a lot when we’re talking about bias tape. So when we talk about bias, we’re often referring to the true bias. Not the company name but the true bias which is a 45 degree angle of the fabric. So 45 degrees to the selvedge is the bias of the fabric. And this is the intersection of the warp and weft of the fabric.

So when we cut pattern pieces on the true bias, we’re starting from a 45 degree angle from the selvedge. And that allows us to have pattern pieces that are a little bit stretchier. They have a little bit more ability to grow and move and shift. So if you have, like, a bias cut dress or skirt, it just flows over the body really beautifully. And similarly, bias tape is cut on the bias so that it can stretch around curves like necklines.

Caroline: Mhm. So that means that basically when you’re talking about bias, it refers to any diagonal grainline. But if you want the true bias, then it’s 45 degrees. And when we’re cutting garments on the bias in sewing, usually we’re using the true bias, right?

Helen: Mhm. Exactly. Yeah. It’s not often said if someone says, cut it on the bias. Usually, they mean the true bias.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: But it’s true. It can refer to any angle, and gridded rulers are really helpful when you’re trying to find the true bias because they often have that 45 degree angle marked. So if you get one of those gridded quilting rulers, you can line that up with the selvedge, and then you can just use your rotary cutter to cut strips of bias tape.

Caroline: Yeah. I love using my gridded ruler for that kind of thing. We also cut pattern pieces on the bias to allow for more stretch. So, like Helen said, you’re getting those pieces to hug around your body more, but do keep in mind that generally when you’re cutting something on the bias, you want to use a pattern that’s drafted for bias because fabric behaves really differently when it’s cut on the bias.

So I don’t think you, generally speaking, want to take a pattern that’s meant to be cut on the straight of grain and cut the whole thing on the bias cause I think the fit will just be totally off. One pattern that we love is the Sicily Slip dress by Sewing Patterns by Masin, and it’s cut on the bias. It has a beautiful form fitting shape. So if you’re looking for a pattern, maybe check that one out.

And fun fact: bias doesn’t fray! So this is because the woven fibers cross each other on an angle. So you don’t really have to worry about fraying when you’re cutting things on the bias.

Helen: Woohoo! I’ve actually never made a bias cut garment. And that’s, kind of, surprising to me now that I think about it. I think I need to rectify that and get my hands on this Sicily Slip Dress.

Caroline: Yeah, no, I, I have also never, uh, sewed anything on the bias before, cut out any garments on the bias. I’m really tempted to make, like, a bias cut, midi length skirt. I feel like that would fit really well into my wardrobe.

Helen: Yeah, totally.

Caroline: Okay. So what about binding? Binding is a strip of fabric that can be used to cover the raw edges of the fabric and this, kind of, encloses them and provides stability to that area. Binding can be used instead of facings. We’re going to talk about facings later, and it can also be used as a seam finish or a hem finish.

I do want to mention that often the term binding, bias binding, and bias tape are, kind of, used interchangeably. So if you hear either of those words, usually they’re talking about binding which is, kind of, that strip of fabric that’s cut usually on the bias so that it has a little bit of stretch to it that is used to finish raw edges.

Helen: Mhm. Exactly, and it can be visible like a sandwich over a neckline, or it can be turned to the inside and be invisible and only visible in the inside of the garment. But again, it’s often just referred to as a bias binding, even though technically if it’s going all the way to the inside of the garment, it would be called a bias facing.

But you know, we just, kind of, get these terms going and we start using them and, and it works. So I think when you hear the word bias bound neckline, usually it refers to something that’s facing your body.

Caroline: Yeah. And I think not all binding is cut on the bias.

Helen: True.

Caroline: Getting confusing. But if you can understand what I mean, like, I think certain applications, like I’m thinking of finishing edges in, like, athletic or outerwear. Sometimes they use, like, a binding that isn’t stretchy, but it’s just used to, like, kind of ,lock in, um, a raw edge or a seam. So not always on the bias.

Helen: Alright. Next up is another one of my favorite sewing terms which is bodkin. I don’t know why I always have to say it like that. Bodkins are used to help pass through objects, like drawstrings or elastic through a channel, or, you know, when you’re trying to, like, turn this little fiddly tube right side out, so you can have, like, a spaghetti strap or something like that.

You don’t have to use a safety pin for that. That’s, kind of, the go-to method, and it does work. And that’s the method that I use, to be honest, but bodkins can really help you here. You insert this little metal stick into the fabric. You grab the other end. You pull it through. So they can make that process a lot easier if you find the safety pin to be a bit cumbersome. They come in different shapes and sizes, but most commonly they look like a stiletto tool which has a tweezers clamping section on one end and a pointed end on the other.

Caroline: Very cool. Do you use a bodkin in your sewing practice?

Helen: I don’t actually have one right now. I, I’ve definitely seen them before, and I’ve used one before, but I don’t have one in my personal sewing arsenal, but I should get one.

Caroline: I’ve actually never seen one in person, but they do sound really cool. I use a bobby pin actually or a loop turner to turn, like, long strips of fabric. And I also use a safety pin to feed elastic through. So yeah, I mean…

Helen: Isn’t it a bodkin turner just a bodkin though?

Caroline: No, it’s different.

Helen: Oh!

Caroline: A loop turner is, it has, like, a little hook on the end. Um, and so you, kind of, like, put it through and then you hook the end and then you pull back right side out. Um, and it is a little bit tricky to get, like, to hook properly and have it not get caught as you’re pulling it through.

Personally, my favorite method for turning a loop is a bobby pin. You just snip the end. Like, you just snip, like, even a centimeter down from the edge. And then you slip your bobby pin through that little loop that you created, and then into the strip of fabric that you’ve sewn. And then you, kind of, use that to pull it through. I feel like I need to make, like, a video to share this method, but it’s, it works so well. And it’s, that’s how I always turn loops because it’s just, kind of, full-proof.

Helen: Hot tip.

Caroline: Hot tip.

Helen: There you go. And you don’t poke yourself when your safety pin inevitably opens, and you have to try and close it in the middle of a loop.

Caroline: The worst.

Helen: The worst.

Caroline: Okay. Next up we’re going to talk about casing. So a casing is an enclosed tubular area on a garment. This enclosed area is made of two rows of stitching or a fold line plus a row of stitching. And really the purpose of casing is often to hold elastic or boning or drawstring into an area. Um, and these can pop up in garment construction when you’re sewing areas like waistbands or cuffs. You’ll see that a lot.

Helen: Yeah. It’s like a little fabric tunnel.

Caroline: Yeah, there you go. A little tunnel.

Helen: Alright, clipping seams is next. And we clip into seams to help our garments lie flat and smooth after sewing up a seam, particularly in a curved area. So we clip into seams that are concave, such as snipping in towards the seam allowance with scissors. So a concave shape is similar to a bowl shape where it’s sunken in at the center. And then when you go to turn everything right side out, those snips that you made get to open, and they can actually, like, bend to fit that curve.

Conversely, with a convex curve, you want to make little notches. So you’re actually cutting out little triangles of your seam allowance so that when you turn it inside out, your seam allowance can move in towards itself, and there isn’t bulk there that’s creating little folds. So it is, kind of, a bit of a mind bender to think about what kind of curve you have and what kind of curve it’s going to become when you go to turn it. Um, hopefully the instructions that you have will tell you what to do. I know we always include that in ours.

Caroline: Yeah. And I think that you learn the value of clipping seams pretty quickly in sewing because if you don’t clip frequently enough around a curve or if you don’t clip far enough into the curve or if you forget to clip altogether, you’re going to know right away because your neckline, for example, will not be laying flat. It’ll look bunchy. It might have some weird angles to it instead of, like, a nice smooth curve. So clipping is really, really important. You just have to be careful not to clip into your stitch line because that will create problems.

Helen: Yeah, and if you’re using a really delicate fabric, reinforcing that stitch line, maybe you sew it with a slightly less long stitch length or you sew it twice or you do some understitching or something to reinforce that area before you go clipping into the, towards that stitch line and everything starts to unravel.

Caroline: Yes. Okay. Next up is darts. So a dart is a wedge shaped area that’s tucked to form one point or sometimes two points. And that would be like, if you had a dart, kind of, going from your bust down to your waist, for example, it’ll be, like, a double-edged dart. So that dart that you’ve sewn ends up looking like a wedge or triangle shaped bit of fabric That’s visible on the wrong side of the garment. And on the right side, it simply looks like a straight line with no visible stitches.

We also love using a tailor’s ham to press darts. These make it really easy to, kind of, get into those corners. And we learned in our pressing episode, not to press past the dart point to get a more professional finish, but Helen, do you have any dart tips to share with our listeners?

Helen: I just want to say that there’s lots of ways to sew and secure and press darts. So don’t worry so much about doing it right. You can experiment with different methods. Um, there’s lots of tricks out there for getting your dart straight and lots of different methods that people use. I usually just mark mine with chalk. And then I pin it together. And then I sew as best I can along those chalk lines. But it can be a little tricky to follow that line and get to that point really accurately. And in the end, you know, that’s what the seam ripper’s for. You can always try again.

Caroline: Yeah, it’s so true. And I also would like to encourage everyone to adjust your dart length, shape, position. I feel like this is a really easy and quick fitting tool. If there’s a dart in your garment, making the dart a little bit bigger or moving it up or down so that it aligns with your bust point, I think is a really great way to, kind of, up your sewing game and get a better fit.

I also wanted to give a little tip about sewing darts. So when I saw my darts, I actually like to. decrease my stitch length to like 0.3 to 0.5 for the last centimeter of the dart. So I start at the side seam, you know, the larger bottom of the dart, let’s say. And then I stitch into the point. And then when I get to the end, I really decrease my stitch length. And this, kind of, locks in the stitches.

And with this method, I don’t have to back stitch or even tie off my threads at the end. So it actually really helps to decrease the bulk at the dart point which sometimes can get, like, a little bit pointy. But…

Helen: Yeah. Yeah. If you try to tie a knot there and you pull your threads a little too tight, you can actually get a little pucker. Um, so be gentle. But yeah, like I said, lots of ways to sew a dart, and I do love your tip about adjusting where it sits on you because everybody’s different.

Caroline: Totally. Okay. Let’s talk about ease next. Um, ease can be calculated by comparing the finished garment measurements to the measurements on the body size charts. So often patterns will come with two different size charts, and if you compare them that difference in measurement is going to account for the ease.

So positive ease is when the garment is bigger than your body. Typically, woven garments have positive ease, and do keep in mind that almost all garments have at least some ease.

You need to be able to move in a garment, so especially when you’re talking about a woven garment that’s meant to be no stretch in the fabric. Think about how your weight distribution changes from standing to sitting or standing to kneeling. I think we’ve all been there with a pair of pants where you’re like, this feels amazing when I’m standing up and then you try to bend down or kneel or pick something up and it’s actually, like, painful. Or you just can’t do it. Or you feel like you’re going to split your pants. That’s why you need ease. You need to account for this movement with ease.

Some garments have negative ease. So this means that the size chart numbers will actually be larger than the final measurement chart, and negative ease makes sense for garments that need stretch to fit your body so, like a swimsuit or a pair of leggings, like the Avery Leggings.

And then some garments will also have close to zero ease. And these are really fitted garments that don’t have a lot of wiggle room. So an example of this would be like a form fitted pencil skirt. But I would say, like, when you’re talking about a garment made out of woven fabrics, you always need to have at least a little bit of ease or else you’re just not gonna be able to move in it.

Helen: Exactly. And sometimes I get questions in my inbox about how to choose a size and whether to use the size chart or the finished garment measurements chart. And I see beginners getting tripped up by this because we have these two charts, and they have different numbers on them. So it’s really important to look at both those charts, but you want to choose ultimately based on the size chart, and then just be aware of the finished measurement chart because that’s going to tell you how much ease is in the garment.

But the designer has considered that when they design the garment. So they’ve designed it to have a certain amount of ease. And so if you choose based on your size, you should have the amount of ease that was intended. But if after you make your first version, you find, oh, it’s a little bit too roomy for me, or it’s feeling a little bit too tight, you can size up or down to get more or less ease.

Caroline: Yeah. Cause it’s also about the designer’s intention for how they think that garment should fit a person. So you might say I’m imagining this to be a really relaxed fit and maybe, you know, the person sewing it isn’t as into the relaxed fit. So sizing down is always an option, but it’s good to make it as intended first, so you can decide what adjustments you want to make after.

Helen: Yeah, exactly. Okay. Next up we have edge stitching which is a line of topstitching that’s sewn, like, 1/16 or 1/8 of an inch from a sewn edge. So edge stitching helps to create a really nice flat finish. Plus, it just looks really good. It gives you that professional, polished, kind of, look, and it shows up on things like colors, waistbands, patch pockets. We have edge stitching along the side of the front and back panel on the March Top.

And one thing that you can do here to make this easier is to use an edge stitching foot. An edge stitching foot has a little piece of plastic or metal that just runs along whatever it is you’re trying to align your edge stitch up with, so it runs along that edge. And then the needle is always going to be the same distance from that edge, so you don’t have to worry so much about sewing straight.

Caroline: Yeah, I swear by my edge stitching foot, especially for jeans making. It helps me to get a really, even super professional topstitch that I just cannot achieve without my edge stitch foot, so it’s not cheating. I’d like to say it’s not cheating. I think that it’s totally valid to use tools like this in the sewing room. And I highly recommend the edge stitch foot.

Helen: Yeah, and I think some people might be wondering what the difference between edge stitching and topstitching is. And we are going to talk about topstitching later, but edge stitching is typically sewn closer to the edge than topstitching. And it’s done with a regular stitch length versus topstitching, which often is done with topstitching thread or the stitch length is increased and it’s further from the edge.

Caroline: Yes. Okay. So next up is facings. Facings are sewn on the inside of the garment openings, and they often mirror the opening they’re intended to finish. So, a facing is fabric sewn around the edge of an opening. It’s then flipped to the inside of the garment to face the body and create a clean edge. And this is often used for necklines, arm holes, hems, slits. Because facings are not visible on the outside of your garment, you can always consider using scrap fabric for your facings or contrasting fabric. Just be mindful of fabric weight and drape if you’re mixing fabrics here.

Helen: Yes. And with facings, you want to think about whether your exterior fabric is see-through, too because if it is, then you’re going to see that facing underneath. So it might not be the best finishing option, but oftentimes, facings just give you this beautiful finish. They give you the super polished edge that with say a bias binding you wouldn’t get, because you’ll have visible topstitching. Um, with facings, you don’t have to have topstitching.

Caroline: Yes. Love it. I love a good facing.

Helen: Me, too.

Caroline: Sometimes I switch out, like, a bound neckline for a faced neckline just cause I, I like the look of the finish more.

Helen: Yeah, I like to have those options, like with the Ashton Top, we included both because sometimes you want to do bias binding and sometimes you want to do facings.

Okay. Next up is gathering. And I want to talk about this one because my new pattern has a lot of gathering in it, and it involves bunching up fabric to create fullness or volume in certain areas of a garment like sleeves or a skirt.

And there’s a lot of ways to achieve gathering fabric. The most common way is to sew two or three lines of basting stitches, pull the tails of those stitch threads to gather the fabric in intended areas, pulling the bobbin will make it easier to gather. So do a couple of lines of stitching, just making sure that you’re grabbing only the thread tails from one side of your fabric. And then that way everything is just going to slide along those stitches real nice and easy.

We also shared some of our listeners’ favorite gathering tips in our Sewing Tips Episode. One person suggested using dental floss with a row of wide zigzag stitches, sewn over top of it. And then you can just gather up your fabric really easily along that dental floss, and when you’re done, you just pull the dental floss out, and everything’s minty fresh.

Caroline: Yes. Minty fresh. Minty fresh garments. Exactly what I’m always going for. Helen, do you like gathers? Do you like poofy garments? Tell me.

Helen: Are you joking right now?

Caroline: As you’re sitting in front of me wearing a poofy sleeve blouse.

Helen: I love a good gather, and I think it’s a little on trend right now. I will say that maybe I won’t love gathered sleeves forever, but there is something really just fun and whimsical about it. I’m really enjoying the statement sleeve trend that’s been happening for a few years now, so I don’t even know if it’s a trend anymore. But it is just fun to sew gathers.

I find you find them a lot in kids’ clothes. They’re an easy way to add a skirt to a top, you know, to make it into a dress. It’s just a simple thing that you can do in sewing to add ruffles and things everywhere.

Caroline: They make it fitting easier, like a gathered skirt or, like, a poofy sleeve is going to be much easier to fit then, you know, something that’s, like, really close to the body. I also love a poof. I love a gather. I don’t own enough things with gathers. I have a few Roscoe Blouses, but outside of that, not enough poofy garments in my wardrobe. I really want to make a…

Helen: You gotta make a March.

Caroline: I really want to make the March. I want to make the Huon Shirt from Muna and Broad as well. Um, I think that there just can never be too many gathers. Um, I can’t wait.

Helen: I wanted to mention, too, that we talked about darts earlier, and gathering is another way that you can add fullness to an area like a bust, so you don’t have to have a dart that’s sewn in there. You can actually turn that dart into gathers, so that you have a different, kind of, look. You get a little bit of gathering, obviously. Folded fabric, it can look a little bit more romantic or whimsical than just a simple dart, and that’s a pretty easy change that you can make.

Caroline: Good point. Turning darts into gathers over there.

Helen: You can do it.

Caroline: Okay, next up, we’re going to talk about grading seams. So when we grade seams, we’re trimming the seam allowance to be different widths, and this helps to reduce added bulk from the seam allowance. When we’re grading seams, we generally want one seam to be about 1/4 inch shorter than the other, and areas where you might grade your seams are necklines and collars.

Helen: Yeah. Or the back of a yoke, I mean, pretty much any interior seam you might want to grade if it’s, like ,tucked in somewhere else. And especially if you have more than two layers, if you end up with three layers, like on the back of a yoke, making sure that they’re all different widths. We’re going for a blend here. We want, like, a little step down so that everything lies smoothly. And typically, when you’re grading seams you want the shortest seam to be the one that’s facing your body, but I honestly don’t think it makes that big a difference. That’s just, like, technical stuff.

Caroline: Oh yeah. Interesting rule. I didn’t know about that.

Helen: Cool.

Caroline: Do you wanna talk about grainlines, Helen?

Helen: Okay. Grainlines are the long lines indicated on the pattern pieces. They usually have little triangles on either end that mark the lengthwise grain, and you want to line up that lengthwise grain with the lengthwise grain on the fabric. So we use these grainlines when we’re cutting out our pieces to make sure that everything is cut on grain.

And the reason why cutting on grain is so important is because we want our garments to sit well on our bodies. We want them to hang nicely. If we, kind of, cut our pieces, willy nilly on angles here and there, they’re going to stretch. They’re going to get a little bit misshapen. They’re not going to hang correctly. You’re going to have one side of your garment looking different than the other.

So if you are a beginner, I think cutting on the grainline is a really important thing to start off your sewing journey doing. And I know it’s really tempting to, you know, not measure those grainlines, but even just when it’s off a little bit, it can make a big difference.

Caroline: Yeah, it’s true. That’s when you get the leg twist or weird things happening where one edge is, like, longer than the other.

Helen: Or if you buy, like, a cheap t-shirt from, like, a fast fashion place, you might wash it and it comes out of the wash and you put it on, it’s all twisted. It’s because it wasn’t cut on the grain. There’s a mistake that happened there, so it is important.

However, you can also often cut on what’s called the crossgrain which is turning the piece completely to the side so that the grainline is running perpendicular to the grainline of the fabric. And with woven fabrics without stretch, you can often cut on the crossgrain and that can give you the opportunity to save fabric in some places or experiment with things like stripes in different directions.

Caroline: Yeah, I would say, try to stick with a plain weave fabric, a fabric that doesn’t have a nap when you’re cutting on the crossgrain. Like, if it looks different, and you can usually see this with the naked eye, like if it looks different when you’re cutting it crossway, either color-wise or pattern-wise, then just be mindful of that when you’re figuring out which pieces to cut on the crossgrain or cut the whole thing on the crossgrain. And then you know that…

Helen: True.

Caroline: …you’re not mixing weird textures or anything.

Helen: I like the idea of a corduroy garment with all of the nap and the wales running horizontally. Why not?

Caroline: Why not, right?

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Okay. Next up is hemming and hemming is typically done on the bottom edge of a garment, such as the bottom of a skirt or sleeves, to finish that edge. So hems are folded up on the wrong side and stitched in place. And the amount that you hem the garment piece is often recommended in the pattern. And these are typically done near the end of the garment making process. So hemming is really satisfying because it’s often, like, the last thing that you do.

I personally really love hemming. I think pressing hems make them look really, really polished. And I love putting that finishing touch on a garment and spending a little bit of extra time to make my hem look really crisp and beautiful, really makes a big difference.

I also wanted to mention that trickier hemlines, maybe with a curve or hemlines that maybe have areas that are on the bias, can benefit from a hem facing. So if you find you’re having trouble, uh, hemming a garment, for whatever reason, you might want to consider drafting a hem facing, and that will make it a lot easier for you to finish that edge.

Helen: Ooh, that’s so smart. I love hemming, too. It’s just that nice final step before you get to wear your garment finally. And one thing that I will say is always good to do is before you do your hem, try on your garment and see if you’re happy with the length because you can adjust your hem. The pattern might call for a two inch hem, but maybe it’s already looking a little short, so you just want to do a little baby hem, and that’s totally fine. It’s really easy to customize hems.

Caroline: Yeah, that’s so true. Sometimes I’ll try on a garment and it’ll be, especially with pants, I’ll be like, ooh, I don’t really want to hem it because it’s the perfect length. So I’ll just do like a little teeny tiny hemp, or just leave the edge raw.

Helen: Ooh, I love that. Especially in denim.

Caroline: Yeah. Do you have any other hemming tips to share?

Helen: I don’t think so. What about hemming in a circle? I know that’s kind of challenging for people.

Caroline: Yeah, one thing that comes to mind with that is, like, if you’re working with a circle skirt or you’re hemming an area of a garment that maybe has portions that are cut on the bias, like a circle skirt, you want to let that garment hang for at least 24 hours before you hem because fabrics can actually kind of stretch out and warp just with gravity and certain areas of the bottom of that skirt, for example, might end up being longer than others. So you might want to keep that in mind.

I also have found that sometimes, for me, because I have a larger booty, hems end up being a little bit shorter in the back. So it is really good to try it on and actually, like, measure from the floor up to your hem. Have someone help you out to make sure that your hem is even because if I’m working with, like, a skirt, let’s say that’s pretty loose, so I know it’ll fit around my hips, it still might, like, hike up a little bit in the back because of my bum. So look out for that, but yeah, hemming is fun. It’s, like, straight forward. It’s, I don’t know the last thing you get to do in the sewing process.

Helen: It’s true. Unless it’s a circle skirt and you have to go all the way around. It takes forever.

Caroline: Oh yeah. That’s true. We won’t talk about that.

Helen: Feels like it’ll never end. No, uh, even that is, kind of, fun. I always enjoy a good hem, and I also love to press my hems after I sew them because I find pressing beforehand is great, but the final garment needs that extra press, too. And I think we might’ve mentioned that in our Pressing Episode, but yeah, definitely, always good to reiterate.

Alright, interfacing. Interfacing is a fusible or non-fusible fabric that is used to provide added structure and support to garment pieces to prevent it from getting stretched out or to give it just more structure so it holds its shape. It can be purchased at most fabric shops.

And fusible interfacing has a glue side on it. So it has, kind of, a bumpy feel to one side. And the glue side is fused to, typically, the wrong side of the garment pieces. And it’s put on using your iron, so you want to add some heat and steam to melt that glue and attach it to your fabric.

Non-fusible interfacing is sewn onto the fabric instead, so you’ll sew, kind of, around the interfacing to tack it on. You can also use scrap fabric for interfacing, too, if the goal here is just to add some structure to an area like a collar, using a piece of the same fabric that you’re using for your shirt or a piece of cotton muslin in there can just give you that structure that you need without you having to go and get more materials.

Caroline: And we have a whole episode on interfacing, Helen. I don’t know if you remember Episode 78: Interfacing101. So if you want more info about interfacing, go back and listen to that one.

Helen: Definitely. Okay. What about interlining? Is that the same thing?

Caroline: It is not the same thing. So interlining is a layer of fabric added to the inside of a garment which will add warmth and insulation. Interlining is placed between the fabric and the lining, and it’s not visible in your finished garment because it’s completely encased by the lining and fashion fabric.

Popular options for interlining are often flannel, lamb’s wool, you can even get synthetic batting made specifically for interlining, and it’s often basted to the pattern pieces before garment construction begins similar to what we would do with non-fusible interfacing.

Helen: Yeah, I love this for a cozy jacket if you live in a colder climate. It makes so much sense.

Caroline: Yeah, or if you want to work with, like, a wool or coating fabric, that’s maybe a little bit lighter than you want it to be, like, drape-wise, you can actually, kind of, change the look of the fabric and the drape of the fabric by interlining all of your pieces.

Helen: Perfect. Okay. Muslin is a term that we’ve already mentioned a few times, and muslin is a fabric, but it’s also used to describe a test version of a garment, and this can be called toiling or making a toile or making a prototype, as well. So whatever word you want to use, it’s totally fine. And these test versions of the garment, the intention is just for you to check the fit and see if there’s any changes you want to make before you try it in your precious fashion fabric.

So when you’re sewing muslins, you can use actual muslin fabric which is unbleached woven cotton fabric. Or you can use a fabric similar to the weight of your garments. So, for example, if you’re making a pair of jeans, you might want to use, you know, a cheap denim, or maybe even just get extra yardage of the denim you’re planning to use, knowing that you want to make that test version. Um, or if you’re making a swimsuit, you’re not going to want to make a muslin out of cotton muslin because it’s not going to work.

Caroline: Now, I know you sew a lot of muslins because you’re testing patterns all the time, right?

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Yeah. So do you always use that cotton muslin fabric or do you use like, quote unquote, real fabric for your muslins?

Helen: It depends on the garment, but I do typically use the cotton muslin for most of our woven patterns when we’re testing them, at least for the initial test, just to see, okay, what is this looking like? But I love to try it in the intended fabric. So if I’m designing a drapey dress, seeing it in a muslin is okay, but, like, seeing it in a rayon or something like that, that’s what I really need to see. So after we’ve kind of nailed the initial fit, we move on to fashion fabrics.

And I want to say, too, that if you have sewn muslin as a beginner and then sewn the final garment, and you’ve noticed that even though you tested it and it looked good in the muslin and you figured it out, you’ve sewed the final garment in your fashion fabric and it looks different, it’s because fabrics are different and muslin has, like, no give to it. It is, like, rock solid. Like, you cannot stretch that fabric one way or the other.

If you use, like, a washed linen that has actually quite a lot of give to it. It’s not stretchy, but it just drapes over the body. It has, like, some movement. It can grow with wear. It can get larger as you’re wearing it. So the fit between those two garments is going to be different. So that’s one point in the favor of using a fashion fabric to try out your finished garment rather than using a muslin because it is just so stiff and kind of hard to evaluate sometimes.

Caroline: Yeah, that’s a really good tip. Okay. Next up we’re going to talk about nap, not taking a nap, but fabrics with nap.

Helen: Dang.

Caroline: Okay. So napped, or sometimes also referred to as piled, fabrics are fabrics that have a raised or brushed surface. So this could be corduroy, faux fur, velvet, some coatings. One direction of the fabric is often smooth when you touch it, and this is when you’re brushing or following the nap or pile.

If it feels rough to the touch, you’re probably brushing against the nap. Oftentimes, we cut so that the nap runs from top down, making it feel smooth as we brush down. And this also helps the garment to lay flat. That’s usually what’s recommended if you’re making, like, a coat or something, to have that nap going down.

Some napped fabrics are more obvious than others. So obviously with fur and velvet, you can see that there’s a nap. But some fabrics, such as wool or cashmere, can also have a nap which is only really noticeable when you rub your hand up and down the fabric. So if you’re working with a fabric that’s a little bit spongier or thicker or seems to have even a little bit of a pile to it, make sure you rub that fabric and see which direction the nap goes in because you really want to make sure that you’re cutting all of your pattern pieces running in the same direction.

Naps are directional, so if you are, kind of, not paying attention to the nap as you’re cutting, you might end up with one pant leg that actually looks different from the other because napped fabrics look lighter or darker depending on the angle that you’re looking at them or the direction of the nap. I think we’ve all been there, like corduroy garment where like one section of it you’re like, that looks weird. It’s cause you probably cut it in the wrong direction.

Helen: Yeah, I did this recently. I cut some pockets on my Yanta Overalls with the nap going the wrong way, and I decided to leave it cause I was like, if pockets get highlighted, that’s fine, right?

Caroline: Yeah, and it’s one of those things, too, I think that sewists notice and that people who don’t sew probably wouldn’t notice or point it out, but it’s, I think also something that might bug you in the future if you think that that’s something that you’ll notice, you know, moving forward every time you wear the garment. So it’s all about, kind of, knowing yourself, too.

Helen: Yeah, exactly. Okay. Notches are very important in sewing as well. And a notch is a short line or triangle that shows up along the edge of pattern pieces. And we want to clip into these points with our scissors or make little triangle hats on the outside of our fabric, if that’s your jam, during the cutting process so that they’ll be there to help us join pieces when we’re constructing the garments.

So it’ll say, you know, matching notches, sew the shoulder seams together, and those notches are there just to help you know which piece goes with which and to help you line up long areas, too. Like, a really long side seam will typically have at least one notch on it, so you don’t have to guess how to align the fabric. You have that check-in point along the way.

Caroline: Helen, are you a notcher or are you a NOT-cher?

Helen: I am actually, um, team notch. I think notches are super handy. I love using them strategically in pattern design as well. Like I said, they can be so helpful for just making sure that people get things lined up right. So as a designer, I think I appreciate a well-placed notch. And so I try to make sure I, I clip them, but of course you miss them. People miss them all the time. So it’s no biggie if you need to pull out your pattern piece and try to figure out where that notch goes, or if you’re just like, I’m just going to wing it. I don’t need that notch. A lot of times they’re just there to help, but they might not be a hundred percent necessary, but sometimes if we’re distributing ease in certain areas of a garment, notches are necessary. So if you’re not sure, because you’re just getting started with sewing, err on the side of caution, and make those notches.

Caroline: Yeah. And be careful not to cut too far into the seam allowance when you’re notching. I think it’s really easy to, like, not pay attention and be a little bit cavalier with those scissors when you’re snipping your notches in the cutting process. So just be mindful of, you know, what the seam allowance is and making sure not to go past that cause then you’re going to end up with holes in your seams.

I also wanted to mention that if you do a lot of pattern making or if you like to trace your TNT patterns onto, like, a cardstock or a heftier paper, a notcher tool is a really fun one to have. I have one from my fashion school days, and I still use it on my TNTs cause it just makes it really easy to see all the notches when I’m tracing them out and remember to cut them when I’m finishing cutting out my fabric.

Helen: Yeah, it is a really fun tool to have for sure.

Caroline: Next up, we’re going to talk about press cloths. So we talked about the importance of press cloths in our recently released Pressing episode, Episode 174. Press cloths are used during the pressing process to help you protect your fashion fabric. So you will use this press cloth by placing it over your fabric so that there’s protection between the fabric and the sole plate of the iron which can get really hot and sometimes damage the fabric if that fabric is particularly delicate.

So there are lots of different kinds of press cloths. You can get a silk organza press cloth, a wool one, you can make your own out of cotton fabric. Try to look for something that’s tightly woven. You may also be able to use scrap fabric for press cloths. It’s a really nice scrap busting project. Just cut out squares of scrap fabric, serge the edges, and you’re ready to go. Definitely not something you need to buy.

Although, I do really love my silk organza press cloth, and I swear by it because I love that you can see through silk organza so that you can, kind of, see what you’re doing. And silk organza, can take a ton of heat, so you don’t have to worry about, like, burning or scorching or anything. So.

Helen: Totally.

Caroline: Yes.

Helen: And along those lines, pressing. As you mentioned, we have a whole episode about this, but it’s a really important part of the sewing process. Pressing involves an up and down motion with your iron, and it’s not to be confused with ironing which is more of a back and forth movement with the iron to smooth out wrinkles.

So the up and down movement of pressing helps to prevent stretching and distortion of the fabric. So when we are sewing our garment, we wanna do things like pressing our seams, pressing our darts, pressing facings when we turn them right side out. There’s all sorts of opportunities in the garment construction process to use pressing.

You can also use finger pressing which is doing it with your hands and just using the heat of your fingers. It’s not quite as effective as the iron, but it gets the job done. And it could be helpful if you just want to finger press something before you move on to the next step.

Caroline: Awesome. Okay. Pre-washing. My favorite. My favorite word. I’ve claimed the word. Pre-washing involves washing the fabric before you cut it out. It’s almost always recommended to wash your fabric before you cut and sew it because you want to get that shrink out of the fabric.

There’s nothing worse than making a garment and then putting it through the laundry and then having it shrink. This is why we pre-wash fabric. Different fabrics require different washing and caring methods. So if you’re given washing advice when you’re purchasing the fabric, go ahead and follow those instructions.

If you’re not given care instructions, you can determine your pre-washing method often based on the fiber content. So we’ll link some resources in the show notes to help you better understand pre-washing based on fiber content. Obviously, when in doubt, cut a swatch and test it out. We always say this, you can cut a piece of fabric, put it through the wash, see how it behaves before you wash your entire yardage.

And you can also do this for testing your iron temperatures. So take that same swatch that you put through the wash and test iron it and see how that behaves that way you know what iron temperature to use in your sewing process. I always like to say, pre-wash your fabrics the way you plan to wash your finished garment.

So if you are the kind of person who is not going to dry clean anything, who is going to put all of your clothes through a hot washing machine, in a hot dryer, then buy fabrics that can take that kind of care. And pre-wash your fabric in that way so that you know that you’ve gotten all of that hot shrink out of it. It’s, kind of, a weird, weird… the hot shrink, get it out of the fabric.

Helen: Get that hot shrink out of there!

Caroline: But no, it’s really important to be realistic about how you’re going to care for your garment and do that in the pre-washing process. And then I do have a bonus tip for pre-washing. I always like to serge or zigzag the cut edges of my fabric before washing and this prevents fraying. Some fabrics can get really frayed and, like, bunched up and knotted during the pre-washing process. And you can even lose, like, a good inch on either end of the fabric when you’re pre-washing it just from, like, fraying. So serging or zigzag is going to help you to have less mess. And also just save a little bit of fabric.

Helen: I love that. I will pre-wash some fabrics multiple times, too because some fabrics shrink. Even after you pre-wash and dry them, they shrink, like rayons are, I’ve had some, like, cotton shirting do that on me. And it’s so upsetting. You think you’ve pre-washed. You think you’ve checked that box. You make the garment, and then the garment shrinks. So, I mean, if you’re worried about it, just keep, throw it through the wash a few times.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Why not?

Caroline: Totally.

Helen: Okay, next up we’re going to talk about seam allowance. And the seam allowance is the space from the intended seam line to the raw edge of the pattern pieces that you’re working with. Seam allowances are added so that the seam can be sewn, and then can be pressed open or to one side. And seam allowance widths will vary from pattern to pattern.

The most common seam allowances are 3/8 of an inch, which is about one centimeter, or 5/8 of an inch, which is about one and a half, 1.6 centimeters. And of course, whether your country uses metric or imperial will affect whether the sewing patterns that are developed there use metric or imperial measurements here for seam allowances and the seam allowances on your sewing machine markings as well.

So it can get a little complicated, but you, kind of, as you sew, you’ll get used to moving between the two different ways and looking out for that seam allowance marking before you start sewing cause that is really important to know before you get going.

Caroline: Yeah, definitely. And most patterns include seam allowance in the pattern, but some do not. So look out for this, especially in vintage patterns, I think it’s pretty common for the seam allowance to not be included. If this is the case, you would have to draw out that seam allowance when you’re tracing out your pattern.

I think Burda Patterns are another company that often has patterns without seam allowance. And I think some people like this because then you have control over how much seam allowance you can add which is really nice. If you prefer to have a skinny seam allowance, you can just do 3/8. If you like extra seam allowance, then you can do that. So it is really fun to have control over that.

Kind of, in a similar vein, as you grow in your sewing journey, you might want to play with seam allowances. So you don’t necessarily always have to keep the seam allowance as it is. You can widen the seam allowance to test the fit a bit more. Wider seam allowances can also allow you to let out a seam later on if needed.

And the narrow seam allowances can be desired on garments with sharp curves so that they’re easier to sew, but do keep in mind with those narrower seams that they don’t provide that room for alteration later on.

Helen: Yeah. And typically knit garments have a smaller seam allowance because the intention is that you might construct it with a serger, and sergers have a smaller seam allowance from the needle to the blade, so that’s why you often see shorter seam allowances on knit garments.

Caroline: Yes. Okay. Next up is selvedge or selvage.

Helen: Both acceptable. I always say this because I get questions about this. Whenever I run a pattern test, people say, I spell selvage wrong. I’m like, it’s fine. Both ways are acceptable.

Caroline: Yeah. I’ve definitely seen it spelled a V-E-D-G-E or V-A-G-E. So the selvedge is parallel to the lengthwise grain. So it’s, kind of, the lengthwise edge of the fabric, and it might have some colored dots along that edge, or maybe a name brand printed on it. Um, and sometimes even has, like, holes running through it. And this is from the machinery that’s used to handle and finish the fabric.

It’s very normal for some selvedges to be a bit messy or have some, like, larger holes. This happens often with washed fabrics, like a washed linen or knit fabrics. So keep that in mind if you’re seeing, like, some holes along your selvedge, that’s totally normal. And this is me speaking from experience at Blackbird because we get questions about that a lot.

One thing to remember with selvedge is that you don’t really want to include the selvedge in your pattern pieces when you’re cutting out. As much as possible, you want to try to avoid it because oftentimes the selvedge is more tightly woven than the rest of the fabric. So it might behave a little bit differently, or it might, kind of, like, scrunch in a little bit along the edge. So just keep that in mind when you’re cutting, you might want to avoid the selvedge, even give yourself like an inch or so from the selvedge, from where you’re cutting your pieces.

Helen: Yeah, exactly. Sometimes it’s really tempting because the selvedge on quilting cottons is so cute. And I have used it in patterns before. If you want to use it to make, like, a binding or some little detail here or there, of course you can use it. But I think with a lot of fabrics, as you said, it behaves really differently. So it’s not a good idea to include it, um, when you’re cutting things out, if you can avoid it.

Alright, staystitching is our next term. And stay stitch is a line of stitching that’s sewn at the edge of a pattern piece to prevent that pattern piece from fraying and stretching out as you’re handling it. It’s often the first step in the pattern, and it’s done to curved areas like arm holes and necklines. Again, just to help them to maintain their shape as you’re moving them from your work table to your iron, to your machine. You’re handling it. You’re stretching it out. You’re draping it on your body to see if it’s going to fit. All of these things that you’re doing stretch out the fabric. And so stay stitching is going to help those areas to maintain their shape.

And unlike basting stitching, staystitching remains in the garment after the seams are sewn. You don’t need to remove it. It’s usually done using a regular stitch length, and it’s usually done just inside the seam allowance. So if your seam allowance is 5/8, you would do it at half an inch, so that it’s hidden, and you don’t need to worry about taking it out later.

Caroline: Would you say stay stitching is one of those things that you can skip?

Helen: Oh, I want to say no, but, like, the rebel sewist in me wants to say yes. You know, I think you can skip it. I know lots of people do. And if you’re careful with your fabric, it’s probably not going to be a big deal, but don’t come crying to me when your neckline’s all stretched out, okay?

Caroline: I was going to say, it’s just going to take one, like, droopy neckline for you to realize the value of staystitching so you can go make that mistake, listener.

Helen: I like doing it. I think it’s fun. It’s, like, the first thing on the project. And it’s, like, really an easy thing. So you don’t need to, like, stress about it. And then I feel like I have this freedom to do things like drape it over myself to see if I like the way the fabric’s fitting. Like, I don’t need to be so precious with the thing once I’ve stay stitched it. I can be like, yeah. Go nuts.

Caroline: It’s totally true. Yeah. It gives you a little bit more freedom to, like, handle your fabric a little bit.

Helen: Exactly.

Caroline: Yeah. Okay. Next up we’re going to talk about stay tape. So stay tape is a thin web form of tape that’s applied to stabilize and support seams. It helps to prevent unwanted stretching and gaping. Often stay tape can be applied to a neckline, a waistline, pocket openings, arm holes. I’ve seen it used on shoulders in knit garments. It’s often sewn in when you’re sewing the actual seam in place, so you’re, kind of, doing it all a time.

A scrap busting tip to do with stay tape is that you can actually use the selvedge, which we just talked about, that can be quite tightly woven and really stable. And you can cut that off and save it and use it as a stay tape in future projects.

Helen: So smart. I love this. If you’re looking for an example of stay tape, I often see it on the back of, like, ready to wear hoodies.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Like, it kind of goes from shoulder to shoulder along the back neck edge. And that’s just a great example of stay tape. It looks hard to sew in there, but…

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: …you can do it.

Caroline: And it does give it, kind of, elevates the finish, like the inside of a knit neckline which can sometimes look, like, a little bit messy or unfinished when you’re used to ready to wear. So adding that little detail can really up your sewing game.

Helen: Yeah, totally. Okay. Tailor’s tacks are next. Tailor’s tacks are thread markings that are added to pattern pieces to mark things like dart points, pocket placements, things that you can’t mark on the edge of a pattern piece. So they’re actually in the middle of the garment somewhere floating around. So you could mark this with chalk, but you could also mark this with a tailor’s tack.

And you’re just using some thread and a needle to make a little loop onto the fabric. And then you’re just trimming it off, so you’ll have little thread tails. And the benefit of this is that you don’t have to worry about your fabric marker disappearing over time. You don’t have to worry about your chalk rubbing off. And then three weeks later, when you come back to your project, all your markings are gone. Tailor’s tacks are going to stay as long as they don’t fall out, which you think they would, but they don’t.

Caroline: Yeah, they don’t.

Helen: Yeah, they just, kind of, hang out.

Caroline: Quite literally, they just hang, they just hang off.

Helen: They just hang there. Yeah. And use a contrast thread, too. Cause then you can see them.

Caroline: Oh yeah. And it’s another great scrap buster for thread because you can just use, like, your little spool ends and save them for hand sewing and tailor’s tacks and things like that.

Helen: Totally.

Caroline: Okay. I’m going to talk about tailor’s ham. I mean, I feel like we’ve been talking about tailor’s ham a lot lately. We had a whole section on tailor’s hams in our Pressing episode.

Helen: I love ham though.

Caroline: Oh, me too. I love a good ham. Okay. A tailor’s ham is a stuffed pillow that’s, kind of, ham shaped. It often has red wool plaid on one side which is really great for pressing with wool and synthetic fibers. And then it’ll have a cotton side which is best for fabrics that require higher heat when pressing. It’s an awesome pressing tool. It helps you to get into those curved areas like sleeve caps, necklines, darts. You can make your own. It’s a fun scrap busting project. If you are DIY-ing it, just make sure that you’re stuffing it really, really full because you want that tailor’s ham to be really hard to the touch so that it can really support that project on top of it.

Helen: Yes, definitely. Tailors. They have all these fun tools. Tailor’s tacks. Tailor’s hams. I love it.

Okay, topstitching I touched on earlier, a row of stitching that’s visible on the right side of the fabric. Sometimes referred to as, like, a decorative stitch, topstitching strengthens seams, making them a little bit stiffer. It can also help to hold a seam allowance down on one side of the fabric. And it’s a beautifully decorative element to add to your garment in the final stages of a seam or an area or the garment once it’s all finished. You can use topstitching thread when topstitching, which is often a bit thicker, or you can use regular all-purpose thread.

And if you decide to use topstitching thread, you want to also consider using a topstitching needle because the thread is thicker, so it needs a bigger, what’s that called, the scarf that runs down the needle that holds the thread? It needs to be a little bit wider and then the, it needs to be able to comfortably fit into the needle hole as well.

So when topstitching, consider your needle, consider your stitch length as well. You might want to lengthen it to give yourself just a little bit more room as your stitch is going along, give it that, like, finished, hefty feel that you want from topstitching. And also when you’re topstitching, rather than backstitching at the start and end of seams, consider leaving longer thread tails, pulling them to the back of the garment and then tying them off in a knot to give a bit of a cleaner look because topstitching thread, when you backstitch, can really draw the eye to that area, and it can create quite a lot of bulk as well.

Caroline: Mhm, it’s so true. And topstitching thread can actually come in different weights which I didn’t really know early on in my sewing journey. And I always had trouble sewing that stuff that you find online or, like, the Gutterman more, like, sewing focused line of threads where it’s really quite thick and bulky, but you can get, like, a lighter weight or slightly skinnier topstitching thread that still has that heft and still is more visible on a garment and, like, kind of, gives that strength in the seam, but it’s easier to sew. At Blackbird, we sell Mara 70 which is my preferred topstitching thread. So if you have trouble sewing the thicker stuff, maybe try that one out.

Helen: I love Mara 70, never going back. So good. Okay. Truing up. Caroline, can I take this one?

Caroline: Yeah, do it.

Helen: Truing up is the term used when you’re making pattern adjustments or pattern cutting. So truing is the process of checking to make sure that the seam lines match and the pieces connect. For example, a sleeve can fit into an arm hole, or if you’re adjusting, maybe you do a full bust adjustment, and then you want to double check that your new side seam on the front bodice matches the side seam on the original back bodice, along with checking other components like pocket placements and darts at the same time.

So if you’re making adjustments to a pattern piece that can affect the overall construction of the garment, truing up allows us to ensure those pieces are all going to fit to the other in the end, in the intended way, and that your adjustment was done correctly. So you just need to put those pieces together, either measure them and make sure that they’re the same length. Or in some cases, if you’re, uh, say, adding length to a pattern, you’re slashing it and then you’re spreading it. You’re adding some paper. And then all of a sudden, that angle on the side seam looks a little janky, if you will. Then, you want to draw a new angle there, and that’s a process of truing up.

Caroline: Yeah, and one tip that I have about truing up is to remember to use the stitch line and not the edge of the pattern piece. So you want to keep in mind what your seam allowance is. And often what I will do is just, like, fold it under, so I’m not even looking at it. Or when you’re, kind of, walking your pattern pieces together to make sure that they match, do it using the stitch line and not the edge of the patterns because those two things are very different.

Helen: Yes, and Made to Sew has two YouTube videos on how to true up which we’ll link in the show notes because they’re great.

Caroline: Awesome. Okay. Next up is underlining. So underlining is similar to the aforementioned interlining. It’s a layer of fabric that’s placed beneath the fashion fabric. Underlying is meant to help with the overall structure of the garment. So its aim is to provide body and support to the garment versus added insulation that the interlining offers.

Underlining is also added when you’re working with sheer fabric, so you can’t see through them. Underlining fabric often are cotton batiste, rayon challis, silk organza. So, depending on what your main fabric is, you’ll want to use the appropriate underlining fabric. And similarly to interlining, it’s cut and basted to the fashion fabric on the wrong side, before the garment construction process begins.

Helen: Yeah. So in this way, it’s different than a lining because a lining is, like, a separate piece of fabric that is facing your body, and it’s not actually connected to the fashion fabric before you start.

Caroline: Exactly.

Helen: So many linings to consider.

Okay. Last but not least, we have one of my favorite terms which is understitching, a row of stitching visible on the wrong side of the garment that’s there to help strengthen the seam and keep those seams from rolling or peeking out on the right side of the garment. So understitching’s not visible from the right side of the garment. It is a permanent stitch that helps to create a really professional look. So we often find understitching on things like facings, linings on garments, in seam pockets are usually understitched.

And again, it just helps you to not see that little edge, so you can actually use, like, you know, if you’re using a solid fabric for your exterior and then you want to use a fun printed fabric for your facing, understitching that facing so that you don’t see that little edge of print peeking out as you’re wearing it can really just help you to achieve that professional finish.

Caroline: Yes. I love understitching.

Helen: Me too.

Caroline: It’s essential.

Helen: So fun. It’s actually not. It’s very frustrating, but it’s fun once you get the hang of it.

Caroline: Well, you know, with an edge stitching foot, understitching is a pinch.

Helen: Is a breeze?

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Alright. Alright. Hot tip.

Caroline: Alright, so let us know what your favorite sewing term is. Is it janky? Is it pre-washing? Maybe it’s understitch. We want to…

Helen: Is it selvedge?

Caroline: Is it selvage? Let us know on social this week. Tag us in your stories and your posts. Um, we want to talk all about all of these weird sewing terms that we use, that other people have no idea what we’re talking about. It’s so great and fun. Let’s do it over on social.

Helen: We’ll see you there.

Caroline: Bye.

That’s it for today’s episode of Love to Sew. You can find me Caroline at blackbirdfabrics.com and Helen at helensclosetpatterns.com.

Helen: We’re recording in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, and you can get in touch with us and get links for everything we talked about in this episode at lovetosewpodcast.com.

Caroline: If you are loving the show and you want to help us out, you can support us over on Patreon. Contribute $5 or more a month, and you’ll get access to our bonus episode feed. If you contribute $10 or more a month, you will get a 15% discount code for both of our shops and an extra bonus mini-sode go to patreon.com/lovetosew for more info.

Helen: Thanks to our amazing podcast team. And thank you all so much for listening. We’ll talk to you next week.

Caroline: Bye.

Helen: Buh-bye.