The Acton sew-along : Selecting your size

To kick off the Acton sew-along series, we'll be talking about selecting your size.

The Acton sewing pattern is available in sizes A - K (approximately equivalent to AU size 6-24).

TAKE YOUR MEASUREMENTS

To select the appropriate size, first take your measurements.

It is best to take your measurements while wearing only underwear, or otherwise very tight clothing, so that you can get true measurements. Get someone to help you, if you can. Otherwise take your measurements in front of the mirror, so that you can check that your tape measure remains parallel to the floor, and is not twisted, as it is wrapped around your body.

First, measure your bust and take note of the measurement. 

As the Acton has quite a fitted bodice, you should also take your high bust measurement. This will help you determine whether or not you will need to do a Full or Small Bust Adjustment. The 'high bust' is the area above your breasts and under your arms.

Measure your waist... and (if you want to be able to eat in your Acton) don't suck in your tummy like me!

And then measure your hips. Make sure you are measuring your low hip (i.e. the fullest part of your hips - that includes your butt!)

BODY MEASUREMENTS

Now look at the size chart and circle where your measurements lie. Your measurements may lie across several sizes or between sizes - that's no problem at all!

Before going ahead, we need to check that you are choosing the right size for your bust measurement (you may need to select a different size to your measurements and then to a full or small bust adjustment to get a good fit).

WILL YOU NEED TO DO A FULL / SMALL BUST ADJUSTMENT?

Most indie pattern companies (including In the Folds) draft for a B cup bust. There are of course exceptions to this rule (such as Cashmerette and Colette), so make sure you check on your pattern before assuming the bust cup size.

This means that if your bust cub size is smaller than a B you will need to do a Small Bust Adjustment, otherwise known as a SBA (tutorial coming soon), and if your bust cup size is larger than a B you will need to do a Full Bust Adjustment or FBA (tutorial coming soon). 

WORK OUT YOUR CUP SIZE

Your cup size in sewing patterns may not always correspond to the bra cup size you wear. To be safe, check your measurements before deciding if you need to make any adjustments to the pattern. 

Find the difference between your bust measurement and your high bust measurement.

If the difference is 2.5cm (1") your bust is an A cup, 5cm (2") it's a B cup, 7.5cm (3") is a C cup and so on. 

CHOOSE YOUR SIZE

Now, go back to your high bust measurement and add 5cm (2"). This is what your bust measurement would be if you were a B cup and therefore the size you should be choosing from the pattern.

Change your size selection on the chart if necessary.

For example, let's say your upper bust measures 81cm (32"). Add 5cm (2") to this measurement to find out what size your bust measurement falls into on the In the Folds sizing chart (and what size you would be if you had B cup breasts). 81cm + 5cm = 86cm which corresponds to a size C. Your actual bust measurement is 89cm though - 3cm (1") larger than the cup size of the pattern. This means you will need to do a Full Bust Adjustment and add this 3cm (1") to your pattern. 

An example - looking at my measurements

I thought I'd show you my measurements and how I go about selecting my size, to give you a concrete example of this process. As my patterns do not fit me straight out of the packet! Some designers use themselves as a fit model, but I choose to use a "standard" size 10 model as a base, which means I have to make alterations to my patterns before I can get sewing too.

Bust : My high bust measurement is 82cm. I will add 5cm to this measurement to check whether or not I need to do a FBA or SBA. The result is 87cm - which puts me in a size C. My actual bust measurement is only 84cm though (not the 86cm of the size C bust measurement), which means I will need to do a Small Bust Adjustment to remove the excess 2cm from this area.

Waist : My waist measures 72cm. This is slightly bigger than the size C waist measurement (which is 71cm), so before choosing to use a size C, I will check the pattern's finished garment measurements to see if that will work. 

Looking at the "Finished Measurements" table, you can see the finished waist measurement of the size C is 81.5cm (there is about 10cm ease in the waist), which means that the fact that my waist measurement is 1cm bigger than the size C measurement, is absolutely fine.

Hips : My hip measurement is 100cm, which moves me from the size C, up to the size D. Again, my measurement is 1cm over the size D measurement, but by looking at the Finished Measurement table, I can see that again this won't be  problem due to the amount of ease in the hip, so I can stick to a D.

NOTE : The wrap on view B is deigned in such a way that there is A LOT of extra room at the hips (to allow for the wrap). If your hip measurement is only slightly outside your waist size range, I would not bother grading up at the hips (there will be ample room). If your hip size is more than a size bigger than your waist I suggest grading up. For my measurements, C at the waist and D at the hips, for the wrap version (view B), I just made a straight C (with only alterations made to the bust). 

What size to print?

The pattern has been made with embedded layers so that you can just print the size/s you need! Layers make it much less confusing to cut the right size, and also saves on ink (and paper, in some sizes). Take note of the size or sizes you need to print and then check out this post how to print and assemble your PDF pattern. 

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A round-up of the most popular posts from the past 12 months

As this week is a time to celebrate the first birthday of In the Folds, I am also seeing it as a good time to reflect on all that I have done this year. It's been a very busy year, with a range of different projects and collaborations and a fair number of blog posts. I dived into my blog analytics today so that I could share the 10 most popular posts of this last year. 

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I'd love to know what you would like to see on this blog in the next 12 months! Let me know in the comments or send me an email!

How to draft box pleats

My transition back into work mode, after a much needed break, has been a little slower than anticipated. I have been concentrating on many things already this year - filling in my calendar and working out a plan of attack for 2016, catching up on emails that came through over the holiday period, and madly sampling a couple of new patterns. But.. when it comes to my blog, I have been procrastinating! Today though, I had it in my diary that I would focus on getting back onto blog content, and although it is a little painful (as I seem to have forgotten a few things over the break... What's that font called again? What line weight do I normally do my illustrations in? So it is taking me afr longer than usual to even get started) here I am, getting the blog back on track, as I have a HUGE amount of content planned for you this year, so I better get on with it, before it suddenly becomes February! 

So, without further ado, I am going to get into the first pattern making tutorial of 2016! As you may know, if you have been following along, towards the end of year I was working on a blog series about drafting skirt patterns. I still have a few more tutorials related to skirts that I think you might like, so that's what I'll be focussing on for the moment. As I've said before, if you are new to pattern making and just wanting to dip your toe in, skirts are the place to start! They can be as simple as you choose to make them, and the fitting of a skirt is much easier than the bodice or trouser block, giving you a chance to learn some pattern making fundamentals before dealing with the ups and downs of fitting.  

Pleats

Adding pleats is a really simple adjustment that can be made to a pattern that can totally transform the look of a garment. There are many different types of pleats:- box pleats, knife pleats, accordion pleats (the fabric needs to be pleated with heat), top stitched pleats and kick pleats. Pleats can be inserted in tops, dresses, trousers and sleeve heads, but today I will be showing you how to add a box pleat to a skirt. 

Box pleats

In this tutorial, I will show you how to create a box pleat and an inverted box pleat. The drafting process is the same, the only difference is the direction the pleat is folded when you are sewing.

Getting started

1. To start, take the skirt pattern you would like to add a pleat to. I chose to use the basic A-line skirt block (that I have made a tutorial for here). You could choose a self drafted pattern, or even consider adding pleats to a pattern you have in your stash.

2. Take a seperate piece of pattern paper, and trace a copy of the skirt without seam allowance. Give yourself some extra space alongside the centre front as this is where you will be adding the pleat. 

Now, you will need to have a think about the size of your pleat. This is totally up to you. If you are struggling to work out the width of your pleat, have a play around with some fabric (or even a piece of paper), folding different sized pleats to get an idea of how it will look. 

Creating the pleat

3. When you have worked out the width you would like the pleat to be, divide that figure by two (as we are working only on half of the pattern - the piece will be cut on the fold, to create a full front piece). Now draw a rectangle half the width of the pleat (the figure you just found), and the length of the centre front. For example, if I would like to create a 12cm pleat, I will add a rectangle to the centre front that is 6cm wide.

4. Now draw a second rectangle the same length and width as the first. 

The centre front (fold 2) and the line between the two rectangles (fold 1) will become the fold lines for the pleat.

Fold the pleat

5. Fold along Fold 1, folding the first rectangle towards the body of the skirt.

6. Now fold along the centre front (Fold 2), folding the pleat so that it sits flat behind the body of the skirt. 

Transfer waistline shaping

Just like with a dart, when you fold a pleat on a curved edge, you will need to adjust the edge of the pleat, so that when it is folded it will sit flush with the waistline.

To do this:

7. With the pleat still folded, take a tracing wheel and trace along the waistline, transferring the shape of the waistline onto the folded paper underneath. Repeat for the hemline.

8. Unfold the pleat, take a ruler and pencil, and join the dots created by the tracing wheel into a smooth curve. 

Mark the pleat

9. You now need to use an arrow to indicate which direction the pleat needs to be folded. For an inverted box pleat, the centre front needs to be folded towards the centre of the pattern. Indicate the direction of the fold with an arrow. At this point you can also add the grainline and note to 'Place on fold.'

10. For a standard box pleat, the centre of the pattern needs to be folded towards the centre front. Indicate the direction of the fold with an arrow. At this point you can also add the grainline and note to 'Place on fold.'

Stitching the pleat

Now have a think about whether you would like to stitch the pleats in place. This will depend on your fabric choice and the style of your skirt (or garment). You could consider leaving the pleats free, stitching down a few centimetres to give the pleat a little more structure, or stitch down 15cm (6 inches) or so, to really give some structure to your pleat. 

Mark a drill hole

If you would like to add some structure with some stitching, it is a good idea to mark a drill hole on your pattern, marking the end point of your line of stitching.

11. Measuring down from the waistline on the centre front, mark a drill hole the distance down you would like to stitch your pleat. 

ADD PATTERN MARKINGS

12. To complete the pattern, add seam allowance and pattern markings. 

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How to : Sew a rolled hem with a standard foot

There are many ways you could choose to finish the hem of your Rushcutter.

You could use the hem facing, just like I did for VIEW A, you could use a strip of bias binding, or like me, you could do a rolled hem.

You can do a really narrow rolled hem, which can be a beautiful finish on fabrics like organza or chiffon, but I went for something a little wider as I'd say most people aren't sewing their Rushcutters from chiffon! This method will work with a narrower hem, if you want one.

I know there are a bizillion great machine feet which can help you get all kinds of finishes, but I do things the old school way, as a lot of my learning was done on an industrial machine without any fancy feet. So in tofay's tutorial, I will show you how to sew a rolled hem with a standard machine foot.

Stitch

With the dress inside out, using your fingers, turn up the hem by 5mm (1/8in) and stitch. If you go nice and slow you don't need to press and pin, and can just fold up the hem as you go.

Press

Turn the hem by a further 5mm (1/8in) and press. Pin hem in place.

Stitch

 Stitch along the original stitch line.

Press

Give the hem a good press on the right side of the garment, You will see that you have only one row of stitching on the right side.  

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I'd love to know if you have any secrets for finishing hems! Let me know in the comments.

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How to finish an armhole with bias binding

At this point in the Rushcutter Sew-along, our Rushcutter's are really starting to look like Rushcutters!

In today's post, we will be finishing the armholes with bias binding. I am a huge fan of binding as a finish, it gives you a lovely clean finish, without the extra bulk of a facing. 

Even if you are not sewing The Rushcutter, I am sure you will find this tutorial useful for projects to come!

Measure the armhole

Take a tape measure and measure around the armhole. Take note of the measurement.

Prepare binding

For this tutorial, you can use store-bought binding or make the binding yourself. 

Cut a piece of binding the length of your armhole.

If you are using binding that you made yourself, you will need to fold it before sewing. Take the binding and with right side down, press one long edge under by 10mm (5/8in).

Join binding

With right sides together, bring the short ends of the bias binding together at a right angle. The overlap will create a square. 

Pin in place and stitch across the diagonal of the square. 

Trim back the seam, close to the stitch line, and press the seam open. 

Pin binding to armhole

Now that the binding is in a continuous loop, with right sides together, pin the unpressed edge of the binding to one of the armholes, being careful to evenly distribute the binding around the armhole.

Be careful about where you place the binding seam - I suggest placing it somewhere where is there is not yet a seam, to minimise bulk (for example, the middle of the back armhole). 

Stitch

Stitch the binding to the armhole with a 1cm (3/8in) seam allowance. 

Clip into the seam allowance at regular intervals. This will help you achieve a smooth armhole. Trim back the seam allowance by 2-3mm (1/16in) if your fabric is thick or bulky.

Understitch

Turn the binding to the right side and, using your finger, press it (and the seam allowance) nice and flat. Understitch the seam allowance to the binding. 

Edge stitch

Fold the binding to the inside of the dress, rolling the seam line towards the inside of the dress slightly (this is so you won't be able to see the seam line from the right side).

Give the armholes a good press, from the outside. Pin the binding in place and then stitch around the binding close to the fold. It’s a good idea to start and finish your stitching at the underarm point as this line of stitching will be visible from the right side of the garment.

And tah-dah! You have a lovely clean finish on your armhole. 

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How to : Join the bodice to the dress

If you are following along, you will know that over the last few weeks I have been guiding you through the process of sewing a Rushcutter dress. 

Today we will be joining the body of the dress to the bodice and your Rushcutter will really take shape. 

Pin

With wrong sides together, match the notch at the centre front of the FRONT panel to the notch in the centre of the CENTRE FRONT PANEL. Pin. 

Continue moving from notch to notch, pinning the two pieces together. Curved seams can be a little tricky, so you will need to use lots of pins!

Stitch the seam with a 6mm (1/4in) seam allowance, going nice and slow. Stop regularly to left the seam up and check that all the seams are lying flat and there is no puckering underneath. 

Trim seam

Trim back the seam allowance by 2-3mm (1/16in) and press the seam up towards the neckline.

Stitch

Fold the seam with right sides together, enclosing the raw edge within the seam. Press and pin. Stitch seam with a 6mm (1/4in) seam allowance.

Press

Press the seam down towards the hemline.

It is just a quick post today, as tomorrow we are up to binding the armholes, and I wanted to write that as a separate post, so it can be a tutorial you can look back on in projects to come!

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How to: Sew in-seam pockets with french seams

Over the past two days I have shown you how to prepare the bodice of your Rushcutter - View B. At this point we are up to putting in the in-seam pockets.

I just LOVE pockets, so I find a way to put them in pretty much every garment I make. Even a soft floaty dress like my Rushcutter.

If you're not as partial to a pocket as I am, you can simply attach the FRONT to the SIDE PANELS, ignoring the pocket all together. But if you are a fan of the pocket, well continue on with me today and I'll show you how to get a lovely finish with a french seam. And this method will work for other garments, not just The Rushcutter!

Place your pockets

Take 1 pair of pockets and, with wrong sides together, match the pockets to the notches on the FRONT. The notch in the centre of the pocket should be matched with the middle notch on the FRONT of the dress.

Pin pocket in place. Now, before sewing, I would suggest holding the panel up to your body, and checking how the pockets sit on your body. The top of the panel should sit just above your bust. If the pocket feels too low or too high, remove the pins and place the pocket in a more suitable location (this is when a toile really comes in handy). Measure the distance between the notch on the pocket and the notch on the dress, so that you will be able to place the other pocket pieces in the correct spot. 

Stitch one side of the pocket to the front

When you are happy with the pocket placement, stitch from the top of the pocket to the bottom, using a 6mm (1/4in) seam allowance. 

Repeat on the other side.

Trim back pocket seam allowance

Trim back the seam allowance by 2-3mm (1/16in), from the top of the pocket to the bottom, leaving the rest of the seam untrimmed, on both sides.

Open the seam, and press the seam allowance towards the pocket. 

Create a french seam

Fold the pocket back towards the dress, now with right sides together, enclosing the raw edge and the original row of stitching inside the fold. Once again, stitch from the top of the pocket to the bottom with a 6mm (1/4in) seam allowance. Repeat for the other side. 

Stitch pocket to side panel

Now take the remaining pair of pockets and match them to the SIDE PANEL pieces with wrong sides together, once again matching up the centre notches. If you changed the placement of your pockets on the front, make sure you do the same for the pockets being attached to the side panels. Pin in place and attach using the same method we used for the first side.

Join the front to the side panel

Press all 4 pocket bags away from the panel they are attached to. 

With wrong sides together, pin the SIDE PANEL to the FRONT on both sides. Pin up the seam, around the pocket, and then continue pinning the remainder of the seam.

Stitch the pieces together with a 6mm (1/4in) seam allowance. You will notice that, when you approach the pocket, your stitching line does not meet up with the seam between the body of the dress and the pocket. This is how it is supposed to look, they will match up when you sew your second row of stitching. 

Clip into corners

Clip into the corners between the pocket bag and the body of the dress, getting nice and close to the row of stitching, but being careful not to cut through. 

Trim back the whole seam by 2-3mm (1/16in).

Press seam

Turn the pieces inside out, and press the seam flat. Pin and then and stitch along the seam, with a 6mm (1/4in) seam allowance enclosing the raw edge inside the seam. 

Attach the back

Attach the BACK to the side panels with a french seam. Use the notches to help you position the pieces correctly. Press the finished seams towards the front of the dress.

So that brings us to the end of this post! Tomorrow, the Rushcutter will really start looking like a dress as we will be joing to the bodice to the body of the dress. Yay!

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How to : Finish a neckline with bias binding

Binding necklines and armholes can create a lovely clean and professional finish. It minimises bulk and can be a perfect finish for lightweight or transparent fabrics that you would be able to see a facing through.

Earlier in The Rushcutter sew-along, I showed you how to make your own bias binding, so head back there if you think you would prefer to make your own binding instead of buying the pre-made stuff. 

Measure the neckline

To start, measure the length of the neckline of your dress. Take note of the measurement. 

Cut a piece of binding the length of your neckline plus 2cm (3/4in) - this extra 2cm will account for the raw edge at each end that need to be turned under, to achieve a clean finish. 

Press the bias tape

Lay the binding face-down and press one of the long edges under by 10mm (3/8in). If you are using a different width of binding, fold up by a third of the total width. 

Fold back both short edges by 1cm (3/8in) and press.

Pin

With right sides together, align the fold on the short edge of the binding with the centre back of the UPPER BODICE. Pin the unpressed edge of the binding to the neckline. 

Continue pinning the binding around the neckline (being careful not to stretch it) until you reach the centre back on the opposite side. Check that the fold on the short edge matches up with the centre back seam. If it doesn't, you will need to adjust it, until it sits correctly.

Stitch

Stitch the binding to the neckline with a 1cm (3/8in) seam allowance. Clip into the seam allowance at regular intervals. This will help you create a smooth neckline when you fold the binding to the inside of the dress. If you are using a thick or bulky fabric, you can trip down the seam allowance by 2-3mm (1/16in).

Understitch

Using your finger, press the binding (as well as the seam allowance) nice and flat, with the seam allowance pushed towards the binding. Understitch the seam allowance to the binding. This will help the binding roll to the inside of the garment.

Press and pin

Fold the neck binding to the inside of the dress, rolling the seam line towards the inside of the dress slightly. This will give you a nice clean finish, and will  prevent the stitch line from being seen on the right side of the dress. With the raw edge of the binding still folded under, press the binding flat around the neckline, and pin in place.

Edge stitch

Stitch along the folded edge of the binding and then press to remove any wrinkles. 

Baste the placket in place

The final step, before we are ready to move onto the body of the dress, is to join the UPPER BODICE at the centre back.  With right sides out, lay your bodice face down. Place the button stand on the right-hand side on top of the left-hand button stand, lining up the folded edge with the stitch line underneath. 

Make sure that the edge of the button stand just covers the line of stitching unerneath . Use a pin to hold the button stands in position and make a short horizontal row of stitches 6mm (1/4in) from the bottom to hold in place. 

That's all for today, tomorrow I'll be showing you how to sew the inset pockets with a french seam!

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The Rushcutter sew-along: View B begins!

Today it's finally time to jump into The Rushcutter - View B sew-along, after concluding the sew-along for View A last week. 

I decided to construct this version with french seams, so that I could offer an alternative finish for those sewers who don't own overlockers, and because French seams are oh-so-nice! If you are not making The Rushcutter, but would like to learn how to sew a french seam, then keep reading. 

French seams are a good choice for you (even if you do have an overlocker), if your fabric is light to mid-weight. You get a lovely clean finish, which gives your garments a really high-end look. If you would prefer normal seams, just follow along, remembering to put right sides together (not wrong sides together, which is how you go about creating a french seam).

joining the front and back bodices

(sizes A & B only)

For sizes C - K, the front and back bodice pieces are all-in-one. This was not possible for size A and B, because the armhole is not big enough to allow it, so these pattern pieces need to be cut and stitched together before following along with the instructions for all sizes,

With wrong sides together, attach the FRONT UPPER BODICE to the BACK UPPER BODICE and stitch together with a french seam (if you don't know how to sew a french seam, don't worry - I'll explain it in the following steps).

Preparing the button placket

Place the UPPER BODICE face down, and fold back the centre back by 1cm (3/8 in), using the notches to guide you. Press in place.

Make a second fold, this time 2cm (3/4 in) from the first, using the notches as a guide. Press in place.

adding interfacing

If your fabric is lightweight, or quite flimsy, I suggest that you consider using interfacing to stiffen your button placket. I did not want to stiffen the whole stand, so decided to just use small pieces of interfacing to reinforce where the buttons and buttonhole will be sewn.You could consider cutting a strip of interfacing as long and as wide as the placket itself - depending on the fabric and finish you are going for. 

Open up the folds, and place your piece/s of interfacing with sticky side down. The folds will help you position it correctly. Press in place. 

Re-fold the fold lines and stitch close to the edge on both sides. Your pattern placket is done!

Attaching the centre front panel

With wrong sides together, join the CENTRE FRONT PANEL to the front sides of the UPPER BODICE pieces. Use the notch in the centre of the seam to help you place the pieces correctly. Stitch with a 6mm (1/4in) seam allowance.

Trim down the seam allowances on both sides of the CENTRE FRONT PANEL by about 2-3mm (1/16in). Open the seam, and press the seam allowances away from the centre front.

Fold the seam, with right sides together. You will see that this will enclose the raw edge and the original line of stitching inside the seam. Press and pin. Stitch the seam with a 6mm (1/4in) seam allowance. 

Press seams away from the centre front. 

Joining the shoulder seams

With wrong sides together, pin the front and back shoulder seams together. Pin in place.

Once again, stitch with a 6mm (1/4in) seam allowance, trim back, and enclose raw edge in a french seam.

Press the shoulder seams towards the back, and then that's it for today.

Tomorrow I'll be walking you through using bias tape to bind the neckline.

Don't have bias tape? Make some yourself! 

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The Rushcutter sew-along: The finishing touches

So we are almost there! By now your Rushcutter should be really be looking like a dress. All we have got left to do is to finish the neckline and do the hems.

Finishing the neckline

Now that the zip is done, you can finish the neckline.

With the dress inside out, fold the binding to the inside of the dress, rolling the seam line slightly towards the inside too. Make sure the raw edge is folded under, and press in place.

Pin the binding around the neckline, using your fingers to smooth out the binding.

When you reach the zip, make sure that the short edge of the binding sits a few milimetres away from the zip teeth. 

Stitch along the edge of the binding. Press to remove any wrinkles.

Hem the sleeves

With the neck done, move onto the sleeve hem. With the dress still inside out, fold back each sleeve hem by 4cm (1 1/2in). Press and pin in place. 

Stitch the hem in place, by stitching close to the edge. 

Prepare the hem facing

Take the FRONT and BACK HEM FACING and, with right sides together, pin them together at the side seams. Stitch with a 15mm (5/8in) seam allowance. These seams will be enclosed in the hem, so do not need to be finished.

Press both seams open.

Finish the top edge of the facing (the edge that will not be attached to the hem of the dress). Consider using a contrasting binding for an interesting inner detail. 

Attach the hem facing

Pin the hem facing to the dress, with right sides together. Start at the centre front notch and work way around the facing, matching each seam line with the corresponding notch. Stitch with a 1cm (3/8in) seam allowance.

Trim back the seam allowance of your hem facing, to minimise bulk in the hemline.

Lay the seam flat and, with the seam allowances pushed towards the hem facing, understitch the seam allowances to the facing.

Turn the hem facing to the inside of the dress, being sure to roll the seam line slightly to the inside, and press.

Stitch the hem in place, by hand or machine, close to the end of the facing.

Give the dress one final press and you're done! Wooohooo! 

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How to sew an invisible zip

Zip time! And before some of you run away screaming, please just give it a go with me. I promise they're not that scary. 

Invisible zips really are the easiest zips to sew, and if you go nice and slow, you can get a really nice finish that I promise you will be proud of.

Finish the back opening

Try on the dress and adjust the back opening, if necessary.

Finish both sides of the back opening.

Lay the dress right-side down and fold up the centre back seam allowance on both sides of the opening by 20mm (3/4in) and press flat.

Press the zip

Open the invisible zip, and using a warm dry iron, press the zipper teeth flat. This will help you get nice and close to the teeth when you sew in the zip.

Pin and baste the zip

Place the zip face down on the right hand side of the dress. Align the stop at the top of the zip with the neckline and the teeth of the zip with the pressed seam line. Pin in place.

Now this is the step that really makes all the difference. Take a needle and thread (I always use a contrasting thread because it makes it nice and easy to remove the stitches later), and hand baste the zip tape to the dress. It takes a couple of minutes extra to do this, but it will ensure that the zip does not shift while you are sewing it in - and I prefer hand stitching to unpicking any day! When the zip is attached, remove the pins.

Sew one side of the zip

Using an invisible zip foot, insert the teeth of the zip into the right-hand channel of the foot. Using your finger, roll the zip teeth so that the zip lies as flat as possible. Slowly stitch down the length of the zip, stopping just before you hit the zip pull.

Close the zip and turn the seam allowance under, so that the zip lies flat. Press the fold. 

Matching the seam line

You will have noticed that the seam that joins the sleeves to the body of the dress, runs directly through the zip. To ensure the seam lines match up on either side of the zip, take a pin and put it through the zip tape (on the side not yet sewed) in line with the horizontal seam line.

Open the zip and place the zip tape face down on the left hand side of the back opening, aligning the pin with seam line.

You can use this same method for matching up waistbands, or waistlines on dresses.

Stitch the second side of the zip

Pin in place and then continue pinning the remainder of the zip tape (once again aligning the zip teeth with the pressed line). Baste the zip in place by hand.

Stitch the second side with your invisible zip foot - this time with the zip teeth in the left channel.

Admire your work

Close the zip and give it a good press. Look at those lovely matching seams! Worth it, right?

Finish the centre back seam

Turn the dress inside out and pin the remainder of the centre back opening closed. Make sure you keep the ends of the zip tape out of the way.

Using an ordinary zip foot, stitch the remainder of the centre back seam closed. Start by putting the needle into the fabric where the row of stitching for the zip ends (or as close to that as you can get) and then lower the foot before continuing down the seam with a 2cm (3/4in) seam allowance. 

Remove the basting stitches

With the dress still inside out, press the centre back seam open. At this stage you can remove the basting stitch from the zip tape.

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And you're done! Not so bad, right?

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How to finish a neckline with bias binding

In yesterday's post in The Rushcutter sew-along, I showed you how to make your own bias tape, and today I am going to show you how to attach  the binding to the neckline. This method will also work if you are using store-bought binding, and will work on other sewing patterns that ask for a bound neckline and have a centre-back opening.

Measure the neckline of your garment

Using a tape measure, measure around the neckline of your Rushcutter. Start measuring from the centre back on one side, and continue measuring around the neckline until you reach the centre back on the other.

Prepare bias binding

Cut a piece of bias binding a couple of centimetres (1 inch) longer than your neck measurement. If your binding is not yet folded, place it face down and press one long edge of the binding under by 10mm (5/8in). 

Pin binding to neckline

With right sides together, pin the binding to the neckline (pinning the edge that has not been folded), starting from the centre back and slowly working your way around the neckline. If you have two folds in the binding, that is totally fine. I just save time by only folding in one edge and then using the seam guide on my machine to achieve the correct seam allowance.

Before sewing, turn the dress  over and check that all seams (and darts) are pressed the right way.

Stitch binding to neckline

Stitch the binding to the neckline with a 1cm (3/8in) seam allowance. 

Trim any excess binding from the centre back, so that the edge of the binding sits flush against the centre back on both sides.

Trim and clip

Trim down the seam allowance by 5-6mm (1/4in). This will minimise bulk around the neckline, and help when turning the seam allowance to the inside of the dress. You can also clip into the seam to help it sit flat.

Understitch

Using your finger, press the binding (and seam allowance) nice and flat, and understitch the seam allowance to the binding. This will help the binding to roll to the inside of the garment so that you won't see it poking out on the right side. 

We will leave the binding like that for the moment, as before we can finish it off we need to sew in the zip - so that's what we'll be doing tomorrow!

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How to make your own bias binding (the low tech way)

I love home made bias binding. It is a bit more extra work than using the shop-bought stuff, but it is a great way to bust scraps and you can get a really beautiful finish. Making your own also allows you to use whatever fabric you like, as the stuff in store is pretty limited! You can consider using a contrast binding, or just making it from the fabric you have used for the main body of the piece, or using something lighter to minimise bulk in the seam you are binding.

There are bias binding makers out there, but I tend to do things the old school way, so I cut and fold the binding my hand. So that is what I am going to show you in today's post. As we are up to the point that they need some binding for our Rushcutters. 

There are two methods that I use to make bias binding, and the method I use depends on the fabric I will be using. 

Cutting bias tape from a stable fabric

If the fabric is quite stable (for example, cotton) I will mark the bias strips directly onto the fabric with tailor's chalk and then cut.

Cutting bias tape from a delicate fabric

If the fabric is flimsy or prone to stretching (e.g silk chiffon / organza, viscose, rayon or a knit) I take an extra precaution, by sandwiching the fabric between two layers of paper. I use this same method for cutting garments from these types of fabrics too. 

To start, take a large sheet of paper. I love dot and cross paper, and use it for everything I do, but if all you have it blank paper, that will work fine too!

Draw a line at a 45 degree angle across the page. If you are using dot and cross paper, you just need to follow the dots or the crosses diagonally to create a straight line.

If you are using a blank sheet of paper, you can either use a set square to get the correct angle, or you can draw a large square / rectangle and match the diagonals. Either diagonal will work, so take your pick. 

Now you need to consider the binding you would like to make.

Working out the width of your binding

First of all, you need to think about how wide would you like your binding to be when it is finished. Binding comes in all kinds of widths, but for binding an armhole or a neckline, I would suggest you will want to make it between 6mm and 15mm. If you're not sure, go and look at your ready-to-wear clothing, and measure the width of the binding that has been used, and make a decision based on that.

Single or double fold

Do you want it to be single fold or double fold binding?  What is the difference, you ask. 

The difference between the two is that you will achieve a different finish. Single fold bias tape is the best choice if you are going for a clean finish and do not want the bias tape being visible on the outside of the garment. Double fold binding is good if you would like to make a feature of your binding (that is, it will be seen from the outside).

If you are making single fold binding, take the chosen width of your binding and multiply that number by three and add a couple of millimetres to account for the folds. This is how wide you will need to cut your bias strips.

If you are making double fold binding, take the chosen width of your binding and multiply that number by four and add a few millimetres to account for the folds. This is how wide you will need to cut your bias strips.

For the Rushcutter, I wanted the binding hidden on the inside the armhole and neckline, so that meant I needed single fold binding. I decided I wanted 1cm wide binding when it was finished, so I cut 3.2cm wide strips.

Using your first diagonal line as a guide, draw a second line the width of your binding away from the first line. Continue drawing lines until you have enough binding (I like to cut more than I need so that I always have a bit on stand-by). 

Now, lay your fabric on top of a sheet of paper, matching the selvedge up with the edge of the paper. If your fabric is really prone to moving (or rolling - in the case of some knits) you can pin the selvedge to the edge of the paper. Next, place your bias guidelines on top of the fabric. Again, line up the straight edge of the paper with the selvedge of the fabric.

Use weights (or whatever you have got lying around) to hold the paper in position. Pin in place, along each individual bias strip.

Cut along the diagonal lines, cutting through all three layers, and when they're all done, remove the pins. This can be down with a rotary cutter to speed up the process.

Creating longer strips

If you need to create a bias strip that is longer than your cut piece, or need to create a loop (as pictured in the example) for an armhole for example, bring the ends of the binding together at a right angle, with right sides together. Pin in place.

Pin in place. You will see that the overlap of the two ends creates a square.

Machine stitch across the diagonals of the square, from top left to bottom right. Trim back the seam and press open. This will give you a lovely and smooth join.

Folding bias binding

You can use your binding as is, although it does make it more manageable and much easier to sew, if you fold it before sewing.  

When it comes to folding bias binding, you have a few options. You can get one of those doovawhackies that do the folding for you (which I am now seriously considering buying after seeing so many people showing them off during Bimble and Pimble's #bpsewvember). 

As you might guess, as this a tutorial to show you the low-tech way that I make my binding, I will show you the way I do it with no props except for an iron.

Place your binding face down on your ironing board and fold back one third of your width (in this case 1cm) and press. 

I tend to only fold up one of the long edges before sewing my binding, but you can fold both (as is done with pre-made bias binding). This tutorial from By Hand London shows a great trick for getting lovely even folds, with minimal fuss. I find that it is no problem to just use the stitch guide to check that I am stitching the binding with the correct seam allowance.

And that's it, a guide to making your own bias binding, the very low-tech way! Tomorrow you'll get a chance to use your lovely bias binding around the neckline of your Rushcutter. 

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Do you make your own bias binding? And if you do, what have you found to be the best way to make it?

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