Above is the pattern for the butterfly needle book. There are no instructions, and you should be able to figure out on your own how to make one of these. It’s pretty simple.
Also, we offer no PC, Mac or computer advice as well since we’re not computer professionals. I clicked on the file and I was able to download it with no problem.
A belated Happy New Year!
If you want to use a zipper with a faux or real fur fabric it can be difficult to open and close the zipper because of the hairy fabric.
You can prevent this by covering the zipper teeth with a piece of tape.
For the example I used a piece of satin bias tape, which was pre folded but I pressed it open and folded it again in half and sewed the covering tape with a loose tension so I can remove that stitching after I have sewed the zipper in the garment. I used a different colour because it is easier to see which tread has to be removed later.
This is not necessary, if you do not want to remove the first stitching use a matching colour thread and a normal tension. You can use any other piece of tape or a strip of folded lining fabric.
I sewed the tape that covers the teeth of the zipper with the zipper tape on top:
Since there were some questions asked by readers of the previous post I will try to answer those.
Pressing tools like hams, clappers, steam rolls can be ordered from suppliers of tailoring tools like wardrobesupplies or greenburg-hammer in the USA.
Pressing aids from the UK
Different shaped tailor’s hams from my supplier in The Netherlands
Some of you asked for information about where to look for the press buck ( persbok)
To my knowledge this rectangle one is a Dutch design, made for a tailoring course at a fashion school, I never saw this rectangle shape outside The Netherlands.
And I was lucky to find one at a Dutch Auction site.
If you are interested in buying one, let me know and I can look around to see if I can find another one.
Press bucks and tailoring hams are used by tailors and dressmakers and are available in different shapes and have different pressing features, like you can see from these German tailor suppliers, the press bucks from schlemming.de are velvet covered . Like this one.
The bucks from k-m-versand are covered with linen.
ebay has an auction for a bügelblock covered with linen right now
I could not find any information about ordering from outside Germany, but it will give you an idea what kind of bucks are used in tailoring and dressmaking.
At the famous vintagesewinginfo website you can find lots of info for pressing like pressing needs for pressing ,
Pressing techniques can be found in a lot of vintage tailoring/ dressmaking books .
A pattern for making different kinds of pressing hams and a ham holder can be bought from fiber-images.com
Like anyone who sews, we all know the important part of sewing is pressing. It starts with preshrinking the fabric prior to cutting the fabric, but also the pressing which takes place in the process of sewing the garment.
Ann already showed in Threads magazine issue 126 how to use some pressing tools and if you missed that article you can see Ann’s video clip Pressing tools
My pressing equipment: a vacuum suction pressing board , steam iron with a 3,5 liter water tank, the sleeve board is turned under the board .My pressing board is 116 cm long ( 45 inch) and 38 cm wide ( 15 inch) The pedal on the ground is used for the suction function.My press iron has a Teflon cover.
You can see the sleeve board ready to use.
My singer press which I use for fusing interfacing
Besides the use of the oval shaped edge of the pressing and sleeve board, I use several pressing tools, like this large tailor’s ham for any contoured shapes or curves like princes seams in jackets, coats and dresses.
This small one , which I covered on one side with a piece of wool crepe fabric I use for bust and waist darts and collars, sleeve cap easing etc.
I have a June Tailor hamholder but I hardly use it, maybe because it does not fit my small tailor’s ham very well. Probably the size of the US tailor’s hams are different than my Dutch one.
You can see the difference of the two hams in size now they are on top of each-other.
A press buck ( in Dutch called pers bok) which has a different shape, straight lines and curved corners. The buck has a wooden base and legs, the size of the rectangle is 31 cm ( 12,5 inch) wide 22 cm ( 8,5 inch) the padding is 5 cm thick ( 2 inch) The total height is 23 cm ( 9 inch) which is lower than the all known oval shaped ham.
The advantage of this press buck is the different shape and size above the other 2 hams.Use for pressing seams open like shoulders, bust area, neckline, collars and darts .
I bought this buck last year for only € 16.00 it is a used one but still in a very good condition. New ones costs about € 50.00. Tailor hams are expensive but will last a lifetime.
Point presser/clapper is a great tool to press seams open and to beat the steam into the fabric to flatten bulky edges.
Point turner to press open for the hard to reach seams where the point presser is of no help.
But also a wooden spoon is a great tool, even a wooden chopstick can be helpful.
Also a toothpick or large embroidery needle with a blunt end helps to press a dart open,
I inherited this press block from my grandfather who was a tailor but I only show you this because it is old one (about 80 years) and not very smooth anymore , but I keep this for sentimental value.
I asked a timber to make me some new press blocks from steamed beech wood because the advantage of steamed beech wood is, it will not bend out of shape .
The large block is great for pressing seams open like pants or any long seams, and I use those blocks to flatten seams while cooling down.
You can see a detailed picture of the shape of these blocks here, the small one is a rectangle while the large one is a curved one. They can also be used by pressing the seams open or to flatten the edges from a jacket or coat while the fabric is cooling down.
The seam roll is made from a Saturday newspaper tightly rolled and covered with 2 layers of fabric, the first one is cotton the second layer of wool fabric .
The handle of a shoe-brush made of unvarnished wood is also helpful as a pressing block and the brush side I use for removing threads or brush fabric.
For sleeves I use the sleeve board but sometimes the arm roll gets some use too, this one is made to use with a dress form but I like to use it as a seam roll for a 2 piece sleeve. Here you can see the upper side.
The underside of the arm.
Card board rolls for ironing or pressing very long seams,
As press cloths I use silk organza
As well as fine linen cloths.
I made a sort of mitt from 4 layers of heavy Terry which can be helpful if I need to press any small curved seam.
There are many ways to prevent pressing imprints like,
brown paper strips.
Templar sheets used for appliques are a great tool to prevent pressing imprints.
I cut the desired shape for example if I need to press a bound buttonhole.
Pressing a bound buttonhole form the inside , you can see the Templar sheet is placed around the bound buttonhole edges.
No visible pressing imprints.
Because you can cut the desired shape I use those sheets too for pressing mitered corners on a skirt or jacket hem.
A teflon sheet is also a helping hand ,
To seal, seam seal tape for covering the seams in rain coats.
Another tool which I inherited from my grandfather was a wooden hat shaping block, and I found it very useful to use as a pressing aid when I made a hat and needed to press the seams open. Here you can see the hat block closed.
And open.
I’ve always wanted to buy a grommet/snap press but I really don’t do enough volume to justify the purchase. A few years ago, I discovered manual grommet setters from the C.S. Osborne Company. These are great quality tools, made to last, and are very reasonably priced (many under $20). Most of the applicator sets come with a hole punch but, for knits especially, I often prefer to use my revolving punch so that I can make smaller holes. The Osborne punch is fine on stable fabrics and leather. You’ll also want a rubber or rawhide mallet as a regular hammer can damage your tools.
The larger sizes are great for bags, shower curtains, etc. but my favorite is the size 00 (3/16″) as it is most useful for garment construction as shown here on Kwik-Sew 3120:
When using grommets (or eyelets) on knits there are a few things you’ll want to be aware of:
1. Make the smallest hole possible and stretch the fabric around the grommet. Otherwise, the grommet will come out later. This means that, if you are using the small eyelets commonly found at chain stores, you may just be snipping a thread or two to make a teeny hole. Practice on scraps to see which size works best with the fabric you’ve chosen.
This is the size hole I used for this project. My placket was interfaced and faced so I needed a slightly larger hole than I would have on one layer of plain fabric.
2. Use interfacing if at all possible (not shown in the following photos). You can also reinforce the hole with a small piece of cut-away embroidery stabilizer as shown below. If the back of the grommet will be visible you can trim away the excess so that it will be hidden once the grommet has been applied. If you’re using eyelets or the grommet back will be hidden you can just trim the excess stabilizer afterwards.
You can purchase the larger size Osborne grommet setters in the home dec. section of Jo Ann Fabrics. Other sizes can be purchased online at www.beaconfabric.com, Texas-LeatherCraft on Ebay or from Tandy Leather.
Gigi did a post on small-run label manufacturers. I thought I would add a little to that for folks who are interested in larger quantities - say a small manufacturer, cottage industry or serious hobbyist. In addition to Heirloom Woven Labels and Sterling Name Tapes, there are several manufacturers that cater to the small to mid-sized business market. I’m not an expert in these things (for that, check out Fashion Incubator. Kathleen et al have lots of information that I don’t for DEs and larger manufacturers), but I have had a little experience with some of the label manufacturers.
When I first got started, I contacted Widby Labels, a manufacturer of printed labels in Tennessee. They were really lovely people to deal with. I bought sew-in labels as well as pressure sensitive labels for sticking on boxes, bags, literature and sundry other things. You supply them with the artwork (a .gif file or similar) and they provide the labels in a pretty quick turnaround. The labels are printed on polyester fabric, and in addition to custom labels they also make a number of standard labels for sizing, care, etc. Here’s a picture of one of the labels:
Not taking anything away from Widby and their quality, I decided shortly thereafter that I wanted to invest in woven labels. They just look higher end than printed. The service at Widby was such that if they offered woven labels, I would have bought from them in a heartbeat. But that’s not their bag, so I looked elsewhere.
ClothingLabels4u.com does woven labels. This company spun from Lisa’s Bloomers, an historic undergarment manufacturer. Lisa, the owner of both companies, is great to work with. You supply her with the artwork and she will produce samples matched pretty closely to your colors and will produce the labels at a reasonable cost. I think (and Lisa, if you are reading this, please feel free to chime in) that the manufacturing of the labels is done in India. It takes a couple of weeks to get the labels. They are well made, the resolution is good, the prices are reasonable, and the customer service is excellent. Here’s an example - when I ordered the first set of labels, I didn’t proof the specs as carefully as I should have. So I received straight cut labels. I had meant to order center fold sew in labels. When I talked to her about this, she offered to buy back the straight cuts saying she could use them as samples. I thought that was pretty darned good service. I decided to keep the straight cuts, but I really liked dealing with her. The only nit I have with the labels, was that they could approximate, but not match, the Pantone number for the purple “bug” in my logo. That may have changed Here’s a picture of the two label styles from her.
Since I ordered last, she has also added the ability to do custom hang tags, so if you are small manufacturer, ClothingLabels4U is definitely worth checking out.
The big kahuna is Apparel Labels International. I believe they are based in Salt Lake City. I ordered labels from them. They’re big, so the service, while quite good, isn’t as personalized as either of the other two. But they do a great job. They matched my Pantone number (512) for my bug precisely. The labels were very high quality. In some ways I like the ClothingLabels4U labels better, in some ways I like the Apparel Label Int;l labels better. They are both good. But if you look at the company they keep, it seems that Apparel Label is the one that the high-end folks go to. Go figure, the prices reflect that. They do the full line of tags, labels, size strips, hanger tabs. You name it. They also have an art department that will work with you on your design. When I ordered from them, I uploaded my artwork and specs from their website, and within a day they were back to me with a quote and a mockup. I had the labels within a week. They are pretty impressive - here are some samples, along with my labels from them:
All three label companies do a good job of fulfilling the need. Depending on your requirements, one may work better than the other. All three had excellent service and get a Diva thumbs-up.
Happy sewing!
Diva Ann has the most beautiful custom labels from ClothingLabels4u.com that she sews into her creations. If I’m not mistaken, so does Diva Phyllis. I would love to have some made but haven’t come up with any kind of thrilling design for them yet. As a girl, I always used interlocking Gs as my signature but that’s no good as I think the people at Gucci might take issue with that!
I don’t use labels that often but they are nice to have around. For years I’ve been purchasing my labels from Heirloom Woven Labels. The quality is excellent, the minimums are small and the prices very low. Here are just a few of the labels I’ve had made over the years, all are from Heirloom except for the white iron on label I use in my business - those come from Sterling Name Tape. Sterling Name Tape also manufactures woven labels similar to those from Heirloom although I haven’t tried them. I noticed that the iron-on labels are not on their website - I guess you’ll have to contact them directly to order. I use them on the inside of my athletic uniforms and they stay put through years of hard wear and washing.
If you are interested in woven size, care or content labels, you can find those at Heirloom Woven as well.
Pat’s Custom Buttons and Belts in Lodi, California is a small but necessary resource for those of us who want the REAL THING. Pat Mahoney runs her business in an ‘old school’ custom one-of-a-kind or many-of-a-kind way. She can work by phone, or by mail and has an excellent spiral bound catalog that she can mail to you.
I haven’t seen this selection of covered belts and buckles for ages - it reminds me of when NYC’s Garment Center was a bustling district full of rolling racks, delivery trucks triple parked, carts of fabric bolts perilously barreling down the sidewalk and the cluster of Italian patternmakers took over most of the sunny side of the street in front of 525 7th Ave. You could send your fabric out in the morning and your covered buttons would be back that afternoon.
I was in a hurry, so we sent everything back and forth by FedEx. Snail mail works fine though, if you have the time. I love my giant velvet covered buttons, big as dinner plates, with the matching covered belt. She has 6 different styles of button backs to choose from, 16 styles of covered button, and 12 styles of covered button with novelty rims and centers. I won’t even go into all of the belt options.
Hooray for Pat, keeping the tradition alive. I don’t suppose she will mind if I say you can contact her at 209-369-5410, PO Box 335 Lodi, CA 95241.
I picked up a clever little piece of hardware at M and J Trimming on 6th Ave in Manhattan recently. Just a small connector for shank buttons, it makes it possible to convert your buttons into cufflinks without tears.
I used covered buttons for mine, big as dinner plates (45 Ligne!), for a retro 40’s feel on a 3/4 sleeve with a turn back cuff.
I tried to find a link to the item at M and J, but its not listed on their website. It is available in the store - see the ‘button department’ on the wall by the buckles.
by Diva Phyllis
Every sewer needs a bead stash, and it’s always a challenge to find the right colors and styles. The challenge is the same whether it’s fabric or embellishment - how do you find what you want?. A quick way to build a bead stash fast and inexpensively is to buy packs of beaded fringe and just cut the beads off and sort them.
This one came from Jo-Ann’s; you can also find them at craft stores like Michaels or A.C. Moore. There is generally about a yard or so in each package, which gives you a couple ounces of beads - plenty for most projects. Plus the color palette is already coordinated. Trying to do the same thing via bead catalogs or shows can just take forever. I usually sort the beads while I’m watching television.
These will be used to embellish the placket this for Simplicity 4124 tunic, View E (blue long sleeve version.)
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