Bren's Bits
Garment Sewing Tips, Techniques & Thoughts

Welcome to my Tips & Techniques Page. Hopefully the tips and ideas included on these pages will help make your garment sewing more enjoyable and improve your sewing skills. If you have a question about sewing that you would like discussed, please send me an email (sales@brensan.com) and I'll try to add it to the website.

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June 26, 2008
Tips on Dealing with Piping
I love piping. It's such a fabulous way to add 'spark' to any project - it's very inexpensive and the technique is easy to master on a fundamental level. On the other hand, if you've every tried to make piping from a thick or slippery fabric you may have encountered a few challenges.

Making Piping from Slippery Fabric
When working with slippery fabric (washed dupioni silk is pictured) the piping filler will want to pull - thus creating a gathered effect. It is important that the filler and casing remain smooth - not puckered. Place a pin through the fabric and the filler a little behind your presser foot - then stitch for 6-8” - then gently pull the fabric/filler smooth - move the pin closer - and repeat the process.

Remove the Filler for a Smoother Finish
When you are inserting piping in a seam that will be stitched over in a future step, you want to reduce the bulk created by the piping filler. Insert a pin about 3” back from the edge of the trimmed piping to hold the piping filler in position. Using your fingers or a pair of tweezers, grasp the piping filler and pull out about 1/2” (or the amount of seam allowance you will be stitching). Cut off the piping filler. Gently pull on the piping fabric and allow the filler to slip up inside the casing. Remove the pin and proceed with assembly. The beautiful dupioni silk piping is used in the single-fabric version of the Shanghai Shawl - while a cotton piping is used in the pieced version of the same pattern.

June 4, 2008
Changing a Vent Back Neckline to a Pullover
Have you ever had a Basic Shell or similar pattern with a back vent and center back seam - and had the great idea to eliminate the back vent and just make it a pullover? This is an easy conversion, but you will need to enlarge the neck area as a Basic shell or similar pattern is designed to fit closer around the neck area - and it won't fit over your head. The black top in the picture started with a Basic Shell with a back seam and back vent opening. On the pattern Front, lower the center front cutline 1/2" and then redraw the curve so there is no change at the shoulder seam. On the pattern Back, draw in the seamline and use this new line as the center back - and place this line on a fold when laying out your pattern for cutting. Make the same modifications to the Facing pieces (if using them). Make a test garment using the front, back and facing pattern pieces to check that this will fit over your head. If you are pleased with the fit, then you now have a new pattern! It's just that easy. You can safely lower the center front up to about 1" without any problem and you can safely widen the space between center front and the shoulder area about 1/2". If you widen any more than that, you 'may' start to have a little gaping, but it all depends on your body and making a test garment will help you determine just how far you go without having to make other adjustments. In the black top pictures, I then bound the neckline and sleeves to match the skirt so I had a complete outfit. If you're thinking of binding, remember to remove the seam allowances so your finished edge will be correct. The top is the Basic Shell and the Skirt is the New Castle Skirt in the longer length and layered version.

Bias Trim Hemline or Edge Finish
This is a fast, inexpensive and decorative edge or hemline finish.
--- You will need to prepare enough bias to reach around your hemline - or the edge you are finishing. Measure the length required and add 10-12" - this will be the amount (length) of prepared bias you will need. To determine the width to cut your bias strips, decide how much you want to show when finished (1/4" is nice). Double that amount - then add 2 seam allowances. So . . . if you want to have 1/4" showing when finished - and your seam allowances are 1/2" - your formula will be: 1/4" + 1/4" + 1/2" +1/2". Cut enough strips that when pieced together you will have the total length previously determined.
-- Press the entire length of pieced bias strips in half - wrong sides together.
-- Pick a point of beginning (a side seam, underarm seam or other inconspicious place). Begin pinning the bias strip, raw edges even, to the edge of your garment. To handle the beginning/ending of the bias strips - leave about 1-2” free at the beginning, work all the way around to your point of beginning - then on one end (beginning end) of the bias, fold in about 1/2”. Trim the other end of the bias so the raw end will extend into the other piece at least 3/4”. Tuck the one end inside the other end and pin to hold.
-- Stitch the bias to the garment using the appropriate seam allowance (in our example, it is 1/2") Serge the raw edges, turn to the inside (so the bias sticks out) and topstitch to secure. The pictures at the right show 1) the bias trim pinned to a sleeve hem and 2) the finished bias trim press out and topstitched.

--- To piece bias strips together, place 2 ends, right sides together - one across and one down. Stitch diagonally. Trim edges and seam. Press seam open.

This technique is included in the Raglan Topper, Oaxacan Shirt, and the Mayan Skirt

Using a Different Sleeve in Your Garment
Have you ever had a favorite sleeve - and a favorite body to a garment - but they were not the same pattern? Sometimes you can measure the armhole of the garment and compare the measurements to your sleeve. If the measurements are the same, the sleeve will fit the space. However, although it may fit, it was not designed for that particular garment and it may not look as well as you wish it did.
-- The Shirt Club Patterns (part of the entire Brensan Studios line) is designed to give you that flexibility. ALL of the Shirt Club Patterns are designed specifically so you can mix and match - no measuring - no wondering - no problems.
-- The image shown is an arm-scye Princess Body (Barcelona Blouse) - rolled hem short sleeve (Basic Short Sleeve Shirt) and a modified (shortened) v-neck collar (Versailles Blouse).
-- I would advise you to start with one of the basic styles (Basic Long Sleeve Shirt is perfect) and use this first pattern to perfect your fit -- because once you've perfected your fit with one of the Shirt Club Patterns, you would always make the same pattern modifications to all other patterns within the Shirt Club line. Fit once - then it's off to having fun!

Soutache Braid - More than a Trim
What is Soutache? Remember the gold trim on military uniforms and costumes? That's Soutache. It can be a fabulous decorative trim applied (different tip on this later) to the surface of a fabric, but it also makes wonderful button loops. Soutache is available in any most fabric stores - comes in lots of colors - is very inexpensive - doesn’t come out of the seam - and is flat and easy to use. Give it a try and it may become your next favorite ‘Sewing Trick’.
-- My favorite use for Soutache Cord is for button loops - quick, easy and I don't have to make tiny tubes :-)

1) Cut soutache into 4” lengths and set aside. 2) Mark button loops placement on the right front garment section and at the raw edge (center front). 3) Pin one end of the soutache at the loop position. Measure the loop created and pin the other end of the soutache in place. Trim the soutache so all raw edges are even. Note: It is important to make sure the ‘loop’ is a good size for the button you will be using. Here is a guide, but you may want to run a test - just to make sure:
3/8” button - 1” loop
1/2” button -1 1/8” loop
5/8” button - 1 1/4” loop
This technique is included in the Tsing Tao Tunic and the Raglan Topper

Make Your Own Cufflinks from Buttons
I confess - I have a Cufflink Fetish and I have (far too large) a collection! However, if you like French Cuffs and don't own cufflinks, you can easily make your own from beautiful buttons. I wish I could write an entire page of instructions, but it’s just too easy! There’s really only one rule to make this work --- You can only use shank buttons - and the bigger (longer) the shank the better your finished cufflink.

1) Choose a top button for the ‘cufflink’
2) Choose a button for the ‘back’ - 3/8” to 1/2” button is perfect - but think about the size of the back button before you stitch your french cuff buttonholes!
3) Using button thread (it’s very strong) tie the two buttons together. Wrap through the shanks several times and tie very well. If you need a longer space between the buttons, leave extra thread and wrap to secure.
This technique is included in the Versailles Blouse

Making a Test Pair of Pants
Have you ever measured your waist and hips - sat on a chair and measured for crotch depth, etc. - made the pants - and they didn't fit right? A pattern for basic pants or dress slacks is such an important part of your wardrobe, that they are well worth th investment of perfecting the fit. They should feel absolutely great - and make you feel fabulous! After you've done all that measuring - here is a tip to making a pair of Test Pants that will help you get a wonderful fit.

1) Cut out a pair of pants and using long machine stitches, assemble following the basic directions - do NOT do anything fancy! Center the zipper using long stitches for easy removal when finished.
2) Put the pants on, pin the waistband closed and see how they fit. Walk around the room, sit down, reach for something, etc. Now look in the mirror and see what changes you might like to make to your final pattern. You can easily pin the side seams or center back seam if too large - or take a tuck across the front (or back) if the crotch depth is too long. If the crotch depth is too short, cut across the pants and insert a piece of fabric, allowing the slit to open up until you have the desired fit.
3) Remove the pants and carefully make any final adjustments to you paper pattern. If you REALLY want a fabulous fit repeat the Test Garment steps. You’ll be surprised that you will still want to make changes after a second test garment - but the final result will be FABULOUS!
This technique is included in the Basic Slant Pocket Pants

The Joy of Using Batiste
Cotton Bastiste is one of my favorite supplies. Yes, I said supply :-) While it is a fabric - and a fabulous one in it's own right, it makes a very nice underlining for many fabrics. It is very lightweight, breathes and will greatly reduce the amount of wrinkles in the upper (fashion) fabric. You can make a beautiful dress blouse from Batiste such as the white blouse pictured. There are several grades of Batiste. At the upper end, there is very fine/smooth batiste (sometimes called Swiss Batiste) which is commonly used for heirloom sewing (this will run close to $20.00/yard). At the opposite end of the spectrum, you can find very inexpensive batiste around $4.00/yd - this inexpensive version is a looser weave, shrinks quite a bit more and does not lend quite the support of the mid-grade - my personal favorite. A good quality, functional batiste will run between $6.00 and $7.00 a yard.
-- One on my favorite tricks is to skip the facings on a blouse and line the entire garment with Batiste. If you have buttons, you may need to reinforce the buttonhole and button area, but the batiste makes a wonderful, lightweight lining - and it makes the project go faster, too - always a plus!
The garment shown is a mix of 2 patterns from the Shirt Club Patterns. The sleeves are from the Romantica (I added elastic at the union point of the sleeve and the flute. The body is the Barcelona Blouse. I modified Barcelona collar by rounding the collar (removing the points) and adding a 3/4" ruffle on the entire edge of the collar.