Burda Style For people who sew

And it ain’t going well. It’s a one hour dress from Mcalls. “Well how can that be so hard?” I hear you ask. Well it is if you have no idea what technical terms mean all together. I have looked them up separately and still can’t make sense of them when the instructions have them in a sentence. Please can somebody tell me what this means:

“Grade seam allowances by cutting to graduated widths and interfacing close to the stitching. Clip curves.”

Please? I am banging my head against a wall here.

Sep 26, 2009, 11.40 AM by misssylver

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  Sep 26, 2009, 09.49 PMby katexxxxxx

  The seam allowance is the bit between the stitching line (which you sew on) and the cutting line (the edge of the paper pattern that you cut along. The seam allowance is USUALLY 5/8" or 15mm wide. Grading means carefully trimming the seam allowances down to different widths. You might trim one down to half an inch wide and the other down to quarter of an inch wide. Graded seam allowances are usually done where both are pressed in the same direction or are inside the edge of a front or a collar, or some such place. They allow you to press the edge and the seam allowance without forming a ridge in an obvious place in the garment.

  Clipping means to snip from the cut edge of the seam allowance almost to the seam line and at right angles to the seam line. You do this so that when that part of the garment is turned right side out and pressed, curves follow a smooth line. If the clipped seam allowance is convex (the seam is along the OUTSIDE of the curve), you may need to clip little V’s in the seam allowance: these will close up when the garment is finished. You justdo straight clips on concave curves, where the seam is along the inside of the curve… Where one half of the seam is convex and one is concave (such as on a Princess seam), you may have to clip each side of the seam allowance differently!

  Oh, and I’ve been sewing for 47 years, and there is no such thing as a ONE HOUR dress! It may take one hour for an experiences seamster to sew up, but this rarely takes account of ironing the pattern out, cutting out the bits you need, adjusting the pattern to fit, cutting out the garment, sewing it up, measuring the hem, sewing the hem, and finishing off all the seams…

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    Sep 27, 2009, 11.03 AMby misssylver

    So if you are working on a neckline with that funny interfacing panel round the top what do you do exactly? God I wish there were a club near me so I could have someone who isn’t my mother in law to ask.

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  Sep 26, 2009, 11.57 PMby misssylver

  So what happens if there weren’t two lines for cutting and sewing on and you are just doing it by eye? I think I may have really cocked this up And how do you finish off seams? God I have so many questions, I am really sorry!
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  Sep 27, 2009, 12.26 PMby kaitui-kiwi

  Not all patterns include the seam allowance on the actual pattern piece, often you have to add it. I use two pencils stuck together so that the points are exactly 5/8 inch apart or use a ruler and mark around my pattern pieces for my cut line. I really don’t recommend doing this by eye, the more accurate your allowance the more accurate you can stitch it, the more accurate your dress :) As for finishing your raw edges, the easiest thing to do is run a zig zag stitch along the raw edge, this will stop fraying and is quite fine. I used to zig zag all my raw edges until I got my overlocker/serger
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  Sep 27, 2009, 01.17 PMby misssylver

  What’s an overlocker?
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  Sep 27, 2009, 02.56 PMby katexxxxxx

  OK… For doing a facing with interfacing attached, look here:

  http://www.diceyhome.free-online.co.uk/KatePages/Learning/Understitching/understitching_lesson.htm

  Take a look at the pattern: if it says ‘X"/mm seam allowance included’, but there is no sewing line marked, the sewing line is that distance from the cut edge. Line the cut edge up with the line on the stitch plate (the metal plate that covers the feed dogs – like this: http://www.delorey.org/ebay/img/em3.jpg) of the sewing machine that corresponds with this distance from the needle. Steer the cut edge along this line. Don’t look at the needle – that’s always going to go in and out in the same place. Watch the edge of the fabric. Here is some more information about sewing seams and seam finishes: http://www.diceyhome.free-online.co.uk/KatePages/Learning/Seams/seam_types.htm

  If you have an old sewing machine with no lines in the stitch plate, you can get a magnetic thing to put on to mark the seam allowance (just measure the correct distance from the needle and plonk it on), or you can mark it with sticky tape (but be careful only to stick it onto shiny silver metal and NOT on any paint or decals: you might damage those).

  An overlocker oe serger is one of these: http://www.diceyhome.free-online.co.uk/KatePages/Resources/machinegallery/Bernina1150MDA1.JPG

  It cuts off the seam allowance as it sews, neatening the edge by overlocking it. Think T shirt and swimsuit seams with that thread wrapped round them. Nice but not strictly necessary. Useful if you intend to do a lot of stretch knit sewing as the seam is naturally stretchy.

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    Sep 27, 2009, 04.53 PMby misssylver

    I am never going to get the hang of this!

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    Sep 28, 2009, 07.07 AMby kaitui-kiwi

    Hehe, I actually have the 1150MDA :) Good explanation. Miss Sylver if you have a look inside your purchased clothes you’ll see the overlocked/serged seams. Owning an overlocker makes life easy and adds that next level of finish and strength but I only just got mine recently, it’s a big investment and zig zagging will be fine fo]r you while you continue to learn.

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  Sep 28, 2009, 04.49 AMby smallone

  Hey There Miss Sylver. have you tried looking on YouTube? as sometime the visuals of video really help. I’ve found a few really useful techniques explained on there recently. Also I watched nearly all of the series on EHow from “Stephanie’s Simply Sewing” , http://www.ehow.com/videos-on_5392_sew-mens-shirt.html although it’s about a shirt not a dress it covers off a lot of the basics in easy to follow well explained videos…Not sure if they’ll cover all what you need but thought it might be useful.

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    Sep 28, 2009, 10.47 AMby misssylver

    Thanks, I will have a go at that. I’m just tired of asking my mother in law for help I suppose.

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  Sep 28, 2009, 12.51 PMby thirtydaysseptember

  You’ll get the hang if it, don’t worry!!! The first time I tried to sew with a pattern was like reading hieroglyphics. It might help you to buy a reference book to look at when you have a question. I have Vogue Sewing, and I love it. Goes from beginner to advanced (http://tinyurl.com/yaa99ur).

  In the mean time, here is a simple and short definition:

  Grading Seam Allowance: (This reduces bulkiness.) When you have 3 pieces of fabric in one seam, trim the seam allowance of each piece slightly shorter than the last (stair-stepped, if you will – for instance, you’ll have seam allowances of 1/8", 1/4", and 1/2"). Make sure the top/outer-facing allowance is the longest, or the graded seams may show through when you wear your garment.

  Clipping Curves: For inner curves (ie, faced neckline), you make a series of little snips along the line of the curve. This allows the fabric to spread over the curve when it’s turned.

  Notched Curves: For outer curves (scallops). Similar to clipping, but instead of a single snip, you snip out little triangles along the seam line. This prevents fabric from bunching up on itself when it’s turned.

  You can safely cut to within 1/8" of the seam. (Sorry, I don’t know the metrics.)

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    Sep 29, 2009, 12.31 AMby misssylver

    It’s ok, imperial me likey. I was born at the transition period so I use both. I think I am going to sleep on it and then have another bash. The poor husband to be has been ill so I am not really in th right frame of mind. I will put it up if it ever gets finished.

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  Sep 29, 2009, 11.49 PMby misssylver

  Had another bash. Did the neckline and a sleeve. This had better be worth it.
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  Oct 6, 2009, 11.37 AMby misssylver

  Given up due to interfering mother in law. I finally got round to trying the other sleeve, fell asleep and my mother in law turned my machine off and took out the dress. That I hadn’t pinned, That I was coming back to later. My machine which wasn’t hers to touch. I fell asleep for ten minutes.
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  Oct 6, 2009, 12.08 PMby katexxxxxx

  GRR! Sympathies!
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  Oct 6, 2009, 12.43 PMby ichigogirl

  Haha (not a mean, but an understanding laugh!), all sympahty, it sounds nervewrecking! If I were you I’d get myself a good book on sewing clothes for absolute beginners and read it behind the mother-in-law’s back, then return and amaze her with something home-made (sounds like you’ve laid the ground for amazement if you finish the dress by yourself). There are loads of sewing-books on amazon.com, if you read the reviews you’ll surely be able to find the right one for you. Good luck, sewing really IS fun, when you get it!
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  Oct 6, 2009, 08.47 PMby misssylver

  Well I am just making three different pairs of the Andre for my husband to be so that he doesn’t fry over in Florida (you know the type of British skin that burns and then turns purple? That’s Alex). They look like they are going to turn out fine (apart from the fact that I won’t be seen with him in them as he chose the fabrics and bearing in mind that he is colour blind you can imagine the results)

  I now have two books on sewing including one CDROM that looks like fun so I am going to have a go with those and see what happens. I do love sewing and knitting I am just not very good sighs. Was quite proud of my bootees and scarf though.