Building a Handsewn Wardrobe

HandsewnTopWhile I was at the Craftsy Instructor Summit, I sewed a top. I had packed small (and at the last minute) and was presented with the choice of wearing a shirt a second day or making something new. I had bought a remnant of chambray from Fancy Tiger Crafts, Laura Nelkin found a needle in her travel sewing kit, and thus #SewAShirtToday was born. There were no sewing machines, but we had been given swag bags with thread and pre-cuts of quilting fabric (which turned into the log-cabiny pockets). I had a bunch of time sitting and listening to speakers, so I sewed.

I brought my hexagon Dress no. 1 and used that as a template to cut the upper body (which ensured that the armholes, neckline and bust would fit).

Some people expressed disbelief that I would hand-sew a garment. But this wasn’t new for me. I’ve made some beautiful Alabama Chanin style pieces. I sewed an Endless Summer Tunic by hand because I wanted to sew it, but also wanted to spend the weekend at the local coffee shop with The Dude instead of hunched over a sewing machine.
I’ve also been working (with long stretches of not working) on a medieval costume for my youngest brother. I’ve been drafting and handstitching the whole thing. From linen shirt, to bias-cut hose, to the astonishingly complicated cotehardee (which is done now except for the buttons and buttonholes).

I love the slowness. I love that I think about every stitch. I love that there is so much of myself put into it. So here’s some tips that I’ve been thinking about while I work on my newest garment, a pinafore inspired by this one I’ve had in my pinterest board for an eternity.

  1. IMAG0991Start with something simple. The great thing about the Alabama Chanin pieces is that they don’t actually REQUIRE a bunch of finishing. The cut edges of cotton jersey will roll in a fetching way all on their own. So you only have to sew the seams to get a workable garment.
  2. Sew internal seams first. If you’re new to hand-stitching it’s likely your stitches will be uneven, and not particularly straight. Don’t be afraid to mark the stitching line with a water soluble fabric pen. This is a little backward from how machine sewn garments are usually put together, but it will hide your somewhat wonky starter stitches inside so you don’t have to continually look at them. Also, if you’re winging it, it means you can try it on as you go and get a better idea of the fit.
  3. Love your thread. This is another thing I learned from Natalie Chanin’s class and books. Watch this video. It’s a technique that takes some of the extra twist out of your thread and preps it to slide more easily through your fabric. In fact, check out her other tips. They’re great.
  4. IMAG0992If you sew with the right fabric, you don’t need an iron. You just need a couple of tools. Personally, I love my hera marker (shown right) for creasing seams, but when I didn’t have it at the Summit, I used the flat end of a spool of thread. Worked a treat.
  5. Try a couple types of thread. For the non-obvious bits of this pinafore I use a standard polyester or polyester covered thread. But for the top-stitched bits I like to use a cordonette or other larger thread. I love the way it accentuates the hand-sewn nature of the garment. Especially with something as tightly woven as this chambray.
  6. Don’t be afraid to switch stuff up. I made a facing for the neck-edge of this pinafore, and while I was stitching it down I realized it would make a great neckline detail. So I turned the whole thing inside out.
  7. Add your own details. As I sew I think about wearing the garment. I think about stress points in the piecing. I put extra reinforcing whip stitches on those points. I use contrasting bias tape inside and I flat fell the seams. In less consumerist times people actually inherited items of handsewn clothing. Make it to last.

So go handsew something!

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