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WEEKLY ARTICLES
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Monday about Sewing & Fashion
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DRESS MAKING &
DESIGN
Shaping A
Garment
By Jessica Lynn
Harris
(This Marilyn
Monroe type dress was shaped by gathering and darts.)
The most amazing
thing I find about sewing my own clothes is how a flat piece of fabric
can be cut into pieces and then sewn together to make a shaped
garment. Various sewing techniques are used to achieve this
two-to-three dimensional miracle.
The
Princess seam
will shape a female figure with the best results. However, if you are
new to sewing and making your own clothes, princess seams can be
rather challenging. A princess seam is sewing two pieces of fabric
together that are shaped with opposite curves. Once sewn, these pieces
automatically take shape. Princess seams are used in the bust area and
occasionally along the hips in dress patterns. They give the model a
slim look by accenting, rather than hiding, her curves. (Think
corset.)
Darts also help
achieve a more curved look and are used in most garments--they are
used in men’s wear, as well. Bust-area darts can be found from the
side or the bottom of the bodice leading to the center bust area.
Darts are also used in shaping trousers and skirts. In bottoms, they
are usually found in pairs at the front and rear. When sewing darts it
is important to make sure they are the same length and width on each
side. You must also remember to abstain from back-stitching as this
can cause a bulge at either end of the dart, causing your garment to
look unprofessional and awkward. Instead, leave the threads long and
tie a knot by hand.
Gathering is another
technique for shaping a garment. Gathering does not fit the contours
of the body, but creates a shape by pulling a large piece of fabric
into a smaller size, giving a garment (or shoulder seam, waist line,
etc.) a wavy, draping look. (Think Roman toga.) There are many methods
to gather both by hand and machine, but I find this to be the easiest:
set the machine at a larger size zigzag stitch and pull the top thread
long. Place the top thread directly in the center of the pressure foot
and zigzag stitch overtop of your thread the area you desire to be
gathered. Back stitching is not necessary. When you cut your thread to
remove your fabric from the machine, leave the top thread long. This
is then pulled, a little or a lot, depending on how small you require
your gathers. Pin the gathers in place and baste directly over the
pins.
Pleats, like
gathering, create a three dimensional shape that does not necessarily
follow the lines of a human body. They too take a large swathe of
fabric and bring it down to a smaller size. But instead of a flowing
look, pleats are often pressed to create sharper, crisp lines.
(Schoolgirl uniform, anyone?) Pleats are created by folding fabric
with precision and purpose. These folds are usually spaced evenly
apart. Sometimes the folds will follow the same direction, sometimes
they will fold away from a center point, this depends upon the look
the designer is hoping to achieve.
Variations of these
techniques come together to create a complex garment. Some gowns have
princess seams in the bodice and gathering at the sleeves. A
schoolgirl skirts uses both pleats and darts. And trousers and men’s
vests are fitted in part by successful, even darts. But whatever
you’re making, and whatever technique you use, it’s always fun to
think about the before and after. Taking a flat rectangle of fabric
and turning it into a garment that has shape and life is a sort of
magic, even if not done with wands like the fairies in Sleeping
Beauty.
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Article 22 Sept. 20, 2010 |
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