Tutorial Archives - Maven Patterns

Posted on 25/08/202425/08/2024 by mavenpatterns

I want to Paint It Blue – Fabric Painting

or How I hand painted this fabric.

Fabric painting – this post comes with a warning.

Fabric painting is hugely fun and addictive. Once you start painting your own fabric do not hold me responsible when you can’t stop!

What’s not to love about designing your own unique fabric? The paint was only £3 a pot and the brushes were about £5. If you work on stash fabrics or a pre-loved garment it’s potentially a very inexpensive way to update or create a really special garment.

Now, I’m just going to pre-face this post by saying I am not an expert at fabric painting or surface decoration. I got an idea into my head, thought about it quite a lot, bought the fabric paint and slapped it on some fabric.

Fabric Painting – Tools + Equipment

Fabric Paint in Royal Blue from Handprinted. I bought 3 pots, and used every single drop to paint the fabric for a full skirt.
Paint brushes from Søstrene Grene
Plastic sheets
Masking tape/brown paper tape
Frixon pens/fabric marker/ do a test for your fabric!

Protect The Area

No polite way of saying this – I am a messy worker. So protect the area and yourself. I covered or moved anything I didn’t want paint on and wore old clothes and an apron.

Protect your table as the paint will bleed through fabric. I taped old plastic wrappings that we had kept from fabric deliveries to the table.

Test Piece

I was a bit impatient to start painting and didn’t really have time to clear everything and paint-proof. So I did a quick test first on some scrap fabric to scratch the itch and to get a feeling for the brush stokes and how heavy/dense I wanted the strokes to look. I did a vague design by drawing with a Sharpie on pattern paper, which I could see through the fabric and gave me a guideline to follow. The ink did bleed through the fabric, rather obvious but reminded me of the need for plastic underneath the fabric. I’m not sure if the Sharpie plan was a good one, I have a niggling feeling the black sharpie ink could transfer to the fabric during fabric painting.

Fabric Painting Prep

I washed and ironed the fabric before laying it flat and wrinkle free on the table. Taped it down and made sure to keep it on grain. And, bonus points to me, I remembered to lint roller it. And remembered to put plastic sheets over the areas of fabric I wasn’t painting at the time to protect them from paint splatters. Because, as we have established, I’m messy. You could use a hairdryer to dry the paint a bit quicker but I didn’t have one with me.

I want to Paint It Black Blue

So my plan had always been to paint the fabric specifically for a Bloom Skirt, so I took quite a while to draw the skirt pattern pieces directly onto the fabric. I can recommend doing this if you are thinking of doing any kind of print placement. After which I marked a design/guidelines directly on the fabric with a Frixon pen so I could avoid crossing patterns over seams and having to pattern match at the zip and kind of line up the ‘stripes’. It was a bit vague and I didn’t follow it very precisely, and the pen did come off with the iron later.

I knew wanted a hand painted, painterly effect so you could see the brush marks, but sharp and graphic too. In the end I just starting painting and decided not to overthink it any further, not at all usual for me the queen of overthinking. That’s my best bit of advice, just start painting and don’t try to control the result too much. I played with different thickness of brushes and pressure for a variety of brushstrokes and just enjoyed the process.

And then patiently (again, highly unusual for me as I was a bit excited at this point) left it to dry overnight before I could move it to make room to paint the other bits of fabric. By this point, I was having such a jolly time I’m ready to paint anything and everything blue.

Fixing The Fabric Paint

Once dry, the fabric paint needs ironing to fix it.

So, I did a shout out on Insta as I wasn’t sure how long to iron for (it’s 2 weeks later at this point and I’d thrown away the pots) and there was lots of great advice given in the comments of the reel HERE.

There was a few suggestions to use a tumble dryer, but I don’t have one, but do have a menopausal shoulder so ironed it for as long as I could be bothered while listening to a podcast. Keep in mind this is a sample skirt for The Bloom Skirt pattern so I’m probably not going to wash and wear it as much as normal garment (if at all). I can’t confirm how it will wash at this stage but I’d suggest being a little more pedantic about fixing it correctly than I was!

My top tip would be to check your iron is actually still clean after not only pressing the fabric but after making said skirt because the ink transferred to the bottom of the iron and then onto some white linen. Totally my fault, I was very slapdash about using a pressing cloth and fixing the paint and checking the iron was still clean which is actually quite an obvious thing to check when pressing freshly painted bright blue fabric paint!

Overall, I’m delighted how the fabric turned out and looking forward to painting more at some point. Give it a try, it’s great fun!

*The Bloom Skirt is coming soon!

SHOP Sewing Patterns

Posted on 19/08/202419/08/2024 by mavenpatterns

How to Sew Gathers

Gathering Fabric – Technique & tips

Learn how to sew gathers in fabric with a sewing machine with our easy gathering tutorial. You’ll be able to create beautiful soft gathers for any garment. Gathering is a great way to add fullness and volume and is often used for gathered skirts like our upcoming Bloom Skirt sewing pattern or on a neckline like The Wendy Smock.

How to gather fabric

Learning how to sew gathers is a basic sewing technique that isn’t too hard to master. For this tutorial I’m concentrating on the traditional way of how to sew gathers with rows of gathering stitches and it is perfect for light to medium weight woven fabrics. Not sure if it’s the right method for your fabric? Just do a little test sample, the fabric will soon let you know!

Gathering Ratios

A gathering ratio is just the amount of fabric that you will gather onto a flat area like a gathered skirt onto a waistband or bodice. Or you might have a smaller area as a design detail such as the sleeve head of The Kitty Dress or on the back of the Joy Dress.

You may not need to worry about gathering ratios, usually how much gathering you have in a garment will already be decided by the pattern. But it’s good to have an understanding should you want or need to add more or less gathering.

There is no set gathering ratio. Generally speaking, finer fabrics look good with a higher ratio of gathering but heavier fabrics can look too bulky. Do a test sample of gathering on your fabric and if you like it and it works for your fabric then it’s right!

Examples of gathering ratios

1.5:1 ratio
3 rows of gathering stitches

The above samples are all made of cotton poplin and show how different gathering ratios can look. And also shows the difference in gathering with 2 versus 3 rows of gathering threads (explained later in the tutorial).

A ratio of 2:1 means the piece being gathered is twice as long as the flat section it is being gathered onto.
E.G if you had a 30cm flat section, the total fabric to gather into it would be 60cm.
1.5:1 means 1½ times as long
2.5:1 means 2 ½ times as long
3:1 means 3 times as long and so on.

Note / Not all fabrics gather well using this method, heavier fabrics might look better pleated. Or you can use a zig zag stitch over a cord (that’s a tutorial for a different day). For stretch fabrics you may need a different technique. For the cuff of The Somerset t-shirt I use shirring elastic to create gathers as that helps retain the stretch of the fabric.

Machine settings

These can vary depending on your fabric and sewing machine.

Do a test first, you may need to experiment to find the best settings for your fabric and machine.
Set your stitch length to the LONGEST possible stitch length for your machine. Fine and lightweight fabrics can be gathered using a shorter stitch. You may find it gives you more control over your gathers but they can be harder to pull.
Tension – if necessary loosen your top tension so the threads pull easily.
Use a quality thread, you are going to be pulling the thread and we do not want the thread to snap.
Take care not to snap your gathering threads because that is very, very annoying!

How to Sew Gathers

For this example I’m working with a 1.5cm seam allowance and the stitch line is marked in blue pen.
Decide how many rows of gathering you want to do. You can do 2 or 3 rows of stitching. (Images below)
Work In Sections. If you have a large area to be gathered, dividing the area into sections makes it much easier to handle. To gather a skirt onto a waistband, I would divide it into 4 equal sections but you can do more if you wish.
To reduce bulk at seam junctions, lift the seam allowances out of the way and stitch up to the seamlines. The exception being if you are working with a very fine fabric then you could stitch across pressed open seam allowances.
Start with the first section (or between the notches to show where your gathering will start and finish) and stitch with Right Side of the Fabric Facing Up.
Gathering rows must not cross each other.
Do not back stitch at each end but leave long ends to the threads.
Work in sections and just repeat for each section.

2 rows of gathering stitches

Learn How to sew gathers step by step with our easy to follow free
Sewing gathers Tutorial for beginners.
Sew with 2 or 3 rows of gathering threads

Stitch 2 rows in the seam allowance parallel to each other. The first about 3-5mm away above the stitchline, and the second 3-5mm above that.

TIP / Your machine may have the option to just move your needle across.

3 rows of gathering stitches

Stitch 3 rows of gathering stitches, with the 3rd row on the body of the garment.

As before, stitch 2 rows in the seam allowance parallel to each other, the first about 3-5mm away above the stitchline, and the second 3-5mm above that. Stitch the 3rd Row 3-5mm below the stitchline on the garment.

TIP / Your machine may have the option to just move your needle across.

The advantage of the 3rd row is that it does make nicer gathers as they are easier to control. The disadvantage is the 3rd row will be removed and the stitching could potentially leave a mark on your garment. So test on your fabric first!

Time to gather!

Again working one section at a time; pull up the bobbin threads, sliding the fabric along the thread to create gathers to roughly the desired length.

Match the seams/notches and pin the 2 fabrics with Right Sides Together and fine tune gathering to fit. Take your time and distribute the gathering evenly.

Tie off your threads by wrapping them around a pin. Learn How to sew gathers step by step with our easy to follow free
Sewing gathers Tutorial for beginners.
Sew with 2 or 3 rows of gathering threads.

Once you have finished one section, wrap the long threads around a pin in a figure of 8 to hold everything in place and move onto the next section of gathering.

When all the sections have been gathered, unwrap the threads from the pins and either tie them off in a secure knot or stitch them by hand to fix your gathers.

Set your machine stitch length back to your normal stitch length

Sew your seam with the correct seam allowance to join the fabrics together.

I always sew with the gathers facing upwards so I can see what they are up to and I can avoid any uneven and unsightly tucks. If you do get any areas with tucks that you don’t like, you can just unpick that little area and re-sew.

Neaten the seam allowances together, which will give you a stronger seam. Unless it’s an enclosed by a waistband and then no need to neaten!

How to Press Gathers

Don’t press directly on or across the gathering as you will squash your gathers. We do not want to flatten the fullness you’ve just created!

On the Wrong Side, with the tip of your iron, just press the stitchline and seam allowance. Then press the seam away from the gathers towards the flat/ungathered side.

With the tip of the iron facing towards the seamline, press in between the gathers and up to the seam but not over it. Be sure the fabric is flat under the iron at all times so you don’t iron in creases and squash the gathers.

And don’t forget to remove the 3rd row of gathering if applicable.

All done and now you know How To sew Gathers!

Happy gathering! Mrs M x

SHOP Sewing Patterns

Posted on 07/08/202408/08/2024 by mavenpatterns

How to sew an invisible (concealed) zip

How to sew an invisible zip. An easy invisible or concealed zip tutorial

How to easily sew an Invisible zip

Inserting a zip can be a bit daunting and an invisible zip (sometimes called concealed zips) even more so. But honestly fear not, here’s an easy way to insert invisible zips without a load of fuss. Invisible zips are actually my favourite zip to use because when they’re closed they are, well, almost invisible.

If you are new to invisible zips, don’t panic. I don’t always get it right first time – and I still unpick sometimes. Practise makes perfect or so they say, and if not perfect, practise at least makes you familiar with the process. So, round up some scraps of fabric and do a few tests before jumping into your garment. It’s also much easier to insert a zip in a stable fabric such as cotton poplin than a shifty, slippery satin or chiffon!

This is a simplified version of a post I originally shared for The Barcelona pattern, which explains how to stripe match, seam match and shorten an invisible zip. It’s a little bit more advanced due to the nature of the matchy – matchy process but you can see that invisible zip tutorial HERE.

This method closes the seam before you insert the zip rather than after. My normal method of invisible zip insertion (stitch down each side of zip, stitch up from the bottom to close the seam) was fine and dandy (and if you prefer/are happy with that method, carry on – we’re not doing brain surgery here) but I felt this one was just easier and better to help avoid the dreaded bump at the base of the zip situation.

For this example I am inserting an 20cm (8″) invisible zip and placing it into a 17cm (6¾”) opening in a centre back seam of a skirt that has a 1.5cm (5/8″) seam allowances.

INVISIBLE ZIP TIPS

An invisible zip is always stitched from the top down to the bottom.
Invisible zips are placed RS of zip to RS of garment.
The coil (teeth) sits right on the CB line.
You never get to use the entire length of an invisible zip. You lose around 2.5-3cm (1″) as you can’t stitch right to the bottom because the zip puller is in the way. If you have a 20.5cm (8”) zip the finished length will be about 17cm (7”)
Invisible zips are very easy to shorten. I often shorten an invisible zip after it I have sewn it in and always with the zip closed. You could do it before hand but remember it must be longer than your actual opening. If in doubt insert the zip and ~~chop it off~~ carefully shorten after. (Tips on how to shorten an Invisible zip HERE)

TOOLS

Invisible zip (Also called a concealed zipper)
Invisible zipper foot
Regular zipper foot
Usual machine presser foot
Fabric marking pen/chalk implement of choice
The usual sewing stuff; iron, thread, pins, scissors, sewing machine

ABBREVIATIONS

WSU: wrong side up / WS: wrong side / RSU: right side up / RS: right side / SA: seam allowance / CB: centre back

How to sew an Invisible zip

1. SPOT FUSE the seam allowance to stabilise the area.

Apply a strip of lightweight fusible interfacing along the seam where you will be inserting the zip. I make mine twice as wide as the SA (seam allowance) and 3cm (1″ or so) longer than the finished zip length.

2. Press the zip.

Open the zip and lay on the ironing board with WSU. With a cool iron press the coils (the teeth) flat to uncurl them so they are easier to sew. WARNING! If your iron is too hot, the teeth will melt. Close the zip.

3. Close the seam.

With RST pin the seam together from hem to the notch at the base of the zip opening.

Start at the hem and stitch the seam closed with 1.5cm SA, using your normal machine foot, stopping at the zip notch with a backstitch.

Neaten the raw seam edges.

Press the seam open.

Gently press the seam allowance of the zip opening which will give you a guideline to help place your zip.

4. Place the zip.

It’s really easy to get an invisible zip twisted as you pin it in place. The RS of the zip will be facing the RS of the garment.

I find the best way is to lay the garment with WSU facing you, and then fold and pin the SA into place.

Place the zip FACE down onto the garment, so WS of the zip is facing you.

Open the zip a couple of inches and pin the zip tape to the SA on each side of the opening with one pin.

This is just to place the zip without twisting it, we will pin the zip accurately to stitch in the following steps.

NOTE – The zip tape will be narrower than the 1.5cm SA.

Open the zip so the puller is all the way to the bottom.

Start on one side of the zip (it doesn’t matter which side) and place the top stop on the stitch line. In this case it would be 1.5cm from the top edges as we have a 1.5cm SA at the waist edge (I’ve marked the waist stichline with a red pen line) and pin the tape to the SA.

Keep the zip coil positioned ON the pressed CB seam line.

Once you have pinned one side of the zip in place, tack next to the teeth coil to hold in place.

On the zip tape, mark the base of the opening so you know where to stop stitching.

5. Change to an invisible zip foot.

Take a look at your zip foot and you will see 2 grooves or channels on the bottom of your invisible zip foot – yours may not look exactly mine but you’ll get the idea.

The coils of the zip will sit in one of these channels depending on which side you are stitching. Choose the groove furthest away from the SA and so that you are stitching through the zip tape right next to the coil.

Start with a backstitch at the top of the zip and stitch close to the zip coil. Roll the coil away from the needle with your fingers as you stitch so it sits perpendicular to the zip tape as you sew.

You need to stitch as close to the coil teeth as possible but do not stitch on the coil as your zip will not close!

Stop with a backstitch when you get to your mark at the base of the zip opening.

*I prefer to use an invisible zip foot but many makers like to use an ordinary zip foot.

Now to repeat with the other side of the zip.

Make sure you line up the top stops on each side of the zip or it will look uneven and stepped at the top when it is closed.

Pin and tack into place. Starting at the top with a backstitch, stitch the other side of the zip using the other groove of your machine foot, again stopping with a backstitch at your mark at the base of the opening.

Close the zip to check puller will run up and down smoothly and all looks good before continuing. Getting the puller to the right side can be a little bit fiddly sometimes, but I just remove any tacking that’s in the way and get the pointy, end bit of the puller to poke through to the right side first.

If you have stitched on the teeth of the zip it won’t close so you’ll need unpick that section and re-stitch. But please remember that there is no such thing as the sewing police – if you’re happy to wear it, it’s good enough!

6. Anchor the zip to the seam allowance

(If you need to shorten your zip, do that first – see the other Invisible Zip tutorial here)

The point of securing the zip is to reduce the strain on the zip and also to stop the tape flapping about. Make sure you are only stitching zip tape to SA and you are not stitching through the actual garment.

Change to an ordinary zip foot (sometimes called a half foot). There’s two ways to do this step, it’s mostly personal preference but Option 1 is probably the stronger of the 2.

OPTION 1 / Anchor the full length of the zip tape to the seam allowance. Start at the top and machine stitch the tape and SA together.

OPTION 2 / Anchor the zip tape to the seam allowance at the base of the zip for just a few centimetres. You can do this bit by hand if you prefer.

Press

Give your zip a gentle final press.

NOTES / I discovered the original version of this technique a while ago, when it popped up in my Instagram feed from Threads Magazine. The YouTube video is demonstrated by the delightful Kenneth D King. I’ve adapted the original technique a little bit to help with stripe matching, I only close the CB seam to the bottom of the zip opening. The original method also closes the zip opening using a machine basting stitch. I also prefer to use an invisible zip foot, it’s just what I’m used to, but Mr King uses a generic adjustable zipper foot. The original video can be viewed here: YouTube LINK: Imperceptible Zipper by Kenneth D. King.

SHOP Sewing Patterns

Posted on 21/09/202302/02/2024 by mavenpatterns

Sewing Stripes – how to match stripes.

Stripe matching tips & tricks

How to cut, match and sew stripe fabric.

The Barcelona dress…. all the stripes in all the directions! Stripes can be tricky little blighters, on the move when you think you’ve got everything straight! It does take a bit of extra work to get matching stripes but good stripe matching starts with accurate cutting out, take your time in the beginning and you’ll be halfway there.

PSA: I would like to point out that I did not get those stripes looking like that first time, I practised on samples and I unpicked. Sometimes do a lot of getting it ‘wrong’ before it goes right. I’m OK with that! Try not to suck the joy out of sewing yourself a dress by setting unrealistic expectations of perfection, it’s overrated. It’s supposed to be fun! If a stripe isn’t perfectly matched does it really matter? (It doesn’t) The other thing to remember is that you are your own worst critic so be kind to yourself! Oh, and by the way, Barcelona is delightful in a plain fabric too!

Do I need extra fabric to match stripes?

Truthfully, you might! The Barcelona dress has it’s stripe costings based on a 2cm wide stripe with all the pattern pieces cut in one direction (a one way lay / with a nap) but I can’t do a costing to cover every stripe on the planet so you may need to allow more or less depending on your fabric.

Even or uneven stripes?

Start by looking at your stripe fabric. Is it EVEN (also called symmetrical or regular) or UNEVEN (also called asymmetrical or irregular)? To check, fold back a corner and if the stripes match across the diagonal fold they are even, if they don’t they are uneven. Why is this important? Because even stripes can be cut in either direction but uneven stripes need to be cut in one direction with all the pattern pieces facing the same way and will most likely (but not always) take more fabric. I actually prefer to cut everything in one direction if possible / just a preference no actual logic.

How to match stripe. Stripe matching tips & Tricks. which way do your stripes run?

Lengthwise or horizontal?

The next thing to look for with stripes is which way does the stripe run? Is it a LENGTHWISE stripe – does it follow the direction of the selvedge/grainline along the length of the cloth? Or is it a HORIZONTAL stripe that runs ACROSS the fabric? Again these will make a difference in how you lay up your pattern. If you look at The Barcelona pattern you will see both the STRIPE DIRECTION and the GRAINLINE marked for this reason because depending on the stripe direction of your chosen cloth they may or may not be running in the same direction! You can cross reference the 2 lines to make sure your pattern is cut with the stripes running in the right direction and is on grain .Make sure you keep the grainline parallel to the selvedge.

Guesstimate!

If I am ever unsure about the amount of fabric to buy I’ll lay it all out and measure it. I use washi tape or masking tape and actually mark the width of the fabric on the table or half the width and pretend it’s on the fold. For stripes I also mark the pattern repeat and then lay out the pattern as if I was going to cut it out to give myself an idea of how much fabric I need.

I think my way will be more accurate but it’s not always possible to do a full layup of a pattern when you are in a fabric shop so I’m including a couple of ways I’ve come across on the old internet for general ‘rules’ of guesstimating the extra you may need for stripe matching.

Allow around an extra half a metre for smaller stripes and 1 metre for wider stripes or those with a big repeat.
The other way is to count the main large pattern pieces and multiply that number by the width of the stripe repeat. So 4 main pattern pieces (front bodice, front skirt, back bodice, back skirt) x stripe repeat of 5cm = 20cm of extra fabric.
If in doubt buy a bit extra on top of those!

Make a full pattern

How to match stripe. Stripe matching tips & Tricks. How to cut a full pattern piece 1

How to match stripe. Stripe matching tips & Tricks. How to cut a full pattern piece 2

How to match stripe. Stripe matching tips & Tricks. How to cut a full pattern piece 3

How to match stripe. Stripe matching tips & Tricks. How to cut a full pattern piece 4

I find it easier to lay up stripes using a single layer of fabric. And it’s easier to do this if you have a full pattern. By this, I mean any pattern pieces on the fold should be traced so they can be cut without needing to fold the fabric.

Take a piece of paper, larger than your pattern piece.
Fold it to make a nice sharp crease. This will be your Centre Front (CF).
Place the CF of your original pattern piece right on the fold. Be accurate – if it’s not exactly on the fold you can add or lose millimetres from your garment before you even start!
Pin (or use weights) through the layers of paper, keep everything as flat as possible. I always trace around my pattern pieces with a sharp pencil and a ruler, as I feel it’s more accurate than just cutting out.
Transfer all the markings. This is where a tracing wheel is very handy. Draw the STRIPE DIRECTION/ grainline all the way across the pattern.
Once traced, remove the original pattern. Make sure the lines that are dissecting the CF fold (neck and waist) are doing so at a right angle (90°) or you will get weird pointy shapes at your neck and waist! While its still on the fold, I’ll repin to hold together before cutting out on my pencil line.
Once cut, mark in your grainlines/stripe direction and I like to circle my marker dots. Label and date your pattern piece so when you find the cat playing with it on the floor in 2 weeks time you’ll know where it came from.

You can trace all of your pattern pieces, to give you a left and right. You will only need to use a single layer of paper if the pattern piece is not to be cut on the fold. I don’t trace everything but that means when you are cutting in a single layer you have to remember to flip your pattern piece over to make sure you are cutting a pair. For example, when I cut a right back bodice I’ll mark a cross in pencil on the face side of the paper pattern, so I know which side I’ve already cut and then I’ll know to turn the pattern piece over to the other side before cutting the left back bodice.

Stripe Matching: Laying up & Cutting out

So as we said before the trick to good stripe matching starts with accurate cutting!

So we are going to cut the fabric in a single layer with the Right Side Up (RSU), so we are in control of those stripes. It can be difficult to match them and keep them aligned when the fabric is folded and frankly I get really bored because it just wasted so much time trying to line them up and pin them together! You need a large flat area, it often ends up being the floor, and be sure that if you are using a table that isn’t quite big enough that any overhanging fabric is not dragging your lay off grain and making your stripes go skew-wiff.

How to match stripe. Stripe matching tips & Tricks. How to lay your pattern to match stripes 1

When deciding on where to match and place stripes, think about visually what will be noticed first. A wide dominant stripe will draw your eye to that point so consider this when placing your pattern and cutting out your fabric. It’s usual to match the CF, CB and side seams, so stripes run continuously around the body. Shoulder seams may not always match and the dart tucks on The Barcelona will not match because of the angle they are on.

How to match stripe. Stripe matching tips & Tricks. How to lay your pattern to match stripes 2

The Barcelona pattern already has the STRIPE DIRECTION marked on each pattern piece. It’s just a case of lining it up with the stripe on the fabric and keeping it consistent for each corresponding pattern piece. The underarm is an easy place to line up for bodices, and the hem is often a good place to start for a skirt or sleeve. If you have a bodice with a side bust dart, so it comes from the side seam, match your stripes below the dart.

How to match stripe. Stripe matching tips & Tricks. How to lay your pattern to match stripes 3

How to match stripe. Stripe matching tips & Tricks. How to lay your pattern to match stripes 4

If you need to add a stripe direction line to a pattern piece, draw it all the way across and in whichever direction you choose to have your stripes but MAKE SURE IT’S STRAIGHT!If you haven’t traced the whole pattern, you can chalk around one pattern piece and then flip it over to cut the matching piece. You can also stagger your pattern pieces rather than having them in a row straight across the fabric. Just make sure you are still placing them on the same part of the stripe. In the photo above both armholes are placed at the bottom of a white stripe each time.

Cutting the skirt

The skirt of The Barcelona is cut on the bias grain to create a chevron at each seam. So the STRIPE DIRECTION LINE is at a 45° angle to the CF and CB seam. The same principle applies to lining up the STRIPE DIRECTION line and consistently placing it on a stripe for all pattern pieces.

How to match stripe. Stripe matching tips & Tricks. How to lay your pattern to match stripes 6

How to match stripe. Stripe matching tips & Tricks. How to lay your pattern to match stripes 7

How to match stripe. Stripe matching tips & Tricks. How to lay your pattern to match stripes 8

How to match stripe. Stripe matching tips & Tricks. How to lay your pattern to match stripes 9

How to match stripe. Stripe matching tips & Tricks. How to lay your pattern to match stripes 10

How to match stripe. Stripe matching tips & Tricks. How to lay your pattern to match stripes 11

As the seams are quite long I also made extra checks as I cut to be sure those stripes matched up. First, I cut the right front skirt panel, again placing the STRIPE DIRECTION line to the bottom of the white stripe. Then I flipped over the pattern piece to cut the left front, again aligning the STRIPE DIRECTION line to the bottom of the stripe and I pinned the pattern in place.

Before I cut it out I can double check my stripe matching skills by laying the skirt panel I have already cut ON TOP (fabric with Right Sides Together) of the pattern piece. I can see the stripes actually matched before I chop out the second skirt front. You can repeat this when cutting the back skirt. Before I unpinned the pattern piece from the fabric I copied and drew the placement of the stripes straight onto the pattern piece. I then transferred to the back pattern piece so I knew they’d match. I just placed the side seams of the back and front patterns together and used a tracing wheel and a ruler to mark them straight through.

Remember they need to match at the STITCHLINE!

It’s a useful trick to have handy if you are matching a long length of stripes, because technically the stripes are evenly repeated but actually, it’s a woven fabric and sometimes I’ve had to ‘encourage’ the stripes to do as they’re told! The STRIPE DIRECTION line does meet at the same point along the side seam because I made sure it does during testing, but if you are adapting a pattern this is one of those things you need to double check because if you can’t just randomly draw a line and expect it to match another one! It’s then just a case of cutting out the back skirt and methodically checking the seams will match.

Sewing with stripes

Troubleshooting

How to match stripe. Stripe matching tips & Tricks. How to sew and match stripes 1

I’ve stitched my seams with my usual machine foot, but if you are having difficulty controlling those stripes, consider using a walking foot. A walking foot will feed both layers of fabric through the machine at the same time, helping to keep the stripes aligned. My new machine doesn’t have one, but my old one did. I will be buying one very soon! Start by marking in the seam allowance, the stripes need to match at the stitchline (I may have mentioned that before).

How to match stripe. Stripe matching tips & Tricks. How to sew and match stripes 2

How to match stripe. Stripe matching tips & Tricks. How to sew and match stripes 3

Pin every stripe so they are directly on top of each other. The more pins the less likely the stripes are to move as you stitch. Never knowingly underpinned is my motto! For the chevron, I placed the pins at an angle to follow the stripe direction. Remove them as you sew. Don’t tell anyone but I sewed over them with no ill effects but I’m pretty sure it’s a criminal offence so I’m not recommending it.

Tack or Baste

Machine baste (use the longest machine stitch you have) on the stitchline. If you sew to one side of the stitchline those stripes can still move. When you sew don’t rush and take your time!A machine baste is preferable but if you decide to tack by hand – they need to be small and tight stitches and it can be difficult to pull out randomly coloured tacking thread after stitching on top of it.

How to match stripe. Stripe matching tips & Tricks. How to sew and match stripes 4

Check the stripe matching. If anything has shifted, you could just unpick that section and restitch. Or not, depends how you feel sometimes near enough is the way to go! Machine stitch the seam closed with a 1.5cm SA with your usual stitch length on top of the basting.

How to match stripe. Stripe matching tips & Tricks. How to sew and match stripes 5

How to match stripe. Stripe matching tips & Tricks. How to sew and match stripes 6

How to match stripe. Stripe matching tips & Tricks. How to sew and match stripes 7

You may find that some machine basting stitches have strayed either side of your permanent stitchline. Remove any basting stitches that are not under the permanent stitchline. The ones that have strayed either side of the seam will hinder your seam pressing open neatly. Be careful not to pull out or break the permanent row. I did. I wasn’t careful enough. C’est la vie! Before pressing a seam open, always press seam allowance flat and together. I don’t know the science behind it, but you do get a better finish! Neaten the seam, press open and …stripe matching joy!