gussets

Hi there, how was your week?

Today we had our first snow fall, the thin blanket of snow was beautiful, and I know there lots more to come.

Here’s the next installment of Spadea’s Vintage Collection of Designer How-To’s and Tips covering a range of topics. I’ve decided that I am going to follow behind several other blogger’s and link to the large books on my Google books page because the PDF’s are huge, and I want to make sure that you can print them if you like.

Let’s start with the topic of Patch Pockets, did you know there is a technique to attach them so the sewing is invisible? check out this little secret.

Patch Pockets

Sewing Patch Pockets continued

Weighty Problems

Weighty Problems continued

How to Resolve Ravelling

Do you have trouble neatly securing the undersides of bound buttonholes, follow Herbert Sondheim has a solution.

How to Solve Ravelling Problems

French Piping

I am a stickler for fine finishes and beautiful detail and so was Jo Copeland, so let’s learn how Jo handled the application of piping.

Ravelling Problems | French Piping

French Piping cont Page 60

French Piping continued | Top-Stitching

Top Stitching with a Twist

Taking a cue from Jacques Tiffeau, you can give a custom look to your tailored clothes with some extra-special top-stitching. All you need is some silk buttonhole twist, a little extra effort and the adept use of your sewing machine.

Top Stitching continued

A Smart Move

Use these instructions to re-cut your pattern to create similar results.

Moving Armhole Facings

When your zipper becomes a distraction, Harvey Berin the perfectionist shows you how to go beyond the invisible zipper for a truly couture result.

Zippers the Knack

Zippers the Knack cont

Zippers the Knack continued Page 66

Zippers the Knack continued Page 67

Avoid Distress with Gussets

There’s nothing worse than having a garment ruined by strain on the fibers — gussets to the rescue.

Let Irene Gilbert shares her wonderful way with fabrics. If you use hand-woven woolens and fine linens which tend to ravel easily, learn how to give special attention to any area of a garment that must withstand unavoidable strain.

Gussets

Gussets cont..

Gussets continued

The Vintage Gussets cont..

The Best Bound Buttonhole – we’ve heard that before.

You may have experimented with the various ways of making bound buttonholes only to find the results disappointing and the couture look you had so hoped to create already lost by a less than perfect buttonhole.

Vincent Monte Sano prefers the two-piece buttonhole describes below.

Bound Buttonholes

Bound Buttonholes cont..

Bound Buttonhole cont

Here’s what I think is the trickiest part of the process–that of finishing the underside or facing under the completed buttonhole.

Finishing Bound Buttonholes

Collar Magic

You know if you do not own a tailor’s ham, buy one or make one, it is an indispensable tool in my opinion for this technique to give you stellar results.