Doina Alexei
  • Sewing Tutorials
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      • What Are Notches And How To Use Them In The Sewing Process
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      • Backstitching: A Complete Guide
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    • Darts >
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      • Handling Dart Excess: Bulk And Tension
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      • Sewing Darts With Decorative/Beaded Fabrics
    • Sewing Seams >
      • ​The Basics Of Seams And Seam Allowance
      • How To Sew A Straight Seam
      • Sewing Curved Seams
      • Sewing Corner Seams
      • Trimming And Grading Seam Excess
      • Notching/Clipping Seam Allowance for Tension Release
      • Sewing Topstitched Seams
      • Sewing Corded Seams
      • Sewing A Slot Seam
      • Sewing A Gathered Seam
      • Sewing Bias Seams
      • Sewing Seams With Ease
      • Sewing Seams With Crossing Seamlines
      • Sewing Unlike Fabric Seams
      • How To Iron Seams: Ironing Tools And Conventions
      • Sewing With Knit Fabrics
      • Understanding Stitch Length And Tension
      • Sewing Unique Fabric Seams
    • Seam Finishes >
      • Seam Finishing Techniques - Overview
      • Applying A Pinked Seam Finish
      • Applying A Bias Bound Seam Finish
      • Serging And Zigzag Seam Finishes
      • Sewing A Self-Bound Seam Finish
      • Sewing A French Seam Finish
      • Sewing A Hong Kong Seam Finish
      • Sewing A Mock French Seam Finish
      • Sewing A Turned-and-Stitched Seam Finish
      • Sewing Overcast Hand-Applied Seam Finishes
      • Sewing A Flat Felled Seam
      • Sewing A Hairline Seam Finish
    • Hem Finishes >
      • Garment Hem Finishes: Overview
      • ​Sewing A Double Fold Hem Finish
      • Sewing A Single Fold Hem Finish
      • Sewing Bound Hem Finishes
      • Sewing An Exposed Double Layer Bound Hem
      • Sewing A Folded-Up Bound Hem with Pre-folded Binding
      • Sewing A Hong Kong Hem Finish
      • Sewing A Band Hem Finish
      • Sewing A Bias Faced Hem Finish
      • Sewing A Twill Tape Hem Finish
      • Sewing A Rolled Hem Finish
      • Sewing A Shaped Hem Facing
      • Using Fusible Hem Tape And Webbing
      • Finishing A Lace Fabric Hem
      • Finishing A Leather Hem
      • Sewing Faced Hem Corners
      • How To Finish Lining At The Hem
      • Finishing Fabric Corners by Mitering >
        • Mitering Fabric Corners With A Full Bias Facing
        • Mitering Fabric Corners With Exposed Binding
      • Interfacing A Hemline: Lined And Unlined Examples
    • Sewing Pockets >
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      • Extension On-Seam Pockets
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      • Bound Double Welt Pocket
      • Double Welt Pocket With Flap
      • Self-Welt Pocket (Using Single Fabric Layer)
      • Slanted Welt Pocket (Hand-Stitched)
      • Faced Slash Pockets: Overview >
        • Sewing A Faced Slit Pocket
        • Sewing A Rectangular Slash Pocket
        • Sew A Star-Shaped Faced Pocket
    • Sewing Zippers >
      • Sewing Zippers: General Information
      • Sewing A Centered Zipper
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      • Sewing An Invisible Zipper
      • Sewing A Fly Front Zipper
      • Sewing A Closed-End Exposed Zipper (No Seam)
      • Sewing An Exposed Separating Zipper
      • Sewing Hand Stitched Zipper Applications
      • Sewing A Zipper Underlay
      • Sewing A Placket-Enclosed Separating Zipper
    • Sleeveless Finishes >
      • Sleeveless Armhole Finishes: General Information
      • Finishing Sleeveless Garments with Lining
      • Sewing A Folded-Under Bound Armhole Finish
      • Sewing A Shaped Armhole Facing
      • Finishing Armhole Edges With Exposed Binding
      • Finishing Armhole Edges With Decorative Trim
    • Neckline Finishes >
      • Sewing A Neck Shaped Facing
      • Sewing An All-In-One Neck Facing
      • Neck And Garment Opening Combination Facings >
        • Sewing An Extended Front-Neck Facing
        • Sewing A Separate Neck-Front Facing
      • Sewing A Bias Faced Neckline Finish
      • Sewing A Band Neckline Finish
      • Bound Neckline Finishes: Overview >
        • Sewing A Single Layer Bound Neckline
        • Finishing A Neckline With Pre-Folded Binding
        • Sewing A Double Layer Bound Neckline Finish
      • Sewing A Semi-Stretch Strip Band Neckline
      • Ribbed Neck Band And Classic Turtleneck
      • Decorative Neckline Finishes >
        • Sewing A Neckline With Decorative Inset
        • Sewing A Piped Cording Faced Neckline
        • Sewing Decorative Trim To A Finished Neckline
    • Finishing Facing Edges >
      • Finishing Facing Edges: Overview
      • Folded-And-Topstitched Overedge Facing Finish
      • Sewing A Bound Facing Edge Finish
      • Sewing A Hong Kong Facing Finish
      • Sewing A Rolled Edge Facing Finish
      • Sewing A Twill Tape Facing Edge Finish
      • Sewing An Overedge-Stitch Facing Finish
    • Extras >
      • A Complete Guide on Interfacing
      • Sewing Bound Spaghetti Straps
      • Sewing Spaghetti Straps To A Faced Neckline
      • Sewing Ruffles: Overview
      • Patterning And Sewing A Circle Ruffle
      • Sewing A Gathered Heading Ruffle
      • Sewing Double Layer Gathered Ruffles
      • Sewing A Gathered Ruffle Into A Seam
      • Sewing A Gathered Ruffle To A Fabric Edge
      • Sewing A Fabric Surface Slit
      • Sewing A Slit Seam
      • Hand-Applied Straight Stitches
      • Hand-Applied Blind Stitches
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Seams: How To Sew Unlike (Opposite) Fabrics Together

A garment made from the same type of fabric throughout poses less of a sewing challenge than one featuring various fabrics, each behaving differently in the construction process. 
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If you find yourself in the latter scenario, keep in mind that all fabrics comprising a clothing item should be considered individually in the dressmaking process. Some common examples of unlike fabric seams, and best practices for sewing these special seams, is described in more detail below. ​

Sewing A Stretchy Knit To A Non-Stretch Woven Fabric

You may be asking yourself- when would I ever need to sew a knit to a woven fabric? After all, if a garment is designed to be fully stretch, it is usually constructed in its entirety from a knit fabric. Vice versa, a garment that requires no stretch is conventionally made from non-stretch woven fabrics. Nevertheless, merging these two structures does occur, and it occurs quite often. ​
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The best example of blending knits with wovens is when rib knit fabric is used on sleeve cuffs, collars and other edge finishes on non-stretch garments.
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After the knit and woven garment pieces have been cut, you’ll notice that the knit edge is much shorter than its corresponding woven edge. That is because the knit will actually be stretched to the length of the non-stretch fabric edge in the sewing process. 
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1. Divide both the woven and the knit edges into 4 equal parts (or more, depending on how long the seam is).
​To mark these points, you can use a pin, a slash notch or tailor’s chalk. Be careful with the slash notch as this is irreversible and should be done only if it will not affect the seam finishing techniques applied to the finished seam later. In this case, tailor's chalk was used.
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2. Next, place the knit fabric on top of the non-stretch one, and align the corresponding marks to one another as shown. Insert a pin horizontally at each location. ​
As you match the points on the knit to the ones on the woven fabric, the woven will bunch up underneath when the knit isn’t stretched. On the other hand, when the knit is stretched, the edges should match up perfectly between each pin. 
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3. Stretch the knit from pin to pin to match the two edges, and insert additional pins perpendicularly while the knit is in this outstretched position. The extra pins will add stability to the seam layers in the machine stitching process, while also maintaining the correct knit distribution in between each central pin. 
​You may also choose to hand baste for extra stability. As you hand baste, be sure to keep the knit stretched to match the non-stretch edge underneath. 
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4. With the knit layer facing up, stitch the seam at the designated seam allowance (1/2” in this case), stretching the top knit layer gently until the plain edge underneath is smooth and lays flat. Continue stretching and stitching until the seam is completed. 
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5. The stitched seam will not pucker or gather but rather gently transition to a narrower stretch portion. 
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​The seam allowance edges are conventionally trimmed and finished together with an overedge stitch. 
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As a final step, the seam allowance edges are ironed toward the non-stretch fabric layer as shown. ​

Sewing Decorative Fabric To Plain Fabric

What happens when two fabrics have the same amount of stretch but one is heavily decorated while the other is not? This type of seam may be somewhat limiting in terms of seam allowance finishes. However, with a little preparation, the seam itself can be aligned and stitched like any regular seam.
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1. Remove the decorative elements, such as thick sequins and/or beading, from the seam allowance area of the decorative edge. They should be pretty easy to remove using a seam ripper.
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Stop removing the decorative elements right along the seamline. ​
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2. Align the plain fabric edge to the corresponding decorative edge with face sides touching as shown. Insert pins perpendicular to the edge to keep the layers together. 
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Due to the bulky nature of the decorative fabric, the layers will slip away from each other in the stitching process if they are only held by pins alone. It is good practice to hand baste the two layers together to keep them perfectly aligned during machine stitching. 
​If working with flimsy, slippery fabrics, use a denser basting stitch for extra stability. 
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3. With the decorative fabric layer facing up, stitch the seam using a zipper foot. A zipper foot allows you to stitch right next to raised edges by aligning the machine needle to the left or right of the presser foot edge. 
In this case, since the decorative fabric layer is positioned on top, the machine needle should be aligned to the left of the presser foot edge as shown. 
​Stitch right next to the decorative elements (you will feel them in between the two layers as you stitch) following the seamline and machine seam allowance guides. 
Be careful not to catch any of the decorative elements as you stitch or you risk breaking the needle in the process. With a zipper foot, the machine needle will align intuitively next to raised decorative edges. 
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4. Once the stitch is applied, remove the hand basting using a seam ripper. 
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5. With a decorative-plain seam, the seam allowance edges are usually finished together and directed towards the plain fabric layer.
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You will not be able to iron directly on the beading or sequins, so be very careful when pressing the finished seam. 
Keep in mind that you will also not be able to topstitch directly on the decorative side.
​The seam finishing technique you choose should be considered based on both fabrics, with particular consideration of the plain one since the seam allowance will be located underneath it. 

Sewing High Pile Fabric To Plain Fabric

​Similar to sewing decorative-to-plain seams, stitching a high-pile fabric to a plain one requires some extra preparation. 
If the pile is long, you can trim it before or after the seam is stitched. It is up to you to decide at which stage to remove it. Traditionally, long pile is trimmed after the seam has been stitched. 
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1. It may be helpful to use masking tape along the seamline of the high pile to keep the fibers pointing away from the seam allowance area during stitching. Doing so will prevent the long fibers from accidentally getting caught in the machine stitch. 
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2. Align the two seam edges with face sides touching as shown. Insert pins perpendicularly to keep this alignment in place. 
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3. The face side of pile fabric is often slippery so it is good practice to use a hand basting stitch to keep the seam layers together during the stitching process. 
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4. Machine stitch the seam with the plain fabric on top. If the pile fabric is napped, always stitch in the direction of the nap. 
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5. Once machine stitched, remove the hand basting using a seam ripper. If you haven’t trimmed the pile in Step 1, do it now prior to applying a seam finish.
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However, before you trim the pile, it is imperative that you pull any pile fibers that are caught in the seamline toward the right side of the seam. To do this, use a pin or the end of a hand sewing needle to gently pull the pile that is caught within the stitching. 
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​Important: Only after the seam is cleared from excess fibers, you can finally trim or shave the pile from the seam allowance layer. 
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6. To further reduce bulk, you may need to trim the seam allowance layers before clean finishing them. If they will be finished together, as they usually are for this kind of seam, always direct them towards the plain fabric edge. This will distribute the bulk evenly within the seam. 
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7. Similar to sewing a heavily decorative seam (described above), you may not be able to iron directly on top of the pile. In this case, you can carefully press the seamline with the tip of the iron on the plain fabric side only. 
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If ironing is not an option, thumb press and blindstitch the seam allowance to the wrong side of the garment layer as shown above. ​
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Note: If the pile is dense and short, trim or shave it from the seam allowance surface prior to aligning and stitching the seam. 

Sewing Loosely-Woven Fabric To Plain Fabric

Sewing a loosely-woven fabric edge to a plain one is accomplished similar to sewing a regular, plain seam with just a few exceptions. ​Two things need to be considered:
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  • When cut, loosely-woven fabrics unravel a lot more than plain ones do.
  • To achieve a durable seam, loosely-woven fabric requires the application of a stronger, denser stitch.
Keep these two factors in mind when choosing the most appropriate stitch length and seam finishing technique. When working with vulnerable fabrics, stitch length and the seam's edge finishing technique work in tandem to construct the perfect seam. 
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1. First, staystitch the loosely woven edge next to the seamline (within the seam allowance) in order to stabilize the loosely-woven threads.  This stabilizing stitch is especially helpful when used on extra long edges to prevent them from stretching out of shape prior to seam construction.
Keep in mind that staystitching is the first thing you should do after separating the pattern from the fabric. 
Learn more about staystitching in this tutorial: Staystitching 
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2. Next, align the plain fabric edge to the loosely-woven edge, being careful not to handle the loosely-woven layer too much as it usually frays quite easily. Insert pins horizontally to keep the edges together.
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Hand baste the two layers next to the seamline (within the seam allowance) for extra stability. 
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3. Switch your stitch to a shorter length setting, and machine stitch the seam with the loosely-woven fabric layer facing up. 
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4. Remove the hand basting stitch at this point. 
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5. Finish the seam allowance edges with a technique that encases fraying edges best. The easiest and most appropriate option in this case is finishing the seam allowance edges together with an overedge stitch. Serging or a dense zigzag stitch on your home sewing machine work best in this instance. 
You may need to trim the seam allowance prior to clean finishing if it is too wide or creates bulk in the seam. However, be careful not to trim loosely-woven fabrics too close to the stitch as this can cause them to unravel heavily and as a result, weaken the seam. 
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6. ​As a final step, the finished seam allowance should be ironed towards the plain fabric layer a shown.

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  • Sewing Tutorials
    • Basics >
      • Aligning Pattern Grainlines To Fabric
      • Preparing Fabrics For Sewing
      • Pinning Sewing Patterns To Fabric
      • Placing Sewing Patterns On Fabric For Cutting
      • Rotary Cutters or Fabric Scissors?
      • Cutting The Sewing Patterns
      • What Are Notches And How To Use Them In The Sewing Process
      • Transferring Notches From Pattern To Fabric
      • Transferring Seamlines to Fabric
      • Staystitching
      • Backstitching: A Complete Guide
      • Hand Basting: A Complete Guide
      • Sewing Continuous Bias Binding
    • Darts >
      • Marking And Transferring Darts To Fabric
      • What Are Darts And Dart Components
      • Folding, Pinning And Hand Basting Darts
      • Handling Dart Excess: Bulk And Tension
      • How To Sew A French Dart
      • How To Sew And Iron Single Pointed Darts
      • How To Sew And Iron Contour Darts
      • Sewing Darts With Decorative/Beaded Fabrics
    • Sewing Seams >
      • ​The Basics Of Seams And Seam Allowance
      • How To Sew A Straight Seam
      • Sewing Curved Seams
      • Sewing Corner Seams
      • Trimming And Grading Seam Excess
      • Notching/Clipping Seam Allowance for Tension Release
      • Sewing Topstitched Seams
      • Sewing Corded Seams
      • Sewing A Slot Seam
      • Sewing A Gathered Seam
      • Sewing Bias Seams
      • Sewing Seams With Ease
      • Sewing Seams With Crossing Seamlines
      • Sewing Unlike Fabric Seams
      • How To Iron Seams: Ironing Tools And Conventions
      • Sewing With Knit Fabrics
      • Understanding Stitch Length And Tension
      • Sewing Unique Fabric Seams
    • Seam Finishes >
      • Seam Finishing Techniques - Overview
      • Applying A Pinked Seam Finish
      • Applying A Bias Bound Seam Finish
      • Serging And Zigzag Seam Finishes
      • Sewing A Self-Bound Seam Finish
      • Sewing A French Seam Finish
      • Sewing A Hong Kong Seam Finish
      • Sewing A Mock French Seam Finish
      • Sewing A Turned-and-Stitched Seam Finish
      • Sewing Overcast Hand-Applied Seam Finishes
      • Sewing A Flat Felled Seam
      • Sewing A Hairline Seam Finish
    • Hem Finishes >
      • Garment Hem Finishes: Overview
      • ​Sewing A Double Fold Hem Finish
      • Sewing A Single Fold Hem Finish
      • Sewing Bound Hem Finishes
      • Sewing An Exposed Double Layer Bound Hem
      • Sewing A Folded-Up Bound Hem with Pre-folded Binding
      • Sewing A Hong Kong Hem Finish
      • Sewing A Band Hem Finish
      • Sewing A Bias Faced Hem Finish
      • Sewing A Twill Tape Hem Finish
      • Sewing A Rolled Hem Finish
      • Sewing A Shaped Hem Facing
      • Using Fusible Hem Tape And Webbing
      • Finishing A Lace Fabric Hem
      • Finishing A Leather Hem
      • Sewing Faced Hem Corners
      • How To Finish Lining At The Hem
      • Finishing Fabric Corners by Mitering >
        • Mitering Fabric Corners With A Full Bias Facing
        • Mitering Fabric Corners With Exposed Binding
      • Interfacing A Hemline: Lined And Unlined Examples
    • Sewing Pockets >
      • Curved Patch Pocket With Flap
      • Unlined Square Patch Pockets
      • Lined Patch Pockets: Two Ways
      • Extension On-Seam Pockets
      • Separate On-Seam Pocket
      • Front Hip Pockets
      • Bound Double Welt Pocket
      • Double Welt Pocket With Flap
      • Self-Welt Pocket (Using Single Fabric Layer)
      • Slanted Welt Pocket (Hand-Stitched)
      • Faced Slash Pockets: Overview >
        • Sewing A Faced Slit Pocket
        • Sewing A Rectangular Slash Pocket
        • Sew A Star-Shaped Faced Pocket
    • Sewing Zippers >
      • Sewing Zippers: General Information
      • Sewing A Centered Zipper
      • Sewing A Lapped Zipper
      • Sewing An Invisible Zipper
      • Sewing A Fly Front Zipper
      • Sewing A Closed-End Exposed Zipper (No Seam)
      • Sewing An Exposed Separating Zipper
      • Sewing Hand Stitched Zipper Applications
      • Sewing A Zipper Underlay
      • Sewing A Placket-Enclosed Separating Zipper
    • Sleeveless Finishes >
      • Sleeveless Armhole Finishes: General Information
      • Finishing Sleeveless Garments with Lining
      • Sewing A Folded-Under Bound Armhole Finish
      • Sewing A Shaped Armhole Facing
      • Finishing Armhole Edges With Exposed Binding
      • Finishing Armhole Edges With Decorative Trim
    • Neckline Finishes >
      • Sewing A Neck Shaped Facing
      • Sewing An All-In-One Neck Facing
      • Neck And Garment Opening Combination Facings >
        • Sewing An Extended Front-Neck Facing
        • Sewing A Separate Neck-Front Facing
      • Sewing A Bias Faced Neckline Finish
      • Sewing A Band Neckline Finish
      • Bound Neckline Finishes: Overview >
        • Sewing A Single Layer Bound Neckline
        • Finishing A Neckline With Pre-Folded Binding
        • Sewing A Double Layer Bound Neckline Finish
      • Sewing A Semi-Stretch Strip Band Neckline
      • Ribbed Neck Band And Classic Turtleneck
      • Decorative Neckline Finishes >
        • Sewing A Neckline With Decorative Inset
        • Sewing A Piped Cording Faced Neckline
        • Sewing Decorative Trim To A Finished Neckline
    • Finishing Facing Edges >
      • Finishing Facing Edges: Overview
      • Folded-And-Topstitched Overedge Facing Finish
      • Sewing A Bound Facing Edge Finish
      • Sewing A Hong Kong Facing Finish
      • Sewing A Rolled Edge Facing Finish
      • Sewing A Twill Tape Facing Edge Finish
      • Sewing An Overedge-Stitch Facing Finish
    • Extras >
      • A Complete Guide on Interfacing
      • Sewing Bound Spaghetti Straps
      • Sewing Spaghetti Straps To A Faced Neckline
      • Sewing Ruffles: Overview
      • Patterning And Sewing A Circle Ruffle
      • Sewing A Gathered Heading Ruffle
      • Sewing Double Layer Gathered Ruffles
      • Sewing A Gathered Ruffle Into A Seam
      • Sewing A Gathered Ruffle To A Fabric Edge
      • Sewing A Fabric Surface Slit
      • Sewing A Slit Seam
      • Hand-Applied Straight Stitches
      • Hand-Applied Blind Stitches
      • Hand-Applied Overedge Stitches
      • Hand-Applied Tack Stitches
      • Hand-Applied Decorative Stitches
  • Custom Apparel
    • Custom Bridal
  • Submit A Sewing Question
  • About
  • Blog