Let's Make a Blouse! Intro to Garment Making

Ever want to learn to sew you own clothes?  Then join us on that adventure as we go through making a Bondi Top while teaching details of garment construction.

Course Outline

Blouse - Clothing Construction

Pre-Work

1. Purchase pattern (Bondi Top by Sew To Grow available at Stitcher’s Quest)

2. Select fabric – purchase correct amount needed for pattern (1.5 yard of 44” wide fabric plus .5 yard of contrast for yoke or may purchase 2.0 yards of 44” wide fabric if not making a contrasting yoke.)

3. Purchase matching thread and supplies (below)

4. Following care instructions for fabric; pretreat fabric. For woven cotton fabrics, this typically means laundering in cold or warm water and drying on medium dryer heat.

5. Take measurements of bust, waist and hip by using plastic or cloth tape measure. Measurements should be taken while wearing undergarments and no outer clothing. (If questions, a copy of “How to Take Measurements” can be provided)

Equipment and Supplies Needed:

Sewing machine including new machine needle, bobbin, bobbin case, foot control and power cord.

Scissors – for fabric and thread cutting; may also prefer scissors to use on paper only

Straight Pins

Pincushion – or other container to hold pins and needles

Measuring gauge or 6-inch ruler

Tape Measure

Marking Tools (either tracing wheel and paper or water-soluble pens

Pattern Paper or Tissue Paper (optional, see below)

Day 1

1. Discussion about Equipment

a. Scissors – sharp scissors for fabric; may prefer to use a different pair of scissors for cutting paper. May also want a pair of small scissors for clipping threads.

b. Straight Pins – used to pin pattern to fabric – use sharp pins for made for garment sewing; avoid heavy duty pins used for upholstery or other purposes.

c. Pincushion – or alternative container to hold pins

d. Tape Measure – plastic or fabric 60” tape measure - or can be longer

e. Marking Tools – chalk, tracing wheel & paper, water soluble marking pens, discussion of other marking methods

f. Measuring gauge or 6-inch ruler

2. Sewing Machine Basics

a. Threading machine

b. Filling bobbin

c. Correct bobbin insertion

d. Tension settings

e. Test stitch to ensure correct tension settings

3. Fabric Preparation (Completed prior to class)

a. Pre-treat fabric by laundering woven cotton fabrics – follow care instructions for fabric.

b. Brief discussion about pre-treating different fibers such as wool, silk, rayon or synthetics

4. Fabric Grain Line and its importance

a. Checking fabric to ensure lengthwise grain is perpendicular to crosswise grain

b. How to straighten fabric if grainline has been stretched or distorted

Break

5. Pattern Selection

a. How to select proper size pattern

b. Discussion of ease – wear ease vs. design ease

c. How to take body measurements

d. Compare body measurements to pattern envelope

e. Measure pattern to confirm amount of ease (both design ease and wear ease) of this particular pattern

6. Pattern Preparation

a. Press pattern

b. To preserve integrity of original pattern, may trace pattern on to pattern paper

c. Cut paper away from pattern; care to use paper scissors and avoid use of good scissors on paper.

7. Garment Layout on Fabric

a. Grainline

b. Pinning pattern to fabric

8. Demonstration of cutting out garment

9. Demonstration of marking garment – ensure markings from pattern have been transferred to fabric.

Day 2

1. Check garment layout to ensure it has been correctly pinned on to fabric.

2. Cut out and mark fabric.

3. Ensure machines are properly threaded

4. Ensure bobbins correctly filled and correct placement in machine

5. Stay stitch neckline on front and back pieces

6. Pin and sew pleat in blouse back

7. Press pleat into place and pin. Baste pleat per pattern instructions.

Break

8. Discussion of seam finishes.

9. Pin yoke to back; stitch, press, use seam finish of choice, and topstitch.

10. Pin shoulder seams together and stitch. Use seam finish of choice. Press.

11. Pin side seams together and stitch. Use seam finish of choice. Press.

12. Demonstration of pressing bottom and sleeve hem allowances; stitching of hem.

Homework:

1. Press and stitch bottom and sleeve hems into place

Day 3

1. Demonstration of how to make bias binding

2. Cut bias strips; press bias-cut fabric to make bias binding.

3. Application of bias binding.

Break

4. Press binding and prepare for topstitching binding.

5. Final press of garment.

6. Discussion about pattern “add ons” like pockets, longer length or longer sleeves