Don McCunn’s Blog

How to Make Sewing Patterns — book update

I wrote my book, How to Make Sewing Patterns, back in 1977 and have been asked if I had plans to revise it. There are only two things I do differently today than when I wrote the book 33 years ago. So I am focusing my time on teaching my online Patternmaking Classes and developing supplemental material to my book as Pattern Design Guides rather than taking the time to revise the existing book.

The two things I do differently are I use gingham for fitting the bodice and skirt. And I have revised how I draft the woman’s front bodice pattern.

Gingham for Fitting:
When I was teaching Pattern Design at San Francisco Community College Adult Education Division back in the 70s I would stress the importance of looking at the grain of the fabric to determine whether the fit was correct. As we were using muslin, I would carry around a magnifying glass so that people could clearly identify the direction of the grain.

Then one day I was in the fabric store. When I walked past the display of gingham, I did a double take. The woven pattern of the different colors of threads in the gingham made the grain jump out. It was so easy to see what was happening to the grain as it is shaped on the three-dimensional human body I knew I had found the perfect fabric to achieve super accurate fittings. When I teach my online Upper Torso Sloper (aka Bodice) and Lower Torso Sloper (aka Skirt) classes I can use student submitted photos to help them achieve accurate fits within an 1/8″.

Woman’s Front Bodice Pattern:
Throughout my book I show how to draft the initial patterns without any darts. I do this because nature never repeats the same shape twice. So it is my contention you will never be able to determine the size, location, or length of darts accurately from measurements. If there were corners and sharp angles in the human body, maybe you could take accurate measurements. But the human body is a series of continuously changing contours. From what I have heard even body scans using sophisticated equipment cannot accurately create a two dimensional representation of an individual’s body from the measurements they take.

The one exception to “no darts” in my book is that I show how to draft a woman’s front using a dart. Once again when I was teaching back in the 70s I had large class sizes and lots of bodies who were willing to helping me develop data. So I came up with a chart for how to adjust the woman’s bodice pattern based on the difference between the full bust and above bust measurements.

But the chart does not cover the full range of possible bust sizes. But more than that, it creates a pattern that has a bust to waist side panel that is tricky to design from. It is essentially off grain. So what I do now is draft the woman’s front pattern without a dart. It creates the size you need so that you can establish a very accurate dart in a fitting.

I have a PDF file with the two revised pages for this draft which you can download and print out to revise the drafting procedure in my book: Women’s Front Bodice Pattern Draft.

To fit this pattern I use a dart into the armscye for the above the bust shape, the “A” Dart, and a dart to the waist to establish the below the bust shape, the “B” Dart. What this fitting procedure does is it allows you to use the horizontal grain around the full bust to create a very accurate “A” dart. You can then adjust the “B” dart to ensure that the vertical grain of the fabric is correct at both the center front and on the side of the body.

With the sloper designed in this way, whatever design lines you draw for the side of the body can be envisioned as they relate to the horizontal grain.

The Joy of a Custom Made Garment

Previously I wrote the post “Tyranny of Standardized Sizing”. I am pleased to be able to follow that up with the results a student in my “Swimsuit, Lingerie, and Empire Dresses” class had. With Deborah’s permission I thought I’d share this experience. But first…

I use my eBook How to Make Bikinis and Bandeaux as a text for my Swimsuit and Lingerie class. In this eBook I describe how to make fitted briefs. The idea is to create the design lines on the body using bias tape and velcro, measure key places, then draft the pattern.

When Deborah said “The most comfortable panties I’ve ever worn!” I wanted to follow through so I asked Deborah the following.

Theoretically I thought that should be the case. But I’d be very interested in knowing if you can pin point the reasons.

• Fit at Waist?
• Fit at the Leg Opening?
• Custom-Fit at Side Seam?
• Cotton/Lycra Material?
• Plush Elastic in the Leg?
• Lace Waistband?
• All of the above ?

Deborah very graciously responded (and again she gave me permission to share this).

Don:

To answer your questions. For the first series, I’d have to say “all of the above.” Everything is where is should be and the cut is like I wanted. (They actually sit below the waist, the legs give full coverage but with a little bit of rise on the side seam.) The material is baby soft. Because they are made to fit me, nothing digs in, nothing pulls, nothing rides up, nothing slips down, and I can’t even tell I have them on!

They look big compared to store bought panties. That was shocking at first because I’m used to the smaller look with more stretch to fit multiple bodies (although not fit all that well.)

The body is a single layer of fabric, with a double layer for the crotch piece.

The “elastic” I used for the waist is the stretch lace. It is 2-1/4″ wide. I just sewed the stretch lace on at the seam line, stretching as I went. (putting the bottom edge of the lace about 1/4 inch below the seam line, and thus the lace itself adds two inches to the height of the panties — that is, when deciding where my waist would be for drafting the pattern, I considered the width of the lace in the calculations and lowered the waist location on the pattern for cutting the material.) Then I trimmed the seam. So that seam under the stretch lace is “unfinished.” But since it’s a knit, that’s not a problem. In addition to the zig-zag for adding the stretch lace, I stitched a row of the lingerie top stitching. It doesn’t show, but adds some more reinforcement to the seam. The stretch lace has a plush backing. It’s lovely.

I think that when all was said and done, I had taken in about 2 -1/8″ to 2-3/8″ on each side seam, according to comparing the measurements I wrote down, and measuring the latest version of the pattern which I used without taking it in any further on the side seams. The stretch lace is a length about 5 inches shorter than the measurement around where it attaches to the panties. It’s pretty stretchy, so that holds the panties in place without stretching the lace out of shape or having it dig in at all.

I made some significant changes to the crotch piece to get the fit I needed. I narrowed it both in the front and back, and shortened it in length. Shortening it allowed me to lengthen the material over the buttocks without distorting the shape of the leg opening too much. I’m getting the coverage over the cheeks, and it is fitting perfectly. I played with this a lot until I had it so that it fit the way I wanted. I had a fantastic time working on these panties (I’ve made four pairs so far, each a little better fit than the one previous.)

I got all four pairs out of the 1 yard of fabric, 5 yards of the stretch lace and 5 yards of the picot-edged elastic. The only thing I ran out of was the plush-back, picot-edge elastic for the legs. I might have had enough to do the fourth pair of panties, but it was a close call. I have enough of the stretch lace for another pair. I pre-shrunk everything, and did lose a bit of fabric length that way. But nevertheless, I got four pairs of very nice, extremely (and increasingly with each pair) comfortable panties (with a bit of leftover lace & elastic) for $15.50, plus the cost of thread. I know cost is not the focus of our group, but you can’t beat that for quality panties. And I had a lot of fun doing it and can’t wait to make some more.

Anyway, on the final pair, I used a knit elastic and enclosed it in a fold over seam allowance, and then added my lingerie top stitching. That leg treatment looks fine on the outside, but not as pretty on the inside. Also, it’s thicker around the leg opening due to the layers of fabric. Still comfortable, but I like using the plush-backed elastic better for a thinner layer around the leg opening.

Well, I guess this is more than you asked for.

Absolutely you may use my quote. I greatly appreciate your missionary zeal and your passion for teaching, your creativity and your patience in helping all of us learn.

Deborah

Susan at the Fabric Depot has been wonderfully helpful as a fabric and notion consultant for this class. So I asked her to provide the information about the fabric that Deborah used. Here is that information with links to the appropriate ordering information.

• #FL600 Cotton Lycra (Suntan) @ $10.00 yd.
• #E270 3/8″ Picot/Plush Elastic (Nude) @ $.50yd (minimum 5 yds)
• #LTS0246 2 1/4″ Stretch Lace (no plush back) @ $.75 yd

Susan also made the following comment:

Since this panty is made with cotton lycra, you can make the crotch out of the same cotton lycra. If using nylon lycra, then it is recommended to use #FL675 T-shirt Knit Lining for the crotch pattern piece. (Or you can even take one of husband’s old t-shirts and cut the crotch pattern piece out of it.)

Sewing a Rolled Hem

I found a great techniques for sewing a narrow rolled hem in Sandra Betzina’s book More Fabric Savy. You use fusible thread as follows:

1. Put fusible thread in your bobbin.
2. With the good side up, sew a line of straight stitches 1/4″ (6mm) from the edge.
3. Turn under the hem and press to melt the fusible thread just slightly to the inside of the edge.
4. Trim the excess hem allowance close to the fused stitching.
5. Turn under the trimmed hem, then press.
6. Top stitch the hem in place.

The beauty of this approach is that you can do small rolled hems on complex shapes. I used this technique on the ruffles of this cotton gauze blouse that I made as an example for my online class The Sleeve Sloper and Variations.

The ruffles on the sleeves were created from circles of fabric like the one shown below.

I like this technique so much I created the video below showing a “beginning sewer” using this technique to finish the cuffs on a shirt I had made him.

I have found that my local fabric stores do not carry fusible thread but that it is readily available from a variety of sources online.

Threads Magazine Archive

I just received the Threads Magazine Archive DVD. This DVD contains every issue of Threads Magazine from the very first issue from 1985 through 2009 and you can search it.

It is a little pricey at $149.95 but if you consider the content, it could be an extremely useful resource for you. I must confess that I have not maintained my subscription consistently during this time. And on occasion I have thought “gee I wish I had that issue.” But it may or may not have been still in print. The other problem is remembering where I put my issues. I am not very good about maintaining an accessible library of magazine issues. Now it is all sitting on my computer.

Then the question becomes how do I find the information I am looking for? With 146 issues, that is a lot to look through. I tried their search function. It seems basically okay but not, in my opinion, up to what I have become use to from Google or from my library’s catalog system.

For example when I typed Don McCunn into the “Author” box the two articles I wrote for them came up almost immediately. When I typed in “McCunn” as a keyword, no page returned. I could not find a list of their keywords. When I did a full text search for “Donald McCunn” it took awhile but returned 6 pages. It is not a perfect search function as it missed my name on the title page of the articles I wrote. When I did a full text search for “Don McCunn” some of the pages showed up that the first search missed including a review of my book How to Make Sewing Patterns that appeared in issue #3 and a reference to when I did Threads second video in 1994. When I changed the search function from “and” to “or” the results were pretty unusable.

I tried a few other searches for things such as mitered corners and french seams. The results were mixed. I either felt they must be missing something or I was overwhelmed by the number of pages I was going to need to look through. It does have the ability to search by departments and by year range.

They do highlight the words you search for which is helpful. The other thing I like is that there is a button where you can remove the highlighting when you want to print the page.

It seems strange that you can not search for a specific issue. The “Home” display shows the covers of the magazines which is nice. But you need to move your mouse over a cover to see what issue you are seeing. And then it is only the number of the issue. Not the year or month.

In short the search function is buggy. You may miss valuable information by relying just on the search function. Maybe someday they will add a comprehensive index to the Archive. That would be extremely useful.

What they Don’t Tell You:
I was actually a little surprised when I received the DVD. It turns out it is actually a program that you install on your computer which takes up 3GB of space. This is something that I could not find mentioned on the order form for the DVD. This means it is not for those of you who have a limited amount of memory on your computer.

The program actually appears to be the search function because the issues are stored as PDF files. So I suppose if you were so inclined you could just go to the folder with the individual issues and print out the complete issue you were interested in. I used the standard installation function and the PDF files turned up in the folder:

C:\Program Files\Taunton\Threads Archive\Data-THR\Issues

I hope this means that they are consider offering updates which will allow the additional issues to be added. Updates and a full and accurate Index would certainly be nice.

Well I have probably said too much so I will sign off.

Swimsuit and Lingerie Edge Finishes

In preparing or my online patternmaking class Swimsuits, Lingerie, and Empire Dresses one of the things I noticed was how the same pattern could be used for different garments with one of the important differences being the type of edge finish.

As the information about the availability of these different edge finishes is important I created the following videos to show how to achieve each finish using scraps of fabric. As some of the materials used for these finishes may not be readily available I have included links to the online resource Fabric Depot. Susan of the Fabric Depot has been great about being an expert fabric and notions consultant for this class.

• Swimsuit Edging
• Lingerie Edging
• Fold-Over Elastic Edging

Swimsuit Edging

The edges of swimsuits can be created by sewing elastic to the wrong side of the fashion fabric, then turning the elastic and top stitching in place. Elastic for swimsuits should be salt water and chlorine resistant. One type is cotton elastic the other is rubber.

When you create patterns for this type of elastic, create a seam allowance, or what I call an elastic allowance, that is the width of the elastic. This elastic allowance becomes your guide for sewing the elastic.

Lingerie Edging

Lingerie can use the same edging technique as for swimwear or it can use elastic with a fancy picot edge or a plain edge but with a plush back for a softer texture. For fancy picot and plush back elastic, you sew the elastic to the good side of the fabric, trim off any excess allowance then turn it under.

When you create patterns for this type of elastic create an elastic allowance that is the width of the elastic. This elastic allowance becomes your guide for sewing the elastic.

Fold-Over Elastic Edging

Fold-Over elastic is a special type of elastic that folds over the edge of the garment. It sandwiches the fashion fabric between the two edges of the elastic. For this type of edge, the fashion fabric should be cut to the design line with no seam allowance.

Copyright (c) 2010 by Don McCunn

Birth of a Bandeau Bra

In preparing for my next online patternmaking class Swimsuits, Lingerie, and Empire Dresses I was describing the many different types of garments that can be made using my pattern design system for bikinis, bandeaux, and fitted briefs. The topic of bras came up in my How to Make Sewing Pattern group.

I have been using my bikini pattern to create Bikini Bras for different models up to a “C” cup bra size. But when I started experimenting with larger bust sizes I realized that my bandeau pattern offers a better solution. Good bra engineering for large bust sizes provides support for the bust from the rib cage rather than shoulder straps. The bikini pattern relies on straps tied around the neck. My bandeau pattern on the other hand uses the support provided by the difference between the above bust and the full bust circumferences. My bandeau pattern is not just a straight strip of fabric. It uses a dart between center front and the apex to create the shape of a custom-fit bra cup.

While I have used the bandeau for costumes, gowns, and swimsuits, I had not applied it’s shape to creating a bra. Now I have. It is still in infancy as a bra design but I find the potential very hopeful because these bras are so quick and easy to construct. It can be made from one pattern piece using quality bra making supplies such as Tricot bonded foam, plush back elastic, powernet, and bra back closures. Straps can be added if desired but they are not the primary support structure as can happen too often in commercial bras. This bra does not require underwires and the pattern may be easily adapted for the prosthesis of women who have had radical mastectomies. My next project is to try this bandeau bra on my model who wears a 38DD in a commercial bra.

In the video above you can see my first bandeau bra. I made it from a wonderful powernet like fabric called Rubenesque. Susan of the Fabric Depot has been very supportive of my online classes. When she acquired this fabric as a special purchase, she sent me a sample to see how I would respond to it. I love it. It is one of the friendliest fabrics I have ever worked with. I just regret that when she sells out her current inventory it will no longer be available. Fortunately the bandeau bra can be made from regular powernet as well.

The Tryanny of Standardized Sizing

In preparation for my class Swimsuits, Lingerie, and Empire Dresses I was reading The Lingerie Handbook by Rebecca Apsan. Rebecca owns “La Petite Couquette” lingerie store in New York City. She goes into a fair amount of detail about the ins and outs of buying lingerie from her experience running this store and helping her customers get the best fit. When I came to the section on panties she includes a size chart. Here is a brief summary of sizing:

The chart includes every size from 4/XS to 15/8XL. If you analyze the numbers, each increase in size is two inches larger than the preceding size. This is reflective of how the industry grades from one body shape to an entire range of sizes.

From the perspective of someone who helps people achieve a custom fit, not everyone has a proportional difference of 10″ or 11″ between their waist and hip measurements. If your body shape falls into this proportion, then you are lucky as you should have no trouble finding panties that are comfortable and fit you well.

I don’t do surveys of the various panty manufacturers so maybe there are companies that use a different proportion. I sure hope so because this shaping does not work for a lot of the people who I have helped over the years.

So it was interesting to me to read Rebecca’s solution to helping people find a fit that works for them. One solution she mentioned is that if you have a large waist, then she recommends the low rise boy shorts. She also touts how well thongs work to eliminate VPL (visible panty lines).

My personal feeling is that if your body does not fall into the proportions that the industry uses, you should be able to have both the fit and the look you want for your specific body shape, size, and personal aesthetic.

Fortunately for those of you who sew, or are interested in learning to sew, this is easy to achieve as shown in the photos above of three of the different models I have worked with. Each had a different body and a different way they wanted it covered.

The fitted briefs, or panties, shown here are one of the focuses of my online class Swimsuits, Lingerie, and Empire Dresses. They are derived from the research and development I did for the pattern design techniques I describe in my book How to Make Bikinis and Bandeaux.

Homage to Heidi Klum and Project Runway

I have been a fan of the TV series Project Runway since the first season. I find the challenges interesting as each designer uses their individual aesthetic to resolve the issues. I also appreciate the fact that this show is encouraging more people, not just the contestants, to explore their creativity through fashion design.

When I started to explore the background of the series I ran across the YouTube videos of Heidi Klum modeling the 11 Million Dollar Bra for Victoria Secret. I immediately knew I had to make a similar garment. I had just completed my eBook How to Make Bikinis and Bandeaux and knew I could use this design system to create my version. When my model Alex agreed to model this garment I went ahead with this project.

While the bra Heidi Klum modeled was made up of diamonds, sapphires, and rubies I did not have the budget to do an exact replica. So my version is made of Swarovski crystals and rhinestones. Still the materials cost over $250 and it took a week of careful hand sewing to complete.

With the introduction of my class Swimsuits, Lingerie, and Empire Dresses which uses this same unique design system I felt the time had come to pay homage to Heidi and Project Runway. Fortunately Alex once again agreed to be my model. So here it is.

I have additional photographs of this garment in my Photo Galleries.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my model Alex for all the wonderful work she has done to make my Online Patternmaking classes possible.

Cutting Fabric with a Hot Knife

Synthetic fibers can be cut with either scissors, a rotary cutter, or a hot knife. The advantage of using a hot knife is that while it cuts the fabric it also seals the edge. This can be particularly useful for slinky fabrics like linings which tend to ravel easily. When cut with the hot knife, the fabric simply does not ravel.

The video below will show exactly how to evaluate whether a fabric can be cut with a hot knife and how the cutting may be done.

There are two different types of hot knives, one for cutting foam and the other for cutting fabric. The hot knife shown below is basically a soldering iron with a hot knife tip. It can be used to cut fabric.

Click on the image to see it at Amazon.

Once you start using a hot knife, you will find different situations where it can become quite useful. The other day I was cutting some Rigilene boning which has an irritating way of having loose fibers poke out the end of the boning. When I cut it with a hot knife, the end was sealed. I can tell the poking will not occur.

Making a Ghost for Halloween

Creating hand crafted decorations for the holidays can be great fun and a rewarding experience. You might want to try the instructions below to create a 7″ tall ghost that glows in the dark.

I feel fortunate that when I learned to sew I also learned how to make my own patterns. I find the process of creating custom patterns extremely gratifying. I have been sharing my passion for pattern making through my book How to Make Sewing Patterns for 36 years now.

Two years ago I started teaching pattern design through my own online school, Patternmaking with Don McCunn. For my first class in this school I wanted to introduce people to the basic techniques for changing fitted garments to different designs. This is my three week long An Introduction to Pattern Design class.

This year I wanted to try something different by showing people how the techniques for pattern design could be used to create holiday decorations and gifts. Last night I was having an online chat with one of my students, Jeana*, and I asked her what she was going to do for Halloween. She said she and her son, Andrew, liked to watch scary movies and eat home made treats. As it turns out Andrew, at the age of 12, enjoys sewing.

So we started talking about the kind of things Andrew likes, spiders, bats, and things like that. I wanted to start him with a simple project so I suggested ghosts. I was so intrigued by the idea of making a ghost, I made one myself today. Here is a picture of my ghost that glows in the dark.

To make this ghost all you need is a domed shape plastic bottle, some craft wire, I used millinery wire used for making hats, a circle of fabric which I cut out of an old tee-shirt, a marking pen, and a flashlight. Here are the pieces that go into making this ghost.

The steps to make this ghost are:

1. Cut the top off the bottle.
2. Measure from the top of the bottle to the bottom.
3. Cut a circle from the tee-shirt that is the radius of the length determined in Step #2.
4. Twist the wire around the bottle.
5. Place the flashlight in the bottle.
6. Place the circle of fabric over the bottle.
7. Draw in the eyes with a marking pen.
8. Have fun shaping the arms into something spooky.
9. Turn off the lights and admire your creation.

Here is a photo of the ghost with the lights on.

After we discussed this we continued to chat about how to make spiders, spider webs, bats, witches and pumpkins. And this is only Halloween. I am looking forward to our class discussions about decorations for Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, and New Years.

Happy Holidays.

(*Note: Out of respect for the inspiration Jeana generated, I asked for permission to use Jeana and Andrew’s names. Jeanna agreed to this.)