Gosh, darn Pilly Ponte

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I do love Ponte Roma, but the surface sure does pill.  What is Ponte and why does it pill?

Ponte Roma, originally from Italy (hence the name) is a double knit which is constructed with interlocking stitches that connect the front and back surfaces - like a Roman bridge. Now the term is used generically for double knits in a variety of weights, fiber content and cost from very spendy to low price.

I recommend my Fit & Sew Retreat students bring Ponte Roma for their yoga pants projects.  It's an ideal beginner's knit if the student has never sewn with knits before.  It's stable, the edges don't roll.  It's smooth and resilient.  And best of all, it feels oh so comfortable on.  It can come with either a 2 or 4 way stretch.  The lighter weight ponte is great for tops, skirts and dresses.  Whereas the heavier weight is wonderful for pants and skirts.  In the photo below, the pants are of a heavier, 4-way stretch ponte which is simply perfect for our winter weather.

This photo is of 4 students in our recent Nov 2107 Retreat who completed their 'Yoga Pants' project - all sewn with Ponte Roma.

So with all these wonderful properties why does it pill?  After 4-5 washings it can look like they been worn for years.  Such a shame.  Often times the pontes with a high percentage of polyester pill.  But I've also found that a ponte with rayon can also pill.  Some experts say the ideal fiber content is rayon/nylon/lycra.  Generally, nylon is an indication of quality.  Nylon fibers will add to the luxurious feel of smoothness against the skin.

But why does it pill?  It's not only the fiber content, but the way the yarn is made and processed.  To make a polyester yarn soft, the original smooth extruded fiber is cut into short lengths and spun into yarn.  The yarn is then constructed into fabric and in the case of ponte, is made into a double knit.  Because the polyester synthetic yarns are so strong, when they are rubbed, tiny elements of those short fibers pop out from the yarn and form pills along the surface.

What can you do about this?  Sorry...not much.  You can brush the pills gone.  Wawak sells a tailor's brush that looks like this.

And you can always use a sweater shaver.  But no matter which tool you use to remove the pills, unfortunately they will still come back with wear and washing.  Oh...so sad.

But this hasn't stopped me from sewing up at least 8 pairs of yoga pants in various leg shapes.  I simply love the feel of ponte on and as I said earlier, this fabric is so easy to sew with.

The first photo shows an entire outfit sewn with ponte.  The Yoga Pants instructions are found in our pants designing book - Pants that Mix n Multiply.  The top is the Caprezio top with complete directions from our Caprezio Top Sew Along.
The second photo features more of a flared leg pant style, though still from the Yoga Pants directions in Pants that Mix n Multiply.  And there are shown with the Cargo jacket (directions in this digital Fashion Leaflet) and a simply tank top underneath.

And last, but certainly not least, here is Anna, our Canadian Sure-Fit Designs distributor wearing her ponte Yoga pants which she sewed during her training Retreat.

Happy fitting and sewing...
Glenda the Good Stitch!

From R-T-W to SFD

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From ready-to-wear (R-T-W) to Sure-Fit Designs (SFD) - you can have it all when you sew your own clothes.

I'm shorter (and older - oh well!) but it's almost an exact copy of a very recent ready-to-wear outfit I saw in a mail order catalogue.  Yes...this entire wardrobe ensemble can be sewn so easily with your Sure-Fit Designs pattern kits.  Sure, I could have drawn the shirt to be longer, but on my short body frame much longer would not have been flattering.  Let's analyze.

The reversible vest is designed from the Dress Kit and can be found on this page - http://www.surefitdesigns.com/Reversible-Vest.html.  And also remember that each of our international distributors also carry these digital e-goods Fashion Leaflets.

The princess seam pants are designed from the Pants Kit.  Yup, I added princess seams to the back legs.  I just love this feature as the seaming open up lots of opportunity for you to really achieve a great fit in the back of your pants.  I know it's hard to see the seam in these pants because of the almost perfectly matching pattern...but it's there.  You'll find free video directions for adding this seam in our SFDLearningCenter Video Library - look for P.14.

And the shirt (designed from the Shirt Kit)...it's on its way.  This long-tailed Big Shirt is going to be our newest Sew Along.  We just need to shoot the video instructions and soon you'll see this Sew Along in our latest website - www.SewFitAcademyOnline.com.  I know you'll love the look, the simplicity of the design and the ease of sewing it all together.  It's just great for wearing with your leggings, jeans or skinny pants.  Watch for this announcement.

I hope you're having lots of fun with your Sure-Fit Designs!

Happy fitting & sewing,
Glenda the Good Stitch!

Pockets for Pull-on Pants

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For more information and to visit the Sure-Fit Designs store, click here.

Recently a customer brought up a good question.  When designing and sewing a pair of pull-on pants with an elastic waist edge, what is the best design shape for the inseam pocket so that it will extend up into the waist edge for stability, yet without causing too much bulk?

Here is short blog with a clear illustration of the design change to make to the Inseam Pocket shape provided in your Sure-Fit Designs Pants master patterns.

The original inseam pocket shape (from the Pants master pattern sheet) is drawn in pencil and is indicated with black arrows.

Alternative #1 is to re-draw the pocket shape as indicated with my red lines.  You're basically taking the tear drop pocket shape a little wider at the top and extend it about 1/2" into the casing allowance for the elastic.  In this example, the elastic to be used is planned at 1" wide, therefore the casing requirement is drawn at 2" wide.  This will give more stability to the pocket so that it's not flopping around on the inside of the pants, and the 1/2" extension into the casing means the top of the pocket will get enclosed as the fold is made in the casing.

Alternative #2, which is indicated by the green lines takes the pocket pretty much straight up and extends it 1" (or almost 1") into the casing allotment. This alternative would definitely added more width-wise stability, but will add a little more bulk in the casing.

If you were using a medium to heavy weight knit for these pull-on pants, I'd suggest using Alternative #1.  If using a lighter weight knit, then Alternative #2 would be appropriate.  The choice is yours but it will primarily depend on your fabric weight.

Give a try re-drawing the pocket shape.  It's easy to do and will result in a much more stable pocket on the inside.

Directions for sewing this particular style of inseam pocket are found on Page 25 of the  Sure-Fit Designs Pants Kit Instruction Book.

Directions for designing the Pull-on Pants are found on Page 24 of the Sure-Fit Designs Pants Kit Instruction Book.

Happy Sewing!

Identify Center Back - How Clever!

Sure-Fit Designs Blog
If you're new to Sure-Fit Designs, then this post may be new to you.  Here I'll show you how to sew a quick and decorative way to identify the center back of any pull on elastic waistband.  I have primarily used this technique on my yoga pants, but you could apply this to any pull-on skirt or pants.

You'll use one of the decorative embroidery stitch patterns that your sewing machine offers (if you have this capability on your machine).

In order to stitch this without letting the knit fabric stretch, make sure to stabilize with a small rectangle of interfacing.

Here's a short video showing you the entire process.

The beige example above is part of my latest rendition of the Yoga/Travel/Comfort Pants, which you'll find directions for from the designing book 'Pants that Mix 'n Multiply'.  This particular style is the Bonus Style given on pages 14 & 15.

Here is the waistband attached to the pants.

And since my photographer wasn't available at the time I needed this photo, I'm showing the finished garment to you on the mannequin.

These are the most comfortable pants.  Sewn from a knit fabric (I often use bottom weight Ponte Roma) with this elastic waist application comfort is definitely #1.  This is the 8th pair I've made...I wear them so many places, not just to the gym.  I know you'll love them if you give them a try.

Happy Sewing!

Oh My! Leggings Again!

"A Legging to Stand On - Often dismissed as a faux pas, the body-hugging not-quite-pants are being recast (and embraced) by the high-fashion set"-  so says, Nandini D'Souza Wolfe in the Saturday/Sunday, August 20-21, 2016 Style and Fashion article of the Wall Street Journal.

With big names like Valentino, Victoria Beckham and Celine sporting leggings on the runway, its easy to see that leggings are not just part of the fitness craze, but a bold fashion statement that can be worn anywhere from in the gym, to a night on the town.

Velvet, faux leather and stretchy nylon are just a few types of fabrics being used to transform everyday workout leggings into fancy pants. Add some zippers at the ankles, some sequins if that's your thing, don your favorite blazer and you're good to go. I absolutely love the leggings I made from Nicole Miller Scuba Knit fabric, see this previous blog.

Notice the title - TIGHT DONE RIGHT - Consider these outfits for fashion inspiration with leggings:

And...notice the prices of these ready-to-wear leggings.  Aren't we lucky we know how to sew?

If you missed the leggings video on designing the no-side seam leggings, you can watch it now.

It looks like love 'em, or hate 'em leggings are here to stay. And why not? They are comfortable, allow for plenty of movement, flattering on a variety of body shapes and depending on the fabric and the rest of the chosen attire, can be worn most anywhere for almost any occasion and for any season of the year. Once you've made your body blueprint with the Sure-Fit Designs Pants Master Pattern, you can have a pair of leggings sewn up in no time. And for the actual leggings instructions, you can find this Fashion Leaflet as a digital download on this page.  They fold or roll up so nicely in a drawer, you'll have plenty of room to make 3, 4 or even ten pair!

Happy Fitting & Sewing!

Leggings...White Hot Fashion...& new Video!

Sure-Fit Designs Blog
Leggings are the new casual pants.  While at our local shopping mall recently, and browsing at the window displays, one dominated all the others...how hot leggings are.  They are being worn by all ages and all figure shapes.  Every store is featuring leggings in all colors, all patterns, and in all different types of stretch fabric.

Watch our latest instructional video for Leggings without a side seam.  See below.

I wear mine primarily to go to the gym, but many are wearing these skin tight pants as part of their daily wardrobe.

About 2 years ago I wrote up a downloadable Fashion Leaflet specifically teaching you how to size down your personal pants body blueprint so that all wearing ease was removed and additional was taken out for the super stretch of the leggings fabric.

If you're interested in obtaining the Leggings Fashion Leaflet, you can do so on this page - Digital E-Goods.

When following these instructions, you'll end up with leggings that have a side seam.  But many of the leggings we see today do not have a side seam.  Hence I've just released this video on how to remove the side seam.  It's informative and easy to follow.  You should be able to see the video within this blog - if not, click on the link/arrow and it should take you directly in to YouTube.

With only 3 major seams - 2 inseams and a crotch seam - these leggings definitely qualify for a Made in a Day project.

Be comfortable, have fun and enjoy the project.

Happy Fitting & Sewing!

What a Difference Leg Width Can Make

A recent student at the June Fit & Sew Retreat had a great-fitting pants blueprint (sloper), and though the pants fit really well in the waist, hips and crotch locations (the most important ones), she preferred to have a narrower leg width.

In the following photo, you'll see I've identified the shape of the leg seams with the regular pattern leg width being highlighted in yellow and the narrowed leg with is highlighted in red.

Please always keep in mind that leg width is not a 'fit issue' - it is a personal preference.  To help you with narrowing the leg width of the pants pattern, you might want to take a look at the following video.

Happy fitting and sewing!

Bye, Bye Basic Black

I love my new leggings!

I've sewn them from something called Scuba fabric that I recently picked up at my local JoAnn Fabric store.  This was a Nicole Miller fabric designed exclusively for JoAnn Fabrics.

It's kind of a spongy dual-layer fabric with lots of lengthwise and crosswise stretch...just perfect for leggings...and everyone's wearing leggings this season, whether to the gym or for just simply daytime wear.  It's 57" wide fabric, 94% polyester and 6% Spandex.

The pattern for the leggings is from the Sure-Fit Designs (downloadable) Leggings Fashion Leaflet found on this page - Click Here.

One of the few differences from the above instructions is that I eliminated the side seam.  Once I'd sized down for the 'leggings' fit, front and back were laid together at the side seams, so that the front and back could be cut together as one unit.  The actual instructions for a 'No Side Seam Pants Style' are found in the Sure-Fit Designs Children's Kit.  And there is also a discussion of how to eliminate the side seam in the Pajama Pants video found in the Sure-Fit Designs Learning Center. Click Here.

Without the side seam, you now have only 3 easy seams: both inseams and the crotch curve.  But first I used my Cover stitch machine to stitch up the hem.  Here are photos of both right and wrong side at the hem.  If you'd like complimentary videos on stitching with a Cover Stitch machine, Click Here.

Once the hem was turned up and stitched, the inseams were sewn with a 4-thread serger process.  I also used a stretchy cone thread which was something new for me.  This thread is kind of spongy like Wooly Nylon, but not quite so springy.  I thought it would be a good thread complement to the stretchy fabric since I knew I'd wear them in my yoga class.

Then the crotch seam was sewn.

And lastly, I applied 1" (2.5 cm) wide elastic at the waist edge.  The elastic was cut 2" (5 cm) less than my waist measurement and sewn to the waist edge with zigzag stitching.   For directions for applying waist elastic with this technique, refer to page 24 of your Sure-Fit Designs Pants Kit Instruction Book (5th edition).  When on, they feel really comfortable.  When I first put them on the 'scuba' fabric feels a little 'cold', but within a short period of time, they warm up (maybe it's me that's warming up!  I'm always cold!).

Yes, they were fun to make and extremely quick to sew.  They definitely qualify as another 'Made in a Day' project.

Happy Sewing!

White Pants...Spring has Sprung

I rarely wear white pants, but I got inspired by our (finally) sunny April days after a month of less than desirable gray skies and constant rain in March.
JoAnn Fabrics has white stretch denim. The fiber content is 70% cotton, 28% polyester & 2% Spandex.  It's heavy enough to look similar to 100% cotton, but has the easy care of polyester and the stretch wearing ease of Spandex.

Since I didn't want to sew 'real jeans', I chose a combination of patterns and instructions from existing Sure-Fit Designs information, which is what I'm going to share with you.  And the best part is that since my pattern was from a previous pair of pants, they were sewn in a day, qualifying them for a Made in a Day project.

The basic style is from the pants designing book - Pants that Mix n Multiply - Style #1: Flared Leg Pants with Elasticized Waist Edge.

I wanted skinny legs instead of flared legs.  And I chose to crop the hem around calf length.
Watch this video on narrowing the legs.

Now the slightly stretchy fabric.  Did I size down or not?
I tested the stretch factor (comfortably stretching on the crosswise grain).

With the 2% Spandex, 10 inches actually stretch up to barely 11 inches - 10% stretch, or what I'd call a Limited Stretch Knit.

If this had of been a blouse, I wouldn't have done anything with the pattern (my body blueprint).  For these pants though, I used my pants pattern that already had been sized down to remove the 2" (5 cm) of ease that is in the low/full hip circumference (i.e. I'd already sized down about 1 to 2 dots) .  So I cut them out without any further ease reduction. But because I wanted skinny and relatively snug-fitting pants, I decided to baste all seams at 3/4" (1.9 cm) for a 'try-on' including the crotch seam (I left CF open so I could step into them). Basting when working with fabric that stretches is always a good idea since all knits stretch and feel different on.  I decided I liked the wider seam allowance, so I then ripped out the crotch seam and proceeded to sew them together.

After the darts were sewn, the double welt pocket went in.  For those of you who would like a sewing tutorial for the Double Welt Pocket, please read this previous blog - http://surefitdesigns.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-double-welt-pocket.html 

Then I ripped the left side seam basting and inserted the invisible zipper -

 

I'll be showing you how to insert an invisible zipper in a soon-to-be-released new DVD Beginner Sewing Series - Make It Sew.  Please watch your SFD newsletters and this blog for the release date information.

And on the inside, before I inserted the invisible zipper, I covered the bottom end of the zipper to prevent the 'zipper scratchies'.  What the heck are 'zipper scratchies'?  Take a few minutes to read this previous blog - http://surefitdesigns.blogspot.com/2015/03/zipper-scratchies.html 

I definitely kept the 3/4" (1.9cm) seam allowance width on all seams.

Then hemmed the legs with my Coverstitch Machine (which I love and use every opportunity that I can).  For those of you not familiar with a Coverstitch Machine, make sure to watch my Coverstitch (free) videos.  I'll post video #1 here.  To see all 3 in the series, please click here in the SFD Learning Center Video Library.

 

And lastly, I finished off the waist edge with1" (2.5 cm) wide, non-roll elastic.  You'll find the direction for this easy application in with the instructions for Style #1: Flared Leg Pants with Elasticized Waist Edge in the Pants that Mix n Multiply designing book.

 

This was a fun and easy pair of pants to sew.  They're extremely comfortable.  I'm sure I'll get lots of wear from them as summer comes on.  But primarily, I wanted you to see another easy project utilizing the Sure-Fit Designs resources that so many of you already have.

And just in case some of you are new to Sure-Fit Designs, the blouse I'm wearing is the Princess Line Blouse sewn from the Dress Kit and available as a downloadable Fashion Leaflet from this page - 

http://www.surefitdesigns.com/DigitalE-Goods.html

Happy Sewing,