Couture Techniques for a Better Fitting Waistband
Sewing hooks, eyes, and snaps
Findings often work their way loose because the stitches used to attach them allow them to move; in effect, they saw themselves off. Use a locking stitch to sew findings securely.
Knot the end of a doubled, waxed, and pressed thread. Anchor the thread in the waistband and take one stitch through the finding's eyelet from underneath. Take another stitch, but before tightening the loop, slip the needle through it. Tighten the thread to create a tiny bead that rests at the finding's base. Follow the finding's contours as you stitch. If you're sewing a snap, use two or three stitches on each quadrant.
Hooks also can be sewn to the waistband's end before it's finished, to conceal the hook's eyelets. Place each hook so its eyelets rest just inside the waistband end's foldline. Anchor your stitches to the petersham to secure the hooks.
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| Sew findings using a locking stitch (left). Hooks may be installed before finishing the waistband so their eyelets are concealed (right). |
Posted on Dec 24th, 2012 in sewing, garment construction, waist, snap, hook




























Comments (8)
I've been sewing for about 50 years or so, though, and I've never heard of a "locking stitch". Is that something like a buttonhole stitch? Or a blanket stitch? Is this something I've been doing automatically without knowing it had a name? And what in the wide world is a "petersham"?
"petersham |ˈpētərˌ sh am; - sh əm|
noun
1 historical a kind of heavy overcoat with a short shoulder cape.
• the thick woolen fabric used to make such coats.
2 a corded tape used for stiffening, esp. in the making of belts and hatbands.
ORIGIN early 19th cent.: named after Lord Petersham (1790–1851), English army officer."
- from Apple's Dictionary application
Thanks.
Posted: 9:04 am on January 15th
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Posted: 8:54 am on December 30th
Posted: 11:17 am on December 27th
THANK YOU and Happy New Year to all of Threads staff and contributors.
Posted: 8:15 pm on December 26th
Posted: 6:05 pm on December 26th
Thank you Susan, for this, and all of your contributions to Threads Magazine.
Wishing everyone at Threads, and my fellow readers, an exponentially happy 2013!
Posted: 5:35 pm on December 26th
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