Louise, thanks again for such a wonderful explanation of "why" and "how".
I knew from my older (1970's) patterns that there was a discrepancy in length of back leg seam between knee and crotch, but had forgotten exactly where and what it was.
As always, you have made my sewing more easy and professional looking, important for my clients as well as myself!

usetobeahippie writes that she has been unable to get the sleeve header to look right, so try this way---cut your header fabric as long as the top of the armscye, and about three inches wide, on the bias. Turn your completed sleeve inside out, and place the right side of the fabric face down on the machine bed.
Starting at the front edge, and just above the matching notch, lay the header material down on the seamline, with the widest part towards the hem of the sleeve.
Holding the header firmly, stretch as much as you can while you stitch along just outside the seamline, towards the cut edge.
When you get to the back notch, stop stitching, and cut off any excess header. Turn the sleeve right side out, and gently steam over a ham. The header will relax, easing the sleeve and filling in the cap for you!
Experiment with remnants to see just how much you need to stretch the header fabric, it varies with different fabrics.
Good luck.

Kenneth, brilliant as usual, and an explanation of what "thread tracing" is, I have never done it because I just didn't know how!
Now, I have no more excuses for not making up a gorgeous piece of silk tweed gently aging in 'ye stash'.
I have purchased some tailoring supplies from Louise Cutting and am wondering if I really need iron on stay tape for a loosely fitted cardigan type jacket? Or silk organza interfacing?
Please keep up the brilliant work, you and Louise are my sewing heroes!!

I have used both tea and coffee to dye ready made bra straps just to see which colour I liked better. The bra fabric was almost a flesh colour but the straps I had on hand were cream.
I found that black coffee gave me an almost brown result, while tea resulted in a much more pinky shade. Neither of them was a good match for the bra fabric, so I just re-ordered the fabric kit!!
I did accidentally turn a cream silk shirt brown when I spilled tea on it, and without thinking threw it into a sinkfull of hot water and bleach!! Took almost six months of laundering to get it back to cream!

Louise, how brilliant of you to come up with this idea. I have sometimes inserted a floating shoulder pad into a blouse with a yoke, but couldn't figure out how to add one to a regular blouse without stitching it to the shoulder seam, which doesn't always work so well.
As usual, you have blown me away with the simplicity of your ideas, and lovely instructions!
Jean, aka, whoneedlesthis

I have always loved Louise's articles in Threads, and when I wrote to her she very graciously replied to me. I can think of no better way to learn to improve my sewing skills than by owning this set from this awesome teacher!!
Jean

I used to make my shirt sleeve plackets in two separate pieces, until I was altering sleeves on an expensive RTW shirt and first saw this one!
Once I changed to a one-piece placket, it looked so much more neat and professional.
Thankyou for including a printable pattern piece for us, now all my shirts and blouses will look fabulous!!

Kenneth, yet again, you have provided a spectacular piece of work for we mortals to drool over.
If it did come from India, the likelihood is that it was actually worked by a man, as they considered that a womans hands were too clumsy to be entrusted with such delicate work!
Yeah, right! Good job times have moved forward is all I can say.
Now, if I could just get the man in my life to build me a tambour frame, I could get practising with my hook!
Keep on bringing us such lovely pieces, please?

I made this top using Threads #143, and like it a lot. I am trying to figure out how to make it longer, while keeping the easy construction!

I am looking forward to Sewing Destination; London, England.
Being from Britain originally, I look forward always to any and all information about my homeland, especially if it involves fashion or sewing.

Seamster asked what is a weighted hem? It is a narrow rolled hem sewn with two passes at the machine, first you fold under and press a one quarter inch fold of fabric, then topstitch. Now fold it under again and topstitch again. Only one row of stitching shows on the right side, but the extra row of stitching inside the roll adds a tiny bit more weight to the edges and it looks better.
If I am wrong, I hope Louise will comment and correct me!
Thanks again, Louise for a brilliantly easy article on how to copy otherwise too costly acccessories. Long live sewing!

In response to aliensnextdoor's question about the narrow width of the buttonhole and making the inside look neat, there is a way, you use a square of silk organza to make a 'window' on the facing. Baste mark the buttonhole placement on the facing, centre a square of organza over the basting and stitch a copy of the buttonhole opening, turn over to the wrong side of the fabric, and slit the opening as you did for the buttonhole,cutting through the facing and organza, and pull the organza to the back of the facing fabric.
Press the opening to the exact shape of the buttonhole, now just slipstitch the facing and it's 'window' to the back of the buttonhole welts.
This technique was also in a previous issue of Threads, although I misremember which one!!!

Thank you, Louise, for doing it yet again!!! I always love your tips and tutorials, because you are always so easy to follow, and have truly excellent tips.
After I read them, I think, wow, how come I never thought of that!
I hope Threads keeps you around forever!! Or, at least as long as I am able to sew!!
Your number one fan,
Jean

I am thinking couture know how, how to trim a neckline would be my most interesting article, whether it means how to correctly trim the seam allowances under the facing, or how to add trim to make a neckline more attractive. I love Claire Shaeffers couture techniques in Threads, and have her book.

Thank you for this enlightening article on how some designers acheived their specific shapes!! I was a little puzzled at first by your references to "flying buttresses", as, in England, these are stone re-inforcements at a buildings' corners in order to strengthen a tall tower, mainly, bell towers on churches. But when I saw the sketches of them, I understood it completely!! That is almost exactly what a flying buttress looks like!
Please continue to give us this kind of detail, as it is available nowhere else, to the best of my knowledge, and enquiring minds want to know!!!

Louise, you have once again inspired me to try something different. You are a genius!! The seams for the slot buttonholes could be made by rotating the bustline darts to the centre front, or by attaching a pieced section, turned on the bias, at the centre front of the garment with the buttonholes in the piecing seams, or?????
I love your articles because not only do you explain clearly, you inspire me to experiment, and think outside the box, or in this case, the pattern envelope!!!!
Please continue to be a Threads contributor. Threads editors, if you lose Louise Cutting, you may make me rethink my subscription!!!!

I totally agree with love2costume, I have never felt put down for wearing an apron, I even have a waterproof one to keep me dry while I wash dishes!!
These two lovely patterns will be great additions to my apron wardrobe, especially as they can be cut on a single yard of fabric!!
Also, great inspiration for teaching kids to sew!!!

I would love to have this DVD, as it would making searching my almost complete hard copy collection of Threads magazines so much more easy, not to mention it would complete my collection. And being on a fixed income, I can't possibly afford to buy it, so winning it would be the only way I could have it!!

Wow, Louise, thanks again for a lovely simple expanation, especially of how to correctly measure yourself for the most attractive placement. I will try this out on my next garment, and see if maybe I can get away with a 'waist'!!
your number one fan,
Jean

I love Claires work, and I would love to learn more about finishing the inside of things, or anything to do with using bias, or fitting issues such as a full bust adjustment to unusual styles. This book would make me one happy little camper!!!

snikwas writes that the facing curve needs to be 3/8" smaller than the neckline curve, I think this will make it too much smaller, 1/8" is usually plenty.
Louise, thanks again for explaining in such a clear manner a relatively simple step so that newcomers to the sewing world can make a better job of what they are making. I love your tips and tricks, and it is so generous of you to share so freely what has taken you many years to learn.
When I do this with a back facing, I also like to extend the fold-back part of the the front, cut on facing to the end of the shoulder seam. It just gives the whole front extra stability, and a neater finish with no facings flipping out. It is not always necessary to interface with a bigger facing either.

I have been reading the comments regarding Anya's supposed talents and learning speed with some disbelief! The main reason I have refused to watch any of the so-called "reality" tv shows is very simple--every single episode is scripted, not real at all. My disbelief is that anyone could possibly think these shows are "real"!
The only tv show that actually is real is America's Funniest Home Videos!!
C'mon people, wake up!!!

I have definitely seen changes in my own lifetime, from the de riguer bullet bras and girdles with stockings of my teen years, to the panty hose and softer bras of today's looks, and the current trend to let the bra straps hang out with everything one wears.
We have, indeed, come a long way from the simple, underbreast, linen band used by Greek matrons in the Golden Age of Greece, to the fashions of current years!!
I would love to have this book, as I adore all things sewing, including making my own bras, and I love to read! It would make a super addition to my bookshelf.
Jean Morgan, aka whoneedlesthis

As a seamstress of many years experience, and a 'rugged individualist', I don't pay attention to 'the colour forecasts'. I know only too well which colours flatter me, and stick pretty much with them.
Other peoples ideas of what is 'in' have never been much of an influence on me. That being said, if one of the in colours happens to already be in my 'palette', I will use it!
I guess I am one of those throwbacks who refuse to follow trends, and was always out of step with the times at school!
Vive la difference!!

Louise, once again, you have just blown me away with the absolute genius and simplicity of your technique and instructions!! A full bust adjustment in reverse, for a small shoulder area, that is just brilliant. Most techniques would have ended up altering the entire back width, not good for those with hips to consider, but this technique moves only the shoulder blade fullness!
Is there any wonder you are my favourite technique author!
Jean Morgan

I have always loved Oscar de la Renta, his styles are so feminine, and even though I don't often wear dress up clothes, his are just so classic.
I would love to have the updated version of Designer Techniques in my library of sewing books.

I have so far, only draped one garment and would dearly love to learn far more, so that the grads who come to me with their custom ideas for gowns would be easier to sew for, as well as my own clothing ideas. I live to learn, and this would be awesome!!

Thanks for the reminder on this one, Judith. I have used this method to make a sheer shrug for a too-bare wedding dress, by pleating the short ends down to about twelve inches first, you get a soft drape to your jacket.
Keep up the wonderful work on Threads, I love it!!
Jean Morgan

I would dearly love to have this book, we emigrated from my homeland when I was too young to truly appreciate the fashion.
Nowadays as a professional seamstress, I can't get enough, and I am so proud to call myself "English". I am proud of the quality of English workmanship, and the classic styles that did not require an entire wardrobe change every year!!
Jean Morgan, expatriate Briton

I absolutely loved the candlewick and roses shirt by Elfstone, it is such a subtle, yet lovely decoration on that shirt front. It has inspired me to try a similar technique on my next one!!
Jean M.

Kenneth, thanks so much for sharing this wonderful work of art with us. It is interesting that the jacket sleeves are attached only at the sleeve cap area. As to the rust, I would not be at all surpised to find there is sheet metal in the fronts, at least, as armour plating for protection from the bull's horns. It is a gorgeous piece of artwork, and worth every penny!

Louise, thankyou for once again providing a brilliant solution to a common problem.
I don't understand the posters who think that bias will stretch if it is already stitched to a straight-grain edge, but they will learn in time to trust you.
I am thinking this would also be a way to effectively lengthen sleeves on a purchased garment. By using the bias to join the edges of the garment fabric and the lining fabric, and pressing the bias to the inside, like a false cuff.
Please continue to share your genius with us!!
Jean Morgan

I loved this technique, if I topstitched the stripe pieces onto the main body, they looked like afterthought add-ons! This way looks far more integrated. And I wouldn't have thought to add embroidered stripes to the inside collar stand.
What great ideas to incorporate into future projects!
Please continue with these inspired ideas, for those of us who have gone past basics, and need some new inspiration after some forty-odd years at the old machines!!!