Drafting Toolkit

Remember this post last month when I asked for your sewing-related questions? Well, I’m trying to (slowly—I apologize!) go through and glean some ideas for potential post-topics. One of the questions from Vicki Kate (yes, the same gal who won the buttonhole tool giveaway!) caught my eye:

“I’d love to know what your basic drafting tool kit is!

For following along my kit currently consists of:
Tape measure
Ruler
Yard stick
Compass
French Curve
Tracing Paper
Calculator (for doing the maths required when grading a pattern)

Anything else that would be helpful? I keep wondering about one of the gridded cardboard cutting mats.”

This seemed a particularly apropos question to address, since I’ll be doing a little pattern drafting instruction in the upcoming circle skirt sew-along. (Don’t worry though, you won’t need all these tools—I’ll give you a supply list when the time comes!)

My drafting toolkit isn’t that extensive; I’m sure there are those who have lots of the professional-type bits and bobs for pattern drafting. But as with a lot of my sewing equipment, I tend to keep it simple.

Pattern drafting paper: I keep several types on hand. For larger projects or those that will take a beating, I use inexpensive banner paper that you can get at an office/stationary supply store by the roll. It’s about 30” wide and lasts for several projects.

I also use a lot of my favorite paper (both for drafting and pattern tracing): medical table paper. You can get it on Amazon for about $30 for 12 rolls. I split an order with a friend last year and am down to my last roll already. (Guess I draft/trace a lot, huh?) It’s not as sturdy as banner paper, but is great for initial drafts that I end up tossing as I go. Comparable to this would be extra-large sheets of tracing paper (available at most art supply stores), although more expensive in the long run if you are serious about drafting.

Another option would be Swedish Interfacing. Though I don’t favor it because it’s pricy, and you go through a lot of paper when drafting!

Cardstock/light cardboard: I use this to draft my finished “master patterns” on (such as a sloper). I generally just cheat and use heavy cardstock sheets from the office supply store, but you can buy the stuff professionals use online. This is great because you can just trace around your pieces, either directly onto the fabric or paper. (Which is why it’s perfect for slopers!) The upside of tracing finalized patterns onto card is that you can clip and hang them so they won’t get crushed.

Rulers: This category encompasses several types. I always have at least a couple yardsticks on hand for longer measures (such as skirts), an 18” x 2” gridded ruler, a metric ruler (for using with some of my British drafting texts), a metal curved ruler (I have a Fairgate 24” curve), 90° triangle protractor/ruler (that also has a 45° side), and a tape measure. The combination of these four usually suffices. Sometimes I’ll also use a French curve for tight, fiddly curves, or a circle template, but neither of these are technically “rulers”.

Marking tools: I have a package of regular old #2 yellow pencils and some fine-tip Sharpies. I usually start out by drafting with the pencils (so I can erase any mistakes) and finalize the lines with the marker. Also handy to have: fine-tip markers or pencils of different colors. This is good when you’re adjusting a pattern so you can differentiate the alteration lines.

Cutting mat: I use one of those basic, fold-out, gridded mats for all my drafting (and fabric cutting). The grids are semi-helpful (check to make sure they’re accurate first!), and having that much surface to work on is a plus. You can find them inexpensively at most fabric stores. I go through about one of these a year, and then recycle the old one!

Drafting compass: Useful when I have circular curves to draft.

Paper scissors: A must! Along with a lot of marking, you’ll be doing a ton of cutting. Get a decent pair that won’t get nicked too easily and cuts well.

Tape: Needed for taping together sheets of paper for larger drafts, or accidental (oops!) cuts into your paper pieces you may make while drafting a pattern.

Tracing wheel: I have the sort (purchased on Ebay last year) that has pin-like tips all around the wheel. I like this because I can trace through a pattern I’m working with onto paper below and transfer important lines like grainlines or seam allowances. Very handy when not working with transparent paper.

Zip bags or manila envelopes: I use these to store all finished paper (non card) drafts in. I’ll usually include my initial sketch, the date it was drafted and such in there are well.

Reference books: I always keep these handy! On my shelf at the moment:

• Aldrich, Winifred, Metric Pattern Cutting for Women’s Wear: My hands down, favorite drafting book. Shows how to draft a variety of slopers (fitted, jersey, etc.) and basic variations.
• Bergh, Rene, Make Your Own Patterns: The first book I ever bought on pattern drafting. Fairly easy, though the instructions are sometimes a bit wonky (technical term).
• Brockman, Helen, The Theory of Fashion Design: A great 1960s era drafting book. Few instructions on slopers, but great for period-appropriate silhouettes and details.
• Ein, Claudia, How to Design Your Own Clothes and Make Your Own Patterns: This is a charming little 1975 how-to book. Only covers how to actually design the clothes from a base pattern, so does not include sloper-drafting information.
• Kopp, Ernestine, Designing Apparel Through the Flat Pattern: I have two, older editions of this large textbook and refer to them often. Kind of a dictionary of styles for drafting!
• Patch, Cal, Design-It-Yourself Clothes: One of my favorite to recommend to beginning drafters. Take note though that the base patterns she shows how to draft are not the traditionally fitted slopers.

There are of course plenty of other books that I don’t yet own in my personal library. If you’re interested in investing in one of the larger drafting textbooks, I’d highly recommend checking out reviews on Amazon.

I hope this answered some questions! If you draft patterns, please chime in with your favorite tools that I may not have mentioned. As I said: I tend to keep my toolkit pretty simple, so this doesn’t encompass everything.

Sourcing “Vintage” Fabric

One of the frequent questions that I receive in my inbox is how to go about finding fabric sources online, and more specifically garment fabric that is a reasonable facsimile of vintage fabric. I purchase about half my fabric online, and the other half is what I’ve found at various retail spots. So I don’t claim to be an expert. But I do know a couple places to hunt online and ways to find vintage-style fabric.

First let’s talk a bit about fabric that reads “vintage”. Certainly classic patterns like plaids, houndstooth, polka dots, and checks work well with vintage styles. (There is a reason they are classic after all!) Finding novelty, floral or other prints are far more difficult—especially if you’re looking for a fabric that isn’t quilting weight cotton (of which there is an abundance of darling reproduction prints). My number one piece of advice is to study. Whether you find the fashions of the 30s or 50s appealing, spending a bit of time learning what colors and patterns were popular for your decade of choice is half the battle. I’ve included some images from my collection of mid 40s fabrics; these are not only pretty to look at but tell quite a story when it comes to selecting fabric for your modern-vintage projects.

Another key to modern fabric for vintage sewing is finding similar fabrics that were popular in the past. While they aren’t as available as they once were, you can still find rayon (or wool) crepe and challis, which were two popular fabrics in the 30s and 40s. I’ve been able to find woven rayon fabric quite often both online and occasionally at brick and mortar shops (the most surprising finds have been on the clearance racks at JoAnns!). You just have to search. (How I wish there was a one-stop-shop for vintage-style sewing supplies!)

Here are a few fabric websites that I frequently haunt and/or have purchased from. Most of these are US-only websites, so I’d love to know some other spots that you shop online as well.

Denver Fabrics – This is where I’ve found a lot of rayon material that I’ve used for dresses. It’s hit or miss, and be sure to read the descriptions carefully, but there are gems. I’ve found lovely rayon crepe, sueded rayon, cotton lawn with late 30s-appropriate prints, and novelty tropical designs that would work beautifully on a 40s midriff ensemble!

Fabric.com – I tend to go here more often if I’m looking for a cotton or linen material, rather than rayon (they carry mostly rayon knits), but I have found some cute materials (and great “classic” designs) for good prices.

Gorgeous Fabrics – Admittedly, I have only “window shopped” here, but there is a wide range of fabrics stocked here; lots and lots of nicer fiber contents that are suitable for vintage styles. Again, like all of them, you have to dig through to find prints that would work. (I’ve noted loads of florals that would be amazing for 50s dresses!)

Fabric Mart – This one is really hit or miss, and when you see something you have to snatch it up quick! Occasionally I’ve seen great rayon and silk prints that would work beautifully for many past eras, and of course lots of classic plaid wool during the winter.

Sawyer Brook – This is where I found the lovely silk print for my Swing Dress I made earlier this year. Again, another place to keep an eye out for quality fabrics in prints and colors that work for vintage sewing.

Vogue Fabrics – A mish mash of different fabrics, like most of the other websites I listed, but worth hunting for. I noticed quite a few rayon challis fabrics recently (some more appropriate for vintage sewing than others…).

Lastly, another great place to check is the Threads online fabric shopping list. It’s a few years old (so some links are no longer working), but does have a lot of websites listed that would be useful to check.

Now if you’re looking for real vintage fabric, thrift (charity) shops are great places to start! Of course, you won’t always find what you’re looking for, and supply and demand are in flux constantly, but I have discovered some real gems. Other sewing bloggers seem to have good luck at these sorts of shops as well—Debi is one that comes to mind as someone who has used some thrifted fabrics to make her vintage pieces. Other spots online would be Ebay and Etsy; just search “vintage fabric” or more specifically “vintage cotton print”, “vintage rayon”, etc. (It’s all about the search terms!)

Do you have any favorite places to hunt for vintage-appropriate fabrics online? Please do share—I’d be delighted to know!

My next post in the Guide to Sewing series was actually going to be resources for getting started sewing, but I realized that leaving you hanging without knowing where to start with the most important ingredients for sewing–fabric and patterns–would be silly! So here’s an in-between post dealing with just that…

Patterns

Chances are if you’re a beginner at sewing you’ll want to start off with a pattern. Although this is by no means the only way to learn the ropes (many sewists have taken a merry jaunt into making their own patterns to start off with), there are benefits to learning with the help of a pattern. Firstly, you begin to understand that there are certain standards within patterns, the proper steps for construction, and the basics of how to lay out and cut out your project of choice. Many books advocate super simple patterns to start with, usually of the pillowcase or tote bag variety, but if you find those not quite what you’re interested in, I found a really fantastic viewpoint for those who want to jump right into garment sewing from a 1940s sewing book.

[ this is a great beginner pattern: few pieces in simple shapes, and an absence of closures ]

While the excerpt itself is quite long, the gist of the advice is that the first garment pattern should be quite simple with as few pieces as possible. Basically a piece with few seams and very simple closures (or none at all): a slip over style garment. The next can branch out to set-in sleeves, waistline seams, etc. for practicing the task of cutting and piecing together the garment from start to finish. The third garment attempted can be separates, or a garment that has more advanced closures (zippers, buttons) and perhaps some more fitting details (such as multiple darts, tuck, etc.). Basically, the whole idea is to ease yourself into the art of sewing by stages and still challenge yourself (and keep your interest in the projects!).

Aside from picking a garment that has simpler lines, you’ll want to consider a few other aspects of your choice for a pattern: what sorts of fabrics does it suggest? Slinky, slippery fabrics (chiffon, velvet, satin, etc.) tend to be harder to handle–even for more experienced seamstresses. Stick to materials that have some stability and don’t slip and slide all over. What kind of closure methods does the pattern call for? Zippers can be tricky at first, but if you practice a few times on scraps are doable. Buttonholes likewise can be a hassle, but again, practice is key! The easiest closures tend to be those that tie, rely on elastic, or use snaps/hooks and eyes. But don’t let that confine you. Finally, ask yourself this about your pattern choice: is it something you’re excited about wearing? I know, this is a funny thing to say, but why spend the time making something because it’s “simple” that you don’t really love or will wear? Trust me: even if you’re a beginner, there is no reason to sacrifice your personal style aesthetic.

After saying all this, I do want to say that just because I (or a book) tells you that something is too “advanced”, don’t let that necessarily stop you. Part of the beauty of sewing is gauging what projects you feel comfortable and capable enough to handle. Yes, you may make a few mistakes along the way, but as I’ve said in previous posts in this series: everyone makes mistakes and they are great learning tools! After all: how else do you learn and become better at something?

[ a slightly more complicated pattern; the lines are still simple, but the number of buttonholes may prove a bit of a challenge. ]

Now it’s time to find that pattern! Of course there are the big pattern companies–stocked at most mainstream sewing stores (Vogue, Simplicity, McCalls, and Butterick). All of these have “easy” lines or styles that are simple enough to tackle as a beginner. If you’re interested in unique styles, be sure to seek out independent pattern companies like Colette Patterns, BurdaStyle, etc. (more links to come in my next post!). Just make sure with any of these that you’re comfortable with the difficulty level assigned to the pattern.

[ a pattern that has lots of pieces and may need more complicated fitting is definitely a good project to tackle as you become more confident in your abilities. ]

But what if you are more interested in vintage styles, not modern patterns? Trust me: you have no shortage of simple, easy to work with garments here! While the patterns themselves may be a bit tricky to master and understand at first (be sure to read over my Vintage Pattern Primer for particulars), if you are determined there are a plethora of vintage garments with simple lines. While these may not have any indication of difficulty available, study the lines of the garment and number of pattern pieces; generally things with more darts/tucks/shirring and lots of pieces are a bit more tricky.

[ pairing the correct fabric with the pattern style is key for a successful garment. ]

Fabric

Walking into a fabric store as a sewer has be intimidating, tempting and overwhelming! Trust me: even now I spend a good 20 minutes just going around and taking it all in before I start making my selections; some times I need to let myself visually calm down and focus. Some key things to keep in mind with garment sewing and fabric selection:

Are the ideas of fabric types still a bit confusing? Don’t worry–there are plenty of good books out there on fabric. My favorites are Claire Shaeffer’s Fabric Sewing Guide and Sandra Betzina’s Fabric Savvy. Not only are both books fantastic at describing various fabrics, but also offer helpful tips on handling, care of specific materials, needle and thread recommendations and other points that the sewist needs to keep in mind when selecting fabric.

[ a pretty vintage cotton feedsack. ]

So where do you find fabric? If you’re in the US, ten-to-one you probably have one of the chain stores JoAnn Fabric & Craft or Hancock Fabrics nearby. While those are great places to start, the selection can be limited. If you’re lucky enough to live near a big city (New York, LA, Miami, etc.), check to see if there is a garment or fabric district in your city. I have friends who find amazing materials that many of us (smaller town gals) only dream about! Finally, if you’re like me and don’t have many options in your town, the internet is a fantastic place. Threads Magazine published a great list of online retailers catering towards home sewists. Keep in mind though that buying fabric online can sometimes be a bit of a “luck of the draw” scenario: colors don’t always appear true to life on computer monitors, you can’t feel the weight/drape of the material, and the quality of the fibers can be less than what you expected. When in doubt, and especially when purchasing a more expensive textile, see if the retailer offers a swatching service, and order a few of those so you can see and touch the material first.

Finally, don’t discount the idea of reusing material or hunting down vintage textiles. While these often present a whole other set of problems (condition, staining, the strength of the older fibers, etc.), vintage fabrics can be a lot of fun to work with! Keep an eye out for garments that can be taken apart and the material reused, old linens that have appealing patterns and colors, or lengths of vintage fabric that is uncut. Both hunting in thrift shops and antique stores, plus the internet, are great places to start!

What are your thoughts on appropriate first projects and fabric selection? I’d love to know!

(Otherwise titled: It Doesn’t Have to Be Expensive or Complicated)

I admit: I am most definitely not a notions junkie. Although I love the idea of tons of notions and tools to make my sewing easier, both budgetary constraints and storage issues tend to win out! I’m more of the mind that fancy stuff can be acquired over time and you can still produce beautiful projects with just the basics. I often get emails about what sort of tools are necessary for starting to sew, or what sewing machine I own. Surprisingly, I do not have a super-duper new machine; all of my sewing machines (with the exception of my serger) are hand-me-downs. I have a 1950s cabinet model Singer that was my grandmothers, my mom’s late 80/early 90s mechanical Singer (my “primary” machine) and my mother-in-law’s 1990s Kenmore. Since I don’t quilt or do machine embroidery, I find the older machines work just as well for me. Granted, I don’t have things like fancy automatic bobbin winding and my machines may be a bit loud compared to newer models, but they still work!

If you’re just starting to sew and on a budget, I’d highly recommend looking into getting an older machine, rather than a newer “budget friendly” model. Many of those lower end machines will not take as much of a beating as more expensive ones that have higher quality parts. Vintage machines, many of which are still in perfect working order, are usually quite reasonable and were made to last. I’ve seen ones at thrift stores–complete with their cases, attachments, and manuals–for under $40. (Check your city’s Craigslist, flea markets, yard sales, Ebay, or even just put out the call among friends and see if anyone has an old machine sitting in their garage you can have!) You will want to make sure that the machine is in working order (it may just need a tune up; check you local sewing shops for names of service shops that repair sewing machines), that the power cords are still in good condition, and that if it’s missing any attachments or the manual, you can locate those online (Ebay is great for attachments, while Google is fantastic for locating old sewing manuals that have been digitized). Also take into account the functions you will need (or think you will need if this is your first foray into sewing). Check to make sure the machine does the stitches you require (some older ones only do a straight stitch!), but also does it do buttonholes (or have a separate attachment for those)? How fast/slow does it go? Can you do blind hems on it? Will it be able to handle varying weights of fabric?

Aside from a sewing machine, there are a myriad of other tools that are out there for sewing. Some are more necessary than others, and a lot of these are based on personal preference. Here is my list of tools that I can’t live without, followed by an “optional” list:

The following is the list of items that aren’t completely necessary, but still fall into the basics and things-that-make-your-life-easier categories. If you start sewing without these, the sewing gods won’t curse you, but they are worth considering investing in over time!

I am sure I have inadvertently left some tools off this list, and of course there are the sewing gadgets I don’t have or use that others may love! So if you sew, what is your favorite sewing tool? Up next: print and web resources to get you started!

Click here for part one of this series: guide to sewing: my background.

I’m so excited to finally being posting this series; it’s something I’ve been knocking around in my head for awhile and resulted in writing countless draft versions, but never being quite sure how I wanted to organize it! I get at least a couple emails every week asking for advice or help with sewing. So many gals are curious about learning to sew, what my background on sewing is, and how to get started; I knew this was the perfect topic to blog about! Every week for the next three weeks, I’ll be posting an installment of this series. I’ll be going over resources, tools, favorite books, inspiration and my sewing background. Whether you’re itching to start sewing for the first time or someone more experienced and just enjoy reading anything about sewing (that would be me!), I hope you enjoy these posts…

[ some past projects (l to r): costume based on J.W. Waterhouse's painting of "Ophelia", black voile summer dress, 1830s style day gown. ]

Sewing Memories, Philosophy & Inspiration

I’ve been sewing (or wanting to sew!) for as long as I can remember; as a child I used to raid Mom’s scrap bag to sew garments for my Barbies (all of a very Victorian nature; I continually check a book from the library on drafting Victorian style clothes for dolls…). She used to sew quite a bit herself, and made many cute outfits for my sister and I! It wasn’t until I was older, around 10, that she allowed me to use her sewing machine and showed me the basics using a little book on sewing for kids. I made a few, small projects, and then moved onto clothes–my real interest in the sewing world.

[ drafting a skirt sloper back in 2006. ]

I also dabbled a lot with pattern drafting, even as a child. We would make weekly trips to the public library, and I would raid their sewing books, many of which were books from the 1970s hippie, diy movement. They had such a carefree, you-can-make-this! attitude that engaged my young imagination and I started figuring out how to draft patterns from my dolls and myself. I continued just dabbling in sewing and drafting until I was a teenager. Around that time I stumbled on Jennie Chancey’s Sense and Sensibilty pattern line, and was enchanted that there were other women interested in old-fashioned styles and actually making and wearing them. I became quite active on the forums and made friends with many of the historic costumers (including my dear friend Jenny Rose). I learned a lot from these ladies, and started doing my own costumes and learning the value of researching your projects.

During my last “semester” of high school (I was schooled at home, so we didn’t really follow the normal school year or grade system), I had the opportunity to intern with Jennie Chancey for a month. I went to stay with her, and helped around the house and with the children in exchange for her teaching me some of the tricks of the trade. I learned quite a bit about drafting, sewing and designing clothes from Jennie; we spent many, many hours talking about fashion and the resurgence of the retro look (this was in 2003, right around the time the “vintage” resurgence were starting to make a big splash on the runways again). Jennie shared with me many of her antique and vintage sewing books, as well as her incredible vintage pattern collection! (I credit her with really starting the “pattern collector” bug in me!) She was one of the first people outside of my family to encourage me to start a sewing business. A dream that I have kept close to my heart over the years (and am working towards finally making a reality)!

[ my sewing space, March 2007. ]

Since then, I have continued to work on my skills, take a few classes at a local sewing store (mostly on seam finishes and inserting zippers!), and read a lot. I’ve read books on everything from overviews of fashion history, to sewing manuals (yes, I have read The Vogue Book of Sewing cover to cover; no joke), to dry textbooks on drafting and pattern manipulation. In that respect, I am very much self taught and my sewing skills have developed in a very organic manner over time. The books I remember reading on sewing during my childhood really encouraged the idea of “just doing it” if you had a true passion for the craft. In my eyes, there is no right or wrong way, and every project has the potential to teach you something!

My sewing has varied over the years. I started out making clothes for myself, veered off into historic costumes for most of my teen years, and then back to the various facets of sewing “every day” clothes for myself. I have definitely taken a turn back towards the costume side of things with my interest in vintage patterns and styles of the 1930s through 1950s. For me, sewing offers not only a pleasant hobby, the ability to get the style and fit I want, but also allows me to cater to my more theatrical sensibilities in dress. Looking back on my experiences at sewing, I often wonder where it will take me next!

[ a page from my inspiration notebook, March 2008. ]

I believe encouraging everyone who expresses an interest in sewing to jump in with both feet; total immersion learning if you will! Even if you take a sewing class, make sure you branch out as you feel ready. Want to try making something more complicated than a pillow case or tote bag at first? Surround yourself with lots of resources (and maybe a helping hand!) and just go! Sewing is not brain surgery and I firmly believe should not be treated as such. Although I have a deep respect for the tradition of sewing and time-honored techniques, nothing delights me more than to see a curious person strike out on their own to try an idea or technique that excites them. There is no one way to learn how to sew, and even many sewing techniques have multiple ways of achieving the same end, so finding a way that makes the best sense to you is easy.

[ technical sketches and a draft-in-progress; july 2008. ]

Keeping my inspiration banks filled is a huge part of my sewing as well; even though most of the time it’s a rather passive activity that involves books or my computer. Being inspired by past eras, fashion designers, and photos helps give me new ideas and new techniques to try! I keep a notebook handy, and give myself downtime in the evenings if I want to just browse my massive “inspiration” folder on my computer. You never know where your next sewing idea will come from! One of my favorite sources is inspiration from other bloggers; the rich and varied things that come through Google Reader never fail to make me sit up and look at something in a new light!

If you sew, how did you start out? What are your favorite sources of inspiration for sewing projects? I’ll share some of mine in the later installments… Next week: my list of recommended sewing tools.