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If I am asked to shorten a garment with pleats, I will always discuss what will happen to the client first. They need to have two options put to them.
The first option is shortening from the bottom, HOWEVER they must understand that they will have to take it to a drycleaner and have it RE PLEATED.
When it is shortened from the bottom, the pleats will be going in the opposite direction, which means they will spray out. This is not something that I can do, and I would recommend you leave it do the experts on pleating.
The second option is to shorten from the top, which means the waist. Depending on the construction of the garment, this is almost like a remake, and I explain that I work on AUD$40 per hour, and this type of alteration can take up to 4 hours or more. which cut be up to AUD$160.00. I do state that this is the worst scenario, and it could take less time, but it is not a quick job.
That means they have the option of having it shortened from the bottom which would be around AUD$35.00 (approximately) or the second option which is more expensive.
Do suggest that they get a quote from a drycleaner to re pleat as this can be expensive.
Happy sewing
Judith aka genie
When sewing in a dress zip, I find it easier to sew the lining onto the zip first. Then I bag the tops, and finally top stitch the dress zip.
Conversely when I sew an invisible zip, I attach the zip to the fashion fabric first, then attach the lining, making sure that the lining is around 1/2 inch or so (1 cm) tighter than the fashion fabric. That way when the zip is bagged at the top, the lining sits perfectly at the top.
Happy sewing
Judith aka genie
Boning is only an addition to the seam. It really does not need to cause you any grief. The boning with either be encased in a sleeve or sewn directly onto the seam. If you have to take in a garment with boning, treat it the same as any other alteration, except that you will have to unpick the boning from the seam, then take in the seam, overlock or cut off the excess, then sew the boning back on as it was originally.
I always prefer to cover the top and bottom of boning, even if it was not like that in the beginning. After a period of time, the sharp prongs can poke through the fabric and dig into the skin which is very uncomfortable. So if the manufacturer did not cover the top and bottom of the boning, just sew a piece of soft fabric over it to protect the garment.
Happy sewing
Judith aka genie
Sometimes you will have a garment that is lined and everything is encased to the point where you wonder how you are supposed to get into it to alter.
It could be shortening the straps, taking in the sides or taking in at the sides or back with boning attached. Whatever the alteration, finding a way in can be confusing.
Generally the fashion fabric and lining are separate, and you are able to get up into the garment and work each section with ease, however there are times when a garment can be closed at the waist, or in the case of a vest or bodice the garment is totally encased with no openings.
When we alter lined jackets, there is an opening in one of the sleeves, which has been topstitched down. With either of the above if there is no such opening, consider one of the following:-
Dress zip – unpick one side of the zip that has the flap across the zip. Generally it only needs to be unpicked in the middle of the zip, rather than anywhere near the top or bottom of the zip. Do not unpick the lining from the zip, JUST THE FASHION FABRIC (outer fabric). The lining is generally attached to the zip first, then the zip is topstitched in.
As mentioned earlier the last stitch sewn is the first to be removed. By unpicking the topstitching on the fashion fabric, you will have a lot of room to get inside and do any alterations. then all you have to do when finished is re topstitch the zip back on.
Closed at waist or under bust – Usually the upper and lower section of the garment have been joined together, however there is usually a very small section next to the zip that has not been sewn ON THE LINING (inside).
Push your fingers into this small hole, and with your quick unpick, slowly unpick the stitches attaching the bodice to the waist. You do need to open it out sufficient to get in and do the alterations. Once the alteration is complete you should be able to resew the bodice lining to the waist or slip stitch it back on.
Happy sewing
Judith aka genie
My biggest pet hate is someone who sews a garment with tiny stitches. By this I mean sewing 20 stitches per inch (2.5 cm) rather than the normal 8 stitches per inch which I prefer. The problem with sewing 20 stitches per inch (2.5 cm) is that if you have to alter the garment, the time it takes to unpick has almost tripled. There is absolutely NO REASON to sew with tiny stitches.
The only time this is recommended is in Couture sewing. Instead of the standard backward and forward lock at the beginning and end of a seam, in Couture, they recommend changing the stitch to 20 stitches per inch (2.5 cm) at the beginning and end of the seam, however they do suggest this is only for the first half inch (1 cm) at the beginning and end of the seam; then go to 6 stitches per inch (2.5 cm). Personally I prefer the 8 stitches per inch rather than 6, however find what you are comfortable with and work with that.
I do like the idea of small stitches at the beginning because it has many advantages. When you are taking in the sides of a garment, and have only unpicked under the arm a small section, when you have taken it in and are putting the garment back together, you can place your needle over the top of the original stitch and sew for half an inch at small then change to normal stitches. This eliminates a mistake being made by sewing off the stitch line when back tacking.
I worked with a Scottish lady once who stitched in the largest stitch on the machine for everything. When it came to unpicking a problem she achieved it very quickly.
Happy sewing
Judith aka genie
Before I start with this month’s newsletter, I need to point out that this article might upset some people, and for that I am sorry. However, I have always been known to call a spade a spade, and that means saying it how it is. If only one person reads this newsletter and gains something from it, then I have achieved what I set out to do. That is to shock you into good workmanship when it comes to your sewing.
So how did this all start?
I was watching Project Runway recently and one of the judges made a comment about the construction of one of the garments. He said that the way the garment was constructed was like “Home Sewing”. You know when you have one of those “Ah huh”! moments. Well that was one of mine.
I seem to recall that terminology used before, however this time when I heard it, it really did hit home to me that this is how I feel about some peoples attempt at clothing alterations.
Clothing alterations is probably one of the greatest challenges for people to perform quality workmanship. Offering a guarantee to a client, which means standing up for your work. One of my greatest challenges when training people on doing clothing alterations is stressing how important workmanship is. When you are altering a readymade garment, you want the person to look at the garment and she or he should see that the workmanship is of a high standard. When you buy clothes the workmanship is generally not in question. It usually comes down to style and fashion fabric colour which helps you to make a decision on whether you will buy it or not. Designers and manufacturers do not produce poor workmanship (generally speaking). If clothes are sold with excellent workmanship, then why can it not be altered and still look the same?
One of my biggest concerns when people do clothing alterations is the fact that they think for some reason they can take a nip here or a tuck there, and the client will be happy as long as it appears ok from the outside and that the garment fits. But turn the garment inside out, and it’s like “fright night” aaaghhhhh!!!
How many ways can we talk about altering clothes (or dressmaking for that matter) where the garment (when completed) looks the same as it would if it was purchased from a store?
If you are going to take in the centre back of a dress, do it so that it does not look like you altered it. If it has a zip and you do not understand how to bag the zip at the top or attach it to the lining first, then take the time to look at how it is done, BEFORE you unpick it.
Clothing alterations is about working backwards 99.9% of the time. Generally the last section sewn is the FIRST to be unpicked, and you work backwards from that. It’s not rocket science, but what it does is allow you to alter the garment in an orderly and timely manner. The old “hack and slash” mentality will not give a good alteration.
If you are going to put darts in a gown, then put them in so that the dart is in between the fashion fabric and the lining. Increase or reduce the dart size, working as the original garment was sewn. Get back to the dart section by unpicking around the beginning of the dart.
Whether you are putting in new darts, extending the size of the dart, taking in the sides or a centre back seam from the top, UNDO any under stitching BEFORE you open out the seam. The under stitching should always be unpicked a little more than the seam, so that when you take the garment in, the under stitching is not in the way, and you can close the seam without any interference from the under stitching. And always put the under stitching back on as it was originally AFTER you have sewn the seam.
There is only ONE TIME when you would not do this, and that is when you are taking up the shoulders of a sleeveless dress that has under stitching on the sides. Naturally you cannot get in there to re do the stitching, and to be honest it will not affect the way the shoulder sits.
So the only reasons you would not put the garment back together the way it was, is because it is physically impossible to do that. And I do not mean that it is just a little bit difficult. In a lot of alterations you have to be a contortionist to alter some garments, but when it is physically impossible, is when you have to leave it alone.
I have a saying which is “Good enough isn’t” and it stands for itself. Another is never sew to a fold. That means unpicking hems or edges that are to be taken in. It gives for an excellent alteration and one that will have people coming back to you time and again.
So back to the judges comment about “home sewn”. I loved the terminology because it really does allow me to imagine that the garment is not sewn well. These people are all working on the same machines, and a good seamstress or tailor never blames their sewing machine.
One’s first impression of “Home Sewn” is that the person works from home and uses a small domestic sewing machine and this is the reason for the bad work. There is no truth in that. Blaming a machine is a cop out BECAUSE – I only use a domestic sewing machine. In fact I have said this a few times. All of my clothing alteration shops in major capital cities, ONLY HAD DOMESTIC SEWING MACHINES. This also allowed for long workstations to have three or four machines on them and we could swivel in between the domestic sewing machine, over locker, cover stitch machine and blind hemmer (all domestic or semi industrial so it sat on the work station).
I have always said that a domestic sewing machine is all you need to do alterations. If you like using an industrial machine and have found a way to do your alterations with care and precision on one, then my hat goes off to you.
I am not saying there is anything wrong with an industrial sewing machine. I am just saying that they were originally designed for factory work. Or rather piece work. Machinists sat in rows and each machinist had a particular piece to sew. It was then passed on to another machinist. The machines were developed for speed. I have been in a few factories, and the “brrrrr”, “brrrr” of the machine was all you heard.
When all you do is clothing alterations and a little dressmaking, then a good old domestic will do the trick. When you have to do a few stitches to close a seam (say 10 stitches) a domestic will allow you the precision. An industrial (standard industrial I mean) can sometimes be difficult to slow down for such a small amount of sewing. Mind you a good industrial is great to have around when you are sewing curtains, large hems on wedding gowns etc. So they do come in handy. But a domestic will do the same thing.
The only other machine you need to perform professional clothing alterations is an over locker. If you do not have an over locker, then there is no way that you can produce professional looking clothing alterations.
Using the zig zag on your machine is not going to provide quality workmanship. You might be happy to do that for your own clothes, but do not expect a customer to pay you good money for a raw edge that has been zig zagged.
I am reminded when I started my first shop with an old mini Elna sewing machine and a borrowed over locker from my sister in law. The over locker looked like it was over the hill, but it did a great stitch and that is all I was interested in. You can start a small business working from home with a simple cheap domestic sewing machine and an old over locker. They both just have to sew well. Buying them second hand does not matter. You do not have to have an expensive machine to produce quality workmanship, and that is what you have to do to get repeat business.
I am sure this article may result in a few emails. If you have an industrial machine, and you love it like I love my little dog Nina, then I do understand. (see I do understand the passion for sewing machines) But there are a lot of ladies (and men) out there who would like to begin to earn an income from their sewing skills, and they have been told they cannot do any form of clothing alterations or dressmaking on a domestic sewing machine. They have been told they have to go out and buy an industrial, and I am just saying that this is not the case. I have been doing clothing alterations for over 16 years now, and I use a normal domestic sewing machine. One that does a nice stitch, and I have a normal domestic over locker which sews well and does what I need it to do.
And finally the domestic machine allows me the precision to get into small areas, it has an arm, which allows me to have my hems in a circle around the arm, giving me greater control.
Happy sewing
Judith aka genie
Boning is used to support the garment on the body. Almost all garments with boning are strapless, however sometimes it can be used to create definition in a garment or if a garment hangs loosely on a body. One body shape that will have problems would be a person with little or no waist. With this body shape the garment could be pushed upwards creating folds in the fabric. Check that the straps do not need shortening, and if this does not help, perhaps a little boning on the lining will create strength to the garment.
Taking in a garment with boning is the same as taking in a garment without boning when you look at each process individually.
The first step is to pin the excess fabric of the garment whilst it is on the person’s body. Successful clothing alterations come from recognizing that we are all different body shapes and your job is to fit the garment to the person’s body shape. Pins are used to achieve this, but not just any pins. Small silver pins, or small pins or any type will not work because you may have to pin through the boning.
When pinning a garment with boning, you need to use pins that will push through the boning. This is why I always use Quilting Pins which are 4.5 cm (1¾ inch) long. They are strong and long, which means you can pin into and out of the boning with this pin. I do not have any pin size less than this in my sewing room. No matter what I am pinning, these pins works the best, because I have less area to pin, and they take the garment in as if it has been sewn with seams. This gives the customer a good idea of what it will feel like when altered. When customers come with a garment already pinned, I will save the pins for them and return them to the customer, or throw them away if they do not want them back.
If you use small pins, and you place them a fair distance apart, the person will definitely not get the “feel” for how the garment will be when taken in.
The next type of pin I use, particularly for pinning boning is the “Hat pin”. This is a very long pin (6.3 cm or 2½ inches) and is excellent for pushing into and out of boning. It is also excellent when pinning thick fabrics like denim.
When a strapless garment is too big at the top, the first place you should try to pin is the side seams at the centre back on either side of the zip. Have the person facing a mirror and take hold of both these seams and pinch the fabric in. See if it takes in the front section. If it does then proceed to pin this area until you have taken up the excess fabric.
The side seams can be taken in, however you will have to reshape the front bust area because the back panel will not fit into the front panel when taken in. That means reshaping the front panel to fit the back panel. The side seams should also have boning.
Another option is to take in through the centre back which would normally have a zip. Try pinning the excess fabric down the zip. The zipper should be closed and in the centre. Once pinned, place another pin over the top of the pin that is pushed through both sides. Do this all the way down until you can undo the zipper but still have one side pinned for your reference points.
Your pins are what tells you what needs to be done. Let’s say you pinned the centre back zip area, or the side seams or side back seams and the front is still too big. Take all the pins out and pin over the bust area. Almost every strapless dress or gown will have panels over the bust. Be careful when pinning over the bust area. You do not want to accidently pin the lady. Pinch the excess fabric with your fingers and slide the pin in so that you can feel it with your fingers.
The person should be able to look at the garment and see what it will look like when it is taken in, and because you use a good long pin, and the pins are one underneath the other, she will feel what it will be like when taken in.
For a comprehensive understanding of my Taking in Technique, please refer to my book Clothing Alteration Secrets Revealed, but briefly this is what you need to do.
Make a stick drawing of the garment and the area you are going to take in. Measure from the top of the fold to the edge of the pin and right this measurement down on the stick drawing. For example Start = X” Now measure down 5 cm (2 in) and measure from the fold to the pin and write down on the piece of paper 2″ = X”. Follow this process all the way down your pins. In this way you are transferring the amount you have pinned the garment onto a piece of paper. It is imperative that you get these measurements accurate, so that when you take in the garment, you will be measuring from the original seam stitching and marking in the amount you have on the piece of paper.
If you are dealing with a top that is lined (and most garments with boning will be lined) then you may find an opening inside the garment somewhere. If there is none, then the last thing to close the garment would have been the zip area. Do not unpick the lining from the zip. Unpick the outer fabric from the zip IN THE CENTRE ONLY (not the top or bottom) Only unpick enough to pop the garment through. You should be able to slide your hand in and turn the garment inside out.
If the garment is a dress you should be able to get access in between the lining and the outer.
If the garment is a dress or gown and the bodice is encased, unpick at the join (generally the waist) close to the zipper. You should notice a small section that is not sewn close to the zip. This will be where you will get access to the garment, so unpick sufficient that you can get into the area you need access to.
The boning can be sewn on a number of ways.
Encased boning
A separate sleeve has been made for the boning to slide into. This will be sewn onto the seams at the centre back side or the side seams or the front. where ever you are altering, you will need to unpick the casing with the boning in it and put it aside.
Attached to seams
Some manufacturers will sew the boning directly onto the seams. In this instance, unpick the boning and put to one side.
Seam allowance stitched on lining and boning encased
This will mean a little more work for you because you will have to re sew the seam allowance and you will have to make sure that you do allow enough room to insert the boning.
ALWAYS unpick the under stitching around the top of the garment, BEFORE you taken it in. This under stitching should be unpicked before the seam that joins the lining to the outer, and always unpick the under stitching a little bit more than the seams joining the lining to the outer.
Unpick enough of the seam so that you can take in the amount it is being taken in. The best method for this is to use a tailors pencil, and place dots as per your measurements. For example if the Start = 2.5 cm (1″) then place a dot that is 2.5 cm (1″) IN from the original seam. The second tailors pencil dot should be 5 cm (2″) down from the first dot, and will be the same as the measurement you had on the paper for this amount down. Let’s say it was 2cm (3/4″), then you will place a dot at this position. You will work all the way down the seam transferring the measurements from your paper to the garment. You will then do exactly the same with the lining.
Repeat with the opposite seam.
Sew the new seam on your sewing machine, following the dots all the way to the end. always taper off gradually.
Over lock the excess off, or if the seam is opened out, then unpick the old seam, and iron the seam flat BEFORE you cut off the excess, allowing for seam allowance of course.
SPECIAL NOTE – ALWAYS SEW THE NEW SEAM FIRST BEFORE UNPICKING THE OLD. THE OLD SEAM IS YOUR REFERENCE POINT, AND IT HOLDS THE GARMENT IN POSITION FOR YOU.
A sleeve board works excellent for seams on the bodice of garments, or a ham.
Attach the boning back onto the seam allowance. It is usually attached to the lining, but I have come across garments where it is sewn onto the outer. Again it depends on the manufacturer.
Always make sure that the top of the boning is covered with some fabric. Occasionally you will come across boning that is cut with no cover and it can push through the fabric and dig into the person. Very uncomfortable.
As you can see there really is no difference between taking in boning and taking in a garment without boning. The same principles apply.
It’s really nothing to be worried about. Take it in like any normal top, the only difference is you have a little bit of extra work because you have to take the boning out, and then when you have taken it in, you need to repeat the encasing for the boning. Have a good look at it before you begin to unpick. Make sure you have your measurements written down on a piece of paper before you unpick.
Put the garment back together as it was originally. For this type of alteration, I would charge a minimum of one hour which is at AUD$40.00 per hour, however for a job like this it would probably take around one hour 30 minutes which would be AUD$60.00.
Happy sewing
Judith aka genie
This is another one of those alteration areas that can create confusion. I had a lady join one of my shops, who thought the only way to open out seams was to start sewing about 15 cm (6 in) above the new hem length, slowly taper down, then once she reached the new hem length, she would tape in. Unfortunately when she showed me what she was doing, the first thing I noticed was that the inside leg “line” swerved in where she began to sew. This almost made the person look like they had a “bump” on the inside leg and the knee looked quite wide.
In all of the hems I have altered, there has only been one time where I had to taper down from the knee so that I could open out the seam, and that was because the trousers were so tapered at the new hem length, that opening out the seams on the inside and outside leg from the new hem length to the raw edge did not allow enough for the hem to sit flat.
The seam generally only needs to be opened from the new hem length to the cut raw edge. To work out how much, fold the hem allowance up, having one side even and the other side will show you how much you need to open out the seam.
The only point I would make here is that when you begin to sew OVER the existing seam on the inside leg, that you MUST be EXACTLY on top of this seam. If you are even slightly off to one side it will not sit correctly.
Some sewing machine feet are more enclosed than others, and it may be difficult to see where the needle is being placed. If this is the case, try and buy a plastic foot. One that you can see through. I use my single plastic button hole foot when doing this, because I can see exactly where my needle is being positioned.
If you are only new to sewing, practice by sewing a few rows , then try and sew over the top of them so that it still looks like one row of stitching. By practicing this, you will find that all your clothing alteration work will be excellent.
Happy sewing
Judith aka genie
If you have my book, you will understand when I say that getting the pinning right means getting the alteration right. When determining the new length on a pair of trousers or jeans, it is imperative that the person have the shoes they will to be wearing with the trousers, and if they want to wear low or high heeled shoes, then they need to have the hem pinned with the low heeled shoes first, pin as long as possible, then try on the high heeled shoes.
The width at the base of the trousers plays a big factor in how the trouser or jeans will sit on or over the shoe. Some people may want you to pin as long as possible for a pair of very tight fitting stretch jeans, wanting them to fit over the shoe and touch the floor. Of course they are not going to do this because they are too narrow, and will not fit over the shoe. So this is where you need to educate the person on why they will not fit over the shoe. I always give an example of a flared pair of jeans, saying that if the jeans are flared, they will easily fit over the shoe and can be touching the floor if that is what they want, although I would try and get them to have it just off the floor so that they do not fray when worn. But how long it will be is determined by the width at the base of the trousers.
With my technique we fold the excess fabric under, and we place two crossed pins at the outside leg seam, then use the knuckle technique to get the right length from the floor on the inside leg, snap the fabric from inside to outside leg, so that it sits even and place a pin at the front, then snap the fabric at the back to get the right length and pin.
If the person has purchased a pair of flared trousers, then by shortening the trousers the flare will become less. Obviously the higher you take the trousers or jeans up the narrower the base of the trouser will become.
I am aware that some alteration shops fold the fabric over around the knee area (generally above the knee) and pin all the way around. I think this is done to leave the original length at the bottom. However the problem with this is that the customer who is looking in the mirror will be seeing the width at the base of the trousers as it is originally. Yet when the trousers are shortened, they will become narrower, so technically they are not getting what they think they are getting, and some men are very particular about the front crease resting on the front of the shoe. The wider the base the longer it needs to be.
I remember when I first opened in Sydney, some customers asked me why I did not pin at the knee, and when I explained the reason why, they understood and were happy with my technique. It is extremely important to me that what the customer sees in the mirror is what they are going to get, whether it is taking up or taking in.
see Opening out seams so hem allowance sits flat for more info
Happy sewing
Judith aka genie