Hi Everyone! Let's talk about - Sewing Curves and Corners! Both of these seamlines are a staple in most garment construction. You might find curved seamlines in a princess seam, a sweetheart neckline, or standard armscye. They add a beautiful element of design detail as well as shape and structure when they are used. The most common corner is likely a collar, but you can also find this seamline on waistbands, bindings, and center back openings. A well-sewn corner can make or break an outfit! Not only do you need to sew it precisely, generally there are two that meet side by side, so mirroring an exact replica is key!
Throughout this 4 part topic, we will go over a variety of sewing techniques for sewing both curved seamlines and nicely pointed corners. My hope is that the techniques taught will inspire confidence to make a variety of designs that include these beautiful details!
I'll be demonstrating these techniques while walking you through a step by step sew along for the Liberty Jane Culotte Jumpsuit pattern. It will be broken apart into a few sections throughout the month. This week we will focus on the bodice.
Over the course of this 4 part topic we will cover:
- The Princess Seam (Part 1)
- The Sweetheart Neckline (Part 1)
- Corners on the Body of a Garment (Part 2)
- Sewing a Curved Piece to a Straight Piece (Part 2)
- Collars with Points and Curves (Part 3)
- Corners on Bindings (Part 3)
- Curved Facings (Part 4)
- The Curved Armscye (Part 4)
There are so many different seamlines to explore. It's going to be a fun month!
Are you ready? Let's go...
In the videos posted below, I share with you an overview of the month-long topic and then take a deep dive into our first tutorial - Sewing The Culotte Jumpsuit (Princess seams and the Sweetheart Neckline). These techniques are great basic skills to master! Many of the patterns available include step by step instructions for these techniques as well. Experimenting with the techniques and figuring out which method works best for you and your fabric choice is the key to success!
If you're looking for some beginner basics for sewing curved seamlines, be sure to take a quick look at the Sewing Academy Video: 2.2 Sewing basics Sewing Seams (password PixieFaire) at 12:50 there are a few demonstrations of sewing curved seamlines and tips on trimming the seam allowances.
Pattern Overview (designs that feature princess seams and sweetheart necklines):
- Liberty Jane Culotte Jumpsuit
- Liberty Jane Abbey Road
- Liberty Jane Hello Oscar
- Liberty Jane Mindil Beach Dress
- Liberty Jane Cosplay Day Dress
- Liberty Jane Faraway Downs Dress
- Liberty Jane Catalina Dress
- Liberty Jane Peplum Top and Dress
- Liberty Jane Kimberley Dress
- Liberty Jane Surfrider Sundress and Romper
Video Timeline:
- 0:00 - 0:40 Overview
- 0:40 - 4:35 Pattern Pieces, Cut Layout, Fabric
- 4:36 - 12:35 Front Bodice Princess Seams
- 12:36 - 15:40 Back Princess Seams, Side Seams, Waistband
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15:40 - 19:35 Spaghetti Strap Technique - (Game Changer, for me anyway!)
- 19:35 - 28:30 Sweetheart neckline - sewing
- 28:30 - end Sweetheart neckline - trimming
Week One task:
- Get your pattern, find your fabric and supplies, and follow along with part 1 of the sew along tutorial! Let's make a jumpsuit together :) Note: there is a slight error in the labeling of the bodice pattern pieces. I've edited it and you'll see a notification to get an updated file. The only change made was the Bodice Side Front, Bodice Back, and Bodice Side Back should be CUT 4 (not Cut 2).
- Jump over the SWC Facebook Group for conversation and project sharing.
- Also - a reminder to try to share your projects and images under the proper post in the FB group. There is a menu posted as an Announcement, that includes links to each topic we've presented. If you have images to share, please find the post and share them as a comment reply to that post. This will help to not overwhelm group members FB feeds with images. As well as make it easy to find what we're looking for inside the group itself. Thanks, everyone!
Next Tuesday - Week 2: Part 2 of the Sew Along - sewing the legs and finishing the back opening. Plus a few other curved seam demonstrations.
4 Comments
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Liana
June 20, 2018
I agree, this type of video is so helpful as a beginner to learn tips and techniques to increase our sewing knowledge. Thanks!