Summer Tunic from Love Sewing Magazine Issue 3

Hello again!

Here I would like to share with you my latest project.

I was going through my stack of magazines looking for a quick project that will lift my sewing spirits again. Then I found Issue 3 of  Love Sewing Magazine. The Summer Tunic seemed like the perfect project to do since I am lately craving to go to the beach and luckily  I live in Puerto Rico where we have beach weather all year long! I went to a local fabric store and picked a turquoise gauze fabric (or how we call it here in Puerto Rico "Tela India") which I think is perfect since I want to wear it on top of my bathing suit.

But before I started my project I made sure to do some research about this fabric since it was the first time I was working with it. I used a round tip needle which I understand made my life easier.

The pattern had the tunic with pockets but I am not a fan of how the pockets looks in the tunic so I decided to skip them.

One observation I have about the pattern is that the instructions were not included so you need the magazine for the instructions. It is very easy to made and I am happy with the results.

I am planning on making another version with a linen fabric I bought that I think looks very nice for a garment to wear at the beach.

Here is the final product!

Thanks for reading!

Pre-Shrinking your fabric

It has happened to all of us, you buy a garment that fits perfectly then you wash it and it shrinks. Well that is why I am bringing this topic, to talk to you about the importance of pre-shrinking the fabric before you start working on your sewing project.

It is important to preshrink your fabric, especially when using natural fiber fabrics and blends because they tend to shrink when washed and dried regardless of the temperature used in the washer and dryer. This process will allow you to understand how the fabric behaves regarding shrinking, color running, wrinkling among other things.

What I have learned from multiple sources (books, websites) is that the guideline to pre-shrink your fabric is to use the same method you expect to use for washing and pressing the finished garment. In another words, if you expect to wash your garment in hot water, use the high heat in the dryer and use a medium temperature when pressing it, then you should do the same with or without detergent for the fabric. If it is dry cleaning then have the fabric dry cleaned before you start your project.

When drying, if you are not using a drier machine, lay the fabric flat when drying, this will prevent the fabric from stretching of its own weight when hanged.

Pre-washing woven fabric can cause your fabric to get frayed on the raw edges resulting in a messy mix of knots and strings. To avoid this you can sew a length rolled hem on the two raw edges or fold the fabric and put it in a lingerie bag as well.

Do you have any good tips on preshrinking fabric? Feel free to comment!

Understanding the Grainline

Before you start laying out your pattern on fabric, it is important to understand the concept of the grainline. The way you lay your pattern pieces on fabric will have a direct impact on the garment construction.

Grainline is a term used in the textile industry that refers to the position or the orientation of the yarns in woven fabric.

Selvages: These are the finished edges where the fabric comes off the looms; the selvages are parallel to the lengthwise grain.

Lengthwise grain or grain line: The grain line runs the length of the fabric, parallel to the selvages. The lengthwise grain is usually the most stable and less stretchy than the crosswise grain.

Crosswise grain: This grain runs across the width of the fabric, from selvage to selvage and perpendicular to the lengthwise. Usually the Crosswise grain has most of the stretch.

Bias: 45 degrees between the crosswise and lengthwise grains. The bias is very stretchy and malleable. This is used for trims and bias tape because it is easily shaped to follow a curved edge.

Now that you have an idea of how to identify the grainline, you need to know that when you are laying your pattern on fabric, the arrows in the patterns must be in parallel with the fabric grainline. This way you ensure the fabric is being used appropriately when constructing your garment.