I nearly dropped my laundry basket today while catching this segment on PBS - which contained some excellent tips on collar and sleeve construction that I can't wait to try.
Sleeve caps have long been the bane of my existence, and I hate doing them. Little girls' dresses are one thing, where the top of the sleeve head is supposed to be frilly and poufy. Not so much on a woman's blouse. Her ideas about using old tie interfacing, cut on the bias so it has more stretch and body, were awesome.
Her quick trick on pointed collars was equally cool, I thought, especially as I look at the top to my son's Halloween costume (an Army jacket) that you can tell is homemade because of those stupid uncooperative points. Argh. But the way she does it is so simple, so easy, and you don't need any fancy gadget edge-turners or whatever they're called to achieve sharp corners that can transform a garment from looking homemade to store-bought.
I would love to take sewing classes and improve my technique - I've been sewing since I was a kid and sometimes feel I'm no more advanced than a beginner. While visiting a quilt expo in Cleveland, Ohio a few years ago, I was bowled over in amazement at some of the absolutely exquisite garments a professional seamstress had on display there. Someone in the segment mentioned 'taking as many classes as you can,' which is a great idea - if you can find them.
More reading:
Sleeve Cap Ease is Bogus: An excellent blog post on sleeve cap ease and why it's so eternally frustrating (if you do it the way you're "supposed to")
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