In this week’s session, I demonstrated techniques for bonding lace pieces together and creating interesting sleeve designs using elastic and fabric manipulation. I showed how to hand-sew lace edges for a seamless look and explored ways to add creative gathered effects to sleeves. The session covered both delicate hand-sewing methods and machine techniques for achieving unique design elements.
Demonstration Steps:
- Demonstrated hand-sewing technique for bonding lace pieces together
- Showed how to create a clean finish by carefully trimming excess lace
- Explained the process of using elastic to create gathered effects on sleeves
- Demonstrated stabilizing gathered fabric for sleeve applications
- Discussed options for integrating gathered sleeve designs into armholes
Questions & Answers:
- Q: How do you line a dress with sleeves?
- A: I’ll cover this in detail in a future session, but generally you want to attach the lining and outer fabric together at the armhole.
- Q: Is it tacky to use a serger for constructing dresses?
- A: It depends on the dress type. For high-end dresses, I prefer French seams or other clean finishes. For everyday dresses, serged seams are fine.
- Q: What about using invisible elastic to stabilize gathered sleeves?
- A: You can use invisible elastic, but be sure to match notches carefully when attaching to the bodice since the elastic will shorten the sleeve edge.
