Jalie 972 Overalls (line drawing), Kelly Hogaboom / Bespoke Hogaboom

jalie overalls sew-along

Jalie 972 Overalls (line drawing), Kelly Hogaboom / Bespoke Hogaboom
Jalie 972 Overalls (photo), Kelly Hogaboom / Bespoke Hogaboom

jalie 972 - overalls

Chest: 21 1/4″ – 65″
Waist: 20 1/8″ – 60 5/8″
Hip: 21 5/8″ – 66 1/2″
Size table

Loose-fitting overalls/dungarees including adjustable straps and oversize fit.

Jalie’s patterns are fantastic – they come in one of the largest size ranges I’ve ever seen! The instructions come in English, French, and Spanish. I love Jalie’s drafting, the directions, and the welcoming culture in their Facebook group.

This is a retro/reproduce – Jalie scanned in the pattern and photo from back in the day (yes, they’ve been around a long while!). The pattern is therefore not available in layers, but it is available in print-at-home, AO, and 36″ formats!

Let’s get moving! Overalls are about as tricky as jeans – just a few more steps. The Jalie instructions are so gorgeous because you can really “see ahead” which I always appreciate.

Remember: I will be sewing live, and I will embed and upload the entire video playlist here as I go.

Materials needed:

The Jalie 972 overall pattern (here).
Non-stretch bottomweight
Jean buttons
Overall clips & sliders

Interfacing*
All-purpose thread
Topstitching thread*
Needles: denim (or heavy, sharp, universal); also double* and topstitch needles*
Tracing medium & tracing wheel
Paper & tape
Awl*
Buttonhole chisel*

* Optional; watch the first video for more information

– as well as your tuned-up sewing machine and manual, cutting equipment, pins, scissors, iron and ironing board!

For fabric, I’m using a fantastic corduroy!

I’ll be sewing on three machines: my domestic Pfaff, a White serger (for seam finishing), and my Pfaff 130 (for topstitching). If you don’t have three machines never fear – I will be going over how to make the jeans if you are only sewing with one machine; however, I highly recommend you borrow and set up a second machine for topstitching.

This sew-along begins 5 PM Pacific on Tuesday June 1st, 2021, hosted on my Twitch channel; they are then uploaded to my Vimeo channel if you miss out! And all dates are hosted on my Calendar (here’s a live link you can add to your own).

TUE 1: cutting & marking
WED 2: bib and back/back pockets
THU 3: front & front pockets
FRI 4: finishing
SAT 5: finishing, pt two; hardware

I’m excited to create alongside you!

Friday Pattern Ilford Jacket Sew-Along Livestream, Kelly Hogaboom / Bespoke Hogaboom

friday patterns ilford jacket sew-along

Friday Pattern Ilford Jacket Sew-Along Livestream, Kelly Hogaboom / Bespoke Hogaboom

It’s that time again! Time for another sew-along. As the seasons change and we expect a bit more warmth where I live – I thought, why not a spring, smock-style jacket?

My selection this month is the Friday Ilford Jacket – a simple garment that’s great for the committed beginner ready to upgrade to trying a sleeve placket and a collar – that kind of thing. 

Joining me once again – I am delighted to say! – is my friend Traci Kay Pryde from @pryde.hantverk and we are leading you every step of the way through this fantastic garment!

friday pattern co ilford jacket

Bust: 32″ – 60″
Waist:  24″ – 53″
Hip: 34″ – 63″

Drop-shoulder unlined jacket in two lengths; pattern comes with a few different pocket templates. Plain sleeve or placket-style sleeve.

I’ll be making the short length, and the placket sleeve. I’ll also be interlining the jacket and I’ll talk about that as I go!

Here are the materials you need!

The Ilford Jacket pattern (here)
Buttons (5 – 10; the pattern recommends 1″ – 1 1/2″)
Bottomweight woven (sewing yardages are on page five of the pattern)
Interfacing (1 yard)
All-purpose thread & topstitching thread*
Needles: denim (or heavy, sharp, universal); topstitch needle*
Buttonhole chisel*

* optional

– as well as your tuned-up sewing machine and manual, cutting equipment, pins, scissors, iron and ironing board!

I’ll be sewing on three machines: my domestic Pfaff, a White serger (for some seam finishing), and my Pfaff 130 (for topstitching). If you don’t have three machines never fear – I will be going over how to construct the garment if you are only sewing with one machine.

Our schedule! This sew-along begins 5 PM Pacific on Tuesday the 23rd, hosted simultaneously on my Twitch channel; the videos are then uploaded to my Vimeo channel if you miss out! And all dates are hosted on my Calendar (here’s a live link you can add to your own).

TUE 23: cutting & marking
WED 24: sleeve plackets* & collar
FRI 26: body, front plackets, & cuffs
FRI 26: pockets, hem, buttons & buttonholes

* This pattern has us constructing sleeve plackets right off the bat, instead of when the garment is almost finished. One caveat: you will want to baste-fit and adjust your sleeve length first, because if your intended wearer needs a much shorter sleeve (as mine does!) you could possibly end up with a too-short sleeve placket if you don’t adjust first.

And finally! The best place to ask questions about this sew-along, is right here in the blog post! This blog post serves as the master document. 

Rad Patterns Kelly Jeans Sew-Along Livestream, Kelly Hogaboom / Bespoke Hogaboom

rad patterns kelly jeans sew-along

Rad Patterns Kelly Jeans Sew-Along Livestream, Kelly Hogaboom / Bespoke Hogaboom

I am honored to be hosting a livestream sew-along for the Rad Pattern Kelly Jean – a rigid jean pattern in a wonderful adult size range!

The name is not a coincidence! Stephanie of Rad Patterns says, “They’re called the Kelly Jeans, named for my amazingly talented friend @bespokehogaboom who’s probably one of the most amazing jeans sewists on the planet”!

Ha ha I’m not crying, you’re crying!

Rad Patterns Kelly Jeans Sew-Along Livestream, Kelly Hogaboom / Bespoke Hogaboom

rad patterns kelly jean

Waist: 22 1/2″ – 73″
Hip: 32 1/2″ – 83″

Rigid (non-stretch) jean in several lengths. Curved waistband, zip fly, slouchy/boyfriend fit, low pockets.

My best jean-making tip: slow down! Read the directions, proceed carefully, and don’t be afraid to seam-rip and adjust for fit!

Let’s get moving! Jeans are tricky enough I thought I’d do a quick introduction video – covering our materials but also a bit of muslin prep. You can also skip ahead and read on before watching the video (in fact, I recommend reading this whole post first before watching anything). If you see anything goofy or confusing – just go ahead and leave a comment and I will attend to it directly!

Remember: I will be sewing live, and I will embed and upload the entire video playlist here as I go:

Here are the materials you need!

The Kelly Jean pattern (here).
Non-stretch denim or equivalent (sewing yardages are on page two of the pattern)
Interfacing
All-purpose thread & topstitching thread*
Needles: denim (or heavy, sharp, universal); also double* and topstitch needles*
Tracing medium & tracing wheel
Paper & tape
Awl*
Buttonhole chisel*

* Optional; watch the first video for more information

– as well as your tuned-up sewing machine and manual, cutting equipment, pins, scissors, iron and ironing board!

For fabric, I’m using a fantastic canvas from The Hand and Eye Sewing Supply – a fairly new fabric shop that has some absolutely fantastic bottomweights!

I’ll be sewing on three machines: my domestic Pfaff, a White serger (for seam finishing), and my Pfaff 130 (for topstitching). If you don’t have three machines never fear – I will be going over how to make the jeans if you are only sewing with one machine; however, I highly recommend you borrow and set up a second machine for topstitching.

Our schedule! This sew-along begins 5 PM Pacific on Saturday the 20th, hosted simultaneously on my Bespoke Hogaboom Facebook page and my Twitch channel; they are then uploaded to my Vimeo channel if you miss out! And all dates are hosted on my Calendar (here’s a live link you can add to your own).

If you have questions about jean construction – please ask here in the blog post. If you have questions about your specific jean muslin and fitting – ask in the Rad Patterns Facebook group!

SAT 20: cutting & marking
TUE 23: interfacing, back and front pockets
WED 24: back yoke, inseams, outseams
THU 25: zip fly, waistband
FRI 26: belt carriers, button & buttonhole, & grommets

And finally! You have the opportunity to enter the giveaway below! Please read carefully to enter. If you like, you can subscribe to my sewing emails (about one per month).

You do not have to subscribe to my emails for the giveaway!

.
For March: Bralette Sewing (Livestream)

“seams legit” sewing lesson: a bralette!

It’s March – already! We had a lovely time sewing briefs last month; this month we continue our lingerie efforts by making a bralette.

A reminder that for all sew-alongs you need:

1. a machine with it’s manual, tuned-up, that can sew a balanced zig-zag
2. the supplies listed in the pattern, as well as a thorough read-through of the pattern you use

From here on out we will be cutting with a rotary cutter and mat. March 15th I will also list some preparation work we can do for the bralette sew-along, to make sure our livestream class goes smoothly!

So! Let’s talk about this month’s project!

Ban-Roll Tutorial

tutorial: ban-roll finishing

Ban-Roll Tutorial

I often get questions about teeny-tiny hems – on men’s shirts, baby clothes, or frocks. I tell them: use a ban-roll. They ignore this advice. They struggle. They have ripples. They ask for advice again. I say: use a ban-roll.

So, ban-roll is sewing notion, a a waistband stiffener used to provide structure inside a garment. It is also a notion we can cleverly repurpose as a teeny-tiny comb. I have yet to meet the fabric it cannot conquer! Shown above a semi-sheer dress in a single gauze. I not only finished the v-neckline with the ban-roll technique, I finished the highly-curved armscyes – without a ripple in sight. This was done to avoid facings – which are fiddly and would have shown through – and a lining, which would have changed the entire appeal of the garment.

You want to purchase ban-roll that is at least an inch wide, and make sure it has a weave to it; not all items advertised online have this weave. Cut a fairly long length; for necklines and armscyes about three feet is plenty. You will want more, if you use the ban-roll for hems.

After you cut your ban-roll strip, carefully cut the thick “selvedge” edge strand at one long edge (you can see this long edge at the top of the strip in the photograph below). Then peel more of the long strands, until you have a depth you like. Shown at the bottom of the strip below: about 3/16″. This corresponds to the 3/8″ hem allowance I have for these seams, since the depth of the ban-roll comb will be half the depth of the seam or hem allowance. Adjust your allowances, or your ban-roll comb, accordingly.


This is the armscye we’ll be tackling! Please note, there are tons of ban-roll tutorials out there that show how to do straight seams or very subtly curved hems. We’re about to tackle a deep curve.

Ban-Roll Tutorial

Place your ban-roll right up against the right side of your fabric, with the free end of the comb touching the raw edge of the fabric. The needle will magically travel over the comb. Now, stitch carefully – right up against the base of the comb. Your needle should just kiss that first long fiber on the left. Go slowly! If you stitch over the long strand, it’s kind of a pain and will muss your finished product a bit.

Ban-Roll Tutorial

Now here’s a bit of a tricky part. Look how severe the curve is, that I’m approaching. Instead of pulling the raw edge straight – as if you were serging a curve, say – simply sew slowly, take your left fingers in between the ban-roll and the fabric, and push (gently) the fabric into the foot. This finesse is how you avoid ripples in the final product!

Ban-Roll Tutorial

When you get to the end of your seam, you can carefully backstitch, or pull the work off the machine while making sure to snug the stitching line right up against the base of the comb. You can see below, how my stitching line has drifted off the comb base. Simply snug it right back down. This is important, before the next step – making sure the stitching line is right up against the comb base.

Ban-Roll Tutorial

Ban-Roll Tutorial

Next, you are going to fold the fabric over the ban-roll until the teeth of the comb are nestled in the fabric fold! Some people consider this a two step process. But when you’re done, you will have a nice double fold, and the wrong-side of your fabric will be facing the body of the ban-roll strip.

Ban-Roll Tutorial

Ban-Roll Tutorial

Next, stitch with the wrong-side of the fabric facing up, right on the inner fold of that baby hem. This essentially means you are turning the work and stitching back against the direction you came. Keep about 1/16″ in from that fold, and stitch slowly. If you come to a curve again, repeat the gentle – very gentle – pushing motion with your left fingers between the ban-roll strip and the fabric.

Ban-Roll Tutorial

Now, remove the work from the machine. Here is my curve – before pressing, it already looks pretty good!

Ban-Roll Tutorial

This is the fun part – you get to haul that ban-roll out of the finished hem – and you can reuse the strip many times! Gently tug it out of the seam. Even on very fragile fabrics, this has always gone beautifully.

Ban-Roll Tutorial

Gently press your hem/curve – and admire your results!

Ban-Roll Tutorial

Ban-Roll Tutorial

This technique is a lot of fun and provides lovely finishes. With practice you just get finer results each time.

Enjoy!

Ban-Roll Tutorial

Tutorial: Clean-Finish Inseam Pockets

tutorial: clean finish inseam pockets

Tutorial: Clean-Finish Inseam Pockets
I can’t be the only person irritated by the fairly untidy nature of inseam pocket finishes. Often we are lining garments, and in that case there is no need for pocket finishes to be perfect. But for other articles of clothing – like hoodies or simple pants – these pocket finishes will be visible when the garment is inside-out.

I fiddled around and finally came up with a very quick, reliable, and easy method for a good pocket finish. This method uses a sewing machine for the stitching line and a serger for the finish, but you can also zig-zag and trim in place of serging.

Enjoy!

So first: cut your pieces as per usual, except use thread-tails, chalk or washable marker to mark your pocket position in the side seam, rather than clipping into the seam allowance.

Now, we have the four pocket pieces – I call them “kidney-shaped” although that’s not perfectly accurate:

Tutorial: Clean-Finish Inseam Pockets

We are going to serge-finish the curved edge first. Go around the very edge, careful not to trim any of the piece:

Tutorial: Clean-Finish Inseam Pockets

Tutorial: Clean-Finish Inseam Pockets

 

Now, we are going to serge the straight edge, leaving long tails:

Tutorial: Clean-Finish Inseam Pockets

Tutorial: Clean-Finish Inseam Pockets

Next, take these long tails and, using a blunt darning needle, thread them through one of the curved seams and trim. You will end up with a perfectly-finished pocket seam:

Tutorial: Clean-Finish Inseam Pockets
Now, finish the side seams only of both the front and back piece. Below you can see my black thread tail marking the pocket position:

 

Tutorial: Clean-Finish Inseam Pockets

Pin your pocket to your side seam, right sides together:

Tutorial: Clean-Finish Inseam Pockets

Tutorial: Clean-Finish Inseam Pockets

Stitch 1/8″ from the seam allowance, starting right at that pocket piece and performing a firm backstitch at the beginning and end of the stitching line. This garment is made with a 3/8″ seam allowance, so I stitched at 1/4″ from the finished edge:

Tutorial: Clean-Finish Inseam Pockets

Tutorial: Clean-Finish Inseam Pockets

Now, either steam-or finger-press this last seam, then press it open such that the seam allowance faces to the pocket. Press again, if you like. Stitch 1/8″ from the seam along the full length of the pocket, catching all layers:

Tutorial: Clean-Finish Inseam Pockets

Here is the underside of that understitching – it looks great!
Tutorial: Clean-Finish Inseam Pockets

And here is the view from the public side of the garment:
Tutorial: Clean-Finish Inseam Pockets

Once you’ve completed the pocket join for all four pocket pieces, it’s time to join the shoulders and then the sleeves. Finish the sleeve long edges before joining to the body, join the sleeves as the armscye, and finish the armscye seam leaving long serge tails.

Next, pin the side seams of the garment together:

Tutorial: Clean-Finish Inseam Pockets

You want to really get your pocket pieces lined up exactly. Sometimes that understitched seam allowance will want to push towards the body of the shirt while you are sewing the side seam and pocket closed. To keep this from happening, I usually sew this long side seam from the sleeve hem, and then stop in the middle of the pocket curve. Then I flip the garment over, and sew up from the shirt hem, meeting in the pocket curve. This keeps the seam allowances from trying to push away from the pocket.

Tutorial: Clean-Finish Inseam Pockets

When you get to pinning your pocket curve, really make sure the pockets are lined up perfectly with one another. If you cut accurately and you did not trim anything with the serger blade, they will line up beautifully:

Tutorial: Clean-Finish Inseam Pockets

Now, it’s time to sew that side seam. Take your time and really make sure your finished edges line up well together.
Tutorial: Clean-Finish Inseam Pockets

When sewing toward that pocket I usually “cut over” from the side seam allowance, to stitch right on the finished edge of the pocket kidney pieces. You can of course maintain the garment seam allowance instead, and then go back over the serged edges with a stitching line on a second pass, if you like.

Tutorial: Clean-Finish Inseam Pockets

Here is that underside of the pocket – it’s perfect!

Tutorial: Clean-Finish Inseam Pockets

Finally, those long tails we have at the armpit? Knot these and then slip them into an inner serging channel. A firm finish, and a good-looking one too!

Tutorial: Clean-Finish Inseam Pockets

Tutorial: Clean-Finish Inseam Pockets

Those are some sexy pockets!

Tutorial: Clean-Finish Inseam Pockets

So to sum up, the method is fairly simple:

1. use thread marks, not clips, to mark pocket location
2. clean finish the entire kidney-shaped pocket piece
3. finish the side seams, leaving long serge-tails at the armpit and hem
4. sew the pockets to the side seams, right sides together
5. understitch the pocket side seam to the pocket
6. join the shoulders, sleeves, and then side seams of the garments, keeping a very exact seam allowance
7. continue to finish the shirt

Enjoy!

The Old Singer

tutorial: my favorite methods

I’ve pointed out before that my first sewing studio was a closet – a closet with a shag-green carpet (occasionally redolent with cat piss; joy!); and a closet I shared with my partner’s computer and with our clothes! This was in an impossibly-small studio apartment! There wasn’t even enough room for my sewing machine (a cheap plastic Kenmore my mother bought me) – I had to store it on the porch in a cabinet.

So I know all about how hard it is to “make space”.

Tutorial: Sewing A Button

tutorial: sew a button

When people learn I sew they often tell me, “Oh I can’t even sew on a button!” – it’s an oft-repeated phrase that means, essentially, one has no sewing skills whatsoever. But I find this phrase funny because actually, sewing on a button is more difficult than it seems!

Here I’ll illustrate how to enact a button installation – in this case on a folded edge of felt. My method hides thread tails and creates a very strong, and very tidy result. It can be used almost any place you need a button – whether a new garment, or a repair!