Here are some fashion-related exhibits to keep us busy during the summer months:

Diane Savona’s Closet Archaeology exhibit: via the Textile Blog

American Woman at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

And its sister exhibition, American High Style: Fashioning a National Collection, at the Brooklyn Museum of Art

You might also be interested in viewing this hour-long talk, Revealing Garments: A Brief History of Women’s Underwear: Art Babble

If you’re in Nashville this summer, check out the Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-1957: The Frist

Eco Chic: Towards Sustainable Swedish Fashion: Scandinavia House

Where I’d like to go this summer: Balenciaga: Designing the Limits: Bilbao Fine Arts Museum

We’re also looking forward to fall and the upcoming Japan Fashion Now exhibit at the Museum at FIT

Coming to London this fall: Diaghilev and the Golden Age of the Ballets Russes, 1909 – 1929: Victoria and Albert

Why having a toddler is like being at a frat party: Suburban Snapshots

A little bit of tennis magic: YouTube

How they turn the lights on each morning at the Museum of Modern Art: YouTube

Please stay in your assigned lane: Improv Everywhere on YouTube

It’s jam making time again, and it looks like the jam will be wonderful: Inchmark

Looking for a novel family vacation idea? How about cow trekking in Switzerland: SwissMiss

Beware of traveling fabric salesmen: WBTV

Running your business vs. pursuing your hobby: CraftMBA

Pinking is defined as a zigzag cut from a saw/scallop-toothed edge blade using pinking shears or a hand crank pinker.  A good pair of Pinking Shears or a hand crank pinker that mounts to a tabletop are handy tools for any sewing room.  To keep your pinking shears cutting sharp and even, use them for fabric and fabric only.  However, some hand crank pinkers allow you more freedom to use interchangeably on fabric, paper, leather, etc. because of the design of the blade or disk.

Regardless of the tool you choose, it is invaluable to be able to pink a seam or fabric edge quickly.

Pinked seams using pinking shears

After stitching the seam, simply trim the seam allowance with pinking shears or with a pinking tool and press the seam open.  How much fabric to trim will vary depending on your pattern seam allowance.  I prefer to leave about 1/4″ – 3/8″ remaining of seam allowance to be pressed open.  Pinked seams still fray somewhat resulting in a less professionally-looking finish, but pinking is advantageous in that it is quick and easy.

Pinked seams using a Singer Hand Crank Pinker. This is my favorite pinking tool; it's fast, easy, fun and doesn't tire the hands!

If the fabric unravels easily, then an extra step of straight-stitching just below the pinked edge will add greater stability to the seam allowance and prevent further unraveling as discussed in the straight stitch seam finish.

Sometimes I will pink all raw fabric edges immediately following a fabric purchase.  This prevents excessive unraveling or fraying of the fabric when I am pre-washing and shrinking it to prepare for pattern cut-out.  Granted, these are extra steps to your sewing project, but the finished result will preserve the garment seam for longer lasting wear.

A finished seam is a technique used to secure the raw edge of the fabric exposed within the seam allowance.

Finishing seams provides stability to the seam and overall garment, prevents unraveling, while also making a hand-made garment look professional. There are many options available which can vary depending on the fabric choice, machine availability or personal sewing preference. Some of the techniques are basic while others are a work of art, designed to make the inside of the garment look just as admirable as the outside.

The first seam finish we will discuss is one that can be finished with just your sewing machine using a straight stitch.

Straight stitching line halfway between cut edge and seam itself

To finish the seam allowance, simply run a straight stitching line inside the seam allowance edge approximately half way between the cut edge and the seam itself.  This utilitarian finish will act similarly to stay-stitching.  While it can still fray along the cut edges, the stitches will act as a barrier preventing the seam from fraying any further than the stitching line.  If you want to take the initiative one step further for aesthetics, fold and press the seam allowance edge to the wrong side, to meet the seam itself, enclosing the raw edge – then stitch your straight-stitching line.  This technique is fine for lightweight wovens, but use caution for seams with bulk, as it may not be appropriate for some fabrics or projects.

Straight stitching line to enclose the raw edge

The raw edge is folded, pressed and stitched for enclosure

Enclosed straight-stitch seam finish on the left and simple straight-stitch seam finish on the right

Finished seam

Pressing the seams open eliminates bulk and allows the outside of the garment seam to lay flat.  Most sewing patterns instruct for seam allowances to be pressed open, so these straight-stitching seam finish techniques would be applicable.

I’m pleased to announce that April Henry will be joining us as an occasional guest blogger focusing on interesting sewing techniques you can use to make your Oliver + S garments even more special.

April’s business, April 1930′s, centers on vintage Singer Featherweight machines and their attachments. Those of you who own older sewing machines will be especially interested in the attachment details she will be including in her posts, since many older machines don’t include these special stitches. April also does a lot of our sample sewing and pattern testing, and we frequently rely on her expertise.

April’s first series of posts, a number of short tutorials which will start running tomorrow, focus on seam finishing techniques. We hope you’ll enjoy and learn from April’s work.

John of Fat Quarterly is running a giveaway right now that may be of interest to Oliver + S readers. One lucky winner will receive a City Weekend jelly roll.

The contest runs through June 13, so be sure to throw your name into the hat over at Fat Quarterly.

Inspired to read on-line magazines? Here’s a list: Decor8

Drooling over this beautiful sewing kit: Van Eijk & Van der Lubbe

Such a beautiful party: LMNOP

Chloe Sevigny takes you on a walk through New York’s East Village and visits some of our favorite neighborhood shops: Bust Magazine

We would love for our paper dolls to have backs, too: LMNOP

A brilliant solution for piecing of tiny patchwork squares: Sew Mama Sew

Cutest tape measure ever: Betz White

They certainly know how to do rush hour in the Netherlands: How We Drive

And, speaking of the Netherlands, these are the most adorable store windows ever: Design Sponge

We initially developed the Ruffled Halter pattern for the Spring 2010 issue of Stitch magazine. Now, thanks to the generosity of the Stitch editorial team, we’re able to offer it to you here as a free download.

This pattern is very easy to make and includes some unique construction methods. The ruffles are all cut on bias, which gives them a nice drape. The bias also means the bottom edge of the ruffle can be left unfinished so it will soften and fray just a little bit over time without getting all messy. If you make the halter with a stripe or plaid, you can have all sorts of fun with it. We made this sample to be photographed for Stitch in an orange gingham, but imagine all the interesting things you could do with alternating stripes!

Photo from the Spring 2010 issue of Stitch magazine

Here are a two more examples, one made in a single fabric and the other made using a different fabric for each ruffle.

I’m quite proud of the construction we worked out for this pattern. It was a puzzle to find an elegant sewing method for the design, but the result is very easy to make and may surprise you at how it’s put together. For example, the top ruffle forms the casing for the tie while simultaneously finishing both the inside and outside of the halter beautifully. It’s a lot of fun to sew, and I hope you’ll try it.

I hope you’ll enjoy sewing this pattern and that you’ll post photos of your creations to the Flick group. And, again, we’re very grateful to Stitch for allowing us to offer this as a downloadable pattern.

When you exhibit at Quilt Market, it can be difficult to get away from the booth to see the rest of the show. This year I took a quick tour of the floor early one morning so I would have a chance to look around. Here are a few things that caught my eye at the show. I thought you might enjoy seeing them, too:

Hokkoh had some really beautiful prints that felt fresh, unique, and contemporary. You can read more about them over at True Up.

Lecien had this stack of laminated cottons that would be great for the raincoats. Even for boys.

If you’re interested in organic cotton, the market is starting to respond with some great options. You may already be familiar with Cloud 9, who produce very cute prints and are also releasing new print collections and fabrics (like organic flannel!).

And Birch is a newcomer to the organic cotton market, with some great prints as well (and a bunch of cute Birthday Party dresses on display, too!).

Robert Kaufman also announced an organic cotton collection, called Free to Grow.

I thought the presentation of Anna Griffin‘s new collection for Windham Fabrics was so sweet, with an Alice in Wonderland theme. Aren’t the teacups pretty?

Seven Islands represents several popular Japanese fabric companies. I snapped a few photos as I dashed past, mostly of Heather Ross‘s new Far Far Away II collection and all the cute samples made from it, but you can see plenty of other darling samples and fabrics, too.

And this amazing quilt was designed by Kellie Wulfsohn of Don’t Look Now (thanks for the info, Rosa). Just beautiful.

One more booth that I meant to photograph and didn’t but thought you might like to know about anyway: The Snap Source offers a wide variety of great-looking snaps of all sizes and colors. For those of you who don’t like to sew buttons and buttonholes, you might be interested in their selection. The tools look very easy to use and are affordably priced.

I am a big fan and supporter of the FabShop Network, an organization of independent quilt and fabric store owners. So I was especially pleased and honored to receive the very first Rising Star award at their Quilt Market kick-off dinner last week!

You can read more about the evening here.

I’m very grateful to have received this honor. I enjoyed meeting many of the shop owners and buyers who attended the dinner, and as I said at the dinner, you are our stars!