I’ve been explaining how a sewing machine works for years but have never had a visual for it. I just came across this great one (via Swiss Miss via Dossier).

We’re pleased to announce the launch of our newest website feature–the Oliver + S discussion forums. You can access the forums by clicking on the text in the navigation bar at the top of every page.

The forums are designed to provide you with a place to ask other customers questions about sewing with Oliver + S patterns and to discuss other topics of general interest. There is no charge to use the forums. All you need to do is create a username and password to begin participating.

We hope to grow the content in the forums over time so that they become a valuable repository of information for our customers. So if you have a question or a comment, please share it there. Let us, with a little help from technology, connect you with other people asking the same questions and coming up with creative ideas for what they can do with Oliver + S patterns.

(continued from part 1)

There are usually several stages in the development of sizes for an Oliver + S pattern. I always draft the first pattern in a 12-18 month size and fit that garment, or several consecutive garments, to one or two children who wear that size and match our target measurements. Once I’m happy with the fit, we develop a size 3 pattern. Since all our dress forms are a size 3, this is the size we show at trade shows and in trunk shows.

While these two sizes are being tested and fit, I’m writing the sewing instructions and checking to be sure all the notches and details are in place on the patterns. Then once we’ve checked the fit of the size 3 and are happy with both sample sizes, the grading begins.

Most size grading these days is done on a computer using specialized, expensive programs that are specific to pattern making and the industry. Smaller companies (like us) can’t afford the hardware and software to do our own size grading, so we hire other companies to do the grading for us using our grade rules. Size grading itself takes very little time, but the development, testing and fittings that happen around the grading are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and expensive. I want to be sure that the sizes are accurate and fit well, so we test many sizes before a pattern is approved.

Once patterns are graded and we’re satisfied with the fit and details of the pattern, we start formatting the graded sizes for printing. Everything needs to look nice on the pattern page, and the sizes need to be “nested,” or fit inside each other so they’re each legible without taking up too much space on the patter page. After all, the heavier tissue paper needs to fit into the envelopes once they’re printed!

Sometimes the pattern pieces can’t be nested, in which case we lay them each out independent of each other on the tissue paper so they won’t interfere with each other when a size is selected and cut. We also format the lines of the various sizes so they can be distinguished from each other. One dotted line indicates a size 3, and another dotted and dashed line indicates a size 4, etc.

Sound like fun? It’s certainly the most technically challenging part of my job (aside, perhaps, from writing detailed sewing instructions that can be easily followed, which is a fairly challenging task as well), but it’s also the part that I think is the most important. What’s the fun of sewing a pattern if it doesn’t fit?

I’m always interested to hear from you about the fit of our patterns. If you follow our measurement chart and have comments or suggestions about the fit of the resulting garment, I encourage you to contact me (liesl@oliverands.com). I think we can always improve our patterns and would love to hear your ideas and experiences with them. And of course I always love to see photos of the clothing, as well. Don’t forget that Flickr group, where you can share your creations with other appreciative seamstresses. I can’t wait to see what you make!

Have you ever wondered how clothing gets made in different sizes? It’s a rather technical process, and I thought it might be interesting to explain some of the steps to you.

Clothing and sewing patterns always start out from one size, which is called the sample size. For children’s clothing, there are often more than one sample size due to changing proportions, diapers vs. underpants, and various rates of growth from one age to another. One sample size simply wouldn’t cover the multitude of changes from one size to another and may result in a poor fit somewhere down the line.

Surprisingly, it’s more difficult to develop sizes for children’s clothing than for adults, which you probably wouldn’t expect since kids’ clothing is generally looser fitting and the silhouette isn’t as specific as it is for adults. But because of the many variables of children’s growth and development, many patternmakers and technical designers steer clear of children’s clothing. It’s considered a more challenging and demanding job than other patternmaking work.

Pattern grading uses a set of mathematical formulas to grow a pattern piece by a specific amount. This is how the various sizes of a pattern or design are developed. Every company has its own set of grade rules, and these are usually guarded closely as a trade secret because they take a lot of time and effort to develop. Once a company has an established set of grade rules, they don’t want to be knocked off by other companies.

Grade rules can also vary from company to company depending on the target customer. For example, a company that makes clothing for young women versus another company who produces a line for a more mature figure will use different measurements for their sizes and, as a result, different grade rules. Some companies prefer a closer-fitting garment, and other companies design clothing drape more loosely on the body. All of these factors come into play in size grading.

Back when I was working for another designer, I often conducted fittings for the activewear line of my employer. Our fit model was a muscular, athletic man who was built like V, with wide shoulders and slim hips. Unfortunately, not all that designer’s customers were built with the same physique, and the bike jersey I fitted on our model looked quite different when worn by my adorable husband; the slim, snug fit looked rather baggy in the shoulders and tight in the waist when worn by a more, shall we say, “average” man?

Developing a larger size from the sample size isn’t simply a matter of enlarging the pattern piece like you would on a photocopy machine. For example, a collar might grow longer to fit around a wider neck on a bigger size, but the height of the collar will probably stay the same or grow only a little bit taller. For this reason, it really does pay, in the end, to sew the correct size of a pattern. Occasionally I hear or read that someone simply eliminated the seam allowances to make a pattern smaller. This always makes me cringe because I know that the pattern pieces probably didn’t fit together properly, and the final garment most likely fits and looks entirely differently than what was intended. Plus, the frustration level on the part of the person sewing the pattern was likely very high when notches didn’t match up, sleeves didn’t fit into armholes, and so on.

(part 2 can be found here)

Sample rooms used to be a common sight in the garment industry. Now that most pattern-making is done overseas, sample rooms are a luxury that many designers can’t afford. I was very fortunate, in school, to do an internship with a designer who had his own sample room, and I learned a great deal as a result of working directly with the sample makers. I did all my work in the sample room, from sketching designs to attending fittings with the models. It’s a great way to learn the business, and unfortunately it’s becoming a rare opportunity for many design students.

If you walk around Seventh Avenue (the garment district) and look up, you’ll still see some of these in the windows. They’re patterns made of oak tag, which is essentially the same paper card stock that comprise manila file folders. An oak tag pattern is a sure sign of a sample room. Which either means it’s a small designer (like us) who does his or her own pattern-making or it’s a very high-end company who can afford to have a sample room.

Oak tag lasts longer than pattern paper, and if you’re using a pattern many times it’s often worthwhile to trace it onto oak tag to preserve it. Also, if you trace around the oak tag pattern onto your fabric using chalk, you can cut the pattern directly from your fabric without the pattern itself getting in the way. It’s faster than pinning or weighting a paper pattern piece to the fabric before cutting.

We use oak tag for two types of patterns at Oliver + S. Our slopers, or basic fit templates, are made from oak tag so they can be quickly and accurately traced onto paper and then manipulated and altered to create a pattern for a new style or design. We also trace our block patterns onto oak tag. These are our finished patterns that are used to develop new styles when a particular fit is desired.

Someday we might change to a digital pattern-making system. It’s more efficient and would probably save hours of pattern making. Alterations would be much faster as well. But part of me would feel a little sad to leave the drafting side of the business behind. I enjoy getting out my box of pattern-making tools, unrolling a length of pattern paper, and reaching for the oak tag.

A while ago on my personal blog I wrote a post about my favorite crafting tools. Well, meet a new favorite to add to the list: the ratchet screwdriver. Technically it’s a construction tool, but I’m giving it special status.

I picked this up on a whim the other day since I knew we’d be needing a Philips head and regular screwdriver at the new studio. What a great invention! The interchangeable tips are magnetized so you have less chance to losing your hardware, and you don’t need to adjust your grip at all when twisting because of the ratchet action. Plus, it reverses when you need to remove a screw.

Let me tell you, this tool came in handy yesterday when I was assembling our shelving for the studio. (Which, by the way, I really should not be doing by myself. It’s dangerous to try to upright a nine-foot-high, four-foot-wide steel shelving unit when you’re alone.)

But this post isn’t about the screwdriver at all. As I was crouched on the floor with my beloved new screwdriver, I glanced down and discovered this sewing needle, sealed into the floor when the wood was recently re-finished. Someone else was sewing in this very same spot where we’ll be sewing for the months (and probably years) to come.

Our building was constructed in the 1920′s and changed owners last year, at which time the top floor was broken into smaller studio spaces. We’re the first tenant in this smaller space, and before the sale the space was used as a printer’s bindery.

Now I simply must ask our landlord about the history of the building.

I’m sure this needle isn’t eighty-plus years old, but wouldn’t it be interesting if once upon a time someone else made children’s clothing in this very same spot?

What? You mean that you don’t take your ironing board outside on nice spring days? I don’t usually either, but I’ve really been tempted with all this lovely weather we’re having.

Really, I just wanted to show you a few of my favorite sewing tools.

Like many sewing teachers, I emphasize good pressing skills almost as much as the actual sewing skills in my classes. You just can’t get good results with your sewing if you don’t press carefully as you sew. But in truth, the only time I pull out the ironing board is when I first get ready to cut my fabric. Then I press the full yardage with lots of steam before laying it out on my big cutting table and arranging the pattern pieces. The better the fabric is pressed, the easier it is to cut and, later, to sew.

But after that one-time ironing board set-up, my sleeve board and point presser are my friends who accompany me to the sewing machine. Many years of steam have dis-colored the sleeve board, which you can purchase almost anywhere. Someday when life is a little less crazy, I’ll re-cover it (it just needs a new muslin covering, but you could make it look pretty with your favorite printed cotton as well). It’s a great mini ironing board so I’m not constantly getting up to move to the big ironing board. But it’s also great for pressing seams open and for pressing curves, since it has less surface area and enables me to press small areas.

My all-time favorite pressing and sewing tool, however, is difficult to find these days. It’s called a point presser and clapper. I purchased mine when my tailoring professor at FIT showed the class how useful it can be. The clapper (bottom portion) is used by tailors to flatten and compress collar bands and other areas where many layers of fabric are sewn together. I press all sorts of things with it: use your iron to heat and steam the fabric, and then flatten the fabric with the clapper and you’ll have a terrifically crisp finish without potentially scorching your fabric (or your fingers). The wood holds the steam and heat beautifully.

But the point presser (the top part) is my favorite: that straight, narrow edge is great for pressing seam allowances, and the point at the tip is a necessity for getting corner and points pressed perfectly. The trouble is, June Tailor doesn’t make this tool anymore! Where to find it? I’ve looked all over the garment district here in NYC and none of the old-school shops can get them anymore. Fortunately, our friends at Waechter’s carry them!

The iron I use at the studio is a hand-me-down from my Grandma, who upgraded to a Rowenta just as I moved into the studio and needed a second iron. Eventually I’d love to get an Oliso so I can leave it on and facing down–much safer with the kiddo running around the studio in the afternoons.

Ok, time to bring the ironing board inside again. I just realized we don’t have a long enough exension cord for outside pressing!