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Sewing Skills

Types Of Denim (In Different Dyes, Washes, And Weaves)

November 27, 2020 by Harshitha Leave a Comment

Types Of Denim

One of the most iconic fabrics ever invented and marketed is denim. The material got its name from its place of origin. Denim is the derivation of the French word ‘serge de Nimes’ which means the types of denim that are produced in the town named Nimes in France. 

The biggest producer of denim fabric was the city named Genoa, and the name of this city is the origin of the word ‘jeans’. Since the 1850s, denim fabric remained widely in use for making jeans. 

This type of fabric is made out of cotton fibres, and denim has a twill fabric weave. The unique characteristic aspect of denim fabric is the diagonal twill weaving pattern. Denim trousers rose to this worldwide popularity because of two American men named Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis in 1873. 

What Are The Different Types Of Denim?

The original denim fabric and jeans trousers were made from 100% cotton woven in twill looms. But now with modern manufacturing technology, various types of denim are produced at present with the addition of Lycra or polyester. Following are some of the best types of denim fabric-  

1. Raw Denim: 

This denim does not undergo any washing after dyeing. Raw denim is also the first stage of the denim journey. With washing the dark blue colour of the denim will slowly fade. This denim does not receive any treatment either so it stiff to wear and is long-lasting if you don’t wash it often. But you must prewash the raw denim before wearing or sewing. Another name of this denim is dry denim.

2. 100% Cotton Denim: 

The hundred per cent cotton denim is the standard type of denim fabric that you can treat and use in various ways to create several other types of denim. This type of denim fabric is versatile, comfort providing, and very durable as well. 

3. Sanforized Denim:

Sanforized denim is the raw denim which goes through treatment for some shrinkage. You need to know whether your raw denim is Sanforized denim or not because if it is not, you may want to go a size up to allow for shrinkage. Other than raw denim, most of the types of denim are Sanforized denim. This type of denim is also known as pre-shrunk denim.

4. Indigo Dyed Denim:

Indigo dyed denim is the most common type of denim. The warp is thread dyed of Indigo dyed denim while the weft thread is left white and this results in its distinctive blue look and the in the inside of the denim clothing you see the lighter look. The name of the blue dye indigo came from the indigo plant.

5. Colour Dyed Denim:

The main two types of coloured denim are blue and the rest of various colours. As the blue colour is given with indigo dyeing, sulphur dyeing gives types of denim all other colours like black, pink, grey, green, red, mustard etc.

6. Selvage Denim (Selvedge or Self-edge):

Selvage denim has colours, usually red or orange, along the sides of the denim to prevent fraying. This denim is of better quality than any other types of denim. Japan is the major producer of this type of denim material.

7. Acid Wash Denim:

Acid wash denim is also known as marble denim because of the finish accomplished in denim material using pumice stone drenched in chlorine. Due to the abrasion with the stones, the colour of the fabric fades and also creates an impressive distinction with the indigo colour. Then the material goes through washing, softening and drying processes. In the 1980s this look was very famous and has had many recurrences.

8. Stone Wash Denim:

Stonewash denim is made with the help of pumice stones to remove the dye to give a lived-in look, and the fabric goes through abrasion. Stonewash is challenging to control and may even give a rough abrasion. The items made from this type of denim is not long-lasting. 

9. Crushed Denim:

This type of denim fabric receives such treatment such that it looks permanently crushed or wrinkled. This wrinkle will never come out in the wash. Some times this process is put to use along with other procedures such as stonewash or acid to give a genuinely worn-out look.

10. Poly Denim:

Some amount of polyester fibres is put together in this type of denim fabric. Poly denim is very soft in touch, stretchable to an extent and are very easy to take care. The most famous product of this denim is shirts, hats and jackets. The blended polyester adds durability, smoothness and finishes to denim.

11. Stretch Denim:

The stretch denim is put together with synthetic fibres like Lycra or Spandex to give the denim a stretchy property. Stretch denim is very comfortable to wear. Tight jeans are mainly made using stretch denim. 

12. Bull Denim:

Bull denim is a denim fabric which is very tough and sturdy and is made from 100% cotton. This denim fabric is very durable and heavy, although not as tough as a canvas. It is the 3×1 twill fabric construction which makes bull denim so sturdy and rigid. Upholstery and home d cor are mostly made of bull denim. These fabrics are soft on one side with a noticeable weave.

13. Waxed Reverse Denim: 

A very innovative take on the denim fabric was making a side of its water-resistant. This is made by coating wax on the reverse side of the denim fabric for water resistance properties. Bags and most outdoor gear can be made out of waxed reverse denim.

14. Ecru Denim:

The process of indigo dyeing is not a requirement for Ecru denim fabric. This fabric has a natural colour of denim. Mostly they are creamy and pale in colour.

15. Organic Denim:

In the manufacturing or growth of Organic denim, no chemicals are put into use. Due to which organic denim is a healthier substitute for regular denim.

Conclusion

No other fabric or clothing style has impacted the entire world and endured within the American culture like denim fashion, and this is what makes denim a heritage artifact. We have covered a lot about this sturdy yet fashionable fabric material, and now it is up to you to choose the type of denim that suits you best.  

Filed Under: Fashion, Sewing Skills

Types Of Lace (Find The Best Lace For Dress)

October 31, 2020 by Harshitha Leave a Comment

Different Types Of Lace

Lace is one of those fabric decoration options that never went out of style. Designers use lace to style almost every attire starting from wedding gowns to daily wears. In the machine’s age, it might be hard to believe that people initially made most types of laces by hand.

However, the handicraft sometimes lost to the efficiency and affordability of machine-made laces. At present, one can find various types of laces with different patterns, widths, and shades. But in this article, we will discuss the top categories of lace that have gained importance since their origin.

Top 10 Types Of Lace:

1. Alencon Or French Embroidered Lace

The Alencon or the French Embroidered Lace is a beautiful embellished type of lace with raised motifs on a sheer background. We use Cordonnet (heavy silk cords) to outline the motifs to give the design a dimension and beads to embellish it.

Since industrialization, people manufacture almost everything in the factory nowadays. However, one can differentiate an authentic French Alencon Lace from a factory manufactured copies is by noticing the width. The authentic lace will be 36 inches, and the copy of the French Embroidered Alencon lace will be 60 inches wide. Usually, we use this type of lace in bridal attire like gowns or veils, and even though it is expensive, they are worth spending money on.  

2. Chantilly Lace

chantilly lace

Chantilly Lace is the type of lace with delicate flower designs sewn with faux silk threads to a net background. Even though the Chantilly Lace’s design has evolved to become versatile in modern times, originally, this lace was made using black silk threads only.  

Another feature of the original Chantilly Lace was the scalloped edges that made the fabric look even more elegant and beautiful. Galloon lace is another variation of the Chantilly Lace, where both the edges are scallop trimmed.

3. Crocheted Lace

crocheted lace

Even though this lace was created in an attempt to imitate the more expensive Venetian Lace, the resulting Irish Crocheted Lace found a reputation of its own. Crochet Lace is one of those very few types of laces that are still made by hands in today’s age. 

Since we use cotton fibers to make the Irish Crocheted Lace that is why the design is a bit heavier yet very elegant and unique. The machine-made Irish Crocheted Laces are available in various colors because the cotton threads are easier to dye.

4. Edging Lace

The type of lace trim with one scalloped edge and the other side is straight is called the Edging Lace. The straight edge of this lace type often comes with a thread used to collect or gather the fabric. 

French edging lace also falls under this lace category, and it usually has small circular openings to allow ribbons to thread through the lace trim. Another edging lace type is Flounce that has a wider edge.

5. Insertion Lace

As the name suggests, designers use the Insertion Lace strip to sew between two fabric pieces or stitched on top of the fabric to create an illusion of insertion. Since both edges of this lace trim are the same, that is why it easily fits between fabric panels. 

To attach this lace to the main piece of fabric, you can use either a straight or a zig-zag stitching style. The design of the Insertion Lace is very intricate and is often used to decorate plain garments.

6. Nylon Lace

Nylon Lace is the most affordable and widely available type of lace. The lace is machine made using naturally woven fibers. This synthetic lace comes with a scalloped or embroidered lace edge and a straight sewing edge. The Nylon Lace is an artificial or imitation lace referred to as the Chemical Lace for being made using fine silk grounds, polyester, or embroidered cotton.

7. Ric Rac Lace

ric rac lace

As the name sounds, the Ric-Rac Lace is very fancy indeed. Often designers make this type of zig-zag lace pattern on cotton, silk, or metallic fabrics and use it to insert into the seam or accenting edges. This lace trim is a cheerful yet cheap decorative option for your designs.  

8. Swiss Entredeux

Swiss Entredeux lace

Swiss Entredeux is the type of lace design pattern made on a cotton batiste strip (a type of soft fine cotton strip), and that looks similar to a ladder with evenly spaced out holes. One can trim the plain batiste seams on both sides of the ladder-like embroidered lace strip after stitching it onto the main fabric to style it up.  

9. Tattle Lace Or Shuttle Lace

tattle lace

To create the Tattle or Shuttle Lace, one has to use the particular delicate knotted lace-making technique. Designers use a special cotton thread to form a warp and weft of knots in the lace pattern. The looping and knotting process creates the intricate and beautiful design of the Tattle Lace to decorate handkerchiefs, pillowcases, collars, etc.

10. Venice Lace Or Venetian Lace

Unlike other lace designs, the Venetian Lace embroideries are not done on a mesh background, and that is why it is also called Guipure Lace that means ‘a lace without any netted background.’ Heavy raised floral and geometric designs are stitched onto the fine lace fabric to create the Venice Lace. Even though the machine-made Venetial Lace might seem reasonable, it cannot beat the authentic touch of the handmade Venetian Lace that is more costly.

We only discussed in details the top ten lace types; however, some of the other types of laces that too deserve mention are:

  • All Over Lace Or Embroidered Net
  • Broderie Anglaise
  • Beaded Lace Trim
  • Cotton Beaded Lace
  • Elastic Lace
  • Gathered Lace
  • Lace Applique
  • Metallic Beaded Lace
  • Ribbon Pass Lace
  • Smocked Lace
  • Tassel Lace Trim

Conclusion:

Lace will always enhance your designs’ style and add a sense of luxury to creations. Lace is a valuable addition to garments and is often used to decorate curtains, cushions, lampshades, bags, etc.

Hope the top ten types of lace in this article comes to use for you.

Filed Under: Sewing Skills

Types of Shirt Collars – Choose Collar For Your Face Shape

October 29, 2020 by Harshitha Leave a Comment

The types of shirt collars is mainly based on the variations in the point length and collar spread.

Types Of Shirt Collars -

Making the point length longer or shorter will change the collar style. Moving the spread lines away or toward the center will change the collar spread.

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1. Classic Shirt Collar:

The classic shirt collar suits all face shapes. Usually, the point length is about 4 – 5 cm. A four in hand tie knot best suits this classic shirt collar.

2. Standard Shirt Collar:

A standard shirt collar is also called a straight point shirt collar or narrow point shirt collar. This collar is suitable for a rounder and wider faces and generally worn with a tie.

3. Spread Collars:

This collar compliments a narrow or slim face nicely accommodating a Windsor knot tie. The spread is much wider than the classic or standard shirt collars.

4. Semi Spread Shirt Collars:

The semi-spread collar looks good on a slender face or long neck guys. Here the spread is wider compared to classic or standard shirt collars but narrower than the spread shirt collar.

5. Italian Spread Collar:

Best suits a narrow face. This collar also holds good for large knot ties. Any spread collar basically supports large knot ties. In this collar style, some lengths of the tie around the knot will be visible.

6. British Spread Collar:

The British spread collar also compliments a narrow face, just like the Italian spread collar but with a little longer point length. It goes well with both small or large tie knots.

7. Tab Collar:

The tab collar best compliments a tall neck by covering the length of the neck and it has a small fixed tab from the middle. This collar must be worn with a tie.

8. Eyelet Collar:

The eyelet collar is suitable for medium to long necks. It has a collar pin that connects the points behind the tie accentuating the tie knot.

9. Two Button Collar:

The 2 button collar flatters a narrow face and can be worn with or without tie. It has 2 buttons on the collar band.

10. Button Down Shirt Collar:

Suitable for all face shapes and one can wear it with or without tie. The button down collar has small button at the tip of the collar and always fastened.

11. Hidden Button Collar:

Hidden button collars are suitable for any face shape. These collars accentuate the tie knots. It has a loop on the underside to which button is fastened.

12. Club Collar:

The club collar takes standard collar points and merely rounded them off. Also called the Eaton collar style soon became knows as the ‘club collar’ in reference to that “special club membership” it signified.

13. Wing Tip Collar:

Suitable for narrow faces and can wear it under a tuxedo for white or black tie events. Collar points fold out resembling wings.

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Filed Under: Lifestyle, Sewing Skills

How To Embroider (6 Embroidery Stitches To Start With)

October 22, 2020 by Harshitha Leave a Comment

A Beginner’s Guide to Embroidery

how to embroider for beginners

If you are a newbie into the world of stitching and wish to explore more about the variants, nuances of it, then embroidery is a technique you must get your hands on. An embroidery is a craft form of decorating pieces of fabric using needle and yarn in its most lucid definition. This how to embroider techniques will enable you to decorate any fabric and make it more embellish and captivating in aesthetics and creativity.

During COVID 19, while everyone was practicing quarantine, we all were bored and had ample time in our hands, this is one of the hobbies you can pick up on. After all, creating a piece of art using our own hands gives us a feeling of absolute bliss.

So, if you are a beginner in stitching or want to learn more about embroidery, let’s get into how to embroider, your Ultimate Guide to Embroidery.

Tools You Need For Embroidery

  • An Embroidery Hoop (Preferably 6 inches)
  • Linen or Cotton Fabric
  • Tapestry Needle
  • Two pair of scissors (One big and one small)
  • Thread
  • Disappearing ink pen
choosing right fabric for embroidery
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Your Guide To Do Embroidery

  • Take your hoop and separate the outer and inner lines of the hoop by loosening the hoop on the outer side.
  • Now, take your fabric and place it above the inner circle on a flat surface.
  • Then place the outer circle on top of the fabric, with the fabric being sandwiched between two circles.
  • Tighten the screw until it’s professionally taunting. Insert the thread into the needle and you are all ready to start with embroidery.

SOME BASIC EMBROIDERY STITCHES

Here are some of the basic stitches which form the ABC of Embroidery:

1. Running Stitch

  • Insert the thread into the needle, tie a knot to the loose end of the thread.
  • Now, position the needle underneath the hoop, and pierce through the fabric tied to the hoop.
  • In the next step, insert the needle again. Specifically, towards the fabric — this is your first running stitch.

Continue doing this till the number of stitches desired. The motion of the needle should be Down-Up-Down-Up. 

2. Back Stitch

  • Position the needle inserted with the thread on the backside of the hoop.
  • Take the needle upwards through a point marked on the fabric and insert it downwards, as done in running stitch. Let these points be A and B respectively.
  • Now that needle the needle is inserted through B downwards, pierce it upward through another point C.
  • Once the thread is facing you through point C, pierce it downwards through Point B. This way, we create a stitch by taking it backward.

This is a backstitch. Repeat doing this for as many stitches desired.

3. Chain Stitch

basic chain stitch to embroider
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  • Get the thread through one point, say point A in the Fabric. Now insert the needle through point A and make its way through point B, but not to pull the needle out completely.
  • Take the thread now, from left to right in such a manner that the thread is around the needle, leading to the formation of a loop.
  • Next, pull the needle out through point B.  The first part of the chain stitch is done.
  • Thereafter, insert the needle through point B (inside the hoop) and take it out through point C (outside the hoop).

Repeat these steps till you get the required number of chain stitches.

4. Satin Stitch

satin stitch to embroider
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  • Mark the design on the fabric using chalk or a disappearing fabric ink.
  • Now, insert the thread from underneath the fabric towards the upward direction. Let this be point A
  • In the next step, insert the fabric downwards exactly through a point, say B in the opposite direction.
  • Next again pierce the thread from down to up in a point extremely adjacent to Point A. This is Point C.
  • From Point C again the thread is pierced through a point, say D in the opposite direction, lying very close to Point B.

These steps are continued till the stitches completely cover the design on the fabric. And there you have your satin stitch!

5. French Knot

french knot
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french knot embroidery
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  • Take the fabric and pierce the needle out through a point, say A.
  • Now, place the needle close to the fabric and wrap the thread around it for a couple of times.
  • Next, while pulling the longer end of the thread, insert the needle through a point just near to A.

Lastly, pull the needle downwards, through the fabric. The French Knot is ready! 

6. Lazy Daisy Stitch

lazy daisy stitch
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  • First, draw the pattern on the fabric using chalk or a disappearing ink pen. This stitch is ideal for floral motifs.
  • Pull the thread out of a point, say A. Now insert the needle through a point near and make way for the needle to come out at another point, say B. Make sure to not pull it out completely through B.
  • Now, loop the thread around the needle like a chain stitch.
  • Thereafter, pull out the needle for the loop to tighten.

Next, put in the needle just outside the chain that has been created. This completes the creation  of Lazy Daisy Stitch. Continue repeating the steps to create as many lazy daisy stitches you desire.

REQUISITE TIPS TO KEEP IN MIND

Embroidery is an art— to master any art-form, requires patience, practice, and diligence. To ensure a blissful endeavor in your first attempt to embroidery, the following steps should be kept in mind:

  • If you are a beginner or an amateur, use embroidery fabric to practice. The special fabric comes with premade lines, which makes the entire process very easy.
  • Use the right kind of needle and thread. 
  • After practicing your skills on embroidery fabric, switch to a light fabric which is easy to work with.
  • Lastly, keep on practicing to gain mastery over this beautiful art form. 

How easy were these steps, isn’t it? Well, then what are you waiting for? Start practicing these beautiful stitches and beautify your home, apparels and décor. Mastery over this art-form will not just give you praises and validation but also joy and contentment, which is unparalleled.

Filed Under: Sewing Skills

Different Types Of Pleats And How To Make Pleats

October 22, 2020 by Harshitha Leave a Comment

All About Pleats And Their Types

Pleats are the folds made on fabric by usually gathering the wide piece of cloth to fit narrower proportions. Pleats help in giving the clothing texture, shape, and volume. To create pleats, one has to start by gathering the desired length of fabric followed by pinning them in place and lastly sewing. 

The earliest evidence of pleats dates back to the times before ancient Egypt. At present, there are several types of pleats depending on the different patterns used for the gathering in the folds. In this article, we will discuss the various types of famous pleats.

Regular Pleat Formation

The folds of pleats turn a wider piece of fabric into having a narrower circumference. Pleats are created merely by doubling the fabric back on top it and securing it using pins. 

The pleats fall under the category of “pressed fabric” because the fabric is either ironed or heat-pressed to create a sharp crease. One can also create soft rounded folded pleats by not pressing. Tuck is the pleat or folds sewn into place. The following are the different types of pleats and a brief description of how to create them.

1. Knife Pleats 

One of the most well-known types of pleats observed on the waistband of skirts is the knife pleats. The wearer gets a slim look because of knife pleats. One can easily move by wearing knife-pleated skirts for the pleats hand loosely on the body. ‘Flat pleats’ is the other name for knife pleats because they typically overlap with each other and travel in one direction. 

To create this pleated one will have to make two folds of equal width, one on the inside (under pleat) and the other on the outside (over pleat). You can sharply press the knife pleats to create the prominent crease on the fabric. For creating a versatile and classy look, you can always rely on knife pleats.

2. Accordion Pleats

As you might have guessed, the resemblance of the pleats to the bellows of an accordion is the reason behind giving it the name ‘accordion pleats’. This type of pleats can fit well on most body frames and sizes. Accordion pleats are the machine-made permanent knife pleats that remain the same even after washing and ironing. 

Sunburst Pleats (Sunray Pleats) are a type of accordion pleats where an individual creates zig-zag patterns on a semicircular piece of fabric by these heat-set pleats that widen out towards the bottom.

3. Graduated Pleats

These pleats are flat or flared pleats, and it is the name of the machine-made knife pleats. The difference between standard flat pleats and the graduated pleats is the width of the under pleats. It is because the width of under pleats in the graduated pleats type varies from the hip to the hem. The graduation of the flared feature of the pleats created in the fabric adds an elegant yet trendy aspect to the garments.

4. Crystal Pleats 

Crystal pleats are the delicate knife pleats that are common on men’s shirts like tuxedo shirts. To create the crystal pleats, you have to create narrow folds and sharply heat-press setting it at a 90-degrees angle from the fabric. Also, the pleats should measure 2 or 3 mm on both sides. The fabric with crystal pleat gets an exquisite and stylish texture.  

5. Box Pleats

To make box pleats, you will have to fold the piece of fabric repeatedly back on itself which will form a series of pleats. Box pleats are knife pleats with the folds in the opposite direction. 

This style of pleats rose to popularity in the 1940s when designers were experimenting with women’s fashion to bring styles that are more playful and exaggerated. Since the box pleats give a fuller and voluptuous look, in today’s time, it is the style of pleats rarely opted for in clothing.  

6. Inverted Pleats

The trend of inverted pleats started from around 1920s. Inverted pleats are basically box pleats inside out (the back of the box pleats will look similar to what the inverted pleats look in the front). You have to bring two folds in a line in the centre of either the front or back of the clothing (skirt say) to create inverted pleats. Knee lengths skirts with inverted pleats are very popular among designs.

7. Kick Pleats 

If we are to join the inverted pleats along the fold edges that is a short distance from the top, then we will get kick pleats. In 1940, designers added kick pleats to the back of some traditional tighter fitting skirts to make movement in then easier and provide comfort to the wearer. Kick pleats now are most common on the shorter side as they lead up from the bottom of the hem.

8. Fancy Pleats 

One can observe a lot of variation in the history of fancy pleats. These pleats come in all sorts of style and have the space for experimentation. As a designer, you can create fancy pleats out of your imagination to give volume or texture to your clothing. There are several websites you can explore for inspiration while creating fancy pleats.

9. Sari Pleats 

The most common garment to craft sari pleats is on the Indian ethnic clothing, a sari or saree. These pleats are primarily thin (like sunray pleats) that are at the center of the garment. We tuck the top end of the sari pleats, and the bottom remains flare. On removing the drapes of the garment, the pleats disappear too if not set using a pin.

10. Pintucks

Pintucks are the small pleats stitched along the length of fabric. This type of subtle pleats is commonly noticed on the front of tuxedo shirts. Pintucks add texture and dimension to the fabric rather than giving volume to the clothing like other pleats. 

Even though we create pintucks by sewing the pleats but often the stitching is not visible from far. For sewing the folds quite closely together, the stitching goes unnoticed. Hence, pintucks give people the illusion of being tiny fold pleats.

Final Note

A lot more can be discussed if we go onto describing further about each type of pleat and its history. However, in this article, we have provided a great deal of information about the types of pleats. 

You can additionally search about how to make the types of pleats mentioned in this article. Hope this article will inspire and help the readers to create beautifully pleated attires.  

Filed Under: Sewing Skills

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