Hello fashion sewers and welcome to our Fashion Sewing Blog.
In today’s article, and FREE fashion sewing video tutorial, I’d like to demonstrate for you, a very easy, very quick technique you can use the next time you want to add structure, stability and support to an armhole area of your sewing project.
When we are working with fashion fabric that has an element of stretch, it is easy for certain areas of a garment (for example the armhole / neckline etc) to lose shape.
Therefore, we must, as fashion sewers, look to support these areas, thus keeping our sewing projects professional looking, and to give them longevity.
How to Stop an Armhole from Stretching
sewing
As fashion sewers, we generally stay stitch an area to add support and stability.
Sometimes however, that is not quite enough and our fashion fabric stretches and becomes distorted.
On the armhole of sewing project, the stretch occurs, partly because it is cut within the bias of the fabric. The stretch and miss-shaping also occurs during basic handling of the garment during the construction process.
So what other option can we use?
When stay stitching is not enough and the fabric you are working with is difficult to handle, try using an interfacing to stablise the area quickly.
Stabilising Armholes with Colleen G Lea
sewing
The fashion sewing tutorial video below will now demonstrate how to add stability to an armhole using fusible interfacing.
If you find this video tutorial of use, please do let me know. You can also subscribe to my FashionSewingBlogTV for FREE and never miss another sewing demonstration.
So I hope now you can see, that with hardly any real effort or time constriction, it is possible to eliminate stretch and stabilise an armhole effectively.
To clarify -
How to Stabilise an Armhole
1 – Cut a strip of fusible interfacing, enough for your specific armhole. The interfacing should be around 2cm’s – 3/4inch wide.
2 – Clip into the interfacing every 2cm’s – 3/4inch along the strip.
3 – Shape the interfacing into position along the armhole and into the seam allowance.
4 – Press into place, using a pressing cloth and steam iron.
I do hope you found this fashion sewing tutorial of use.
If you do have any questions, then please feel free to get in touch.
It’s always a great pleasure to hear from the growing fashion sewing community.
Happy fashion sewing
About the Author: Colleen G Lea is the founder of Fashion Sewing Blog and co-owner of DC Media Productions. Get more from Colleen at YouTube and Google+.
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Hi Coleen,
i have seem various display of body form making, i want to make mine, but my challenge is the filling of the body form, all i have at my disposal is used newspapers and old clothes, would any of these help in filling a body form? Love love your blog.
Hi Ruth,
Spare bits of fabric, cushion filling, wadding etc will work just fine.
Thanks
Hi, you vidoe has really boost my desire to become a dress maker, the only challenge i might be facing is how to get a sewing machine that will help me achieve some of what i have learnt from your blog. Good work, keep it up.
Thanks ever so much Ruth. Good luck with all of your fashion sewing adventures.
you are not supposed to use steam when ironing on interfacing. and couldn’t you just cut a “facing shape” in interfacing that way it covers the armhole equally without those little notches?
Using steam is certainly only an option and what I demonstrate is a quick and easy method. You can however perform the method in a way of your choosing. That’s why fashion sewing is so great. It’s participants can innovate and create what works best for them.
Thank you so much for this tutorial it will make my sewing much easier.
Happy to help Carmen.