8 Historical Sewing Mistakes You Don’t Know You’re Making

8 Sewing Mistakes You Don't Know You're Making

As we worry about how that seam or hem will come out, we also fret over whether we’re doing it right or not.

I say, don’t worry about “doing it right.” Sew your project how you see fit. Use a new technique you’ve read up on. Practice – again- that same step you’re always trying to make work. Listen to the fabric and your own mind.

There’s no “right” or “wrong” way to make a period garment. But, there are “better” or “best” ways to follow in your sewing.

We focus on historical costuming around here, but these mistakes happen in modern sewing too – at least in the more advanced garments or special occasion wear.

#1 – Not sewing with the fabric grain

Improve your sewing right off the bat by running your pinned edges through the machine following the grain. This means you sew from widest part of the garment piece to the narrow.

For example: sew skirt panels from hem to waist; sew sleeves from underarm to wrist. Sew necklines from shoulder seams down to the centers (front & back).

If you need a refresher on fabric grains go read this article (after you’ve read this one).

 

#2 – Using 1 pair of scissors for both paper and fabric

*shudder*

If you’re doing this, STOP. That pair of scissors is now just for paper. Go get another pair for fabric and mark it “FABRIC ONLY” and hope no one in your house (or you!) use it again for paper.

 

#3 – Not using underlining fabric to support your fashion fabric

When making historical costumes this is a given. A basic. Go read this article on what is the difference between an underlining and lining (and how they work for period garments), then pop over to this article on how to flatline your bodice once you have your fabric.

Underlining fabric supports the garment. It helps it lay smoothly over the silhouette built by various undergarments. It provides a firm foundation to all the decorative accents and trims applied on top. Make sure to use it.

 

#4 – Using plastic boning

I know… some of you are yelling at me now because you’ve used plastic boning (be it zip ties or German boning or rigilene) to great effect. That it’s “affordable” or easy to work with.

But I say, if you want to build garments using quality materials that don’t frustrate you then go for the metal boning or reeds.

Plastic warps with heat. Guess what – the human body is hot!  The precious time you spent to apply boing to your bodice or corset will quite quickly mold to your figure – this can make it quite uncomfortable. I’ve not used plastic boning in my 19th Century garments because someone told me early on about the problems with plastic stays. Metal boning and reed pieces ARE affordable and support the garment indefinitely. Take that leap and buy metal stays. You’ll wonder why you waited so long.

 

#5 – Not loosening the thread tension when running gathering stitches

I machine gather ALL the time and have done so since my earliest skirts made in the mid-1980s. I love double basting rows of stitches for nicely gathered… anything!

After getting my digital Viking Lily 535 machine I learned that you need to loosen the tension of the upper thread when running the basting stitches. This keeps the upper thread loose so you can pull the bobbin thread to gather up the fabric (You DO remember to pull up the bobbin thread, right?)

So be sure when you lengthen your stitch length for gathering that you also loosen the tension. (But also get into the habit of tightening that tension right after basting!)

 

#6 – Pleating before hemming

You’ve spent hours pleating up your fabric in nice crisp 1″ pleats. Now to hem this ruffle and get it sewn to the skirt!

Oops….

For most Victorian trim treatments, whether a ruffle, ruche or bias bertha, it’s best to hem, pink or otherwise finish the raw edges before gathering up and mounting to the garment.

 

#7 – Machine stitching hems

The mark of a well-made garment is in how it’s finished. Do you machine-stitch your hems? Well, unless that bustle dress hem will be covered with a finely pleated ruffle, you’ll be better off completing the hem by hand. A machine sewn hem loudly announces a “happy hands at home” project. Some hems in the 1870s & 1880s were done by machine, but for most of the 19th century you’ll want to push the machine aside.

Kick your finishing skills up a notch and use my tutorial on the slipstitch. (It’s been pinned on Pinterest over 140,000 times so it obviously works for others. Try it!)

 

#8 – Not pressing seams flat first

The iron is SO very important in sewing. In fact, I often mention that half your sewing time should be at the ironing board. Pressing makes a HUGE difference in the final appearance of your garment.

If you sew all your seams, do a quick press open then move on to the next seam, you’re missing a vital step of the process. As soon as you sew that seam you’ll want to first press that seam flat. In other words, lay it on the board just like it came off your machine and press down along the seam length. The heat and pressure helps to set the thread into the fibers of the fabric – molding them together.

After you press it flat, allow to cool then press the seam open. Finally, press to one side or leave open as is. (Another good trick is to turn the seam over with the right side up then press the open seam again. Use a pressing cloth here to prevent marks.)

 

Have you been making any of these sewing mistakes in your historical wardrobe? What’s the first thing you’ll start doing from this list to improve your technique?

27 thoughts on “8 Historical Sewing Mistakes You Don’t Know You’re Making

  1. Dana Watsham says:

    My first husband the carpenter was (in)famous for ‘borrowing’ my fabric shears to cut fishing line, and didn’t really see why I made such a fuss. “They’re the sharpest in the house, why can’t I use them?”

    Until the day I used a freshly sharpened chisel as a screwdriver. He never touched fabric shears again.

  2. Dennis Jensen says:

    I disagree with three points, at least partly.
    Metal boning and spiral steel boning is sometimes the best choice, and occasionally the only choice, but the nylon boning also known as synthetic whale bone is great! Yes, it molds with heat, but so did real whale bone. If you have fitted your corset, bodice, etc well, it will be no less comfortable compared to garments made with steel boning.
    Regarding hemming, I’d generally suggest hand-stitching it. However, the hems on the majority of Madame Vionnet’s bias dresses were simply zigzagged with a narrow zigzag stitch and trimmed close to the stitches.
    I’d also recommend a gentler seam pressing regime than you suggest. It’s easy to over-press certain fabrics. Use short bursts of steam and a clapper: place iron on seam, blast with steam, remove iron and immediately press down on the seam with the clapper. You’ll get lovely seams and edges with no marks even with tricky fabrics.
    Moral of the story: there are always exceptions.

    • Jennifer Rosbrugh says:

      Thanks for your comments. Of course there are exceptions! Sewing and creating are so personal that everyone does it in their own way that comes naturally for them. Then again, for some techniques there are better ways of doing things than others but that doesn’t rule out those less-than-ideal methods. 🙂

  3. Diana says:

    I have handled many, many original antique dresses and I can honestly say I’ve never seen one that has been hemmed by hand (unless it is earlier than one made say, by the 1860s when sewing machines were reasonably common). 🙂 Most have hem facings or hem tape/braid that have been sewn on by machine. I imagine most women, once they got their hands on a sewing machine, were thrilled to use it for any possible sewing task and long, plain seams and hems would have been a relief to do by machine!

    • Maral says:

      I’m making a silk taffeta 1875 dress that will have multiple rows of small knife pleats on the skirt, including at the hem. The row at the hem I’m going to line with broadcloth for stability, but I’m waffling about how to hem the rows above that. I’m waffling over folding over the silk to double it and then pleat (so no hemming at all) or make a narrow machine hem. I’d really rather not hand-hem 30+ yards of trim! What do you think?

      • Jennifer Rosbrugh says:

        Honestly, I’d do a small machine hem then pleat. Folding the taffeta will make them really thick. Plus, I’ve only see the double fold technique on small ruched trims not pleated ruffles. Sorry for the extra work. You’ll like the result though!

        • Maral says:

          So machine hemmed pleats are legit on a silk 1875 dress? I just wanted to make sure it won’t be a massive faux pas.

          I could also try using my blindstitch foot and see if that looks ok, although my taffeta doesn’t like to let go of creases so I’m worried all the folding will mark it.

  4. Nancy S. Brandt says:

    When I first got married, my husband discovered my obsession for sewing and learned early NEVER to touch Mom’s scissors. When he was in grad school, we lived in a trailer and I’d put my sewing machine in a small alcove just off the “dining room” in the front of the trailer near the kitchen. My sewing shear were on the table (because that was just behind my sewing chair) one day when his parents were visiting. His dad was repairing our screen door and picked the shears up to CUT THE SCREEN! I actually wasn’t in the room, but I heard my husband shouting that he couldn’t use THOSE scissors. My father-in-law stared at him like he was crazy. My husband said, “Mom sews. You should know never to touch sewing scissors.”

  5. linda bryan says:

    If you decide to use old aluminum blind slats for corset bones, you can take my word for it–another mistake. They respond to the pressure on the waistline–a jut right where the waistband or apron presses on them. And they don’t bounce back after a while. But while they’re still in place and happy, that little while until they take on the bend, they are wonderful. Nice and wide.

  6. Chloe says:

    Hi, I’m new to historical sewing- at least garments, I used to pretend I was sewing samplers- and I’m not very experienced at making sturdy garments in general. I don’t have a sewing machine. Even if I did I’d have no earthly idea how to use it.

    I want to make a Beauty and the Beast inspired dress loosely based on this design.

    and that style of Victorian dress, probably early, with a full and rounded skirt and layers of ruffles hanging off the neckline.

    Needless to say, that dress plus the corset, hoop skirt, petticoats, chemise, and drawers all by hand is a pretty daunting task! Do you think I could do it by Halloween this year?

    Thanks for your input. (Even if I can’t do it by Halloween, I’d like to have it for my first prom next year!)

    • Jennifer Rosbrugh says:

      Hi Chloe,
      A very daunting goal indeed! I can’t say for sure as I don’t know your experience with making clothing, but it’s not *impossible*. I’d just be hesitant to say it would all be finished by Halloween. I’d first recommend you try to obtain a sewing machine as that will get you farther along than hand sewing if you desire to make all those garments this year. Check 2nd hand and thrift stores. Even Wal-Mart stores (and similar) carry inexpensive machines. You only need a straight stitch anyhow. Then check your local fabric stores for classes or their bulletin boards for a local instructor to help you use your machine. I’m telling you, it will get you much closer to your goal with a machine with all those projects on your list.

      I’d start with the chemise and drawers followed by a petticoat. The simple garments will get you settled into your hand sewing groove (or with the machine with all those straight seam lines) before you tackle a corset and hoop skirt. I like that you’re thinking of the undergarments first!

      Best of luck in your pursuits! Keep moving forward even if it’s only a little bit at a time. 🙂
      Cheers,
      Jennifer

  7. Liz Gerds says:

    Just a note, the German plastic boning (sold by Farthingales) isn’t heat mold-able. It’s the only plastic boning that isn’t going to change shape when heated. (it can also survive laundering.)

    Also, if you are in LA, Richard the Thread sells tipping fluid for sealing the cut edges of metal stays. It’s a lacquer based liquid and hold up well. (But wear a ventilator mask while using it. The fumes are not good for your lungs)

  8. Ashley says:

    #1 is great to know!

    I LOL’d at #6. I can’t believe the number of times I had to take apart a beautifully pressed pleat (even sewn on the garment) because I forgot to hem the strip. It takes such a long time to take it apart to hem it and then iron it hoping that it looked as good as it did without the hem. In fact I managed to do it for my current recreation. This will be a new years resolution this year!

    Thanks for the great info Jennifer. Hope you’re relaxing and having a great New Year!

    • Jennifer Rosbrugh says:

      Paper dulls blades like nobody’s business. If you cut paper with scissors they will dull which can cause jagged, rough or even snagged edges on your fabric. They may work well on both when they’re new, but again, paper dulls them FAST. Stick to one for paper and one for fabric to keep from ruining your fabric.

  9. Victoria says:

    In dealing with the need for paper scissors and fabric scissors, I made it easy. I use Fiskars for paper and Gingher for fabric. As for the male borrowing scissors, I lucked out. Mine is a locksmith. He knows the value of good tools.

  10. Tracey Gorin says:

    I second the boning remarks. Metal boning purchased by the yard is actually super cheap- buy a bunch of 1/4″ and 1/2″ spiral steel and solid, tips, plastic dip, and casing, and keep it in your stash. You’ll have plenty for your next project, and you won’t have to worry about “What if I measured wrong?” And making bones is actually fun- if you can keep the drying bones away from animals and children.

  11. Varika says:

    Just gonna say on the boning front–don’t cheap out on the metal stays and go for the metal strapping they use on palette stuff, either, even if you’re read that it’s great and it’s cheap and easy. That ALSO winds up taking on the form of your body and getting uncomfortable, and worse than that, there is literally no way to soften the cut edges enough to keep them from eventually slicing their way through the material and into your skin. I’ve had one that was filed, plasti-dipped, taped, and then inserted into a channel sewn with two layers of fabric front and two layers back cut its way through ALL that material and slice open a boob. Nobody wants to have a sliced open boob. Especially nobody wants to have to figure out how to extract that son of a….gun at the Fairegrounds without any privacy available other than having your friends crowd close. Trust me. Get real metal bones, and if you get the kind you cut yourself, get proper tips for them and both superglue and cinch the tips on. It feels better, it moves better, it breathes better, and it won’t cut its way out of its casing and into your tender flesh.

  12. K Winter says:

    I must confess my sins here. I machine sew hems, and use one pair of scissors for everything.

    The scissors are nearly magical, though. They’re the kind kept in a sheath that sharpens the edges every time you slide them in or take them out, and I would highly recommend them to everybody! They’ll cut a paper pattern, cotton gauze, silk brocade, even leather, and keep a perfect edge. Had anyone previously suggested that I use the same pair of scissors for all that, I’d have laughed, but seriously, these things are amazing.

    As for hems, I’m just too carpal-tunnelled to hand stitch everything, all the time. Everything is machine hemmed, and I often attach trims by machine too, if it won’t be too noticeable. I have a lovely petticoat that would make a purist cry, because the three tiers of lace topped with pale blue ribbon on the bottom ruffle are shamelessly machine sewn, including the ribbon. I figure that nobody will be in a position to be examining my underthings, and if they are, historical accuracy should be the last thing on their minds! As is, said petticoat gives just a little glimpse of lace and ribbon if my skirt is slightly raised, which was my intention. Not enough for my shortcuts to be obvious. (I hope!)

  13. Tanya says:

    The interlining depends upon period, doesn’t apply for a lot of medieval stuff, in fact for anything pre 1200 you’re probably not even going to line it

    As for scissor borrowing, the main culprits fir this are men, and the best cure is to indulge yourself in a pair girly scissors because most men don’t want to be seen dead using pink polka dot or floral print scissors

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