Deconstruction of a Simple Garment

My mom is in town for a visit. The first thing she pulled out of her luggage was a black knit top. “This is my workhorse. I need a couple more in black and in white. Can you help me out?”

Copying ready-to-wear garments is becoming more popular. You have spent $100 on a top that has simple construction, but now you want a couple more and figure you can make it yourself. But how?

I laid the top on the hotel bed. There were only the seams at the sides and shoulders, with the fabric extended slightly over the shoulders in lieu of actual sleeves. Serged. No darts. Basically, this was the finished version of taking a piece of fabric and cutting a hole in the middle for the head.

“You know, ma, we have a video demo and some products for that.” If I were to take the Bosal Pattern Tracing Interfacing and lay it over the garment, then trace the outer edge of the garment with my double tracing wheel, I would have the pattern from which to cut and sew the new top.

You see, the Clover Double Tracing Wheel has the one shaft but two wheels that run along side each other. When you trace the pattern, one wheel marks your stitching line and one marks your cutting line. You can even move the wheels farther apart or closer together depending how big you want your seam allowance. The Pattern Tracing Interfacing is light enough to see you fabric underneath, but stable enough that you can use it like a muslin to fit the garment and adjust your lines before cutting your fashion fabric.

Mom’s top is very simple since there are no sleeves and no darts. We even have some wonderful Super Matte Jersey fabrics for her. The fabric is 60” wide and she needs about ¾ yards for her top, so at $7.99 yard she can have a new top for $6 and 2 hours of time. That’s a pretty sweet deal, if you ask me! -Rogie

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August 22, 2010 at 4:35 PM

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