Five Tips for Designing to Weave and Sew

Have you ever found yourself thinking, “This dish towel would look great as a top,” followed immediately by, “But I don’t have any idea how to go about doing that,” and (of course!), “I’m afraid I’ll ruin my beautiful handwoven fabric!”

As we see it, these problems aren’t insurmountable. You simply need an experienced guide to help you through the process of turning handwoven fabric into clothing.

Former Handwoven editor Jean Scorgie wrote an eBook, Designing to Weave and Sew, that is a rich resource for all the sewing techniques you need to make garments from your handwoven cloth, including:

• Choosing the right weave structure, yarns, setts, and draft;

• Cutting out the pattern pieces, and matching and placing stripes or plaids;

• Securing the cut edges;

• Reducing bulk in seams and hems;

• Finishing, lining, and embellishing the final garment.

Here are five tips from the eBook, just to give you a small taste of what’s inside.

---

Tip 1: Choose Yarns Carefully

It’s obvious—but sometimes easy to forget—that fine fabrics aren’t made with thick, heavy yarns. If you want a fabric that’s lightweight, start with fine yarns. Highly twisted yarns weave into sturdy, long-wearing fabrics with a smooth surface. They have lots of body when they’re set close together and woven firmly.