How to calculate the elasticity of a fabric

Knowing how much elasticity of a fabric has is very important especially if we are going to make sportswear or swimwear. The elastic fabric has different properties than other fabrics. The main characteristic is that it adjusts to the body without using any clips.

In swimsuits, clothes must be tight so that nothing comes off and the body is molded. Because you have to reduce or enlarge the measurements of the pattern.

To do this we have to calculate the elasticity of fabric. It requires a small account. I recommend that you keep a piece of that fabric and put the elasticity and what needs to be reduced on a piece of paper attached to it. That way you won’t have to recalculate it.

Percentage of elasticity of a fabric

Before you start cutting the fabric you have to see where the highest percentage of elasticity is so you can put it where it will stretch the most. That is to say, if you are going to make bikinis you have to put the chest and the hip in the direction of that thread.

In a piece of 10cmx10cm we will calculate that percentage. We put the meter on the table. Take our piece of cloth and put it at the beginning of the meter. We hold and stretch the fabric as much as possible and see where it marks us. The minimum stretch of the elastic fabric is usually 12cm, the maximum should be 18cm or 20cm (the maximum and 100%).

To know the percentage we make a rule of three.

10cm is 100%

1cm is x%

Example:

If the fabric stretches to 12cm the bill would be like this.

2×100/10=20%

The fabric stretches by 20%. If instead of 12cm it is up to 18cm the percentage would be 80%.

Once this percentage has been calculated, we will see how we can deduct it from our patterns measurements.

Example: Our hip measurement is 96cm and the fabric has 20% elasticity. The bill would be this:

96-20%=76,80cm

That’s our hip measurement. That measure has to be divided by 4 depending on the pattern. Therefore, we would have a hip measurement of 19.20 cm instead of 24 cm. We should take off at 4.8 cm. But be careful. You have to reduce that measure to the whole pattern so that it’s scaled. If you can use the size that fits that new measurement.

You can use this rule for all garments that fit your body. It is not necessary to do so for garments such as T-shirts unless you want them to be tight like neoprene garments or sports shirts like sports bras.

And finally, stop by the store to see the new swimsuits where you can put this rule into practice. Or in this category.

Facings to finish off necks: Impeccable finish

The facings of a garment are very important to professionally finish off a collar and armholes if it is going to be sleeveless or no collar at all.

To make these facings you do not need the base pattern but the pattern you have already modified. If you have changed the collar or have already removed the sleeves

The facings are pieces of fabric to finish off the neck and armholes and make the finish more polished and professional. These pieces are also used to finish off the seams so that they do not fray and show.

These pieces are interwoven so that they are glued together and the pieces are more assembled. I use a very thin interlining so that it doesn’t get too stiff and can be molded to my body. Many times I don’t weave it, especially if they are very fine fabrics.

How to make the facings

Let’s take our pattern and a sheet of tracing paper to trace the shape of the armholes and the neck separately.

The views are usually 2 cm wide (not counting the sewing margins) to ensure that nothing will be seen.

The width of the facings is made towards the inside of the pattern. For the armholes, we take 2cm from the shoulders and 2cm from the side of the chest. And we follow the shape of the armhole without losing those 2cm of width all around. Then we add the sewing margins.

For the ones on the neck, it’s the same. Only we take 2cm from the center front and back and another 2cm from the shoulder.

When you already have them cut with the same fabric of the shirt or dress, we can weave them if we want. But don’t glue it yet. Sew it to the garment, fold the edges of the facings inwards so that they are glued too, and they are finished off. Another option is to finish it off with a blind stitch.

Modifying necks from a base pattern

It is possible to have a single pattern and make several simple collars to change the look. Modifying a neck you only need a base pattern and the pattern to be modified. You don’t need to know pattern.

The necks I’m going to show you are the most basic ones like the Peter Pan and fantasy necks for the more advanced ones. You’ll have to make a separate pattern on these.

Modifying a flat necks

Flat necks are those that do not rise from the garment. In this category are the Peter Pan, mao, pilgrim, etc.

I’ve also put in the normal ones that aren’t around because they don’t have a category. But these necks I showed you in a post I made in the blog about modifications with a base pattern.

The first one I’m gonna show you are the baby neck or Peter Pan. One of my favorites. Most of my employers have it because I find it very sweet and feminine.

The good thing about this collar is that you can make the collar separate from the pattern and wear it whenever you want without having to sew it to the garment. You’ll have a removable collar.

To make this neck, we join the front and back patterns by the shoulder line.

Now we trace the pattern using the front and back collars as a guide.

You must always leave the same neck width measurement all around. Especially in the center front, shoulders and back.

You can make this two-piece collar that you attach to the back or with the fabric folded over.

If instead of a round neck you want modifying a neck to spike, the system is the same.

These collars are usually armed with an interlining on the inside so that they keep their shape and look more beautiful. For that, you have to make a cloth sandwich.

The fabric below (the one you can’t see) + Interlining + Fabric above (the one you can see)

Even if you don’t put in interlining, you must have the other two fabrics. You can do it with the same fabric all or combined.

In short. You have to have 4 neck pieces if you are going to join it from behind (my personal recommendation) or 2 pieces if you do it with the fabric folded.

Modify Fantasy Neck

You can imagine what a fancy neck is just by the name but I’ll explain it to you anyway.

They’re necks that are out of the ordinary that we all know. These are the ones you create. They can be wavy, heart-shaped, square, and even cat ears if you get very creative.

These are an example of what you can do, but there is an infinity. The limit is in your imagination and your sewing skills.

To finish these necks you need views, which I will show you how to do in the next post of this blog. Very thoughtful.

And so you can start with this collar I leave you here below in link to download the base pattern.

pattern Modifying necks

Changing skirts: One dress, many combinations

Many times you have a dress that you love the body but the skirt is too short, or we don’t like it. But since you don’t know how to modify it, the solution is changing skirts.

And there’s another problem, which skirt should I put on? What if that one doesn’t fit? How do I do it?

Changing skirts is very easy. You only need to know the measurements of the dress body waste and the skirt waist. Besides knowing where the skirt starts and the body ends.

How Changing Skirts

Suppose the body of our dress ends at the waist. What we need is a skirt that starts at the waist as well.

Measure that the measures of both coincide so that we do not have to make any modification and that the pattern fits perfectly. The ideal is to use the same company of patterns for both, so that the measurements will always be the same and nothing will have to be modified.

cambiar faldas changing skirts

The patterns I have used for the example are these two.

You can even create your own dresses following the same method I just explained. By wearing a T-shirt and a skirt you will have a dress.

You just have to take into account the measurements of both and the position where it ends. Whether it’s the waist or the hip. Also, both patterns are for weaving or knitting. You can’t combine both patterns because the measurements and the way to do it are not the same.

Here below I leave you more patterns of skirts and tops to combine with each other and create more dresses.

Change the length: In trousers and skirts

Because sometimes a pair of pants or a skirt is not made to measure for you and is too big for us. Especially if you’re petite. That’s why it’s inevitable to change the length.

But that can be scary. You don’t know anything about pattern and you don’t want to mess up a pattern. In most patterns, you have a line where you can do this step without spoiling the pattern. Although it’s best to use a copy, never the original pattern.

I created this video to show you how you can do it in several patterns.

Change the length of a trouser and skirt

The trousers are usually the most problematic in that case. We all have one leg longer than the other or shorter than most.

That is why it is essential in this case to make a modification in the length. This modification is usually done on the knee, which is where the line is usually. It will also serve as a guide to making some shorts or Bermuda shorts. The only thing you don’t have to modify is the width of the pants. Unless you want a super tight pair of pants.

Next is a circular skirt. These are very easy to modify because they are simple to draw. All you need is a compass (string and pencil). In the video, you can see it more clearly.

The circular skirts go from the waist and from there you have to make the changes. In circular skirts, you have to join the two sides of the skirt. Circular skirts are like a quarter circle. It’s important to know where the center of the circle is so that you don’t have a perfect skirt.

After that, The length to be modified is only from the waistline to the desired length. Although you make the line from the point of the union because if not, you will not be able to make the circle well.

In conclusion, The only thing you can’t change is the waist measurement.

And here’s the video. It’s in Spanish but everything I say in the video is written here.

And on Instagram, I also made a video of how to modify the length on a basic straight skirt. I leave you the link so you can see it and follow me so you don’t miss anything.

And so that you can put into practice what you have learned up here, I leave you two patterns for your events. where you always have to go perfectly.

Make modifications from a base pattern

It is possible that you have a pattern of a dress or a top that you want to change something but you don’t know how to modify it and adapt it to your tastes. The best thing is to have a base pattern to make all the changes from that one.

Importance of the base pattern

The base pattern does not have any modification and that is why it is good to always have one on hand to know what changes we want to make. The neck is closed and round. The armholes have no slack and are designed for wearing sleeves.

If you have a pattern of a top with a larger neckline and armholes than you want with the base pattern of your size, you can change those measurements to your own.

Always have it handy and printed on vegetable paper to make all the changes you want. As it is transparent you can see the pattern below.

How to use the base pattern

Using it is simple. Normally, shoulder measurements are not changed unless a boat neck is made or the shoulder and sleeve connection is lowered. If the shoulder measurement is 12-13 cm (in size 40), then it has no modification.

Join the base pattern with the one you want to modify by joining the shoulder. The base pattern only reaches the waist so the length cannot be modified. Chest and waist clips are needed to adjust the garment to the body. If you want to remove them it’s a bit more difficult and I don’t recommend it.

To modify the armhole you only have to trace it in the pattern you are going to modify but never in the base pattern.

If you want to modify the neck, leave it in the same position as the shoulder. The base collar is usually 6 cm wide and 6 cm long in size 40. From this round and closed collar, you can make it longer and V-shaped. If you want to make it wider you have to modify the width and touch the shoulder measurement. If you are going to change the shoulder you have to do the same on the back.

You can also modify the back and make a cleavage. But don’t forget that if you are going to modify the shoulder, you should also do it in the front.

You can make all kinds of basic modifications you want but use the same measurements on the front and back.

You can download it at this link. The measures are from 32 to 48 in Spanish size. You have the file to print in real size in A1 or A4 to join.

And to start making these modifications don’t forget to visit the store.

Clothing for each body: Basic Guide

Every person is a world and each body is a world. Not all clothes fit everyone. There is clothing for every type of body that will make your best parts stand out and polish those that give you the most war.

In order to start with this, the first thing is to get to know your body. Know what it looks like, what structure it has, how it behaves.

Look in the mirror and be honest with yourself. Don’t hide your guts or try to look taller. You’re not judging yourself, you’re watching yourself and getting to know you. Only when you really know you can get the best of you and others can see you as you are. Inside and out. The phrase we are what we eat can be used in this case as we are as we dress.

Loving ourselves as we are making us happier with what we have, and we don’t feel as much need to change in order to be accepted by others. It sounds like a self-help thing but it’s the truth. You don’t have to change to look great. That’s what clothes were made for.

What’s my body

After all this self-help, here comes the fun part. You know what your body is, now you have to get it dressed in what really suits it.

In my Instagram account, I uploaded the body types and characteristics of each one. If you didn’t see it, I’ll leave the posts under here so you can find yours.

These bodies are standard. You may be a plus size girl and feel identified only with the apple body, but you may have the hourglass or column figure. In this case, I recommend that you measure your chest/waist/hips and see the measurements to put yourself in the right category.

What clothing is for each body

Okay. We’re in business. What we want to achieve with the clothing for each body is to highlight the waist and give the same “measure”, visually, to the chest and hips. And you don’t get that with cosmetic surgery, you get that with clothes.

A flying cape skirt looks good for bodies with few hips, and T-shirts with ruffles on the chest or very large sleeves for those with little chest/shoulder room.

In these cards, you will see which clothes are the most suitable for you. These are very general characteristics for you to look for this kind of clothes. But once you know your body you will start to see that it fits better. The colors and prints play a very important role, as well as the type of fabric, but that is for another post.

But if you really want your clothes to fit like a glove, it’s best to make them. Every brand and clothing store uses different measurements and you start at one size and by the end of your shopping day you have gone through three different sizes. Since they are custom-made for you, they will always fit you well and you can make any modifications you need.

Create a pack with a complete wardrobe of basic pieces so you can start at the seam with clothing for each body. Thinking about what suits you best.

So, what kind of body is yours? Did this post work for you? Leave your comments and don’t forget to download the image and paste it in your wardrobe and have it on your mobile phone for when you go shopping.

New Year's Goals: Learning to Sew

I also make my New Year’s resolution list, and although two weeks later I forgot what I had written down and where I usually (try to) keep it. One of the things that you have to do this year if you don’t do it already, is to learn how to sew.

Stop putting fitness or learning to cook on the list because you always end up leaving it behind. Maybe it’s because you don’t want to or because you don’t see immediate results. We live in a society where speed and immediacy have taken over our rhythm of life. We must stop that rhythm.

Because learning to sew is the best purpose

Learning to sew has everything to keep you from getting tired of it. If your thing is a lack of motivation, you can sign up for groups or collective classes to be taught. The videos are great if you already have a habit but if you’re not with more people you can leave it behind for lack of time and interest. Be honest, have you felt satisfied to do something better than your partner? Competitiveness is very strong.

You don’t see immediate results. You will see results as soon as you sew the first stitch or cut the pattern into the fabric. Because you’re creating it. You are keeping pace with your progress. And it won’t leave you with a sore spot later.

Where to start

You don’t have the time. Okay, I can’t make your day last 26 hours, but you can set aside one day a week to learn how to sew. That Saturday morning you don’t know what to do or the Friday you get off work early. And you can practice what you learned while watching TV or having wine with your sewing friends. Those two hours before you go to sleep instead of picking up your cell phone, take the needle and finish the bottom of your skirt. You’ll release the stress of the day and sleep better.

You see how many reasons to make it your purpose this year. Sewing isn’t just about making pillowcases and pant bottoms. It’s creating a whole wardrobe for you. Dressing up in that dress of your dreams but you could never buy. Having something made just for you.

And making one’s own clothes helps the planet. We are spending and throwing away more and more clothes than we have ever worn or very little. By making your own clothes, you will have more desire to wear them and you control the amount of fabric that you make.

You don’t need to know much about sewing to begin with. Having a sewing machine is enough. You can start with easy projects like skirts. They are the first thing they teach you when you start sewing clothes because of their simplicity. And you will have the results in a short time, depending on your skill.

I leave you several easy projects to start sewing today. And if you have doubts or problems, ask me in the comments or in the form and I will answer you gladly. You can also do it through social networks.

https://www.facebook.com/abelisstore/?ref=bookmarks

The Beauty of Winter: Wedding

You’ve always dreamed of an outdoor wedding in the summer with the sun shining and great weather. Sometimes choosing these dates means spending more money and the good weather is not always guaranteed. You can have a wedding just as beautiful in the winter.

Okay you’re thinking I’m crazy but let me give you the reasons why you should consider this season.

  • It’s the off-season for wedding halls and reception venues
  • More dates are available at the Church and in restaurants.
  • You know it’s going to be bad weather so just plan for it to be indoors all the time.
  • The wedding trip at this time will also be cheaper and you will have more availability of dates and places that you want.
  • A long-sleeved dress can look beautiful.
  • Celebrating the wedding with a snowy landscape is very romantic.
  • If you do it for Christmas you can get your whole family together and also take advantage of these special dates.

Winter Weddings: outfits inspiration

I could go on listing reasons to consider a winter wedding but I think this one has already made you a bit curious. I leave you several outfits for brides and bridesmaids for a winter wedding. You will see the magic and charm of this season and I assure you that you will have a unique and special wedding.

You have already seen all the outfits for brides and bridesmaids but if you are one of the guests instead of getting married, I also propose several options for you to go impeccable and without being cold.

Which fabric is better for a winter wedding dress?

If you are thinking of having your dress made for next season instead of buying one, you will have to choose the fabrics because a chiffon dress for a wedding in the middle of December is not the most suitable.

For brides:

Brocade, Moiré and Guipure

For bridesmaids:

Satin, silk and velvet

For guests

Velvet, Wool Crepe and Scuba

With this, I hope I have helped you and that you have changed the date of your summer wedding to a winter one. If you have any doubts about which dress would fit you or even cut the fabric you should use for each dress does not forget to leave me in these comments or ask me in my email. I will answer you gladly and as soon as possible.

https://www.facebook.com/abelisstore/?ref=bookmarks

Christmas colors: combinations for each skin type

Green, gold, red and silver are usually the favorite colors for Christmas but there is more. Forget about the typical Christmas colors and dare to use other combinations for your decoration and of course for dressing.

But, if you follow me in Instagram you will see that for each type of skin there are some colors that are better than others and will favor you. In this post I leave you a Christmas combination for each skin type and you can use in your Christmas outfits.

Winter typology: Christmas colors

I’ll start with this one since we’re at this time of year. It is a cold typology and its colors with cold and strong tonalities. Use purple as a base and make three combinations from that color.

Monochromatic
Complementary
Triad

Type of summer: Christmas colors

Another one of the cold ones. You can use more daring combinations with cold and bright tonalities. For this occasion I have taken a blue color inspired by the typical Christmas bird.

Monochromatic
Triad

Spring typology

Colors also bright but with a warmer and more striking touch. Gold is the color par excellence for Christmas and I wanted to create a combination with this color. Blue is very winter and green and purple look great with gold.

Monochromatic
Complementary
triad

Autumn typology

Warm orange and yellow tones in muted tones. Red is a classic and I didn’t want to stop using it in some typology, and as in autumn it’s the main color. With green, it looks great, but if you are more daring change it for a blue.

Monochromatic
Complementary
Triad

Do you have any special combinations?