BERNINA Corporate Blog -Mood blazer, handy sewing tips and must-haves
Coming up with the colour palette for the Time to Shine! capsule wardrobe, these fabrics played the leading role. In this blog, I’m making my second blazer for the capsule wardrobe on the BERNINA 590 Crystal Edition, sharing handy sewing tips and must-haves for every sewist.
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Combined with the boiler suit
Fabric and pattern
The blazer is made of white cotton with a little stretch and beautiful line drawings of faces. The fabric is from Mood fabrics. (Perhaps you know that from Project Runway.) At this New York fabric store, I was allowed to select a number of fabrics online as the second prize of the #sewunconventional challenge. I often saw this fabric on Instagram and so it was a must have. Thank you Mood!
The pattern for the blazer is one that I have used many times. Now I went for a more classic version; a tuxedo jacket. One of the examples of the jacket in Knipmode has the same colour scheme. So in addition to the beautiful Mood fabric, the lapels and the welt pockets were made with leftover black imitation leather from an previous project.
Mood fabric and pattern
Lovely corner
Handy sewing tips and must-haves
For a number of years I have been collecting sewing tips and handy must-have gadgets to sew smarter. I will share the sewing tips and must-haves here based on the process of making the blazer.
Transfer the pattern
Transferring a pattern to the fabric can be done in different ways. The most time consuming is basting the pattern. If I can’t prevent it, I make sure I have contrasting basting thread. Do not baste with long threads, because they get tangled up faster (And now I hear what my mother was taught: Long threads equals lazy seamstresses ;-)). Make the loops big, then it will stay in place better if you have separated the pattern pieces and cut the basting threads.
Contrast
When the fabric allows, you can mark the contours of your pattern with a tracing wheel. With this cotton it goes excellent, with viscose or silk fabrics you have to be careful that the fabric is not damaged. It is best to test it on a piece beforehand and see what it does. Is it possible to iron out the holes that arise again, for example. If no holes remain visible in the fabric after you have gone over it with the wheel, you will still have to baste or work with a disappearing marker. With the latter, testing first is also useful. You want to make sure that the marker does not remain visible.
Use cardboard, not a cutting mat
On pattern pieces that needs to be interfaced, you can also this to transfer the pattern. Therefore you cut the interfacing to exactly the same size as the pattern piece.
Transfer with interfacing
Other than pins
Before you sew pattern pieces, the most commonly used must-haves are pins (duhhh…), but what if pins don’t work, for example if you damage the fabric with it or it is too thick to pin. Then use wonder clips. The imitation leather used here is very flexible and pinning is possible, but it is very handy to use the clips for the seams.
A very handy sewing tip that I often use is masking tape. With this you can easily attach labels, loops or buttons before sewing without it shifting again. But it is also useful when making the welt pockets in this Mood blazer.
Masking tape easily rips off
Small pieces of masking tapes will do the trick
You can easily tape pattern parts together before sewing the side piece
Handy sewing feet
By now I have collected quite a few BERNINA sewing feet and this makes sewing even more fun. I share a number of feet that I use very often and as far as I’m concerned are definite must haves on your wish list.
3A
Not sure if this comes standard with every BERNINA machine, but the Buttonhole foot with slide #3A has helped me get over my buttonhole fear.
This blazer has buttons on the sleeve and a half-open sleeve slit. Something I hadn’t ventured into in the previous versions, but now confidently and fairly quickly created 6 buttonholes.
18
Button-sew-on foot # 18 is super handy for sewing on buttons and also the loop in this Mood blazer. You select the foot in the menu and then select the button icon between the buttonholes stitch options. There you set the stitch width. I always test whether it goes well by manually moving the needle from one hole in the button to the other hole. If this goes well you can start. The machine will stop automatically after a few stitches. Usually I start again after that, so that the button is sewn on tight.
Not only for buttons
Assembly line
Chuffed
Secure
52
If you work a lot with ‘sticky’ fabrics, then a Zigzag foot with non-stick sole # 52 is a must have a.k.a. good investment. Before I use the welt in the pocket, I sew it wrong sides together along the pattern piece. This sewing tip makes it easy to sew it on at the correct width.
5
The last must-have foot is Blindstitch foot # 5 and not only because you can sew a blind seam with it… Sewing tip: This foot is also useful if you want to easily topstitch nicely on the side.
In this blazer, the hem is stitched using this foot. You choose stitch 9 and after the hem is secured, the lining is applied by hand.
Blindstitch foot 5
Stitch 9
On the inside
Lining folded in
Thread in the colour of the lining
Mindful job
With the help of the sewing tips described above and the must-have gadgets and feet, the Mood blazer is ready. I like him soooo much!! And it can be combined very well with items from the capsule wardrobe and with existing items in my closet.
Time to Shine! capsule wardrobe
With jeans
Semi circle skirt
Megan blouse
Finally
Must haves for the shopping list
- masking tape
- wonder clips
- tracing wheel
- disappearing marker
- contrasting basting thread
And for the coming birthdays and Christmasses you know what’s on your wish list: Feet!
Love,
Marlies
Fantastic Jacket, absolutely love the details! Great Work!!!