Australian Stitches

Australia’s leading dressmaking magazine is a favoured by all dressmakers in every age group. Fabulous garments, technical instructions and step x step photos help guide even the most novice sewer to complete perfect garments every time. All the latest patterns and fabrics are covered in every issue plus we trial patterns to give the lowdown on how to improve on each pattern’s instruction sheet. We showcase makeovers of real people, give wardrobe-planning advice and show the latest trends from the USA and Europe.

Ageless Game Changers • Spring’s best items that refresh your wardrobe, at any age!

Focus On Interfacing • Interfacing is a fabric and should be purchased in the same manner that you would select fashion fabrics. That is, both have a lengthwise grain (warp) and a crossgrain (weft), ibre content, weight, and type of weave. The main difference is the amount of glue on iron-on interfacing.

McCall’s M7294 • Last issue (Vol 24 No 12), Eddi talked about the Ath-leisure Movement, and Cate’s decided to join! She has started her look with McCall’s M7294. Here’s how it went together …

Astratex • Astratex Fine European Fabrics is the ‘Alladin's Cave’ of exquisite fabrics from the Designer Houses of Europe.

Anatomy of the Dart • Darts – Ugh! Nobody seems to like them. When Lisa irst started sewing, at the age of ive, she made ‘dresses’ for her Barbie dolls. They consisted of a rectangle of fabric with holes cut for the head and arms. To show off Barbie’s igure, she needed to add darts. At the time, she knew nothing about darts. That was then, and now Lisa will share her knowledge on darts.

What’s Hot: PRINT IT OUT • Spring’s most striking looks have left solid ground, as prints are now a force to be reckoned with. From arty abstracts to lush, exuberant lorals, here’s all the news in print …

All Tied Up! • Nobody wants to spend a lot of money on clothing alterations for a fancy dress costume. So, Judith has come up with a simple, cost effective method to increase the size of the dress.

Feet First! • There are many feet available to assist when sewing and 2 of the most invaluable seem to have been snaf led by quilters; open-toe satin-stitch foot, and the darning foot. These feet have been used for years by garment makers to make life easier when sewing dif icult fabrics, embellishing garments whilst allowing more accuracy.

Finishing Touches • “Once all the heavy lifting has been done” (to quote a phrase I’ve heard my sewing friend Kenneth King use), it’s time for the inishing touches – those fun little elements that elevate the garment, adding form and function in charming (not to mention useful and sensible) ways.

Resort Report

How to sew a knit neckline binding… • In this article, Megan Nielsen, of Megan Nielsen Patterns, shows her personal favourite method for sewing knit neckline bindings. Her method encloses all the raw edges, so there’s no trimming at the end and since it’s so sturdy, it adds an extra level of stability to very lightweight and thin knits.

Megan Nielsen • Megan, is the designer behind Megan Nielsen Patterns, and she has a passion for creating modern sewing patterns that are on trend, wearable and adaptable. Here’s her story ...

Big Girls • Most of us are not a standard size and it’s quite common to require a range of different pattern sizes to it individual bust, waist and hip measurements. Bigger girls are no exception; in fact, the fuller bodied igure isn’t necessarily big all over but may still require a range of pattern sizes to obtain a good it. This poses the question of what size pattern should you buy?

PURE & SIMPLE • Among all the riotous prints and loud cacophonous colours of the season, sometimes a whisper is more effective than a shout … cool, pale tones of...