DIY Halloween Costumes for Fashionistas

DIY Halloween Costumes for Fashionistas: Sewing Tips and Pattern Recommendations

Halloween is just around the corner, and for fashion-forward individuals who also enjoy sewing, creating a unique and stylish Halloween costume is the perfect way to showcase your creativity and sewing skills. Whether you're attending a Halloween party or simply looking to impress, a DIY costume tailored to your taste is a fantastic choice. In this article, we'll explore some DIY Halloween costume ideas for fashionistas with sewing expertise and provide tips on finding Halloween costume-inspired patterns.

Costume Ideas for Fashionistas

1. Retro Hollywood Starlet

Channel the glamour of old Hollywood by creating a costume inspired by iconic movie stars like Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, or Grace Kelly. Choose a vintage-style dress pattern that flatters your silhouette and select fabrics in rich colors such as red, black, or gold. Accessorize with gloves, a faux fur stole, and statement jewelry for that true Hollywood effect.

Finding a Skilled Tailor or Seamstress

Have you ever bought a stunning piece of clothing only to find that it doesn't fit quite right? Or perhaps you have a favorite garment that has seen better days and needs some tender loving care. In these situations, a skilled tailor or seamstress can be your clothing's savior. Finding the right professional to alter the size of your clothing can be a game-changer for your wardrobe. In this article, we'll explore how to find a good tailor or seamstress, discuss the ease of locating one, and address the cost of tailoring services.

1. Finding a Skilled Tailor or Seamstress:

a. Ask for Recommendations: One of the best ways to find a trustworthy tailor or seamstress is to ask friends, family, or colleagues for recommendations. Personal referrals can provide valuable insights into the quality of their work and customer service.

b. Read Online Reviews: In the digital age, online reviews are a valuable resource. Websites like Yelp, Google, and Facebook often feature customer reviews of local tailoring shops. Reading these reviews can help you gauge the reputation of a potential tailor.

Richpeace Automatic Template Garment Sewing Machines

Richpeace  Automatic Template Sewing Machine for garment

Sewing Face Masks

Are you interested in sewing face masks?  If yes, you can either sew by hand with a needle & thread or use a sewing machine.  If you are making many, we highly recommend using a sewing machine to sew your face masks.

PFAFF creative icon Sewing and Embroidery Machine

Experience the most powerful and stable machine PFAFF® has ever brought to market 

A completely re-engineered platform and designed meticulously for optimal performance while working on your projects, the PFAFF® creative icon™ sewing and embroidery machine is the most powerful and stable machine on the market today. 

Through the use of simulation based design, modeling, and contemporary engineering techniques, the PFAFF creative icon redesigned the mechanics and base for more power, while decreasing vibrations. During the engineering process, the entire platform and over 600 parts were evaluated to pursue enhancements and innovation. In the end, almost a third of all machine parts were optimized for countless performance boosts. 

A&E Colorlink and COLORCATCH NANO

Continuing its 125-year tradition in textile manufacturing, American & Efird (A&E) today unveiled Colorlink, the company’s first mobile app with a focus on thread color. Colorlink encourages more interactive collaboration, connecting entire teams across design and production channels in the thread color selection process to ensure color is not compromised. 

Available for both Android and Apple phones and tablets, A&E Colorlink was created to serve as an end-to-end tool to connect designers and production managers in the thread color selection process. The app offers a vast array of digital color choices and provides more control of thread color selection from design inception to the manufacturing floor, assuring designers that the personal connection to their color story is maintained through production. 

“Thread color selection is a foundational element of garment design and production, but too often this decision is left to the end of the process,” said Chris Alt, A&E Senior Vice President Sales. “Our goal for Colorlink is to give designers and manufacturers an easy-to-use, go-to thread color collaboration tool that not only provides color inspiration, but also streamlines access to our expansive global color platform and Colorlink palette. Colorlink empowers garment designers and color professionals to be confident that the colors they select at the garment’s inception will be the same inspired colors used in the finished product, ensuring their vision stays true.” 

Colorlink features include: 

Opportunity to easily specify thread color and manage ideas on-the-go:

• Create personal thread color collections 
• Locate complementary thread colors 
• Place selected colors on sample stiches and fabric types

Ability to easily organize and share project and thread color details with colleagues and supply chain 

Request physical thread color samples for confirmation 

Connect with A&E global representatives 

In addition, A&E Colorlink supports a companion device called COLORCATCH NANO. The COLORCATCH NANO is an advanced hand-held color tool that will identify color on a variety of smooth, structured or patterned surfaces with the touch of a button.

Request an unlock code for the free A&E Colorlink app and learn more about Colorlink and the COLORCATCH NANO at www.amefird.com/colorlink.

ABOUT AMERICAN & EFIRD:

A&E is the largest U.S. manufacturer and the world’s second-largest manufacturer and distributor of premium quality industrial and consumer sewing thread, embroidery thread and technical textiles. Producers of apparel, automotive components, home furnishings, medical supplies, footwear and a diverse range of industrial products rely on A&E industrial sewing thread to manufacture their products. Customers select A&E as the preferred choice for industrial sewing thread, embroidery thread and technical textiles because of A&E's dedication to providing its customers with the finest products and services, at the highest quality, delivered globally. Through its global network, A&E's products are manufactured in 23 countries, distributed in 50 countries and sold in over 100 countries. In addition to A&E's steadfast commitment to superior quality and customer service, A&E is a recognized industry leader in environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility, and operates its global facilities with the utmost regard for the safety and health of its associates employed worldwide. A&E owns or operates 27 manufacturing facilities and employs over 10,000 associates around the world directly or in partnership with joint venture partners. For more information, please visit www.amefird.com.

Creative Sensation pro II sewing and embroidery machine

Only PFAFF® can proivde you with the precision and control you need along with an abundance of options for personalization.

The creative sensation™ pro II sewing and embroidery machine is the latest evolution of PFAFF®‘s advanced technology.

NEW - PRECISION PORTFOLIO 

The creative sensation™ pro II machine introduces the Precision Portfolio - 5 features which uniquely provide performance with the highest precision and control in each and every stitch.

• ActivStitch™ Technology
• The Original IDT™ System
• Precise Positioning Feature
• Stitch Creator™ Feature
• Shape Creator Feature

NEW - DOUBLE RIBBON STITCHES

Add dimensional elements to your decorative stitching with beautiful ribbon stitches. With this patented technique, narrow ribbons and trims are woven into these special stitches as you sew. New double ribbon stitches are exclusive to the creative sensation™ pro II machine.

A few of the key features:

With three patents, this revolutionary technology delivers precise, gorgeous embroidery even when using challenging novelty threads like metallic. Sensors measure the fabric thickness to regulate the amount of thread needed to achieve perfect balance between the needle and bobbin threads. Results are perfect on both sides of the fabric.

Integrated Dual Feed only from PFAFF® for over 45 years! A PFAFF® exclusive feature that delivers absolutely even fabric feed from both the top and the bottom, and ensures perfect seams on all fabrics.

Place every embroidery design exactly where you want it. Easily match multiple hoopings to create embroideries of unlimited size.

Create new 9mm stitches or edit built-in stitches for unlimited creativity. 

Combine decorative stitches or design elements instantly to create truly unique borders and designs. Shape Creator™ Appliqué feature reinvents how to create appliqués with speed and precision. Choose from a variety of distinctive shapes – all built-in. 

Add dimensional elements to your decorative stitching with beautiful ribbon stitches. With this patented technique, narrow ribbons and trims are woven into these special stitches as you sew. New double ribbon stitches are exclusive to the creative sensation™ pro II sewing and embroidery machine. 

The PFAFF® creative sensation™ pro II sewing and embroidery machine features a large embroidery area - up to 360x350mm. Embroider your unique, personal creations in one hooping with the largest turnable hoop on market.

Beautiful cutwork embroidery is completed quickly and easily with INSPIRA™ cutwork needles. Four different needles, each with a different cutting angle, cut the fabric as you embroider.

Above is only some of the benefits.

Learn more about this equipment at PFAFF.

Esaie Couture Design School Sewing Classes

Greetings, fellow fashion enthusiasts! Esaie Couture Design School has just sewn up a few NEW classes, just for you...and they are FREE! Be one of the first 20 to register for these Open House class and get one or more for free, and if you like the class, you may enroll in the full course with a sweet 5% discount deducted from the cost! Kids and Teens will benefit from a free S.T.E.M. Fashion Design and Sewing Class, while adults will have a handful of options, including Childrenswear Design Class, Draping/Drafting/Dressmaking Class, French Language Class, and Stretch Knit Sewing. You don't want to miss it!

Fashion/Sewing Weekday Evening Classes

Esaie Couture Design School
38 West 32nd St, Suite 1012
New York, NY 10001

Learn more about fashion industry educational opportunities here on Apparel Search.

Bar tack Stitches to Reinforce Clothing

Sewing has so many different methods.  It is OK if you don’t know them all, but if you work in the apparel industry it is a good idea to at least know some of the basics.  Today, let’s take a moment to learn a little more about the meaning and process of bartacking.

What is a bar tack stitch?  A bar tack stitch is basically a tight zigzag that is repeated back and forth over itself to reinforce a piece that is sewn together.

In sewing, bar tack, also written bar-tack or bartack, refers to a series of stitches used to reinforce areas of a garment that may be subject to stress or additional wear. Typical areas for bar tack stitches include pocket openings, buttonholes, belt loops, the bottom of a fly opening, tucks, pleats and the corners of collars.  They are potentially used in other locations of clothes, footwear, and fashion accessories as well.

Bar tacks may be sewn by hand, using whip stitches, or by machine, using zigzag stitches.  

The process for sewing a bar tack is essentially to sew several long, narrowly-spaced stitches along the line of the bar that will be formed, followed by short stitches made perpendicular to the long stitches, through the fabric and over the bar.  The bar commonly varies between 1⁄16 to 1⁄8 inch (1.6 to 3.2 mm) in width and 1⁄4 to 3⁄8 inch (6.4 to 9.5 mm) in length.

In some garments, such as jeans, the bar tack will be sewn in a contrasting color.

Similar stitches to the bar tack include the arrowhead tack and crow's foot tack.

Chances are that if you've ever seen a pair of blue jeans, you've seen a bartack.

Learn more about sewing in our education section.  You may want to go specifically to the seams & stitches section.

You can find bartacking machinery from many of the industry leading sewing machine manufacturers.  For example, Juki offers the following models of computer-controlled, High-speed, Bartacking Machines:

LK-1900B Series

The machine achieves sewing speed of 3,200sti/min. The machine's starting, stopping, thread-trimming and automatic presser lifting speeds have been increased to significantly shorten total cycle time.

LK-1901B

The machine is provided with a material-drawing mechanism which draws the right and left parallel portions of an eyelet buttonhole near to one another. The machine performs bartacking with the right and left parallel portions of the eyelet buttonhole drawn near to one another after the buttonhole is clamped under the work clamp foot, thereby finishing highly durable and well-tensed eyelet buttonholes.

LK-1902B

The machine is provided as standard with six different linear bartacking patterns. Since the sewing size can be easily changed, the optimal number of stitches and sewing size can be speedily selected according to the belt-loop width.  If the normally used patterns are assigned to the patterns keys, a desired pattern can be called up or changed with single-key operation.

Learn more about bar tack stitches in our apparel definition section.

You can learn more about the above mentioned equipment at the Juki sewing machine website.  If you are a fashion designer that prefers to sew by hand, you are welcome to buy needle and thread and work on your sewing techniques by hand instead.

Hemseal Adhesive Thread

Coats plc, the world’s leading industrial thread and consumer textile crafts business, is launching Hemseal, a new product delivering additional fixing qualities to the hems of tailored garments.  The adhesive thread has a low melt portion which adheres to fabrics when pressed under heat, helping to hold hems in place even if the stitching fails. 

Blind stitching hems of garments produces a neat, unobtrusive hem line but, because it is a chain stitch using a single thread, it can easily unravel and cause the hem to drop down.  Hemseal is used as part of the hem construction and can also be reactivated by repressing.

Rajiv Sharma, CEO, Industrial Division, Coats plc said: ‘The advantage of Hemseal is that the hem remains in place even if the blind stitch used to sew it unravels.  This helps enhance the durability of the garment and will reduce those annoying ‘instant’ hem drops that can happen in clothing like tailored suits and school uniforms.’

Hemseal can be used on most types of fabrics – including heavier ones requiring additional seam adhesion where it can be incorporated in the overlock stitching. 

Learn more about sewing from the sewing instruction section here on Apparel Search.  From that section you can learn more about stitches and seams.

You may also be interested in viewing the following definitions:

Hems
Hemstitch

Coats Hemseal is constructed from 85% low melt co-polyamide and 15% polyester. It is designed for use in the hems of tailored trousers, dresses and skirts to deliver additional security to the blind stitched hem. Using a blind stitch for the hems of tailored garments produces a neat, unobtrusive hem line but because the stitch formation used (stitch type 103) is a single thread chainstitch it can easily unravel allowing the hem to fall.

When producing an overlock serged and blindstitched hem Coats Hemseal delivers additional security because it is used as part of the overlock serged hem construction and when the seam is pressed the low melt Co-PA portion of Coats Hemseal adheres to both fabric plies. This results in the hem remaining affixed even if the blindstitch used to sew the hem becomes unravelled.

Thermal Properties
 Co-polymer polyamide melts at 110ºC, softens at 90ºC
 Polyester melts at 250-260 degrees, softens at 220 - 240 °C

To find out more about Hemseal go to: http://www.coatsindustrial.com/en/products-applications/industrial-threads/hemseal

About Coats

With a rich heritage dating back to the 1750s, Coats is the world's leading industrial thread and consumer textile crafts business, at home in more than 70 countries, employing over 20,000 people across six continents. Revenues in 2013 were US$1.7bn.

Their  well-known brands and strong relationships with customers and consumers mean their  products and services meet current and future needs. Their company-wide understanding of their business partners and consumers, coupled with the deep expertise of their people, builds trust and certainty.

Coats’ pioneering history and innovative culture ensure the company continues leading the way around the world: providing complementary and value added products and services to the apparel and footwear industries; extending the crafts offer into new markets and online; and applying innovative techniques to develop products in new areas such as tracer threads, aramids and fibre optics.

·  One in five garments on the planet is held together using Coats’ thread

·  100 million car airbags are made using Coats’ thread every year

·  Coats produces enough yarn to knit 70 million scarves a year

·  In three and a half hours, Coats makes enough thread to go to the moon and back

·  400 million pairs of shoes are made every year using Coats’ thread

·  One million teabags using Coats’ thread are brewed every 10 minutes

·  Thousands of surgical operations take place every day using Coats’ thread

·  Thomas Edison used Coats’ thread in 1879 to invent the light bulb

·  Coats produces enough thread to reach around the Equator every 11 minutes

·  Coats is the second largest and fastest growing global zip manufacturer

To find out more about Coats visit www.coats.com

Thank you for taking the time to read our apparel industry blog post. We hope that you have found this news to be informative. If you have comments or questions, please add your thoughts in the discussion area below.

Vivo Sew-It-Yourself Sewing Machine

Introducing the Vivo^™ Create and Repair machine!

As the popularity of Do-It-Yourself, Sew-It-Yourself, upcycling and personalizing items continues to increase, this machine makes it easy to add personal touches to all your favorite things.  It’s small, compact and affordable (less than $80 at Walmart stores nationwide), so it is ideal for sewers and crafters of all skill levels. 

This machine is the first from SINGER that is designed with the non-sewer in mind to be a useful tool anyone can use for completing projects around the house. 

Singer Sewing Company announced on August 26, 2013 the launch of the Vivo^™ by SINGER^® Create and Repair Machine. This machine meets consumer demand for practicality and convenience by taking the trouble out of fixing minor tears, repairing or altering clothing and adding fun, creative embellishments to personal fashion and home décor items.

“While SINGER^® is known for sewing, we designed the Vivo^™ with the non-sewer in mind as a handy household tool everyone can use,” said Katrina Helmkamp, CEO of SVP Worldwide, producer of the SINGER^® brand. “With this machine, sprucing up your living space, taking on do-it-yourself projects, and completing basic household repairs is now quicker and easier than ever before.”

Simple to use, carry and store, the Vivo^™ by SINGER^® Create and Repair Machine weighs only 7.2 pounds and can be conveniently used anywhere in the house. It enables users to effortlessly fix small tears, join pieces of fabric together, and hem and patch garments at the touch of a button. It also is ideal for attaching decorative trim and adding stylish appliqué details to garments or accessories.

The Vivo™ by SINGER® Create and Repair Machine retails for under $80 and is available at Walmart stores nationwide and Walmart.com. For more information, please visit www.singerco.com.

About SINGER^®:

Since 1851, SINGER^® has been one of the leading brands of consumer and artisan sewing machines, and one of the world’s most trusted and recognizable brands. SINGER^® has a long history of sewing innovation, having produced the world’s first portable sewing machine, the first zigzag sewing machine and the first electronic sewing machine. By making simple, easy to use machines, SINGER^® has introduced the craft of sewing to people around the world. From home décor and clothing construction to embroidery and quilting, SINGER^® is dedicated to helping people express themselves through sewing. Please visit www.singerco.com for more information.

If you enjoy home sewing, you may also want to visit the Home Sewing Patterns website which is another website created by the Apparel Search Company.  You can also learn more about home sewing directly on the Apparel Search fashion directory.

Learn more about sewing machines in our textile and apparel machinery guide section.