Favorites.

These are my favorite clothing construction things. I thought about posting photos but I got lazy.

1. Pintucks. I have to confess that I have yet to actually make something with pintucks (nevertheless, the time will come!). I like pintucks because I'm not much for mixing fabrics or colors together. Pintucks are a good source of visual interest on something that could otherwise seem quite plain. They can be easily incorporated into any design. They add that extra couture touch, the extra detail that takes the clothing just a step beyond normal.

pintucks on blouse
pintucks on skirt
pintucks on skirt
pintucks on blouse

2. Gores. For a while I hated them, but that was because I wasn't any good at setting them. Now I'm a master at sewing in gores. In fact, at the Collegium in November, I was taking a class on hand-sewing from Kass Magann. She, and several others attending, started carping on how difficult gores are to put in and how they always get messed up on the tip, and the only way to get it to look good is to very carefully sew it in by hand. I respectfully disagreed, stating that I had figured out a method for putting in gores with a machine which realized very smooth and perfect results. Kass's response: "But that's not period." Well of course it's not period. We weren't discussing if it's period. We were discussing if it's possible. And despite what the hand-sewing purists want to tell you, it is indeed possible. Anyway, I love gores because they can add fullness to any article of clothing, without bulky and sometimes unaesthetic gathering or pleating. Or if gathering and pleating are desired, gores can be used in conjunction, to reduce the amount of bulk where the gathering/pleating is, or even to give more space to be gathered/pleated, without making the rest of the piece bigger. I really like large, full skirts, but am not a fan of making my waist look thicker due to gathering at the waistband. Gores are a perfect solution. Gores are also very fabric conservative, especially if you're able to utilize rectilinear drafting techniques for the entire piece. Gores don't have to be inserted on seams (in fact I prefer to insert them on slashes rather than seams), which means they can be inserted into any design, or a design with gores can be changed around quite easily.

gore inserted in a slash on front of dress
multiple gores inserted in slashes on back of tunic
gore in seam on front of dress and sleeve


3. Plackets. Plackets are another tricky thing to set in if you don't know how, but wonderful once you get the hang of it. Plackets are self-binding, which means I don't have to deal with loose seams and having to do more finishing on the inside. Plackets are the best for introducing more function into a design. I abhor back closures because they are so difficult to do by myself. Using a placket, I can put in a closure on the front, without having to redraft anything. It doesn't even have to correspond to a seam. Plus they can be sewn down several ways, depending on if you want it to be visible or not.

tiny placket on sleeve inserted in a slash
placket at neck inserted into slash

4. Welt pockets. These are a little more advanced, but like gores and plackets, they can be set in a slash, rather than in a seam; like pintucks, they add visual interest; and like plackets they add functionality. There are far too few pockets in women's wear. Using a welt pocket, I can add a pocket anywhere, onto anything. They seem safer to me too--thanks to their vertical orientation, it's less likely that stuff will fall out if you sit down or move around too much. Unless, of course, you make the pockets way too shallow, like I did on my pirate coat, and Lorraine had to follow me around picking up everything that fell out. That was because those were the first welt pockets I'd made, and I did the math wrong. Too many times have I made a skirt or jacket, finished it, and thought, "Crap, I should have put a side pocket into that!" But welt pockets can be put in after the piece is finished, without having to take apart seams (unless it's lined). They're more aesthetic, in my opinion, than patch pockets. They are better suited for vests, jackets, dressy slacks, etc. Occasionally patch pockets or other types of pockets are a better choice. I will add pockets where ever I can, and welt pockets are a good option for the most part.

welt pockets on vest
welt pockets on vest
welt pocket on pants


Honorable mention: I have mad sleeve drafting skills. I can draft sleeves which actually allow me full usage of my arms! Like I can lift them all the way up and everything! This is something that commercial pattern companies have yet to comprehend. Especially Vogue, it's like they want you to stand around being useless all day.