Friday Fun Fact: Were people smaller in the past?

It's Elizabeth here, and if you've ever talked to me for more than five minutes, you've probably heard me talk about historical dresses.

Today I want to share one of my favorite LOCAL dresses with you, and do a little historical size myth-busting.

This dress was made in the early 1870s right here in St. Paul, Minnesota!

You can see all the details on this dress at the Minnesota Historical Society page here. If you click through you will notice the measurements, including a 22" waist.

I know what you're thinking. "Wow! That's really small! Women were so much smaller back then!"

But the reality is, no, they really weren't!

Human bodies have always come in many shapes and sizes, and while corsets may reduce a waist by a few inches, they can only do so much.

But why are there so many small dresses?

The reason is simple: the small dresses survive because no one can wear them.

Our great-grandmothers were frugal and practical, and so were theirs, and so were theirs. Fabric was valuable and precious, and a good dress would not be packed away and saved for no good reason.

Items of clothing were worn out, mended, sold, refashioned, handed down, picked apart, and remade until there was nothing left.

But if a dress is very small, there's no one to hand it down to. A tiny dress that doesn't fit anyone gets saved in a trunk for a hundred years and then donated to a historical society.

We can confirm this by looking at the many photos and portraits from the era. Sure, there are plenty of slender women, but there's more diversity than you might think - like the lovely, curvy lady in the photo below.

Friday Fun Fact: Lined patch pocket tutorial

I love a rounded patch pocket, but pressing under a curved edge can be a pain. I've had some success with templates and pressing cloths (and I'll show you that method sometime, too!) but my favorite way to ensure a smooth edge on a rounded pocket is to line it.

How do we do that? Just cut two of your pocket piece for each pocket. You can use the same fabric as the garment, OR if your garment fabric is heavy, you can choose a lining fabric or lightweight cotton for the inside piece.

With your pieces right sides together, stitch almost all the way around the outer edge, leaving a 2" opening at the side.

Next it's crucial to trim and snip your corners and curves! We covered that in a fun fact you can see here!

All clipped and trimmed? Great, it's time to turn the pocket right side out. It's going to look like a lump at first (see below) but some ironing will take care of that!



See our fun fact on turning a clean edge here!

Tuck the opening edge inside and press it, but don't worry about sewing it closed yet.

Once your pocket is all neat and pressed, align it where you want on your garment and pin in place. The ideal placement for most people places the top of the pocket about 3-4" below the waist.

To create a little more room in your pocket, scoot the upper corners in by 1/8" on each side. This small adjustment stops your pocket from laying totally flat and makes it easier to put stuff inside!

Next, edgestitch your pocket in place. Sew as close as you can to the edge, so there's no flap of fabric left on the outside. Really get right on that edge!

Now your pocket is done! Go forth and carry many things! 

Have a request for a Friday Fun Fact? Want to know some specific sewing history or get an in-depth tutorial? Let us know!

Treadlette Tuesday: Amazing Grace

Every Tuesday we share projects and ideas from our lovely Treadle Yard Goods employees, The Treadlettes!

This week's make is a two-for-one from Grace! She fell in love with this floral musical note print and decided to make a coordinating blouse to make it an ensemble! Get the fabric here!



We all found it quite fitting that the sheet music on the fabric print is the tune of Amazing Grace! It's not our Grace like to HAD to use it then, but yeah, she totally did. For the dress she used New Look 6889, a simple sundress with a fun shoulder detail.

The shoulder pieces aren't stitched in place, so you could move them up and down the straps as desired. We found this gave a different look and shape to the whole neckline!

The blouse is made from Butterick 6632, a simple popover peasant blouse. The fabric is a semi-sheer navy blue cotton lawn with subtle woven stripes. See it here!

We really love the combination of a light-colored jumper dress with a dark blouse - it turns the traditional look around a bit for a fun twist.

Friday Fun Fact: Online sewing resources

Today I want to share some of my favorite online resources for sewing. Click on the links to check out the websites!

Pattern Review is still the standard community database for reviews on sewing patterns, machines, and more. You can create an account to make posts but you don't have to be a member just to browse! (We know, the website design on this one is a little dated and clunky, but there's still loads of great information!)

Many of our favorite pattern companies have blogs! They'll give you new pattern updates, tutorials, and sewing inspiration. Check out a few of our faves here:

Sew House Seven
Cashmerette
Closet Core
Folkwear

Curvy Sewing Collective is THE place for plus-size sewing resources, from pattern suggestions and fitting tips to great reviews and photos of home-sewn garments on actual plus size peoples' bodies. 

This might seem obvious to some of you, but don't overlook Pinterest. There's tons of sewing content if you know what to look for! You can often find free patterns for crafts, quilts, and garments. (Yeah, we know TikTok exists too, but that's a new fad that hasn't quite trickled down to the understory yet.)

And obvy, this list would not be complete without our own Treadle Blog, where you can see all our Friday Fun Facts, tutorials, project inspirations, and more. Search the tags to find just what you need!

Treadlette Tuesday: Marina's improvisational quilt

 Every Tuesday we share projects and ideas from our lovely Treadle Yard Goods employees, The Treadlettes!

Check out Marina's latest quilt!



She made this modern, geometric baby quilt with an improvisational method. 

Rather than using a specific pattern, Marina adds pieces as she goes for a completely unique look.

Friday Fun Fact: Bust shaping with a side dart

Hey it's your gal Elizabeth back for another round of sewing chat!

A lot of students come to me in classes unhappy with the fit of their garments. 

There are A LOT of things that affect good fit, but today I'm going to pick one to talk about: bust shaping.

Look at the pattern below. I've had several students struggle with this one. (I'm not saying this pattern should be banned, but.... yeah I am.)

This pattern is a straight-cut rectangle, and unless you're shaped like a pogo stick, it's not gonna work for you.

It's not about the style of the dress; it's about putting room in the strategic places we need it. See the drag lines around the bust? The fabric folds are telling us we need a dart there!

Check the next pattern below. It's still a simple shift shape, but the side bust dart makes a huge difference!

A side bust dart doesn't make the garment more snug. It's still a loose, casual shift. But the dart eliminates the drag lines and makes the front hang more smoothly.

Good fit starts with good pattern choice! Look for a side dart to make fitting easier.

See the Friday Fun Fact archive here at the blog, where you can read all our useful tutorials and subjective opinions on sewing!

Treadlette Tuesday: Laura's Linen Pajamas

Every Tuesday we share projects and ideas from our lovely Treadle Yard Goods employees, The Treadlettes!

Laura made these luxurious black linen pajamas for one of her custom sewing clients.

She used Vogue 8964 and added more piping for plenty of pop!

The wearer reports they are "wonderful, seemingly perfect in all aspects!"

Friday Fun Fact: Finishing an edge with bias tape

Hey, it's time for another installment of our bias tape series!

One of the most common things we do with bias tape is finish an edge, such as a neckline or armhole. 

So you've cut all your bias strips and sewn them into a continuous length. Now what?

You can use a bias tape maker to iron creases in your bias strips in advance, but I prefer to sew first, press after.

You should have a 1/4" seam allowance on your garment. If yours is larger, trim it down.

Pin your bias tape around the edge you're binding, lining up the raw edges. Stitch around at 1/4".

Using the tip of a sharp scissor, snip into the seam allowance all the way around.

Take your piece to the iron. The most important work here is going to happen at the iron! We're going to press in three separate steps.

First press from the right side. Push the bias tape away from the garment and get it nice and flat. Use your fingers or crease with a fingernail as needed to get it really smooth (no lips!).

Next, flip your garment to work from the inside. Fold the raw edge of the bias strip over to enclose the seam allowances. Press press press.



Finally, turn the folded bias edge over again. All the bias tape should be on the inside now, and the seam should be right on the edge. Keep the edge curvy and stretch the bias tape around the curve as needed. Press!



Now pin the bias tape in place and edgestitch close to the inside fold.



Don't flatten the curve as you go! To keep the edge from flaring, keep it rounded as you stitch, and rotate the fabric as you go to follow the curve.



When you're done, the bias tape hides on the inside, and the outside is clean and finished with a simple line of topstitching.

Coming soon, we'll show you more of our favorite bias tape methods!

See the rest of the bias tape tutorials at the Friday Fun Fact archive here! 

Treadlette Tuesday: Elizabeth's Plaid Flannel

Every Tuesday we share projects, inspiration, and ideas for you from our lovely Treadle Yard Goods employees, The Treadlettes!

Check out Elizabeth's latest make! A cute boxy button-up for her 13-year-old kiddo. The pattern is Jalie Florence and the fabric is a super-soft cotton plaid flannel.

She avoided having to do much plaid matching by cutting the back yoke, pockets, and sleeve bands on the bias. It makes your life easier and looks so cute, too!

She of course asked for her kid's input on which color buttons. They answered, all of them, plus this cow!

Because the only thing more fun than digging around in mom's button box is getting to pick the weird ones for your own shirt!

Friday Fun Fact: Cheap Toy Sewing Machines and Why We Don't Like Them

Okay folks it's me Elizabeth here as usual. I have been told that the best Friday Fun Facts are the ones where I just do a sewing-related rant about my pet peeves. Weird, but okay. You asked and you shall receive!

The thing I'm mad about today is cheap toy sewing machines. They are simply not worth your time, energy, or money.



I know we can't all afford a fancy expensive machine, and that's okay! You don't need the most expensive sewing machine out there to do good sewing.



But a sewing machine that works is going to cost more than twenty bucks.

When people bring these machines into the shop, they've already bought them, and I don't have the heart to tell them they wasted their money.

But I'll tell you now: most of these little, cheap machines are absolute garbage.

Here are a few things to watch out for:

- Mini size

- No stitch selector

- No length/width adjuster

- Runs on batteries

- Handheld

- Advertised specifically "for kids"

Sometimes these machines will work for a little while, but they are absolutely not designed to last. Sometimes they just don't work at all!

If you feel you need to buy a machine online, read some reviews. Online retailers often have thousands of reviews for a product, and you can also check out the online sewing community Pattern Review!

Click here to visit the sewing machine reviews at the Pattern Review website!

I would really, really love to be able to recommend the one true perfect machine, but unfortunately it's just not that simple.

There are a lot of variables that go into sewing machine choice. I'd be happy to share my sewing machine buying tips in a future Fun Fact!

For now, please just save your money, time, and frustration and avoid cheap fake machines. 

Like our Friday Fun Facts? See them all here at the blog!

Treadlette Tuesday: Michele's Burnside Bibs

Every Tuesday we share projects, inspiration, and ideas for you from our lovely Treadle Yard Goods employees, The Treadlettes!

Check out the Burnside Bibs that Treadle owner Michele made for her daughter!

Cute, simple overalls are having a big moment right now. A solid linen, a fun printed canvas, or a stunning home dec fabric is ideal for making your own.

Equally cute for a day in the park or a casual dinner party!

Treadlette Tuesday: Rebecca's Hoodie

 It's Treadlette Tuesday, when we share projects, inspiration, and ideas for you from our lovely Treadle Yard Goods employees, The Treadlettes!

Today we're looking at Rebecca's fantastic hoodie!

Rebecca used a double-sided sweater knit and Jalie pattern 2795. She pieced a few extra seams in to save fabric and made a couple fitting tweaks.

But the most exciting detail is that lined hood! Rebecca used an embroidered floral fabric from her stash to create a totally unique design feature!

Plus, she'll be teaching this pattern as a class this winter!

Check out the Hoodie Jacket here!

Friday Fun Fact: Bobbin Animation

Folks, today's fun fact is short and sweet, because I really just wanted to share this mesmerizing animation with you.

Ever wonder exactly how your bobbin thread gets pulled up by your sewing machine? Check out the clip above or click the link to see how the bobbin hook grabs the thread and locks the two threads together!

Click here for the gif! I could seriously watch this all day. It's so hypnotic.