Sewing with Stripes

Anyone else drawn to stripes?  It's a curse and a blessing.  I love the look of stripes, but sewing with them can be so frustrating.  The perfectionist in me cringes every time I'm sewing stripes and they don't match up along the seams.

SHOPPING FOR STRIPES

In school, one of the ways we learned how to tell the quality of a garment was to evaluate how the stripes matched up along the seams.  Let me just preface this with saying there's nothing wrong with garments that don't have matching side seams.  It just means it was made on a lower budget.  When matching stripes along seams, more fabric is needed, meaning the cost of that garment is usually more expensive.  For my shoppers out there, here are some things to look for when buying a garment with stripes:

1. Check to see if the stripes going across seams match up.  On budget items, it's rare that the stripes along the side seams will match up.  On higher-end garments, matching stripes along the side seams should be expected.  If you're paying top dollar for a garment with stripes, make sure the stripes line up (otherwise, you're probably overpaying).
2. Make sure the stripes are straight (unless it's an obvious design feature for the stripes to be at an angle).  For horizontal stripes, make sure they run parallel to the ground.  For vertical stripes, make sure they're perpendicular with the ground.  If these lines are just a little bit off, it can throw off the whole shape of the garment.

SEWING WITH STRIPES

Sewing with stripes can be a whole different ball game, but don't let it get to your head.  It's a lot easier than you may think.  It just takes a little bit of patience and some planning.  Below, I've listed some tips for sewing with stripes:

1. Consider how the fabric is folded.  If you have stripes running vertically, fold the fabric along a stripe and make that the center of your garment.  This will help things look balanced and keep your lines perpendicular to the ground.

2. Make sure the stripes are lining up on both halves of the fabric. I use pins to make sure things stay aligned while cutting.

3. It's all about how the pattern is placed on the fabric.  For horizontal stripes, line both bottom hems up along one of the stripes.  If the hems are different lengths, use notches and underarm seams to match the stripes.

4. Go slow while sewing and use pins.  Check often to ensure the stripes are matching up along the side seams.

5. If it's not perfect, don't fret.  If stripes are just a little bit off, it's hard to tell from a distance.

Overall, sewing with stripes really isn't that difficult.  If you're a perfectionist like me, it just takes a little bit of planning.  Do you have any tips for sewing with stripes?  Add them to the comments below!

Happy Sewing,