Short on Fabric? Try 18th Century Piecing to Make It Work!

Ever had your pattern not fit on your fabric? Or wanted to make something from stash fabric but didn't have enough fabric left? Try 18th century piecing!

In the 18th century fabric was often the most expensive part of a garment, so the less of it you had to use the better it was for your wallet. Enter piecing! By strategically stitching scrap pieces of fabric to fit the shape/size of your pattern you can get more out of less yardage for your historical clothes.

Want to try piecing with your modern wardrobe? Experiment by mixing and matching different fabrics for your pieces for added interest.

[sheilagaleano]

Watched again.... just to hear you say, with great emotion....so friends....piece responsibly.... hehehe

[cloudn]

finally a tutorial on the topic 🎉thanks ❤

[NightvisionProductions]

I'm custom to use this kinda method almost always, but good thing you reminded me of the seam allowances - I always tend to forget (But hey, that means more seams and that makes the garm even more intresting ;D) Thanks for this fun clip!
Milla

[winonahdrake]

Don't worry about my not buying more fabric. My stash demands to be fed whenever B&T has something new.

[siwsanpackard]

Christina is such a joy to watch and listen too, thanks for the tutorial.

[nataliestanchevski]

This is strangely timely for me as my current project (a modern linen shirt) is just not fitting on my fabric. I'm going to embrace the "rustic" nature of the cloth and use piecing to accent it. Thanks for the tutorial!

[nadiavandyne]

Piecing has saved my butt so many times on various projects. Not even all of them in sewing! I had to piece together some cover material for a book when I overestimated how much I had left. Came out looking really good in the end!

[SirFrederick]

Never knew I was piecing already. I can never figure out how much material to get.

[conqueringmountscrapmorewi]

Hello! I'm still trying to catch up watching all the videos that posted while I was away visiting the grandkids. I hope you have a cheerful week ahead! Thank you for posting and sharing your talent.

[fuzzytheduck]

Could you do a tutorial on how to piece curved seams?

[quicksilvertears]

Thank you for this excellent information.

[messenger]

I did this once when I was making a tunic hoodie. I found I didn't have enough fabric for the hood, so I pieced together what I needed. I ended up not only needing that new big piece for the hood, but the gores too. It actually help cordinate the garment better.

[lazygardens]

If you've used bits of that fabric for "other things", they might be fair game for your next project. Scavenge from them.

And now I know how to make my Edwardian fantail skirt fit the fabric ... those tails will be pieced. Anyone staring at the rear hemline can criticize my sewing skills.

I would just piece onto the main fabric enough to let the pattern be cut, so I don't have bits of paper and cloth confusing me.

[tinagriffith]

Wow! I actually did this "accidentally on purpose " last year while making an apron. I had the correct measures, but thought it was too long. So I cut it down to see the new length. It was too short, so I reattached the piece with a back stitch and then felled the seam.

[marynimocks]

Cute! And good - really good technique. So much simpler than what I would have done. Hahaha!!

[sheilagaleano]

I love you. You are hysterical : ) And amazingly knowledgeable and talented : ) As always, great tutorial.

[barefacedquestions]

Hello. For piecing, what seaming method would create the less bulk around the seam line?

[assghoul]

I have a large piece of silk taffeta I'm trying to turn into a shawl. But the fabric width is ridiculously small. So I'm going to have to piece it from a large rectangle into a square, and then cut it diagonally and put those two pieces together to form a large triangle. Thank goodness it's just black and doesn't have a print on it 😂