Pad-Stitching Uses

June 7, 2024

Pad-stitching is the go-to stitching for shaping the delicate roll of the lapel and collar.  

when you stitch like this, you're not attaching one piece of interfacing to the fabric...you are literally shaping this around your hand and creating one layer to be longer, and more abundant than another layer, which causes the piece to instantly curve.  

Personally, I love this process, probably because it's so simple and magical. But why in the world would you do this on something so casual that wouldn't normally need it?  Pad stitching is not only for the formally tailored jacket. It's also for shaping around anything on the body that requires a soft curve or fold.  And using pad stitching like this can open a whole new avenue of sewing that otherwise would have look very sad at best, and plainly there are uses you may not even have considered.  Here are some ideas. 

• Places that need shape, but don't have it and can't  get it
• Places you want to lay a certain way, across the bust, around the neck, in your shoulder 
• On your sleeve a fold that might be connected to the cuff 
• The cuff to lay a certain way or to fold a certain way
• You could even use it to have the hem fold under in a very gentle curve

Think of this in terms of any area where you want a gentle curve or gentle roll, that this is a perfect place for pad stitching.  

And it doesn't have to be over a whole area, as in the case of the neckline on my jacket curving out one way and curving in on another way.  
 

Here I wanted my collar lapel to always flip open along a roll line, but I didn't want to put really thick horsehair canvas in this.  This is a summer lightweight jacket, but that doesn't meant that I can't have some shape to it.  So all I did was made the lapel curve (with stitching only on the neckline seam) one way (out on the front) and in (on the back).  This would normally not happen with a neckline - usually it curves one way or another and that's it - UNLESS you pad stitching.  Here's how I did that.  

So don't limit yourself to thinking that if a gentle curve or fold isn't possible - it is with pad stitching.  Here are some ideas for application

• If it's over an area, and you have an underside that won't show, do the pad stitching on the underside.
• If both sides show, do the pad stitching in a seam or dart
• You really do need a bottom and top - two fabrics to do this successfully.  You need one to stabilize and then you need the other side to be bigger or smaller to make the curve successful.

Don't think that this technique is limited to tailored clothing.  It's marvelous on even casual things.  I could even do this (in the seam) on an organiza blouse that I wanted to curve around the neck.  

This has become such a go-to practice for me that I do this on all my unlined jackets and fold-over lapels like this.  It makes such a fabulous difference, not only when it's new like the huge-floral jacket, but I've made that jacket for years, and the jackets from the past still have that stitching in them and still turn beautifully and still look fresh and curvy - not hard pressed.  

This is one of the fun things to think about a traditional tailored technique that suddenly you can think of so many places to use this, that are nothing close to tailoring.  They all revolve around curving and making something curve exactly the way you want.  

Have fun with this and be creative with it!

The SewingArtistry Resource Library is designed to contain information to not only make your sewing better, but to aid in you fitting and flattering your shape, size and style.  Check it out. 

Look for future classes coming in 2024
The Core Pattern Shirt, (one of my favorites for woven core pattern that you can make into a myriad of different garments), 
Basic Knit Top (core pattern class for knit basic tops, shells, tees, dresses, and tunics)
 

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