I have spent the last week or so doing a lot of sewing. Several projects had been lagging around for a while in my sewing bin and if I didn't finish some of them soon Greta would grow out of them before she ever got to wear them! The less exciting items on my todo list were: fixing the hem in 2 pairs of pants, fusing down facings in an outfit for Ethan, sewing on a button on a romper Greta wore last year, putting new leg elastic in a Bum Genius diaper.
The more exciting items on my todo list:
This was a pretty straightforward pattern although it did encompass about 10 yards of double fold bias tape. I used Michael Miller fabric coordinates for all the fabrics (including the bias tape). I also put the bib of the apron together differently than the pattern suggested because of bulk where all the bias tape came together. If you are interested in making this and want to know the specifics, let me know.
This top probably looks familiar. I made it last fall for Greta to wear this spring but was never satisfied with the ribbon shoulder straps. They came untied so easily and that annoyed me & Greta. I redid the straps to have hook & eye closures and a bow tacked on top. I also added pants to the ensemble as the dress was now a little short on her. It will now serve her several years as a swing top. The dress is made with fabric finders ladybug pique and black gingham. The pants are solid black pique. I made the pants identical to the pattern except for adding the rick-rack trim.
This dress was made identical to the pattern (including fabrics (Pink, Blue, Green Mosaic & Blue Stripe) except for the same change to the straps as above. I loved the pattern for the bloomers. It was very straightforward and easy to follow. I'm going to try some more Bonnie Blue patterns to see if they are designed as nicely.
This dress is a gift for a cousin who is having a baby this fall. I wanted to give something for a little down the road vs. the usual first year clothing. This was a fun dress to sew and I was able to make the entire garment with notions & fabric I had in my stash. The fabric I bought at Hobby Lobby last year, lining was leftover white broadcloth from a blouse I made for Greta, ribbon was also a leftover, and the zipper was bought for making bags as gifts for my bridesmaids. Just goes to show you shouldn't throw away stuff you don't use in a sewing project. Never know when it'll come in handy....7 years later! I made extensive changes to this pattern based upon comments on pattern review.
1) The original pattern had the ribbon ties sewn into the side seam of the bodice but otherwise not tacked down. I opted to wait until the garment was done except for zipper & hem and sewed the ribbon to the dress centering it on the seam between bodice and skirt. Doing so at this point allowed the ends of the ribbon to be caught in the seam for the zipper. Once the dress was complete I tacked the bow to the front. The ribbon is not functional in the original pattern and not tacking it down allows it to come untied which I imagine would be frustrating to mom and child.
2) I sewed the sleeves in flat vs. in the round. I've sewn in sleeves both ways and really prefer putting them in flat, particularly in a childs garment where the completed sleeve is so small and may not fit around the arm of the machine.
3) Because I sewed the sleeves in flat I changed the side seams of the bodice to be french seams. I felt like this gave the inside a much cleaner look.
6 Responses:
Ok, I love the last dress. I've passed over that pattern many times b/c I wasn't sure a) it would be simple enough for me or b) if I thought it was cute enough, but WOW, it is! I wasn't sure about how that cross over bodice would look, but it's soo adorable. A couple of questions: what is a sleeve sewn in the flat or in the round. Is it possible for you to describe those? Also, a quick definition of a french seam would be nice. I've got a sewing project that I want to have completed in the next week & a half, but we'll see! I haven't done a pattern since last summer, so I'm a bit uncertain about how it will go.
They all look great - love the last one. The pattern is really cute.
You need some neat labels to "sign" your work. I've got a set for the embroidery machine that might work!
Liz - if you try the last one read the guide sheet through at least once before starting. It skips around a bit and at first I had a hard time figuring out what was going on. It also switched to spanish at least once in the directions but that shouldn't be a problem for you! :-D
Sewing a sleeve in the round:
Step 1: Complete guidesheet instructions until all that remains is sewing underarm seam.
Step 2: Sew underarm seam in sleeve & bodice.
Step 3: Pin Right sides of sleeve and bodice together matching notches and side seams.
Step 4. Baste sleeve & bodice together, then stitch.
Sewing a sleeve in flat:
Step 1: Complete guidesheet instructions until all that remains is sewing underarm seam.
Step 2: Pin Right sides of sleeve and bodice together matching notches and ends of fabric.
Step 3: Baste slee4ve & bodice together, then stitch.
Step 4: Sew underarm seam of sleeve & bodice.
It's the same amount of steps so it doesn't save any time, just frustration. I'm still a beginner at ignoring the guidesheet and going with my own intuition so there are likely applications I haven't encountered yet where it is better to sew a sleeve in the round. I would highly recommend patternreview.com before you start a new project. Some of the seamstresses on there have great insights on changing a pattern to give a better look or for easier sewing.
French Seam:
1. Place WRONG sides together matching ends and notches. Pin. Sew 1/2 of the original seam allowance. My seam allowance was 5/8 so I did 1/4.
2. Trim seam allowance very close to seam.
3. Open up garment to wrong side (and so that right sides are together) and press seam.
4. With right sides together sew the other 1/2 of the seam allowance. (I did 3/8s.)
The seam allowance should now be hidden with the second stitching.
All so adorable. When did you find/make time to do all this!? Did you get good deals on your fabric? I'm guessing you bought some/all of it online?
YOu know, I made Lydia a jumper for fall and got 95% done about 2 months ago. All I have left is attaching a panel at the bottom of the jumper and then the hem. Things have been so crazy that I have not wanted to pull out the machine and all of the stuff in order to finish. Plus knowing my usual "luck," the machine will malfunction and I'll totally forget the basics of sewing.... =) I wish you lived closer!!
I find time to sew by doing all my major chores one week and then the next week I just do the basics and spend most of my time sewing. It's a lot of little bits here and there when I can get Greta occupied with another activity and larger chunks during her nap and in the evening after she goes to bed.
When I shop for fabrics I do look at the price but I'm just as concerned with the quality of the fabrics. Since there is so much time invested in a custom garment (I prefer this term over homemade :-D ) I like to invest equally in higher quality fabrics. I've found that the cheaper stuff tends to fade badly over time and looks worn far before it really is.
Most of the fabrics I've bought are from our local Bernina store. They sell a good amount of quilting and children's fabrics. Momma frequents a smocking store in athens that sells similar fabrics and she may know of some other stores in your area that have the same items. I have gotten some online when I just couldn't find what I needed locally. I particularly like farmhousefabrics.com.
So, according to your description, I've only done a sleeve in the round. Somehow, sewing in the flat seems like it might be more difficult. . what was your experience with it again?
Also, French seam -- so, instead of having two pieces of fabric pressed open inside the seam, you have the 2 pieces sewn together & pressed onto one side of the seam?
Post a Comment