A New Skirt

After the success of my Erin skirt I have made another skirt. This time however I had many false starts. Firstly I purchased the wrong size pattern. Then the fabric I wanted to use sold out and finally I had set my mind to using white bias tape only to discover that the white of the fabric is not the same white as the bias tape back to Joann for more bias tape. In the end I went bold with my favourite colour combination red, white and black.

Pattern- Simplicity 8420 or D0718. The skirt comes in two lengths and four patch pocket options. I made view D.

Fabric- from fabric.com, its a 100% cotton corduroy. The bias tape is by Wrights/Simplicity.

Techniques learnt and final thoughts- I learnt how to sew double fold bias on the pockets and hem. Also how to sew a waist facing.

I made a size 16 since I measure 30 at the waist and 40 at the hips but when I tried the skirt on it gaped at the back ( I often have this problem with RTW jeans). I took in the excess fabric at the back darts. This is the only adjustment I made to the skirt.

I like the pockets but I don't think them useful. I suspect anything I place in them will slide right out when I sit down. I plan to make this skirt again with different pockets.

How to Tuck

A tuck is a fold in the fabric that is intentionally stitched in place. It sits on the fabric's surface and can be sewn vertically and horizontally. Each tuck reduces the fabric size by its width.  A tuck can be functional, removing excess fabric or purely decorative adding visual interest to plain fabric. They can be placed close together without any spacing, with spacing, in groups or randomly stitched.
When estimating how much fabric you need add the width of a tuck plus the space between each tuck this will tell you how much fabric each tuck needs. Hide any joins of fabric within a tuck.
 
Three Basic Tucks


Spaced Single Tucks

 

Single tuck- Sewn with a straight seam that runs parallel to the fold. It can sit flat or centred over the seam. From the wrong side the tuck looks like an ordinary seam.

Double Tuck

Double tuck- Has two seams that run parallel  to the fold. The second seam forms a narrower tick within the wider first tuck. The double tucks are centred with the second tuck sitting on top of the first tuck.


Grouped Pintucks

Pintucks- similar to a single tuck but very narrow. For quick  and easy pintucks a pintuck foot and twin needle are useful but not essential. A pintuck foot has narrow grooves on the underside. These grooves help sew rows of evenly spaced pintucks. A pintuck foot works best with light weight fabrics.

How to Tuck using an All Purpose Foot and Single Needle
1. Decide on the width of each tuck.
2. Mark a fold line on right side of fabric, on either side of the fold line mark the stitch line. The distance away from the fold line in which the  stitch lines are placed equal the width of the tuck.
3. Pinch the fabric at the fold line with wrong sides together. Follow the stitch line to sew the tuck.

Pintuck Foot and Twin Needle

How to Tuck using a Pintuck Foot and Twin Needle
1. Attach foot and switch to a twin needle. Increase tension to 7 and set stitch length to 2.
2. Thread the machine with two spools. One spool going clockwise the other counter clockwise. Use the same thread for the bobbin.
3. Mark the first tuck on the right side of the fabric.
4. Sew following the marked line to from the first pintuck.
5. Place the first pintuck so it nests in a groove to the left or right of the centre. The further way from the centre the first tuck is  the wider the space between tucks. Sew the second tuck. Repeat as desired.

The Erin Skirt

Pattern- The Erin Skirt (short version) from Sew Over It. A button up high waisted skirt. I followed the sew along from issue 22 and 23 of Simply Sewing.
Fabric - Essex Yarn Dyed Linen in black. Its a 55% linen/ 45% cotton blend.

I made the skirt in a size 12 and it fits perfectly without any alterations. My favourite feature are the pockets. I can carry  my phone and keys without the need of  a bag. This skirt is a zero additional cost make, in that the fabric, interfacing and thread are all leftovers  from a previous make. The buttons recycled from an old jacket.

The instructions are easy to follow, my only hiccup in making the skirt is the waistband was  1cm short for my skirt. The instructions state that the waistband should extend by 1.5cm on each end for the seam allowance. On my skirt one end was only 1/2 cm. However this turned out to be no problem at all since the seam allowance needs to be trimmed down to 1/2 cm anyway.
I also spent some time fiddling with the buttons especially the waistband button. I have lost count how many times I stitched and unstitched that button, I think I have the placement right now.
The Erin is super easy to make and I love wearing it.

The Joni Dress

The Pattern- The Joni Dress from issue 22 of Simply Sewing is a long sleeve shift dress with front placket, contrast collar and cuffs, pleats and inseam pockets.

Fabric- Cotton twill in burgundy for the dress and a quilting cotton for the collar, cuffs and placket.

Struggles and Triumphs- I struggled to match the bodice and skirt side seams and bust darts. They are slightly off.
When sewing the sleeve seam at the cuff I used a zipper foot and the needle all the way to the left to get a perfect 1.5cm seam allowance.
I hand stitched the under collar in place using a ladder stitch for a neat finish.
I finished the hem using a blind hem stitch.

Final thoughts- I enjoyed making the dress. It gave me the opportunity to learn new skills like sewing cuffs but it also taught me the importance of choosing fabric. In future I will not be using cotton twill to make a dress. It creases. Also the solid colour is a mistake. Originally I was not going to include the placket but without it  the dress looks frumpy. One of the difficulties of making your own clothes is not knowing how the finished dress will look until after you have invested a lot of time sewing. This dress looked so much better in my mind.

Work in Progress- The Joni Dress

 

My first step when beginning a new dress is to highlight my size on the pattern. Then I  trace it onto white craft paper and cut it out, thus preserving all sizes on the original pattern. This is all very time consuming. I am wondering if there is a better solution?

Book Review

So much information is available online today that buying a reference book can be seen as redundant. But for me a book I return to time and time again for inspiration and knowledge is more satisfying that typing a word in a search engine.
Recently I purchased 'Dressmaking - The indispensable Guide' by Jules Fallon. Retail price $35.00. Its a how- to book covering every technique you need to successful teach yourself to sew with clear step by step photographs. There are 5 chapters that each cover a step in the sewing process.
Chapter 1  Equipment - This chapter covers the equipment needed to sew, needles, scissors , machine, presser feet, notions and threads.
Chapter 2- Prep. Covers fabric, interfacing, understanding a pattern, measuring, and cutting fabric.
Chapter 3 - Constructions. This chapter covers the how-to sew of seams, pockets, zippers, sleeves, collars, yokes and more. Often with more that one way shown. There are 7 different ways of inserting a zipper.
Chapter 4 Stretch.You will find information on stretch fabric and how to sew it without an overlocker in this chapter.
Finally chapter 5 - Finish. This is the chapter I am most excited about because it covers lining a dress. For some time now I have wanted to add a lining to the dresses I make but lack the knowledge, not anymore. This chapter also covers hems and hand sewing with instructions for both right-handed and left - handed people. For left- handed person like myself that's awesome.
I am happy with my new purchase and see myself referring to it a lot.
'Dressmaking - The Indispensable Guide'  is a book that every home sewist should own.

Do you have a favourite sewing book?

How to Machine Sew a Button

Buttons used as a closure on clothing for 5000 years are  available in many different styles and colours. However all buttons fall into two groups. Flat buttons with holes and shank buttons.



The shank is a small loop on the underside of a button. It creates space between the fabric and button. This allows the top fabric to sit smoothly when buttoned. Shank buttons are ideal for heavier fabrics. A shank button cannot be machine sewn by the home sewist.

The flat button with two or four holes lies flat against the fabric and can be machine sewn. You can create a shank with thread if needed.



A buttonhole foot and a button foot


To Machine Sew a Button

1. Drop or cover feed dogs, Set stitch length to "0" and stitch to zigzag.





to create a shank position needle between holes

without shank

2. Attach button foot. Place fabric and button under foot with holes aligned horizontally. Turn the hand wheel towards you. Checking that the needle is positioned to go through both holes. Adjust stitch width if necessary.

3. Sew 6 to 10 zigzag stitches. Switch to a straight stitch and sew a 3 to 4 more stitches to secure button. Remove from machine and pass threads to wrong side.

That's it, one neatly sewn button.