Shall we do a collaborative blog post? All about tips for sewing beginners about sewing a skirt.
At our monthly meetings we often get the question from sewing beginners: "I would like to sew but I never have before and I don't know where to start". We have lots of advice and tips so how about collecting it all in one place? Like right here!
We often recommend that a beginner sew a simple skirt first. There isn't quite as much going in terms of different elements that a dress or trousers would demand (getting sleeves to fit into the armhole, or doing a front zip on trousers).
First tip: when you want to use a stretch fabric and you have never sewn before then pick a firm jersey fabric that is a bit thicker than the cheaper jerseys that are very saggy and extremely difficult to sew with. Sewing with thin jersey fabric is something that I still can't do. Avoid it if you want to retain your sanity. Honestly.
Woven fabrics are much easier to sew with (as far as I'm concerned), but because they don't stretch they need to be fitted to your shape to look good.
There are different skirt styles with different degrees of difficulty. A gathered skirt made from two rectangular pieces is the easiest, - circular skirts and skirts made from flared panels are also relatively simple.
The more pieces your pattern has the more sewing you'll do, but you also get more opportunity to fit the garment to your shape because you have more seamlines you can adjust.
Sewing in a zip isn't as difficult as I feared when I was a
beginner but you may want to go with a button closure on a first
project. See how you feel.
A commercial pattern is useful because it has instructions: not just how to sew but there is also the layout of the pieces for cutting out, and it tells you which piece to interline. There is also really useful guidance on seam allowances and how to do the different ways of stitching (like top or edge stitching, under stitching, stay stitching, or how to stitch for gathering - all kinds of information).
The sewing pattern size is not the same as your dress size in shops. Measure your waist and hips and compare to the measurement table on your pattern. Most pattern envelopes have multiple sizes in them, often split by the smaller and the bigger sizes.
Above all pick a skirt shape that you are excited about! I often make the mistake of falling in love with the pretty fabric they used and forget to check the line drawing to see if I actually like the style. Which is kind of important.
Now I've gone on much longer than I meant to. I haven't even said much about sewing itself (the things we discover as we go along) - I hope that other Dressmakers Club members want to give tips and advice in the comments!
Showing posts with label pattern. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pattern. Show all posts
Saturday, 3 March 2018
Sunday, 23 April 2017
Tracing the pattern from a RTW garment
Have you traced the pattern of a ready to wear garment, one you bought in the shops?
It can be a great way to get a sewing pattern because it is a clothing item that you know fits well enough to want another one just like it. Or at least with as few adjustments as needed. Preferrably the ones you know how to do.
I bought a lovely short-sleeved blouse with intriguing double layer ruffles from a charity shop. I did realise at the time that I keep going for this very pale blue, chalky looking shade and then end up not wearing it because it makes me look pasty, to be brutally honest. Do I learn from this and stop buying clothes or knitting yarn this colour? Heck no, course not.
So it seems that I bought a pattern instead.
It took me a while to start taking this blouse apart. I saw the great tip of leaving half the blouse intact so I can see how it goes back together - I only need one set of pattern pieces after all. I'm glad I read that on a helpful blog somewhere, I'm not confident that I would have realised. Start wielding a seam ripper and I keep on going...
This blouse fits fairly well. The dart is not quite in the right place and I need to suppress a wedge of fabric in the underarm area, I am optimistic that I know how to adjust the underarm seams as well as the sleeve width. Fingers crossed.
I flattened each piece carefully, straightened what edges need to be straight (e.g. the centre back that will be cut on the fold), and weighed the whole down with my trusty pattern weights. Also known as glass coasters in another life - I use them with the felt feet pointing up, they work fabulously.
I drew around each piece making sure that the shapes make sense: an armhole needs to look scooped and not jagged, no corner should look too sharp or seamlines lie in an undulating S-shape. So far so good! The test will come when I sew this up in a toile fabric. I haven't got that far yet.
I did add more generous seam allowances because these were very narrow (the blouse was industrially made after all) and I may have to re-do the flounces. These are a circular shape that looks a bit like a Viennese whirl. Mine have an element of squashed doughnut to them, so I may compare to a commercial pattern I have in my collection. Just to sense-check.
I also traced some stretch fabric leggings that I loved but nasty moths had left a gaping hole near the knee, damn them. I'm delighted that this worked really well too. The pieces look astoundingly legging-like, just like a commercial pattern! At least I like to think so.
I ripped apart most seams on one half only. I ended up with the back piece and also a flat front piece that I left whole even though there is an internal seam that dissects it in a very intriguing style line. That's the reason why I wanted to trace off this pattern. I'd be looking for a pattern like it till the cows come home and not find it.
If I had ripped these pieces apart I'd end up with a very thin strip for the side panel. I think it would be very tough to lay this out straight. A piece as narrow as this would go wonky as soon as you look at it. Instead I traced the entire front piece, and then started to roll it back gently and marked the internal seam every couple of centimeters. That was a great way to prevent problems.
Have a look at the photo:
I reckon I've done well for not having traced off patterns in a pretty long time. I haven't yet put these pattern pieces through their paces, but I live in hope that it'll go well too.
You may be able to trace a simple garment off without having to take it apart, as long as you can get each piece to lie flat. But shapes would get distorted too easily if trying to trace off a complex item with multiple seams like my blouse. I am lucky, I can't wear either of them so I didn't have to worry about it.
Have you sewn anything from a traced off pattern, how did the whole process work out for you? It would be really useful to hear of people's experiences - always good to learn from others. Please share in the comments!
It can be a great way to get a sewing pattern because it is a clothing item that you know fits well enough to want another one just like it. Or at least with as few adjustments as needed. Preferrably the ones you know how to do.
I bought a lovely short-sleeved blouse with intriguing double layer ruffles from a charity shop. I did realise at the time that I keep going for this very pale blue, chalky looking shade and then end up not wearing it because it makes me look pasty, to be brutally honest. Do I learn from this and stop buying clothes or knitting yarn this colour? Heck no, course not.
So it seems that I bought a pattern instead.
It took me a while to start taking this blouse apart. I saw the great tip of leaving half the blouse intact so I can see how it goes back together - I only need one set of pattern pieces after all. I'm glad I read that on a helpful blog somewhere, I'm not confident that I would have realised. Start wielding a seam ripper and I keep on going...
This blouse fits fairly well. The dart is not quite in the right place and I need to suppress a wedge of fabric in the underarm area, I am optimistic that I know how to adjust the underarm seams as well as the sleeve width. Fingers crossed.
I flattened each piece carefully, straightened what edges need to be straight (e.g. the centre back that will be cut on the fold), and weighed the whole down with my trusty pattern weights. Also known as glass coasters in another life - I use them with the felt feet pointing up, they work fabulously.
I drew around each piece making sure that the shapes make sense: an armhole needs to look scooped and not jagged, no corner should look too sharp or seamlines lie in an undulating S-shape. So far so good! The test will come when I sew this up in a toile fabric. I haven't got that far yet.
I did add more generous seam allowances because these were very narrow (the blouse was industrially made after all) and I may have to re-do the flounces. These are a circular shape that looks a bit like a Viennese whirl. Mine have an element of squashed doughnut to them, so I may compare to a commercial pattern I have in my collection. Just to sense-check.
I also traced some stretch fabric leggings that I loved but nasty moths had left a gaping hole near the knee, damn them. I'm delighted that this worked really well too. The pieces look astoundingly legging-like, just like a commercial pattern! At least I like to think so.
I ripped apart most seams on one half only. I ended up with the back piece and also a flat front piece that I left whole even though there is an internal seam that dissects it in a very intriguing style line. That's the reason why I wanted to trace off this pattern. I'd be looking for a pattern like it till the cows come home and not find it.
If I had ripped these pieces apart I'd end up with a very thin strip for the side panel. I think it would be very tough to lay this out straight. A piece as narrow as this would go wonky as soon as you look at it. Instead I traced the entire front piece, and then started to roll it back gently and marked the internal seam every couple of centimeters. That was a great way to prevent problems.
Have a look at the photo:
You may be able to trace a simple garment off without having to take it apart, as long as you can get each piece to lie flat. But shapes would get distorted too easily if trying to trace off a complex item with multiple seams like my blouse. I am lucky, I can't wear either of them so I didn't have to worry about it.
Have you sewn anything from a traced off pattern, how did the whole process work out for you? It would be really useful to hear of people's experiences - always good to learn from others. Please share in the comments!
~ ~ ~
Thursday, 1 December 2016
Woven or stretch fabric?
I like trying out Lekala patterns because you can get a sewing pattern to your own measurements, and you can use the advanced features (called 'Optional' or 'Adjustments') to further personalise the pattern: arm or leg length relative to torso, neck or upper arm width, short-waisted, narrow-shouldered... there are all kinds of different options.
This Lekala pattern #5081 is the most standard blouse pattern I found on the site. I thought it would make a good basic pattern that I could then adjust for other versions.
I am not sure though that the required fabric is listed correctly. It says: "Fabrics: Knit" and "Is stretchy: yes". Really?
Can this be right? This is a blouse with bust darts, a buttoned front opening and placketed cuffs. I have never seen these kinds of features in a pattern for stretch fabrics. I feel that this has got to be a pattern for woven fabrics instead.
I decided to try a polycotton fabric to see how it works out.
Unfortunately the sleeve/body seam is very puckered despite gathering the sleevehead in the normal manner before sewing them in. So there is not a good fit in this area.
On me the blouse shoulders are too wide (I didn't use the "narrow-shouldered" advanced option, I didn't think I was) - I may be able to adjust this by cutting the armholes a touch bigger to narrow the shoulder and sewing the sleeves as they are back in. This should reduce the puckering.
My biggest gripe is that the blouse doesnt overlap enough for buttonholes and buttons - in fact this would be a perfect fit if the front closed with a zip: the centre fronts fit wonderful if they meet flush with each other. I had to add a piece for the 'underlap' and attach loops to the edge of one side to catch the button I sewed onto the seamline with the added piece, i.e. onto the front centre line where they need to be.
I should be able to adjust the pattern at the front centre by adding about 2/3 of an inch (around 2cm). This would also increase the tiny little lapel to a more reasonable size (just look at them in the above photo: they're barely there!). I just feel that the very small lapels look rather ridiculous - as if something had gone wrong to be honest.
I think all round this is not the most successful of Lekala's patterns, but it has potential. I just dread having to make all the adjustments when I had been hoping I could just sew this together and be done. Which is really what you want when you go for a personalised pattern.
I am also not enamoured of my fabric choice: this polycotton is just that bit too stiff and I worry that I won't want to wear this blouse much. A big reason why I am finding it so hard to finish this - this project has been languishing in my sewing basket for at least the last year. What a shame.
What kinds of fabrics do you think are suitable for this pattern? Is the website right or should I try some other fabric? I could really do with some advice and ideas.
Thank you.
This Lekala pattern #5081 is the most standard blouse pattern I found on the site. I thought it would make a good basic pattern that I could then adjust for other versions.
I am not sure though that the required fabric is listed correctly. It says: "Fabrics: Knit" and "Is stretchy: yes". Really?
Can this be right? This is a blouse with bust darts, a buttoned front opening and placketed cuffs. I have never seen these kinds of features in a pattern for stretch fabrics. I feel that this has got to be a pattern for woven fabrics instead.
I decided to try a polycotton fabric to see how it works out.
Unfortunately the sleeve/body seam is very puckered despite gathering the sleevehead in the normal manner before sewing them in. So there is not a good fit in this area.
On me the blouse shoulders are too wide (I didn't use the "narrow-shouldered" advanced option, I didn't think I was) - I may be able to adjust this by cutting the armholes a touch bigger to narrow the shoulder and sewing the sleeves as they are back in. This should reduce the puckering.
My biggest gripe is that the blouse doesnt overlap enough for buttonholes and buttons - in fact this would be a perfect fit if the front closed with a zip: the centre fronts fit wonderful if they meet flush with each other. I had to add a piece for the 'underlap' and attach loops to the edge of one side to catch the button I sewed onto the seamline with the added piece, i.e. onto the front centre line where they need to be.
I think all round this is not the most successful of Lekala's patterns, but it has potential. I just dread having to make all the adjustments when I had been hoping I could just sew this together and be done. Which is really what you want when you go for a personalised pattern.
I am also not enamoured of my fabric choice: this polycotton is just that bit too stiff and I worry that I won't want to wear this blouse much. A big reason why I am finding it so hard to finish this - this project has been languishing in my sewing basket for at least the last year. What a shame.
What kinds of fabrics do you think are suitable for this pattern? Is the website right or should I try some other fabric? I could really do with some advice and ideas.
Thank you.
Friday, 6 March 2015
Keeping track - the Android way
Barbara posted a wonderful blog post about iPhone apps to help you manage your fabric stash, pattern haul, cataloguing your thread, notions, books and equipment and other very useful sewing applications.
I am incredibly jealous because those unfortunately don't work on my Android phone. I am gutted! I could so do with an app that allows me to list all the dressmaking patterns I own.
I now found one app now that's pretty good at giving you a portable inventory of your fabrics - it is called Clothio. You can pick photos of your fabric that you have already taken, or snap a new one from within the app (you get a copy of the photo in your phone camera directory).
You can specify the colour or colours present, whether you own it and how much of it (width and length). You can tick several types of fibres (more than one if it's a blend) although this may not represent all the different kinds of fibres that exist. And select the kind of pattern, or none, of the fabric.
The header section allows you to name your fabric (I like to go with my initial impulse because I can remember it the best - particularly if it's a really silly name. Like Stardust Ziggy, or Wavy Art Deco - or anything equally wacky), you can make that longer by including the colour or fibre content because this name will show in two lines on the screen, though extremely long names would presumably get cut short.
The shop or source option allows you to list a specific shop or in my case just 'Goldhawk Rd', 'Brighton' or 'Walthamstow' because I can never remember the actual name. It'll do just nicely. This will bring the named option up when you enter more fabrics, so you don't have to retype the information.
The 'Designer' option is a good one: this will show up as a subtitle under the name you've given your fabric, so if you want to use this for other information (like 'sheer', 'non-drapey' or 'feels plasticky' or anthing else you come up with) then add it here.
Clothio allows you to filter your fabrics by certain options, like colour. It is really useful to do when you have to remind yourself what kinds of fabrics you have when you are looking to match your pattern with the best fabric. Let me know how you are getting on with this if you are also using it! That would be
I will keep looking for more apps to use on an Android but this one is the only one I found so far.
Does anyone else have a tip for me? Something you use that works well for you?
I have also considered using an app for something like a photo organiser (I think there is Photobook and Picasa?) and see if I can organise fabrics or perhaps my patterns by using specific tags that will make it all searchable and filterable (if that's a word). And a sewing app review mentioned a database called Memento that could work too - I'll have to check that out.
Please leave a comment if you can think of anything useful!
I am incredibly jealous because those unfortunately don't work on my Android phone. I am gutted! I could so do with an app that allows me to list all the dressmaking patterns I own.
I now found one app now that's pretty good at giving you a portable inventory of your fabrics - it is called Clothio. You can pick photos of your fabric that you have already taken, or snap a new one from within the app (you get a copy of the photo in your phone camera directory).
You can specify the colour or colours present, whether you own it and how much of it (width and length). You can tick several types of fibres (more than one if it's a blend) although this may not represent all the different kinds of fibres that exist. And select the kind of pattern, or none, of the fabric.
The header section allows you to name your fabric (I like to go with my initial impulse because I can remember it the best - particularly if it's a really silly name. Like Stardust Ziggy, or Wavy Art Deco - or anything equally wacky), you can make that longer by including the colour or fibre content because this name will show in two lines on the screen, though extremely long names would presumably get cut short.
The shop or source option allows you to list a specific shop or in my case just 'Goldhawk Rd', 'Brighton' or 'Walthamstow' because I can never remember the actual name. It'll do just nicely. This will bring the named option up when you enter more fabrics, so you don't have to retype the information.
The 'Designer' option is a good one: this will show up as a subtitle under the name you've given your fabric, so if you want to use this for other information (like 'sheer', 'non-drapey' or 'feels plasticky' or anthing else you come up with) then add it here.
Clothio allows you to filter your fabrics by certain options, like colour. It is really useful to do when you have to remind yourself what kinds of fabrics you have when you are looking to match your pattern with the best fabric. Let me know how you are getting on with this if you are also using it! That would be
I will keep looking for more apps to use on an Android but this one is the only one I found so far.
Does anyone else have a tip for me? Something you use that works well for you?
I have also considered using an app for something like a photo organiser (I think there is Photobook and Picasa?) and see if I can organise fabrics or perhaps my patterns by using specific tags that will make it all searchable and filterable (if that's a word). And a sewing app review mentioned a database called Memento that could work too - I'll have to check that out.
Please leave a comment if you can think of anything useful!
~ ~ ~
Friday, 23 January 2015
Keeping Track
Some of us
have out of control wardrobes and stashes, some have vowed to keep a better
record of what they have and acquire in the future. Below is some information about some sites or apps that I have come
across that can help you to do this.
These are just a few and there are others out there. Also some of you have an efficient manual way
of keeping track. Please share any
methods, products and ideas with us by adding them in a comment below.
From The Sewing directory
These below
are some apps listed on the Sewing Directory site
Pattern Pal
This app
allows you to track your patterns, along with a couple of photos for each
pattern, pattern notes plus details of the fabrics and notions associated with
your patterns. It is available from the iTunes store.
Sewing
Kit HD 2.0
Taking
the Fabric Stash concept a step further this app allows you to catalogue your
patterns, fabric, thread, notions, books and equipment. You can scan the
barcodes of products to instantly upload the details. You can also
track the progress of your sewing projects, take screenshots or photos of
anything that inspires you and save the measurements of the people you commonly
sew for.
It is
available in the iTunes app store and you can get more information about it on
the developer’s website http://www.vestasoftware.net
Stash Star Fabric App
If your
stash is getting so large you are losing track of what’s in there this is the perfect
app for you. It allows you to photograph and catalogue your stash, ideal
for when you are out looking for matching notions. You can also add in a
wish list so you will always have a fabric shopping list to hand (not sure if
that’s a good or bad thing.....)
It is
available on the iTunes store here.
10 apps listed on an American site.
Thought this
might be useful
From Coletterie
This site
has some great tips, tutorials and ideas.
I’ve selected a few about planning and keeping track of a wardrobe and stashes.
http://www.coletterie.com/fabric-haberdashery/how-to-organize-fabric
with-your-phone
My sewing Circle
mysewingcircle.com
This is supposed to be the sewing equivalent of Ravelry, but
it doesn’t really seem to have got off the ground yet in terms of people using
it, despite a change of people running it in December 2014. However it does provide a way of listing
projects, stashes etc and recording your finished projects.
More about Stash Star Fabric app
A review from I want
to Be a turtle Blog http://www.iwanttobeaturtle.com/
The Tale of a Fishtail
Another pattern from Wendy Ward's Beginner's Guide to Dressmaking, the Fishtail Skirt.
This skirt interested me as soon as I saw the photographs- an ordinary looking skirt from the front but with a quirky surprise from the side and back. I envisaged myself swishing stylishly across a room and that fishtail adding much needed "omph" to my derriere. The fantasies we have! And it was for beginners so it must be simple- right?!
I really wanted midnight blue satin backed crepe so that the matt crepe formed the main body of the skirt and the sheen of the satin showed on the fishtail. I thought, maybe, of adding something sparkly, such as scattered hand-sewn beads or glittery thin swirls of thread, to the inner fishtail. Could I find midnight blue?- no, though I tried shops in Sussex, London and Devon. I came across some lovely colours, subtle greens, pearly greys and lavenders, forget-me-not blue, and I thought that many of them appeared to have less weight to them than I deemed appropriate although, in retrospect, these may have been more suitable. In the end, with time running out as I wanted to wear it to a specific party, I settled for a black that I came across at an exhibition at Excel and, at only £4 a metre, it was good value. I must try and check out the shop from which it came at some point, Stitch of Wanstead at 10 Woodbine Place, E11. Anybody been there? I bought 2 metres, the amount suggested in Wendy's book, BUT forgot that I wanted to make it longer than the the stated length- more of that later.
I traced out the pattern using greaseproof paper as usual. Although the bust measurement for size 1 in Wendy's book is almost exactly the same as mine, the waist and hips are much bigger so I calculated the amount by which I needed to reduce the size, divided this by four and took that amount off all the way down on the side seam for the front and for the back of the pattern piece. I also extended the length as I wished.
Due to my droopy flat backside I always have to make an adjustment on skirts and trousers by taking a slice out from the back of a pattern. This I do by taking a tuck from the centre back of the pattern above hip level graduating to nothing by the time the tuck reaches the side seams. With patterns with centre back seams it is very easy as I just draw a line at the relevant level, cut along the line and then move the bottom part of the pattern up over the top until I have taken out the amount I want. I hope you can see the horizontal adjustment in this photo ( the vertical line is just from sticking the greaseproof paper together to make it wide enough to trace the pattern).
Cutting Out Then I laid my pattern pieces out on the fabric to pin and cut out and realised my first mistake. The length I had bought did not allow for the extra length I wanted so I had not got enough fabric to cut out the front of the skirt on the fold so that the front was all in one piece. I would have to cut it in two pieces with an allowance to make a seam up the front of the skirt. I did not want a seam up the front of the skirt and cursed my stupidity in forgetting to allow more for the extra length ***!!
Luckily an idea suddenly struck me- why not make it a feature? I remembered an article Wendy wrote in the Sewing World Magazine about Decorative Seams. At first I thought I would try a Slot Seam where a contrast colour of cloth is stitched underneath the line where a seam would go to hold the two main pieces of fabric together and allowed a subtle glimpse of the contrast but I found nothing suitable in colour or weight, even among my boxes of stashed fabric, to use as a contrast. However Brainwave No. 1 came- insert a wider strip of the satin side of the fabric in the centre front to reference the fishtail at the back. So I cut a strip 3 cm wide, plus an allowance for the seams to sew it to each side of the skirt front, to go down the centre front. I was so pleased with the effect that I was glad that I had made the mistake. Besides, by cutting it this way I was left with quite a bit of spare fabric, enough, I think, to make a top.
Making Up The book has clear step-by-step instructions - I just didn't follow them exactly. Here is what I should have done ( abbreviation of the much fuller instructions in italics) and what I actually did.
Step 1. Neaten the seam allowances. - I didn't do this until I had sewn the seams as I thought that I might need to make alterations to the amount of seam allowance when it came to fitting and I wanted to trim the allowance to an appropriate amount once the seam was sewn.
Step 2 & 3 . Iron fusible interfacing to the front and back skirt facing and join the facings at the right side seam - I didn't even trace the pattern for the facings from the pattern sheet, again because I might make alterations to the fit. My intention was to rub off a facing pattern after making any necessary alterations to the skirt.
Step 4. Patch Pocket - Not applicable as not adding a pocket to the front of the skirt.
Step 5 & 6. Joining upper centre back seam and slashing to pivot point - Done as instructed.
Step 7. Insert zip into left hand side seam - I can't bring myself to put a centred zip into a side seam so I did a lapped zip, especially as I was doing this on a Sunday (Shops shut) and I realised I had not purchased a black zip for the skirt therefore I had to use an available purple one.
Step 8. Tack right seam and try on. Adjust this seam by amount required for fit before machining. - OH dear, the skirt was too big at the waist, I must have gone wrong in calculating the measurements. Adjusting it on the right side only, as instructed, would mean that my satin strip would be skewed off centre and, additionally, the grainline would no longer fall down the centre front of the skirt. To adjust it equally on both side seams would mean having to unpick the zip and the side seam; this I was loathe to do, especially as I was working to a deadline. I tried inserting darts, just tacked to try it out, but they looked dreadful and interfered with the drape of the skirt. Then Brainwave No 2 came - I took a tuck all the way down each side of the central and top stitched it. I thought this looked even better than the plain strip(see photo below).
Step 9. Hem using bias binding.- I didn't do any hemming until I had completed step 10 and I didn't use bias binding. I did a very narrow hem by hand on the main body of the skirt and a narrow machine-stitched hem on the fishtail.
Step 10. Close the lower centre back seam. - This I did but left a small amount at the bottom unstitched to turn up the hem. Below I am marking out the seam before stitching.
Step 11 & 12. Topstitch the upper 3 cm of the upper centre back seam to the inner back seam. - I did as instructed but a diagram with the text (Figure 8 in the book), that seemed to me to indicate that I should see a seam allowance showing on the outside of the inner part of the skirt back, puzzled me for a while as I thought that, as mine did not look like that, I must have interpreted the previous instructions incorrectly at some point.
Steps 13 to 15. Concerning the facings.- entirely ignored. It seemed to me that the outline of the bottom of the facing would be likely to show through when worn due to the drape and fit of the skirt (a Visible Facing Line instead of a VPL) and also, as the weight of the fishtail made the back of the skirt drag down that facings would not give enough support to prevent this dragging down. Thus I decided to put on a waistband, which I did with the satin side of the fabric out ( see the photo above). I liked this effect even more than having facings BUT, since I don't like my waistbands skin tight as my waist definitely expands with eating and drinking each day, there was still not enough "grip" around the waist to prevent the fishtail pulling the back down. Even though I had managed to finish it on the very day of the evening occasion to which I had planned to wear it, I was too unhappy about that drag to wear it. Lesson- always have a Plan B- and that's where Brainwave No 3 came in but that's another story.
Trying to Right Wrongs. Thus the skirt was abandoned until the New Year. I took it along to the first LDC meeting of 2015, along with other makings, for advice but no-one came up with answer for this problem. A few days later- gosh, my brain has been working overtime!- a possible solution came to me. I tried it out with some elastic that I had and some pins and it seemed to work. When I had time to tacke it again I bought some strong black elastic, which luckily came in a width just slightly smaller than the satin waistband. I made a rough belt out of this to fit my waist with the elastic slightly stretched by sewing fabric tabs on both ends of the elastic and fastening it with 2 hooks and eyes. I sewed the middle of the back of this belt into the inside of the middle of the back of the waist band by hand so that the stitching does not show through on the outer side. The belt fastens at he middle of the front of the skirt and I then fasten the skirt waistband over it.
The elastic belt grips me and helps hold up the fishtail but still allows room for me to expand. I've subsequently worn the skirt all day, on to dinner and then the opera as it lends itself to dressing up or down But the back still drags a bit. I'm thinking of putting in some cased boning at the upper centre back to see if that would work. Perhaps I was wrong about not using facings and the dragging would not occur if I had stuck to facings. Perhaps the problem would not have existed if I had gone for a lighter weight fabric. If you have any thoughts about what I should do or have done please put your comment below.
So here's the finished product anyway.
And don't you think it looks great with the Zip Jacket I made earlier also from a pattern in Wendy's book blogged here ?
First of all, from the photographs in Wendy's book, this is how it should look, shown in different fabrics, to encourage you to come up with your own interpretation.
I really wanted midnight blue satin backed crepe so that the matt crepe formed the main body of the skirt and the sheen of the satin showed on the fishtail. I thought, maybe, of adding something sparkly, such as scattered hand-sewn beads or glittery thin swirls of thread, to the inner fishtail. Could I find midnight blue?- no, though I tried shops in Sussex, London and Devon. I came across some lovely colours, subtle greens, pearly greys and lavenders, forget-me-not blue, and I thought that many of them appeared to have less weight to them than I deemed appropriate although, in retrospect, these may have been more suitable. In the end, with time running out as I wanted to wear it to a specific party, I settled for a black that I came across at an exhibition at Excel and, at only £4 a metre, it was good value. I must try and check out the shop from which it came at some point, Stitch of Wanstead at 10 Woodbine Place, E11. Anybody been there? I bought 2 metres, the amount suggested in Wendy's book, BUT forgot that I wanted to make it longer than the the stated length- more of that later.
I traced out the pattern using greaseproof paper as usual. Although the bust measurement for size 1 in Wendy's book is almost exactly the same as mine, the waist and hips are much bigger so I calculated the amount by which I needed to reduce the size, divided this by four and took that amount off all the way down on the side seam for the front and for the back of the pattern piece. I also extended the length as I wished.
Due to my droopy flat backside I always have to make an adjustment on skirts and trousers by taking a slice out from the back of a pattern. This I do by taking a tuck from the centre back of the pattern above hip level graduating to nothing by the time the tuck reaches the side seams. With patterns with centre back seams it is very easy as I just draw a line at the relevant level, cut along the line and then move the bottom part of the pattern up over the top until I have taken out the amount I want. I hope you can see the horizontal adjustment in this photo ( the vertical line is just from sticking the greaseproof paper together to make it wide enough to trace the pattern).
Luckily an idea suddenly struck me- why not make it a feature? I remembered an article Wendy wrote in the Sewing World Magazine about Decorative Seams. At first I thought I would try a Slot Seam where a contrast colour of cloth is stitched underneath the line where a seam would go to hold the two main pieces of fabric together and allowed a subtle glimpse of the contrast but I found nothing suitable in colour or weight, even among my boxes of stashed fabric, to use as a contrast. However Brainwave No. 1 came- insert a wider strip of the satin side of the fabric in the centre front to reference the fishtail at the back. So I cut a strip 3 cm wide, plus an allowance for the seams to sew it to each side of the skirt front, to go down the centre front. I was so pleased with the effect that I was glad that I had made the mistake. Besides, by cutting it this way I was left with quite a bit of spare fabric, enough, I think, to make a top.
Making Up The book has clear step-by-step instructions - I just didn't follow them exactly. Here is what I should have done ( abbreviation of the much fuller instructions in italics) and what I actually did.
Step 1. Neaten the seam allowances. - I didn't do this until I had sewn the seams as I thought that I might need to make alterations to the amount of seam allowance when it came to fitting and I wanted to trim the allowance to an appropriate amount once the seam was sewn.
Step 2 & 3 . Iron fusible interfacing to the front and back skirt facing and join the facings at the right side seam - I didn't even trace the pattern for the facings from the pattern sheet, again because I might make alterations to the fit. My intention was to rub off a facing pattern after making any necessary alterations to the skirt.
Step 4. Patch Pocket - Not applicable as not adding a pocket to the front of the skirt.
Step 5 & 6. Joining upper centre back seam and slashing to pivot point - Done as instructed.
Step 7. Insert zip into left hand side seam - I can't bring myself to put a centred zip into a side seam so I did a lapped zip, especially as I was doing this on a Sunday (Shops shut) and I realised I had not purchased a black zip for the skirt therefore I had to use an available purple one.
Step 8. Tack right seam and try on. Adjust this seam by amount required for fit before machining. - OH dear, the skirt was too big at the waist, I must have gone wrong in calculating the measurements. Adjusting it on the right side only, as instructed, would mean that my satin strip would be skewed off centre and, additionally, the grainline would no longer fall down the centre front of the skirt. To adjust it equally on both side seams would mean having to unpick the zip and the side seam; this I was loathe to do, especially as I was working to a deadline. I tried inserting darts, just tacked to try it out, but they looked dreadful and interfered with the drape of the skirt. Then Brainwave No 2 came - I took a tuck all the way down each side of the central and top stitched it. I thought this looked even better than the plain strip(see photo below).
Step 10. Close the lower centre back seam. - This I did but left a small amount at the bottom unstitched to turn up the hem. Below I am marking out the seam before stitching.
Step 11 & 12. Topstitch the upper 3 cm of the upper centre back seam to the inner back seam. - I did as instructed but a diagram with the text (Figure 8 in the book), that seemed to me to indicate that I should see a seam allowance showing on the outside of the inner part of the skirt back, puzzled me for a while as I thought that, as mine did not look like that, I must have interpreted the previous instructions incorrectly at some point.
Steps 13 to 15. Concerning the facings.- entirely ignored. It seemed to me that the outline of the bottom of the facing would be likely to show through when worn due to the drape and fit of the skirt (a Visible Facing Line instead of a VPL) and also, as the weight of the fishtail made the back of the skirt drag down that facings would not give enough support to prevent this dragging down. Thus I decided to put on a waistband, which I did with the satin side of the fabric out ( see the photo above). I liked this effect even more than having facings BUT, since I don't like my waistbands skin tight as my waist definitely expands with eating and drinking each day, there was still not enough "grip" around the waist to prevent the fishtail pulling the back down. Even though I had managed to finish it on the very day of the evening occasion to which I had planned to wear it, I was too unhappy about that drag to wear it. Lesson- always have a Plan B- and that's where Brainwave No 3 came in but that's another story.
Trying to Right Wrongs. Thus the skirt was abandoned until the New Year. I took it along to the first LDC meeting of 2015, along with other makings, for advice but no-one came up with answer for this problem. A few days later- gosh, my brain has been working overtime!- a possible solution came to me. I tried it out with some elastic that I had and some pins and it seemed to work. When I had time to tacke it again I bought some strong black elastic, which luckily came in a width just slightly smaller than the satin waistband. I made a rough belt out of this to fit my waist with the elastic slightly stretched by sewing fabric tabs on both ends of the elastic and fastening it with 2 hooks and eyes. I sewed the middle of the back of this belt into the inside of the middle of the back of the waist band by hand so that the stitching does not show through on the outer side. The belt fastens at he middle of the front of the skirt and I then fasten the skirt waistband over it.
So here's the finished product anyway.
Saturday, 22 November 2014
The Beginner's Guide to Dressmaking By Wendy Ward.
This book was written by a teacher of dressmaking, pattern cutting and creator of MiY Collection patterns. Wendy has held classes specifically for our members so, of course, I had to see what the book was like when it was published in November. Here's a picture of the book and its twin in cake taken at the Launch Party. The cake was made by 2 of Wendy's pupils, the lady who iced it also spins her own wool and knits with it as well as doing perfect top stitching and making collars with beautifully sharp corners.
Unlike other books for beginners that I have seen, Wendy plunges the reader straight into what those buying a book on dressmaking want to do- make clothes. I think some people are put off by wading through pages of technique or making aprons before getting to any mention of making a garment as with some books for beginners. There are 6 full size patterns with this book ranging from bust size 84 cm (33 ins) to 101 cm (39 3/4ins). You do have to trace these off and they overlap but they are on stiff paper and clearly marked ( forget about the nightmare experience of trying to trace a pattern from the flimsy overcrowded pattern sheet of a Burda Magazine). The brief introduction describes how to use the book followed by the tools you will need and then it is straight into the projects, which start with the easiest and gradually increase in complexity. Each project has the techniques that you will need listed and these techniques are described and demonstrated in the rear section of the book. I like the way that the finished measurements of the garments are clearly given so you know how much ease there is in the pattern.
I thought that I would try making a garment following the instructions to see how easy it would be for a beginner. I am not a beginner, more of a "can put a garment together but definitely could do better if she paid attention" type of sewer. I adored the zip jacket, project number 5, and this seems to be the item that most people pick on as a garment they would like to make so here is my version and how the construction went.
First I wanted to know how the jacket might fit me so I took a commercially made jacket that I had with the sort of fit I was hoping for and measured around the chest of the jacket to compare it with the finished size that Wendy gave for the size I was making, size 1. Bingo, what a match! Please remember when you are measuring to make sure you are using an accurate tape. If it is an old one it may well have stretched or distorted so check it against a solid (metal or plastic) ruler.
Next I traced the pattern using Waitrose greaseproof paper, which I like because it is white- do not use baking parchment because it is not so easy to write upon and, if you have to stick sheets together with sticky tape to get the width , it does not stick. Below is a picture of the pattern sheet and the paper laid out and weighted down to stop it sliding while I trace. Always check that your tracing paper has not shifted once you have completed tracing the piece, you need to be accurate in your tracing. Some people use a highlighter to emphasize the line of the size that they are tracing and this would be particularly useful if you are grading between 2 different sizes, for example if your bust size is a size bigger than your hip size.
Here are the finished pattern pieces, traced and ready to use. There are only 3 pieces in total, front, back and sleeve, for the simplest version of the jacket and you will cut two pieces of each piece. You cannot see it very well in the photograph but I have penciled on the pattern all the marking, notches, grainlines etc that are on the sheet.
Wendy gives the yardage necessary for the garment and a cutting layout. However I suggest you trace out your pattern before you go to buy the fabric for it and play around with various layouts and fabric widths for the pattern you have created to find out how much you will need to buy. I found that I needed less fabric than stated for the 140 cm wide fabric I was using.
Once you have cut out your fabric and transferred the markings to the fabric then I suggest you pin fit the garment. That is you pin the darts in position and pin the shoulders and sides together and, very gingerly, try on the garment. This will give you a good idea of how it will fit you.
As you can see, the body of the jacket looks fine - but always check the sides and back too. Below you can see that the back of the neck gapes.
Luckily there is a centre back seam so I could easily deal with this by increasing the seam allowance from the neck and gradually tapering it down into the back. With this jacket there are no facings or lining so that you do not have to make alterations for these. There is limited scope for alteration with the patterns (taking in or letting out at side seams and lengthening and shortening) although Wendy says that she has designed these patterns to need little alteration. She does not recommend making bust adjustments on any of the sleeved garments in the book, and this is an area where many women find it hard to get a good fit, so there is no information on how to do this.
Taking the pins out, and dropping a few on the floor, I was now ready to apply the fusible interfacing. Wendy suggests cutting strips from iron-on interfacing of the appropriate weight for the fabric, and this is a good way of using up those odd bits of interfacing you get stuck with but cannot bear to throw away. However I had some fusible seam tape, already in narrow strips, so I used this. I would have liked to see Wendy draw attention to the need to identify which is the fusible side of the tape because I have heard even seasoned dressmakers bemoan the fact that they put the tape on with the wrong side facing up so it stuck to the iron or press cloth and not the dress fabric. Be warned, check and double check and, if in doubt about which is the side to go face down on the fabric, test a tiny bit on a waste fabric scrap. Below is my seam tape in position ready to be fused.
And here is the seam tape fused along the front and a view of the back seam finished with bias binding.
I followed the making up steps as described up to and including step 9. Then I decided to insert the zip (Step 11) before setting in the sleeves. Unfortunately step 11 refers to positioning the zip stopper level with a notch. This notch should have been marked on the pattern sheet but, as I discovered, it was left off. I checked and checked the pattern sheet and re-read the instructions and then just guessed where it should go- not that hard. The right hand side of the open-ended zip needs to be pinned and tacked to hold it in the correct position for sewing.
Then, using a zipper foot, sew the zip in position close to the zipper teeth so that, when you flip the seam allowance over, your zip teeth just extend beyond the jacket edge.
I then went to step 12 and finished the jacket fronts with bias binding. This covers the edge of the zip on the right hand side of the jacket enclosing the raw edge that you see to your right in the picture below. Wendy's technique instructions for attaching bias binding as a facing instructs the reader as the final step to stitch the binding to the wrong side of the garment by machining. This gives the effect of topstitching. However I did not want the look of topstitching so laboriously hand picked all the facings and hems. Next time I think I will topstitch!
Then I jumped to step 16, attaching the left side of the zip. This is because I felt that I could better ensure that I could get the bottom hem of the jacket level by doing the hem after inserting the rest of the zip fastening. One of the problems with inserting a zip is getting around the zip stopper while maintaining a straight line. I open the zip partly and sew up to a point before the zip stopper.
Then, making sure that the needle is down in the fabric, I raise the zipper foot and pivot the fabric 90 degrees.
With a bit of tugging I can then pull the zipper closed up to a point past which I have already stitched- sometimes, depending on your machine, you can remove the zipper foot, close the zipper and replace the foot. Pivot the fabric back to the start position, lower the presser foot and off you go, continuing your stitching from where you left off.
Jumping back to step 10 in the order of work I set in the sleeves. I always have difficulty with the fit of sleeves so I was very pleasantly surprised to find they fitted reasonably well for me. I might add a sleeve roll as my shoulders are a bit narrow and I am distinctly lacking in biceps so the sleeve needs to be narrower But I can live with it as it is.
Finally I hemmed the bottom of the jacket and the sleeves. I wanted to conceal the loose top end of the left side of the zip. I toyed with the idea of a button but eventually made a knot from a tube of the jacket fabric and sewed it in place.
Here you can see how the bias binding finish looks on the inside of the lapels.
My verdict, yes, a beginner could do it on their own by paying close attention to the instructions. I was lucky to get a reasonable fit with only a simple alteration and I would be interested to hear how the fit worked for other people.
Wendy encourages the reader to experiment and develop their own take on the garment and I have certainly been inspired to do another version of this jacket. Also, in view of the lack of fitting difficulty encountered with the jacket, I may well have a go at the shift dress, graded as the most complex of the patterns and see how that would work for a beginner. I have some of this fabric left, not enough for a complete dress, so I will be looking for another fabric to use with it and how best to use the two together.
Unlike other books for beginners that I have seen, Wendy plunges the reader straight into what those buying a book on dressmaking want to do- make clothes. I think some people are put off by wading through pages of technique or making aprons before getting to any mention of making a garment as with some books for beginners. There are 6 full size patterns with this book ranging from bust size 84 cm (33 ins) to 101 cm (39 3/4ins). You do have to trace these off and they overlap but they are on stiff paper and clearly marked ( forget about the nightmare experience of trying to trace a pattern from the flimsy overcrowded pattern sheet of a Burda Magazine). The brief introduction describes how to use the book followed by the tools you will need and then it is straight into the projects, which start with the easiest and gradually increase in complexity. Each project has the techniques that you will need listed and these techniques are described and demonstrated in the rear section of the book. I like the way that the finished measurements of the garments are clearly given so you know how much ease there is in the pattern.
I thought that I would try making a garment following the instructions to see how easy it would be for a beginner. I am not a beginner, more of a "can put a garment together but definitely could do better if she paid attention" type of sewer. I adored the zip jacket, project number 5, and this seems to be the item that most people pick on as a garment they would like to make so here is my version and how the construction went.
First I wanted to know how the jacket might fit me so I took a commercially made jacket that I had with the sort of fit I was hoping for and measured around the chest of the jacket to compare it with the finished size that Wendy gave for the size I was making, size 1. Bingo, what a match! Please remember when you are measuring to make sure you are using an accurate tape. If it is an old one it may well have stretched or distorted so check it against a solid (metal or plastic) ruler.
Next I traced the pattern using Waitrose greaseproof paper, which I like because it is white- do not use baking parchment because it is not so easy to write upon and, if you have to stick sheets together with sticky tape to get the width , it does not stick. Below is a picture of the pattern sheet and the paper laid out and weighted down to stop it sliding while I trace. Always check that your tracing paper has not shifted once you have completed tracing the piece, you need to be accurate in your tracing. Some people use a highlighter to emphasize the line of the size that they are tracing and this would be particularly useful if you are grading between 2 different sizes, for example if your bust size is a size bigger than your hip size.
Here are the finished pattern pieces, traced and ready to use. There are only 3 pieces in total, front, back and sleeve, for the simplest version of the jacket and you will cut two pieces of each piece. You cannot see it very well in the photograph but I have penciled on the pattern all the marking, notches, grainlines etc that are on the sheet.
Wendy gives the yardage necessary for the garment and a cutting layout. However I suggest you trace out your pattern before you go to buy the fabric for it and play around with various layouts and fabric widths for the pattern you have created to find out how much you will need to buy. I found that I needed less fabric than stated for the 140 cm wide fabric I was using.
Once you have cut out your fabric and transferred the markings to the fabric then I suggest you pin fit the garment. That is you pin the darts in position and pin the shoulders and sides together and, very gingerly, try on the garment. This will give you a good idea of how it will fit you.
As you can see, the body of the jacket looks fine - but always check the sides and back too. Below you can see that the back of the neck gapes.
Luckily there is a centre back seam so I could easily deal with this by increasing the seam allowance from the neck and gradually tapering it down into the back. With this jacket there are no facings or lining so that you do not have to make alterations for these. There is limited scope for alteration with the patterns (taking in or letting out at side seams and lengthening and shortening) although Wendy says that she has designed these patterns to need little alteration. She does not recommend making bust adjustments on any of the sleeved garments in the book, and this is an area where many women find it hard to get a good fit, so there is no information on how to do this.
Taking the pins out, and dropping a few on the floor, I was now ready to apply the fusible interfacing. Wendy suggests cutting strips from iron-on interfacing of the appropriate weight for the fabric, and this is a good way of using up those odd bits of interfacing you get stuck with but cannot bear to throw away. However I had some fusible seam tape, already in narrow strips, so I used this. I would have liked to see Wendy draw attention to the need to identify which is the fusible side of the tape because I have heard even seasoned dressmakers bemoan the fact that they put the tape on with the wrong side facing up so it stuck to the iron or press cloth and not the dress fabric. Be warned, check and double check and, if in doubt about which is the side to go face down on the fabric, test a tiny bit on a waste fabric scrap. Below is my seam tape in position ready to be fused.
And here is the seam tape fused along the front and a view of the back seam finished with bias binding.
I followed the making up steps as described up to and including step 9. Then I decided to insert the zip (Step 11) before setting in the sleeves. Unfortunately step 11 refers to positioning the zip stopper level with a notch. This notch should have been marked on the pattern sheet but, as I discovered, it was left off. I checked and checked the pattern sheet and re-read the instructions and then just guessed where it should go- not that hard. The right hand side of the open-ended zip needs to be pinned and tacked to hold it in the correct position for sewing.
Then, using a zipper foot, sew the zip in position close to the zipper teeth so that, when you flip the seam allowance over, your zip teeth just extend beyond the jacket edge.
Then I jumped to step 16, attaching the left side of the zip. This is because I felt that I could better ensure that I could get the bottom hem of the jacket level by doing the hem after inserting the rest of the zip fastening. One of the problems with inserting a zip is getting around the zip stopper while maintaining a straight line. I open the zip partly and sew up to a point before the zip stopper.
Then, making sure that the needle is down in the fabric, I raise the zipper foot and pivot the fabric 90 degrees.
With a bit of tugging I can then pull the zipper closed up to a point past which I have already stitched- sometimes, depending on your machine, you can remove the zipper foot, close the zipper and replace the foot. Pivot the fabric back to the start position, lower the presser foot and off you go, continuing your stitching from where you left off.
Jumping back to step 10 in the order of work I set in the sleeves. I always have difficulty with the fit of sleeves so I was very pleasantly surprised to find they fitted reasonably well for me. I might add a sleeve roll as my shoulders are a bit narrow and I am distinctly lacking in biceps so the sleeve needs to be narrower But I can live with it as it is.
Finally I hemmed the bottom of the jacket and the sleeves. I wanted to conceal the loose top end of the left side of the zip. I toyed with the idea of a button but eventually made a knot from a tube of the jacket fabric and sewed it in place.
My verdict, yes, a beginner could do it on their own by paying close attention to the instructions. I was lucky to get a reasonable fit with only a simple alteration and I would be interested to hear how the fit worked for other people.
Wendy encourages the reader to experiment and develop their own take on the garment and I have certainly been inspired to do another version of this jacket. Also, in view of the lack of fitting difficulty encountered with the jacket, I may well have a go at the shift dress, graded as the most complex of the patterns and see how that would work for a beginner. I have some of this fabric left, not enough for a complete dress, so I will be looking for another fabric to use with it and how best to use the two together.
Wednesday, 23 July 2014
Create your own Kimono Tee or Dress
Here’s how to make a tee to your own measurements and your
own design (courtesy of Miss P.) Blogger Miss P. has developed and refined a kimono tee that you can draft to your own measurements. Her clear instructions on how to do this are at http://portialawrie.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/draft-simple-kimono-tee-old-project.html. What bliss!- a garment with only one pattern piece. You can see from the photographs of her finished result that the tee can look both elegant and casual, could be worn to the office, slung over a bikini for the beach or dressed up with accessories for the evening.
It is also a wonderful blank canvas so you can create your own unique garment. This was the pattern I turned to when I wanted something quick and easy for summer wear. The top does not take much fabric, I had a metre of cotton poplin and used 70 cm of 150 cm wide for the main body and then cut into the remainder for bias binding and the belt backing plus oddments for the cuffs and outer side of the belt. My bust measurement is 84 cm and thus I could place both front and back of the pattern on the same width of fabric. If you have narrower fabric or more generous curves then you'll need a longer length but you will be able to figure out your fabric requirements once you have drafted the pattern to the size and length you want.
Here is my first effort. The only addition I made to the pattern was to extend the sleeves and to add a simple belt fastened with a button to ring the changes
This is also an ideal pattern to use up leftover fabric from other projects. As to the type of fabric to use, something with some drape, not too thick is best. You definitely need some softness in the sleeve area but you could get away with a thicker central panel. Personally I would not want to use anything stiffer than the cotton poplin that I used. There are no darts so the shape relies on how the fabric hangs on your body.
I've sketched some ideas (sorry, I'm no artist).
1.Parti-coloured tee. Simply adapt your pattern by adding a seam allowance to the centre back and centre front as you will need to sew the right and left sides of the front and back together before proceeding to sew the front to the back.
2. Tee with a panel. Got a bit of fabric that you really want to use but there is not much of it? Then this is the answer. Depending upon how much fabric you have , you can have a panel both font and back, just a panel on one side or different fabric panels on each side.. Remember to cut your pattern where you want the panel to be and add a seam allowance to both sides of the cut.
3.Your addition of a different fabric doesn't have to be straight down or across. Try going asymmetrical, a chevron or undulating wave ( this latter is trickier and probably best done as an applique).
4. Trim the neckline, hem and sleeves with a different fabric. You can make your own bias binding for the neckline, see Miss P's technique here. That's how I cut my binding to trim the neckline of my tee.
Alternatively you can cut facings for your hem, neckline and sleeves in your alternative colour fabric. Stitch them to the relevant edges with the right side of the facing against the wrong side of the fabric of the body. Trim the seam and, if necessary, clip around curves. Do not press seam open but press toward the tee body. Then flip the facings over to the right side of the garment, press the neckline (or hem or sleeve) edge on to the right side of the garment. Press or pin a hem of about 1 cm on to the wrong side of the facing around the outer edge of the facing and then pin or tack the facing to the tee preparatory to topstitching around the outer edge of the facing to secure it. The advantage of this is that you have no raw edge to hem.
5. If you have quite a bit of fabric you can make a dress of any length, short, knee length or maxi. I made a dress for my second effort, just adding the extra length to the pattern that I had created and leaving the cuffs off (see photo below). If you wish you can gather it in at the waist or under the bust, as in sketch 5, by running some elastic through a casing sewn around the inside of the dress at the relevant point.
Necklines. As Miss P. says, you can cut the neckline into a lower curve. You don't have to make the neckline the same at the back as the front, just adjust the pattern according to your desire. Remember though that you need to make it wide enough to get your head through. If you want it to be closer to the neck then you will need to make an opening, such as the keyhole neckline in my sketch no. 4 which is closed with a button and loop. An opening could be placed at the back instead of the front.
Hems. The simplest and quickest is just to turn up a straight hem at the bottom and machine along it. The example from Miss P's blog has a hem curving up at the sides ( you can use a plate to draw this for your pattern, this is what I used for the blue tee). You can follow the current fashion for hems lower at the back than the front, have an asymmetrical hem (sketch 3) scalloped...and so on! For my dress I left a small slit at the side seams to allow for more walking ease.
Embellishment. Here you can go to town if you want something truly unique- lace, ribbon, sequins,ruffles, pockets, pleats, pintucks, buttons, beads, fringing-- the opportunities are endless. To my dress I added an old lace collar (detachable) and a slim belt to give a 1940's tea dress feeling. See how it changes the effect.
Why not join in our sewalong and create your own unique version? See the details here http://www.meetup.com/dressmakers/events/196657002/
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