Tag: topstitching

#sewbibs: Seamwork Dani Pinafore

Published on by ellegeemakes12 Comments

IMG_5472Believe it or not….this Dani Pinafore is my first make of a Seamwork pattern. What took me so long?

IMG_5553I’ve never really investigated Seamwork patterns because I assumed (wrongly)  that because Seamwork patterns were part of a online magazine/club, they were simple designs, really meant for beginners. I suppose that’s true in some instances, but certainly not in this pattern.

sw3093-dani-01-large-1d45fe69fcb7935303658eef9020e3c945df0ae16c0f1ec38a6c182a7fe42449 The design of this pinafore includes so many things I like – – interesting seam details, pockets, a deep v-neck. The pinafore is fully lined, complete with armhole and neck facings as well.

IMG_5439Fabric: I used a medium weight dark wash denim and topstitched with medium gray thread. For a bit of fun, I lined it in polka dot rayon.

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Construction Notes – – 

Size: I chose the size indicated by measurements, then did a quick muslin, and quickly reaized it was going to be a bit too big. So I sized down and think the fit is pretty good at this point. If you’re thinking about making this….you might want to do the same.

Modifications – – As designed, the skirt is pretty short. I lengthened the bodice by 1 and 1/2” . Even with that change, I was left with a very narrow hem. The neckline is lovely, but pretty low, so I raised it by an inch.

I eliminated the inseam pockets and added patch pockets. All seams are flat-felled and topstitched with a twin needle.The front bodice and front skirt darts are topstitched too.

Rather than cutting the front and back bodice on the fold, I added a flat-felled seam at the center front and back, and topstitched.

IMG_5458Denim and topstitching are two of my sewing ‘loves’ so this project ticks off all of the boxes for me. I’m so glad I found this lovely pattern, and lucky me…it was free ( I won from a the Day/Night Dress Challenge drawing)!  I know there will be other Dani’s in my future…I’m already eyeing a piece of linen in my stash for a summer version that will be perfect for hot sticky days.

IMG_5442I hope you’re enjoying the #sewbibs challenge on instagram as much as I am- – Thanks to cookin’ and craftin for organzing a challenge that inspired me to add two new pinafores to my wardrobe (here’s the other one if you missed the post). Happy sewing and thanks for stopping by.

 

PR Sewing Bee Round 1 – The Good News and The…Other News

Published on by ellegeemakes6 Comments

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Some might say I’m crazy, but this year, I entered the Pattern Review Sewing Bee, a contest that contains four challenges, each a week in length. As a rule, I don’t usually get too excited about competitions, but I decided to try this one to push myself a bit. It’s time to try something new, I told myself, and to learn a few things in the process.  Sounds good, eh? Still, I waffled, until the specifics of Round 1 were announced. The first challenge was to make a fitted blouse. And wouldn’t you know, I already had fabric in my stash for another peplum blouse. Is that destiny or what?!?

For my contest entry, I used Butterick 6097, a fitted blouse with a peplum I made here and here. This time though, I wanted to try something different. Since my fabric was a linen that had a denim look, I decided to use french seams and double topstitching to play up to the ‘jeans’  vibe of the fabric.

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The french seams turned out to be essential as this linen blend unraveled every time I even looked at it. I overlocked in some places too. I thought sewing all the topstitching would drive me crazy, but once I got into it, I couldn’t stop. Really. I went a little berserk. I put those double yellow lines everywhere.

To fasten the front, I used snaps instead of buttons. For those who haven’t tried inserting snaps, it’s really quite fun! You get to pound them in with a hammer. The first time is a bit…well, scary, since a screw up leaves a hole in your fabric that’s too big to deny, but then, you relax right into it. The noise made my poor cat a little insane though.

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Once the shirt was done, I posted photos on the PR website, wrote my review and waited. And waited. If you haven’t taken a look at all of the gorgeous shirts entered in the contest, you really should. They were all amazing. I can’t imagine how the judges decided who would go forward to the next round. But, as luck would have it, I passed muster and am moving ahead. Yahoo! That’s the good news.

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The Other news? Well, here’s the description of Round 2’s challenge. To quote: “In this round you will add surface embellishments to existing fabric to make a piece of fabric (or fabrics) something truly unique. You will then make a garment out of the fabric(s) that you embellished. Because the embellishment process may take additional time, participants will have TEN days for this round.”

Say what?!?  My first reaction was, WTF! My second reaction was, ‘how much wine did I have the night I decided to enter this contest’? After a good night’s sleep and a nice long bike ride this morning though, I’ve settled into the idea of this challenge. Sure, I’ve never applied a surface embellishment (whatever that is LOL) to anything other than a bit of make up on my face, but hey. There’s got to be a first time for everything. And, with any luck, something like inspiration will strike in the next 24 hours (the clock is ticking here, brain!). I will swing into action and it will be fun. (Yes, this is a pep talk :))

A few of my favorite bloggers also entered the PR Sewing bee. You might want to check out their lovely makes – –  Saturday Night Stitch, Gray all Day, Thanks I made them, to name a few.

I hope you’re enjoying our lovely fall, and are finding inspiration everywhere you look. Happy sewing and thanks for stopping by!