"go-go pick a daisy" dress finished! and, the couture dart

after inserting the zipper and finishing the bias bound neckline and hemming, the "go-go pick a daisy" dress is finished!

i'm very pleased with how this turned out, it's a simple silhouette that really shows off a cute fabric. i'm sure this one will get plenty of use!

notice how my daisies all line up from the bodice to the skirt? even at the pockets? just thought i'd point that out...


before i finish, i must show you this very awesome technique for sewing darts. so i've been geeking out over a few sewing books lately and picking up a few tricks and tips to incorporate into my everyday sewing. one of my favorites is the single thread (or couture) dart. this is a way to sew a dart into the fabric without having a knot or hanging threads at the dart tip. this is too cool, so follow along...


first, thread your machine as usual and draw up the bobbin thread as usual.

then, pull the thread out of the needle...

and thread the bobbin thread through the needle going from the back.

then knot the top thread and bobbin thread together... 

and wind the thread spool back until the knot it up to the spool.

you want to make sure you have enough thread clearance so you can sew one dart without the knot making it to the needle. now, sew the dart starting at the tip of the dart. make sure your first stitch lands in the fabric.

sew as usual all the way to the outside edge of the dart, reducing your stitch length as you near the edge. reducing your stitch length makes it so there is no need to tie off your threads as they are likely being sewn into a seam anyway. cut threads and re-thread the needle as before to sew the next dart!

how cool is that? it's called the couture dart but really there's nothing fancy about it. i generally hate sewing darts but learning this technique just made it a little more fun!


one more picture of the dress...

isn't she snarky? okay, okay... i'll stop...