but how would it look in big?

my birdie dress is finished (and fabulous!) but i need some pics before i can show off the final product. i've been super busy unpacking and rearranging (we just moved, btw...) and this and that... yowza. what a headache! i will be so happy when life feels normal again. you'd think i'd be a pro at this moving business by now, after all this is my 7th address over the course of 9 years of marriage... no wonder i feel like such a lost soul some days!


anyways, in case you read my "i'm not ready to give up summer" dress posts a while back and thought: okay, but would it work on a grown up? my fabulous little sister monica whipped one up and here it is!

how cute is she, huh? beauty runs in the family, of course.

she used one of those great amy butler prints in rayon. i've been eyeing that fabric myself... i love how the border print adds a nice touch at the hem and the green bias tape is an extra pop of color. since she lives in kansas—in the middle of their hottest summer ever—i know she'll get tons of wear before fall hits.

and here it is with a cute cardigan. i'm so happy the dress worked out for her, can you believe she's only been sewing for a year or so? 

oh, behave.


photos by teresa landkamer

a little birdie told me, pt 3: the not really a waist stay

when i left off i had just finished the flat piping and topstitching on the bodice. so after finishing that i cut my bodice lining. i decided to baste the bottom and center back of my lining to the bodice so i could sew it to the skirt all in one piece. i left the top open to slip stitch in place later because i hadn't quite decided what kind of straps to do, i wanted to see what the dress was going to look like first!

my lining is cotton voile, which is super thin and a little shifty to work with. ah, patience... something i don't have much of... i chose it because the cotton/linen blend of the dress is fairly heavy so the voile won't add any bulk but will serve as a soft layer between the stiffer linen seam allowances and my skin.


the skirt is simply gathered and sewn on, i even cheated and layered the fabric and lining and gathered them at the same time. now, usually you would press the seam allowance from the skirt up toward the bodice but i decided to go with a buttressed skirt (who knew there was even a term for that?) where you press the seams down. doing this creates a slightly puffed silhouette to the skirt and a straight line on the bodice. there are a number of things you could do here to really amp up the volume, such as adding organza or some sort of interfacing at the seam (added to the wrong side of the gathered skirt). but, i'm not going for anything crazy voluminous here so i won't be doing any of those things for this project. 


i still need to have some sort of support so the seam stays buttressed and doesn't flip up. this is where the not really a waist stay comes in. okay, if you're unfamiliar, a waist stay is usually made of grosgrain or petersham ribbon—the stuff that is stiff and ribbed—with about a 1" width. it is attached to the garment at the waist and is about 1" smaller than the actual garment's waist measurement. the waist stay does a number of things but mostly it keeps strain off the zipper and it anchors the waist where it belongs on the body.

now, when i started this dress i really only had passing knowledge of a waist stay, so i simply sewed the ribbon to the bodice side of the bodice/skirt seam, leaving the ends free where i attached a hook as a closure in the back. 

later i found out this was wrong. in my defense, this is how i have seen various
sewing bloggists do a waist stay... but it's still wrong. don't do it like this!!!

it wasn't quite tight enough so i adjusted it slightly tighter. unfortunately this just created weird pulling on the bodice. i set this detail aside to fix later and went on about finishing the dress. then a very timely article popped up on burdastyle.com addressing the waist stay. i won't go into all the details because the article does a fine job of explaining. basically, the waist stay is 1" smaller than the garment's waist but the difference is evenly distributed around the dress (duh) and just tacked at the seams.


definitely a lightbulb moment.


okay, but at least my efforts weren't useless. the ribbon is definitely keeping the seam going in the right direction and supporting the buttressed skirt. but, as my closure is basically useless, i plan to cut it out and just stitch the ribbon all the way to the zipper and call it a day. sigh... next time, right? then again, maybe i can tack on a real waist stay over the not really a waist stay... the plight of the self taught is always being a technique or two away from perfection. so i continue my learning. each misstep today is one less misstep for tomorrow!

a little birdie told me, pt 2: flat piping on a sweetheart neckline

since i already had my bodice pieces cut from muslin, i used these to cut my fabric. i wanted to see exactly what each piece of the bodice would look like before cutting so i placed and cut each piece individually instead of just folding the fabric and hoping for the best.

funny how huge a bodice looks when all laid out this way...

now there is nothing terribly unusual about the construction of this dress but i would like to show you a few details. i have been working at adding embellishments here and there as well as improving my construction techniques (instead of being lazy and cutting corners... having an audience helps to keep me from sliding). i'll simply be adding flat piping at the neckline, a little topstitching and a waist stay. well, a not really waist stay... but i'll get to that later. i'll even hand stitch the bodice lining and blind stitch the hem by hand! i'm the kind of sewist who does does everything possible to avoid hand stitching, but i figure the dress shouldn't have to suffer just cuz i'm a little lazy.

underlined and ready for construction

first thing i did was underline the bodice with my muslin pieces. after adding the underlining i sewed the bodice pieces together. since there are princess seams in this i needed to clip my curves. now, i could have trimmed these interior seam allowances (and almost always the pattern directions instruct you to do so) but i left them as is. why? well, i try to clip and trim only when i really need to. also, you are usually told to press both seam allowances on princess seams to the middle. a quick perusal through any couture sewing book and you'll see that these seams are almost always balanced, that is they are pressed open, even with darts! i suppose this is more important when you have multiple layers with underlinings and such. on a lighter fabric i might press to the center. then again, a princess seamed bodice is usually very structured where a lightweight material wouldn't work... just thinking out loud here... anyway, do notch the seam allowance (cutting narrow v shapes) on the inside of the curve, to ensure it lays flat and press the curved seam over a tailor's ham.

i changed the pattern design from a straight neckline to a sweetheart. there is nothing difficult about the sweetheart neckline it just takes some extra prep. i will hand stitch a lining in later, so i will just turn the neckline seam to the inside with the flat piping then topstitch it all in place. to make sure the "v" turns out neatly i reinforced it with very short stitches right at, or just inside the seam line. i sewed at the "v" about an inch in each direction, then i clipped right up to the point and now it will turn perfectly!

here is the reinforcing stitches and the little snip so it all turns nicely

then to add the flat piping i very carefully measured and pinned bias tape in place and hand basted then machine sewed it in place. i left it hanging an inch or so at the center (i used two separate strips of bias so i could overlap them neatly at the center) because i wanted to make sure the piping was positioned just right!

now, before topstitching the piping and the neckline seam in place i needed to check the fit. to do this, i simply pinned the zip in place and tried it on.

back to the neckline... i turned the neckline to the inside and pinned it in place. i made sure the piping was even all the way around and not peeking out higher in random places (measure if you're as particular about these things as i am). with everything positioned the way i wanted i was ready for topstitching! if you want your topstitching to stand out and be a detail on the garment, make sure to use actual topstitching thread because it is thicker than regular sewing thread.

i am so very happy with how well the piping turned out. it really does pay to take your time and do something right! next up, attaching the skirt and adding a not really waist stay!

a little birdie told me...

so i was all like: i am so over summer sewing... you should use summer/fall transitional fabrics... blah, blah, blah... don't listen to me. i certainly never do. a while back i was obsessing over this really cute linen/cotten blend fabric but didn't get it, it was out of stock or something. so the other day it was on sale at fabric.com and decided i had to have it. yes, it was the end of august and i'm in new england so winter comes early... just means i need to sew fast, right?

someday i'll discover solid colored fabrics...

and yes, there are birds on the fabric. what of it? it's cute. at least it doesn't have elephants on it. i'm not knocking the elephant dress, i'd totally wear it.


back to my dress... i have this pattern (new look 6457) i've wanted to make all summer but hadn't gotten around to it. but if summer hangs on the way winter did this year, i'll still get to wear it a few times!

here goes... i will be underlining this in muslin for stability and lining it as well. i want a nicely structured and fitted bodice, but also want it smooth and comfy on the inside with no scratchy seams. the lining i'm using is cotton voile. now, this stuff is very lightweight. it's only purpose is to cover my seams. someday i'll splurge and line my dresses in silk... until then this will have to do!


i typically need lots of pattern alterations on top due to a very narrow ribcage and a less than ample bust. oh boy was this pattern monstrously huge! why do the big pattern makers think you need 2 1/2" of ease in a fitted bodice??? seriously, it's not that i need my clothes skin tight, just not flopping all over the place! so i've ended up about a sz 10 at the waist and i don't know, a 4 at the top by the time i was done? hard to say, the pattern isn't sized that small! anywho...


since this was a fairly easily adjustable princess seamed bodice i went with a tissue fitting instead of a full out muslin. i traced the pattern pieces to my starting off point and cut them out. i marked the seam allowances and pinned the pieces together along the seam lines and held it up to me. i made the necessary adjustments, re-traced the pieces and pinned them together again. the only changes i'm making to the pattern style is to eliminate the top strip of material and instead will use some flat piping peeking out of the top. also, i'm changing it to a sweetheart neckline. i used to hate sweetheart necklines... now i kinda like them, who knew?

pretty sure of my fit, i cut out my pieces in muslin and basted them together to try it on in actual fabric. i still had to take the top in a little, but all in all i'm pleased with it. on to cutting my actual fabric!

"i'm not ready to give up summer!" dress, part 3

"tremor envy" anyone? so yesterday an earthquake shook up and down the east coast. while i am certainly in the area that felt this... i totally missed it. i kinda feel left out. after all, since moving to the northeast two years ago we've experienced blizzards, tornadoes and soon a hurricane... feeling an earthquake is about the only thing left on the list of natural disasters to experience, right? i know, i'm weird.


let's sew, shall we? 


on to the skirt portion of the dress... first, attach the pockets, if desired. i made mine to pouch out slightly at the top so when cutting them i flared the edges slightly but stitched them on with the corners at right angles. make sure to reinforce the top corners with extra zig-zag stitches. if the material is thin, add a little patch (cut on the bias to reduce fray) to the underside of the skirt at the corners before zig-zagging.


here's a step by step on the pockets:

cut the pockets wider on the top than the bottom if you want them to pouch out slightly

fold the top edge over and pin in place

fold a little hem up, pin and press

see that little excess from the flare? just snip it off.

stitch all the way around the sides and bottom edge (not the top) at about 1/4"-1/2"

turn the upper edge of the pocket and using your stitching as a guide, pin the edges of the pocket in and press. also, stitch across the little hemmed edge on the upper part of the pocket.

pin the pocket in place keeping the bottom corners at right angles so the
top pouches out and stitch close to the edge

zig-zag in the upper corners, adding a patch to the underside for stability

all done!

stitch together the side seams of the skirt and finish the seam allowances. (if the skirt is a little see-through, you may need a lining. just cut it the same as the main fabric only 1 1/2" shorter.) make two rows of gathering stitches at the top of the skirt piece and pin it to the bodice. draw up the bobbin threads to distribute the gathers evenly and stitch in place. zig-zag the gathered edge and trim.


now to make the casing for the elastic, take a piece of bias tape (a few inches longer than the bottom edge of the bodice) and press out the center fold so that you are left with the top and bottom folded in to the center. pin the bias tape to the top edge of the skirt and stitch all the way around, leaving 1" open. your stitching should be right over your previous stitching where you joined the skirt and bodice. sew and trim the bias tape as before to join the edges. finish stitching the bias to close the opening.

fold the bias tape up and over the skirt/bodice seam allowance and pin it in place.

using the utility straight stitch (the stretch stitch version of a regular straight stitch) sew the top of the bias tape to the bodice.

finished casing from the inside

leave a 1" opening in the casing. insert the elastic (cut a piece equal to the waist measurement) then pull the two ends out and overlap them and stitch them together. sew up the opening and hem the skirt.

cut pieces of bias tape for straps and simply sew down both edges as near as you can to the edges. stitch them to the back edge of the bodice. decide if you want them straight or crossed in the back. try on the dress to position and pin the front straps in place. you will want them sewn right about where the top of the bodice curves down around the arms. stitch them in place and you're done!

how easy is that? wear it now while it's still warm, then as the weather cools throw on a cardigan, leggins, a belt and you're ready for fall! and now if you'd excuse me, i have a hurricane to prepare for.

"i'm not ready to give up summer!" dress, part 2

this dress comes together really fast so it's perfect for a last minute project or something you just don't want to labor over. i have made this one for my mini me, but it will work just as well for us grown ups! start by sewing together the side seams of the ruffle pieces and side seams of the bodice pieces. finish the seams allowances as you prefer and make a narrow hem on the bottom of the ruffle.


make two rows of gathering stitches on the top edge of the ruffle. pin the ruffle at the side seams and at center front and center back. draw up the bobbin thread and distribute the gathers evenly and stitch.

take your bias tape and pin and stitch it at the top edge of the bodice over the ruffle. leave about 1" of tape free and unstitched at the back. bring the bias tape together and pin it to mark where to join the tape. stitch the tape together and trim, then finish stitching it to the bodice.

disregard the fact that i didn't line up the top edges, i ended up trimming it even. i had
some reason in my head at the time... don't know what it was though!

press the bias tape up and over the top edge of the bodice folding it around to the inside. pin the tape right off the edge of the bias tape from the front, just catching the folded over edge of the tape on the inside. stitch in the "ditch" all the way around but leave 1" open to have a place to insert the elastic. this whole bias tape binding of edges is really easy but if you've never done it before, words may not do it proper justice. here is a step by step in pics...

bias tape is first pinned and sewn all the way around on the outside of the garment, except for a 1" opening

pinch the tape together to see where the pieces should be joined

pin it in place and make sure it will lie flat

stitch right in line with your pin markings

trim the bias tape then finish sewing to close the opening

fold tape up where you stitched and press

fold the inner edge of bias tape in and wrap the tape around the edge of the garment

pin from the outside in the "ditch" making sure your pin catches the inside edge of the bias tape

sew in the "ditch" from the outside

view from the inside. remember to leave an opening to insert the elastic.

measure out a piece of elastic the same as the chest measurement. insert it into the bias tape casing then pull out the two ends, overlap them slightly and stitch them together. draw the elastic back into the casing and stitch the opening shut.

the rest is just as easy, and i'll finish it up tomorrow!

the perfect "i'm not ready to give up summer!" summer dress

summer seems to be slipping away. kids start school in two weeks, the hot days are less hot, the summer wear i had planned to sew hasn't been sewn. my mind keeps wandering to fall pencil skirts and the annual halloween costume making. but, i'm not ready to give up summer quite yet and if you aren't either, here's the perfect "i'm not ready to give up summer!" summer dress. why is is perfect? it requires little fabric, little planning, no pattern and most importantly... very little time.


being late in the summer i would make this dress in a fabric that can go into fall and be worn with my best friends "legging" and "cardigan". perhaps you know them too? rayon would be a good choice instead of the summer go-to cotton or anything a little drape-y. if you're into sewing with knits, that would work well here too. now, grab a measuring tape, some tissue paper, a pencil, a ruler, scissors, etc. and let's get started!

this is a blouse-y dress with an elasticized waist and neckline. since it is not a form-fitting dress you don't really have to worry about including extra room in the pattern pieces for seam allowances.


bodice
measure your chest over the bust where the neckline will sit. then measure from the neckline over the bust to the waistline and in the back down to the waistline. the total bodice all the way around will be 1.5 times the chest measurement. if you have a large bust, you may want to add a couple inches to the width of the front bodice piece. to make your bodice pieces, start by multiplying your chest/neckline measure by 1.5. on me, my measurement is 32.5" so 32.5" x 1.5 = 48.75". since we need a front and back for the bodice, divide by 2 and round up. the front and back will each be 24.5" wide. for the height, take the neckline to waist measurement and add 1". for the back bodice, my measurement is 10" so i will need a 11" x 24.5" pattern piece. for the front i will need a 13" x 24.5" pattern piece. then, for the front, curve the edge down at the side seams so that the front and back side seams match up. make sure you allow plenty of room for under your arms. hold the tissue up to your body and make adjustments as needed.


ruffle (optional)
ruffles seem to be everywhere and i thought a little detail would be fun on this dress. make yours as wide or narrow as you want. make multiple rows, make it cascade down the front or leave it off completely. it's up to you! for this dress, i took the chest measurement we used for the bodice and multiplied it by 2. if you added extra to the bodice width for a larger chest, just make sure to add extra to the ruffle as well. for me, 32.5" x 2 = 65". again, since i need a front and back piece, divide by 2 so i need two 32.5" long rectangles, however wide or narrow you want. so, i guess i really didn't need to multiply and divide... i'm sure you caught that.


skirt
the skirt is just two rectangles. the total width will be about 2 times your waist measurement.  since you need a skirt front and back, just make your pattern piece the length you want (plus a little extra for hemming) by the measurement of your waist. my waist is 28" so i need a pattern piece 28" x skirt length cut two times. the total width around the skirt would be 56"


pockets (optional)
in seam pockets are nice but for something different i went with patch pockets. to give a little extra interest, i tapered the sides out slightly but attached the pockets with right angles at the bottom corners so the pocket poufs out slightly at the opening.


so there are your pattern pieces. also needed is bias tape either pre packaged or self made, and 1/4" elastic.


i apologize for the wordiness and lack of pictures but really this dress is nothing but a bunch of rectangles sewn together and i'll be back soon to show you how! in the meantime, enjoy the last bits of summer!

"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...