by Sherri Sylvester | Mar 21, 2016
Ummm… so maybe I went a bit overboard with this year’s Easter dresses! But before we get to that…
Last week was March Break with busy-ness and lots of fun. I was excited that we had a very manageable work week! It is SO encouraging for me that they are old enough to play more easily while I work. Less interruptions while “Mommy is working” means more efficient working hours for me and better-spent time with them!
Last week we managed to go to a Raptor’s D-league basketball game, take the kids out to Zootopia (super cute) and, after a warm photo shoot yesterday (thanks to the arboretum) we spent the day at the Royal Ontario Museum. Unfortunately, it has ended with a feverish little one in the house. Hopefully she will be feeling much better soon!
Back to Easter… these dresses are absolutely amazing, if I’m can say so myself! It’s not all of my hard work, but the pattern (and the girls!) that steal the show. These are made with the Violette dress pattern from Violette Field Threads. For the last two years I’ve gone to their patterns to make a special dress for each of the girls to wear on Easter Sunday. But I have to say, last year’s Annabelle dresses have nothing on these!
The construction is really simple, but I recommend that you save up your patience to sew them. I sewed two 9/10 width dresses and each one has about 43 yards of gathered tulle in the skirt! The gathering is a bit tedious, it took me about 3 hours to attach the first layer (there are 4 on each dress). Thankfully I learned and used a slightly faster way for the other layers and got through the last few more quickly – meaning about 45 min-1 hour each. I’ve collected a few tips from my experience below!
The fabrics I used for the bodices and peplums are super fancy “scraps” I had available in my stash. Pieces I couldn’t really make into anything else. My youngest is especially excited to tell everyone that hers is gold silk! The light teal one is a bit sparkly as well, but I’m not sure what the fabric is. It is really nice to work with, though and does not wrinkle easily.
The tulle was tricky because I couldn’t find an exact match for the bodice fabrics and had to get creative. Rose pink for the gold dress with one gold bottom layer, and mostly sparkly silver with one cream top layer for the teal dress. The lining is long enough that these dresses aren’t scratchy which is nice. I was worried the girls would complain about that.
I think I would make this pattern again, but maybe with a fabric skirt. The instructions for that are included and are a little less involved! This is a really cute dress though and I love the wider front neckline and lower back with two buttons. Only word of warning is keep your tulle away from anything stickery, like Velcro. My oldest now has a few holes in the top gathered layer that we are going to creatively fix before Sunday!
8 Tips for How to Sew Insane Amounts of Tulle More Quickly!
1) Leave plenty of time to sew. Be patient and don’t expect to rush. Each tulle layer takes between 1/2 hour and 1 hour to sew. Find a good podcast or Netflix show to distract you and JUST-KEEP-SEWING!
2) Clear off the work area near your sewing machine. Tulle yardage takes up a lot of space and it is not fun to stop and catch falling notions and collect small threads from your tulle. Trust me, they stick really well!
3) Fill at least 4 bobbins before beginning so they are ready . Then you won’t have to switch tasks or re-thread your machine as often.
4) It is helpful to mark the centre of the tulle before sewing so you can match up the gathering properly to the lining. It would be amazing to do this while you are buying the tulle, otherwise you need a really long hallway to cut it into lengths properly. It would be great to buy your tulle already cut and labeled in the various layer lengths if your fabric store will do that for you.
5) The layers are made up of a back and a front skirt piece. It is helpful to sew only one side seam before gathering. The second side seam can be sewn after the gathering stitches are sewn.
6) It was most helpful to use dental floss to gather the tulle layers. I used my rolled hem foot to keep the floss in the center of a wide zigzag stitch. You can even stop every so often to gather up the tulle behind the presser foot. This saves space and yards of floss. I tried to use ribbon this way, but the floss was really effective, strong and slippery to gather more easily. And of course, BONUS – your project will smell minty fresh!
7) I gathered with a 3/8″ seam allowance and then placed the tulle according to the edge (not the gathering seam). This way you can remove the dental floss before going on to the next layer.
8) Pin, Pin and pin again! The more pins you add when attaching the tulle to the lining, the easier it is to sew. I pinned the previously sewn tulle layer first, then added the new one above it and pinned the tulle down flat there as well. Really helpful when you are arranging so many layers inside of your machine.
by Sherri Sylvester | Dec 21, 2015
Update 2020-09-17: Since Craftsy is not available anymore – please find the tutorial on the Way Back Machine by clicking the link below:
Access the FREE ONE HOUR DOPP KIT TUTORIAL here.
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Needing a super-quick gift to sew up? This project suits the manly giftee in your life perfectly! Of course, we know how hard it is to find sewing projects for men – though or course you can make it for women or kids too.
It takes only an hour, including cutting – seriously – not kidding… You start with 3 large same-sized rectangles and 2 small same-sized ones. I was so happy when I figured out how to make it fully lined, no exposed seams and fat-quarter friendly! I hope you love it too.
This project posted up on the Craftsy sewing blog last Thursday, and I was thrilled to have someone already make a few for her grandsons. Yippee! Makes my day every time I see something posted that one of you has made from a Thread Riding Hood tutorial.
by Sherri Sylvester | Dec 11, 2015
Yesterday I introduced Meerkat Shweshwe and showed you how to draft a pinafore pattern in any size. Today’s tutorial tells you how to sew up a reversible pinafore using that pattern! (This post is sponsored by Meerkat Shweshwe. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that support this blog!)
This pinafore is made from two prints of Authentic Three Cats Shweshwe. You can find out more about this unique, high-quality cotton fabric and purchase yardage directly from Meerkat Shweshwe, a Canadian distributor of this South African fabric.
I also promised yesterday I’d tell you why my daughter’s doll (that my mom made, more on that next week!) has a matching reversible pinafore. When I was speaking with Meerkat Shweshwe’s owner, Céleste, she asked if I’d want to make a matching doll dress, and told me a story from her childhood. Her grandmother lived too far away for regular visits, so Céleste’s mother would send fabric and patterns to her grandmother so she could make dresses for Céleste and her sister. Her grandmother would use leftover fabric scraps to make a matching dress for their dolls. What a great idea! Such a special gift. I thought it would be super-cute to make one and my daughter is so happy with it!
How to Sew a Reversible Pinafore {in any size!}
Materials:
- Sweshwe yardage is calculated based on your drafted pattern pieces. You will need enough fabric to cut one set of pattern pieces for each side of the reversible pinafore. (See the sample cutting layout below)
- 2 buttons for the back closure, 1″ works well
- 1 length of ribbon for the back closure, 10″ is plenty
- matching thread suitable for top-stitching both fabrics.
How to determine Yardage:
I was able to make this size 6 Pinafore with pockets and matching doll dress from 1 1/2 metres each of 36″ wide (before pre-washing) Sweshwe fabric. Be sure to measure your pieces carefully, taking into account shrinkage from pre-washing and the width and length of your fabric. Don’t forget to take any one-directional fabric into account as well. The cutting layout below may help. (Note: I actually left myself a little bit less yardage than I meant to because my rough yardage draft had quite a bit more space. Make sure to order a little bit more if you want a less nerve-wracking cutting experience!)
Cutting your fabric:
- Pre-wash, dry and press your fabric.
- Cut the following pieces from each length of fabric:
- 1 Skirt Front
- 2 Skirt Backs
- 1 Bodice Front (on the fold)
- 2 Bodice Backs
- 2 Patch Pockets
Sewing the Reversible Pinafore:
Seam allowance is 1/2″ unless indicated otherwise. It is recommended that you finish all seam allowances to produce a longer-lasting garment. Options include: trimming raw edges with pinking shears, zig-zaging all raw edges or serging all raw edges.
Sew the Bodice:
- Align both matching Back and Front Bodice pieces at the shoulders. Stitch. Press seam allowances open.
- Fold the ribbon into a small loop – you will need about a 5″ length to do this. Pin it in the middle of the centre back on one bodice, as in the photo below. Make sure there is enough ribbon to go around your button and include the 1/2″ seam allowance. Baste with a 1/4″ seam.
- Align the two Back/Front Bodices along the neckline/centre-back edges, matching shoulder seams. Stitch.
- Trim/Clip the seam allowance along the curve to help it lay flatter.
- Turn the bodice right side out, press carefully along the seam. Double-check to make sure the button fits through your ribbon. (Do not top-stitch, we will do this in a later step.)
- Now we can stitch the armholes together, pay careful attention to the photos for help as you go. Lay the bodice flat on your work surface. Open the left side of the bodice so the fabrics are laying wrong side down.
- Roll/fold the right side of the bodice until it is centred on the seam that connects the left two reversible sides of the bodice.
- Fold the left side of the bodice around the rolled fabric, aligning the armhole edges. Pin, Stitch. Be careful not to accidentally stitch over the folded fabric.
- Clip/trim the seam allowance along the curve. Open the layers and pull out the folded fabric, turning the bodice right side out again. Press the stitched armhole well.
- Lay the bodice flat on your work surface again. Open the right side of the bodice so the wrong side is laying wrong side down.
- Roll the left side of the bodice into the centre of the right side, over the seam.
- Fold the right side of the bodice around the rolled fabric, aligning the armhole edges. Pin, Stitch, being careful not to stitch over the folded fabric.
- Clip/trim the seam allowance along the curve. Open the layers and pull out the folded fabric. Press the stitched armhole. Tada! You have almost finished the bodice.
- Open the sides of the front bodice and align them so they are right sides together with the back bodice side seam, match up the underarm seam. Stitch.
- Fold the bodice wrong pides together again and press well. Set aside.
Prepare the Skirt for Pockets:
- Stitch each matching Back Skirt to each side of the Front Skirt along the side seams (length of the pieces, from the drafting instructions). Press the seams open.
Sew the Patch Pockets:
- Press the top of the pocket to the wrong side by 1/2″. Turn the pocket over and press the folded top of the pocket over another 1″, this time to the right side.
- Stitch around the sides and bottom of the pocket with a 1/4″ seam. Turn the top of the pocket right side out and fold the sides and bottom following the 1/4″ seam. Make sure the seams don’t show on the front of the pocket.
- Top-stitch the top of the pocket 3/4″ away from the top folded edge. Repeat for all 4 pockets.
- Measure the width of the Front Skirt from seam to seam and divide by 3. Mark these measurements on the Front Skirt.
- Align the left/right edge of a patch pocket on each 1/3 measurement – closer to the side seam. Pockets should be about 5 1/2″ down from the top of the Skirt. (If your skirt is much larger/smaller, place your pockets where you would like accordingly.)
- Top-stitch around the sides and bottom of each pocket about 1/8″ away from the edge.
- Repeat steps 1-6 to attach the patch pockets to the other Front Skirt.
Sew the Skirt:
- Align the two sewn skirt panels right sides together, matching side and bottom edges. Stitch the sides and bottom leaving an 8″ opening somewhere along the bottom edge. Clip the corners. Make sure your pockets are aligned correctly!
- Press both edges of the 8″ opening 1/2″ to the wrong side.
- Turn right side out, neatly push out the corners and edges and press well. You will have a raw edge on the top of the skirts only. (Do not close the opening.)
Attach the Skirt and Bodice:
by Sherri Sylvester | Dec 10, 2015
It’s a Shweshwe Holiday over here! This post is sponsored by Meerkat Sweshwe, who contacted me a while ago to see if I’d like to create something with their fabrics. I fell in love with the these red prints and we agreed they would be perfect for a holiday pinafore. (+ Come back tomorrow to find out how to sew a reversible pinafore, and hear the story of why my daughter’s doll has a matching dress!)
Before we get too far into the Pinafore tutorial – I know some of you are asking, “What exactly is shweshwe?” It’s a lot less complicated than it sounds! This fabric is 100% high quality cotton, produced in South Africa. It’s history is fascinating, and you can find out a lot more about where it came from, or get a condensed version in my earlier interview with Meerkat Shweshwe’s owner, Céleste.
This unique fabric is treated with starch, a traditional way of preserving it during long sea voyages. Depending on who you purchase it from it comes pre-washed or in it’s original state. I was curious to pre-wash it myself and my youngest and I had lots of fun doing it. The fabric started out very stiff and it smelled like a new box of crayons. First, we pre-soaked it in super-hot water, to remove the treatment. (Pushing it underwater with a wooden spoon is super fun according to the five year old!) Then I washed and dried it like I would a regular load of laundry and it came out super soft, just like any cotton fabric you’d use for a project. It is really nice to iron as well, very crisp and easy to press. And you can tell it is high quality – with a tight weave that will last. I tried to take a few before and after photos below so you can see the difference in the fabric.
Unwashed Shweshwe
Unwashed Shweshwe
Soft, Washed Shweshwe
I’m also excited to let you know that Meerkat Shweshwe just opened an online store! Their well laid out shop has large photos and lots of options. There is an opening special of 10% off everything in the store, until December 18, 2015! Use the promo code DOORCRASHER, minimum order $18 before tax and shipping.
If you ever get a chance to talk to Céleste directly take it! (at Creativ Festival maybe?) She is so passionate about these fabrics and their use, and it is so fun to talk to her because of it. You’ll have to ask her about her having a part in working to provide more jobs for South Africans by supporting the Da Gama Textile factory. I really appreciated talking to her and being able to work with fabrics that hold so much history!
This tutorial will show you how to draft Pinafore pattern pieces in any size. I will be finishing this series up tomorrow with a tutorial on how to use these pattern pieces to sew a reversible pinafore. It’s easier than you think – and my fashion-loving five year old really likes being able to choose (and change) her outfit so easily. I love the traditional look of a pinafore, and it adds extra warmth (and cuteness!) to a basic shirt/leggings in the winter.
This drafting tutorial requires a simple woven dress bodice pattern to use as a base, it works especially well with a bodice that has flutter sleeves or no sleeves. I have used the First Day Dress as my base to draft from.
This tutorial assumes your base pattern has a 1/2″ seam allowance. If your seam allowance is different, please be sure to compensate for that when drafting this pattern.
Draft the Pinafore Bodices:
- Trace the bodice front and back onto a larger sheet of blank paper. Choose a bodice size that is generous, to allow for a shirt to be worn under the pinafore. I added 3/4″ to the centre of the front bodice to allow for even more extra room.
- We are drafting an empire waist pinafore. If your base pattern has an empire waist, skip this step. If not, measure 2-3″ (+ 1/2″ seam allowance) down from the armhole along the side seam and mark the empire waist as a straight line across the front and back bodice.
- Many pinafores have a lower rounded or square front neckline. If you would like to change it, mark the changes on your pattern piece. Remember, your neckline will be 1/2″ lower than your new marking because of the seam allowance. (Pink line below.)
- The back of the pinafore is also generally cut into a v-shape, which fits well with the button closure we will be using. Mark a line from the inside of the shoulder to about 2″ up from the empire waist line. Remember the actual pinafore will be 1/2″ smaller due to the seam allowance.
- Mark the centre fold, size, cutting directions and name on each pattern piece and cut them out. The Front Bodice is cut once on the fold, the Back Bodice is cut twice.
Draft the Pinafore Skirt:The skirt pieces are large rectangles. You will need one “Skirt Front” and two “Skirt Back” pieces. Follow the steps below to find the measurements for each one.
- Skirt Front and Back Length: Measure the length of the skirt in your base pattern + the amount you removed to make the empire waist + 1″ for seam allowances and hem. Example: My base skirt length 14″ + the 4″ I removed to make the empire waist + 1″ for seams and hem = 19″ Skirt Length.
- Skirt Front Width: Measure the width of the bottom of your drafted Front Bodice, double it to account for cutting the bodice on the fold, multiply it by 1.75 to add fabric for gathering. Example: My Front Bodice width was 7 1/2″, doubled is 15″, multiplied by 1.75 = 26 1/4″ Front Skirt Width (I changed this to 26″ for easy cutting).
- Skirt Back Width: Measure the width of the bottom of the drafted Back Bodice, multiply this width by 1.75 to add fabric for gathering. Example: My Back Bodice width was 7 1/2″, multiply by 1.75 = 13 1/8″ Back Skirt Width (I changed this to 13″ for easy cutting).
- Each final measurement for the Front and Back Skirt piece = the Length by the appropriate Width. Example: My Front Skirt was 19″ long by 22 1/2″ wide. My Back Skirts were 19″ long by 11 1/4″ wide each.
Draft the Pinafore Pockets:
- I used simple square patch pockets for each side of the skirt. Decide on a size you like and add 1″ to the width and 1 1/2″ to the height for hemming. Example: My finished pockets are 4″ wide by 4.5″ high. The pattern piece is 5″ wide (4″ wide + 1″) by 6″ high (4 1/2″ high + 1 1/2″).
Hold that thought. (and those pattern pieces!) Tomorrow I’ll be back with the tutorial on how to sew the pinafore! In the meantime, check out the variety of fabrics in the Meerkat Shweshwe Shop.
by Sherri Sylvester | Dec 7, 2015
I love having a theme with a deadline to sew for, it brings out all kinds of crazy-creative in me and today’s project is no exception. I’m thrilled to be part of Making Merry with Janome today! Since Janome Canada is my sewing machine sponsor, they’ve let me borrow a beautiful Skyline S5. (Squeee!)
This Janome machine truly makes my sewing more merry all on it’s own. But this blog hop is about Making Merry by sewing at Christmas, so I decided to create a Christmas-themed table runner, since our family didn’t have one yet. Now we do and I love it! The tutorial with printable pattern pieces is included below so you can make one too.
These quilted 14″ placemats can be used for a table setting or laid out in a row as an interchangeable table runner. I prefer to use them in table runner style to save myself the mild heart attack of letting my kids eat cranberry sauce over them! Of course, you could make just one to decorate a small round side table as well. If you are a little bit adventurous, you could even turn the circle applique into a round pillow. How cute would that be?!
All of the fresh and pretty fabrics I used for this project were provided by my blog sponsor, Country Clothesline. Their uniquely curated fabric selection is full of gorgeous florals, vintage reproductions, dots and stripes. Plus you never know what else you’ll run into! Apparently I like dots, since three of the 4 fabrics in this project have them. Find them all here: Red Dot, White Dot, Grey Dot, Wintery Blue.
As usual, please feel free to use my patterns/tutorials for your personal projects and gifts and for charitable fundraising events. Please do not sell anything sewn with this pattern. If you are interested in making this item for sale, please contact me and I will set up a license for it in the shop. Thank you!
Materials:
- 1/2 yard each of 3 pre-washed fabrics (to make 3 placemats)
- 1/4 yard (or fat quarter) for hanger applique
- one 14.5″ square of quilt batting per placemat
- fusible web for applique (this one is my favorite!)
- 1/2 yard backing fabric (enough for 3 backing pieces)
- matching thread for applique
- removable fabric marker
- fusible interfacing to layer under applique if colour shows through (I used this between blue/white stripe)
- optional: walking/even foot is desirable for quilting
- optional: basting spray (or pin baste)
- CLICK TO DOWNLOAD: Christmas Ornament Placemat Pattern Pieces, 5 page pdf
Printing the Pattern:
- Download the Pattern Pieces using the link in the Materials listing. Print out all 5 pages of the pdf on letter size (8.5″ x 11″) or A4 paper. Important: Do not select “fit to page” when printing, make sure you print at the original size. Once you have printed the pages, measure the 1″ test square to ensure the pattern is the correct size.
- Cut the pages on the outer gray lines and tape/glue the pages together, matching the letters in the gray half-circles. Once you are finished, cut out each pattern piece.
Cutting your Fabric:
- Use the cutting layouts below to cut each pattern piece. ** Be sure to cut as indicated to leave room for the bias cut binding strips.
- Cut 3 bias-cut binding strips to match each main ornament fabric (as shown below)
- Cut one 14.5″ square of low loft batting per placemat
- Cut one 14.5″ square of backing fabric per placemat
- Cut fusible web for each stripe and hanger pattern piece you need
- If desired, cut fusible interfacing to place between the stripe and the main ornament fabric. This helps a darker main colour not to show through a lighter stripe.
Preparing to Sew:
- Piece the three bias strips together to make one long strip. Fold the bias strip in half lengthwise and press well. Set aside.
- Layer your main fabrics. Place the backing right side down, layer the batting on top, layer the main ornament circle over the batting right side up. Spray baste if desired, or pin baste later on.
Sewing the Applique:
- Place the stripe and hanger correctly on the ornament circle following the red/dashed lines on the pattern piece. Adhere the fusible web.
- Pin baste layers together (if not spray basted earlier)
- Use an applique/blanket stitch to stitch around both fused pieces. (Skyline S5 Stitch #37: 3.5 wide, 3.0 long, AUTO tension)
Quilting the Placemat:
- Mark all light grey quilting lines from the pattern piece onto the ornament and hanger, including the hanging loop. I found that my hera marker worked well – I placed the paper template over the fabric and marked each line, then traced them with a water soluble fabric marker for better visibility. You can also use dressmaker’s carbon and tracing wheel, or even cut the pattern pieces on each line and trace around them to mark each one.
- Stitch the Quilting line on the hanger with the applique/blanket stitch.
- Quilt all other lines with a straight quilting stitch, leaving hanging loop to the next step. (Skyline S5 Stitch #01: 4.5 wide, 3.5 long, Tension at 3)
- Use a contrasting thread and small zig-zag to stitch hanging loop. I had some grey-tone embroidery thread on hand that I used. (Skyline S5 Stitch #11: 2.0 wide, 0.2 long, AUTO tension)
Binding the Placemat:
- Trim excess backing and batting, following the edge of the main ornament circle.
- Apply the bias binding as desired. I like to machine quilt my bindings and use this tutorial as a guide. ((Skyline S5 Stitch #01: 8.5 wide – brings needle to 1/4″ from edge of even foot, 3.0 long, AUTO tension)
Remove all fabric markings, press if desired, and you’re done!
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I’d love to see your project! You can share photos on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram (links below) using the hashtags #alongforthreadride and/or #threadridinghood. Thank you!
Disclaimer: Janome Canada is my sewing machine sponsor, you can read more about why I love Janome machines from earlier this year. Country Clothesline is a blog sponsor and provided the fabrics for this project. I truly love each of their products and always give my honest opinion. Thank you for supporting this blog’s amazing sponsors.
by Sherri Sylvester | Nov 2, 2015
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This year, due to a general time crunch this month, I almost bought our costumes. I say almost, because I actually took the girls (for the first time ever) to look at the costume aisle. And then I regretted it… too many flimsy costumes labeled $20 and $30! Granted, if you buy a $50 one it may last a while, but for a one-time use costume, I have a hard time justifying the cost. I’d rather spend more on fabric to make a quality costume!
Now, I know how this sounds. And I know a lot of you buy costumes. (Namely some of my good friends.) So hang in there! I’m not stuck up, or a super mom – trust me! Purchased costumes are amazing, fast and glittery and generally look way more pulled together than my versions. But since my job is to sew, I am going to sew my kids’ Halloween costumes! (And hope they don’t hate them.)
This year I accidentally leaned heavily on a few of my favorite bloggers for costume help. While trudging through the masses of online “easy”, “quick” and “handmade” costume tutorials I came to a list featured on the DIY Network that I thought would work. My kids picked their favorites and I was so pleased to see that they were written by two bloggers that I follow regularly! Simple Simon and Company wrote the Black Cat tutorial, and Jess Abbott from the Sewing Rabbit wrote instructions for the Garden Fairy.
I won’t elaborate too much on the construction of them, due to the time crunch I mentioned earlier, and the fact that I have now clogged this post with way too many photos! Suffice it to say they were fast and now they are finished! One night’s work last Tuesday, since (procrastinating as usual, of course) the girls needed them on Wednesday for their Ballet class party. I was also fortunate that this Halloween they wore them 3 times, and I know they will live in the dress-up box for years to come. The amortization on them is worth it alone!
If you would like to see more handmade costumes, you can also find Cinderella, Pirate Princess and Izzy (Jake & the Neverland Pirates), Princess Leia and Little Red Riding Hood.
What do you think?How do you feel about premade costumes… hate ’em or love ’em?!
