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[sewverse]

WEDNESDAY ADDAMS COSTUME.

This year I had a different approach to Halloween, I didn’t want to sew a costume that would end up in the top cupboard, I wanted something useful. That’s why I went for a shirt dress, like the ones the Addams family’s daughter wears.

In order to trace it, I included the darts so it had more shape than what a shirt has, I didn’t make yokes and I also included the box plates in the front panels son it was easier and faster to make.

The collar and cuffs are just ornamental and because they are white, they give it a dramatic look.

But the best thing about the garment is how useful it is, you can wear it this whole season as a dress, with thick tights, or as a shirt, matching it with a pair or trousers as well.

Either way, a wearable “costume” that is part of a responsible wardrobe!

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HALLOWEEN KIMONO.

Maybe Halloween is not your cup of tea, but you probably still have to answer the door for children who are asking for sweets, and I thought it would be fun to sew something you can easily put on, like a kimono.

I remembered there was one in the Patrones magazine I got in March, so I went straight for it, simplifying the pattern a little.

The result is a simple but fun garment to wear to a small gathering or to answer the door!

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CACTUS PINCUSHION.

After the request of a subscriber, I went ahead and made a pin cushion out of felt I saw on Pinterest.

Shaped as a cactus, it’s really easy to make. You just need to cut even numbers of your shape, sew them in pairs and then sew them all together along the middle.

Then, it needs to be filled in, I used son wadding scraps and add pom-poms to finish it.

A lovely project to sew in an afternoon.

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PRESSING YOUR SEAMS.

Pressing your seams is really important and it makes a whole difference to the process and the result.

There are also accessories that can make this a lot easier like the tailors pressing cushions and the sleeve board.

In general, seams have to be pressed open so any panel you have to add or hem you have to sew, aren’t bulky. And if there are darts or pleats, you have to press them away from the centre or your face, to give it a clean look.

All of this will result in a nice finish you can notice even with a glance.

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IRONING BOARD COVER.

When I organised the sewing room a few weeks ago, I discovered a sleeve ironing board I had forgotten about; the cover was stained and the inside broken, so I decided to make a new one to be able to use it.

I traced the new cover from the old one in cotton. To hem it, I baste the edge to gather it so the curves were nicely done and then I inserted some cotton tape to tighten it up; using wading inside.

A simple but useful project to use everything we have in the sewing room.

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SEWING ROOM ORGANISATION.

Sewing rooms, like any other workshops, are changing all the time, depending on your needs or the way you are working. In my case, my biggest problem is the lack of places to put stuff away because my sewing room is in an open space, overlooking a big living space.

So I got two big tubs from ikea to store samples and stuff I don’t use that often and I also got little trays to organise all my spools and make room for the new pressing cushions I recently made.

Now everything is tidy and clean, easy to move and access.

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REGAL DRESS.

When my cousin asked me to make her a regal dress I was thrilled!

I started with the skirt, which has a front panel with the wrong side of the fabric, lace trimming and topstitching.

The bodice has French darts, facings with trimming and the same front panel matching the skirt.

And the sleeves, just underneath the elbow, have a discreet ruffle with lace edging on the hem and on the seam, as well as guipur.

A beautiful project I loved making for her!

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TAILOR PRESSING CUSHIONS.

Pressing seams is one of the things that makes a difference when sewing and tailor’s pressing cushions are ideal for it. They have smooth shapes that adapt perfectly to your garments and help you press without making wrinkles or misshaping the seams.

They are filled in with wood dust, which compacts into a block so you can press confidently.

My new great allies for the sewing room.

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FITNESS OUTFIT.

For quite a while I’ve had my eye on a type of leggings that have no front seam, which means they would be more comfortable to wear and more stylish as well. To do that, I had to transform my basic trousers block, taking the extra centimetres of ease off and tracing the front in a whole piece.

With everything cut, the trousers are sewn like any other, with a zigzag stitch and a plastic foot.

The top is cut from a bodice block, hemming the neckline and armholes and adding an elastic band on the bottom.

If this doesn’t get you in the mood for training…!!

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FUR WAISTCOAT.

Waistcoats are always fashionable and, in winter, fur is a must. I have never had one before and I wasn’t too sure about it, but after using it for two weeks, I must say I’m in love, it’s both warm and comfy!

Lately, I’ve been really lucky when I have a look in the remnant box and, when I saw this piece of fur for only four euros, I knew I couldn’t leave it behind. I wasn’t big enough to cut four panels for both outside and lining, but it was enough for the outside, front of the lining and pockets. The back of the lining I made it with a piece fabric left when cutting the Autumn dress.

Sewing a waistcoat is not difficult; the difficult bit is sewing with hidden seams. For that, after sewing the pockets, I put outside and lining right sides together and sewed the neckline and bottom, leaving a little bit open to be able to put it right sides out. Once done this, through that hole I pulled the armholes out and sewed it, pulling little by little until I reached the beginning of my seam. And then I did the same with the bottom, being able to sew the almost the whole waistcoat with the machine, except for the last five centimetres, that I sewed by hand.

The result is very good and it is a really useful and cosmopolitan garment!

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PINAFORE.

Pinafores are really controversial, some people love them and others, hate them. However, they are very useful because you can create many different outfits when layering; it’s not simply a dress.

This one is very easy, 60’s style, with patch pockets in the front. To cut it, I used my basic block with the desired length and taking into account the hip contour measurement. Because it is sleeveless, it is really easy to sew, right sides together and then hemming the neckline, armholes and bottom with a double hem.

To make the pockets, I hemmed the top and baste them so they were easy to attach to the front.

A really easy project, ideal for beginners!

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EVENING JUMPSUIT.

Jumpsuits are a fashion staple, very comfortable and elegant, and with a wise choose of fabrics, they can look really chic, from the red carpet.

This jaw-dropping deep Vneck is accentuated by the shiny fabric on the bodice. Nevertheless, it doesn’t miss the classic touch because the trousers are made in a beautiful black velvet.

To stabilise the neckline, I added a lining and I cut them necklines on the grain and sewed some French darts to take in the excess fabric. The back is cut along so we can later add the zip and, when sewing each piece to the front, we have to hide the seams like if we were sewing yokes, pulling material from the gaps.

Once this is sewn, we can hem the armholes an sew the bodice to the trousers, which are sewn like a normal pair of trousers.

The result is espectacular and the best thing is that the neckline stays in place!

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DIY AUTUMN DRESS.

Floral prints are always fashionable, as well as midi dresses. I took advantage of my previous experience with a dress I did in spring, to make a similar one but transforming the pattern to change the design.

The original dress was a clone of one from the high street I loved because it was comfy. It has ties to fit it better to your body, an a-line skirt panel that goes from the waist to the hip, two ruffles and a short sleeve. On this occasion, I didn’t add the ties, because I planned to wear it with a belt, I fused the skirt panel and first ruffle together and I made the sleeve longer and add closed cuffs.

Following the same steps I did with the first dress, this one is even easier to put together, being the only trickier bit, the cuffs.

It is a very fashionable dress and it ideal for beginners because it has no closures and can be finished in around two hours.

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ARMCHAIR COVER.

When I upholstered an armchair, almost a year and a half ago, I did it by tracing on the armchair as you would drape on a mannequin; and it worked out so well that I decided to do the same with this vintage one, but leaving it as a cover without stapling the bottom.

Every panel is drafted on the armchair and then cut and sewn to each other but, if this method is too risky, you can always make a toile first and then disassemble it to use it as a pattern to cut your good material.

My fabric was 1,40wide and I used 3,50 metres. My fabric was plain so, I’m case of wanting to pattern match, you would have to get extra.

I decided to add some piping on the sides of the wings and to an extra cushion I made.

Even though it is a long project, the result is fabulous; a useful cover, easy to put on and take off, and it gives your house a personal and unique touch.

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SHIRTS.

Shirts are a fashion staple and white shirts come back every season so, I wanted to have a go at making one!

It is a bit of a long process because of all the pieces needed: two front panels, a back panel wit two yokes, two sleeves, cuffs, plackets, and collars.

I started putting together the back by sewing it in between the two yokes so I could then sew it to the front, taking care of hiding the seams; and finishing the sides with a French seam.

The sleeves are then sewn as you normally would, adding the cuffs and sewing the whole pieces to the shirt.

At this point I decided to hem it before sewing in the plackets (which are sewn the same way as the cuffs) so I could hide the seams.

And we are left with the collar! After sewing the two top pieces of the collar, I could turn it right sides out and sew it to the bottom and then to the shirt, which now only needs buttonholes and buttons!

This project is a bit of a challenge but quite rewarding!

[sewverse]

THINGS I WISH I HAD KNOWN BEFORE I STARTED SEWING.

Like any other hobby, sewing is not just putting together two pieces of fabric; it has a lot more to it and it can go really wrong or we can end up wasting a lot of material, if we don’t know some details.

That’s why patience and practice are basic. The more patient ewe are, the better things will turn out, and the same with practice. And the best thing to practice is to get cheap remnants so we don’t waste more expensive fabrics; that we must only buy when we know the project we have ahead, choosing wisely by type and not blindly by print or pattern.

Even though we must always take into account our pocket, we should always buy a bit extra in case our pattern doesn’t fit, we want to pattern-match it or it shrinks when we wash it, before cutting. And when cutting, always on the grain, to avoid the pattern twisting.

The pleasure of sewing gets so much easier if we use the right tools. Tools are not a waste of money but an investment, and the same goes to all accessories, such as needles and threads. And, of course, you have to take care of them: cleaning and greasing the sewing machine, making a cover to keep it dust free, sharpening your scissors (which you do with tin foil)…

And be sure you don’t hurt yourself when you are in the sewing room, because they are all sharp tools, and even the seam ripper can be dangerous for us and for our projects.

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A LINE SKIRT.

After having made my basic skirt block, I was thrilled to see how it would work.

Despite having left the darts marked I went for an A-line skirt without darts and facings. The fabric, with a retro inspired print, was a bit difficult to manage, because the seams wouldn’t settle and it would get marks from the pins and machine dents.

When cutting it, I took into account I wanted to pattern match it where the zip goes so it looked neat, and I used a normal zip, instead of an invisible one, to add an original touch.

Once the zip is sewn to the two back panels,it is fairly easy to sew to the front one, right side together; but because the seams wouldn’t settle, I decided right then and there, to topstitch it to make them so.

The three pieces of facings are sewn to each other and then to the whole skirt, then understitched to keep it under control and topstitched on the side seams, so they stay in place.

I did the hem quite narrow and with a zigzag stitch, which looks decorative. The result is a really flattering and young when combined with a T-shirt, and I’m sure it would suit any body type!