I've had an incredibly productive sewing week and this dress was part of the reason. It's a wonderfully quick make (an afternoon in my case) with a very cute, rewarding result.
The dress needs 2 measurements, overbust and around the shoulders, and 2 skills: straight seams and ruffling.
In the pic the fabric is laid out double.
After taking the measurements it's mainly a matter of multiplying by the desired ruffle volume. I inserted elastic at the waist and around the shoulders to make it slip-on, any closure in the back would work as well.
Understanding Seam Allowance in Sewing: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners and Experts
In this post you learn how to add seam allowance to sewing patterns.
Do you want to learn how to sew garments that look professional and fit well? If so, you need to master the concept of seam allowance. Seam allowance is one of the most important aspects of sewing, yet it is often overlooked or misunderstood by many sewists.
In this guide, we’ll explain everything you need to know about seam…
Do you have any advice at sewing on a button so it's really sturdy? I bought two pairs of work pants online that turned out to have faulty buttons (the centers literally snapped out within half an hour of wear on both, but the pants are otherwise good). So I replaced the buttons but I've always sucked at sewing on buttons so they come off every few wears and I have to keep sewing them back on.
Sewing on buttons
Buttons take a lot of tension: we pull on them every time we button our pants. That means we need to take extra care when sewing them on.
I've got a post on sewing on buttons that'll show you how to do it.
Make sure to use strong high-quality thread, and double up if need be. Don't forget to secure your stitches, too. Details like these can have a big effect on the strength of your mend.
(Image source) [ID: an 18-step guide on how to sew on a flat button with four holes. Text: "How to sew on a button. Presented by: Lee Jeans and Real Men Real Style."]
people who know how to sew on tumblr, i need a little help. i started sewing my prom dress for the 29th with my janome 7025. my fabric is a glittery stretch fabric, and it wasn't causing me any problems for most of the dress' construction. but for some reason, my machine stopped stitching into it at some point?? it just leaves holes wherever the needle went. i've tried re-threading everything, changing the tension, using a zigzag stitch, i did my best to clean the glitter/lint out of my bobbin holder, and still nothing. it's not my machine, bc it sews through other fabrics just fine, i think the fabric is the problem. does anybody have a (preferably cheap) solution to this?? any tips are appreciated!
You can learn How to Sew by Hand for Beginners in this DIY video tutorial. Hi I'm Donna Wolfe from Naztazia. You can create new sewing projects with just a needle, thread, and fabric.
In this video I'll show you how to select a sewing needle, sewing thread, scissors, thimble, pins, and more. Plus you'll learn how to thread the needle, make a knot, sew the running stitch, sew the whip stitch called the overcast stitch, as well as sew a hem. You'll learn how to rip out or remove your stitches. Finally, you'll learn how to sew on a button.
Please click on the red SUBSCRIBE button to get notified of brand new videos from Donna Wolfe from Naztazia! Or click here to automatically subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/subscription_...
Inspired by ripstop fabric, and by the idea of reinforcing stuff before it breaks, I machine-sewed a little grid along the inside part of the jeans where they always wear out first.
Tonight I was venting about an awful group project to a friend and I draped myself dramatically over the couch and felt something rip a little.
Look! The rips stayed inside their little squares. Look how small it is! Look how easy it'll be to mend!
Ok actually since the fabric's been fading and the thread now looks really dark, I'll probably unpick the grid and sew it again. I'll do thread a shade lighter than the fabric currently is so it'll still match as fading continues.
The pattern of this cloak consists of three pieces. A (half) circle for the body and then two pieces for the hood.
We'll start with cutting the cloak itself:
The longest cloak you can make will (with this pattern) be the length of the shortest side of your fabric. If you want it shorter, measure from your neck over your shoulder down over your arm to find the length you want, that will be the radius of your cloak circle. My fabric is 150cm wide, so my circle radius and cloak length are both 150cm.
You're gonna want to clear a large piece of floor for this one.
Cut the cloak
Fold your fabric in half (short side to short side). Now you mark a quarter circle. Get a 150cm piece of string, tape the end to your surface at the folded corner. Circling the piece around will give you an easy way to draw a circle with your chalk.
Cut the half circle you just drew while the fabric is still folded.
2. Cut the neckhole
You'll need your neck measurement. (make sure to leave breathing room).
You can either do math about it, or lay your tape measurement on your fabric in a circle and cut slightly smaller than half your neck measurement.
3. Cut the hood
For the hood, you have to make sure it is bigger than your head. Start with the largest rectangle that is left from your fabric. Curve the top right corner with some chalk.
The height of the hood controls how oversized it is. Measure from your collarbone over your head to your other collarbone and you'll have the minimum size. My hood is 45 cm high.
(Optional: hollow out the left line and curve the right bottom corner)
Putting a hoodie on this rectangle to get a nice shape makes it a lot easier.
Draw the hood shape and cut two (this can be done while the fabric is folded double).
So! I’ve seen enough of you in my notes now going “ooh I wanna take up sewing”, so I thought I’d start giving some tips for how to do that. And the thing that comes first with any hobby is equipment. It can be a bit of an outlay at first, which is daunting when you’re not even sure you’ll enjoy it. However you honestly can get away with the bare-bones amount of equipment - further tools make it easier, but aren’t necessary straight up.
If you start on a small project, the only things you’ll really need are:
Pack of basic needles
Dressmakers pins
A spool of thread
Seam ripper / unpicker
The fabric/material you’re working with (for the love of all that is holy don’t start with velvet or faux fur they are the devil incarnate in textile form).
Then once you go “yeah ok I’m kinda enjoying this”, I recommend adding:
An iron!! This is not only to keep fabric flat, but to press seams, and help with edges. Hopefully you already have one as a household item. (If you don’t have an ironing board, lay some towels down on a table).
A pair of fabric scissors. I cannot stress enough that if you can you should buy the expensive ones it makes such a difference. (In the meanwhile, paper scissors can *technically* work they just don’t work WELL).
Dressmakers tape (before you have one of these, use a piece of string and a common ruler to do the measurements)
Tailors chalk / some kind of washable pen (a normal pencil can do the trick at first - the area where you’re marking often ends up on the ends of a seam, and can’t be seen on the finished garment).
A thimble (good for hand sewing thick wools or other dense fabrics)
A long ruler for patterning (a broom handle is an acceptable substitute for a while though)
That’s it, those are the items I use for 90% of my projects! Any other equipment will likely be specialised, which you can then buy on a needs-basis.
(The only other thing is a sewing machine, but that’s going to be a personal means thing; they are not a cheap piece of equipment! See if you can borrow one from a friend or family member to start with).