finished projects

Wrap Cardie: modified BS 2011-06-139

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The dress form is still WIP. I’m no deft hands with the DIY, so the stand is taking a while to make. And I’m leaving the padding & cover till the last.
So how about a spot of Here’s One I Made Earlier?

The Pattern

Well this one has been stewing since March. I was going to franken-pattern this bodice & sleeve with the front neckline of Burdastyle 2011-11-114. In the end I went for a simple modified Blumarine pattern because I couldn’t my head around that weird grafting. And I’m glad I did…

Style Shots & Mug Shots

bs201106139_v1_4mug_fbs201106139_v1_4mug_sLbs201106139_v1_4mug_b
bs201106139_v1_4style1_4bs201106139_v1_4style1_1bs201106139_v1_4style1_3
bs201106139_v1_4style2_5bs201106139_v1_4style2_6bs201106139_v1_4style2_9
bs201106139_v1_4style3_11bs201106139_v1_4style3_10bs201106139_v1_4style3_8

That last set is my homage to the melodramatic Dolce & Gabbana 2013 ads 🙂 But you won’t catch me doing that in real life.

And last but not least, all the holiday snaps. Lucky top!

nyc-me-made-o4-1_
Columbus, OH, USA
nyc-me-made-o7-7_Coney Island, NYC, USA
bs201106139_v1_4style-taiwan-2-
My old elementary school in
Taipei, Taiwan
bs201106139_v1_4style-taiwan-1-
Jioufen Gold Mine Museum in
Taipei, Taiwan

As you can see, I end up wearing this open most of the time, with the ties looped around my neck. I really should add a thread loop to the CB neckline seam to keep the ties in place. They get a bit unwieldy with the constant taking off & putting back on (especially in Taiwan where outside it’s freaking hot and inside it’s effing freezing with A/C everywhere).

Fabric & Notions Used

Size Used

34 because it was closest to my tentative Knit Block.

Changes Made

bs201106139_v1_1fit

Fitting changes
  • Changed shoulder slopes to match my Knit Block.
  • Moved armholes & side seams down the same amount as the shoulder to match my Knit Block.
  • Moved waist up to match my Knit Block, plus other design element related to the waist: the hole for the tie bands & the position of the tie bands, the front wrap edge curve (which also improves bust coverage).
  • Shortened sleeves to match my Knit Block.
  • Moved shoulder matching mark on sleeves towards the front to match my Knit Block.
Design changes
  • Added armhole ease by lowering the underarm on all patterns.
  • Shortened bodice patterns to about 2″ below the hip.
  • Omit the collar.
  • Widen the front band pieces to 2″ finished width & cut as one continuous piece (ie without CB seam).

Verdict on the Instruction

Read & ignored as usual. Once I know how the pieces are suppose to fit together I prefer to follow my own batch work-flow and modifying where necessary to fit my design changes and fabric behavior.

  • Stabilized the back shoulder & tie band hole ares of the side seam with Vilene Bias Tape.
  • Overlocked shoulder seams & tie bands. Neatened tie band hole areas of side seams on the serger. Turn tie band inside out.
  • Overlocked armscye seam, one long edge of front band to neckline, and bottom edge of the front band folded back right sides together.
  • Overlocked the tie band sleeve – side seams, skipping the tie band hole areas. Top-stitched the seam allowances of the tie band holes in place.
  • Slip-stitched the narrow hems & front band / neckline seam by hand while on holiday in NYC!
All ready for sewing on the go!
Hemming in the park…
Finishing just before flight check-in!

Would I sew it again / Would I recommend it to others

This modified top is fast becoming a favorite. It’s great for layering & goes with almost everything. It’s classy with a little flare of drama in the bell-shaped sleeves. Considering that I have a moth problem I will no doubt be making more of the same in the future.

And the dress version too. I already have in mind a muted gold stretch jersey as well as the same turquoise leopard print I used for the pencil skirt & cowl top you see in the photos above.

Other people’s makes on Burda & Pattern Review all look great as well. So definitely would recommend. You can still buy the PDF version of the pattern online at Burda website. So what are you waiting for!

Knit Block experiment 2: BS 2010-02-122

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Next up in the Knit Block experiment queue is the rusched bust variation on the raglan T, again previously made as an unintentionally off-the-shoulder marinière top.

The Pattern

Judging by the tech drawings you’d think the fit of this one would be the same as BS 2010-02-112, the plain raglan T. But I discovered while altering both simultaneously this time that 122 is actually larger than 112. That might explain why many makes of 122 have the same fatal flaw – the persistent off-the-shoulder look, which makes an otherwise very wearable top unsuitable for office wear unless you got a jacket or cardie over it.

Style Shots

(Obviously not for the office…)

bs201002122-v2-4style-2bs201002122-v2-4style-6bs201002122-v2-4style-15bs201002122-v2-4style-13

Woohoo wind machine!

Fabric & Notions Used

Again, another one from the stash that was a bit meh because the color doesn’t match the online store photo & the fabric feels a bit scratchy.

Size Used

Size 34 again instead of the recommended 36.

Changes Made

Fitting changes

The process is similar to what I did for 112. But the bust rusching complicates things. It’s been a while now, so I’m a bit hazy about how I did it. I think this is what I did…

  1. Aligned Bodice Patterns with Bodice Blocks at underarm. Again I lowered the pattern slightly for a little bit more ease underarm. The top & bottom of the Front Top Pattern’s CF are roughly equal distance from Block’s CF. Front Bottom Pattern is butted against Front Top Pattern at the side seam with the overlap at CF.
  2. Because of the rusching which complicates the neckline, I checked the width & length first so I can establish how low the rusched CF neckline will be on my chest. Front Patterns were a bit too narrow and the Back Pattern too wide. I added / subtracted width-wise where needed to match my Block more closely. Interestingly the length is already the same as my adjusted 112 without any shortening!
  3. The under-bust seam is way too high. So I lowered it to make it closer to my under-bust line indicated on the Block. The adjusted Front Top Pattern bulges out from the new CF in the same way the original pattern bulges out from the old CF.
  4. I decided to keep the rusching 2″ in length. So I aligned the top of Front Top Pattern to 2″ above the Front Bottom Pattern at CF, keeping the underarm as close to the Block’s underarm as possible.
  5. Aligned Sleeve Pattern’s shoulder mark with Bodice Block’s shoulder seam, then Sleeve Pattern’s neckline with Bodice Pattern’s neckline – or as close as possible, in this case the front doesn’t match exactly. Again, there’s a bit of overlap between the sleeve & bodice.
  6. Removed the overlap at the neckline from the bodice.
  7. The front raglan seam at the neckline seems dangerously close to the armscye. So I reshaped the curve to add a bit more fabric here.
  8. Aligned Sleeve Pattern with Sleeve Block at underarm. Again, pattern lowered slightly for a bit more underarm ease.
  9. Checked the Sleeve widths & lengths. The width again I only narrow towards the wrist. The length, like the Bodice length is almost where it needs to be without much shortening!

The lengths, the extra width at the neckline, and the high under-bust seam make me suspect the top was drafted to hang lower & bigger than 112. No wonder my first make of 122 was way more risqué than my first make of 112, despite making very similar changes.

Design changes

  • Shorten the sleeve to 3/4 sleeve.

Here’s how the final pattern looks compared to the original size 34…

bs201002122-v2-2fit-5

And how it compares to my previous make of the same pattern…

bs201002122-v2-2fit-6

And the mug shot comparison…

Previous Make

Make 1 front
Make 1 side
Make 1 back

This Make

Make 2 front
Make 2 side
Make 2 back

You can see from the various comparison photos why my previous make was falling off my shoulder – the neckline of the first make’s raglan sleeve was almost at my shoulder edge! That’s why its useful to have a knit block, even if you’re not using it for designing your own patterns.

Verdict on the Instruction

Again, the process was a bit of a blur by now…Probably batching. And there was no armscye interfacing to omit as the instruction for this one interface the neckline only!!!???

For the bust rusching I decided to pleat rather than gather. Gathering such meager extra fabric just result in a puffy fattening look IMO. I prefer the more graceful drape of irregular pleats for creating the illusion of a shapely bust.

I also did the rusching after I attached the facing – makes it easier to attached the facing without getting the drape caught in the top-stitiching.

Would I sew it again / Would I recommend it to others

It’s a flattering wardrobe basic I think. And now that I’ve adjusted it so it’s more wearable for work, I most definitely will be making a few more in different fabrics, maybe different length.

And I’d recommend it if you can take the time to correct the fit.

Knit Block experiment 1: BS 2010-02-112

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So way before my holiday(s?), I was testing out my knit block. First batch of experiments were on using the block to alter commercial patterns.

To 2-birds-1-stone it, I picked a couple of raglan-T patterns rather than yet another normal sleeved patterns. Actually make that 3-birds-1-stone. A long long time ago, I had made a couple of Burdastyle marinière tops, which despite fitting failings I still wear to death. So this will be the chance to try to rectify those fitting failings & multiply my supply of ever versatile (& flattering) marinière tops. First up, a plain Jane raglan T.

The Pattern

Style Shots & Mug Shots

bs201002112-v2-4style1-1bs201002112-v2-4style1-2bs201002112-v2-4style2-3bs201002112-v2-4style2-old-western

(Mug shots further down for very good reasons!)

Fabric & Notions Used

The fabric was from my stash. And I have loads of it. It was on sale for 5-meters lengths. The color doesn’t really match the online store photo. And the feel is a bit scratchy. So I wasn’t mad about it and happy to use it up for a wearable muslin.

Size Used

Size 34 instead of the recommended 36 since it’s closest to my knit block.

Pattern Changes Made

Fitting change

OK, this time I’m not going to itemize all the alteration measurements. I’ll just show you the process, since that’s the whole point of this experiment – altering with minimum measurements!

The key steps I went through in this test are…

Front
Back
Sleeve
  1. Align Bodice Patterns with Bodice Blocks at underarm. In this case I wanted a little bit more ease underarm, so I lowered the pattern slightly.
  2. Align Sleeve Pattern’s shoulder mark with Bodice Block’s shoulder seam, then Sleeve Pattern’s neckline with Bodice Pattern’s neckline. In this case you can see there’s a bit of overlap between the sleeve & bodice.
  3. Remove the overlap at the neckline – I choose to remove it from the bodice. This makes the neckline smaller, so less likely to fall off my shoulder or expose my bra straps. If I had gap instead of overlap, then I would have patch the gap instead to make the neckline just right.
  4. Check the Bodice widths & lengths. The front just needed length adjustment, and narrowing the waist tiny bit. The back also needed width adjustment along the entire length.
  5. Align Sleeve Pattern with Sleeve Block at underarm. Again, pattern lowered slightly for a bit more underarm ease.
  6. Check the Sleeve widths & lengths. The Sleeve is a bit too long for me. Widthwise it’s wider than my Block, but I felt I could do with a bit more ease at the underarm. So I only narrow the sleeve further down.

Design changes

  • Lower & widen the necklines for a less conservative look.
  • Shorten the Bodice & Sleeve for a hipper retro look.

Here’s how the final pattern looks compared to the original size 34…

bs201002112-v2-2fit-4

And how it compares to my previous make of the same pattern…

bs201002112-v2-2fit-5

Previously I had just made the design changes without doing any fitting changes first. The result was quite wearable, but the neckline was a bit wide, resulting in one too many exposed bra straps. Here are the mug shot comparisons…

Previous Make

Make 1 front
Make 1 side
Make 1 back

This Make

Make 2 front
Make 2 side
Make 2 back

OK, apart from the less risqué neckline, this make looks worse than the previous with all that draglines pointing to the bust in the profile, and the dreaded sway-back type draglines at lower back.

The back draglines are actually better than the previous make – the photos don’t show this that well. But obviously I haven’t crack this nut yet.

The bust draglines…I wonder if it’s to do with the fabric since the pattern widths are pretty much the same. In fact, in the new pattern I move a bit of width from the back to the front – the previous make’s back was a bit loose. The previous make was in what I presumed to be cotton lycra. But now I’m inclined to think it has some rayon in it. All the rayon fabrics I’ve used so far has that really lovely soft feel that just seem to mold to your shape in a knit, or drape flatteringly in a woven. I might have to make this again in a rayon lycra to test this theory.

Verdict on the Instruction

To be honest, it’s so long since I made the top, so I don’t really remember much about the process. I probably streamlined it by batching up seams to be sewn. (I was in production mode with this top & another 2 knit block tests.)

The main deviation I made was in omitting the armscye interfacing.

On normal sleeve knit tops I’ve been stablizing the shoulder seam but not armscye. Reason being I read that shoulder seams will stretch with weight of long sleeves if not stablized. But for close-fitting armscye like these I thought the armhole would be more comfortable if it retain its stretchability. The lycra in the fabric should theoretically help the armscye return to shape should it temporarily stretch out of shape.

For raglan sleeves I can’t figure out what would be the equivalent of the shoulder seam. So I just left out the stablizer altogether.

Now the embellishment…

bs201002112-v2-3design-be-presentThis being a plain T in an almost-not-there color – albeit with a subtle sparkle – I decided to add a bit of interest with fabric painting. Yes, again.

I thought it could be my commitment-phobe version of tattoos. However, standard tattoo black looks too harsh against the peach. So I picked Jacquard Lumiere 561 Metallic Gold which matches the metallic thread in the fabric perfectly.

The designs mimic the tattos that my favorite Japanese singer has.

217925I thought hers look cool not trashy. Her tattoos were also meaningful. So I adapted the designs to make them meaningful to me too.

Mine stands for “Be Present” with a playful twist. “Be” is in the Queen Bee design. “Present” is in the barcode. Read whatever you want into it!

I tried making a stencil for these like Savory Stitches did with her stenciled bees. But the lines were too fine, the fabric too textured, so I couldn’t get clean lines stenciled. In the end it was tracing paper transfer & free-hand again.

Would I sew it again / Would I recommend it to others

A raglan T knit block? What do you think?

TNT Trench Odyssey: All done! Sorta

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Hurrah it’s all done. Well, at least a very wearable muslin is.

Let’s first charm you with the pretty pictures before I start boring you with nearly two weeks’ construction (& fitting) details

The Inspiration & Pattern recap

Style Shots & Mug Shots

3-style1-103-style1-83-style1-1

3-mug-f-33-mug-b-23-mug-f-5-23-mug-sL-23-mug-sR-2

3-style2-23-style2-43-style2-93-style2-11

3-style3-33-style3-63-style3-73-style3-8

What do you think? Do I give Emma Watson & Cara Delevingne a run for their money?

No? Oh. OK, better keep the day job then 😉

Fabric & Notions Used

As you can see, the velvets have disappeared.

After reading all your suggestions, and rudely checking out every trench out there on the rack & moving about, I decided to save the velvets for another make. On closer inspection, the caption on the Louis Vuitton inspiration does say “glazed linen” after all. And almost every trench I saw was made with softer, thinner fabric, typically plain weave, not twill weave. (Poplins maybe?) Plus I came across some luscious coated linens & cottons at the Cloth House on Berwick Street (#47 branch, basement). Perfect excuse for fabric shopping, no?

As for the wrinkles…actually this chino doesn’t wrinkle any more than all the trenches out there. It’s probably just me not being used to cotton / linen, and/or being an overzealous sewing enthusiast who doesn’t know where to focus one’s perfectionism on.

0-inspire_07-burberry-aw2013-10-inspire_07-burberry-aw2013-20-inspire_07-burberry-aw2013-3There was much agony about whether to continue with this fabric after the velvets dropped out. Then I checked out the grandaddy of trenches, Burberry. They currently have chic designs in rubber forchrissake! That has as little drape as my stiff-as-cardboard chino if not less. So I’m fine.

Size Used

8 + FBA instead of the 12 the sizing chart would have me sew.

Now I’m not 100% sure about this approach for a trench. I mean I wear trenches open as much as buttoned. While FBA gives me a great skimming fit while buttoned, I do wonder if there’s a bit too much bust shaping for the front to hang well unbuttoned. Given that I’m not a true busty gal – I’m one of those weird B-cup with big rib cage I think – maybe a bigger size with less bust shaping would be a better choice for coats like this.

That’s one reason this is a wearable muslin – I need more time to stew on this issue.

Changes Made

There was no great changes needed on this pattern as the unaltered tissue fitting photos & numerous makes by others can attest to. But since I’m after a TNT pattern, I went the extra mile. So don’t let my review put you off making this pattern!

Fitting changes

There was a bit of fitting wobbles after the pin-fit as well. But let’s save that melodrama for a round-up of my thoughts on the FFRP/JFRP tissue & fit-as-you-sew. For now, here’s the summary of all the changes I eventually made…

  • Rounded Upper Back Adjustment: +3/8″ CB length above shoulder blades, -1/2″ width total at CB neck edge.
  • Sloping & Forward Shoulder Adjustments: front shoulder -1/2″ length at armscye edge, side seam -1/4″ length at underarm, sleeve cap height -3/4″ to match / reduce ease to manageable amount.
  • Forward Head Adjustment: back shoulder +1/2″ length at neck edge, shifted whole front neckline down 1/2″, collar band +1/2″ width at back neckline to match.
  • Wide Shoulder Adjustment: +1/8″ width at shoulder armscye edge.
  • Princess Full Bust + Short-Waist Adjustments: side front panel +7/8″ width at my bust, -1/2″ length from side front, side back, & back panels.
  • Sway Back Adjustment: –1/2″ CB length at lower back.
  • Short Person Adjustment(!): -3/4″ length just below hip.
  • Lower left shoulder & smaller left back: +1/8″ height to left shoulder pad, left side back panel -1/4″ width at armscye.
  • Larger right bum: right back princess seam +3/8″ width total below waist.

Design changes

  • Front princess seams: moved 1/2″ towards the front for hopefully a more slimming look.
  • Sleeves: -1/2″ length & converted into 2-piece sleeves for hopefully a better & more fashionable fit. Most of the fashion clippings I have tend to have the length just below the wrist bone. I guess that makes your arm look slimmer than if the sleeve ends at the wider palm area.
  • Collar: convert under-collar into 2-piece – the tailors do it & so should I!
  • Shoulder pads: used self-made 1/8″ pad to avoid a footballer look. (Had to add another 1/8″ to the left one though as I’m lopsided!)
  • Belt loops: moved up so they sit above my waist & moved / added extra so they’re just to the side of the princess seams. Again, hopefully more slimming than right at the side seams.
  • Buttons: added 2 more sets above existing ones. So I can button the front up on a cold day!
  • Pockets: replaced the pattern with much more sensible big self-drafted pocket pattern & moved these up a little bit so my hands can reach into them easily.
  • Modified patterns for turn-of-cloth: for that more professional finishing.

Verdict on the Instruction

The instruction looks V-E-R-Y long & complicated (143 steps!!!). But that’s because there are multiple variations covered. The steps themselves don’t look complicated. But if you’re following them, just double check you’re following the right steps for the version you’re making.

I of course ignored most of it! Instead I tried to cram advice from multiple sources all into one project. So highly NOT recommended. Perfect recipe for head scratching, delays, oops & redos. I got there in the end. Just. More reasons this is a wearable muslin.

2-c-inside-22-c-inside-12-c-inside-32-c-lining-12-c-lining-2
  • First let’s talk stabilizers. I interfaced the whole front. But on the facing I only interfaced the lapel & buttonholes. This was to reduce overall stiffness. Following the example of my Topshop RTW trench, I also interface the hems on bodice & sleeves, stabilize the shoulders with Dritz Stay Tape, and the back neckline & bodice armscye with Vilene Bias Tape. I was going to interface the sleeve armscye as well, but I couldn’t figure out how to do it without impeding the sleeve cap easing process. I didn’t draft separate interfacing patterns this time. Instead I tried Jackets For Real People‘s interfacing cutting technique: Cut 2 sides, shift over a full seam allowance’s width (5/8″), cut the remaining 2 sides.
  • Neither did I manage to draft separate lining patterns this time: It was just getting too overwhelming by that point. So the ease are all added at the easiest points – at underarm, hems, vertical seams. As suggested by Classic Tailoring Techniques: Men’s Wear I also added a bit of width ease to multiple vertical seams in addition to CB. I reckoned that if it’s coming from the land of traditional tailoring, there must have been decades of experience backing it. All the lining seams were overlocked as suggested by Kathleen Fasanella to keep down the fraying.
  • Like the  jacket I made for my niece, the lining for this trench was also bagged. I was lucky this time in that I had to cut a hem facing since I thought I was going to add the velvets so didn’t add hem allowance. This meant I could finish the tricky front-facing, hem, lining joint neatly before the whole bagging process. Again, I left the gap for turning the garment right side out in the lining – hem seam.
  •  The back vent I had wanted to do like the RTW trench as the finish looked neat. But I hadn’t studied the RTW carefully enough, so missed the fact that the lining CB seam slant from CB at the neck to one side at the vent so that the seam lined up with the edge of the vent underside. I just saw one continuous straight seam.
    2-c-vent-12-c-vent-22-c-vent-3So I mistakenly cut my lining with standard CB seam allowance without vent extension and had to patch an extension on afterward. In the end I was able to finish the vent neatly all by machine.
  • I tried to batch sew as much as possible. But not having done the prep work (sorting out all the pattern alterations ahead of time), it wasn’t really efficient. It only added to my general confusion. So not recommended unless you have very little changes to make during the construction process.
  • I did manage to sew a lot of the seams pin-free! It was quite scary, and when it came to the slippery lining, there were stretches of redos here & there. But practice makes perfect right? 🙂
  • And another thing I practiced on was hand-sewn keyhole buttonholes. I was going to use my machine’s automated one, but I couldn’t get it to sew the keyhole symmetrically. Even with paper-thick stabilizer underneath it still wanted to do its spirally thing rather than a perfect O.
    2-c-buttonholes-12-c-buttonholes-2So in the end I resorted to hand-sewing. Yes, all 13+4 buttonhole of it. The +4 is for the top 2-set of front buttonholes which are visible from both sides depending on whether the front is buttoned up or not. How’s that for self-torture? The instruction I used is a combination of Claire Shaeffer’s Couture Sewing Techniques and this forum post on Cutter & Tailor website.

Would I sew it again / Would I recommend it to others

I better! After all that effort.

I am however waiting for road testing results before finalizing my TNT trench pattern. It’s not just about the look you know. A garment like this must pass  rigorous practicality test! Is the pocket in the right place? Can I move in it? Is it easy to slouch in & still look chic the next day? Does it play well with other clothing? Is it easy to take care of? (On this last one I’ve already given up. Nil point. This fabric likes to get out of shape. No way am I going to try to steam everything back into place after laundering. Dreaded dry cleaning it will have to be.)

Once it pass the test, I’ll have to tidy up the pattern, maybe draft the separate lining pattern, & transfer onto longer lasting kraft paper.

I would definitely recommend the pattern to others though. So many people have had great looking results with it. Just make sure you at least substitute a larger pocket pattern if you are keeping the pockets.

As for this wearable muslin, I think it’ll be getting plenty of wear alright. While it’s not perfect, I think it looks good enough to fool the non-sewing folks. Now if only the weather here would only be a bit warmer…I don’t want to wait till spring to wear my new trench!

McCall 6501 Girls Dress A+E

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Last but not least in the why-the-hell-am-I-Sewing for Kids Trilogy is the pile on the left.

The Pattern

My niece picked the black mesh fabric and had wanted a jacket out of it. But I was worried that a see-through jacket might be a bit too sexy / grown-up so I tried to J-Crewfy it. I thought the fabric would work well with a drapy design like this – the flounce especially. As added insurance against parental objection I also added the sleeves. The Franken-drawing looked alright to me. But of the 3 makes, I’m most meh about the result of this one…

Catalogue Shots

M6501_2

Is it just me or does this dress look dowdy? I’m wondering now if I shouldn’t have just made another gathered tier skirt with black lining.

Fabric & Notions Used

I was needlessly apprehensive about sewing the mesh knit and unduly confident about sewing the Lycra underlining. The mesh in fact sewed easily on the overlocker. The Lycra lettuced like crazy on both the overlocker (with differential feed turned right up) and sewing machine…until I spray starch the hell out of it. I even resorted to homemade starch when I ran out of the commercial one. Once it’s stiff like paper it behaved itself.

Size Used

Like with the Burda jacket I made a 12 – supposedly a size larger than my niece’s current measurements. But unlike the Burda jacket this one is L-A-R-G-E. Even I could fit into it. Not sure if it’s the typical over-generous ease problem that many have reported on the Big 4 patterns, or if the fault is with me for choosing stretchy fabrics.

I would have said “that’s OK as she can grow into it”. But of the 3 garments I think this is the most kiddy design. The other two could easily be teenage or even grown up fashion. This one looks too sickly sweet to be worn by anyone other than little girls & tweenies.

Changes Made

Frankenpatterned view A sleeves onto view E dress. And underlined the whole thing.

Verdict on the Instruction

I read the instruction but did my own thing because of the changes I made. Otherwise the instruction is pretty straight-forward (and easier to follow than Burda in my opinion).

Like with the cut-lace tier skirt, I treated the underlining as a separate layer for the main bodice. Only in the armscyes, sleeve hems, and back neck opening did I treat the layers as one.

M6501_2-d-1

As much as possible I kept the seams and hem stitching as light-weight as possible. So the mesh shell had narrow overlocked seam and roll hems – first time I did this and it came out without a hitch thanks to the easy-to-handle mesh fabric. The underlining had slightly wider seams with a machine-stitched single-fold narrow hem.

M6501_2-d-2

I was debating whether to finish the sleeve hems the same way, but decided to make it look more like the other upper edges – neck hem, back opening. This is to avoid distracting from the design line of the fluid flounce which flows into the fluid bottom hem. (There’s a bit of design thoughts going into this after all, even if the result isn’t quite as fashionable as I had hoped! }:-)

Would I sew it again / Would I recommend it to others

It is a sweet looking dress. And if you get the sizing right and picked the right fabric I think it would look good on young girls & younger Tweenies.

Somehow I don’t think I’ll be sewing this again though.  Unless this Tweeny Trilogy turn out to be unexpected mega-blockbusters I’m done sewing for kiddies. Back to regularly scheduled adult sewing next.