Today we get to meet the best friend of Margaret. She blogs at With or Without Nap. She has two gorgeous daughters and a little boy due in October. She lives in our part of the world and it is lovely to see the sewing on her blog that matches our seasons! Today, she has come up with such a great idea for embellishing a pattern that many of us know and love.
Thanks for being with us Margaret...
Thanks for being with us Margaret...
It's a pleasure to be here with Caroline and Maryanne and be a part of their 'My Best Friend' series. I have long admired these lovely sisters and their amazing sewing creations and I must say, I especially love Madeleine's new cape!;
My name is Margaret, I am Mum to two little girls, with a baby boy on-the-way (due in October).
When my second daughter was about 5 months old, I was itching to make some pretty little dresses for my girls... but I had never used a sewing machine before! So, I enrolled in a Beginners Sewing class (where I was so sleep-deprived from looking after my colicky baby, I struggled to even stay awake... however I was determined to learn how to thread my new machine and simply sew a straight line!). When I accomplished those two goals, I felt well on my way to being able to 'make stuff'. And now, that's what I love to do!
You will find lots of sewing and craft ideas on my blog, With or Without Nap. My girls and I are constantly creating together and our dining room table is often covered in a wonderful mess because of this. I have found that my favourite thing to make for my girls are skirts... and lots of them!
Over the years, I have learned a few new techniques, nothing fancy ~ just how to make ruffles or add a pocket or pleats.... but I still consider myself very much a 'Beginner' when it comes to sewing. I tend to make similar things, using different fabrics and embellishments. I find this allows me to get started on a project and finish it relatively quickly (and besides, I have really never been able to make heads or tails of those tricky paper patterns!).
I would have to say that 'My Best Friend' when it comes to sewing, is the Lazy Days Skirt Tutorial from Oliver & S. In those early days, when sewing still seemed really intimidating to me, it really opened up my eyes to there being simple ways and 'short cuts' in sewing. Using a strip of fabric, selvedge to selvedge, eliminates the need to finish the seams at the join - genius!
I have made many a skirt using the Lazy Days tutorial, it's so quick and easy, I can whip up a few little skirts at once. The best part is Liesl's unique technique for hemming the skirt, and I love that there are lots of ways to embellish a Lazy Days Skirt, by adding contrasting ribbon, a fancy button, fabric flower, ruffle trim or simply leaving the hem plain.
With a little baby on the way and spring just around the corner for us here in Australia, I have made a few new Lazy Days Skirts for my girls recently;
As you can probably tell, I love colour and find it hard to 'tone it down' when it comes to sewing. I see this in my girls' art and creations too... a reflection of a bright, happy and colourful childhood, I hope!
However, when I came across some Denim on sale the other day, I had an idea... for a Lazy Days Skirt... with remove-able yo-yo flowers (just to add a little pop of colour!)
This skirt can be be the feature of any outfit and any colour-scheme your little girls likes!
It's as easy as un-buttoning the yo-yo's and adding whichever yo-yo's she likes!
(As you can see from the picture above, Livvie switched an orange yo-yo for a pink one, which I didn't notice until after I had taken the photos!)
Yo-yo's are so simple to make and there are many online tutorials...
Putting a button hole at the back is my little way of making them more versatile. The fact that these yo-yo's are removeable, gives your little girl the ability to switch them around, as often as her heart desires.
Choices, choices!
Why not add a button to a headband...
...and let your little girl decide which yo-yo it will be today?
Thanks so much for having me here today. I have enjoyed following the 'My Best Friend' series and look forward to seeing more in the days ahead.
What a great way to use yo-yos...
I know my girls would love these skirts and they are definitely on my to do list.
So, head over and check out Margaret's blog. Have a look at all her great sewing and the lovely things her children get up to.
And if you are like me and love the arrival of a baby in the blogging world, keep checking back - I am sure Margaret will keep us posted!
I know my girls would love these skirts and they are definitely on my to do list.
So, head over and check out Margaret's blog. Have a look at all her great sewing and the lovely things her children get up to.
And if you are like me and love the arrival of a baby in the blogging world, keep checking back - I am sure Margaret will keep us posted!
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Today we have a great post from Cindy at Siestas and Sewing - some useful tips and a tutorial for a cute summer tank. Cindy's blog is full of sewing inspiration for everyone. She shares sewing projects for young teens, little girls, boys and mums. If you live in our part of the world and are beginning to think about your summer sewing list, Siestas and Sewing is the place to check out. You can find great ideas for shorts, sundresses, tshirts, tops and swimwear.
Thanks for joining us Cindy and sharing your best friend with us.
Thanks for joining us Cindy and sharing your best friend with us.
Hello Sew Together readers!! I'm Cindy and I blog over at Siestas & Sewing about life with my family and what I've been sewing. I'm excited to be a part of the 'My Best Friend' series today!
Not only did she accompany me and my crew of 4 on a cross country road trip in 2010 (and is willing to do it again!), she is always there if I have a question or to lend me a hand. Plus, she lets me play with all her fancy sewing machines and sergers when we go to her house! Which is quite often, I might add, as my parents live a mile and a half from us.:) My mom is quite an accomplished sewist. She sewed all my formal gowns through high school and college and even made my wedding veil.
She also introduced me to my new best friend....the Wonder Clips from Clover.
These little clips have made applying binding and FOE so much easier! I have a little project to share that shows how I use the Wonder clips...a tank top with gathers at the shoulder and ribbon accents. The pattern fits size 80-122 cm which is roughly equivalent to 12 months-7 years of age.
Supplies:
Free Ottobre Design Tank Top found HERE
Interlock or Jersey Knit Fabric
Ribbing
Ribbon
To start, print the free pattern out and tape the pattern pieces together as indicated. Trace off the size you need. For MG, I did a 104 with 110 length. If you need help determining what size to make Ottobre Design has a size chart (cm and in) HERE.
A few notes regarding Ottobre Design patterns and this one in particular:
Now on to the Summer Fun Tank!
Following the directions below, alter the shape of the shoulder starting with the back pattern piece.
Next up is the modifications to the front pattern piece...
Add seam allowances to the sides of your pattern. I added a 1/4". Reminder: If you aren't doing the modifications, you would need to also add seam allowances to the shoulders.
Cut the front and back of the tank from jersey or interlock and the binding from ribbing.
Joining:
1. Gather both the front and back shoulders to 1 1/2" and stitch front to back WRONG sides together. Press the seam up and remove your gathering threads if they are below the seam line.
2. Stitch your ribbon across the seam line. I used a wonder clip at the opposite end to hold the ribbon in place. Repeat for other side.
Take the neckline binding and stitch the 2 short ends right sides together so that you have a circle. Press the seam open.
3. Mark the neckline and the neckline binding in to quarters, pin in place, and attach the right side of the binding to the wrong side of the neckline stretching binding slightly as you stitch it on with a 1 cm seam allowance. Make sure the seam in your binding is in the BACK. Confession: If you look closely at the picture I forgot to double check. Don't do what I did.:)
4. Fold the binding edge over to meet the raw edge.
5. Fold over again so that it covers the stitching line.
6. Hold in place with wonder clips. Stitch close to the edge.
Now it's time to apply the armhole binding. The process is the same as applying the neckline binding except that you're working on the flat so you don't have to mark the binding/armhole in to quarters.
Stitch side seams.
Fold the seam allowance of the binding towards the back and straight stitch it into place. Here's what it looks like:
Turn up hem allowance and stitch in your preferred method. I used a double/twin needle for my Summer Fun Tank.
It might be a little corny, but my mom is truly my best friend.
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| Mom, my fab four, and myself in Colorado |
Not only did she accompany me and my crew of 4 on a cross country road trip in 2010 (and is willing to do it again!), she is always there if I have a question or to lend me a hand. Plus, she lets me play with all her fancy sewing machines and sergers when we go to her house! Which is quite often, I might add, as my parents live a mile and a half from us.:) My mom is quite an accomplished sewist. She sewed all my formal gowns through high school and college and even made my wedding veil.
She also introduced me to my new best friend....the Wonder Clips from Clover.
These little clips have made applying binding and FOE so much easier! I have a little project to share that shows how I use the Wonder clips...a tank top with gathers at the shoulder and ribbon accents. The pattern fits size 80-122 cm which is roughly equivalent to 12 months-7 years of age.
Supplies:
Free Ottobre Design Tank Top found HERE
Interlock or Jersey Knit Fabric
Ribbing
Ribbon
To start, print the free pattern out and tape the pattern pieces together as indicated. Trace off the size you need. For MG, I did a 104 with 110 length. If you need help determining what size to make Ottobre Design has a size chart (cm and in) HERE.
A few notes regarding Ottobre Design patterns and this one in particular:
- seam allowances are not included except on the binding pattern pieces
- do not add seam allowances where binding will be applied (neckline and armholes)
- My mods to the shoulder include a 1/4" seam allowance. If you're not doing the mod, you'll need to add one.
- For my kids, I find the top patterns run a little short so I always compare the pattern pieces to a shirt I know fits.
Now on to the Summer Fun Tank!
Following the directions below, alter the shape of the shoulder starting with the back pattern piece.
Add seam allowances to the sides of your pattern. I added a 1/4". Reminder: If you aren't doing the modifications, you would need to also add seam allowances to the shoulders.
Cut the front and back of the tank from jersey or interlock and the binding from ribbing.
Joining:
1. Gather both the front and back shoulders to 1 1/2" and stitch front to back WRONG sides together. Press the seam up and remove your gathering threads if they are below the seam line.
2. Stitch your ribbon across the seam line. I used a wonder clip at the opposite end to hold the ribbon in place. Repeat for other side.
Take the neckline binding and stitch the 2 short ends right sides together so that you have a circle. Press the seam open.
3. Mark the neckline and the neckline binding in to quarters, pin in place, and attach the right side of the binding to the wrong side of the neckline stretching binding slightly as you stitch it on with a 1 cm seam allowance. Make sure the seam in your binding is in the BACK. Confession: If you look closely at the picture I forgot to double check. Don't do what I did.:)
4. Fold the binding edge over to meet the raw edge.
5. Fold over again so that it covers the stitching line.
6. Hold in place with wonder clips. Stitch close to the edge.
Now it's time to apply the armhole binding. The process is the same as applying the neckline binding except that you're working on the flat so you don't have to mark the binding/armhole in to quarters.
Stitch side seams.
Fold the seam allowance of the binding towards the back and straight stitch it into place. Here's what it looks like:
Turn up hem allowance and stitch in your preferred method. I used a double/twin needle for my Summer Fun Tank.
Here's the finished top:
Perfect for spending the afternoon at Grandma's house!
Thanks again Cindy. We are definitely going to invest in some of those clips.
And saying your Mum is you best friend is not at all corny... We couldn't do without our Mum either!
And saying your Mum is you best friend is not at all corny... We couldn't do without our Mum either!
Today we kick off our exciting new guest series - My Best Friend.
Over the next few weeks we have a collection of fantastic bloggers visiting Sew Together to tell us about their Best (sewing) Friend. There will be posts about favourite patterns, favourite people, favourite equipment and other generally favourite stuff! We hope it will help you find new inspiration and try new things.
And who is the fabulous blogger who gets to start the ball rolling?
It's me, Maryanne!! (Being the big sister I get to be bossy every now and then and so I chose to go first!)
So let's begin...
Let's start by acknowledging this is a long post.
But it is worth it...
Over the next few weeks we have a collection of fantastic bloggers visiting Sew Together to tell us about their Best (sewing) Friend. There will be posts about favourite patterns, favourite people, favourite equipment and other generally favourite stuff! We hope it will help you find new inspiration and try new things.
And who is the fabulous blogger who gets to start the ball rolling?
It's me, Maryanne!! (Being the big sister I get to be bossy every now and then and so I chose to go first!)
So let's begin...
Let's start by acknowledging this is a long post.
But it is worth it...
If you keep reading, I'll show you how to make this reversible wrap dress!
Now we can really begin...
My best friend without a doubt would be Caroline. I am lucky enough to have my sewing buddy, blogging partner and sister rolled into one. I could chat about her all day long, but you can find plenty of her sewing inspiration right here on our blog. So rather than telling you all about Caroline, I am going to talk about my second best friend - children's vintage sewing patterns.
I regularly browse collections of vintage pattern images online to find inspiration for new sewing projects. I have resisted buying any - I really can't justify spending any more money supporting my sewing habit!! But you don't need the patterns to help your sewing along. The pictures are enough to start you thinking and then it is easy to work from there.
My favourite collections are the Vintage Children's Pattern Flickr group, and the Vintage Patterns Wiki (particularly the Helen Lee Vintage Patterns and the general girl's pages). Searching for children's vintage patterns on Etsy can also be useful.
When I am looking for some inspiration I browse these collections until an image grabs me. The next step is to consider the basic shape of the project - is it a basic bodice with a full skirt, a variation on an A line dress or a standard skirt shape? Once I have worked this out, I pull out one of my basic patterns and tweak it to create the look I want.
Using contemporary fabrics, you can take vintage ideas and create something fresh and modern. Here are some examples of projects Caroline and I have worked on that have taken vintage patterns as their inspiration.
Now we can really begin...
My best friend without a doubt would be Caroline. I am lucky enough to have my sewing buddy, blogging partner and sister rolled into one. I could chat about her all day long, but you can find plenty of her sewing inspiration right here on our blog. So rather than telling you all about Caroline, I am going to talk about my second best friend - children's vintage sewing patterns.
I regularly browse collections of vintage pattern images online to find inspiration for new sewing projects. I have resisted buying any - I really can't justify spending any more money supporting my sewing habit!! But you don't need the patterns to help your sewing along. The pictures are enough to start you thinking and then it is easy to work from there.
My favourite collections are the Vintage Children's Pattern Flickr group, and the Vintage Patterns Wiki (particularly the Helen Lee Vintage Patterns and the general girl's pages). Searching for children's vintage patterns on Etsy can also be useful.
When I am looking for some inspiration I browse these collections until an image grabs me. The next step is to consider the basic shape of the project - is it a basic bodice with a full skirt, a variation on an A line dress or a standard skirt shape? Once I have worked this out, I pull out one of my basic patterns and tweak it to create the look I want.
Using contemporary fabrics, you can take vintage ideas and create something fresh and modern. Here are some examples of projects Caroline and I have worked on that have taken vintage patterns as their inspiration.
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(click on image for source)
And for My Best Friend, I have a new project to share with you - a wrap around reversible dress.
It was inspired by this 1970 Simplicity pattern:
This is such a cute little dress idea. You put it on by pulling it over your child's head. It has a front piece that wraps around to the back and is secured by ribbon ties, and it has a back piece that wraps around to the front that is held in place by the fabric ties. The bow at the front shows a little peep of the lining colour and when your little girl runs and plays you can also see hints of the lining fabric because of it's wrap around design. A spilled icecream or just a change in mind about what she wants to wear? Undo the ties flip the dress over and your little girl can have a whole new (clean!) look.
If you have a basic A line dress pattern, you can very quickly draft up this variation and it is also incredibly fast to sew up. If you would like to make one for a little girl you know, click on the read more button for all the instructions.
Before you do, I want to reminder you to check back here on Tuesday. Jessica from Me Sew Crazy is going to introduce us to her best friend!
If you have a basic A line dress pattern, you can very quickly draft up this variation and it is also incredibly fast to sew up. If you would like to make one for a little girl you know, click on the read more button for all the instructions.
Before you do, I want to reminder you to check back here on Tuesday. Jessica from Me Sew Crazy is going to introduce us to her best friend!
Maryanne
Later in the month we are participating in a series called "Skirting the issue" organised by the lovely Liz and Elizabeth from Simple Simon and co and Project Run and Play. During the month of July they have 40 (!) bloggers contributing a tutorial for a child's skirt to this series. So if you ever want to make a girl's skirt these blogs will be the places to go!! Far more importantly the purpose of this series is to to make and donate handmade skirts to girls of all ages who are currently in the foster care system. They are aiming for 100 skirts by the end of July. I have a feeling they will well and truly surpass this target. They already have over 50 skirts donated. You can check them all out at the Skirting the issue Flickr Pool.
We will be the last bloggers to contribute their tutorial to the whole series so we are going to have to come up with something quite original!!! In the mean time, if you are looking for some inspiration, here are some other skirt tutorials you can find on our blog:
We will be the last bloggers to contribute their tutorial to the whole series so we are going to have to come up with something quite original!!! In the mean time, if you are looking for some inspiration, here are some other skirt tutorials you can find on our blog:
I hope this series is incredibly successful. It is great to see the sewing community working together to help those in need.
Watch out for our tutorial on Simple Simon and co on the 30th of July.
Watch out for our tutorial on Simple Simon and co on the 30th of July.
Maryanne
Do you have a coin purse?
I have been without one for quite a while and usually throw all my loose change into my bag. Several times I have dug around the bottom of my work bag and found at least $30 in change. I am sure I have lost hundreds of dollars to the bottom of hand bags and children's pockets over the years!
So my theory is, put my change somewhere safe and then I'll have some extra cash to spend on important things - like Liberty fabric!!! So with the beautiful scrap's Nova sent me as part of her Liberty Scrap Challenge I have made some coin purses. I am going to be keeping all my precious coins in these from now on!
I have been without one for quite a while and usually throw all my loose change into my bag. Several times I have dug around the bottom of my work bag and found at least $30 in change. I am sure I have lost hundreds of dollars to the bottom of hand bags and children's pockets over the years!
So my theory is, put my change somewhere safe and then I'll have some extra cash to spend on important things - like Liberty fabric!!! So with the beautiful scrap's Nova sent me as part of her Liberty Scrap Challenge I have made some coin purses. I am going to be keeping all my precious coins in these from now on!
For this tutorial, I am going to show you how to embellish your purse with some beautiful Liberty Scraps. For all the information on how to draft up your pattern and assemble the purse please check out this fantastic tutorial by Lisa at U-handbag
If you would like to find out how to make your own coin purse click "Read More"
If you would like to find out how to make your own coin purse click "Read More"
Do you know Nova from A Cuppa and a Catch Up? She has a really lovely blog. If you are like me, you read many good blogs, but there are a few special ones - the ones that make you feel excited and happy when a new post pops up in your reader. A Cuppa and a Catch up is one of those blogs for me. I used her great quillow tutorial to make Tim and Holly's quillow, her Nesting Fabric Bowls pattern has become my "go to gift" and this year Nova's Liberty Scrap Challenge is helping me to learn to sew with Liberty rather than just pat it!
So, I was so excited when I was drawn out of the hat to be the June Giveaway Guest Challenger. And when the package of scraps arrived in the mail I squealed with delight! (Think about it... you go to the letter box knowing that the most likely thing to spring from it is your latest credit card bill and instead you find Liberty Fabric. That is definitely squeal worthy)
I've come up with two ideas.
Today, I will show you a little Liberty head band - more of an idea than a tutorial. I made two last night (in a rush as usual) for Pippa to give as gifts at a birthday party she went to today. They were very quick to make and I'm pleased with how they turned out.
I've come up with two ideas.
Today, I will show you a little Liberty head band - more of an idea than a tutorial. I made two last night (in a rush as usual) for Pippa to give as gifts at a birthday party she went to today. They were very quick to make and I'm pleased with how they turned out.
Have you ever made a Suffolk puff?
They're funny little things. I think they are also called yo-yos. I have to admit - I think they are quite old fashioned, but I have been playing with them a bit lately. I have seen some very sweet necklaces and some great embellished t shirts that use Suffolk puffs. And one day... if Caroline and I can ever get the motivation we will finish our Project Run and Play Signature Look which uses... you guessed it... Suffolk puffs.
Suffolk puffs are very simple to make.
You can cut yourself out a circle of fabric and turn a small edge under. Do a running stitch right around the edge and pull it up tight. That's it - your done
Even easier - you can buy yourself a Yo Yo maker. I used a Clover one. You only need a scrap of fabric about 7cm in diameter to make a puff that is 3 cm wide. If you are desperate and working with really small scraps you can actually piece scraps together to make the 7 cm circle. I did it a couple of times and the puffs worked out just fine.
I won't give you detailed instructions on how to use it, because the yo yo maker comes with those. But this will give you an idea:
When I was making these, I got to the stage where you start to draw up the gathers and decided this must be how fairies make shower caps!! I can't imagine any thing more perfect than fairies wearing Liberty shower caps.
I had bought the head bands for another project that was not successful(!) involving hot glue. The satin ribbon that originally covered the band ended up ruined by the glue so I ripped that off and was left with a thin black plastic headband. I found some gros grain ribbon in my stash that was a little wider than the band and stitched a channel in the ribbon so the band fitted in snuggly. If you are going to cover your own head band don't forget to turn the raw edges of the ribbon in before you sew it on both ends. Once you have put the band in your ribbon cover, you can hand stitch the ends closed to create a nice neat finish.
I had bought the head bands for another project that was not successful(!) involving hot glue. The satin ribbon that originally covered the band ended up ruined by the glue so I ripped that off and was left with a thin black plastic headband. I found some gros grain ribbon in my stash that was a little wider than the band and stitched a channel in the ribbon so the band fitted in snuggly. If you are going to cover your own head band don't forget to turn the raw edges of the ribbon in before you sew it on both ends. Once you have put the band in your ribbon cover, you can hand stitch the ends closed to create a nice neat finish.
I hand stitched the puffs onto some felt leaves and then stitched them onto the ribbon band. I am now scared of the hot glue gun!!
Here is Pippa modelling a band for us:
Here is Pippa modelling a band for us:
Let me interpret this look for you:
"Mum, why are we on the front foot path taking photos? Can't we just wrap this head band up and go to the birthday party? I'm late!!!!"
I'll be back soon with Liberty Scrap Challenge 2.
"Mum, why are we on the front foot path taking photos? Can't we just wrap this head band up and go to the birthday party? I'm late!!!!"
I'll be back soon with Liberty Scrap Challenge 2.
Maryanne
Firstly, we would like to thank everyone for all their support during the first 3 weeks of Project Run and Play. We have had so much fun designing and creating. It has really pushed us to think a little harder, sew a little faster and work on our overall asthetic. We would also love to thank Romy who has become so enveloped in our lives - friend, nanny and the photographer of many of the beautiful images you have seen in our Project Run and Play entries.
A tutorial for the 6 gored skirt can be found at Project Run and Play.
We are looking forward to showing you our entry for the colour theme later this week.
A tutorial for the 6 gored skirt can be found at Project Run and Play.
We are looking forward to showing you our entry for the colour theme later this week.
Caroline and Maryanne
Let's start with the apology. We're really, really sorry that we've dropped the ball with our Beyond the Basics series. The series will continue, but we're going to have to take a couple of weeks break. We do have a good excuse though.
We're going to be on Project Run and Play! Both of us are just so excited. We couldn't believe it when we received an email from Liz and Elizabeth at Simple Simon and Co. We have been doing lots of planning and are feeling very inspired. One of the best things is that it gives us time to actually sew together, which despite our name, we don't get to do very often.
We do have a mini tutorial for you, though. One of the things that we made for last season's PR and P sew-a-long was Mart's dinosaur jacket. We have had lots of requests for a tutorial. Here it is! Actually, it's only a mini tutorial because it's super simple to make. We're just going to show you how to put the dinosaur spikes in the lining. Remember the jacket?
Click read more if you'd like to make your very own!
So it's time for my skirt tutorial. It's once again...um... fairly basic, but I really struggled with ideas for this one. Lizzy loves the finished product and has named it the lollipop skirt. That's probably because of the lollipop bribe that I had to give her so that I could take some photos.
Like Maryanne, I also decided to 'create' my fabric, then make up the skirt. Unlike Maryanne (who is the mathematical genius of the family) my fabric creation requires no maths. I sewed lots of strips together and then went crazy with the triple stitch on my machine. Complicated, huh?
The only real addition that I made were some cute (and useful!) pockets. Both my kids love pockets....
The buttons are just pretend, though. See?
If you'd like to learn how to make your own, just click on read more...
So here's my take on the basic skirt - box pleats, a fitted waist band and diy chevron fabric. I know it's not elastic waisted but it is really a big rectangle of fabric, gathered into the waist. I started with a piece of stripey fabric, cut and sewed and then got all those psychedelic chevrons.
Why would I make it myself when there are some fabulous chevron fabrics around?
Well, firstly I just wanted to have a go and also it allowed me to choose the width of my chevrons and therefore cut them so they matched perfectly with the width of my pleats!
I love projects like this. Not a pattern to draft on paper but some maths calculations, cutting lots of rectangles and then off you go!
This skirt is definitely a project. Certainly not at all complicated but not a quick whip up. It involves quite a lot of cutting, finishing edges and sewing lots and lots of straight lines, but I think it is worth it. It also involves lots of fabric. The other name for this skirt is "The 3 trips to the Fabric Shop Skirt". I picked a fabric with lots of variation in the stripes and required 3 metres (yes that's right - 3metres!!) to make a 6 year old's skirt. Pick a simpler stripe and I am sure you could get away with a lot less. You will be seeing lots of this stripe and chevrons made from left overs on the blog in the weeks to come- I need to use it up somewhere - I don't want to let it go to waste!!!
To make this project you will need:
If you have lots of fabric(!) and are ready to make some chevrons, click the read more button for instructions.
Well, firstly I just wanted to have a go and also it allowed me to choose the width of my chevrons and therefore cut them so they matched perfectly with the width of my pleats!
I love projects like this. Not a pattern to draft on paper but some maths calculations, cutting lots of rectangles and then off you go!
This skirt is definitely a project. Certainly not at all complicated but not a quick whip up. It involves quite a lot of cutting, finishing edges and sewing lots and lots of straight lines, but I think it is worth it. It also involves lots of fabric. The other name for this skirt is "The 3 trips to the Fabric Shop Skirt". I picked a fabric with lots of variation in the stripes and required 3 metres (yes that's right - 3metres!!) to make a 6 year old's skirt. Pick a simpler stripe and I am sure you could get away with a lot less. You will be seeing lots of this stripe and chevrons made from left overs on the blog in the weeks to come- I need to use it up somewhere - I don't want to let it go to waste!!!
To make this project you will need:
- some stripey fabric - I would suggest you go simple until you work out how to cut the chevrons as efficiently as possible - it will save you going to the fabric shop 3 times!! I used home dec weight fabric and I think this weight worked well in this skirt.
- rotary cutter, ruler and mat
- ideally an overlocker/serger. You can finish your edges with an overcasting foot and zigzag stitch. I did this for a few of them- it is a little slow and a little wonky because of the bias cut of the strips.
If you have lots of fabric(!) and are ready to make some chevrons, click the read more button for instructions.
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