Well from my last post I told you I was having a nasty flare up of Fibromyalgia. I’m having a couple of good days instead of all bad ones, still waiting for Pain Management appointment though. But, the few good days had let me get on with a bit of sewing and craft. As sewing does keep me sane!

From my last post Sewing Goals 2021, I mentioned to pace myself and break down sewing tasks into smaller steps. I have achieved this by setting myself an hour a day at most for crafting and checking off my task list.

My husband suggested that I use Trello which is an app that is the easy, free, flexible, and visual way to manage your projects and organise anything.

It is great, I’ve added each project that I want to work on and within that project card a checklist which steps to complete said project. It even has a deadline function to it and reminds you nearer to end date which comes in handy for my sponsored blog posts.

Crafting

I really enjoy using my Cricut Explorer Air 2. I’ve been experimenting with vinyl along with cardstock.

The boys really enjoyed having their belongings personalised. Ethan and I have the same phone case, so this was ideal to tell which one is which.

Rhys has a favourite mason jar which he uses for juice and has a soft spot for Stitch from Lilo and Stitch. In all fairness, I do too and really enjoyed creating this one. I have put this through the dishwasher and it has survived!

Sewing

In January, we only have one birthday which is my niece Millie who turned 9. After having a chat with my fellow Felicity Fabrics Blogger girls. I decided to make her Made by jacks Mum Explorer T-Shirt. I raided my stash, found this gem that I bought from Like Sew Amazing last year. With all good intentions, the fabric was going to be a Tee for me but never got round to using it. So this was an ideal time to get it used.

Thankfully, Millie and Rhys are nearly the same age, only a couple of months between them. I made her a size 9 going from Rhys’s height. It was whipped up in no time at all when using Mrs Singer aka Singer overlocker 14SH754 and used Mr Singer aka Singer Quantum Stylist 9960 for the twin needle hem.

Here is the finished present along with some handmade tags and card I made with the Cricut too.

Hand’s up, who has the Billie sewing pattern since it was released back in November and only got round to making one till now. That’ll be me! I’m sure I am not alone in hoarding sewing patterns as well as fabric?

It was well worth the wait. I used this now sold out animal print jersey in aqua from Felicity Fabrics also Liz aka thatbakerwhosews used this jersey too. Here is Liz’s Billie with the balloon sleeves, how awesome it is!

Mrs Singer came into play to get this sewn up in speedy time. No garment isn’t complete without a garment label from KATM.

I made a size 5 from the shoulders, grading out to a 7 for the hips. With help from Felicity girls, I got the size just right for my frame.

Coming up in February

I’m a guest blogger for Crafty Sew and So. So here is a sneak peak on what I have been working on.

All will be revealed on 7th February 2021. So keep your eyes peeled over at Crafty Sew and So

I’m hoping to have a Buddy Sew a long with Laura aka Missmadeitmyself via Zoom to make the Nina Lee Picadilly PJs using this fabulous fabric from xxstitchedupxx . I have 2.5m and its extra wide too, so I have plenty to make whichever version I decide to make. Now, what buttons do I go for?

I did toy with the idea to make a dress out of it but thought I will get more wear out of them as PJs!

There you go folks, a round up of my January makes. What have you been sewing this year so far?

Happy Sewing

Sal

xx

The post My January’s 2021 Creations appeared first on The Yorkshire Sewist.

Recently, Tilly and the Buttons had a sale on specific paper patterns, so i had to have a nosey.

Would you believe i didn’t own either the Agnes or the Rosa so i treated myself to them. I’m normally a PDF lover but it made a nice change to have something physical in your hand and no piecing pages together.

I used many of Tilly and the Buttons patterns before and knew i Size 6 would fit ok for the shoulders and bust and grade to a 7 for waist and hips.

I was kindly gifted this beautiful Breton Apples Jersey in Blue and White from By Graziela fabrics for my honest review.

The Jersey is 95% cotton / 5% spandex 
with a nice weight: 220 g/qm, being 1.50 m wide and also to Oeko-Tex Standard 100

It was beautifully packaged, with plenty of ribbon on which my boys nicked to play with the cat with and the handy tote bag has come in handy for quick trips to the supermarket.

If you haven’t come across By Graziela Fabrics before, where have you been hiding?!! They have a fabulous range of jerseys, sweatshirting and Cotton all designed by Nina’s Mum! Here’s a little bit more information about this great Company – Taken from ByGrazieal’s about us page;

Nina and I founded byGraziela in 2008 to relaunch my Mum, Graziela’s hugely popular and iconic designs in Germany. 

Since the 1970s, Graziela has been working as a successful graphic designer, designing fabrics as well as bed linens, children’s clothing and dinnerware. Her designs are cult classics in Germany and have won her numerous gold medals from the Art Director’s Club.

With a passion for sewing, and having children of my own, I decided it was time to pass all those lovely patterns on to the next generation. byGraziela has grown into a well loved company with a big following in Germany and I am delighted we are now launching our happy and bold fabric range in the UK!

All our fabrics are based on my Mum’s original designs, sometimes modernised, but still retaining the authentic retro feel.

I hope you love our colourful and happy fabrics as much as I do and create some wonderful things with them.

How nice is that?!

I wish sometimes i would design my own fabrics!

The Fabric was delightful to sew with and even Mr Singer didn’t want to ‘eat’ it either! Upon handling the fabric you know that it was good quality fabric and the print was so precise and colourful.

Since the lines were diagonal i didn’t even bother pattern matching, how on earth was i supposed to do that?! I was definitely not in the mood!

It sewed up really quickly and instead of using threads to gather i just got my trusty dental floss for the sleeve head and used clear elastic for the ruched sleeves.

I made such a rookey error, when i was grading my seams after i sewn in the last sleeve….. i accidentally cut into the sleeve itself which resulted in this!!!

ARRGGGHHHHHH!!

As you can imagine there was a lot of swear words involved and even shared my mistake over on instagram to share with the world no matter how much experience you have sewing, mistakes do happen!

Thankfully, i let myself cool down and called it a night with it. I carefully unpicked the sleeve and cut out a new one with some of the left over fabric. I’m a Yorkshire lass through and through and did some pattern tetris to get the most out of the fabric with some spare for instances like this!

Phew, my Agnes were saved!! No Memade garment isn’t complete without a label! I just love Kylie and The Machine labels

Here she is paired with sunshine bright Pinafore, the colours work so well together.

Then for everyday wear with jeans and an apple of course!

Now for an sneaky discount and a giveaway!!

To be in with the chance to win 1.5m of any of ByGraziela Fabrics! Yes you heard that right!! How amazing is that?!
All you have to do is comment
on this post.
Giveaway closes 31/10/2020
at 12pm GMT and can be posted withing UK and Europe!

Now for the discount!! Use code ‘Sally10’ to receive 10% off your purchase!

Then follow myself over at Instagram @theyorkshiresewist and @bygraziela_fabrics too

Happy Sewing!

Sal xx

*Disclaimer – I was given this fabric in exchange of my review in form on a blog post*

The post An Apple a day keeps anyone away if thrown hard enough! appeared first on The Yorkshire Sewist.

In Issue 40 of Simply Sewing Magazine there was a fantastic freebie pattern by Tilly and The Buttons – The Stella Hoodie!! It’s also available from her new Book – Stretch! Make yourself Comfortable Sewing with Knit Fabrics.

Truth be told, I’ve not had much look with Tilly’s patterns in the past but on a whim i decided to give them another go and I’m glad i did!!

GirlCharlee has kindly provided me with the softest French Terry in Teal that i have ever come across! It’s a bargain at £10.96 per metre! It even behaved really well on my Singer Quantum Stylist 9960 and Singer Overlocker so a def winner in my eyes!

I had a rummage through my stash too as i wanted to add a bit of pop to my hoodie and thankfully i had some left over Grey Floral Cotton Jersey from January’s Sew My Style of the Sunny Top.

According to my measurements I need a size 4 and i risked it by not making a toile but as the saying goes “risk it for a biscuit” and I’m glad I did as it saved myself time and the fit is great! but I wouldn’t recommend it if you do have to grade between sizes as making a toile would make sure you had the perfect fit.

I used my Overlocker for the majority of the construction of this Hoodie as i am sucker for nice neat lines inside and out. Doesn’t hurt have a glass of wine as a companion either, especially when the football is on! Hahaha!

I love my Automatic Buttonhole feature on my machine as it makes buttonholes a breeze and remember if you are using jersey to interface the back of your fabric to stabilise it and to achieve a great buttonhole.

The only thing I did change was that rather have a normal cuff, I wanted thumbholes! Since the weather is still naff and i wanted to try something new!

I’ll show you how to do this! It’s rather simple but uber effective!

I had to shorten the sleeve itself by 2 inches but that’s me with short arms so best check where the cuff would be by pinning the folded cuff piece to the sleeve using 1.5cm seam allowance for guidance.

First of all I pinned the cuff piece in place and added an extra 3″ to the height of the piece.

Take one cuff and pin so that the raw edges meet, right sides together. Now mark 1″ away from the edges at the top and bottom of the cuff and then measure 1.5″ (that will be your thumbhole) so once folded they will line up when you fold the cuffs.

Sew the seam using 1.5cm seam allowance, stopping and backtacking on either side of the holes to leave them open. Start at one end to the 1st pin, remembering to backsticth and then continue on from the 2nd pin as you will need this gap for your thumbhole and repeat to the end of the seam.

I graded my seam allowance down by half and pressed the seam open.

Fold the cuffs with wrong sides together, lining up the thumbholes. Pin together along either side of the holes and along the seam. Yeah… I go overboard with Pins!

This next step is a little awkward on your machine. I flipped my cuff so that the pins were in the inside and gently eased the rest o the cuff away whilst sewing. Sew 1/4″ from the seam from end to end, closing up the sides of the thumbholes. Repeat on other cuff.

Add a bartack at either end of the thumbholes to secure this stress point.

Ta-dah! You now have a thumbhole cuffs! Yay! Can you believe that’s all there is to it!

Just remeber when attaching the cuffs that the thumbhole and seam match to the sleeve seam or you will end up with the thumbholes wrong way round.

Tilly’s instructions are great for making this hoodie and i’m thinking I need a copy of her book as the patterns look fantastix and that this one has fitted really well it’s given me the confidence to try the patterns again! So win win!

I finished the hoodie by using aqua 1.5cm wide cotton tape that I bought from eBay for 99p, gotta love a bargain!

I hope you like this little tutorial on making your own thumbhole cuffs, I have a feeling I’ll be making all long sleeve tops like this now ?

Now here is the finished result hung up.

Of course moi wearing my new secret pj top, it’s soo comfy yet pretty with the floral accents!

Happy Sewing!

Sal xx

The post Tilly and The Buttons Stella Hoody and a Thumbhole Hack appeared first on The Yorkshire Sewist.

Can you remember back in February for Sew My Style that it was either the beautiful Rumana By Hand London Coat or Style Arcs Estelle Cardigan… I didn’t have the patience at the time to tackle such a big project so I decided to go for the cardigan!

My product review of the Pattern is now live over the Minervacrafts Blog.

So click on the link to find out just how easy it is to make your own!

Happy Sewing!

Sal

Xx

The post Style Arc Estelle Cardigan – Minervacrafts Product Review appeared first on The Yorkshire Sewist.

Hi All!

I was lucky enough to be selected by Melyssa for her 1st ever PDF Pattern to test! The Wearable Studio are a new Indie Pattern Company based in Australia and their patterns are designed to embody beauty, femininity, comfort and elegance. 

When i received the lucky email from her, i knew i had the right fabric for this top in my stash… this lovely Suzy Viscose in Sky from Sewisfaction! It’s such a beautiful print and such a dream to sew with too, no issues whatsoever!

The Franki Top is a versatile transitional piece. It has a boxy, relaxed feel which can be made into an everyday casual top or an elegant feminine piece, both of which will be a staple in your wardrobe.

This pattern will be a breeze for sewists with a little bit of experience but the detailed instructions (written and photograph guides) will gently help build the skills of any beginners too.

Both versions have a flattering hi-lo hem line.

Version 1 features a flirty ruffle hem and three-quarter sleeves with pretty ties.

Version 2 is cropped at the waist and has short sleeves.

I made a Straight Size 12 and had no fit issues with regard to the shoulders where i am petite in that area on some pattern brands lol the only thing i would change in my next version which has to be Version 1 with the ruffle hem and tie sleeves is to lengthen it by 2″ just for personal preference… Don’t think i can get away with the crop look in my early thrities!!  Overall though the instructions were very clear and the pieces fitted well where they should!

So grab yourself a copy now and make your own Franki’s!

Happy Sewing!

Sal xx

The post The Wearable Studio – The Franki Top appeared first on The Yorkshire Sewist.

February has been a bit hectic for me! Kids on half term and We’ve been planning our trip to Florida in May and everything is now finalised and paid for including the dollars so just need to sort our holiday clothes!

February’s Sew my Style was either the ever so gorgeous By Hand London Rumana Coat or Style Arc Estelle Cardigan.

I opted for the Estelle as I didn’t have the time or patience for such a big project of the Rumania as the Estelle is made with Ponte jersey and I whipped this one up in an afternoon just as the instructions stated.

I even opted for the in seam pockets as a girl can’t have too many pocketed garments can they?!

I made this from my stash from Minerva crafts originally as it’s still on the site here it’s a beautiful Boucle Double Jersey.

The only alterations I made were taking 3 inches of the length of the cardigan and 2 inches off the sleeve length as I am short! ? Like my Hello Kitty pencil?

I didn’t like the too rough and ready look on the edges of my cardi think its the perfectionist in me, so I decided to use a rolled hem using my overlocker and really like the look with the contrast of black and grey.

This is a great staple for my work when I go to head office as it’s quite smart yet relaxed at the same time. I love it!

Now I’m on a roll, i’ve completed 2 projects from sewmystyle now! Boom!

I’m looking forward to March’s project of the Kallie Shirt/Dress by Miegen Nielsen as I can see this being perfect for my holiday as it’s loose fitting and casual, I really like the curved hem of it! Just need to decide on the fabric!

Happy Sewing!

Sal xx

The post February’s #sewmystyle – The Estelle Cardigan appeared first on The Yorkshire Sewist.

Hi all!

Thought I would join in this year to make 9 garments that i actually want to make and wear! Rather than just for a specific event, I’m wanting to make more everyday clothes!

I’d rather have ‘me made’ clothes that are comfy and fit my quirky style of prints rather than boring plain one colour ready to wear from the High Street, which I’ve gotten into the habit of buying!

I’m planning to get in summer clothes into the list as we are planning an trip to USA in the Summer holidays where i would def need light and airy garments!

So here are my 9 that I’ve managed to wittle down!

1. Sunny Top by  Friday Pattern Company – Can’t go wrong with a staple jersey top.

2. Kinder Cardi by Wendy Ward from her new book – I always wear cardis for work but never at home so I’d thought I would make this one as it has awesome pockets and more a casual look.

3. Lilly Cami by Sinclair Patterns – holiday wardrobe part 1. With 2 different options and so simple to make!

4. McCalls M7536 Dress – A cute everyday dress. I’ve not had a v neck dress made in a while and love the 3 quarter sleeves.

5. Bea Blouse Simply Sewing Magazine – A nice smart top for work

6. Copenhagen Harbor Boardshorts by Stitch upon a Time – Holiday wardrobe part 2. As it’ll be an adventure with plenty of fun I’ll be able to keep my modesty better with shorts rather than skirts! ?

7. Suki Kimono by Helen’s Closet – I’ve always wanted a nice Dressing Gown, so why not put on my list to to kick my bum into making one!

8. Tilly and The Buttons Slipper Boots – Don’t know about you guys but I am forever going through slippers!! They must be my favourite shoes since i go through them so much! So i thought well why not having a go at making my own!

9. Monsal lounge Pants by Wendy Ward – I never seem to have a pair of lounge about pants it’s always my pjs lol so it’s be nice to have a comfy sensible pair…. rather than mad print pjs in case of visitors and for them to think why is she in her pjs at 1pm in the afternoon ?

There you go folks! My #2018MakeNine is all set and ready to go!

What’s on your on list?

Happy sewing!

Sal xx

The post My #2018MakeNine picks! appeared first on The Yorkshire Sewist.

Hello Everyone! I’m back again with another Lingerie Sewing Tutorial for GirlCharlee but guess what… I’ve only used half a metre, yes half a metre of Jersey to sew myself both some beautiful Knickers and matching Bralet which is perfect for cute bedwear as i get too warm with PJ’s lol!

First up is the Tutorial for the Knickers or Panties or whatever you wanna call them!

So I’m using the Ever so gorgeous EvieLaLuDIY Esme Panties which is available here in PDF version or a Paper Version.

Now then! First of all make yourselves a brew and read the instructions and make a list of materials/equipment you need if you don’t have them already so no last minute dash to the local haberdashery store or waiting days for online orders! There isn’t anything worse than you wanting to get on with sewing when you can’t! Or you have been on the Ball and have the materials on hand!!

Material List for Panties/Knickers:

Girl Charlee Modern Reflection Paper Cut Floral Cotton Spandex Knit Fabric – Quarter of a Metre/25cm

1.2m of Stretch Lace which should be at least 7″ wide/18cm wide

1m (1.09 yd) Fold Over Elastic (FOE) – 15 mm Wide

Ballpoint Needle – I used size 80/15

Walking Foot

Gutermann Thread

Pins

Mini Clips – You’ll see why later

Measuring Tape and Ruler

Rotary Cutter and Cutting Mat

I pre-washed the Jersey but not the lace I decided not to as a lot of people said it could distort the lace and make it harder to work with and to wash the bra/knickers after construction, so I’m following that route but of course its down to personal preference but I’d thought I would throw caution to the wind!

I bought the PDF version as I’m a bit impatient but i kinda love sticking the pages together with cellotape!!

So when printing off your pattern just remember to have your printer set to print at 100% and not set at to ‘fill page’ or at any other percentage!

Now according to the sizing and measuring myself, I’m in-between the medium/large so I cut out the Large to be on the Safe side as it can be easily adjusted.

But hey! Don’t get hung up on sizes at the end of the day this will be made by you and fits you perfectly!

Now you should have these 3 Pieces;

Now onto cutting into the yummy fabric! Remember when cutting your bum pieces that you need to place the pattern piece face down like I’ve shown here or you won’t get the lace edge at either side when sewn together!

Now to get the most of my Jersey, I only folded at about quarter of the Jersey as it doesn’t make sense to fold it in half and to lose that space!

Now you should have these fine looking pieces ready to sew!

Let the Sewing commence!

I’ve set up my machine to use a Small Zig Zag Stitch and using my Walking Foot too.

Seam Allowance is 1/4″ or 6mm unless stated otherwise

With Right Sides Together, Pin at the Centre Back Seam and Sew. The Overlock the Back Seam

Nice and neat seam

Take the front piece and Overlock or Zig Zag the two leg openings, along each curved edge.

Then turn both leg openings under by 5mm (2/8″) and press into place.

Overlock or Zig Zag the Front of the Crotch piece.

Lay the Crotch piece Right Side up on the Wrong Side of the front piece with the Crotch seams together. Tuck the Crotch piece under the finished edges of the Front piece so the two raw edges are hidden. Pin this into place and baste to ensure the Crotch doesn’t move when Top Stitching.

From the Right Side, use a Twin Needle or a Three Step Zig Zag to sew down both the turned under edges, trapping the Crotch piece in place.

To attach the Front and Back pieces at the back crotch seam, put them Right Sides Together with the Crotch Seams together. Pin and then Overlock or Zig Zag this edge.

To make the cross over detail at the side, find the two dots (one on the Stretch lace and one on the fabric) transferred from the pattern. Line them up with the Back lace piece over the front fabric piece, keeping the top edges level and pin in place. Do the same on both sides. Test fit at this point so you can adjust the overlap of the lace to ensure a perfect fit. Baste along the waist opening where the fabric and lace overlaps to secure it. Repeat this step for the other side.

Now onto the Fold Over Elastic aka FOE!

Cut the FOE approx. 1 ” shorter than the Waist opening.

Pin the Elastic to make a loop and stitch in place using 5mm (2/8″) Seam Allowance.

Pin the elastic evenly around the Waist opening, Wrong Side of the elastic to the Wrong Side of the Knickers with the edge of the fabric sitting along the fold in the middle of the Elastic. I stat by folding it in half and pin then fold that half again, pin to get 4 even quarters. Then I pin the Elastic in place first at the centre back, the sides then the front to get it nice and even.

From the RS of the fabric use a medium three step zig zag to sew this. You will need to stretch the elastic slightly as you sew.

Trim any excess fabric back to the Zig Zag stitches and remove the basting stitches. Fold the Elastic down to the Right Side of the fabric, encasing the raw edge and Top Stitch this with a Three Step Zig Zag.

Remove the basting stitches from the sides.

Hand stitch a bow to the front to finish. as it looks a little but naked otherwise!

And here we are!! One very cute pair of knickers!!!

Now Look at that cute back!!

These are one seriously comfy pair of knickers!! It’s like your not wearing any! You can’t tell that you have them on and a billy bonus is that there is no VPL!! Yay!!

Now onto the George and Ginger Bralet! With this Pattern I’ll show how to add some lace to the Straps to add a bit of girly/cuteness!

Of course a girl can’t have too much Lace, right?

Materials Required:

Girl Charlee Modern Reflection Paper Cut Floral Cotton Spandex Knit Fabric – Quarter of a Metre/25cm

Some left over lace from the Panties/Knickers approx. 1.2″ wide by

Ballpoint Needle – I used size 80/15

3/4″ Elastic – For more support if you require it

Walking Foot

Gutermann Thread

Pins

Measuring Tape and Ruler

Rotary Cutter and Cutting Mat

This Bralet is a Free PDF version available at George and Ginger’s Facebook Group  Gotta love a freebie! On the plus side It’s only 6 Pages to print and stick too! Yay!

So when printing off your pattern just remember to have your printer set to print at 100% and not set at to ‘fill page’ or at any other percentage!

Now to cut out your pieces!

So you should have the following pieces 4 x Cup Pieces (2 of them cut with the pattern piece facing down to get a mirrored image), 2 x straps, 2 x Front Band and 1 x Back:

Seam Allowance is 1/4″ or 6mm unless stated otherwise

I set my Machine to a small Zig Zag Stitch and of course using my Trusty Walking Foot

Cut out the Darts in your size on the Front pattern piece and mark with Tailors Chalk along the Cut Lines also remember to flip the pattern piece over the mirrored pieces. Also cut little snips into the edge of the fabric where the dart lines start. These will be used to line up the dart lines for sewing. Remember to do this for all 4 pieces.

Fold the fabric Right Sides Together so that your snips line up at the edge of the fabric
and at the “point” of the Dart, forming a triangle along the fold. Pin along the Dart. I find it helps placing at pin at the end of the Dart to help me remember where it ends lol! Yeah… my chalk rubbed off a little so it was a good job I placed the pin!

Sew the Dart by starting at the little snip backstitching at the edge of the fabric, then sewing towards the point of the Dart.

At the end of the Dart point, sew past it, right off of the fabric.

Do not backstitch and leave a good amount of thread to tie a knot by hand at the end a few times then cut off the excess threads

Then repeat for the other Darts on the remaining 3 Front pieces.

Now onto making the Bralet. We will be working with both the Main Fabric and Inner so there will be 2 sets all together.

Place the Front pieces Right Sides Together. Sew the Center seam.
Press seam open.

Place the back on top of the front, Right Sides Together.

Pin the side seams together. Sew down the side seams.
Press the seams open.

Now onto the Straps!

I got 2 x lengths of Lace to the same length of the Straps by 1.2″ wide.

Fold one Strap in half widthwise, Right Sides Together.

Now if you are inserting the lace then place it in between like i’ve shown here:

Pin and sew down the long side along the raw edges.

Turn the Strap Right Side out and press the seam. The repeat for the other Strap.

Cut the Elastic the length for your size indicated in the chart in the instructions. Using a safety pin, thread the Elastic through the strap until it comes out on the other end. Baste the ends of the straps to secure the Elastic in place.

With the Main fabric Right Sides out and the Back facing you, place one Strap 5.5” (for for sizes 10-14 – for other sizes its stated in the instructions) from the Side Seam raw edge of the Strap in line with the raw edge
of the top of the back bodice. I’ve place pins to mark where they need to go Repeat for other side.

Baste the Straps in place.

Turn the Bralet around so the Front is facing you. Bring the Straps to the front. Center the end of the Strap along the flat edge of the front piece, raw edge of the Strap in line with the raw edge of the top of the front.

Repeat on the other side. Baste the Straps in place

Slide the Lining Bralet over the outer fabric Bralet, Right Sides Together. Pin all the way around the top of the Bralet and sew.

Nearly there! Just need to the add the Band!

Fold the Band in half widthwise, Right Sides Together. Pin the short side and sew. I’ve just pressed it here a little to help keep it straight

Fold the band up, Wrong Sides Together, matching up the raw edges.

Mark the Band into four equal quarters with pins, making sure one pin is on the seam of the Band.

Divide the bottom of the Bralet in the same way,

making sure one pin is on the Center Front and one on the Center Back.

Slide the Bra inside the Band, lining up the four pins, making sure the seam on the
Band is on the Back of the Bralet. Pin in between the original four pins, stretching the Band slightly all the way around.

Sew all the way around the Band. Finish the Seam and Press!

Here you go one pretty Bralet!!

Now here they are both together! Aren’t they cutest pair you have ever seen?!

A very big thank you to Mark at Girlcharlee on providing the Jersey, Hannah of EvielaluDIY for the Lace, FOE and of Course the ever so cute little bow! Also Thank you to Hannah of EvielaluDIY and Kristi of George and Ginger Patterns giving me they okay to provide a tutorial for their Patterns

Now, I hope these Tutorials has shown you that it’s not as daunting as you think to make your own lingerie.

If you need any help just give me a shout here, Instagram, My Facebook Page or Twitter

Sal xx

The post EvieLaLuve Esme Panties and George and Ginger Love Sick Bralet Tutorial appeared first on The Yorkshire Sewist.

Today I’m showing you guys how to make the Lizzie Dress from the New Contemporary Collection by Simple Sew Patterns which is available to buy here.

Our classic Lizzie Dress is a delight to sew with shapely princess seams on the Front Bodice and satisfying to stitch Box Pleats which look amazing on this garment. You certainly won’t tire of this flatteringly feminine summery dress.

Especially when i have used this lovely Printed Cotton Lawn from Whitetree Fabrics. Its just beautiful with a vintage floral print with cute polka dots!! It’s a delight to sew and it’s just perfect for the Lizzie Dress with its lovely drape and print for a Summer Dress! Why else wouldn’t you buy some of this its a steal at £4.50 a metre and its 147cm wide too Win Win!!

Now upon reading the measurements on the back, I decided to cut a Size 10 for the entire pattern as i am lucky enough that the Size 10 fits me perfectly with no grading between sizes but i did have to shorten the Skirt Pieces by 10cm so ill show you how to do that later on the post dam my shortnest!!Hahahaha!

So it’s always best to double check your measurements before you start cutting into the Pattern but don’t panic if you need to grade between sizes and your thinking where on earth do i start ?! Go and click onto my previous Tutorial here, where I’ll show you how to grade in between sizes with ease!

As always make sure you launder your fabric prior to you starting to cut your pattern pieces out as this allows for shrinkage as it would be a complete shame not to do this before hand and to make an awesome staple Top, to wear it and love it and then to put in the wash where it’ll shrink and the Dress would be too small to wear! Noooo all your hardwork unwearable!

First open up the envelope and make yourself a brew and read the instructions and make a list of materials/equipment you need if you don’t have them already so no last minute dash to the local haberdashery store or waiting days for online orders lol!

A tip before starting your sewing on a fabric you haven’t used before use some scraps to make sure you have the right stitch or you could end up ruining some of your lovely fabric.

Construction List:

Simple Sew The Lizzie Dress Pattern

2.5 m of Printed Cotton Lawn from Whitetree Fabrics which was kindly given to me by my Sponser of Whitetree Fabrics

22″ Concealed Zip which i shorten by 4″ again myself being short an 22″ is too long for my body! hahaha!

0.5m of Medium Weight Iron on Interfacing

Navy Guternmann Thread and Bobbin

Paper Scissors – For cutting Pattern Pieces out as these will blunt and make cutting fabric out quite uneven!

Fabric Scissors/ Rotary Cutter – whatever takes your fancy for cutting your fabric, i use both

Cutting Mat

Pins

Seam Ripper

French Curve – handy for getting those straight lines whilst cutting out with rotary cutter or to grade in between sizes if your measurements are in between sizes.

Pencil for marking out the pattern of course

Sticky Tape

Iron and Ironing Board

And last but not least the Trusty Sewing Machine, Normal Sewing Foot and Overlocking Foot. Now I’m using this foot as i use my Overlocking Stitch to finish my Seams. But if you are using a Small Zig Zag Stitch then your normal sewing Foot will be ah-okay. Missing from the Pic my  but you do need it to install the Zip!

Make sure you have plenty of thread in your bobbin as there isn’t anything worse than getting halfway through sewing a long stretch of your garment and to find you have only sewn half of it, trust me this has happened many times LOL

Now then, you can go ahead and cut straight into the paper pattern to the size you require  and to make sure you add any notches/markings onto the fabric then cut out the pieces 

But i needed to take 4 inches of the length of the skirt so i’ll show you how to do it;

Now on the Skirt Pieces there isn’t a Shorten/Lengthen Line, so i decided to draw a line 38cm from the Top of the Skirt as i felt this was about right to alter the length from then drew a straight line across the width of the Back Skirt and Front Skirt.

Now then all you have to do is fold the pattern up to the cutting line and tap down using some sticky tape.

Then we have to match the pattern again so its all aligned again, i used my french curve and drew a line from the taped bit of the pattern down to the rest of the skirt in a nice line to match the pattern, the chopped off the excess. Remember to do that for both the Back Skirt and Front Skirt and of course to mark any notches they may have escaped from being chopped off  

Now onto the cutting the Pattern Pieces out. Fold the fabric Right Sides Together selvedge to selvedge and places the pattern pieces on the top. Align the straight grain line on the pattern piece to grain of the fabric and pin down the pieces. Also cut out your interfacing pieces too! Remembering to snip any notches on the patterns pieces as you will need these for lining up and sewing later on!

Which then you should have the following pieces:

1 x Front Centre Bodice, 2 x Side Front Bodice, 2 x Back Bodice, 2 x Side Back Bodice, 2 x Back Facing, 2 x Back Facing – Interfacing, 1 x Front Facing, 1 x Front Facing – Interfacing, 2 x Back Skirt and 1 x Front Skirt. Wow that’s a lot of pieces but it is soooo worth the end result!!

Also apply the Interfacing to the Facings.

When ironing Interfacing you have to be careful not to scorch your fabric but also for it to be hot enough to fuse the Interfacing to the Fabric.  So what I tend to do is to use a tea towel over my fabric and Interfacing and gently steam on top.

When applying Interfacing you always apply it to the wrong side of your fabric with the shiney side facing down.

Now onto Sewing it all together! Yay! We will be using a 1.5cm Seam Allowance for the Seams except for the Neckline and Armholes but I’ll remind you when to use 1cm Seam Allowance

With Right Sides Together, Pin and Sew the Front and Back Facings at the Shoulders.

Press and Finish the Seams.

Right Sides Together, Pin and Sew the Front Side Panel to the Front Bodice, matching the notches.

Repeat for the other side, Press and Finish the Seams.

Right Sides Together, Pin and Sew the back Side Panel to the Back Bodice.

Repeat for the other side, Press and Finish the Seams.

Right Sides Together, Pin and Sew the Front and Back Bodices together at the Shoulders.

Press and Finish the Seams.

Now onto attaching the Facings to the Bodice

With Right Sides Together, Lay the Facing on top of the Front and Back Bodices like I have here. Pin in Place around the Armholes and the Neckline. When sewing these remember to use a 1cm Seam Allowance, starting at the Centre Back.

Also when you get to the V detail at the Centre Front of the Bodice, pivot your needle at the sharp corners to maintain them lovely corners

Trim the Neckline and Armhole Seam Allowances to 0.5cm and snip into the curves to relive the pressure and to enable the fabric to lie flat. Just don’t chop onto your stitch line but as close as and to snip into the v neckline too.

Turn the Facing through so its lying on the inside of the Bodice. To do this, start by pulling the Left Back Bodice through the Left Shoulder Cavity and then repeat for the Right Side Bodice. Press the Neckline and Armhole Seams.

Now onto a tricky part!

We need to understitch the Neckline! This is optional but it it does give a real neat professional finish to your Dress.  I would recommend setting your machine to a smaller straight stitch to catch the snipped Seam Allowance. Lift the Facing from the inside of the Dress so the Right Side of it is facing you. Then start stitching about 1cm away from the existing Seam Allowance from the Centre Back of the Bodice to the Shoulder then starting again at the Centre Front back to the Shoulder, Repeat for other side too. Take your time with sewing this bit, don’t rush as you only need to sew the Seam Allowance to the Facing and not to the actual Dress itself. It really is worth the effort!

Yay! The Bodice is together! Now to the Skirt.

On the Right Sides of the Front of the Skirt, Fold the Pleats towards the centre notch like I have shown you here. Pin and press in place and the use a Basting Stitch (A Stitch that isn’t secure and its quite a long in length) about 1cm Seam Allowance to secure the Pleats. Repeat for the Back Skirt Pieces also.

With Right Sides Together, Pin and Sew the Front Skirt to the Front Bodice, remembering to match up the seams if you can.

Then repeat for the Back Skirt and Back Bodices. Press and Finish the Seams.

Now they are securely in place you now take out the Basting Stitches

Turn the Dress inside out so its Right Sides Together and flipping the the Sides of the Facings at the Side Seams. Pin the Front and Back Bodices together at the Side Seams and all the way down to the Hem and Sew in place. Press and Finish the Seams.

Its soooo close to be completed!! Now onto inserting the Concealed Zip!

I like to uncurl the Zip itself with a warm iron as this helps to get the stitches as close as possible for a great looking concealed Zip.

Now Swap your Sewing Foot to Invisible Zipper Foot and flip the Facing up and then Right Sides Together of the Bodice and Zip itself, pin in place on one side of the Back of the Dress so the the zip matches the raw edge of the Dress and that the Top of the Teeth of the Zip just sit below the Facing seam. so when the facing is folded back over its sits beautifully at the top of the Dress.

I like to hand tack my Zip in Place before Stitching in place.  Try and get as close as you can to the bottom of the Zip as much as your Sewing Foot will allow and remember to Back Stitch to secure too. Repeat for the Other Side.

Now to finish the Back of the Dress, I changed my foot back to the Normal Sewing Foot and with Right Sides Together, Pin and Sew the Centre back Seam starting from the Hem up to the point you stopped sewing the Zip in. Just be careful not to sew the Zip ends just keep them out the way whilst you sew.

Press and Finish the Seams.

Now then!!

For an extra touch of neatness, i decided to make my Bodice Facings lie neatly by flipping up the Bodice Facing and folding over the Seam Allowance of 1.5cm at the edge. Pin in place with the Facing and Seam Allowance and Sew together just like the understitching for the Neckline. Look how good it looks and plus it keeps the Facings in place too.

Just to hem this Beauty of a Dress! Remember to Finish the Raw Edge of the dress before Sewing the Hem in place.

With myself shorten the Skirt before hand, I didn’t have to take any length off and I like to use a 1cm Hem but that just personal preference but feel free to use the 1.5cm Seam Allowance as stated in the Instructions.

Then give it all a Good Ol’ Iron everywhere and Voila you have one Lizzie Dress!!

Here’s me on my way to see Claire at Simple Sew HQ, I’m off on a choo choo!! Hahaha!

Now then! I’m thinking this is overtaking the Ruby Dress as one of my Favourite Dresses of all time OMG!! It really is well designed and its nice not to be sewing Darts to give the Bodice shape it needs too.

So remember peeps Sewing is meant to be enjoyable and to have that satisfaction of making your own clothes is awesome so if you do get stuck please get in touch and i can help before you abandon it?

Sal xx

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