Formal Wear: Adjusting the Fit

I'm so excited about this formal wear series, inspired by my experience sewing my sister's prom dress! Check it out, here, if you haven't seen it yet. Please let me know if you have any special requests. :)

Ah, you're in the final stages, you just successfully inserted a zipper you never want to lay hands on again, and despite all your careful measuring and practice runs....it doesn't fit quite right. Well, looks like you're going to have to start over! KIDDING! You can fix it, don't panic!

Now, it's easier to fix something that's too large than too small, but I will do my best to help.

Too Small:
1. Restitch all the seams in the area that is too small as close to the edge of the seam allowance as you can get, then rip out the original seam. This can give you up to an inch and a half depending on how big your seam allowance was.  
2. Rip out the side seams and add in additional fabric. This isn't the most attractive option, but you may be able to use contrasting fabric to make it look like a cool color blocking. You can also do this on a back or front seam and add a faux placket to hide the extra fabric added. 
3. Allow it to "ride down with wear" (bonus points: name that quote!) On one of my favorite comedic TV shows, the employees of this department store used this phrase, or variations of it, to convince customers to buy their sub-par merchandise. In one of my favorite episodes, one of the characters pushes his knee into an armhole that is too tight to pop a few stitch and make it more comfortable for the customer. The result on TV wasn't as effective, but it's actually not a bad idea. I've done it on a few of my own things that are just a tad too tight. Be cautious though, and don't pop too many stitches! 

Too Large: 
1. Take it in. The easiest way to do this is to put on the garment inside out, pin where you want a tighter seam, take it off and sew. Easy! I would suggest doing both sides as equally as possible to avoid lopsided-ness. 
2. Increase the size of darts or tucks...or add in new darts/tucks altogehter. 
3. Belt it. This is kind of the cheater way, but a good temporary fix if you don't anticipate staying the size you are, of ir you don't have time to sew. 

Too Droopy:
I have this problem in the neckline all the time! I usually just tighten the straps/sleeves (place on inside out, pin, sew) or add a few extra darts in the top of the neckline on the back of the garment. Sometimes it's not really droopy, just low cut, so I add an extra button or only wear it with a cami.

Too Long:
Trim it when you hem it. If you're hemming by yourself, use a similar garment you already like the length of to hem the new one. When people ask me to hem pants for them, I ask them to also give me a pair they like. Hold it up, measure, and we're good to go. If you're really in a hurry, go for a casual rolled look, or use iron on hem tape. (Which my mom swears by!)

Too Short:
Again, it's harder to add than take away but I'll try and help. 
1. Add an extra panel on the bottom. You can add a contrast color to make it look intentional or another panel of the same fabric. A trim, such as lace, is also a good option.
2. If you don't already have one, add a waist. Take the dress apart in the area where the bodice and skirt connect and add an additional panel. Again, contrast the colors or match it, your choice. 
3. Rethink the final look. Maybe consider wearing shorter heels, shorten it from a maxi length to a cocktail length, or add tights/leggings. For sleeves consider going from long sleeve to three quarter, three quarter, to cap, cap to strap, etc. If it's pants go from long to cropped, cropped to capri, capri to Bermuda, or Bermuda to shorty. Sometimes you can also lop off a bunch of fabric and just wear it as a top instead of a dress, or wear it as a bathing suit cover up where it's more socially acceptable for it to be too short. 
4. Use my awesome alteration tips to pass it down to someone smaller.    :D

What other tips do you have? Let us know what works, it's never fun to be stuck in a situation like this! 

~Farm Girl Teacher 

Formal Wear: The Zipper (eek!) My Special Technique!

I'm so excited about this formal wear series, inspired by my experience sewing my sister's prom dress! Check it out, here, if you haven't seen it yet. Please let me know if you have any special requests. :)

So, you've gotten almost all of the main portions of the dress done, and now you're on to the last few steps....I've gotten so many emails about this topic, hopefully I can shed some light...

Please note: I have always used invisible zippers and rarely branch out from this. I know not everyone is fan of this style of zipper, but I have never had one split, even under serious strain, and I don't find them more difficult to insert. This method will work on a traditional zipper and will hide it similar to the way an invisible one his hidden. If you want the zipper to be exposed I would suggest inserting it the traditional way. Also, I did come up with this on my own, but someone else out there probably invented it first, I'm not claiming to be too special. :D

The only shot I have pre-zipper insertion. I actually wound up redoing the bodice after realizing there was about a 6 inch are that was too small. :( Luckily I caught it before inserting the zipper and version #2 looked better anyway.

What makes your technique special?
Let me tell you my story first. You guys know I love to talk, so I apologize in advance if I drag on a bit. ;) I love showing off my handmade clothes, but when I say to friends, "Thanks, I made this!" the first thing they do (especially fellow seamstresses!) is check the zipper. Sound funny? lol I do it to other people too. It's one of the more complicated pieces of a garment and speaks to your talents and attention to detail. It was also one of the things I struggled with constantly before developing the technique I'm going to share with you. Believe it or not, I hated inserting zippers. I would get almost all the way done with something and set it aside for weeks because I didn't want to ruin it attempting to put in a zipper. Usually it wound up in the hands of my mother or grandmother six months later, and while it looked great, I was also just a tad bit ashamed that I had chickened out, once again. I actually had NIGHTMARES about inserting zippers. Dramatic? Yes, so I eventually decided I was going to conquer my fears the summer of 2013! (I know, only a year ago! See, I'm not a zipper god, you can do it too!) I wanted to make new clothes to begin my first year of teaching since my wardrobe had dwindled to shorts/jeans paired with a t-shirt during my college years, but that also meant mastering the zipper. I sort of developed this technique as a 'gateway' if you will, into legit zipper insertion. My mother did NOT teach me this....and thought it was a little ridiculous since it is extra work...BUT it also allowed me to successfully insert zippers for the first time, ever! I have never had to totally rip out a zipper using this method! (I do often make minor adjustments, more on that later!) I did this technique for a long time, until slowly I stopped doing it as much. My confidence grew, and I slowly weaned myself off this method and did it the 'legit' way without fear! That being said, I do occasionally revert back if I'm using expensive fabric, inserting into many layers of fabric, or if my fear gets the better of me...all three of course applied to Miranda's prom dress. :)

Should I practice first? 
Is this your absolute first time inserting a hem? Probably. Done it before, but not well? Maybe. If you already made a toile (tutorial, here) it's not a bad idea to also buy a cheap zipper of the correct size to practice. You may also want to keep a cheap zipper on hand that you can rip out and practice inserting on different toiles, types of fabric, etc. I have a zipper I use specifically for this purpose. I bought it on sale only to realize it doesn't zip smoothly so I saved it and use it on rough drafts and practice. Most of the time, inserting a practice zipper allows me to better check the fit, and sometimes I use it to practice sewing a zipper to a specific type of fabric. (With thicker fabric, like denim or leather, it's important to check that your needle is strong enough to handle all of the layers)

If this is your first one I recommend practicing on a skirt. The zipper is usually shorter (7-9 inches) and you don't feel as though you've put as many hours of work into a skirt. I also recommend that you don't get too attached to the skirt....you know, just in case. :D

 When do I insert the zipper?
I get this question a lot! I don't read written patterns nearly as much a I probably should, either because I've dramatically altered the pattern, or because I can easily see how to construct the pieces without instructions. I'm pretty sure most patterns will say to insert the zipper, then the hem as the last two steps, without mentioning how to adjust fit. 
Here's what I do...I complete everything except the zipper/hem. I try the garment on the actual person (don't rely on the dress form!) to see that it mostly fits. I make minor adjustments as needed before inserting the zipper. Often, this means adjusting the straps/sleeves because the neckline is hanging too low. I also make sure that it's not too small, there's no point in doing a zipper if it's too small to begin with, it's much better to insert it knowing it's a bit too big than to insert it hoping that will somehow add a few inches. (and yes, I have done that, doesn't work!) After the zipper has been inserted, I go back and take it in where I need to. (I will explain how to adjust fit in the next post.) I always wait and do the hem last because making sure it fits well on top, and has a working zipper, allows you to better adjust the length of the hem, and means you're more likely to get a straight hem. 

Where do I insert the zipper?
The pattern should tell you, it's almost always in the back seam or in the side seam. Back is more common, but if the pattern doesn't have a back seam, or has a special back detail, it will go in the side. (Both of these applied to Miranda's.) The zipper will hide a bit better in the side seam and is easier to zip, but depending on the neckline/sleeve styles it can also be a tad more challenging to wriggle into. Generally speaking, I follow the pattern, unless I've made major changes and need to move the zipper. For skirts, I almost always put the zipper on the side. It rarely changes the appearance of the skirt and makes it easier to dress.

 Tutorial:   
Okay, I'll quit babbling now and get to the actual tutorial. For my seasoned veterans I will repeat, this is a bit more work than the 'traditional' way, however I feel that in the long run it saved me time when I was learning to insert zippers because the 'traditional' way also meant ripping it out three times. Also, the pictures I took of me doing this on the actual prom dress were lost when my SD card was damaged so I re-shot them on a dress I'm working on now. The bottom layer is a plain white cotton and it has a sheer and somewhat delicate, yet bulky, overlay. 

Materials:
- Matching zipper (skirts/pants are usually 7-9 inches, dresses are around 22)
- Garment
- Strong, matching thread. (I ditched the silky thread I used on everything else in lieu of a more sturdy thread for the zipper.)
- Any contrasting thread. 
- Zipper foot--this is really not optional, a regular presser foot will only give you a headache and an ugly zipper, if you don't already have one, invest! (It will be worth it, I promise!) If you're insistent on using the regular foot, adjust the needle position so it is either at the far left or far right, as needed, and proceed with caution...I warned you!
-Iron/ironing board
-Starch
-Seam Ripper, razor, small scissors, etc.

Steps:
1. If you haven't already, sew up the seam until you get to where the bottom of where the zipper will be, for  many patterns a dot will indicate where to stop.

2. Switch to the contrasting thread and machine sew a basting stitch the rest of the way, WHERE THE ZIPPER WILL GO. I know this is backwards, you will no longer have an opening in your garment, and this is okay for now. Hand basting will not work, set your machine's stitch length to the longest possible and use a contrast thread, you'll rip it out anyway! (Trust me, it will work out in the end!)

Left=Basting, Right=Regular

I know, my 'matching' white thread doesn't match all that well, but the blue thread broke like crazy, trust me, it does look okay on the final product. 

3.  Iron seams out, I seriously recommend starching as well. You want really sharp seams, especially in the area that will hold the zipper. It will look cleaner and be easier to rip out the basting.

4. With the garment inside out, pin the closed zipper face down over the basting area. The seam you created with the contrast thread will provide a sharp guide, you want the teeth of the zipper directly over this seam. The straighter you do this, the better. I also think it's easier to pin down only one side and pin as flat as possible.

 PLEASE NOTE: You will not be opening the zipper until the very end, in order to avoid weird stitching around the zipper pull, I start about an inch below that, when I'm completely finished, I will go back with the zipper open and fix that area.

Check and double check alignment now!

5. Switch back to the matching thread and a zipper foot. I did the right side of the zipper first (the side without pins) so the needle is set closest to the teeth of the zipper, and the foot is on the outside of this. You always want the needle closest to the teeth. Stitch down the pin-less side top to bottom, routinely checking that the teeth are in line with the seam. 

CAUTION: Because you don't have an opening of a decent size in the dress anymore, be extra cautious that you don't accidentally sew through another part of the dress as well, you don't want a sleeve to get caught up into the zipper! (But if you do, don't panic, rip out that section of stitching and redo it.)

6. Remove all the pins (your new seam will hold the zipper in place) and stitch top to bottom down that side of the zipper, needle closest to teeth.  When you get to the bottom go back and forth over the teeth a few times to secure. Go slow, this is where you're most likely to break a needle.
 

The left side is a little wonky, luckily this fabric hides it well.

7. Now the zipper is in, but you still don't have an opening so, using a razor, small scissors, or a seam ripper, rip out the contrasting basting stitch as you unzip and double check the zipper's functionality and appearance.

8. Make minor adjustments to the zipper itself as needed. I finish the area where the pull was, and occasionally I rip out an inch or two where the teeth weren't lined up well and touch up that area. I also double check that the seam that goes up to the bottom of the zipper looks good. Sometimes there's still basting stitches down there where the regular seam didn't go high enough and I restitch it to avoid seam splitting down the road. Add a button or hook/loop to the top and, voila!

Congrats! You just inserted a zipper and you still have all the hair on your head! :) If that doesn't deserve a pat on the back, I don't know what does! :D

Come back soon and I'll help you adjust the fit and throw in a hem! 

~Farm Girl Teacher

Formal Wear: Perfect Gathers

I'm so excited about this formal wear series, inspired by my experience sewing my sister's prom dress! Check it out, here, if you haven't seen it yet. Please let me know if you have any special requests. :)

I know, I took another hiatus. Unfortunately, when cleaning out my classroom on the last day of school, I broke the SD card all my pictures were saved on. :( Most of the really important ones were saved on my computer, but I lost a lot of the tutorial ones I took for this blog and had to redo them. Hopefully, I am back on track. I will be finishing up this series soon, and posting a new crochet pattern before too long! :) 

Without further ado, I present my favorite way to gather! I probably didn't invent this, but I use it constantly and share it with as many people as I can, I like it THAT much! :)

Why "gather?"
Gathers are often used to add volume in the form of ruffles to a skirt. The result is typically a bit more gentle than what would result from pleating. You may also see it on a dust ruffle for a bed, or in the 'poofy' sleeves of old-style dresses. (Anne of Green Gables, anyone?) Gathers may barely be noticeable (sometimes called ease stitching on more modern sleeves), or it may be more severe, like in a skirt.

What makes this method better?
 Another popular way to gather involves a loose machine basted stitch and then tugging on the bottom thread. While this method does work, I personally kind of hate it. I always break a thread and it doesn't work for the large gathers I typically use. I will use the basting method to do the ease stitching part of a sleeve, but that's about it. For Miranda's dress, I had to gather a HUGE amount of fabric into very tight gathers and this technique was a lifesaver! 

Materials:
 You'll need your fabric (obviously), any color crochet thread (I think this is size 10 and can be found near the yarn. Regular yarn may work too, but it's a bit too flimsy for me. Regular thread is too weak.), and finally your presser foot. I love to use this foot, which my machine calls a 'braiding foot.' If you have a piping foot, it would work as well. That being said, I used a regular, straight-stitch foot for a long time, and while it's just as effective, the braiding foot is awesome because I don't have to worry at all about accidentally stitching through the crochet thread.

The foot has a small hole in the front the crochet thread fits through and the bottom of the foot has a groove that allows the foot to sit flush against the fabric while still sewing over the thread. 

I seriously suggest investing in this if you know you'll be completing a project with a ton of gathering. For everyday, occasional stuff, you can survive with the regular foot, I did, forever. :)

Steps:
1. Get your machine prepared. If you plan on ripping out the sewing thread, choose a contrast color, if you don't mind leaving it in (I always do) choose a color that matches your fabric. The crochet thread will always be ripped out, so it doesn't matter too much what color you use. You'll be setting your machine on a zig zag stitch just wide enough to stitch over the crochet thread. Once your width is set, match the length. (My width is set to about 2.5, so I matched the length to about 2.5 as well.) If you're using a regular presser foot, you may want to set the width just a bit wider to make sure you don't accidentally stitch onto the thread.

2. Stitch, DO NOT stitch over the crochet thread. (This is easy with the braiding foot, be more careful if you're using a regular foot.)

3. Cut your thread and begin sliding the fabric up and down on the crochet thread. It reminds me of the way you'd move curtains up and down a curtain rod. 

4. Use a straight stitch to secure the gather the way you like, or go ahead and attach it to the rest of the project. When you're finished, you should be able to just pull the crochet thread out completely. Ripping out the zig zag stitch is optional, I almost never bother, it's not noticeable at all.

Note: For Miranda's dress, I attached the under and over skirt together by straight stitching it onto a piece of 2 inch ribbon the same length as the bodice.  The ribbon helped hold it steady and keep it at the correct length, I then attached the whole thing to the bodice. I pulled out the crochet thread, but left the ribbon. At that point, it was too hard to rip out. :)

Voila! Step back and admire those beautiful gathers! :)

~Farm Girl Teacher

P.S. I recently found a new blog I am seriously IN LOVE with. This blogger recreates mouth watering foods from her favorite books. If you love to read and love to eat, this blog is for you! (and if you don't love those things, I will be very disappointed in you!) Seriously, head over there and explore, you'll walk away inspired!

Formal Wear: Inserting Boning

I'm so excited about this formal wear series, inspired by my experience sewing my sister's prom dress! Check it out, here, if you haven't seen it yet. Please let me know if you have any special requests. :) 
 
What is boning?
Boning refers to the stiff pieces of material typically found inside a corset or a bodice. It gives the material a stiffer structure and provides a more flattering shape of the body. Originally, boning was made from ivory, whale bone, or even wood, however as technology has improved, people began using steel and then plastic. The boning is encased in a material tube, usually cotton or muslin. You'll know you need to use it if it's mentioned in the notions section of your pattern. It is purchased by the yard and typically attached to the lining of the garment. You may also find boning used in other ways in costume patterns as these may have structural features that require the extra support.

***Please note, while both steel and plastic boning are used today, this tutorial is a guide to plastic, which is more commonly used in basic bodices. Steel boning is typically used for very structured corsets, especially those that will be tight-laced, modifying the body shape. 

But do I really have to?
I know it's tempting to skip steps or cut corners, especially in a large project, but I would typically not recommend skipping this particular part. Boning is structurally important to the garment. Often it helps to hold up the bodice, especially if the bodice is strapless or not well supported by another structure such as a sleeve or a collar.  You might could get away with a stiff, fusible interfacing, but I really suggest using the boning.

General Tips:

1. Boning is stored in a coil, if you found that your boning is too tightly wound, hold it in the steam from a boiling pot of water. This will help loosen the plastic a bit. You can also hang it from something with a small weight on the other end, or press it between too heavy books.

2. Use a metal nail file and toenail clippers to file down any sharp edges. These edges can not only be uncomfortable to the wearer, but they can also poke through the fabric and out of the garment entirely!

3. A zipper foot can be helpful when inserting boning, but it's not truly necessary. I've done it with both and never had a problem.

How to insert boning:
Please Note: Typically you would use matching thread, I am using a contrast color so it will appear on camera.

1. If you haven't already, mark on your bodice where the boning will go. This should be indicated on your pattern. If you're making the creative decision to add boning that's not required in the pattern, you'll probably want to add it on the outer curves of the bust (not quite mid-boob, not quite armpit) and in the back about halfway between the spine/armpit.

2. Cut the boning (fabric and plastic) to the required length. Remove the plastic from the tube and cut just the plastic half an inch to three quarters of an inch shorter. File down any sharp edges with a metal nail file. Taking off the sharp corners will keep the boning from stabbing the wearer, and more importantly, from poking a hole in the fabric of your garment. :)

3. Pin the tube to the fabric and stitch a straight stitch as close to the edge as possible on each of the long sides of the tube. I use a zipper foot to do this as it allows me to get close to the edge, however I've also used a regular foot with no problem.

4. Stitch the top of the tube closed, and insert the boning through the bottom of the tube.

5. With the boning inside, stitch the bottom of the tube closed. You may find you need to trim the plastic more, that's fine.

Voila! You're done! See, that wasn't as hard as you thought, was it? :)

You know what I love about sewing during the summer? My work area looks out over a BEAUTIFUL garden my mom made last year. (The photo doesn't do it justice!) It's hard to get a shot of it, but she was out there today working near the beautiful rosebush by the front door. :) I can't tell you how much I love summertime!

Happy Memorial Day
Hope you enjoyed!

~Farm Girl Teacher

Formal Wear: Creating a Toile

I'm so excited about this formal wear series, inspired by my experience sewing my sister's prom dress! Check it out, here, if you haven't seen it yet. Please let me know if you have any special requests. :) 
  
What is a toile?
No, that wasn't a spelling mistake, a toile [pronounced: 'twal'] is French and basically describes the practice dress for a seamstress. Here in America we may also says a 'muslin.' (Project Runway fans?) It allows you to check the fit of a garment BEFORE you cut into the fabric you actually want to use. It's also good if you're confused by the instructions of a more complicated piece. It's usually made of muslin simply because it's cheap and readily available.

The finished toile.

Do I really need to make a toile?
Now, I sew a lot of clothing, and I'm not going to lie, I don't always bother with a toile. (hardly ever, actually) In a perfect world I would have plenty of time to do this, however this is not a perfect world. Often times this decision comes down to time. A toile can save you time in the long run if you are able to troubleshoot problems before they occur on the final piece, however, you're basically sewing the same thing twice which is obviously going to take more time. If you're deciding whether or not to sew one, you'll have to take a few things into consideration.

I DON'T sew one if:
-I'm using a pattern I've used before.
-I'm using a pattern company I REALLY trust. (For me, that 's New Look, love those!)
-The pattern is relatively simple or I know it can be altered easily in the event it doesn't fit right.
-The fabric I'm using isn't that expensive or rare.
-The garment isn't that important. (i.e. a simple circle skirt vs. sister's prom dress)

I DO sew one if:
-The fabric I'm using is very expensive or I have a very small amount that I know I can't supplement/replace.
-The pattern I'm using is very complicated or requires special techniques.
-The final garment or fit of the final garment is very important. (Special event clothes, jackets, etc.)
-When I held up the pattern pieces something caused me to worry about the fit. (I especially do this with vintage patterns or brands I haven't used before)

I sew HALF a toile if:
Half a toile? I'll often practice the part of the garment that causes me concern. For example, for a dress I may practice a collar I've never done before, or a bodice that requires extra details such a pleating, a special cut, boning, etc. There's no point in wasting time/fabric and also attaching a skirt if that's the most simple part of the garment. For pants I may do a toile that basically looks like shorts in order to make sure the fit is correct in the crotch/zipper/waist area, or if I want to add/change the pockets.

I made sure to fit it WITH the crinoline!

Guidelines
Lets get down to business now and assume you are doing a toile. I'm going to focus on the key things to remember here.
 
1. Choosing your fabric: Muslin is the most common choice for a toile, however you can use almost anything. The toile I made for Miranda's prom dress was made from cheap bedsheets. Flat sheets can be a great way to grab some extra fabric just for this purpose, if you see sheets on sale, buy them! Trust me, you'll find a way to use them! That being said, if the type of fabric is important to the garment, you may need to opt for a different fabric. For example, if the final garment is a knitwear garment, muslin will not really allow you to get an idea of how it fits/looks. For the prom dress, I used cheap tulle to check the look/fit of the one shoulder that would eventually be made of chiffon.

The tulle allowed me me to get a feel for how the chiffon would lay.

2. Notions? Again, this is up to you. I may use a contrasting thread color (and a basting stitch!) because it makes it easier for me to rip out stitches if I need to. I don't usually insert a zipper, however I may baste one in if I'm worried and want to check that. You may want to consider keeping an old zipper around just for this purpose. Buttons are also optional. If you want to use them, dig through your stash and pull out the ones without partners. Boning, on the other hand, is one of those things I WILL insert because it does matter quite a bit for the overall look/fit. Same goes for interfacing. 

This is a remake of the one-shoulder. I actually wound up changing it a third time but I forgot to take a picture of it.

3. Transferring the Pattern: You'll notice that I've written all over this toile. This makes it so much easier when constructing the final garment. I'll also take notes on the pattern as I'm working so I will remember the changes I made when it comes to the final draft. (i.e. "use a quarter inch seam here" "move pocket up two inches" etc.)

This is the transferred pattern. There are also markings on the skirt to remind me how much I needed to lengthen it by.

4. Cut corners...sort of: Yes, this is meant to be a practice, but often times you don't really need to do EVERYTHING. For example, I rarely add a hem, lining, train, embellishments, etc. unless it's one of the things I'm worried about and want to check. I went ahead and added the skirt to this because I was altering the number of panels it had and the length of the skirt.

Then what?
Okay, so you've done all the work to create a toile, it definitely fits, now what? Well you have a couple options...

1. Take it apart: You may consider deconstructing the toile and using it as the new pattern when cutting the fabric for your final garment. This is especially useful if you made drastic changes to the cut of the pattern like shortening sleeves, taking it in a bit, etc.

2. Use it! You did all the work, you may as well use it! If the garment you're making calls for a lining, use the toile! Just keep in mind when you're making the toile that you don't want any writing to show through the fabric. Use a light pencil, write on the inside, etc. If you make a lot of toiles, you could also cut the garment into strips and use them to make a braided rug. Miranda's toile became a part of the lining.

3. Gift it: If you're making something for a personal friend (like a wedding dress for a bride), you may want to give this to them as a part of the event. Write fun memories from working on the dress all over it. (i.e. choosing the pattern, fabric, fittings, etc) (Am I the only one that thinks this would be an adorable display at a wedding reception? lol) Old toiles can also make fun dress up clothes for a child in your family!

Ember was helping. :) It also makes a great gift for kitties!

Let me know if you have any other questions, I'd be more than happy to help! Happy sewing!

~Farm Girl Teacher

Formal Wear: Fabric Guide

I'm so excited about this formal wear series, inspired by my experience sewing my sister's prom dress! Check it out, here, if you haven't seen it yet. Please let me know if you have any special requests. :) 

Type of Fabric
Formal wear is almost always made from pain-in-the-neck material...but if you know what you're doing, it's really not as bad as you'd think. Miranda's dress had a muslin lining, a satin waist, a lamé underskirt, and a chiffon overskirt. I will give advice for each of these...if you'd like me to do an additional post on a specific type of fabric you're interested in, let me know! :)

Muslin Lining
When choosing lining fabric, make sure you choose something simple, strong, light colored, and comfortable. It's going to be closest to the skin, so you want the person wearing it to be comfortable. That being said, the lining may be taking a bit of weight on so it's important not to choose something weak like silk. 

 
Satin Waist
We actually weren't sure what the waist would look like when we began. The first bodice I made had a lamé waist with the chiffon covering, however after stepping back and looking at it, we all agreed it'd really look better if it was broken by a different texture/color. In this case, that was the satin. Satin tends to be a bit unstructured though, so I reinforced it with featherweight interfacing. Keep in mind when choosing satin or silk that perspiration is going to show through the fabric so it's important to line it to prevent wet marks.

Gold Lamé
Lamé fabric is made from metallic fibers. Unfortunately, this means the metal in the fabric quickly dulls the scissors and needles you're using, make sure you're changing needles regularly or sharpening your scissors. It also frays quickly so it's important to wait to cut it until you're definitely ready, avoid handling it too much, and stitch as soon as possible to finish the edges so you don't have to worry anymore. 

Chiffon
The overlay was made using a chiffon. Chiffon reminds me of a softer kind of tulle. With chiffon it is important to take a few extra precautions to keep your machine from eating the delicate fabric. The most important thing you can do is to simply change needles often. (I recommend using a size 70 needle) I also found that using a presser foot designed to be used on delicate or sheer fabrics to be beneficial in preventing the eating of my fabric. Like the lamé, chiffon frays easily, see the instruction above to learn to combat this. 


Amount of Fabric
Avoid skimping too much on the amount of fabric you should buy. That being said, we did not follow our pattern instructions on this. I think the pattern was designed for a cheaper fabric, like tulle. It said I needed almost 25 yards of fabric just for the overskirt! We wound up going with 5 yds of lame (in hindsight, I'd buy 6) 10 yds of chiffon, 1 yd of satin, 3 yds of feathers (too much, but it gave me tons of wiggle room, and 6 yds of beading.

Most Importantly... 
Get to know YOUR fabric. Do you need a special foot? Does it behave a certain way after it's been sewn? Are there special care instructions? etc. You have the world wide web at your fingertips...use it! :) Also, take some time to practice various stitches and stitch sizes on scrap fabrics. 

Hope you enjoyed!

~Farm Girl Teacher

Formal Wear: Choosing your Pattern

I'm so excited about this formal wear series, inspired by my experience sewing my sister's prom dress! Check it out, here, if you haven't seen it yet. Please let me know if you have any special requests. :) 

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Everyone has different starting points when they begin a project, and there is no 'right' or 'wrong' ways to begin but I will share my methods and maybe help you if you're feeling overwhelemed. :) 

Sometimes, I am inspired by a fabric to make a particular dress. Other times I find an amazing pattern and then choose fabric to compliment. Sometimes, as was the case with Miranda's prom dress, I know what I want (or, what she wants) so I look for a pattern or fabric that fits what's in my head. (Costumes come to mind!)

In order to get an idea of what Miranda was interested in, I created several different sketches showing different parts of the dress and different styles. (In a beautiful journal she gave me.) I definitely suggest doing this if you plan on sewing several formal dress, or doing multiple bridesmaids dresses in different styles. Keep in mind that there ARE other styles, but many of them are against the school's dress code so I didn't list them as a choice. Remember, like I tell my kids, I am NOT an artist! :)

I began with as many necklines as I could think of....

I showed a few different sleeve styles.... 

I then drew as many backs as I could think of....

and finally, I asked her to choose her favorites in each section. (Indicated by the star)

I used her favorites to show her a few examples of final products....I was really gunning for the Avante Garde :) Did anyone else learn that word from Project Runway? lol

I also reworked these drawings based on Google image searches of examples of what she wanted. For example, did you know there's like tons of different ways to make a one-shoulder dress?

Finally, I scoured different pattern companies in order to find a pattern that fit the design she wanted. We finally landed on, McCall's M6466. 

This pattern is close but not perfect. I knew I'd have to lengthen the skirt in order to make it full-length, and she didn't love the style of this one-shoulder, so I drafted my own pattern for it. You can also buy two patterns and combine them, i.e., the bodice from one plus the skirt from another. 

After all of this, we went fabric shopping. While shopping, she was inspired by the feathers, so I did a few additional drawings illustrating ways we could attach them to the dress.

Hope you enjoyed!

~Farm Girl Teacher

Surprise!

Did you guess it from the sneak peek? It's, drum roll please, a formal dress!  Now, for my teacher-friends out there, this post is about to sound like I took a page out of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. It was certainly a roller coaster! :)

Back in October, my sister approached me about sewing her prom dress for her this year. (Her senior year) I eagerly agreed and began picturing the gorgeous dress I was going to make...

...about two weeks after she asked I had a miniature panic attack when I realized that I COULD NOT screw this up....oh boy.

Little did I know, this would be one of many panic attacks as the next few months ensued.

Sure, everything started out okay. She decided on what she wanted, I did my research, we picked a pattern, etc.

But then came the fabric shopping...and suddenly everything became even more real...my second panic attack came when I realized I'd have to use chiffon, lamé, satin, beading, and FEATHERS all on the same dress, and, oh yeah, it's probably the most important article of clothing in high school ever...

I made a toile (more on that later) and, well, everything seemed fine...until it came time to make the one shoulder part of the dress. My timing was very poor as I asked my sister to try it on the same day she was having her wisdom teeth taken out and emotions were already running a bit high. Next thing I knew, I was smack dab in the middle of a very strange hysterical breakdown about how she didn't want armholes!

What? Whaaat? Can someone please explain to me how I make a dress without ARMHOLES??? I can't just sew your arms into the dress, they have to poke out somewhere!!!

Needless to say, she did eventually come to terms with the fact that we would HAVE to add armholes, but of course that decision wasn't reached until after the bodice had been completed, and yes, I ripped it out and redid it...changing the midriff fabric as well.

After that, everything was smooth sailing until I realized that I was going to have to insert an invisible zipper into the side of the dress on a lining, chiffon, and lamé...craaap!

After additional research, this did happen, and...I didn't have to rip it out! yaaay! :)

And again, we were flying high until....my serger broke. Oh. My. Goodness. All I can say is thank God for great friends and their generosity, my friend's serger got quite a bit of use that night! :)

And then came those dreaded feathers...how did I let her talk me into this. Those darn feathers just sat on our dinning room table taunting me, torturing me, for MONTHS. Who sews with feathers????

Apparently, I do. This actually turned out to be considerably easier than I anticipated and I quickly add the feathers and beading.

Needless to say, we came out on the other side and I think the dress looks pretty darn good if I do say so myself! :)

Tutorials, will, of course, follow. I'm still debating on whether or not I'm going to do a tutorial on how I did her hair, let me know if this is something you'd be interested in! :)

Hope you enjoyed!

(And if you didn't, keep it to yourself! lol)

~Farm Girl Teacher