This week I'm combining Kristen's link-up for Works-for-Me WEDNESDAY along with my Wednesday's Workbook feature post because I'm going to show you all...what Works-for-Me when...
I'm sewing Little Dresses for Africa...cool beans ;)
What Works-for-Me for me you ask? A pattern that's what! Specifically McCall's Pattern #5419:
The organization Little Dresses for Africa offers some great instructions and a PDF file to download a template with instructions for cutting your pillowcases and/or fabrics...but it is not a real pattern with actual cut lines and I had visions that some sweet little girl in Africa would be pulling at her armpits all day because I cut her dress armholes all wonky :}
This fear comes from raising a son who had some compulsive tendencies and one of them was...constantly PULLING at his shirts because the fabric was touching his armpits! Don't ask...cause I won't name names...but the entire family knows who I'm talkin' about...lol
ALSO, the fact that my local fabric store had their patterns on sale for $.99 cents...oh yeah...NOW that Works-for-Me!
Sorry, I digress...now for Wednesday's Workbook I am going to show you how to use a regular pattern and how simple it is to make these Little Dresses for Africa.
1. WASH and dry your fabric and then press it flat so that it is ready to be cut.
2. OPEN up your pattern envelope and cut out ALL of the tissue paper pattern pieces.
3. FIND the pattern pieces that you need for your particular garment and press them flat (can do the same time as you press your fabric). Fold the remaining pieces and put them away in the pattern envelope.
4. LAY OUT your fabric on a large flat surface (here at the Love Shack it's my kitchen floor :) according to your pattern instructions. This can be the most difficult part of sewing but stay the course...
WHICH means PAY ATTENTION if you buy a fabric that has a particular pattern that needs to go in the right direction (ya know...like stripes or florals that need to go up and not side-aways in the front and back perhaps).
OR so that when the pattern is laid out on top of the fabric the front and back sides are facing the right way (ya know...with the brightest finished front side facing out and the lighter back sides facing in :)
5. PIN your pattern pieces to your fabric and begin cutting. In the above photo you can see that I only have two pattern pieces for this cute little dress and what you are seeing reflects only "half" of the front and back pieces. That is because you are laying the pattern pieces onto the "folded" edges of your fabric so that you get one complete front and back piece of fabric after you cut around your pattern.
6. SO...because my fabric is only 45-inches wide and the bottom of the two pattern pieces are wider than that...you simply can not cut or pin out more than one pattern piece at a time!
SO...pin the pattern piece for the front of the dress first and cut it out...and then you refold the fabric the opposite way (ya know...inside out :) and lay out and pin the back pattern piece. This makes sure that your PATTERNS for the front and back of your garmet are FIRST going in the right pattern direction and SECOND the right sides (brighter colors) are facing OUTSIDE on the garment where they belong.
REALLY this is less complicated then it sounds! BUT if you want to not worry about it at all...then FIRST buy a fabric with a small, random pattern that has no direction that needs to be matched OR buy a plain fabric that looks the same inside or out...YOU can always add embellishments like pockets, lace, trim and/or ruffles in different colors or patterns later :)
7. PIN together the two RIGHT/outside facing sides together (should be the darker, pattern sides) at the side seams. Matching up any notches or marking if you cut them out.
8. SEW the two side seams together by using a standard 5/8-inch seam...which usually is with the needle set in the center of your presser foot for most sewing machines.
9. STAY-STITCH the neck edges by simply running a stitch line as close to the raw edge of the fabric as possible. Stay-stitching helps to prevent the raw edges from stretching and fraying because you will not be turning this raw edge under for a proper hem/seam.
10. IRON your side seams open so that they will lay flat when worn and for ease when turning up the hem/seams. This is really important to me when sewing because I'm really picky about having straight hems/seams regardless if I'm sewing clothes or household furnishings ;}
11. IRON your STAY-STITCHING at the neckline as well.
12. PIN your doule fold bias tape with the wider section of the bias tape placed on the inside of the neckline pieces. NOTE: if you were going to add any trim or ruffles to your front neckline then this is when you should pin it in place as well with the bias tape. Simply cut the ends of the bias tape to square up with the raw edges of the neckline (this will be covered when the armhole edges are finished) .
13. SET your machine needle as far to the left of the pressure foot as it will go.
14. STITCH the seam binding to the necklines...sorry my photo is a little fuzzy ;)
15. STAY-STITCH the raw edges of the armholes...just like you did for the neckline.
16. IRON your stay-stitched edges...see how important it is to having the seams ironed flat...nice!
17. CUT two pieces of bias tape approx. 40-inches long and then PIN the bias tape at the armholes (just like you did for the neckline). Be sure to continue to run the pins all the way through-out the bias tape because you are going to sew the bias tape together to make the dress ties.
18. SEW the bias tape to the armholes and on up the entire length of the bias tape to make the dress ties (remember to set the needle position all the way over to the left).
19. TURN the raw edges of the dress bottom fabric up 1/2-inch to create seam allowance for the hem (most patterns call for a 5/8-inch measurement but I always use 1/2-inch for heming...cause it's a personal preference thang ;).
20. PIN your seam allowance with your pins placed horizontially through the fabric...this allows you to work faster because you use less pins and you are not sewing the seam allowance :) For those of you who do not sew or hem your clothes, a seam allowance prevents fraying.
21. PRESS the seam allowance...cause I said so :}
22. TURN the seam allowance up creating a 1/2-inch hem and pin in place for sewing on your machine...or by hand if it pleases you :)
23. PRESS your finished hem, inside and out.
See how nice your pressed seams look at the hem...
...and where the side seams meet the armpit...that's right...no fidgety, OCD kiddos will be affected by my armpits!
ALL PRESSED and the bias tape straps are tied in bows on the shoulders and ready to be shipped :)
NOW don't look too close at my stitch lines because they may be a little wonky...but that is okay...better done than perfect...WABI SABI !!
ALL DONE and only 11 more to go...but really...this only took me one evening...less than three hours from start to finish. AND the next ones that I do will not take as long because I already have the pattern cut and know the drill. ALSO I tend to do things in batches...so I'll cut all the fabric at once...OH MY ACHING KNEES :} Then I'll pin and sew all the fronts/backs together...then I'll iron all the side seams open...and on and on! I'll probably get all 11 done in one weekend. THEN when I'm done with the basic dresses I'll go back and add some fun accents with all my scrap fabrics...like pockets and ruffles for the hems, etc. I'll hang them all up and take a photo to let you all see them before I ship them off to Kristen by the middle of July...I'm so excited !!!
OKAY...let's talk for a minute about thread choice and my stitch lines! Well, when I bought the pattern at my local fabric store and was talking to the nice lady while she was cutting all my beautiful fabrics...she suggested that I try using clear thread in my bobbins...to eliminate my having to change the thread out for each fabric color, etc. SO when I got home I loaded up several bobbins wth this new clear thread...and DUMMY me...WHEN I started sewing the bias tape...I thought...why don't I use the clear thread for my needle as well...NOT! HA! IT DOESN'T WORK...because the clear thread has a lot of stretch and my stitches were pulling tight and bunching one minute and then going all loose and wonky the next :{
SO...for those of you who are not experiened seamstresses like moa...just follow the suggestions of others to the letter...clear thread in my bobbins...works! Then your bias tape trimming has the clear thread on the outside and...what-ever color thread is in your needle...shows on the insides only. So you can go with a basic white/black/beige thread...WHATEVER...to save you some time in your marathon of sewing Little Dresses for Africa!
Hopefully, I have inspired you in this Wednesday's Workbook to try your hand at sewing...because REALLY...it is alot of fun and seeing the pictures of these preciouse girls, all happy with their new dresses makes it so worth your time and effort!
All photos of little girls in Africa courtesy of Little Dresses for Africa.
Love what you're doing for the girls!
I also live how the dress turned out!
Thank you for stopping by, so glad you did so I could also find your blog. =]
have a lovely week!
Posted by: Mayra | June 17, 2010 at 12:22 AM
I went to the site for Dresses and they also need shorts for boys - reminded me of Wes's favorite shorts when he was in soccer - the black shorts with flames on them....super easy. I may have to pull out my materials and see about a patterns.... Your dress came out very cute! Love the color and pattern.
Posted by: Debra Bunker | June 16, 2010 at 06:20 PM
I can't wait to see the other fabric that you picked up. So cute! I would probably wear one as an adult here in the USA.
Great Job.
Posted by: Cortney Lyon | June 16, 2010 at 05:34 PM
Roberta...you do not cease to amaze me! And, of course, you know how I am such a copy cat of yours...now, I'll have to borrow my daughter's sewing machine and go buy that pattern (I can't figure out theirs)..
this is such a wonderful project- I'm moved to tears. Thanks for posting about this!
Posted by: Lucy | June 16, 2010 at 04:42 PM
So beautiful and such a wonderful way to help! You can saturate those dresses in prayer for the little ones who will wear them!
Posted by: Olivia | June 16, 2010 at 04:33 PM