Constellation - and a Tip or Two

Pattern:  Love Notions Constellation
Skill Level:  Confident Beginner
Fabric: Brushed French terry and cotton/spandex from l'oiseau fabrics
Skills:  Installing a zipper and reducing bulk in a hem.

The newest star of Love Notions is the Constellation.  This is the grownup version of the children's Navigator and one that will find a place in everyone's closet.  As usual with Love Notions patterns - options!  Do you want a hoodie or would you prefer a collar?  How about the hem - a fold-over on a curved hem or would you rather have a band?  It also lends itself beautifully to colour blocking!  While it does need to be made from fabric with at least 25% stretch, you can make it as light (cotton/spandex) or as heavy (sweatshirt fleece) as you want!  There's something here for everyone!

One of the things that really sets this pattern apart from other pullovers is the finish - no raw seams in evidence here!  Instead, a bias binding finish on the neck raises this to a professional look.  In fact, you'll want to show it off!

The Zipper

The zipper is such an easy install and as with so many Love Notions patterns, there are videos to help you - one for the zipper and another for the bias binding - that take all the mystery out of these steps.  I'm going to show you a trick I learned from a school chum of mine who is now a top-notch sewing instructor.  The way to make zippers behave is to use double-sided washable basting tape!

Once the outside piece of the collar has been attached to the body, you're ready to do the zipper.  Instead of using pins, I attach the first side of the zipper with double-sided washable basting tape.  I run the tape right down the edge of one side, trim at the bottom and then remove the paper topping.

Now I place one side of the zipper - just as the video shows - but instead of using pins, the tape holds everything securely in place.

Then I simply take it to my sewing machine, and with the zipper foot in place, I stitch right down this side of the zipper.

The other side of the zipper needs a little more care.  Again - watch the video to see how Kelly shows you how to make sure that your neck seam will match.  I pin that little bit and check to make sure my seams match.  When I'm sure that I have it in the right spot, I machine baste that small section and then put basting tape in all the rest and stitch on my sewing machine.  And just like that, you're done with the trickiest part of the sew!

The Bias Binding

Just a small hint for you here.  I love this finish so much that I make my own bias binding!  After I've stitched it to the inside collar piece, I trim just a hair off the edge of the seam so that it will fold over easily.

The Curved Hem

A curved hem is really not that difficult.  I use lots of pins to secure it in place.  You can see that the curve creates lots of bulges in the hem.  So now I bring on the iron.  I steam press the hem on the inside of the garment.  I just press down with the iron and that seems to shrink the fabric just a little.  With all the pinning, if there are any tucks created, they will be tiny.

And as you can see, I now have a nice flat surface for stitching.

The front of the Constellation poses another possible challenge.  The kangaroo pocket means you have a double layer of fabric which could result in a bulky hem that sticks out.  And there's a way to get around that.  After I've pressed the front portion of the pullover hem, I then take out the pins, and using the pressed fold of the pocket lining as my guide, I trim off 1" of fabric.  Then I fold the hem back in place and press it again.

Now I have a much less bulky hem to take to my coverstitch machine that will hang properly when I wear it.

I can see that I'll be making more of the Constellation Pullover.  Its options and the fabric I use will let me make each one a unique garment that I know I'll be getting lots of wear from.  If you don't already have this terrific pattern, you can get it through my affiliate link below

Love Notions Constellation Pullover

A Duet of Tips for the Duet Trousers

Pattern:  Love Notions Duet Trousers
Skill Level: Confident Beginner (knit) Intermediate (woven)
Fabric: woven polyester with spandex from Fabricland
Skills:  Stitching in the Ditch and Blind Hemming

Love Notions' Duet Trousers is a pattern made for either woven or knit.  As trousers, dressier than pants, they are meant to be a looser fitting garment - not tight fitting - and should hang straight down from the buttocks, not cup them.  I chose to make mine in a polyester/spandex woven which has plenty of drape - stiffer fabrics are not the best choice for this pattern.  If using a knit, you might need to size down.  The knit pattern has a yoga waistband while the woven version uses a contoured waistband with an invisible zipper and the option is there to put in a control panel.  You can choose from straight legs or tapered.  And pockets!

While the pattern is fairly simple, there are several procedures which might be new.  As always, Love Notions has videos to help you, such as installing an invisible zipper but I thought I'd walk through a couple of them.

Stitching in the Ditch

After the waistband is sewn in and faced, it needs to be stitched down.  This can be done by hand, but it can also be done by machine.  First, I finished off the raw edge of my waistband lining with the serger.  This can also be done with a sewing machine using an overlock stitch to secure the edge.  Then I pinned the waistband in place and took it to my sewing machine right side out.

Stitching in the ditch is just that - you carefully stitch in the seam between the waistband and the trousers.  Fortunately, my machine can go really slow - which is needed to stitch in that seamline accurately!

This fixes the waistband securely in place.  You do have the option to fold under and attach the lining by hand, but I'm always looking for the easy way.  I'm quite prepared to run my machine at a snail's pace to avoid some hand sewing!  You can also fold under the waistband lining so it's just past the seamline and catch it with your sewing machine, but I've seen ready-to-wear pants finished as above, so I elected to do it this way as it creates less bulk.

And when you're done, that stitching will be barely visible.

Blind Hemming

Next to sewing on buttons by hand is my dislike of hemming by hand!  Of course I'm going to try out blind hemming!

This was the first time I'd used the blind hemming foot that came with my machine.  The blind hemming stitch has several straight stitches to the right and then jogs in to the left to catch a fold.  And of course, I practiced first.

First, serge the raw edge (or overlock stitch on the sewing machine) pin up the hem and iron it.

Next, fold back the hem so that the overlocked edge is to the right and the fold to the left - about 1/4" showing.  I folded just to the edge of the serging with the red guide keeping the fold in place.  Using a thread that was a good match, I stitched my practice swatch, unfolded and ironed it.  I was amazing at how good it looked!

On to the real thing!  I followed the same procedure and in no time at all, the pants were hemmed.

A good pressing and you can barely see the stitching.

The Duet Trousers from Love Notions are dressy trousers that definitely have a place in your cupboard.  Paired with low-heeled boots or with heels, you're set for the office or a night on the town.  You can get the Duet Trousers through my affiliate link below.

Love Notions Duet Trousers.

Lace for a Girly Girl

Pattern:  Love Notions Cartwheel Collection

Skill Level:  Confident Beginner

Fabric: l'oiseau fabrics in Calgary, Canada

Skills: sewing with lace

My granddaughter loves the Cartwheel Collection circle skirt with its double layers of twirly goodness so making Miss A. an outfit from the pattern with lace overlay was a no-brainer!

And of course, I have to throw a panel from l’oiseau fabrics into the mix as well! My plan was to have the bottom layer of the circle skirt in  pale pink cotton/spandex.

The shorter over-skirt would be stretch lace.  I would also use the lace in the top to tie it all together.

The skirt was a snap.  I quartered the skirts and also the waistband and stitched them all together.  I lettuce hemmed the underskirt and scallop-cut the raw edge of the lace skirt.

I had a wonderful flamingo panel from l’oiseau for the shirt.  The lace was to be echoed in the upper portion of the peek-a-boo back and the sleeves as an overlay to the pattern pieces.  I basted them in place and just treated them as one piece. 

The shirt went together very well in spite of my worries about the lace slipping.

Heaven knows how my athletic, down-to-earth family wound up with a girly girl, but we’ve got one and it makes my Grandma heart so happy.  And you can see that she's pretty pleased with it herself!

Yes, this outfit is definitely over the top but it fulfills my granddaughter’s twirly girly dreams!

If you haven't already visited all of the amazing lace blogs, be sure to check them out!

   

Monday: Sewing Curves SewSophieLynn Kainara Stitches 

Tuesday: doodlenumber5 My Heart Will Sew On Third Shift Creations 

Wednesday: Princesse et tresors Phat Quarters 

Thursday: All Things Katy! Back40life,Sprouting JubeJube 

Friday: Sew Like a Sloth Very Blissful Seamly Behaviour

Moving Darts - and another hint or two

Pattern - Love Notions Sonata Dress
Skill Level - Confident Beginner
Fabric - Apparel cotton from Fabricland
Skills - Adjusting a pattern

The latest pattern from Love Notions is the Sonata - the perfect dress for summer.  It's flattering, loose and yet semi-fitted with its empire waist, fits sizes XS to XXXL and comes with 4 sleeve options and 4 bodice sizes.

The attractive neckline also has a couple of options:  you can have the facing on the outside for a contrast or face simply on the inside with topstitching on the outside which is how I did mine.

And to give you the best fit - it has darts!  Darts are what give the Sonata its shape.  And just as it's important to match your full bust to a pattern's bust line, it's equally important to make sure the darts fit your unique shape.

The first time I had to move a dart I was pretty nervous!  However after doing a few I feel a lot more confident.  Plus I was surprised at how easy it actually is.  So here are the adjustments I had to make so that my bodice fit my shape.

The first thing I had to do was establish that the bodice was going to be long enough for me.  Love Notions patterns are drafted for an average height of 5'5" and I'm 5'8".  The bodice is supposed to come to about 1" to 2" above the natural waist.  After holding the piece against myself and seeing that I was going need a little more length as well as having to move the bust dart down, I decided I needed to add 1" above the dart.

I placed the pattern piece on my cutting mat, lining it up against a vertical line and taped near the bottom.  Using my rotary cutter and rule, I sliced across the bodice, moved the piece up 1", keeping it lined against that vertical line and taped it to the cutting mat.  Taping it to the mat ensures that my pieces aren't going to move on me.

Then I added added a strip of paper, taped it in and sliced off the extra paper.  I was ready to move the darts.

I held the adjusted front bodice against my body so that it was about 3/8" over the shoulder seam of my top and lined up against the middle of my body.

Using a pencil, I marked my apex - that's the most prominent part of my bust - usually the nipple.

Apex marked, I could now plan out the movement of the darts.  I could see that I was going to have to move the bust dart down about 1.5" and the waist dart would need to be lowered about the same amount and moved slightly to the right.  Tami's clear instructions in her patterns are what gave me the confidence to make my adjustments so I followed her directions.

First I cut a box around the bust dart and moved it down so that it was pointing to my apex and just slightly above it - as it had been to the pattern's apex.  I taped it in place and filled in the open spot with scrap paper.

Now it was time to move the waist dart.  It only needed to be moved slightly to the right but it needed to be lowered 1.5".  First I established the new point and drew legs to that point.

Then I cut out the dart and moved it slightly to the outside filling in the open spot with scrap paper and trimming the edges.

And that's all there is to it!  I now had a bodice front that matched MY shape!  If darts have you concerned, don't be worried.  They're surprisingly simple to move.  And isn't that just the most amazing thing about being able to sew your own clothes?  You finish up with something that fits YOU!

Now another couple of hints to help make your sewing experience as easy as possible. Since I was planning on sewing my facing to the inside of the bodice, I serged around the outside edge of the facing.  After stitching it in place and clipping the curves, I understitched around the neckline - except for the V.  If you're not familiar with understitching, check out the blog post before this which explains it fully.  Understitching makes it so much easier to turn the facing to the back and not have any of it showing.

I used that serging line as my guide for the topstitching.  Lots of pins held the facing in place and I simply did my topstitching from the wrong side in the centre of the serging line.

Love Notions' Sonata is a great pattern to try out these tips.  You'll get a lovely dress that takes you into summer and one that is uniquely adapted for you.  And if you need any further assistance, you know that we are always ready to guide you on the Love Notions Support Group in Facebook. You can get the pattern through my affiliate link below.

Love Notions Sonata Dress

To Understitch Or Not?

I didn't enjoy high school sewing - it was basic and boring and I dropped out as soon as I could!  However, sewing is in my blood - my grandmother was a real whiz, my grandfather was a Singer dealer and genealogy showed me a long line of seamstresses in my background - so I had to give it another try.  I took sewing in night school a few years later and learned a LOT!  And one of those lessons was the importance of understitching.

So what is understitching?  It's a line of stitching close to the seamline on the facing (or bias tape) side which prevents your neckline from rolling.  It keeps that facing where it's supposed to be.  It reinforces the seam - makes it stronger and less likely to fray with woven fabrics. And it makes turning that neckline (or sleeveless armscye) just so much easier.

I wanted to see what the real differences were with necklines understitched and not understitched so I cut 2 XS necklines from Love Notions' new Harmony blouse.

It calls for a facing of 1/2" single fold bias tape on the neckline.  I was careful while stitching down the bias tape to follow the curve of the neckline - not to straighten it while sewing - as this will cause stretching and the neckline will not lie flat if this happens.  You can stay stitch the neckline before sewing on the bias tape to prevent this, but I was lazy and wanted to get the job done - so I was careful!

I stitched the bias tape to both necklines to make a proper comparison.

Next, I understitched one neckline.  I brought the seam to the facing side and stitched slightly less than 1/8" from the seamline while holding the seam to the facing side.

I took both necklines to my iron.  The understitched neckline was so much easier to iron!  Most of the work had already been done for me by the understitching.  The other neckline took more work to make sure that the facing didn't show.  It seemed to me that the understitched one also lay flatter.

Finally, I topstitched both necklines.  (And wouldn't you know - I ran out of thread while topstitching the understitched one!) The understitched one on the right definitely lay flatter.

After ironing, both necklines lay flat, but I could see where a bit of facing was peeking up on the non-understitched one and the neckline wasn't as smooth.

Conclusion?  If you want the neckline to be as trouble-free and smooth as possible, definitely take a little time and understitch it!

And want to try your hand at understitching?  Love Notions has a couple of great patterns that are easy to sew and you can use my affiliate links below to get them if they aren't already in your inventory.

Love Notions Harmony Blouse
Love Notions Cadence Dress & Top