Review: The Assembly Line Apron Dress

 

*** I had this post ready as a draft, weeks ago. I've only just managed to get my backside in gear and get some photos taken, so it's a little late ***

I first became aware of The Assembly Line patterns when I was on holiday on the south coast a few years ago. Their patterns weren't widely available in the UK then. I bought a single sized copy of the Hoodie Dress from a little shop not far from Lyme Regis (I can't remember the name of the store), they stocked some lovely sustainably sourced fabrics and a few of the TAL patterns. I very nearly bought the Apron dress then, but I didn't and it made it's way on to my ' want to make' list.

My mum bought me the pattern for Christmas and as I had also recieved some gift vouchers for Minerva, I splashed out on some nice weight indigo denim with a touch of stretch. I bought some top-stitching thread locally from The Sewing Machine Guy. It was lockdown, so I called by phone ordered what I needed and Ian, who owns the shop, very kindly dropped the supplies through my door on his way home - now that is customer service.

Anyway, on with the pattern. After checking the measurements I decided to make a size small. My measurements put me at the top of a small, but having made both the Hoodie Dress and Hoodie Parka in the small size I was confident that it would fit fine. It's not a tight fitting garment anyway.

I cut all the pieces from the denim. I thought a double layer for the facing might be a bit too thick, but it was fine. I had a few snap fasteners in my stash and they were perfect for the fastening and wen't through the multiple layers of denim really well.

I did all the construction and topstitching on my Pfaff Select 3.2 and the multiple needle positions make getting even rows of top stitching very easy. It also managed all the layers of denim very well. It struggled on one area, but mainly beacuse of the difference in thickness. As soon as I used a small wedge of card behind the foot to make it even it was fine. Note to self - get a jean-a-ma-jig!

As with other TAL patterns I have used, the instructions are clear and well written and very easy to follow so this pattern is suitable for beginners as there is nothing tricky about it.

The dress came together quickly and and sewed it up mostly in one afternoon. In retrospect I would have chosen a stable fabric as the waistband did stretch out a little at the back while I was top stitching.

I love the shape, length and style-lines of this garment. It is easy to wear and comfortable. I think it will be multi-season too. worn with tights and boots in the the autum and winter and with a much lighter blouse or vest top in warmer weather.

I do have a few issues with this pattern though. Nothing that couldn't be solved very easily.

It's the inside finish that I don't like. It's fairly neat and tidy, but I think it could be better. Personally, I would fully line the bib section and enclose the straps between the lining/ facing and shell. This would give a much much neater finish and would not be difficult to achieve.

Despite this, I actually love this pinafore. just like many of the TAL patterns it's simple, but with contemprary design lines that will become classic pieces. I can see me wearing this for a long time to come!

How to make a denim skirt - Burdastyle #110 02/2014

I've been giving my Pfaff Select 3.2 a workout. I wanted to see how it performed on different fabrics. I made some underwear and it performed beautifully. The IDT really helped with feeding the fine fabric through the machine and the stitches were fab. I wanted to see how well it performed on something much thicker and decided to try out this denim skirt from Burdastyle 02/2014. This would give me opportunity to try a buttonhole in top stitching thread and sew through several layers of denim. I set up two machines, my new Pfaff for the construction seams and my Bernina for the topstitching - It's much easier not to have to keep changing threads when sewing up denim. The buttonhole and button loops were sewn on the Pfaff.

The Pfaff created nice even top stitching and managed the thick fabric very well, what it didn't like was sewing over multiple layers of top stitching. It would happily do forward and reverse in the same area - but a third time with topstitching - No. I think it was the density of the thread, not the thickness of the fabric. It also coped very well with the buttonhole. I'd never been able to do a buttonhole with topstitching thread on the Janome and it coped very well with it. As always, the test version worked better than the actual buttonhole, but it's still pretty good - especially for my first one on this machine. So yes, my new machine can cope with what I'm going to throw at it.

Now then - on to the skirt. This is pattern 110 from Burdastyle Magazine 02/2014. There are actually 3 versions of this skirt in different lengths. I went with the 55cm length, but in future will go for the Longer 60cm length as it suits me better. The shortest length is the one that is labelled as the denim skirt in this issue, but as ususal with Burdastyle Magazines, there are multiple views in different fabrics to create different looks. I cut a straight size 38, but ended up taking it in a bit on the waist. I used this denim from Minerva Crafts. I had it left over from making my Ginger Jeans last year. It has a bit of stretch to it. If I was using a non stretch fabric I might have graded out to a 40 at the hip. I haven't got photos for every step, but I hope it's clear enough to follow.

Once you have cut out all the pieces the first thing to do is prepare the pockets. I started with the back pockets. (If you want to add a fancy design on your pockets, do this before going any further. I just used a ruler to draw some lines and top stitched them). Stabilise the top edge with a strip of interfacing - this will prevent the top of the pocket stretching out over time. Fold over the top edge by 0.5cm and press, fold again by 1cm and press again. this will enclose the raw edge - No need to serge/ overlock it. Turn to the right side and sew two rows of top stitching. One should be over the double folded fabric to secure it, sew a second line a few mm away from the first. I use the edge of my presser foot as a guide for where to sew this second line, but use whatever guide works for you.

Once you have top stitched the top edge of the pocket, fold the sides and bottom seam allowances to the wrong side and give it a good press then set these aside for later. I forgot to take a photo of this, but you can see how they should look once finished here.

Next up are the front yoke pockets. I sewed the pocket bags out of some remnants of cotton fabric to reduce bulk. You could use denim here if you wish, but this might be a lot for a regular machine to get through. Take the tiny coin pocket and press and top stitch the top seam allowances as you did with the back pockets. Then turn and press the allowances on the straight side. Pin the coin pocket to the denim pocket overlay and using your top stitch thread sew the pocket onto the overlay. I sew as close as I can to the edge and then about 5mm away - back stitching at the top to make the pocket secure. Then overlock/ serge (or finish by your prefered method) the bottom edge of the overlay. repeat this step for the other pocket.

Place the overlay onto the pocket/ yoke lining up the side and top edges. Stitch in place along the bottom of the denim overlay. I also find it useful to baste the top and sides, to prevent it moving during construction.

Finish the bottom edge of the pocket with an onverlocker, do the same for the pocket facing pieces.

Now take the front pieces of the skirt and the pocket facing pieces, stitch them, right sides together, along the pocket opening edge. Trim the facing and clip the curve, making sure not to clip through the stitches. Turn and press the seam towards the facing. Understitch (close to the edge, on the pocket facing piece and through all seam layers.

I also added two rows of top stitching to the edge of the pocket.

Lay the skirt front pieces ontop of the pocket/ yoke pieces and match the notches. Sew the inside of the pocket pieces together along the bottom edge of the pocket facing piece. Then baste the sides and top of the pocket bags in place. From the right side your skirt pieces should now look complete.

Next up is the centre front seam and the fly front. I recommend interfacing the fly extensions on your pattern piece - it helps prevent the zip from becoming wobbly. Pin the centre front together. use a long stitch to sew the upper part of the seam until you get to the notch. At the notch, back stitch and shorten the stitch to a regular length stitch. Press the seams open. I always use the Closet Core Patterns construction method for installing a zip fly, particularly the one for Ginger Jeans. I strongly recommend that you use this method, which you can find here.

 

Once the front is assembled, it's time to work on the back. First sew the back yoke to the top of the skirt piece, right sides together. Then finish you seam allowances together and press up towards the yoke. Secure the seam allowances with two rows of top stitching. Repeat for the other side.

Sew the centre back seam, right sides together and matching the yoke pieces. Finish the seam allowances and press to one side. from the right side sew two rows to top stitching to secure the seam allowances.

Before I go any further I baste the back pockets in place, you could just pin them, but I find that they shift while sewing. Just use a long stitch length and sew the pockets down.

Keeping the long stitch length baste the front and back pieces together along the side seams. This allows you to check the fit before commiting to top stitching etc. Try on the skirt and make any adjustments - I ended up taking a bit in from the hip to the waist at each side seam (you could also do this with the back seam if you wish - particularly useful if you have a swayback).

Once you are happy with the fit, stitch the seams securely, overlock the edges and press towards the back. 

I top stitched from the top of the side seam to just below the pocket opening to reinforce this area - just one row of stitching.

Stitch around the back pockets with top stitching, make sure you back stitch at the beginning and end to secure the pockets.

Now it's time to work on the waistband. I prefer a curved waistband, but as this skirt sits at the natural waist it's ok for it to be straight. The pattern calls for a 1inch/ 2.5cm waistband. I think it would be better if it were a little wider. First interface the waistband. This will help stop it stretching out. If you have a thick denim, you might not need this.

Fold the waistband in half lengthways and press. On one long edge turn the seam allowances to the wrong side and press. On the other long edge sew a row of stitching along the seam line - this helps line up the edges and get an even finish. 

Stitch the unfolded edge of the waistband to the top of the skirt, right sides together, press the seam allowances up. 

Fold the waistband back on itself, so that it is right sides together and the seam allowance is folded to the wrong side of the fabric. Pin the ends of the waistband and sew straight down. Once you have done this, trim the edge and turn the waistband the right way around and press.

Carefully pin the waistband so that the folded edge is level with the front edge and top stitch all the way around, making sure that you catch the inside of the waistband in the stitching.

We're almost done. Belt loops next. Overlock one long edge of the belt loop strip. press the strip into thirds lengthways. fold the unfinished edge in first and press, then fold the overlocked edge over the top and press, then sew two rows of top stitching, a few mm in from each edge. Cut 5 belt loops I made mine 7cm long. fold over  1 cm at each end and press. I also use a hammer to really flatten the loops - it helps with sewing them on.

 

Using the topstitching thread, sew the belt loops on, securing at the top and bottom with a couple of layers of top stitching or a bar tack. I place my loops at the centre back, just in front of the front edge of the pocket and then half way between them, near to the side seams. I find that it can be a bit tricky to sew at the side seams as there are many layers of fabric for the needle to get through.

Sew a button hole on the waistband above the fly front. If you are using a buttonhole function on your machine, test it out on some scrao fabric - make sure it's the same thickness as the waistband.  You can make a buttonhole by hand or alternatively use a popper. Install the button or popper following instructions.

 

Finally let's hem this thing. Turn a 1cm hem and press, turn again by 3cm and press again. Secure the hem with pins and top stitch from the right side. I use a marker in the bed of my sewing machine to ensure I sew the first line of stitching in the right place to go through all layers. I then sew a second row a few mm away from the first. A quick press and it's all done.

Gingers - finally

Last Christmas my Hubby bought me the Closet Case Ginger Jeans pattern. Ever since then I have been on the lookout for some stretch denim of a decent weight. I finally got my hands on 2m while at #sewupnorth at the end of September. This is an inexpensive denim and it does show. I don't think these will last too long but for the first experiment, I didn't want to spend a lot of cash, just to have a failed project. But these are a success and they will get worn  -  a lot!

It's the first time I've attempted fitted/ skinny jeans and the stretch fabric does really make a difference. this denim has about 20% stretch and I was unsure at first how the stretch would affect fit. I thought these might bag out really quickly or be super tight like jeggings. however I've worn these for a couple of days and they have softened quite a bit and relaxed, but are still comfy. The creases are from a day's wear.

I decided that I didn't want a skinny leg and fancied some flared jeans, so I added width from the knee to the hem, making the inseam about 33 inches in length. I have not sewn with a Closet Case pattern before and went solely by my size. I cut a size 8 at the waist grading to a 12 at the hip and leg. I assembled the front of the jeans and then basted the remaining pieces to assess fit. I did make quite a few changes before sewing up the jeans and topstitching.

Changes made:
1.5 cm from the side seams between the pocket opening and the fullest part of my hip. about 20cm in length grading to nothing at either end.
1.5 cm from the width of the thigh at the inseams. I also shortened the inseam by about .8cm front and back.
I took out at a total of 6cm from the CB at the top of the yoke. I didn't grade this quite evenly enough and ended up with a bit of a bump. I'll smooth it for next time.

This meant that my waistband was too long. I should have stretched it to fit a little more as it is still a tad too loose.

I used the sew-a-long on the Closet Case website which is a fantastic guide to sewing jeans and goes over some of the fitting issues and how to solve them.

I'm generally pleased with the fit of these and can see me using them as a starting point for my own designs. I chose the high waisted version, but it's not too high waisted at all, but then I do have a long torso. these are super comfy, even without a belt. There was no way my machine was going to handle 8 layers of denim in order to stitch the belt loops on - so I left them off. I can safely say that, despite a slightly loose waistband, these are the best fitting jeans I have.

I do think there is a bit of twisting on the leg, which I was quite surprised about as I cut out the fabric in a single layer and used a ruler to check that all my pieces were on grain. However, this isn't too noticeable and will not stop me wearing them.

Today I have them paired with my newest blouse, converse and a hand knitted cardigan (made for me by my sister in law - I can't knit).

Tilly & Gertie

Just before my summer holidays I made the Cleo pinafore dress by Tilly and the Buttons but had to order buckles as the ones I could get in the local shops were too big.

It's a perfect dress to wear in the autumn and winter as you can layer it, and on those last few summer days, a t-shirt looks brilliant.

I made this with charcoal denim which has a little bit of stretch. I had just about 1m left after making my first ever pair of jeans. I bought the fabric at B&M in Leeds at the Sew up North event back in June. I had the buttons in my stash.

I'd made a wearable muslin of this dress back in January in a thick green cord - but it's not really my type of fabric or colour. I graded up a size at the hip but found my first version tricky to get on due to the small waist. I'd decided that a zip or fastening at the side seam was needed. I drafted a button fly and used some of my jeans buttons. It makes getting this dress on so much easier.

I've also been working on a dress from Gertie's Ultimate Dress Book. I'm making the surplice dress with sleeves. I haven't decided which skirt pattern to use yet as I'm just at the muslin stage. (not great photos I'm afraid)

I'm so glad I made a muslin as there are a number of changes I need to make.

The armscye is tiny and needs lowering by about 1.5cm. The sleeve is also minute and I could see it would be an issue once I'd set it in. I had to cut it so I could move my arm.
The back is pretty much ok.

I need to widen the shoulders just a touch - I'm finding I have to do this a lot; especially with Gertie's patterns.
I need to lengthen the midriff pieces by about 1 inch at the front, grading to nothing at the back - that accounts for my swayback.

There are then a couple of adjustments to the bodice front. Pinching out along the neckline and removing some fullness - nothing too major. Then it will be on with muslin no.2.

My First Pair of Trousers

I did it - I made trousers and they are wearable!
Way back in the early part of the year I make a muslin of trousers from Burdastyle magazine. They did not fit! Way way too tight,  and the back rise and crotch curve were just wrong.

So I set out on drafting and making my own. I like the high waist cigarette pants from Gertie's book, but was not sure that they would be any better as I'm pear shaped, have along torso and fairly chunky legs - years of skating and dancing have left me with well developed thighs and over extended calf muscles.

My initial draft was OK, but there was lots of excess fabric in the back leg. The waist was also too low and too wide.

Changes made were: Raise the back by adding a wedge into the CB seam; lengthen the back Crotch seam and scoop out more. scoop out the front crotch seam a little; Narrow the legs and then take a wedge out from under the butt. I also found the fabric was catching on my calf muscles so I made a extended calf adjustment on the back pattern piece and finally drafted a curved waistband. I also made the back pockets a bit bigger than the original draft.

I used the Ginger Jeans sew a long to help with the construction order and found it very helpful. I added stable cotton for the pocket linings and tacked to the front seam. Top stitching was done in self coloured thread. The fabric behaved beautifully. I bought 2m at B&M fabrics in Leeds at the #sewupnorth event in June. I had enough left over the make a version of the Cleo dungarees dress by Tilly & the Buttons.

These trousers are completely wearable, but they are not perfect.

This was my first time sewing with a stretch woven and I'm a convert - the comfort and stability of the fabric was brilliant.

So verdict - I'm really happy with these for my first pair of trousers. I will make some adjustments for the next pair. I wore these for 2 days and the fit was great to start, but as with all denim, it slackens off when you wear it. I was really happy with the back waistband and the fit at the back - it's the first time I've had trousers that don't gape!

Adjustments for next time:-
Lengthen the legs slightly - about 3cm and add more hem
Taper the back leg at the hem, below the calf - I'm sewing with stretch there is no need for flappy hems!
Take a small wedge out of the back inseam under the butt - just to help with those wrinkles.
Take a pinch out of the front at the pocket edge to make them lie flat.
Take a small wedge amount out of the front crotch seam and check the curve.
Pinch out excess on the front waist seam to abdomen (where you would put a dart) as this is where I found the draft gaped quite a bit and I found myself pulling them up a lot, especially on the second day of wear. I do want to keep the comfort and not make them too tight.