Another Sewing Group Project

Last time, I showed you how the Threads wrap was made. For our next project, some of the girlsin my Sewing Group want to make this little poncho-like top. Peggy Sagers demonstrated it on her webcast on Jan 23. She called it the Yoga top.

Here are my versions.

This is really a very simple garment to make. I added a neckband on mine but you could just turn the seam allowance under at the neckline instead like Peggy did..

Materials: 1 1/2  to 1 3/4meters (yards) of  fabric such as sweater knit, fleece ,stretch lace or     something that drapes nicely.
                2 large buttons for the front and 2 smaller buttons for the back.
                 matching thread

For my top I used a wool knit that is quite heavy.

Step 1... Cut a 3" strip of  fabric crosswise  hrom the bottom of your fabric.You will use part of this later for the neckband

Step2 ...Fold your fabric in half so the  selvages are parallel to each.Fold again joining all selvages.

Now you are ready to cut the neck opening. Measure  around your head to give you an idea how wide the opening should be.

Step 3... Using a French curve ( or a plate or bowl if you don't have one ,) draw a curved line at the center fold that will be the size of the back neckline. To do this fit the French Curve  (or the bowl) against the back neckline of one of your garments which is folded in two like in the photo below.Mark the arc with tape.

Draw the neckline on your folded fabric . 

Add  a 5/8" seam allowance. Make a notch at the center fold.

 Cut through all thicknesses..

Step 4...  Open the piece so selvages are again parallel. 

Decide how low you want the front neck opening. To help you,measure the front of a top the way you did for the back.(This measurement  plus the back neckline should be close to the length around your head.)

Draw the front neckline on your fabricAdd a 5/8" seam allowance .Cut only the front neckline. make a notch at center front.

Step 5...  Now put the fabric over your head. Hold out your arms and decide how wide to makeyour top.I made this one longer than the green one in the first photo.

The width of this  fabric was 150 cm.before cutting off the selvages and I used the whole width .

 With a French curve or ruler shape the shoulders of your top slightly.Starting at the            
  neck, draw a slightly curved angled line to the side of your fabric. 




  Step 6...Shape the sides by drawing an anled line from the sleeve edge to the hem line like this.
                 I went in about 6" at the bottom and angled the line to that point.

Your fabric should now look like this. Notice the hem allowance is angled out so that when it is folded it will match up with the side seam of the wrap.

          

Step 7... Serge all your edges except the neck opening. This isn't absolutely necessary if you don't have a serger as most knits won't ravel nowadays.

Step 8...   Turn up the hem and stitch with a twin needle or with a straight stitch.My hem is about 1.5" wide

.

..

Step9... Now finish side seams with a 5/8" seam allowance.For the brown version, I top stitched the  selvage which was a nice fringe to the sides.

                                                                                                                                                                                Step 9... You are now ready to finish your neck edge.

    

Take your 3" strip of fabric . Measure the neck opening of your wrap and cut your 3" strip 4" shorter than this measurement.( Mine was 19") Sew ends together with a1/4" seam. Fold band in two lengthwise.

Step 10...  Pin the neckband to the  neck edge matching the notches at center front and the seam of the band to the center back of the neck opening.Pin stretching the band a little with each pin until the neckline is distributed evenly along the band.

Step 11... Sew with the neckband on top and neck opening against the feeddogs using a 5/8" seam allowance .Press the seam downward toward the wrap.

Step 12...Trim the seam allowance  to about 3/8". From the right side top stitch about 1/4' from the seam.Lengthen your stitch  to about 3.5.

Step 13...All that's left to do now is to try the wrap on and decide where you want to sew the buttons. I sewed large buttons on the front with smaller ones on the back. I sewed front and back buttons in the same step.

I hope this inspires you to make Peggy Sagers' Yoga top and tha the directions are clear.

Thanks for stopping by.

A Wrap With a Twist

I mentor a Sewing Group a couple of Thursday afternoons a month. I can usually expect four or five ladies on a typical day but I came up with a project that really seems to have attracted a lot of attention!

It's a .wrap which I  found in the magazine Quick Stuff to Sew,the winter 2010 issue .The same article is also in Threads magazine May, 2009.  Here's a peek.

Here's my wrap and the steps to make it.

1. Make up the pattern as outlined in the magazine instructions. Be sure to mark the left and right sides of the front pattern pieces. Also, be sure to draw the grain line on all pieces starting with the center back .Just ignore the extra lines drawn in the bottom photo. We were trying to decide on the length we wanted.

2.Cut out the pieces being careful to lay the left and right front pieces correctly.

3. Sew the shoulder seams joining the front pieces to the back. Top stitch the shoulder seam if you wish.

4. Unless you are using fleece or boiled wool, serge finish all edges.

5.  Using 1/2" seams,finish all edges in one long continuous seam mitering the pointed lower end of the right front side and the lower end of the left side as well .Press seams under first before stitching if you like..

Now all your edges are finished. All there is left to do is to make the slots where you will slip the pointed end of your right front piece.

6.Try on your wrap and decide where you would like the right front to cross over your left front.Mark this spot with a pin or two.

7.Lay the left front straight in front of you and draw two lines about 5" long ,side by side about 3" apart and parallel to the sides of the left front.

8.With contrasting thread in the bobbin,sew along these two lines so they are visible on the wrong side.This will be your cutting line later.Now still on the wrong side, draw a box that is about 1/2"wide  around this stitched line .See photo It shows only the wrong side..

9..Cut a piece of fabric that is about 7 or 8." square.

10. On the right side of the front ,lay the right side of the  square evenly over the two lines of stitching and pin along the outer edges of the square.

11. Turn to the wrong side and stitch around the box.Notice I've drawn in triangles that I forgot to show in Step8.These will be useful in Step 12.

12.Cut through the center line pivoting at the point of the triangles toward the corners and cutting very close but not through the corners

.

!3 On right side, cut  up the middle of the square.See photo.

14.Now this is the fun part! Turn each side of the square to the wrong side and press carefully.Pin securely or basting would be even better.




15.From the right side, top stitch around each opening.9No photo) On the wrong side trim close to top stitching.

 You are done! Now try it on and pull the right side front through the slots.  Isn't it pretty?

I do hope these directions are clear.

Faux Piping Trim

I recently made this coat which I've posted on Sew Passionista.



I thought I'd show you how I achieved the look of piping along the front openings.



It's simple really. When you press the facing of the garment , you roll a little out to show from the right side. Then you stitch in the ditch to fasten it permanently. It's that easy.




When sewing with faux leather like mine, it's necessary to use strips of tissue paper under the fabric on top of the feed dogs because it just won't budge otherwise.(see photo above) You then peel the tissue off and pick out any residue from the paper.



And that's all there is to it!

More another time from

Just a Word About Flat Felled Seams

Savannagal left a comment about flat felled seams in my last post. She said

My question is: I am wondering if this type of seam (flat felled) finish is commonly used on specific seam locations. Or if it can be used anywhere on a garment. I'm wondering because it appears that there are two lines of sewing on the outside of the garment wherever this technique is used.

Here's what I do.I usually use flat felled seams on seams that are straight like a shoulder seam , a side seam, or the under arm of a sleeve, etc. I believe you could use only one line of stitching if you wanted to. I usually use two because I love to top stitch as many of you know.Here are two photos. Unfortunately, they are both of light coloured garments.

This shows a side seam on this jacket



This one is a neckline and shoulder seam on this jacket



Having said that however, I've used flat felled seams on the seam joining the sleeve to the armhole with good results. It can be done on wool, linen and cottons that have some give to them. I doubt this would be successful on polyester though.Here's an example on a thick quilted cotton jacket I made a few years ago.



Savanna, I hope I answered your question. If not, please let me know.

Alternative for a Bust Dart on a Knit Garment

I don't know about you but I don't find a bust dart (especially for a D cup) attractive on a T-shirt. There's another way, thank goodness!

I usually add an inch to my front pattern piece to accomodate a bust dart. On knits, you can run a row of long stitches, ( I use 5.0 length of stitch) and pull up a little and then ease the front to the back at the side seams and it hardly shows at all.



This is what it looks like on the outside.



This is the finished top.



I hope I didn't over simplify but that's really all there is to it!

Happy sewing from