Running With Scissors: September 2012

Voile Gray Skirt: modcloth knock-off

10:30 PM

I've been itching to sew a little for myself, but being pregnant definitely dampens any excitement for clothing.
So I've been thinking of making things I can wear with the baby belly and when I'm normal after the baby is born.
So first up is a simple skirt made with gray voile cotton and has texture in the thick waistband.

Obviously the cuter version would be a regular person, but it's got a stretchy waistband for maternity as well.

It's a knock-off of ModCloth's In Tandem skirt also made with voile.

Voile is 100% cotton that is semi-sheer and really light weight so it has to be lined.
This skirt took 2 yards and about 1.25 yards of the lining.

{Modcloth In Tandem Skirt}

From reading the description from ModCloth, their skirt has a zipper and is just kind of huge, relying on the sash to keep it up.
I liked the gathered almost ruched look on the thick waistband, but thought the zipper huge waist wasn't the best idea.

So I had a genius idea to use the lining as the base, and with elastic thread/shirring technique, sew the voile on top with excess fabric to add the ruched/ wrap texture between the rows.

As I got going, I realized the lining was preventing the elastic thread from scrunching up the waistband.

Bummer when the shirring just doesn't work.
So I already had elastic in the casing at the top, and just added elastic to the center and bottom to help scrunch the waist in so it wouldn't hang on the hips. I had a tutorial of my method, but when it didn't work out I didn't keep taking the step by step photos.

Basically my original idea was using the lining 7" tall to allow the top casing and bottom seam allowance to attach skirt. The voile top layer was 11" tall.
I serged the top and bottom of the two layers together and just worked the excess top voile between the layers to have the extra gathered texture.

The skirt itself was 120" around gathered up and sewn to the waistband.

In the end, the excess fabric between rows of shirring did add a cool texture to the waistband rather than the regular shirred scrunch. I ironed the waistband to flatten or crush the gathered texture.

I think the majority of the pregnancy I'll just wear it without the sash as the waistband kind of gets crushed and shortened under the belly as it gets bigger.
But I thought the light gray would work for fall/ winter as well as spring.

I had a bit of left over voile and decided to make the sash as an optional way to wear the skirt.
It's just 6" wide and has a tiny hem around all four sides.

The skirt doesn't have belt loops, but I wore it with the sash a few weeks ago and it stayed put around the waistband.

In the end, a simple skirt, but a new way to add texture to a basic shirred waistband.

The bow sash is also a fun girl detail you can add or remove depending on the occasion.

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e cords Pattern and Text Instructions

2:21 PM

I've made my drafted toddler skinny pants pattern available for printing!

This pattern is for 18 months and I only drafted 1/4" seam allowance as I was sewing the majority of the seams with a serger, so keep that in mind as you sew.

PRINT PATTERN HERE
PATTERN IS FOR 18 MONTH SIZE ONLY

I didn't plan to do a full tutorial, so here's a run down of the instructions, and you can use the Baby Jeggings tutorial as a reference for photos if you need. There's very few steps that are different for these e cords.

First off:
I used corduroy, but you can use any fabric you want really, you'll need about 2/3 yard.
If you choose to use denim, I'd recommend a light weight and maybe some stretch.

You'll also need elastic for the waistband, 3/4" wide regular or buttonhole.

REMEMBER SEAM ALLOWANCES THROUGHOUT ONLY 1/4"

DIRECTIONS:

1. Print paper patterns on card stock. Cut out and tape pants front A and B together and pants back A and B together.

2. Cut out fabric, remembering when cutting two of one piece you'll need them to be opposite to have a right and left (back, front, pockets)

CREATE FRONT:

1. Front Fly Seam:

Sew (right sides together) the two front pieces along the curve of fly, into corner, then the short crotch curve. Snip the corner under the fly to stitching. Finish seam (serge or zig-zag). Fold faux fly to left leg, so fly opens on the kid's right hand side. I usually look down at my own pants to make sure the fly is going the right direction. Top-stitch (on right side) the bottom crotch seam allowance to the bottom of fly, pivot, then curve up the fly. Repeat with a second row around fly.
THIS STEP VERY HELPFUL TO VIEW BABY JEGGINGS AS IT'S THE EXACT SAME. construct front of pants section: step 2

2. Attach Patch Pockets:

First you'll hem your pocket curve where the little hand goes in. I serge the curve, then fold it under and top-stitch it in place. Iron the 1/4" seam allowance under the larger "L" shaped curve. Pin pocket to fronts matching the top and sides. Top-stitch pocket to pant front with 1/8" seam allowance.

CREATE BACK:

1. Back Seam.

Sew (with right sides together) the curved back bum seam. Finish raw edges (serge/ zig-zag). On right side, sew the flat felled type seam by pushing the 1/4" seam allowance to one side and top stitching 1/4" from seam fold to stitch it in place.

2. Attach yoke.

Because the yoke has a "v" shape, I start at the center, and sew from the center to the side seam, then start back in the center sewing the yoke to the other side. This way the point of the yoke is centered on your back bum seam. Finish edge and top-stitch this seam as well.

3. Attach back pockets.

First fold pocket top down 1/4" twice to create the final 1/2" hem. You could also serge the top and fold it down once 1/2". Top stitch the top fold. Do any embroidery/ applique on pocket now if you want. Iron the curved sides of pocket to wrong side with 1/4" seam allowance. Mark the top, inside corner for pocket: 1" out from center back seam and 1" down from back-yoke seam. Pin pockets on pants and top-stitch around sides and bottoms with 1/8" seam allowance.

CONSTRUCT FRONT TO BACK:

1. Inner Leg Seams:

Pin the front to back (right sides together) matching up the center crotch seams. Pin the legs together at the ankle. To accommodate the big diaper bum, there's a lot of extra fabric in the back, and it will feel like the back piece is too short. You just have to stretch the back to fit the front piece as the angle is much more dramatic on the back piece. I start from the center and sew to one ankle, then repeat. If it ends up a little (.25") uneven at the ankle, it's alright.
Open this seam and top-stitch seam allowance to one side for the flat felled finish seam look.

2. Side Seams:

With front and back right sides together, sew the side seams and finish seam. Make sure you catch all the sides of your front patch pockets to enclose the raw edge in the side seam.

WAIST AND HEM

1. Waist:

Finish top edge of pants with serging/ zig-zag, bias tape, etc. Iron down the top around the whole pant 1.25". Make casing:

-Elastic casing: this is the easiest method. You can sew the casing 1" around, leaving a few inches hole and thread your 3/4" or 1" wide elastic through with a safety pin, sew elastic ends together, then sew the casing hole shut.

-I chose to use the buttonhole elastic method so the front is flat and the gathering is around the back like you find in retail kids pants. I bought a huge roll of my buttonhole elastic online from sewtrue.com but you can find smaller pre-packaged elastic in craft stores.

Helpful steps to put in buttonhole elastic waistband from Modern Lederhosen tutorial step 8

a) Sew 1" tall button holes half way between center front fly fold and side seams on each side. b) Sew a button (toward the center fly) of buttonhole. c) Sew elastic (toward the center fly) of button, thread it through the buttonhole and around the back of the pants to come out the other buttonhole, past the other button, and sew it to the pants. d) Fold down the top and top-stitch around entire pants top making sure not to sew the elastic. This way the elastic can't go back into the pants if the button pops off.

2. Hem:
Double fold hem totals 1/2", so you'll fold the raw edge under 1/4", then fold it another 1/4" and sew around the ankle opening to finish hem.

FINISHED!