I’m trying to finish up these lessons so you can get going on those dresses!    We’re almost done here; this post will go over the sleeves (included felled seams), sleeve hems and the neckline.  You could probably finish up this dress at the end of this post by simply stitching up a regular hem and forgoing the elasticized waist.  (You’d end up with a dress like this one.)   I really love this vintage minty green gingham although it was suggested to me that this looks a bit like a hospital gown.    Do you think so?  Maybe a hospital gown in an old-timey dream; a wayward girl spending her youth in an asylum.  In the South.  Somewhere haunting and romantic.  See, if I make a story out of it, the hospital gown idea seems kind of neat, yes?

Anyway, we left off with the side seams, made the fancy French way. Now, locate the last page of your pattern (Built by Wendy #3835) where it says Top C.  Follow step 1: stay stitching can help a curved seam like a neckline from stretching.  After you do that, skip down to step 3 and sew up the sleeves.  Remember to create French seams for the sleeve seams.  Press seams towards front of sleeve (Indicated with small/single notch).  Before you turn up the sleeve hem/casing, clip a little of the seam to reduce bulk:

When sewing the casing for the elastic (at the hem) leave the opening underneath the armhole, towards the back of the sleeve.  (The back is marked with the larger, or double, notch.)  This is where you’ll feed in your elastic.

Sew the sleeves to the dress as directed.  Since you pressed your sleeve seam towards the front and your side seam towards the back, your underarm won’t have a big lump in it from the side seams on top of each other.  Instead, they are next to each other, pressed in opposite directions:

You may pink the armhole seam allowances, serge them or sew a zigzag stitch close to the edge.  OR, and this is what I did, create flat-felled seams.  These are relatively easy to do although can be a little tricky around curves (like under the arm for example).  But let’s just try it anyway; they are neat and clean especially if you don’t have a serger. (You almost always see these seams on dress shirts.)

First press the seams.  Then trim the body’s seam allowances (not the sleeves’!) to 1/4.”

Starting with one sleeve, fold the wider, sleeve seam allowance over the smaller seam allowance towards the body (and therefore, away from the sleeve); pin.  I like to pin this type of seam parallel to the seam line.  It seems to be more secure this way.  (A quick note about pinning: it’s up for debate but I almost never sew over my pins, even when I pin perpendicular to the stitch line.  [Naturally I could not sew over the pins as they are shown in the photo!]  It’s much too likely to break a needle, dent a pin or worse, somehow damage your sewing machine.)

When you are folding and pinning under the arm you might be faced with some resistance because of the curve.  What I like to do, and perhaps I’m cheating a little, is clip the wider seam’s edge just a tiny bit in a few places along the curve, maybe 1/8.”  This would allow the seam allowance to stretch a little.  Just make sure to fold under the seam sufficiently enough so none of the raw edge sticks out.  When you are done with both sleeves, press.

This is what the inside of your flat-felled seam looks like:

And this is the outside:

Follow the rest of the instructions for Top C as written except for the last step (which is the hem).

Some notes about the last part of the directions:

• Clip the back’s center seam like you did for the sleeves (2nd photo from the top) before you turn under the neck casing.
• Put the elastic in the neckline before putting it in the sleeves – that way you can try on the dress and make sure it’s right before finishing up the sleeves.
• Leave the neckline casing opening at or near the back seam.
• Attach a safety pin to the end of your elastic to help you guide it through the casing.
• Make sure you don’t twist the elastic before you sew the ends together!
• After you’ve added the elastic to the neckline and sewed up the opening, stretch the neckline and evenly distribute the fabric.  Actually, I like to concentrate the fabric more in the sleeve area so the front is relatively flat.  Optional:  if you are feeling fancy, backstitch at each sleeve seam along the neckline to secure the elastic in place.
• Make sure your sleeve hems are not too tight!

We’ll finish up the dress in the next sewing lesson post: adding elastic to the waistline and adding the ruffle to the hem.  If you have any questions about this post, please leave a comment!  Thanks!

The actual sewing portion of our sewing lessons is finally taking place – yippie!  I thought it was really important for me to work on this this past weekend, being that this is a summer dress and it’s almost August! (Although for those of us in California, summer is only beginning.)

Before we start, I want to let you know that I updated the last post (about cutting) with an alternative method to transferring pattern marks – this could be especially helpful for beginners. (Thanks, Andrea!)  And to recap, these sewing lessons focus on recreating my own Built by Wendy dress, pattern #3835.

Let’s sew!  To begin, follow the directions in the pattern for Dress A, Mini Dress B: Pockets A. As you can see in the above photo, I only added one pocket (on the left because I’m left-handed), added rick rack and cut the pocket piece on the bias (diagonal to the grainline).  This is not how I made the original Modern, Old-Fashioned Dress but since this is my 3rd time making this pattern I had to do something different!  Feel free to make these changes (or any, really) but if you’re a beginner it might be best to make the more simple version (pocket cut as indicated on the pattern); sewing rick rack on the bias can be a little frustrating which can lead to you not liking sewing!  (To clarify, fabric cut on the bias has stretch and sewing stretchy fabric can be tricky.)

Anyhow, I usually like to pin perpendicular to the stitch line as you can see here:

After you sew on the pockets, continue following the rest of the pattern, making the back darts.  Don’t forget to leave long (3″ or so) threads at the beginning and end of your darts so you can tie knots (as opposed to backstitching).

French Seams: For the back and side seams I made French seams, which is where the seam allowances are completely enclosed within themselves; this is great because it looks nice and prevents raveling.

This is how I like to do it:  Begin with the back center seam.  First, with WRONG sides (of the fabric) together, stitch seam 1/4″ from the edge.  Cut any loose threads that stick out.

Open up the back so the entire piece lays flat.  Press the seam flat, with the seam allowance to one side.  Then fold the back piece along the stitch line, RIGHT sides together, enclosing the seam; press.  Stitch the seam 3/8″ from the edge, enclosing the previously made 1/4″ seam allowance.  Open up the back piece again and press the seam nice and smooth.  (It doesn’t matter to which side the seam allowance falls.)

Repeat this process for the side seams; when you are done press seam allowances towards the back of the dress.

In our next lesson, we’ll begin with the sleeves – stay tuned!

I’ve been a bit frazzled lately.  Last week I started to feel a summer cold coming on (the worst!) I realized that I needed to rest.   You know, I’ve been trying to do wedding stuff + shop stuff (although that hasn’t really been happening since the wedding stuff – will have to be corrected soon) and then just all the other stuff that goes on in life.   I was constantly waivering between “Wweeeeeeeeeeeee!” and “Aaaackk!”  So now, to remedy that, I’m taking some Pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5, good for the nerves), cut out the caffeine (green tea, not the chocolate – can’t stop that!) and forcing myself to go to bed at a “normal” (normal for me) time which is difficult since I’m like a child in that I really don’t want to go to sleep.  Ever.

And this morning?  Mostly I’m “weeeee!,” with a tiny bit “aack.”  Better.  I’m having a moment of calm, dears, so let’s take advantage of it.  Wedding Update!

You already knew we were on the fast track and had tentatively planned a wedding for autumn.  While trying to figure out the logistics (the most fun or the worst part of any planning depending on your personality – guess where I fall?) I started to feel wigged out by the stress of it;  I wanted to enjoy my short engagement and all the planning wasn’t helping; so we decided to elope.  Just us.  It was great.  I was still going to make my dress, still going to have wonderful pictures of the event.

For a long time I would say, “When I get married, I want to elope.”  My parents knew this.  And when I told them about our engagement they told me, “You’re adults, do what you want.  Go elope, it’s fine with us.”  “Really??”  “Yes.”  (I think my parents were just happy I was actually getting married and not going to turn into an old spinster [Clarification: I personally do not have a problem with old spinsters].)

So, that’s what I told them – “Scrap the wedding plans, we are just going to elope.”  Gave them the date, in August.  (Why wait when you’re just going to run off?)  Well, guess what?  Mom and Dad were not happy about it.  At all.  (Make a mental note here: When eloping, do not tell parents.)

ANYHOW, we are still going to to have a summer wedding only now the parents are coming to the ceremony!   At first I resisted the idea.  What happened to my utterly romantic vision of two people running away together?  What about my reluctance to become weepy and sentimental in front of an audience? But my parents were truly disappointed and I couldn’t very well run away knowing they felt excluded from our special day.   So, I’m over that and am now glad our (out of town) parents are involved.   (Not sure if anyone else would be coming.  We need to keep it small.)  And we still plan to celebrate party-style with our friends and family in the fall so that will be fun!  How many people get a summer wedding and an autumn reception?

So, again, I’ve been frazzled lately.  But at this point most things are taken care of and I’m feeling really excited about things.  On my to do list: I still need to get my wedding band sized, alter my fiance’s vest.  Make the boutonnieres. (Yes, I’m making those now, for all three men.)   Maybe a bouquet for me, I’ve got some ideas for that.  And my dress.  The dress!

Yes, I know, this dress just screams “BRIDE.”  Ok not really, but it’s working out.  I thought at first I would go more 1930s tea-length.  Then I thought about a full-length, early 1950s style.  But what I really wanted was something  pretty but relatively easy.  This pattern, from 1948, did not jump out at me at first but I think the silhouette looks pretty good on my figure and it’s not too complicated.  Plus I’m customizing it so it won’t end up looking like an everyday sundress.

Fabric: I’ve had this soft white lace for years now – I originally bought it to make my Maid of Honor dress for my friend Natalie’s big, formal wedding.  When it was decided that we were going to buy dresses, I knew that I’d find a use for this lace someday. This lace has turned out to be quite perfect for the dress.  It’s nice but not overly fancy.  Light, not too heavy.  The lace is for the lace overdress; the lining will be a separate dress. This way I can change the lining dress underneath (I hope to be able to wear this dress again and not put it away in storage.)

My wedding colors went from muted early fall tones (iris, hydrangea, ivory and mustard) to more light and happy summer hues (pinks and yellows and white – maybe blue too).  I may use this petal pink batiste and nude gauze (above) for the lining.  I can”t guarantee I’ll use either of these since I’ve changed my mind 3 times already!  But it would be pretty, yes?  And as far as decorating the dress, I’m still trying to figure out that part – vintage flowers, a velvet ribbon belt, vintage foil-back buttons….just some more ideas I’m playing around with.

I hope that was a satisfying update!  I don’t want to give away too many details – I think it will be more fun this way when I show you the wedding pictures eventually.  (Which I will, of course!)

Thank you for letting me share with you all and have a lovely weekend!

Wow, thank you all so much for such a warm response!  I loved every single one of your comments and well wishes for my new blog home.  I’m so glad you all come by my little place to visit and I hope you will for many posts to come!

Anyhow, the winner of the giveaway is…

Sophia!

Sophia, I’m going to email you as soon as I post this so I can get your mailing address and send you your tote bag.

Thanks again, everyone, really.  And there are DEFINITELY going to be more giveaways in the future.