New Look 6212 - complete at last

Finally finished this sleeveless shirt that I posted about here and here for my daughter. I used New Look 6212 and made view B minus the front pockets.

What do you think?

The pattern was a bit challenging as I've never made a shirt or blouse before but the instructions were fairly clear to follow. It's certainly not perfect but not bad for the first attempt.

I'm particularly pleased with the buttonholes as I've finally mastered using the four step buttonhole foot on my machine.  

My daughter chose the blingy buttons!

New Look 6212 - blingy button

I seem to be one short so will have to make a trip back to the shop I got them from in the hope they still have them!

New Look 6212 - front placket

I hope she likes it :)

This week's sewing!

Finally managed to get a bit more sewing done this week! This is what I've been up this week:

New look 6212

Managed the front plackets, neckband and the collar. My tip is to definitely tack the placket before stitching close to placket seam on outside, catching in the pressed edge of the facing on the inside  otherwise you could end up unpicking where you didn't manage to catch it the first time! The same applies to the neckband. I hate unpicking things, so do think it's sometimes worth taking a bit more time tacking things first, especially when you are still learning like I am!

New Look 6212 - now with collar and front plackets!

New Look 6212 - the collar!

Just applying bias binding to the armholes and the buttonholes left!  May use mum's machine to do the buttonholes as she has an automatic buttonhole foot where as mine is the four step buttonhole, and I find I constantly have to refer to the manual when making a buttonhole. Have found this pattern a bit challenging at times but pleased with the overall result - it's certainly not perfect but not bad. Will she wear it? We will see. 

Delphine Skirt

Pieces all cut out and ready to go!

This time I took Tilly's advice and washed the material first. I suppose this makes sense as if your material is going to shrink then better to do so before you make the garment up. I'm using a medium weight denim material from John Lewis.

This will be the first time I will use an invisible zip. Hopefully with Tilly's advice I'll manage it!

Delphine - front piece

Dephine - back pieces

Delphine - back waistband and facing pieces

Delphine - front waistband and facing pieces

New Look 6262

I also bought this pattern that I mentioned in my post on my sewing summer want list. Going to make view C I think but still not decided 100 percent. Which would you make?   

New Look 6212

What do you think of the material I have chosen? From the stall in St Albans' market (again!)




My daughter is away for the week so I hope to get lots of sewing done and maybe even a bit of tidying up, but sewing is much more fun! 

New Look 6212 - Progress so far!

The shirt is coming along nicely - so far it's been easier than I expected.   I had already cut the pieces out and overlocked the  seam edges that would be exposed. I don't have an overlocker (it is on my want list) but I used my mum's so that I wouldn't have to worry about finishing the seams.  I transferred the pattern marking using tailor tacks also.  I need to investigate using dressmaker's carbon paper to see how I like this method.

So this is what I have done so far:

Front view

Back view

I had a tricky moment when it came to following the instructions to make the yoke but it all came good in the end! It involved sandwiching the back between the yoke and the yoke facing, stitching a seam through all the thicknesses, machine basting the shoulders and then rolling the top up and pinning then stitching the shoulder edges together and finally pulling the rolled top out through the armhole. Sounds confusing eh! I should have taken pictures to explain it but I was too busy trying to make sense of the instructions!

That fiddly yoke - inside view

Yoke - back view

Skills needed so far:

Stay-stitching
Sewing seams
Layering seams
Applying a yoke using a professional no hand-sewing method
Machine basting
Making a narrow hem

Tomorrow's job will be to make the plackets, the neckband, collar and maybe the button holes! Wish me luck!

Skull and crossbones New Look 6212

So the next thing I have on the go is a shirt for my daughter. She has a couple of similar shirts that she has bought so I thought that I would have a go at making my own.  I think it might be a trifle ambitious as I've never made a blouse or shirt before!  I am going to make the sleeveless version (View B) without the pockets on the front.

New Look 6212

She chose this skull and cross bones material from Minerva Crafts online.  Funky isn't it!

Skull and Crossbones fabric from Minerva Crafts

Pieces all cut out - construction starts tonight!