OOTD and Thoughts On Me Made May

I can't wait to get dressed this morning! I've been waiting to wear this skirt and today is the day. The skirt is made from a beautiful piece of vintage jacquard that's also a border print.  

It has big hip pockets.

Front pleats that radiate from the base of the darts.

I underlined the fabric with cotton batiste, and finished off the hem with a piece of yellow bias tape.

The skirt is lined in an off white silk charmuese, which, needs to be pressed :/ 

I'm wearing a pair of black and white striped pumps. I like the unexpected combination.

I have decided to participate in Me Made May this year. I won't be doing daily posts here. If you would like to follow along, I'll be posting on Instagram. You can find me by searching Sewbussted. At the end of the month, I'll do a recap here on the blog and share my discoveries.

MeMadeMay began as a way for sewists to shout to the world, "I"m sewing!" And also to celebrate the incredible work that goes into a made by you wardrobe. For some, I think the experience is still the same, for others, it has morphed into something more, and that's me. 

Now, I've been sewing since Adam and Eve walked the face of the earth, maybe even longer ;), so a sewn wardrobe is nothing new. What I am looking forward to is scrutinizing my wardrobe, asking myself questions about what I have, and what I really need. I am also looking forward to discovering why there are pieces that I love, but just don't wear, at least not too often. And then too, being honest and getting rid of what I really don't like.

For many of us, May is a wonderful time of the year to do this. The weather is changing and we're looking forward to getting into lighter and brighter clothes. But, if you live in a climate like Chicago, there are days when you have to pull on something warm. Believe it or not, we actually had a freeze warning last night! So this time of year gives me the chance to actually look at my entire wardrobe rather than just a season. I think there is something to be said for doing this over an entire month. Our moods change, one day is not the same as the last, so it gives us time to really delve a little deeper than just taking a day to go through your wardrobe. 

I'm looking forward to a fun and informative month!

Attaching The Pockets To the Waffle Patterns Pepernoot Coat

We decided to separate the pockets from the finishing of the Pepernoot Coat as combining everything would have made for a rather long post. Now you'll have a designated post to refer back to as you tackle the pockets. You can find the post HERE on the Sew News blog.
Since I have a large pattern in my fabric, it was very important that I match the flowers. A bit of a daunting task, but worth it in the end.

In this week's post, I walk you through creating the rectangular opening for the inserting of the zipper,

to the placement of the zipper, 

and finally, attaching the pocket to the coat. 

In the post I also talk about an alternative just in case you still feel a little overwhelmed by the entire process. But, I think you'll see that making the zippered pocket really isn't that difficult. 
As for me, I think I need to have a talk with myself. If only I had chosen a fabric with a less obvious pattern. Sometimes it seems that I enjoy giving myself an extra challenge ;) Whatever my next project will be, I won't include matching patterns!!!
Best of luck with your pockets!  

Master Sewing and Design Certification/Piped Pockets

If by chance you are thinking about taking the plunge and working toward Master Sewing And Design Certification, I wanted to let you know that most of the techniques that I'm sharing with you at this point are not a part of the requirements. For instance, you will need to demonstrate a welt pocket, but it does not need to be a piped welt pocket. I think that the tutorials offer great information, and hopefully help you in projects that you take on. Something that you might want to think about doing is getting a notebook, doing the samples for yourself and building your own sample notebook. A notebook like this can be a wonderful resource. I made one when I was in school...lots of years ago :)...and I loved my notebook. Sadly, we had a flood and I lost the book, but I am now building a new one. For those of you who teach, this is a great resource to have and to share.  

Today I wanted to do a welt pocket with purchased piping. This is a fun technique to have in your sewing arsenal as you can customize your garments with a purchased piece of piping, or even create your own. Since the piping that I'm using is quite small, it could also be used to make bound buttonholes, and the process would be basically the same. 

Piped Welt Pockets

The fabric that I'm using is a piece of raw silk.  

Depending upon where you want to place your pocket, and the type of fabric that you are using, you may want to back the pocket opening with a piece of interfacing. I used a piece of cotton fusible interfacing. Just be sure that the interfacing corresponds to the fabric.

As we did with the triangle buttonhole, marking is very important. Notice here that I have marked the center of my pocket and the ends. Hand basting is best for this step.  

The size of the piping may not be as wide as the tape that is holding the piping, so be sure to measure the width of the piping before you begin. My piping is approximately 1/8" wide. 

Once I determine the width of my piping, I then marked the outside edge of the pocket. 

Align the piping with the basted edge of the pocket.

Stitch down the piping, starting and stopping at the marked ends of the pocket. I stitched the piping to the fabric on the right side, but it's easier to see the stitching from the back side.

Once the piping has been stitched to the garment, clip the pocket open, using the center basted line as a guideline.  

Stop clipping about a half inch away from the ends, and clip a small v shape as you see below.

Turn the edges of the piping to the inside of the pocket opening and press.

Now that the piping is in place, we will add the pocket bag to the inside. Begin by stitching the pocket facing to the lower piped edge. Once the pocket facing has been stitched to the lower edge of the piping, simply fold it down and press.

Now stitch the top pocket to the top edge of the piping.

Once the top pocket and the pocket facing have been stitched in place, it's time to sew the pocket together.

Turn the pocket over and make sure that the piping is aligned and you are happy with how it all looks. Maybe give it a little light steam, depending upon your fabric. 

Fold back the sides and reveal the small triangle that was cut at the ends of the pocket.  

Beginning on one side, stitch across the triangle, right at the edge of the pocket and continue stitching around the pocket to the other side and stitch across the opposite triangle.  

All I need to do now is take the basting stitches out of my fabric and my pocket is complete. 

If by chance you are using a piece of piping that is encased in fabric, you will probably want to pull a little of the piping out from the edge so that you don't have to sew over the piping. A larger piece of piping could also leave a bump on the right side of the garment which you would not want. The piping that I used is quite small and basically pressed flat, so it is not an issue. 

The Pattern Review Weekend will be May 13th and 14th, here in Chicago. If by chance you are coming, be sure to check out Chicago Fabric Yarn and Button located at 208 South Wabash. The shop is not a large shop, but if you don't mind digging, you can find some wonderful treasures. The piping that I used for this demonstration was purchased there. This is our only downtown fabric store. All the other stores are either in the suburbs, or will require a ride on the elevated train. 

I hope this tutorial will inspire you to be creative with your pockets and buttonholes. Think about building a sample notebook. I have lots of tutorials coming up and I think you will enjoy having the notebook as a reference.

Happy Sewing,

Rhonda

Monday Morning Inspiration/Great Ideas

To start off the new week, I thought I would share a few pieces that I've found which I think are quite inspirational. Of course, I dream of doing them all, but even if I just adopt one into a garment, then that's a good thing too :)

I absolutely adore this skirt and how easy it would be to do. The skirt is just an a-line skirt with an added pleat, and of course a zipper. 

The pleated detail on this skirt is so pretty.

I tried to find the website that this jacket came from, but no luck. This is just amazing!

 Here's another raglan sleeve with great seam details. 

                        

The next time I make a raglan sleeved garment, I want to give this a try. What a fun peek-a-boo treatment.

The neckline on this jacket is wonderful. Look closely, the princess line develops into a notched collar.

Now for a little draping inspiration.

Love how the drape folds into a pleat.

From Haider Ackermann.

Such a pretty back.

Another interesting piece from Haider Ackermann.

A subtle, but incredible pocket detail. Would be great color blocked.

Another amazing pocket detail. I think I have to figure this one out!

And finally, just because it is just-so-pretty.

 Isn't this the most incredible jacket?!!!

I hope this has made for an awe inspiring start to the week!
Happy Monday :)
Rhonda

Monday Morning Inspiration

Good Morning Everyone!! I hope your new week is off to a great start. 

So many of you enjoyed last week's post on cartridge pleats, so I thought I would showcase another technique, the welt pocket. A beautifully executed welt pocket can give a garment a touch of tailored class like no other technique. I have a feeling though that many of you have already started to cringe at just the thought of putting in a welt pocket, but be sure to scroll to the end as I have added some tools that will help you master welt pockets.

The skirt below is a wonderful example of how a simple, but beautiful welt pocket can be a perfect detail.

Check out this pocket. Vintage garments always have such lovely accents.

For the person who likes a challenge and some extra work.

I love this jacket!!! The lining, piping and then the pockets make for the perfect accents.

Here's another beauty accented with a bow.

The curved welt pocket.

Accented with stitching and a leather arrow.

Incorporated into a seam. If you don't look closely, you could miss the pocket.

A zippered welt.

Beautifully executed bias stripes.

Accented with pick stitching.

A crescent shaped lip.

A shaped pocket. The rivets are a nice touch with the denim.

A little origami.

An interior pocket with a small flap and a button loop closure.

Given a bow feel.

For those who really want a challenge.....

and then a challenge on steroids!!!!! Take note that this is a double pocket. Amazing!

Welt pockets can be added just as a design detail with no functionality.

Here's a video from Peggy Sagers on making a simple welt pocket.

Some years ago I purchased this tool for making welt pockets. It's a very useful tool.

You can find it HERE.
The trick to making great welt pockets is just to practice....like just about any other technique. The video and the tool won't render the special pockets like I've shown above, but once you've mastered the basic pocket, you'll be ready to take on something a little more challenging.
Wishing you a lovely week!
Rhonda