Make it in a Metre: Sew a double-layer bibbed cowl tutorial

With Christmas just a few days away and everyone being short on time for makes, over the next couple of days I thought I'd share some ideas for some super-quick makes for all of us that are procrastinators.

Jamie and Maia are both illogically anti-scarf, and I spend more time than healthy arguing with them about the need to keep their necks covered in the winter, so I whipped up some cowls to quell the protests.  I already have a tute for a 15-minute double layer snood, but I wanted to make a bibbed variation for the kids so they had some extra coverage and warmth for their chests for when their coats are zipped down against all advice and rationality.  The bibbed front means that the side seams sit on their shoulders and offers good coverage of the neck, but that the bib also extends down the chest front and back for extra warmth and protection from the elements.  Make time is again less than half an hour once you've drawn the pattern, so you can easily whip some up for the kids' stockings, last-minute birthday gifts etc. The cowl I made has an interlock layer and a fleece layer (or you could use two jerseys for less cold weather) and potentionally the cowl is reversible if you slip-stitch at the last step.  These dimensions are suitable for my five and seven year old; for adult dimensions the width still works but you'll probably want to increase overall height. It's suitable for all knit fabrics. Let's go!

To draft the single (!) pattern piece, you'll need a piece of paper that is at least 13" by 11".  First draw a rectangle that is 8" tall by 11" wide near the top of your paper. Then draw a second rectangle just below it that is 5" by 11".  Fold the paper in half vertically so the rectangles are in half to draw the bib.  Mark 2.5" alway from the centre fold on the bottom line.   From there, draw a diagonal line to a point that is .75" away from top line and then blend it into a curve on both side.  While on the fold, cut the pattern so it's symmetrical.  If this doesn't make sense, I'll scan a pattern piece in. It probably would've taken me less time than explaining it :)

Cut two pieces each of both a main and lining. As above, I used interlock and fleece. Make sure the stretch is going across horizontally.

Right sides facing, sew the main fabrics together along the side seam on one side.  Repeat for the two lining pieces.  I'm using a serger because I have one, if you have a regular machine that's fine too!   Modern regular machines might have a pre-built stretch stitch (like a lightening bolt), with older or more basic machines you can use a narrow zigzag.  All of the seams end up enclosed so neatness isn't an issue.

Now you have this.

Place the lining on top of the main, right sides facing, and pin the layers together along the top straight edge and the bottom curved edges.  You are going to sew along these lines (as per the black lines) and leave the sides open.  Obviously, follow the curves rather than my hatchet-ey straight lines in the picture.  Make sure the seams in the centre match up.

This is me sewing the layers together.

And this is me done this step.

Turn right side out through one of the open side seams.  Fold along the centre seam so the raw edges match up.

Where the main fabric transitions to the lining fabric at the top edge, pinch together at the seam so the right sides are facing.  Pin here, and then continue pinning the main fabric to the main fabric along the raw edge, leaving the lining fabrics alone for now.

This is what it looks like when the main fabric is pinned.  See how the lining is hanging free?

Starting at the side seam where the main transitions to the lining, start pining the lining together right sides facing. As you are doing this, the whole cowl will disappear into the interior.  This is known as bagging.

Now that all the lining has been pinned to the lining, there is a resulting circle to sew and the cowl is hiding inside.  In order to access the cowl and pull it right sides out, you will need to leave a gap in the lining.  I normally find two inches is fine for pulling it out, and I normally place the gap in the middle of the lining away from the side seams.  If you don't leave that gap, the cowl is trapped inside!

Sew all the way around this edge.

Again, make sure you leave the gap!

Through the hole, start pulling it right sides out.

Voila!  If you want to iron for neatness, do it now.  Beware the fleece (if you're using it) as it will melt at too hot a heat.

But... there's still that hole to close.

If you want to make it reversible slip-stitch it closed, however, if you're going to have it mostly main side out you can top stitch it close to the edge.  Because it's slouchy, the stitching will disappear anyway and no one will notice.

And you're done!

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Dolmaniacs Sew-along: Sewing up a basic Dolman top

Now that we feel a bit more confident about sewing knits, have printed and assembled our pattern pieces, decided on our first rendition, and cut our fabric, let fire up our machines! Starting with the iron....

**These instructions are an abbreviated form of the tutorial file.  If you are confused about anything, please refer back to the file as the directions are longer and there are more pictures**

Wrong sides facing, iron all bands in half lengthwise to press in a crease. Fold all bands in half vertically and place a pin to mark centre.

 

If you have chosen a waistband and / or armbands this step if for you.  If you're hemming sleeve and waist please skip ahead one step.  No matter who you are, don't this to the neckband pretty please!  Unfold a band and match up the short raw edges, right sides facing. Sew along this line. Repeat for all bands (except neckband of course) and place to the side for later.

Welcome back, hemmers :)  Right sides facing, match the shoulder seam of the front and back pieces on one side. Pin and stitch. Don't you dare do it to the other side, we need it open for the next step.

With the raw edges all facing to the top (band is still folded), pin one end of the neckband to the open front corner, the other end of the neckband to the open back corner.  The pin that you placed at the centre of the neckband goes one inch along from the shoulder seam on the front side.  Being deeper and more curved, the front neckline needs and deserves more of the band.  Holding on to two of the pins, gently stretch so the band matches the neckline in between and do some more pinning.  Repeat until you're happy that the band is evenly distributed.

Starting at one end, sew the band to the neckline. As you are sewing, stretch the band so it is laying flat against the main fabric and all three raw edges are aligned.  Don't stretch the whole neckline, just the band.  Pulling just at the pins (where the band is already where it belongs) is a good idea; stop stitching when you get to the pin and restretch from the next one.  Even though necklines are curved, as you are sewing the stretching makes them appear straighter.

When you have finished, press really well with the iron so the seam allowance is flat against the main fabric.  Then, set your stitch length a bit longer (I use 3.5) and carefully topstitch just under 1/4" away from the band.  This keeps your seam allowance from popping over.

Now sew the other shoulder seam together as above.  Pay particular attention to making sure the bands at the neckline are even as this will be the final neck edge on show.  I tack them together on my regular machine first so they don't shift out of place when serging.

Arm-edge hemmers, now is your chance to shine.  Everyone else skip the next two steps...  Open the shirt out and press up the raw sleeve edges by 2cm.

Using your choosen manner of hemming (refer back to my suggested options if you need to) hem both sleeve edges.

All together again... Right sides facing, match the side seams of the front and back and pin in place.  Sew along this seam, and then the other side.  As you approach the arm curve pull gently so it resembles more of a straight line.  Those of you who hemmed your sleeves (as above about the neckband) take extra special care that the sleeve edges are even as this is your finished sleeve.

And now you have this!  Except for Arm-hemmers, who have an even more advanced version.

If you are a smug arm-hemmer, skip two steps if you are planning a waistband or four steps if you are hemming the bottom edge too.  You're almost done.  Fold the arm cuff on the original fold line and slip it over the sleeve with the raw edges all together.  The seam of the band matches the side seam of the top, the needle marking centre matches the shoulder seam.  Continue all the way around the sleeve matching up the band with the sleeve and pinning.

Sew all the way around, ensuring that all the edges are still where they are supposed to be.  Repeat for other sleeve.

Only for waist-banders, hemmers two steps forward.  Fold the waistband on the original fold line and slip it over the bottom of the top with the raw edges all together.  The seam of the band matches the side seam of the top, the needle marking centre matches the other side seam.  Continue all the way around the sleeve matching up the band with the top and pinning.

Sew all the way around, ensuring that all the edges are still where they are supposed to be.

Hemmers, back to you.  Press the bottom edge up an even one inch all the way around.  And then hem all the way round using your choosen manner of stitching (refer back to my suggested options if you need to).

And now everyone finishes together... Turn inside out and (if applicable) press the seam allowances of the arm and waist bands towards the main fabric.  Press the shoulder seam that includes the neckband to the back.  If you hemmed the sleeves, also press the underarm seams to the back.

On the right side of the band front and back stitch several times to secure the seam allowance in the flat position.  Repeat the same treatment to the the underarm seams if you hemmed them.

From the right side, the tacked down seam allowance will look like this.

*Optional: Topstitch the seam allowances of the arm and waistbands to the main fabric the same way you did the neckband. This will stop them flipping.*
 
And now you're done!  Make sure that you post your creations to The Dolmaniacs Flickr group that I never told you about . 

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How is everyone feeling about the pace of the sew-along? I know some of you are waiting for needles, for illness to pass, to return from work-trips etc.  Do you want me to take a couple of days respite so you can catch up and have a play around?

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Kitschy Coo and the Dolmaniacs

How's that for a band name?  Apologies for the delay in getting this post all together, believe it or not I spent about 16 hours making those flipping grab buttons to your right.  I made a boy one and a girl one so you can be casually sexist choose whichever one you fancy. Copy and paste the code into a html widget for your sidebar and, who knows, it might just click through to my blog for the sew-along. Or it could send you down a rabbit hole, coding is not my forte.

So this is how the sew-along is going to work: the pattern is now available in the shop for pre-order at a special price of £5 (this will increase to £7 once the sew-along is finished).  On the 10th of June the pattern and basic tutorial file will be emailed to you and the sew-along begins! Not only will we cover the basic construction of the top on the blog, but I'll also add some fun bonus variations.

The details of the pattern: 

The top has short dolman sleeves with the option of sleeve and hem bands or, if you prefer, straightforward hems. It is suitable for both boys and girls.  With a generous cut, the top is designed to be worn for up to two years per size.  It's a perfect garment if you are new to sewing knits, and it should take you under an hour to sew up!  Suitable fabrics include interlock, jersey, rib knit, waffle weave knit, french terry, and sweatshirting, or you could even repurpose old adult shirts. The sizes included are 18m/2T, 3T/4T, 5Y/6Y, and 7Y/8Y. You will need at most 1/2m of standard width fabric for all sizes / variations except for 7Y/8Y when choosing a normal hem and not a waistband (with a waistband it falls just short of 50cm). A 1/4m of ribbing, jersey or interlock are also required for the neckband and optional sleeve and hem bands.  Stretch needles are also required.

And if you need some fabric, I'm also offering 15% off all fabrics in my shop for one week (closing 12 June)!  Just enter DOLMANIACS at checkout.

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Make it in a metre series: The Tennis Skirt

After so many fantastic guest posts in the 'Make it in a Metre' series, I reckon it's high time that I contribute a project tutorial! So here we go with The Tennis Skirt, which is a very quick to sew a-line skirt using knit fabric. The hem is full and curved so there's quite a lot of flounce and body. From cutting to finishing, the skirt can be completed in about a half an hour and requires half a metre of fabric at most! I can definitely see myself knocking a dozen of these out for summer basics. The sizes I've included in the file are 18m/2T, 3T/4T, and 5Y/6Y.

Version one is seen here:

And version two here:

I made one small change between versions one and two... the combination of my daughter's rounded belly and bum meant the hemline was riding higher in the back so version two has a higher rise in the back piece. If your recipient has this body type I recommend using both front and back pieces; if your recipient is more straight up-and-down through the torso and hips you can use the curved 'front' piece for both the front and the back.

Materials required:

1/2m knit fabric for skirt body
1/4m ribbing or cotton lycra (or anything with lycra / spandex / elastane and good stretch recovery) for the waistband
Stretch needles for sewing with knits
Pattern pieces (download the pattern and assembly instructions here)
Tape to assemble the pattern
Optional but recommended: a double needle for hemming

Cutting your fabric:

If your fabric is dimensional you will need to cut the skirt pieces side by side (requires slightly more fabric with some wastage between the pieces)

If your fabric is not directional, cut one piece on the fold first, then refold and cut the second piece upside down (practically no fabric wastage!)

Your finished pattern pieces will look like this:

Sewing your skirt:

I have used a serger for the construction only because I have one. But it's not a problem to sew the skirt on a regular machine! You will need to use a stretch needle, a stretch stitch (either a pre-set stitch like the lightening bolt, triple stretch, or overlocking stretch, or if your machine doesn't have a pre-set a narrow zigzag), and reduced pressure on your foot to reduce wavy-ness. If you can't reduce the pressure on your machine, I've heard others swear by a walking foot but I've never tried one.



Step one: Sew both side seams of your waistband:

Step two: Sew both side seams of your skirt:

Step three: Fold waistband down, fold in half an place pins at centre front and back. Fold skirt in half and place pins at centre front and back. Now you have all your quartermarks to match.

Step four: With all the raw edges at the top, pin the waistband to the skirt, matching up the side seams and the centre front and back pins. As you can see, there is excess skirt fabric between each of the quartermarks that the waistband will be stretched to fit as you sew.

Step five: Starting at a side seam, drop the needle into the waistband / skirt. Holding the fabric at the next quartermark, stretch the waistband only so that the edges match up without wrinkling. (If you have curly edges on the skirt fabric that you find hard to tame, this tute should help!). While holding taut, sew up to the quartermark, stop in the down position and repeat.

Step six: continue this process all the way around.

Step seven: Flip the waistband up. Press the seam allowance down to the skirt so it's flat and smooth.

Step eight: Starting the the side seam, press the hem of the skirt up one inch. Continue this all the way around. Where the curve of the hem is the deepest, gently pull the fabric so it follows the curve evenly.

**Tip**: What works the best for me is to brace the fabric against the ironing board with my hip while pulling with my left hand and ironing with my right. When it's not being pulled it looks like this:

See how there are small sections that lift up a tiny bit? When stretched just a very small amount whilst sewing they go completely flat.

If you are not going to use a double needle for hemming and instead want to hem with a normal single needle, after you have pressed an inch all the way around, additionally press the raw edge under a quarter of an inch all the way around.

Step nine: Hemming your skirt.

I am using two needles with my Coverstitch, again, because I have one. The result with a double needle in a regular machine is practically the same: there's a row of parallel lines on the right side and a weave on the wrong side. (There's an intro to twin needles here or here). When coverstitching or using a double needle you sew with the right side facing up, which can take a little bit of practise to master. It can help to use twin needles with quite a bit of width between them, and to draw a faint line with chalk on the right side along the hemming line.

If you are sewing with a single needle, you can sew from the wrong side (so it is easier to follow) and I suggest lengthening your stitch to 3 or 3.5. You shouldn't need to do a stretch stitch because the hem is wide enough it won't be overly stretched or prone to snapping.

Starting at the side seam, sew your hem so that the raw edge underneath is being straddled by the two needles (or so both needles hit the hem if you want to be safe!). Pull ever so gently in front of the foot so it lies flat, and go slowly.

Continue all the way around until you're back to where you started.

You're done! Press the hem again if it needs flattening.

Then find a cute model and post it in the Flickr group :)

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