April Henry

Is it a true double-faced fabric? Because if it is, you can separate the fabric at the edges and tuck the edges in between the layers before hand-stitching to finish it. The would allow you to create a fully reversible cape if you don’t mind hand sewing quite a bit. I just did a quick google search and found a couple of tutorials to help…[Read more]

Hey Johanna,

Very perceptive questions!

1. I gave you a little extra width in the skirt back placket for “turn of cloth” and because the testers felt it was a bit tricky to sew. It felt safer to have a little extra there, but if you match the crease to the line of stay stitching you’ll be fine.

2. With regard to the difference in width on the…[Read more]

That’s great to hear, @with-love-heidi! My mom made one with a laminate that she’s been using for a long time, too. I need to find time to make one for myself!

No, it’s fine. I prefer the sew-in interfacing for this project, but if you have fusible and want to use it go ahead. Enjoy!

Hmm. I think this should help?

https://oliverands.com/oliver-and-s-patterns/OLV-OS021MB.html#tab-errata

You can find any errata on the page for that pattern.

Looks like you did it perfectly! A boxy dress with dropped shoulder is going to have a boxy fit. Thus the lines. It’s normal for this style. The dress looks great on you!

That’s the right photo, @joslyn. You can see the full worksheet for the dress on page 20, including a sketch of the skirt on that particular dress–it’s added to an empire waist in this instance.

Apologies for the silence, @dids! I’m traveling, with limited access to my computer. If I recall correctly, you attach the elastic to both front edges of only the fabric A jacket. So right side and left side. Does that make sense? I hope it helps.

Ok, sewists, I need your help! I’m ready to send out testing packages for our next Liesl + Co patterns, and I’m looking for two specific sizes:

I need someone who wears a C-cup (2″ different between your high bust and full bust) for a shirt pattern.

I’m also looking for someone who wears a size 16, 18, or 20 to test a shorts and a skirt pattern.…[Read more]

Ok, sewists, I need your help! I’m ready to send out testing packages for our next Liesl + Co patterns, and I’m looking for two specific sizes:

I need someone who wears a C-cup (2″ different between your high bust and full bust) for a shirt pattern.

I’m also looking for someone who wears a size 16, 18, or 20 to test a shorts and a skirt pattern.…[Read more]

Yeah, you might even want to measure the pattern at various spots and compare the measurements to spots on his legs if you don’t want them to be tight. Since everyone is built differently, it will also depend on how muscular or thin his legs are.

Well okay then. Between you and me, I’m working on it!

It is so nice that you’re all doing this!

I think @lightningmcstitch is on the right track. Basically, you’ll cut off the top half of the sleeve cap and leave enough to hem the top edge. The you’ll add a bias facing to the upper armhole to finish it. It’s like the Partial Cap Sleeve in the Building Block Dress book, except the bias facing is at the top of the armhole instead of the…[Read more]

Ah, now I see what you mean. For that, you should true up using the original side seam. It will bring in your side seam by the dart by a bit, but you’ve added extra space near the front of the top so you’re still adding ease.

Or if you really need/want that extra bit at the side seam, add the equivalent amount to the side seam of the sleeve…[Read more]

You sound very frustrated, @lotuspeachblog. Let me see what I can do to help now that I understand more about the situation.

First of all, I’m going to suggest my favorite book which I think will be very useful to you: “Fit for Real People” by Pati Palmer. She covers all sorts of fit situations for every body shape, and I think you’ll find it to…[Read more]

I’m not sure I’m following your changes, @lotuspeachblog. You’re using one size sleeve, another size armhole, and a different size neckline, and still another size side-seam/width? This sounds too complicated to me!

Overall, I’d say you’re getting a pretty good fit now. I’d have to agree with @mama_knowles that I think the style looks better with a wider neck, but the beauty for sewing for yourself is that you can alter to your preferences, so if you’re happy with the narrower neckline, go with it! Otherwise, it looks as it should, so your alterations have…[Read more]

I guess I’d be inclined to alter the Building Block Dress skirt, but that’s just me. You’ll get a very different effect if you use box pleats, in large part because the black sections between the candy corns will be wider and won’t taper to points at the hem. Does that make sense? I think it would be easier to get the same look as the original if…[Read more]