April Henry

That’s really cute! Very inspiring.

It looks great on you! Well done.

Oh, I agree with Lightning! Checks would be darling:

I like Lightning’s thoughts about it! (And I think it’s a size limit regarding posting here. If you make the photo smaller you should be able to post it.)

My understanding was that you’re sewing the Woodland Stroll Cape?

You can use a lining instead of a facing. That’s perfectly fine. I’m not following exactly what you’re trying to do with two bodice pieces, but it sounds like that’s not important here. Yes, just line it instead of a facing. No problem.

Can’t you just flip it and use the right side? Everything is symmetrical, so just mark the wrong side so you keep it all straight.

Ok, here’s some quick feedback! A couple of things to keep in mind here and with some of the shirts in your closet: this style of shirt is not a fitted blouse. It’s meant to be somewhat loose-fitting with a slightly dropped shoulder. In other words, I think you might be trying to make a fitted blouse with a shirt that’s designed to be more…[Read more]

Nancy, I’m really sorry but I’m not understanding your question(s). Can you re-ask it/them or maybe post a photo of what you’re trying to do?

I don’t have the pattern in front of me, but you’ll want to determine how much overlap was left for the buttons. Usually I leave about 1″ (1/2″ on either side), so that would mean you can trim 1/2″ from each side and use the remaining 1/2″ seam allowance. You’ll have to confirm that with the instructions and the pattern markings, however. I’m on…[Read more]

Hello, and a few quick answers to your questions: you can probably use unbleached muslin if you pre-wash it, and I would likely toss it in the dryer to be sure it’s completely shrunk. They press it well before use. My experience with Aurifil is limited but I would suggest an all-purpose thread for apparel stitching. It’s best when the thread has…[Read more]

The yoke is double fabric, so maybe you wouldn’t need one? Or what about making a slip dress to wear underneath? You could use the Pinwheel to make a simple slip that could be worn under other things as well. It wouldn’t be difficult to fully line it, but it might make it a bit heavy.

I’m glad you figured it out as well. And here’s a little more information to help you in the future. Patterns are graded from the center-front or center-back neck, but when I lay out the patterns I often nest them differently than they are graded in order to make the various size lines more visible. If you need to make a change you’ll have to take…[Read more]

I’ve got no idea either. The only suggestion I can think is to go back and triple-check everything again. Sorry I can’t be more helpful! It can be difficult to determine what went wrong, I know. Keep up posted, ok?

It’s difficult to sew for someone without actually being able to fit a muslin for them. You could always use a larger neckline/collar on a smaller size if needed.

For corduroy, since it’s so thick and heavy you might want to use larger buttons. You’ll have to use your judgement. You can probably make 1/2″ buttons work–you’ll just have to be sure the buttonholes are small enough to support the buttons and be sure to leave enough of a shank when you sew the buttons that they don’t pull themselves through the…[Read more]

Paula, I would LOVE to write that book! It’s on my wish list, but to be quite honest it’s very expensive for me to write a book. I don’t make much money from books and it takes a very long time to make a book. If I could somehow make a living and write that book I would do it in a heartbeat. But we lose money on books, so it’s not in the near…[Read more]

Agreed, or you could go the reverse route and start with the large pattern and use the Fit for Real People book to help you adjust the body of the shirt to a larger size. To me that seems like the easier route, but either way would work.

Oh, I hope so! There is a sew-along for this one if it helps. https://oliverands.com/community/blog/2017/05/liesl-co-classic-shirt-sew-along.html

Yes, they should be completely interchangeable!