Darcy Struble

Sorry for the delay on this, everyone! A houseful of guests kept me really busy last week:

Sorry for the delay on this, everyone! A houseful of guests kept me really busy last week:

Agreed! I have to go back and search for that sailboat top… But yes you certainly are correct, who knew that pockets would be perfect to smock on? Gathering gives the clue.

And of course there are more than just the counterchange and geometric/ English smocking.

I haven’t yet tried using ribbon but want to one day.

Agreed! I have to go back and search for that sailboat top… But yes you certainly are correct, who knew that pockets would be perfect to smock on? Gathering gives the clue.

I have added smocking to the bubble shorts, the garden party dress,tje fairy tale dress, and the sailboat top. I am working on a smocked popover dress as well. I think anything really could have a bit of smocking added to it.

@sewgirl23 if you look at the line of the style of garment, it will give you an indication of where the smocking can go. I have used smocking on the carousel dress, the school photo dress and the school days jacket, not to mention the croquet dress.

For a motif the carousel dress would be perfect. You could also do a picture smocked panel and…[Read more]

@sewgirl23
I think the 2+2 would be gorgeous. Just under the tie, instead of the tab.
ASM Blue did a gorgeous Ice Cream blouse. I would use gingham, so I could stitch the squares, rather then pleat.

I still love French knots.

I think simple smocking looks cleaner and more modern.

@sewgirl23
I think the 2+2 would be gorgeous. Just under the tie, instead of the tab.
ASM Blue did a gorgeous Ice Cream blouse. I would use gingham, so I could stitch the squares, rather then pleat.

I still love French knots.

@motherof5 I’ve always wanted to get into smocking, and am just trying to figure out which patterns I could adapt to have a bit of a smocked motif! I did so much embroidery in the 80’s and 90’s, I’m the same way when I see fine needlework.

Thanks, @sewgirl23! I’m glad you’re going to make it, and it’s really good to know that the photos help! Cheers.

I’ve been obsessed with finding the right fabric to order for this, and now that I see your gorgeous finished projects, I just need to make up my mind! The pictures are so helpful, I couldn’t quite envision a few of the steps from the pattern alone. Some things I just need to do to understand! Lovely suits, I’m so looking forward to making mine!

Of course they are useful @liesl😀 With six months until our summer, I have plenty of time to collect the items required. But not only that, this sewalong will still be up so I can sewalong then too! It looks like I will be learning new skills with this as in all the years I have been sewing, I have never actually made a swimsuit for myself and…[Read more]

Thanks for this, @snoutfair! It’s really helpful to us to know that these are useful to you, and the more feedback we receive the more likely we are to them again in the future. Thanks also for the reminder regarding the elastic; I’ll drop another email to Butterick to see if they can give me a number now!

Registered just to let you know that I definitely visited this place for your sewalong updates while waiting for my swim notions to arrive in the mail. I hadn’t made a swimsuit before and was about to lose my nerve before I saw that you had a sew-along planned. I particularly appreciate how reassuring you are regarding the assembly and the…[Read more]

That’s a good idea — I read much more than I comment, or I get busy but bookmark things for future use — but it must seem like radio silence from the other end!

Interesting, Sarvi! Thanks for the explanation.

Hey, will everyone who followed/follows the sew-along do me a favor and leave a quick note here telling us you made use of it? It will help a lot with deciding whether to do more sew-alongs in the future if we can gauge the level of interest and participation.

Cheers!

May Grey (and its buddy, June Gloom) are weird patches of overcast skies that come along between Spring and Summer here in Los Angeles. You’ve been having a nice time hiking in April, then you lose the blue skies (but oddly enough, not the penetrating heat of the sun — so if you look outside you’ll want to grab a sweater, but then you open your…[Read more]