KarenK

I generally suggest starting with the chest measurement, but don’t drop more than two sized below the child’s age or the sleeves and armholes might be too small. We’ve allowed approximately 2″ of ease in the pattern, so if she’s measuring between sizes you might be safe to go down instead of up. And of course I always suggest making a muslin!

I’m no expert in sergers, that’s for sure! I’d suggest taking it to a service center or someone who can take a look at it. They’re quite a specialized piece of equipment, and I’m just happy when I can thread mine successfully.

That sounds like a good plan to me! Definitely test the interfacing (which sounds like it’s amazing) before using it to see if it’s necessary, but it sounds like you’ve thought it out brilliantly.

Sorry for the silence! Yes, the hem for both views is the same allowance. Like Lightning says, it’s a short boxy style. It looks darling on her! It also depends on what you’re wearing with it. The cropped length looks great with the culottes, but it might be on the short side for other styles. It’s all about the silhouette, right?

Hey Diane, I’d suggest lining with lawn. Kaufman makes a nice line of solid lawns that would be a great lining. I’m not sure you’d need to underline the dress, especially if you’re going to include the tulle, which will give the skirt more body for sure. Does that help?

What about using the Building Block Dress book to draft a collar of your own to fit the cape? A fur Peter Pan collar would be adorable!

Hi Martha,

You can use the bodice hem of the basic Building Block Dress pattern as an estimated waist, but you’ll want to check it when doing a fitting with the muslin to be sure it’s accurate. Everyone is different, so it’s helpful to check and adjust as necessary.

Cheers,
Liesl

The pattern should be correct. There’s a good deal of negative ease here to account for a knit fabric with at least 25% stretch. They should fit to that body measurement fine. Did you use a knit with at least 25% stretch? That could be part of the issue.

I’m so glad you found what you needed! The people are Farmhouse are lovely.

I would suggest holding the side front panel up to your body so you can determine where the waist and hips are for you vs. the pattern. I’d also suggest making a muslin because there is quite a bit of ease through the waist and the hips in this pattern. You might find that you don’t need to change it too much. But if you do, here is a tutorial to…[Read more]

Well done!

Great! If it still doesn’t lie flat after a good pressing, maybe try hemming it again? If your machine tension is off that could make the hem wavy. I think it’s just one of those things that gets better with practice. Glad you’re having fun with it!

What kind of fabric did you use? Slippery fabrics are more difficult to hem then more stable fabrics, so maybe that had something to do with it? Also, a good pressing can often solve a wavy hem…

It’s pretty easy to shorten sleeves. Just decide where you want them to end, add a hem, and cut the sleeves at that point on the pattern piece. Or wait until you can try it on and decide how short you want them to be then. You can always pin them to see if you’re happy with the length.

Completely agree, Sarvi. In fact, I think I wrote something similar in this post: https://oliverands.com/community/blog/2014/12/ask-me-how-to-buy-a-sewing-machine.html

I’m not sure I’m following you, @mrskanuckles. Can you clarify a bit?

Hmm, sounds like you need a trip to NYC! Actually, you could try calling the Fashion Directory, which is a free service. It’s a great resource: http://garmentdistrict.nyc/fashion/fashion-directory/

I hope that helps!

I agree; it’s perfectly fine to take a break until inspiration hits! I know I personally can’t always be sewing or I burn out. Take a break and try something different or don’t do anything at all for a while. And maybe when we have some new patterns out (soon) that will help???

Thanks, @markjebobarrhotmail-com. My understanding per the SVP reps is that their different brands are targeted like this:

Singer: entry-level/beginning sewist
Viking: more advanced/a little more expensive
Pfaff: more expensive and more features.

In the end I think it’s just important to buy a machine that feels good to you and comes from a…[Read more]