Liesl Gibson

I’ve run out of room for my stash
So off to Ikea I dash
The place is a maze
I’ve been here for days

There are sequins all over the rug
Each one looks like a shiny blue bug
I could pick up each one
And it would be done
Once I stick them all to my mug

And to start a new limerick:

I’ve run out of room for my stash

There are sequins all over the rug
Each one looks like a shiny blue bug
I could pick up each one
And it would be done
Once I stick them all to my mug

I’ve run out of room for my stash

Do you mean prior to washing the yardage of fabric, or finishing seams after seeing them?
At the risk of sounding heretical, I don’t do anything to the edges of new fabric before prewashing. Sure, I sometimes get a mild tangle but I only ever lose a few threads width which is less than you’d lose if you pinked the edges.

I think you’re right that you need something at the back. It would look quite odd if a sash came forward from the side seams but the back was bare. Somehow it works the opposite way 😉
If you use a cotton and have a full sash it will be heavy and I’d worry it will sag at the front – unless you tie it quite tight!
You certainly could put the back…[Read more]

@wildswan We’ve ultimately decided to take the approach of expanding the size range of new Liesl + Co. patterns rather than going back and re-doing already existent ones. So the Cappuccino pattern most probably won’t be expanded up into larger sizes. But the newer Liesl + Co patterns, and future releases, go up to size 20.

The t-shirt is a boxy, cropped style. It’s very stylish especially when teamed with the culottes. But not, I found, on a little girl who insisted on wearing her skirts or pants with the front waistband pulled down below a toddler belly. Ugh.
I’m not sure about the hem length without getting the pattern out, but imagine it would be the same for…[Read more]

Thanks, Liesl. That’s a big help!

Hi,

I am making my friend’s daughter’s matching fairy tale dresses (view B) to wear to their brother’s first communion. My friend picked out a beautiful Liberty Tawna Lawn fabric. I am thinking of underling the dress as well as lining it to give it a little more body. Any advice would be appreciated, I have only underlined fabric before when I…[Read more]

The Little Things To Sew Cape has a good already and is probably closer to the swingy shape of your inspiration image.
Or, if it’s a fur/fake fur collar you’re wanting, then how about a removable faux collar. Makes it easier to wash the Cape if needed.
You could use a collar shape from the Building Block Dress Book and have it tie at the back, and…[Read more]

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.

Did you check your seam allowance?

that’s great @poppy_andrew they look perfect!

I’m going to go off course here and say that you should check Yelp and ask around in your local sewing community to see who the most reputable dealer/repair shop is, and look at the brand they sell. If anything goes hinky or you just need service done, you don’t want to have to ship your machine. Also a local dealer will often include a few free…[Read more]

I’m going to go off course here and say that you should check Yelp and ask around in your local sewing community to see who the most reputable dealer/repair shop is. If anything goes hinky or you just need service done, you don’t want to have to ship your machine. Also a local dealer will often include a few free lessons/machine orientation to…[Read more]

I find that I can’t be firing on all pistons at once. If I’m sewing a lot, I’m not knitting. If I’m knitting a lot, I’m not cooking, and so on. I too have been in a non-sewing phase for what feels like a long time. I have had half a Music Blouse on a hanger by my sewing desk for 6 months, no exaggeration. It may well not fit by the time I finish…[Read more]

That’s fantastic! Perfectly Totoro for those of us in the know, but not at all costume-y.
Now you can stencil paint ALL THE THINGS! 😂

What is the fabric going to be? If it’s a cotton then I would suggest a freezer paper stencil and some fabric paint.
There are lots of online tutorials for freezer paper stencilling, or, if you have the Sandbox pattern it’s there too.
Have fun (we love Studio Ghibli films too)

It should work just fine. Things to think of: the neckline facing may show through too much with a thin knit. You could consider a full bodice lining layer if your fabric is really thin. Or maybe bind the neckline rather than use the facing.
As it is, it should look fine so long as you use a lightweight interfacing on the facing. You don’t want…[Read more]