Reeni

No need to interface anywhere except maybe the neckline unless the jersey is very droopy/heavy.

Can you finish the bottom part of the armhole as a unit (either bias bound or facing) before sewing to the front and back yoke? Kind of how you would do the BB dress with a partial cap or flutter sleeve, or the Butterfly blouse. Then the front yoke would be self-finished and lay over.

You can just make the Sketchbook collar stand narrower (trim about 1/3″ on bottom edge where it sews into the neck) so it folds down more/lays lower onto the shoulder? The music class shirt is a nice sew, though, and doesn’t have the stand part at all.

Do you have a jacket that fits the way you/she likes? I suggest measuring that to compare. Keep in mind that a jacket goes over other sleeves, so more room in the armholes is better. Maybe add 1/2 inch in length a few inches down from the shoulder in the bodice, and the sleeve cap to match.

The music class shirt on little boys is cute, especially because the gathers allow for baby bellies. But the Sketchbook has served me well for many many iterations, and making it short-sleeved with the collar is that pic exactly. You can also do Peter pan collars on little boys as long as they are low enough on the chest to button all the way up.

these are two attempts… from googling (Fit for Real People is not in at my local library) it looks like I need to fix the shoulder slope more than the width to get rid of those neck-to-underarm folds, and make the neckline/collar still bigger, right? There’s also a good inch that could be taken away under the arm in the striped one. A work in…[Read more]

Before the BB Dress book came out I drafted a princess-seam long dress for dd’s First communion based on her beloved Fairytale dress. I used dupioni, with french seams, lined with cotton voile — it was comfortable and beautiful with just the right amount of swirl and spin, and held the (painstakingly, squintingly applied) beads nicely.

Just chiming in to say that fabric stencilling is addictive! 😀 I taught myself how so I could do some costumes and for a while I imagined everything stenciled.

Wash-away stabilizer can help especially because the pieces are small. A quilting needle and short stitch length will make better seams, unless you want to construct the fleece and cotton separately then join them just by the bias trim.The jacket is designed for non-stretch fabric so it is generous enough — the raglan helps with this as…[Read more]

Yay for bigger sizing, the Sketchbook shirt is my go-to for uniforms! Very happy with the results from the Art Museum trouser for my 12 year old who is starting to be true to size, and plan to just upsize on length (more important in rise than leg) as long as I can get away with it… 😀

aha I was trying to work this out too! My point of reference was more a raglan/racer type bodice that I would add to and shave a bit off the sleeve… I guess more shoulder less arm if you can picture that?

Haha @liesl, 7th grade boys are apparently too cool to smile anymore… he was however, looking forward to being with his friends every day!
AK Fabrics on 39th Street (in between Vardhman and Beckenstein/Fabric Czar) has been my source for this plaid since dd started at this school! I went berserk looking for it online and whatever, but of course…[Read more]

AK Fabrics on 39th Street (in between Vardhman and Beckenstein/Fabric Czar) has been my source for this plaid since dd started at this school! I went berserk looking for it online and whatever, but of course they had it right there for a great price… and so much better quality (a washable wool/poly blend) than what the uniform companies make…[Read more]

Oh me @liesl!

on him: Khaki Sketchbook Shorts with zip fly and buttonhole elastic; on her: modified 2+2 skirt in regulation plaid.

it would be cute — I turned the schooldays tunic into a dress and it came out really nice. The only issue dd had with it was that it was straight, skimming the hips and thus too narrow to really run in by knee level. if that might be an issue for your dd, you could either flare the side seams out into an a-line after the “waist,” or maybe add gussets.

I sewed a tie (as opposed to bowties, and knitted one 5 years ago — very Mad Men/ 80’s britpop!) as part of my son’s uniform — what they call “full uniform” for Mass days. I riffed off the Purl tutorial, adding a fun bright orange lining to offset the boring required navy outer, and changing the order of steps a little so I could machine-sew…[Read more]

I sewed a tie (as opposed to bowties, and knitted one 5 years ago — very Mad Men/ 80’s britpop!) as part of my son’s uniform — what they call “full uniform” for Mass days. I riffed off the Purl tutorial, adding a fun bright orange lining to offset the boring required navy outer, and changing the order of steps a little so I could machine-sew…[Read more]

I sewed a tie (as opposed to bowties, and knitted one 5 years ago — very Mad Men/ 80’s britpop!) as part of my son’s uniform — what they call “full uniform” for Mass days. I riffed off the Purl tutorial, adding a fun bright orange lining to offset the boring required navy outer, and changing the order of steps a little so I could machine-sew…[Read more]