Todd Gibson

Sorry for the silence Peggy. I don’t have much up front, nor have I made the Capuccino dress but hopefully someone else will chime in with their thoughts soon….

Oh, how beautiful! And how fun that they were used for that particular piece, which is a favorite of mine. I love the graceful cat-like motions. Thanks for sharing!

That’s beautiful! Well done!

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

I don’t either, @lightningmcstitch! It’s never caused a real problem, and if I get a little nest of threads I just cut them off. No biggie.

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]

I’d probably more inclined to make a separate bow and attach it only via thread chain belt loops at the side seams. That way it can easily be removed for cleaning and pressing, etc. But it sort of depends on the type of bow you’re thinking of, too. You certainly could do it as you suggested as well!

For the dress in the book I did a hem facing with a scalloped edge. To finish the scalloped edge I simple used a basting stitch as a folding guide, then I clipped into the seam allowances where needed to allow the seam allowances to be pressed to the wrong side along the basting line. I trimmed where necessary so they wouldn’t show and then sewed…[Read more]

No, no additional seam allowance, just marking so you can make your fox.

I have made it more times without a sleeve than with, ha! It’s a favorite for summer around here. Anyway, I just leave the sleeve off and line the bodice. Like Liesl said, the kimono sleeve makes it look short sleeved. In this post I talk about how to line the bodice: https://oliverands.com/community/blog/2015/06/fox-playtime-dress.html

I’ve seen several version where the sleeve was just left off. Since it has a bit of a kimono sleeve to the shaping, that will make it look short sleeved. A narrow hem to finish it should be just fine. But perhaps someone who has sewn it that way will have additional suggestions?

I agree. Double gauze would be perfect for that style!

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?

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!