All posts filed under: Sewing

Things I sew – historical and modern

The 1930s inspired Stella Skirt

Published by The Dreamstress

The weather in Wellington has been conspiring to make it easy for me to get lots of sewing done, and hard for me to get the sewing photographed.  It’s been cold, dark and wet – or at least it has on any day when I’ve had any time to get photographs. This weekend a sun, free time, and a photographer (Madame O, yay!) finally managed to all happen at the same time.    Unfortunately, the rest of the  circumstances  conspired against me.  It may have been sunny, but it was still  very  cold.  And we were late setting out, so the best of the sun and light had passed.  And it was even more cold. Plus, I’ve got muscle and nerve damage above one eye (word to the wise: try not to get bitten on the face by a centipede, those bastards are evil), and when I get really cold the muscles just stop responding, and I end up looking like a literal Picasso. And to top it all off  I’ve had a little problem …

Tutorial: How to make Pyjama Pants Part 2

Published by The Dreamstress

We’re making pyjama pants!  Because pyjama pants are easy to make.  And awesome!  And mine are yellow with polka dots and pink gumboots.  So basically, awesome! This is part II of how to make pyjama pants: Part I is  here. In Part I  I showed the first half of the process of making pyjama pants: checking the pattern for alterations, laying out the fabric and pattern, cutting, and doing the basic assembly. In this post I’ll  cover all the rest of the steps: adjusting your waist, making the waistband and inserting your elastic, and hemming. Adjusting the waist level So, we started with a fully assembled, but unfinished, pair of pyjama pants.  Now it’s time to put them on.  Check the inside of the pants for the Fs & Bs that you marked after cutting out, to make sure you put them on the right way ’round. Pull them up until they are at a comfortable level between your legs, and turn down the top of the pants until the fold is where you would …

Tutorial: How to make Pyjama Pants Part 1

Published by The Dreamstress

In my Absolute Beginners Sewing class we make drawstring bags, cushion covers with zips, and pyjama pants. Pyjama pants are an awesome beginners project because they are easy to make, are made from easy to work with fabrics, and everyone uses them – or at least knows someone who will (which is quite an important consideration in picking a class project!). Beyond the ‘they work for everyone’ factor, I really like them as an intro to garment making, because they have just enough techniques to be interesting, without getting overwhelming, and they have just enough opportunities to work on fit, without getting bogged down in fit. Also, even an absolute beginner can make a pair of pyjamas from start to finish in 5 hours or less. Results! This is the process for pyjama pant making I like to teach to beginner sewers, because it (as mentioned) covers enough techniques, without cramming in too many, allows us to think about fit and alterations, and the process of assembling a garment, is quick, and almost fool-proof. It …