All posts filed under: Tutorial

Tutorial: How to make the ‘Deco Echo’ blouse

As promised, and per popular demand, a tutorial on my Deco Echo blouse! First, a caveat. This blouse best suits a figure with a small bust and less than 10″ bust/waist difference. If you have larger bust, you could try adding length and side-bust darts. It would also help to taper the side panels in at the bottom, and to add a opening (either buttons up the CB, or a side fastening with snaps or hooks). Fabric: I used the panels of silk crepe from the susomawashi (the lower lining) of a kimono for my blouse. I recommend lightweight silk or cotton fabrics. Silk crepes are particularly nice because of their drape. The blouse is made from 5 rectangles – two large ones, two narrow ones, and one really long and narrow one for the waist tie. To make a blouse to fit a 34″ bust you will need: 2x 21″ x 13.5″ (l x w) rectangles – these will be your front and back panels. 2x 10.75″ x 6.5″ (l x w) rectangles – …

Tutorial: How to make a simple garment bag

Published by The Dreamstress

I like to make garment bags for my clients, and to keep my own dresses in. It makes garments easy to store and carry, and you can build pockets into the garment bags to hold belts and sashes and other accessories, so that you never spend time trying to remember where you put the rest of the outfit. Here is how to make a simple 22″ wide, 55″ long dress bag with one outside pocket. You will need: 65″ (1.7 yards, 1.5 metres) of 45″ wide fabric. I like to use pre-washed unbleached cotton muslin because it is low-acid. For a shorter bag you will need the length you want the bag to be + 10″ for the pocket. A 50″ zip A 3″ length of cord, or make your own piece of rouleau cording using Steph’s excellent tutorial. Step 1: The pocket Cut 10″ off of the bottom your length of fabric. Cut two 12″ pieces from the 10″ strip. These 10″ x 12″ squares will be your pocket. Place the two 10″ x …

Tips and tricks for sewing bias seams in chiffon & other lightweight fabrics

Published by The Dreamstress

Let’s face it: sewing with really lightweight fabrics can be hard, even for the best seamstress. And it only gets worse with fabrics like chiffon and silk charmeuse, which twist and warp as you work with them. And it get’s really tricky when you try to sew on the bias of the grain, either with a bias cut garment, or with a skirt cut with multiple A-line panels. Shell’s dress has multiple A-line panels in the skirt, so I had to be really careful in sewing it. Here are some things that I have found that make working with chiffon and lightweight silks easier, and that increase your chances of a good finish. Cutting: Lay your fabric out on a surface big enough that you won’t have to move it to cut out all your pieces. Once your fabric is laid out, go away for half an hour so that the fabric completely ‘relaxes’ before you cut it. Lay your fabric piece over tissue paper to cut them, and cut the fabric and the tissue, …