Crafted Spaces

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Sew-Along - New Look 6005 Pants

The second project in our Fall Sew-Along is loose fitting cargo style pants, the New Look 6005 pattern. The pattern envelope has several suggested fabrics listed. The suggested fabrics have a little bit of body or weight to them, such as the lightweight denim and twill. I decided to use a linen fabric for this project, and added an African cotton print as contrast. As mentioned in our previous skirt project, this post is meant to accompany the pattern instructions included in your pattern envelope, so have your pattern ready. I also recommend that you read the previous post in our sew-along to prepare for sewing your project.

Style Details
The pants have pockets and a pull cord in the waist and hemline. There is also topstitching on the pockets, waist and hemline.

Getting Started
I started by reading through the pattern instruction sheets and I identified where I wanted to make a few changes. There are several pants styles available with this pattern and I choose design "B," but made a couple changes. I did not include the side leg pockets and used a contrasting fabric on the top pockets. I also decided to have closed seams, so I did not finish my edges with a zig zag stitch or serger prior to sewing.

Sewing The Pants

I attached the pockets to the pants front pieces as instructed and finished with a topstitch. Ironing is very important to achieving a nice finish, and if needed use some hand basting. I ironed at each step and found that the pockets laid flat along the curved opening. If your pockets do not lie flat along the curve you can also place a few small snips along the curve along the seam allowance, which should help it lie flat.

Once the pockets were sewn in place, I sewed the front and back pieces of the pants at the inside seams (inseam). I then finished the seam closed with the serger. To finish, I ironed the seam over towards the back leg pieces. You can choose to press open your seam or finish with a zig zag stitch. I did not include the side leg pockets; otherwise, I would have stitched the side seams first and attached the side pockets as instructed in the pattern instruction sheet(s).

Next I placed the two sewn pieces right sides together matching notches and sewed at the centre seams. I then serged the seam closed and ironed the seam over to one side.

I followed by ironing the fusible interfacing and sewing the button hole (for pull cord) at the bottom of each pant leg close to the hemline. I used a seam ripper to carefully open the button hole. I then serged the edge of the hemline.

I then turned the pants with the right sides facing each other and centre seams together. I stitched the side seams and serged them with the seams closed.

Next, I ironed a small piece of fusible interfacing onto the waistband and sewed the button holes for the pull cord. I also placed right sides together and sewed the short ends of the waistband together leaving a small opening as instructed. I followed by folding the waistband lengthwise with the wrong sides together and pined it to the waistline of the pants, matching notches and side seams. I then stitched the waistband to the pants and I finished the raw edge with the serger. I ironed the seam towards the inside of the pants as directed and topstitched around the waistband just below the seam.

The final step was to fold the hem as instructed and topstitch. I had previously serged the hemline, so I did not fold in the raw edge, but left it visible. Using a safety pin, I then pulled the twill tape through the waist band and hem casing. I used 27 inches of twill tape in each hem casing and 1.5 yards at the waist.

Changes I Made
The biggest change I made was not including the side pockets on the legs of my pants, which is a signature feature on cargo pants. I used a contrasting fabric for the pockets to add a splash of colour. I also did not use any elastic in the waistband and just used the twill tape.

What I Will Change

I will replace the narrow twill tape in the waist with a wider width tape.
I will like to make the pants in a lighter weight fabric for the summer.
I will topstitch in a contrasting colour thread to add decorative detail.

I hope that you have enjoyed reading this post and I look forward to seeing your pants. Consider mixing the style features and see what you can come up with. Remember to share your projects with us on Facebook and Instagram. Do not forget to use the #cssewalong. If you are looking for inspiration on how to wear your cargo pants, do not forget to visit our Pinterest fashion board.

Our next project is a long sleeve t-shirt. I used Burda 6820 pattern and the details will be posted soon.

Previous Post | Next

Fall Wardrobe Sew-Along
How To Take Body Measurements
Selecting A Pattern
How To Prepare Fabric For Sewing
How To Cut Pattern And Fabric Pieces
Reviewing Pattern Instruction Sheet
Sew-Along - Butterick 6182 Skirt
Sew-Along - New Look 6005 Pants
Sew-Along - Burda 6820 T-Shirt

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Sew-Along - Butterick 6182 Skirt

The first project in our Fall Sew-Along is this cute a-line skirt, the Butterick Lisette B6182 pattern. You will require the pattern to best follow along with this post. Visit our previous post on Selecting a Pattern for more details.

I really like this skirt and found that the sewing went very quickly. I used a linen blend fabric which was great to work with and was an excellent choice for this skirt. If you are new to sewing, the most challenging parts may be the pocket facing and the invisible zipper. However, if you have an invisible zipper foot it will help make the sewing much easier. I also suggest that you have a needle and thread handy for some hand basting.

Style Details
This a-line skirt has an inverted centre pleat, side-front pockets with a pocket facing, a wide waistband and an invisible zipper.

Getting Started

I started by reviewing the pattern instruction sheets and confirming what steps were required to sew the skirt.

The first step was to iron the fusible interfacing to the waistband fabric. To ensure that there are no wrinkles or bubbles I worked from one end of the waistband to the other.

I then stay stitched the required pieces as instructed. I also finishing off the edges (skirt side seam and center back seam) with my serger. If you do not have a serger, you can finish with a zig zag stitch along the edges. On some sewing machines there is also a version of a cover stitch (refer to your sewing machine manual).

Sewing The Skirt

I created a centre front pleat and used the iron to set it in place. The instructions suggest that you then baste the top of the pleat at the waist line.

Next I sewed the pocket facing, which is a small strip of fabric on the inside edge of the pocket. I found it really helpful to iron and hand baste during this step.

When I was finished facing the pockets, I serged the side seam edge of the pockets and continued to prepare the pockets as instructed. I then sewed the pockets onto the skirt using a topstitch. At this point, the front of the skirt was finished.

I then sewed the front and back pieces of the skirt together at the side seams and sewed the waistband to the skirt.

The next step was to sew the invisible zipper to the back of the skirt. It is helpful to have an invisible zipper foot when sewing the invisible zipper; however, you can use a regular zipper foot for the job. In both cases, I suggest hand basting the zipper before stitching. If you do not get the perfect finish with your regular zipper foot you can try stitching a second time, closer to the zipper teeth. After sewing the zipper in place I sewed the back center seam.

I then folded the waistband lengthwise towards the inside of the skirt and finished the ends as instructed. The pattern instructions suggest using a slip stitch to finish off the waistband on the inside. As an alternative, you can also topstitch the waistband, which can add a decorative touch.

The final step was the hemline. I finished my hem by serging around the raw edge of the skirt, folding, pressing, then topstitching. Next, I passed the iron along the hem for a crisp finish. As an alternative, you can hand hem or use a blind hem stitch on your sewing machine (refer to your sewing machine manual).

Changes I Made
When I prepared the pocket, the notches did not line up at the side seams and waistband. I therefore focused on matching the side notches and ensured that the pocket laid flat at the waistband. The fraction of a difference at the waist is not noticeable and the pockets lay flat and look great.

What I Will Change
I really like the skirt and will love to make it again; however, I find the waistband a bit too wide and it gapes slightly. Next time I will make the waistband a bit narrower and adjust for the gaping. I will also try lining the pocket as an alternative to the pocket facing. I also think it will be great to make the facing with a contrasting fabric, which can add a decorative touch. Topstitching with a contrasting colour thread can also enhance the look of the skirt. I am also interested in trying this skirt in a light weight wool blend fabric.

A Note On Seam Finishes
Generally pattern instruction sheets do not cover how to finish your seam, you are simply given instructions for the amount of seam allowance. In the case of this skirt pattern, the seam allowance is 5/8". If you do not have a serger to finish your seams, you can leave your seam as is (but they may fray), or you can use a number of other seam finishing methods. You can use a zig zag stitch or a pinking shares. Some machines may also have a cover stitch that has a similar effect as a serger (refer to your sewing machine manual). Another option is to use seam binding or bias binding.

I hope you have found this sew-along helpful and I look forward to seeing your skirts. Remember to join us on Facebook and follow on Instagram. You are also invited to share your pics with us on the sew-along group or tag your pictures with #cssewalong. I hope you will join us for the rest of our sew-along. Our next project is cargo style pants, New Look 6005.

I have added some inspiration to our Pinterest fashion board to share how you can wear your new a-line skirt. Enjoy!

*This post was last updated on 11/24/2015

Monday, October 26, 2015

Reviewing Pattern Instruction Sheet

I wanted to share a brief post on reviewing your pattern instructions prior to sewing. This is something that I emphasize in my sewing classes and wanted to share in this post. It may seem like stating the obvious, but it is a very common mistake that can be made. In the excitement of starting a new project you may not read through the full instructions prior to sewing, which means you may have a few surprises when you are sewing.

Your pattern generally comes with a pattern instruction sheet(s), which I referred to in the post on How to Cut Pattern and Fabric Pieces. There may be several sheets folded together, which has fabric layouts, a glossary of the pattern symbols and step-by-step sewing instructions. Unfortunately, instructions are not always clear and concise and can take away from the fun of sewing. A full review prior to sewing, therefore means that you can identify if the instructions are clear and easy to follow.

Here are some of the other benefits of a full pattern instruction review:

Confirm that you have cut and prepared all your pieces correctly.
Take you through the steps and techniques needed to complete your project.
Confirm the seam allowance needed for the different parts of the project.
Help you plan your workflow, especially on a big project.
A great way to identify where you can make modifications to the sewing process.

Once you have reviewed the pattern instruction sheet(s), you can decide if you will like to modify the style of the project. You can decide if you want to add or remove elements from the design or how you will add any decorative detailing. Now you can get started with the sewing and go back through the instructions step-by-step.

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