Re: (kinda) new to sewing

"azalea" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Hi Val :)
>
> You're help has been awesome...I'm so stoked to make this dress!!
>
> Just a couple more questions :O
>
> you said to get a pattern with a fitted body but a gathered
> skirt...um, where are the gathers? cause to me it looks like a fitted
> body with a full skirt? are the gathers at the back of the skirt? (is
> this a pretty common pattern? Hopefully fabricland will carry it!)

Cynthia came up with a view of this dress pattern....she has a good eye!
http://store.sewingtoday.com/cgi-bin/voguepatterns/shop.cgi?s.item.2429=x&TI=20009&pageNum=9&M=&UK=31605874

Take a look at View B, the bodice and skirt are two seperate pieces sewn
together at the waist. This is a very similar style, and I think for a
beginner, easier to put together.

>
> you mentioned that the sash would make it easier bc i wouldn't have to
> make one long dart from the bodice to the skirt? so do I make two
> darts, one on the bodice (how far would that go?) and one on the
> skirt?

On the Vogue pattern view B, the inverted skirt pleat (which you will sew
together about half way down the skirt to make your 'dart') ,and bodice
darts are already lined up for you, one problem solved! I would still do
that little sash as in your picture, adds a little snap to the dress I
think.

>
> about the darts on the skirts...you said that they wouldn't be sewn
> shut...so are they inverted darts then? I was practicing last night on
> a scrap piece of fabric and i just sewed a straight line down after
> having folded the scrap in half and it looked kinda like the picture?
> <-- but i guess this is wrong, right? :D

Nope, wrong, you did right! LOL You did absolutely PERFECT!  I'm so proud of
you for experimenting till you figured it out, you are and will do just
fine!  Isn't this fun?!!  :-D

>
> yay to no bias! haha! so just cut straight on the fabric?

Follow the fabric grain arrows on the pattern. They will be printed on your
pattern pieces and it will tell you about them in the instructions.
>
> I'm in Toronto, any chance you are as well? :)

Oh darling, how disappointing, I'm about as far west as I can be from you
without getting my feet wet in the Pacific Ocean :(  But I just sent you an
email to the hotmail addy you have on here, hope it works.

Alrighty, lets get back to this trim placement. It sounds as if you planned
on making the dress out of cotton, have you thought about what you are going
to make the trim out of? Grosrain, cotton bias tape, some sort of ribbon?  I
have both your picture and the Vogue view side by side on my monitor. You
could put the trim down the side seams from under arm to the end of the
inverted skirt pleat, then from the bottom of the inverted skirt pleat, all
the way up the bodice, covering the bust dart, over the shoulder and back
down the side bodice darts and then to the bottom of the inverted back skirt
pleats. Probably the easiest way would be to bring that trim over the
shoulders (to take the place of shoulder straps on the pattern) and fasten
it to the back of the bodice, as I'm sure it will tell you to fasten the
straps in the pattern instructions. Then start the trim from the top back of
the bodice right where you have tacked the straps (ribbon, trim).  You could
make this much easier on yourself by going along and trimming this Vogue
pattern in a similar way to your picture instead of SEVEN trim strip just in
the front alone as your picture shows.

What kind of stitches does your machine do? Does it have one that looks like
__/\__/\__ ??   I can help you get that trim sewn down so it's nice and
straight and flat and smooth.


>
> Thank you again for all your help! :)

I'm having a wonderful time, Miss Azalea, and you are going to be just
beautiful in your very own original dress!!

Vall