Vintage Shoulder Tie Tutorial

My Vintage Pledge Shoulder Tie Top has been such a success I thought I'd whip up another one in a summery fabric for my holiday.

The pattern is a Woman's Own mail order pattern from 1961 and this latest version is made from some lightweight polka dot lawn I received from Cindy a few years ago. I've used quite a lot of it for various linings, but with some imaginative cutting out there was just enough left for this top (I cut the front pattern piece on the fold, which eliminates the front split). The neck and armholes are finished with all-in-one facings, which I had terrible trouble getting to grips with when I used them on my Betty dress. I've since discovered a step-by-step guide to sewing them on the Sew Over It blog which finally made something click in my brain - I'd definitely recommend it for this technique. Everything is finished by machine which gives the facings a clean, professional feel.

The thing I like about this top is that the shoulder ties are removable so it can be worn two ways. It performs valiantly as a plain, no nonsense tank top….

But add the shoulder ties and there's suddenly a suggestion of gathers to the shoulders and a touch of vintage interest, yay!

They're easy to make too. So easy in fact that I've put together a tutorial if you'd like to make your own. Read on if you're interested, otherwise, see you next time! x

Vintage Style Shoulder Ties
The ties can be added to any sleeveless tank or singlet - I simply knot mine once around the shoulder seams and they seem to stay in place all day. If you prefer a smaller tie or have particularly slippery fabric then tying a double knot will make them even more secure.

It's also your choice whether or not you interface your ties. I didn't use interfacing on either of the two versions I've made and I like the resulting drapey effect. Adding interfacing will probably result in a more structured tie.

Please note that the measurements for the ties are taken directly from my vintage pattern piece and are in inches as that's how they were drafted.  The seam allowance for this project is ½".

You will need 

Half a yard/metre of fabric with selvedges folded into the centre so you have two folded edges.

Paper, pencil and ruler

1. Mark a rectangle on your paper 16.5" long x 2 ⅝" wide and cut out.

2. At one end of the rectangle you'll need to mark out three measurements as shown below:

1 ¼" along the top edge

1 ⅝" in along the bottom edge

1 ½" up from bottom left hand corner

3. Join the measurements together and cut along the lines to make a point.

4. Repeat at the other end (you can simply fold your paper in half widthways and draw round the point).

5. Mark a fold line along the top edge.

You should now have a pattern piece that looks like this, with the lower diagonal lines slightly longer than the upper ones.

6. Place your pattern on the fold(s) of your fabric and cut two separate pieces. This is what each piece should look like opened out.

7. Fold the fabric lengthwise with right sides together and place two pins about 2 - 3 inches apart in the middle of the unfolded edge. The pins will mark your turning gap. Pin the rest of the edges together if you need to.

8. Starting at one corner along the folded edge, sew right round the edge using a ½" seam allowance. Stop when you get to the pin marker. Repeat on the other side.

I sewed this sample with black thread so you can see the line of stitches.

9. Trim the seam allowances and snip off the corners on the pointed edge to reduce bulk, then turn your tie the right way round.

10. Poke into your corners with a point turner or similar to ensure you have a nice pointed end.

Give the tie a good press, making sure the seam allowance of the turning gap is pressed under too.

11. Machine stitch across the turning gap close to the edge (or catch stitch by hand if you prefer).  Repeat for the other tie. Ta-da - two lovely shoulder ties!

Don't worry if your pointed edges aren't perfectly symmetrical - as you can see from the examples above, mine certainly aren't! Once they're tied onto the shoulders it's not noticeable at all. Wear with pride! x

As always, if there's anything that doesn't make sense, please let me know in the comments. Have a good week! x

Tutorial - how to insert underarm reinforcement squares

Morning! As promised in my Big Vintage Sewalong post, I've put together a tutorial for inserting the underarm reinforcement squares on Vogue 8875. Of course, when I looked through the muslin construction photos, I realised I hadn't sewn the final dress in exactly the same way, but never fear, everything is fully explained in the written instructions. 

There are a couple of things I should point out.
1. I'd highly recommend making a bodice muslin before cutting into your precious fabric. This is time   well spent as it will allow you to check the fit and practice the technique.
2. This tutorial shows one side of the back bodice as it was smaller and easier to photograph, but the principles are the same for both back and front pieces.
3. Don't be despondent if it isn't perfect on your first try - of the four reinforcement squares I sewed, two went in without a fight first time and two had to be unpicked and redone.
4. Take your time…and make sure you have a stiff drink poured for when you've finished!

Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin!

For each underarm seam you'll need a two inch square of bias cut fabric (the same as your dress fabric).

On the RIGHT side of the fabric, mark the stitching line as shown.

Centre the bias square over the tip of the stitching line and pin in place. Now mark the stitching lines on your bias square so they join up with the original ones.

Sew along the stitching line on the square and slash up to the tip.

Press the bias square first to one side of the stitching, then the other and fold it through to the WRONG side of the bodice. 

This step is not at all clear in the instructions, but believe me, that square needs to be hidden on the WRONG side! It's a bit tricky to get it to turn through neatly but it will. I'd recommend using a press cloth at this stage.

This is how it should look when it's all pressed through to the wrong side. 

And from the right side.

Your two back bodice pieces should now be stay stitched at this point as shown in the diagram below. Hmmm, guess who forgot to stay stitch her pieces for this tutorial?! Don't you forget please - as well as preventing the edges of the pattern pieces from stretching, the stay stitching will provide a stitching line for later on.

Yes, those bias squares should not be shown flapping about on the right side of the bodice, grrrr

You're now going to pin the bodice side back to the bodice back at the side and armhole edges, right sides together. Just imagine a nice line of stay stitching underneath those pins!

What I should have done at this stage is baste the pieces in place and I'd recommend you do too, it will save lots of heartache further down the line! I also found a good tip for this step on A Stitching Odyssey. Marie slits the top of the side back piece up to the seam allowance (or up to the stay stitching in your case), enabling the pieces to manoeuvre into position more easily. 

See the slit, at the top of the black piece?

Now, take a deep breath and stitch into position, sewing just outside the line of stay stitching to keep it hidden. Remember:

1. Don't feel you have to sew the whole section in one go. If you sew one seam at a time it will give you more control and hopefully minimise unruly fabric getting caught in your stitching. Talking of which…

2.  You're sewing round a very sharp corner so you need to be aware of folds of fabric potentially getting in your way. Go slowly and keep re-positioning your fabric out of the way of your needle. 

Here are the pieces stitched together. In an ideal world, the top of the side back piece would have been slashed down to where the stitching begins.

Press seams open and clip into your curves where necessary.

This is how it should look from the right side.

And here's the same seam on the finished dress. The reinforcement square is completely hidden and will add strength to the inner corner of the seam line.

If you're at all worried about the neatness of your underarm seams it may help to use a busy, patterned fabric. Nobody will ever notice the odd wonky stitch!

I hope this tutorial provides a bit of extra guidance if you're tackling this pattern. And as always, if there's anything you don't understand or that doesn't make sense, please let me know in the comments.  Have a good weekend! x

Very Hungry Caterpillar Bag

Most of my sewing time for the past week or so has been taken up with my Big Vintage Sewalong dress. I've sewn two muslins, (which is two more than I'd normally sew…) and tried to get my head round some complicated new techniques, so I was well in need of a break from it. And what better way to refresh my poor, addled brain than to sew a Very Hungry Caterpillar bag for my nephew?!

I saw the caterpillar fabric a few weeks ago via Roisin's Instagram when she made a dress for her friend's daughter - she's since made one for herself too, here. My nephew Herrick recently dressed up as the Very Hungry Caterpillar for World Book Day at nursery (yes, he looked unbelievably cute!), so I instantly knew what I'd be making him for his first birthday! There were quite a few different fabrics to choose from: big caterpillars, small caterpillars, butterflies, fruits and even the entire list of foods he stuffs his face with. In the end I decided to go for a mash up of caterpillars, butterflies and fruits for the outside of the bag and patchwork dots for the lining.

If you've read the book, you'll recognise the dots from the beginning and end of the book - my son Charlie was always fascinated by them!

To make the bag I used my own Kid's Washbag tutorial, replacing the waterproof fabric with caterpillar fabric and simply sized the measurements up. I think the starting pieces were 18" wide x 20' long, which is the size of the drawstring bags I used to make for craft fairs. I added interfacing to the back of the main outer fabric as it has a white background and I didn't want the bright lining fabric to show through. It didn't take long to make at all and was a pleasure to sew. I hope Herrick likes it, it will look nice and bright on his peg at nursery or wherever it ends up anyway.

Soon-to-be birthday boy

It's amazing how much a simple sewing project can re-invigorate you - I'm now more than ready to take on any number of vintage patterns. Bring on those underarm gussets! Have a good weekend. x

Faux Fur Scarf Tutorial

For instant warmth and chic, you can't go wrong with a faux fur scarf. They immediately add glamour to an outfit and they keep your neck warm at the same time! They're also super easy to make, so today I've put together a quick tutorial. 

The majority of faux fur scarves in the shops are black or brown, but I decided to go for a silvery grey, with a royal blue satin lining, just to be different. The fur is a lovely neutral shade and will go with everything. Both fabrics are from Weaver Dee, who stock a great selection of colours for each type of fabric (faux fur here and satin here). 

Before we start I should point out two things I discovered whilst working with faux fur.

1. Once you cut it, faux fur goes everywhere, so have a dustpan and brush handy to keep all that fur and fluff under control.

2. The combination of faux fur and satin is hellish in terms of shifting around. I'd highly recommend a walking foot if you have one and use lots and lots of pins! 

Faux Fur Scarf Tutorial

You will need:

½ metre faux fur

½ metre satin for lining

1. Cut two rectangles, one from the faux fur and one from the satin, each measuring 10" wide x 59" long. I based this measurement on the full width of the satin.

2.  Pin the rectangles right sides together. Don't forget to use lots of pins to stop the fabrics shifting.

3. Using a ½" seam allowance, sew all the way round each side, leaving a turning gap of about 6" along one short edge.  

4. Snip the corners diagonally and trim down the seam allowances of the fur by half to reduce bulk.  Your scarf will be looking a bit of a mess at this point, with fur everywhere, but have faith!

5. Turn the scarf the right way round through the turning gap. Poke the corners out gently using the end of a paintbrush or similar.

6. Press carefully using a low heat setting and a pressing cloth if needed. Make sure the seam allowance in the turning gap is pressed under too. 

7. Hand sew the turning gap closed.

Ta-da, you've made a gorgeous faux fur scarf!

I think these scarves would make wonderful Christmas gifts. The satin and faux fur gives them a luxurious feel and there's no tricky fitting - one size fits all!

I hope this tutorial is useful and if anything doesn't make sense, please shout! If you do make your own scarf, I'd love it if you sent me a link. Happy sewing!  x

The fabrics for this tutorial were kindly provided by Weaver Dee

Tooth Fairy Cushion Tutorial

Have you seen the September issue of Love Sewing? If you have, you may have noticed a rather splendid looking tutorial for a Tooth Fairy Cushion - by ME!!! I'm so excited to see my work featured in such a great sewing magazine! 

I first posted about these cushions here when I started selling my work at craft fairs. Since then I've received countless emails from readers asking if I can put together a tutorial, so that's what I've done! There's limited space in magazines to print every single step-by-step photograph, so this is a good opportunity to include a few extra ones here on the blog. 

These little cushions were always a best seller at craft fairs - they’re an ideal gift for both boys and girls and make great keepsakes. 

So without further ado, here's my tutorial. As always, if you spot anything that doesn't make sense, please let me know in the comments. Happy stitching! x

Tooth Fairy Cushion Tutorial

Tooth fairy cushions are the perfect place for children to keep their teeth safe until the fairy pays a visit! Once the precious tooth is safely stored in the front pocket, they can be hung from a bedpost or door handle. This makes it much easier for the fairy to retrieve the tooth and leave a reward without waking the child!

You will need:

Two squares of your chosen fabric* each measuring 15cm x 15cm

One square of contrasting fabric for the pocket measuring 6cm x 6cm

A piece of grosgrain ribbon about 32cm long

Toy stuffing

*Fabrics used are Periwinkle Fairies and Dig It, both by Michael Miller and available from Sew Scrumptious Fabrics.

The front and back pieces don’t have to be exactly the same design. Just make sure that on the front piece, there’s an obvious space or gap in the middle of the design for the pocket.

1.We’ll start by making the pocket. With the right side facing you, fold the top edge of the pocket square to the outside by about 0.7cm and press. Using a 0.5cm seam allowance, sew down one edge, across the bottom and up the opposite side (don’t sew across the top).

2. Snip off the top and bottom corners to reduce bulk.

Turn the top edge of the pocket right side out then fold the sides and bottoms inwards using the stitching line as a guide.

They should naturally turn in because of the stitching. Press well.

3. Position the pocket in the middle of the front piece and pin in place.

Sew down one side of the pocket, across the bottom and up the other side, keeping very close to the edge. I find it’s best to use a smaller stitch length. Back stitch securely at each end.

4. Fold the ribbon in half and place on the top edge of the front piece, about halfway across.

With right sides together, place the back piece face down on top (if you’re using a directional print, make sure both pieces are facing in the same direction!) Pin round the edges so that the ribbon is sandwiched between the fabric.

Using a 0.5cm seam allowance, start about 3cm in from the bottom corner and sew all the way round until you’re the same distance from the other corner. Make sure the looped end of the ribbon is out of the way! Back stitch at each end.

5. Snip the corners diagonally then turn the square the right way round, through the gap you’ve just left.

Use a chopstick or similar to poke out the corners, then iron the seam down across the gap so that it’s straight. Give the whole cushion a good press.

6. Stuff the cushion until it’s nice and plump, don’t forget to stuff the corners too.

Now all you need to do is sew the gap closed, keeping close to the edge and backstitching at each end.

You now have a perfect little tooth fairy cushion!

And here's a view from the back