I'm sewing up another pair of jeans today. This time since I am running low on blue jean material, I decided to use the hot pink jean fabric i've had in my stash for a while. I love all the colored jeans in stores right now, but you know handmade are oh so much better! Here are some pictures of the pink jeans I made for my 4 year old daughter today. I just have to make a few finishing touches to the waist band.
UPDATE 2/20... Here's a picture of my daughter wearing her new jeans at the zoo. The peacock was standing next to a window by a bucket that says "Peacock food". :) Smart guy, it doesn't look like that window even opens up.
Be sure to check out my new tutorial on how to sew an adjustable waist! Check that out here.
How to Sew an Adjustable Waistband
Supplies you'll need
- Stretchrite 3/4-Inch White Buttonhole Knit Elastic (you can buy this by the 30 yard spool on Amazon, or purchase by the yard from my River Stitch Fabric & notions shop on Etsy.
- Fusible Interfacing suitable for fabric - I use Pellon 931TD Fusible Midweight
- 2 buttons
- thread
- needle
- safety pin
- scissors
- sewing machine
Step 1:
Attach interfacing to the wrong side of the waistband.
Step 2:
Mark the center of the waistband, and then measure 4" to both sides of center and mark. These markings are where you'll make your buttonholes for the elastic openings.
This spacing works well for size 4T. You should check this measurement on your child to note where you want the buttons to sit. I don't like them to sit on my daughters hips, that would be uncomfortable for her. I like the elastic to come around her hips to the front - it gives plenty of room for the elastic to stretch and doesn't bunch odd in the back of the pants. If you're confused, please ask questions.
Step 3:
Fold and press the waistband in half widthwise, then mark the position of your buttonholes. Start buttonhole 3/8" down from center fold. Sew a 7/8" buttonhole (slightly larger than your elastic).Step 4:
Using a seam ripper, carefully open your buttonhole.
Step 5:
On the waistband edge that does not have the buttonholes, fold under 1/4" seam allowance and press (as shown). This will come in handy when you edge stitch the waistband later on - trust me on this.
Step 6:
Fold the waistband, right sides together. Sew, with the appropriate seam allowance. Turn the waistband right side out and press seam open.
Step 7:
With the right side of the pants up, pin the right side of the waistband to the wrong side of the pants, matching the center back of the waistband to the center back of the pants. Make sure the buttonhole side of the waistband is on top (as shown below).Step 8:
From the right side of the pants, sew the pinned waistband to the pants, with the required seam allowance.Step 9:
Press the waistband up, and fold it on the fold line toward the pants right side.
Step 10:
Fold the free raw edge of the waistband under 1/4" and pin this edge to the pants front and topstitch through all layers to secure it.
Step 11:
Edgestitch along the top fold line of the waistand.
Step 12:
Sew buttons on waistband in front of the buttonhole openings (as shown).
Step 13:
Cut a length of elastic that will run from one buttonhole to the other. Mine is 18", add 1" for seam allowance.
Fold elastic ends under twice, and sew to secure.
Step 14:
Using a safety pin attached to one end of the elastic, insert the elastic through one of the buttonhole openings in the waistband and out of the other opening.
Step 15:
My latest trick.... after many many sewn waistbands...to keep the elastic from turning inside the waistband casing, stitch a line along the center back seam to secure the elastic in place. The elastic will still stretch from either side, but this will keep the elastic from pulling out of the pants or turning.
And you're done!
These pants are now available in my shop! Stop in and support handmade!
Jen
shantung fabric
Hi
there! Continuing on my series on fabric properties, today's post is about
shantung. I am doing this series to gain more expertise in textiles, and more
importantly to help me pick the fabric to use for my new vintage dress pattern Advance
9441.
Here we go, on to shantung research…
Shantung
A
rough silk in a plain weave which has large irregular filling yarns which give
it a slubbed effect. Cotton and rayon are often used to simulate this fabric.
McCall’s
Sewing Book, Sixth Printing copyright 1963 by McCall Corporation. Published by
Random House, Inc.
Silk shantung is a lighter and smoother alternative to silk Dupioni.
Although
it still has a slightly striated surface due to the raw silk it is woven with,
it is very subtle, and hardly noticeable.
This green vintage dress found on Etsy is gorgeous. I found a forest green polyester shantung fabric at Fashion Fabrics Club but this one looks a little grey, it's tough to tell shopping online, I love the polka dot fabric too. Help! Where can I find that green??
source |
A
few more properties to note:
Weight: medium weight– silk,
heavy weight – polyester/rayon.
Ease
of Use:
All
seams should be finished, as the fabric will fray. Common seam finishes for
Silk Shantung include French seams and overlocked seams. Use a silk needle when
sewing Silk Shantung, to prevent snagging the fabric
Uses: Evening wear,
skirts,
bridal gowns, jackets, and cocktail dresses
Care:
Silk is dry clean only. Polyester, and rayon
shantung are machine washable
Price:
$34.49/yard
for 100% silk
$5.25-$11.00/yard
for rayon/polyester blend
$5.75-$12.00/yard
for 100% rayon
$5.75-12.00/yard
for 80% cotton, 20% silk
$9.00/yd
for 100% polyester
peau de soie
Hi there! Today's post is about the the fabric properties for peau de soie. Why you might ask? To gain more expertise in textiles, and more importantly to help me pick the fabric to use for my new vintage dress pattern Advance 9441. My first task was to research peau de soie. So here goes...
Peau de Soie
100% Silk Peau de Soie, Valentine Red |
The
name is French for “skin of silk” and denotes a soft, good-quality silk satin cloth
which has a rather dull, grainy appearance.
McCall’s Sewing Book, Sixth Printing copyright 1963 by
McCall Corporation. Published by Random House, Inc.
source |
If you go searching for this fabric, you will likely find it under these names:
double face satin
polyester delustered satin
duchesse satin
polyester delustered satin
duchesse satin
Originally peau de soie was always made of pure silk, however some say polyester delustered satin is more forgiving than silk satins. Polyester delustered satin doesn't water spot as easily, and seamstress often find it easier to sew. The biggest consideration between polyester and silk is of course the price. I found the silk for $65-$80/yard, and the polyester for $6.99. Check out my Pinterest board for a few shops offering this fabric.
I'm pretty sure my wedding gown was made of duchesse satin, not silk because of the price tag. It was beautiful, but I could not afford the high price tag of the silk... oh but how good that silk would have felt. But we're only in the dress for a few hours anyways right? Then it hangs in our closets hoping to one day be worn by our daughters.... dreaming here...
A few more properties to note:
Weight: medium weight, and has a moderately stiff drape.
Ease of Use: Sews easily, but pins and needles leave marks. Not much stretch, may be difficult to ease seams
Uses: Evening gowns, bridal
Care: Dry Clean
Price: $65-$80/yard for 100% silk and $6.99-$14.95/yard for 100% polyester
Next up shantung...
Vintage Sewing Pattern: Advance 9441
I purchased this original vintage Advance 9441 pattern from Etsy during Christmas break, and i've been eager to make it ever since. I need just the right fabric to get started on this. From what I could find out about this pattern searching online, it is a 1960s cocktail dress. The pattern says:
One wonderful dress with so much flattery and fashion, you'll want it both in solids and prints! It's an indispensable... to dress up or down, to wear with big chunky necklace and earings or a single jeweled brooch.
Isn't it lovely?
I can't make this dress out of just any fabric, so I am on the hunt for the perfect one. Looking over the list of recommended fabrics on the pattern, there are several I am unfamiliar with like peau de soie, shantung, surah, and faille. What are these? How much do they cost? What are there draping properties? Are they readily available? How about availability of vintage fabric in good condition?
Here's the list of suggested fabrics found on the back of the Advance 9441 pattern:
- Peau de soie
- Satin
- brocade
- faille
- wool crepe
- jersey
- polished cotton
- gingham
- cotton surah
- cotton lace
- jacquard
- pique
- linen
- rayon linen
- silk linen
- silk
- synthetic crepe
- shantung
- surah
- taffeta
My next post will be on Peau de soie.
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