Today we'll be finishing the zip! Yaay! The zip is sewn in two parts, to get a nicer finish and for ease when sewing the facing. You can see Emily's post on sewing the first part of the invisible zip here:
Finishing the zip:
Finishing the facing:
Sewing the side seam under the zip:
#NealeJumpsuitSewAlong
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I wanted a project that would help me practice French seams and this was perfect! The use of facings made for a lovely finish for everything.
My measurements put me at size E but my big belly and flank weight are bigger than my hip measurement so I used size F and made the front pleats deeper and the fold over piece longer so my belly doesn’t show when I sit. I made my first pair in 2023 as part of the Foldies and the crotch is low. I recently made the inseams 1 cm smaller and this pair is more comfortable. The photo of the gray pairs have the crotches raised using Emily’s great tutorial. This is an easy change. The denim is a skirt, made by following Emily’s tutorial. I think denim is a little too heavy. The Malvern is beautiful in poplin and worth making. The instructions are very clear and this is a quick pattern.
Sewing this dress has been great adventure! I wanted to use a piece of fabric I bought years ago and I just managed to squeeze enough out of it to make the Sawtell dress with straight sleeves. The instructions were excellent. I had several goes to get the fit just right - I took out the front darts, extended the shoulder significantly by adding to the back yoke. I also pinched out the back sleeve seam on the back yoke to remove some gaping. The finished dress still has a bit of tightness across the back (may be altering the back sleeve seam on the yoke had something to do with this?) so Ive unpicked the back pleat. If I make the dress again I will work out how to widen the back so I can keep the full pleat which is such a nice feature of this dress! I'll be wearing it to a wedding later this month. I am currently trying to find a pair of shoes to go with it! I should mention that I made some major cock ups with the pockets! I had to unpick THREE times. On the first two times I knew I was rushing and I was really tired. Always a mistake! The third time, however, everything was going so well until I noticed I had put the pocket piece in upside down! ugh!
I started sewing decades ago, and when my son wanted to take a copy of a pair of much beloved trousers, I bought this bundle so I could better guide him through the process. I learned so many valuable techniques myself, and he now has a lovely pair of handmade pants as his first project. We’re now embarking on a mum and son skills-building journey.
Lots of new skills to tackle: Flat felled seams, top stitching, front fly construction, jeans button insertion, sewing Velcro. I feel much more confident to make a pair of jeans now and that is the purpose. I took a little time to be able to translate the diagrams of jeans to the process of making the tool roll.
