Sew-Along #15 - Sketchbook Shirt + Shorts - Lesson #1

The Sketchbook Shirt + Shorts

If you have any questions, suggestions, or tips to share; please make sure to post them on our Facebook group.

Note: If you would like to see any of the images larger that are posted in this blog, just click on each.  This might be helpful on some steps. 
 
Please read the directions in your Sketchbook pattern all the way through before you begin.  It's also a good idea to read through this sew-along lesson before starting.

How excited are you?!?!!?  Another great sewing pattern for BOYS!!!  Yes, yes, you can do this for girls as well - follow the tips at the bottom of this section if you want to make your girls some board shorts!  I just love my boys in Oxford shirts year round, they just look pulled together - even if they are hanging from a tree, or covered in mud, or dripping food down their fronts.... they still look so cute ;o)

The Sketchbook Set:

Okay - so let's start by printing your pattern!

Pattern Printing:

You do not need to print the instructions if you have an e-reader, or smart phone - saving paper is always great.

• This pattern prints in B&W, so make sure to set your printer to the grey scale or B&W setting to save on ink.
  
•  Make sure that you hit 'scaling none' or 100% for printing - DO NOT select 'fit to page'

Pattern Assembly:

• You are going to  match up the numbers in the circles to create the pieces.  *Note that this pattern does not print as a solid grid!
• As needed cut apart the pieces and rotate to fit together

  

  *see on the right hand side that that one A 14 is flipped upside down - that means this piece needs to be cut off and flipped around - all your numbers and Letters will have the same orientation in your pattern piece.

  
  
  
  
  
  
• Once all your pieces are taped together, you can either cut out your needed size (this is what I love about PDF pattern, tape and cut and go) OR you can trace out the size you need on freezer paper or tracing paper. *Tip:  To make cutting easier - trace your size with a highlighter, marker, or other crayon to make visually following your line ever easier.
  
  
• Stack your pattern pieces together with all the pants patterns in one pile and all the shirt pattern pieces in another. (I like to keep my paper pattern pieces stacked with my fabric so that nothing gets mixed up.)

Cutting Your Fabric:
Shirt

• Lay your pattern on the fabric so that you are following the same direction with all pieces - you don't want part of your shirt to be upside down!
• Cut out your pieces (note that the back is cut on the fold, but the front is not)
• You need 2 of the sleeves - the easiest thing you can do is fold your fabric in half and cut your pattern (this will give you mirror images).  If you are cutting a single layer of fabric, you will need to cut one with the pattern printing facing up at you and a 2nd one with the pattern printing facing down.
• Make sure to transfer all the notches from your paper pattern to the fabric (you can use a fabric marker, chalk, pins, or cut in notches to transfer the markings)
• Place all you pieces for the shirt together and set to the side (if you ordered a kit from Whimsical Fabric, you can place everything in your handy-dandy drawstring bag)

I have shown both the regular collar: middle, and the band collar: far left - you only need one of these!

Pants

The initial notes are for standard cutting, I will have some notes for cutting for girls at the end!

• Okay, first you need to look at what fabric you are using.  If you are using a print or cord, please listen to me very carefully (if you are using a fabric with NO direction - skip to the next step).  Pick your direction right now.  MARK the top of your fabric - I just use a pin to do this.  Make sure that every single pattern piece that you cut has the top of the grain line facing the top of your fabric.  If you are using cord, then you have picked a fabric with NAP.  Nap essentially means that your fabric will look different depending on which direction you hold it.  SO, right now, you need to pet your fabric - yep, go ahead and pet it.  You will notice that the pile wants to go in one direction and your hand will move smoothly along it.  When you go the other direction it will have resistance against your hand and will look like the pile is being pushed 'up'.  You want your fabric to go with the smooth pile going down (so you would run your hand smoothly from the top of the pants to the hem).  
• Cut out all of the pieces from your main fabric. *If you want contrasting pockets or a contrasting waist band, plan that out in advance - it could be a really cool accent!
• Make sure to transfer all the notches from your paper pattern to the fabric (you can use a fabric marker, chalk, pins, or cut in notches to transfer the markings)
  
  
  
• Pile all your pieces together and set aside in a safe place. 

shorts
 (I decided to make my shorts pocket lining match the shirt
 - you could also do a contrasting piece for the facing for a pop of interest.) 

  
FOR GIRLS:

• Make sure you double and triple check the measurement chart INCLUDING the finished measurements for the garment.  These shorts have a decent amount of ease in them and have a full elastic waist band or a 3/4 band.  If your daughter is slim I would recommend going down a size (just watch your length) - it will keep a more feminine silhouette. 
• Consider adding some details: embroidery or 'bling' along the front edge, or a decorative stitch along the pocket curve.

There you go... everything is printed and cut out.  Please let me know if you have any questions in the cutting process.  In the next lesson we will start sewing the shirt!

* If you would like to enter the prize drawing, please make sure you submit a picture of your completed Lesson 1 to the Facebook Album by 12:00 noon CT, Thursday, July 10th.

Suzanne