Sew-Along #25 - Sarah Top and Tess Skirt - Lesson 4

The Sarah Swing Top and Tess Twirl Skirt by Bella Marie Boutique

Welcome to the final day of the Sarah Swing Top and Tess Twirl Skirt sew along!! Today we will sew the swing top to finish up our outfits!

** If you would like to see an image on our blog in a larger format, just click on it to enlarge. 

NOTE: Be sure to read the pattern instructions before you start on today's lesson. You will need it along with this lesson to sew the top. Also, the pattern is sewn in a 1/4" seam allowance unless otherwise noted.

Assembling The Top  
Note: This step is not in the pattern, but I always use interfacing when making buttonholes to re-enforce the fabric. Open up one of the back bodice pieces with the wrong side of the fabric facing up. Cut a piece of interfacing 1½" wide by the height of the back bodice. Fuse to the outer side of the back bodice where the back center seam is located. Repeat with second back bodice piece. 

Transfer the front and back bodice pattern markings onto the outer side of the main bodice fabric.  

Fold the back bodice pieces in half with wrong sides together, creating a crease were the center back is located.

Place both of the back bodice pieces side by side with the lining side up. Fold the top lining shoulder down and pin it out of the way for sewing the next step. 

Flip both of the back bodice pieces over so the main side is facing up.

Take your two main bodice front pieces and pin the shoulders to the main back bodice shoulders with right sides together. Stitch.

Now, flip over both bodice pieces and lay them out in front of you with the lining side up. (This will be the back bodice lining side.) 

Next, remove the pin on the shoulder. Pin the lining front bodice to the lining back bodice with right sides together at shoulders. Then stitch. 

Press both the main shoulder seams and the lining shoulder seam allowances open. 

Take one side of the bodice and fold in half with right sides together matching up the shoulder seams. Pin around the armhole and neck edge. Stitch together.

Clip into curves and trim seam allowances. Turn and press.

This is what one side will look like. Repeat steps with second bodice piece.

Lay the bodice pieces out with the main side facing out and the bodice pieces as if they were finished. (This will make pining the right spots easier.) 

Take the left side seams and open them up with the bottom of the armhole seam matching on each piece and pin together with right sides facing together.

Stitch the side seam. Then press the seam open.

This is what the left side will look like when done. Repeat steps with right side.

Top stitch the right side of the bodice pieces around the armholes. I find it easier to stitch the armholes by flipping the main side of the bodice to the inside and stitching onto the main side.

Next, stitch around the neck opening on bodice pieces.

Adding Ruching
Take a ruching strip and fold over one edge 1/4". Then again another 1/4".

Take the wearer's left-side bodice piece (this will be the under bodice piece.) Pin the folded ruching strip edge to the shoulder seam. 

Pin the ruching strip down. Continue to pin the ruching strip to about 1" past where the front bodice pieces overlap. Fold over the bottom edge of the ruching strip a 1/4" then again a 1/4".

Stitch this in place by stitching over the gather stitch in the center.

Repeat with left side, but bring the ruching strip all the way down to the bottom raw edge. (Do not fold over the bottom edge of the ruching strip, though.) Stitch ruching in place.

Place the wearer's right side over the wearer's left side, matching the center front markings you transferred from the pattern piece. Pin the two bodices together. Start pinning where the two bodice pieces overlap. (where I am pointing in the picture) This will be your starting point for stitching.

Stitch the two bodices together by sewing over the center of the wearer's right side ruching strip. Stitching right on top of the gathering stitches and stopping right after the two sides meet at the front-center neck line.

Adding The Skirt
Now, taking the top's skirt pattern piece, mark the top center of the skirt. Take the bottom edge and press under a 1/4" then again another 1/4". Stitch in place. (This will be the long edge not the short edge.)  This will form the top's bottom hem.

Take the back center edge (the two short edges) and press under 5/8" then another 5/8" on both sides. Stitch in place.

Run a gathering stitch across the top of the skirt. Then, matching the center of the front bodice and the center of the skirt, pin right sides together with the raw edges of the top of the skirt matched up to the bodice bottom edge. Gather the skirt up to fit the bodice and pin well.

 Stitch with a 1/2" seam allowance.

 
Finish the seam edges. (I used my serger.) Leave a tail of thread at both ends.

I then thread the serge thread tail ends through the stitching for a nice neat finish on the inside. 

Press this seam allowance up towards the bodice. 

Stitch the seam allowance in place by top stitching all the way around.

 
Buttons
Now, onto buttonholes! Measure up from the bottom 1/2" and mark. 

Then, from the top a 3/8" and mark. (Now, on mine I used larger buttons, so I measured down a 1/2" from the top of the bodice .)

Measure the distance from the top button hole to the bottom buttonhole marking and the center of this for the center buttonhole. (If you are making the larger size you will need to place two buttons in between the top and the bottom markings.) 

Stitch the buttonholes. Then cut them open. Tip: I place a straight pin at one end of the buttonhole just before the stitching, so when I cut the buttonhole open I am sure not to cut into my stitching.

To mark the placement for the buttons, place the back bodice pieces over each other, matching the center back markings. Then, mark the outer place of the buttonhole. Finally, sew your buttons on.

That is it, we are all done!!  Now all you have to do it try this sweet outfit onto your little cutie.

Sharon
  
* If you would like to earn entries into the prize drawing, please make sure to submit a photo of your completed lesson four to this Facebook Album by 12:00 noon CST, Tuesday, June 2nd. If you have any questions the Facebook Group is a great place to ask.

Happy Sewing,
Danielle Storm
www.whimsicalfabric.com

Sew-Along #25 - Sarah Top and Tess Skirt - Lesson 3

The Sarah Swing Top and Tess Twirl Skirt by Bella Marie Boutique

Welcome to our third day of the Sarah Swing Top and Tess Twirl Skirt sew along! 

** If you would like to see any of the images larger on blog, just click on them to enlarge. 

Today we will be sewing our skirts. Since we made all our ruffles yesterday this skirt will sew up fairly quickly today. 

Note: Be sure to read the pattern first before starting today's lesson. All seam allowances are a 1/4" unless stated. 

Assembling The Skirt
Take your top tier skirt piece and sew the two short edges together.

Press the top raw edge of this skirt tier under a 1/4" then again an 1". (make sure you have the top facing up if you have a directional print) Stitch around to form a casing for elastic but leave a 2" opening to insert the elastic. You can insert your elastic at this point but I prefer to wait because I think it is easier to sew the ruching strips on with the top not having the elastic in it yet.

In the pattern it calls to mark your tier before you sew the top elastic casing but marked mine afterwards. Mark the skirt at all four quarter places, with the seam being your first mark. I have pins in so you can see them better. This will help you to adjust all these skirt tier gathers evenly. I will refer to these as quarter marks in the rest of the steps.

Take your second tier and sew the two short sides together again. Then, on both the top and the bottom (make sure you have the top facing up if you have a directional print) and starting a the seam, mark all four quarter spots again. Run a gathering stitch across the top only for this tier.

Match up the quarter marks on the top of the second tier to the marks on the bottom of the top tier and adjust the gathering threads. Stitch in place. Then finish this seam allowance.

Press the seam allowances up towards the top of the skirt.

Take the (2) third tier skirt pieces and sew them together at the two short ends to make a continuous loop. Mark the quarter spots on both top and bottom of skirt tier using the side seams as the two of each of the quarter marks.
Run a gathering stitch across the top only for this tier.

Match up the quarter marks on the top of the third tier to the marks on the bottom of the second tier and adjust the gathering threads. Stitch in place. Then finish this seam allowance. Press the seam allowances up towards the top of the skirt.

Take all your bottom ruffle pieces and sew them together at short ends in one big continuous loop, be care that the strips do not get twisted as you are sewing them all together. 

Take the bottom ruffle and press in half the length ways with wrong sides together. You will have a skinny long ruffle strip now. Mark all your quarter marks on the top raw edge of the ruffle. Then, run a gathering stitch across the top.

Match the ruffle quarter marks to the bottom tier of the skirt quarter marks and gather the threads evenly. Pin in place then stitch. Finish the seam allowances then press seam up toward the top of the skirt.

Adding The Ruching
First ruching strip: Starting at the side seam, leaving a bit extra of the strip, place the ruching strip center (gather threads mark the center of these strips) just slight over the seam. Work this around the skit and pin as you go. This is why I had sewn the strips together yesterday. So I only have the one unfinished edge of the ruching strip. if you left all your strips separate you will need to repeat the next step twice on both sides of the skirt.

Take the one end of the ruching strip and fold over by 1/4" then again by a 1/4". Pin this side down.

 

Repeat with the other end of the ruching strip and pin it directly over the first fold ruched strip. I have my under one sticking out to show you better but be sure to that the top end is placed nicely over your bottom one.

Sew the strip down by stitching directly over the gathering threads, down the center of the strip. 

Repeat this step with each set of ruching strip for each tier. 

Finishing
Lastly, measure your little girl's waist and cut the elastic 1" shorter. Then, thread it through the elastic casing on the skirt. Stitch the two ends of elastic together. Then, stitch the elastic casing closed.

And your skirt is done!  Come back tomorrow as we create the top. 
Sharon

* If you would like to earn entries into the prize drawing, please make sure to submit a photo of your completed lesson three to this Facebook Album by 12:00 noon CST, Monday, June 1st. If you have any questions the Facebook Group is a great place to ask.

Happy Sewing,
Danielle Storm
www.whimsicalfabric.com