Sew Carrie Sew: narrow hem

Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Wrap Pants - Camo Style

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These camo print wrap pants - yes pants - were sew much fun to make

and even more fun to wear!

They feel like a maxi skirt and secret pajamas all at once!

I'm in love!

💓💓💓

And I love it with my self drafted cold-shoulder hi/low top!

There are many video tutorials out there for these wrap pants.

But, I chose the You Tube tutorial by my sewsister, Tree - of Stiitchless TV.

Click here for her video.

These pants are truly zero waste! Your scraps become the ties!

To wear them you tie the front 1st, then pull up the back and tie again.

Of course you can use buttons, snaps or even hook and loop tape to fasten your pants, but for those times we need a bit more room in the waist, believe me - ties are better!

There is only one seam - the crotch seam - just one!

Of course I used my serger on this lightweight knit fabric.

Chiffons, challis, linen blends, cotton, rayon and medium weight knits will work as well.

The sides and bottom only need a narrow hem. I'd suggest that you hem the bottom 1st (as Tree discovered).

I had to put my label in as soon as I stitched the crotch seam, because I didn't use notches yikes).

And even though my front crotch is smaller than my back crotch (go figure) I would not have known the front from the back once they were stitched together! LOL!

Once the bottom and sides were hemmed, I added the waistband - which included the ties. I pressed the band in half lengthwise - to prevent crazy shifting.

I centered the waistband on the front and stitched it from side to side.

I then sewed the ties from one side to the other, turning under as I sewed.

I repeated the same steps for the back.

I made a cotton muslin (woven) first.

As suspected, it opened on the side from the hip down when I walked.

Flashing is not good! Hahahaha!

But the lightweight knit worked sew much better - the sides only opened from just below my knee.

No flashing, right! Yay!

I love how it flows and how the wind picked it up and how comfy it is!

I was thinking to buy more of this fabric and make a maxi skirt, but these pants also fit the skirt bill!

Did I say that I'm in love with it!

💓

💓💓💓

Photo Cred:

Kari Bozeman

@karebearbozeman

Happy Endless Sewing!

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Saturday, June 15, 2019

One Pattern 2 Ways

This post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you click through and make a purchase from these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

I AM IN LOVE!

I've had this McCall's 7348 pattern for a few years, but recently pulled it out when I decided I wanted a quick make for Mother's Day.

Yes! I made it the night before!

Why do we do this to ourselves? This time my excuse is that I was buried in Prom and Graduation makes!

But, I'm so glad I decided to make it at the last minute!

Why?

Because I didn't have time to go through ALL of my stash to find a piece large enough in a color I wanted to wear. I knew I had 6 yards of this coral ITY knit that I purchased years ago from the warehouse we affectionately call "2121".

I made view D with the sleeves from view C.

It came together very quickly!

I did not need to make any measurement adjustments at all!

That is an anomaly - as I usually have to make fit adjustments on commercial patterns!

I did all of the construction on my serger. I didn't have thread in this beautiful coral color, so I did what I normally would do...I blended a few colors to make it work!

Before I added the sleeves, I got out my heels and tried it on!

I WAS IMMEDIATELY IN LOVE!

I walked around in it about 10 minutes!

Yes! There is absolute joy in sewing for yourself!

This was one of those moments! I loved the fit, the flow, the drape and how it made me feel!

I added and hemmed the sleeves finished the neckline.

But my serger decided it did not want to do a narrow hem, and I needed to get some sleep, I decided to leave the bottom raw.

I cleaned up my slightly imperfect scissor cuts with my rotary cutter and I was done! This was my first time doing a raw hem. I'm still not sure how I feel about it! Time (and fabric type) will tell if I do it again.

This top/dress even looks good on the hanger! 😍 Look at that drape!

SEW!

I made it again!

I bought this beautiful ITY from Vogue Fabrics earlier in the spring. When I saw it, I had no idea what I'd do with it, but after making the coral piece, I knew it would work for the pattern...and for another special occasion...my Grandheart's Graduation!

I laid it on my cutting table to take a look at the direction and area of the print, because I knew I'd have to "mirror" the pattern to insure the print matched.

I laid out and cut the back piece 1st. When I attempted to lay out the front piece, I realized I did not have enough fabric to use in the same direction as the back.

Sew, I flipped the direction of the front pattern piece. After moving it around a few times, I decided that I wanted the smaller print at my neckline and the solid black at my waist.

Again, when I tried in on, I was in love with the outcome!

I really love how this print drapes on my body!

Sexy! I can say that, right?

Again I used my serger (4 thread set up) to construct this one.

Of course, things don't always go as planned when making garments.

But I'm happy that this time it only running out of thread on the spool of thread I was using to hem it. I only needed about 3 more inches of stitches to finish it. Sew out came a new spool and I finished it!

No raw edges on this one!