1.Take your two cuff pieces, already interfaced and place them with right side together. Make sure the opening is marked (I drew only the slit but you can draw the whole box as in the pattern, it’s easier).
3.Cut carefully the opening between the stitches. At the end, cut a V-shape the closest possible to the stitch line to the angles like in the picture. Be careful not to cut the stitches!
4.Trim the seam allowance and cut the corners very close to the angles.
6.Press the seam open.
7.Turn the cuff inside out and press.
JOIN THE CUFF TO THE SLEEVE
1. Now comes the tricky step: matching the cuff seam and the sleeve seam, pin the cuff inside the sleeve hem. Look carefully at the pictures and try before sewing. We will stitch the cuff like we would stitch bias binding. So the cuff right side is against the sleeve wrong side (believe me, try it! I inserted my first cuff on the wrong side.) When you have pinned it, stitch. Trim the seam allowances and press toward the cuff.
2. Take the cuff out of the sleeve and press the seam allowance toward the cuff.
3. Topstitch!
4. And repeat on the other side of course… What do you think? Easy or difficult?
1.The first step is to make sure you have marked your fabric correctly. Take your sleeve piece and check that you have marked: the dots for easing, the top center, the two marks indicating the back and the one mark indicating the front. Those are important in order not to set the wrong sleeve in the wrong armhole!
1.With WRONG sides together, pin the sleeve sides.
4.Turn over, with wrong sides out and press the seam flat.
5.Stitch the side seam again at 0,6 cm (1/4″) or the presser foot width. You will be enclosing the seam allowances, creating a clean finition. Press the seam to one side.
SET THE SLEEVE IN
1.With a long basting stitch, ease the sleeve head from one dot to the other.
2.Match the markings (center, front and back) from the sleeve to the bodice.
3.When they match, pin and ease the fabric excess of the sleeve head with the basting bobin thread, making sure there is no pleats. When it fits perfectly, pin everything (don’t be afraid to over-pin!).
4.Stitch around the armhole. Make sure there are no pleats at the sleeve head.
1.Cut your pocket piece and mark the folding lines. First, fold the seam allowances all around the pocket edges and press. You can baste or even stitch.
2.Place the pocket over the bodice front left side and pin it matching the pocket bottom to the dart leg. Adjust the height as prefered. Mine is situated just over the bust apex.
Today we’ll do some actual sewing, so grab your bodice pattern pieces and your fabric!
BODICE FRONT DARTS
1.Take your bodice front piece and make sure you have transfered all the markings (dart, sleeve marking, zipper marking).
2.Fold the dart in the center with right sides together, matching up the dart legs. Pin into place.
3.Stitch the dart: backstitch at the beginning but not at the end. When you arrive at the dart tip, tie off the threads.
4.Press the dart toward the center.
5.Repeat steps 1 to 4 for the other bodice front piece.
BODICE BACK DARTS
1.Take your bodice back piece and report all markings (darts, waist and collar center, sleeve and zipper markings).
2.Stitch the darts like for the bodice front and press them toward center.
SIDE SEAMS
1.With right sides together, pin the bodice front’s right side to the bodice back. Stitch, press the seam open and finish seam allowances as you prefer (serger, zig-zag, binding, french seams).
2.I decided to make a turned-and-stitched finish.
3.On the left side, stitch from the armhole to the zipper marking. Depending on how you finish you seam allowances, you might want to finish them before stitching the side seam (serger, zig-zag).
SHOULDER SEAMS
1.Pin the shoulder seams together with right sides together and stitch. Press the seams allowances open and finish them.
BUTTON PLACKET
1.Take the bodice front. Fold and press the fabric margin (1 cm, 3/8″) along the interfacing, following the markings, like on the picture.
2.Fold again follwing the markings (3 cm, 1,2″) and press.
3.On the right side, stitch very close the fold. Repeat on the other bodice side.
That’s all for today! You can now try your bodice, it’s open on the front and at the bottom of the left side. Tomorrow we’ll see how to add a little breast pocket. So cute and practical!
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Have you found your fabric for the Camí Sew-Along?
Well, you still have this week end to go shopping as today you are supposed to be making your muslin and we’ll see how to make the basic adjustments before cutting the “real” fabric.
You might be tempted to jump ahead and start directly with your final dress but it’s highly recommended to make a muslin. The bodice with one sleeve is enough to see if the fit is correct, no need for the skirt or the collar. And then you can decide if you need any of the following adjustments.
LENGTHEN/SHORTEN LINE
1.If the waist line of the muslin doesn’t hit at your natural waist, you might want to lengthen or shorten the bodice. First, you’ll need to add a lengthen/shorten line. It’s not on the pattern but it can be added at the 3f mark.
2.To lengthen the bodice, add the length you need and paste your pattern over a piece of paper, keeping the lines parallels.
3.To shorten the bodice, bring the pieces over each other and paste.
4.Remember to report the change you made to the front bodice to the back pattern pice as well. The last button mark is going to move as well: move it up or down respecting the space between each button mark.
SHOULDER ADJUSTMENTS
1.Draw the seam allowance line around the armhole (1,5 cm or 5/8″).
2.Draw the other seam allowance line at the shoulder (black). Join the shoulder center to the armhole line: red line.
3.Draw a line from the shoulder angle to the red line.
4.Cut the red lines making sure not to cut the black line. You now have a pivot point.
5.To widen the shoulder, add the desired ease and paste over a piece of paper. To narrow the shoulder, bring the pattern pieces over and paste. Report changes on the back pattern piece.
FULL / SMALL BUST ADJUSTMENT
1.Draw the bust apex about 2 cm (0,8″) above the dart point.
2.Draw 2 lines (in red) from the bust apex: one going to the middle of the dart legs and the other one going to the armhole (I joined mine to the triangle mark).
3.Draw a line (in green) parallel to the lengthen/shorten line if you have made it (if not, parallel to the 2f cutting line).
4.Cut the red line up to the black armhole line.
5.Cut the green line leaving it attached by 1 cm (3/8″) approx.
6.Cut along the lengthen/shorten line to the red line. To make a Full Bust Adjustment, add the desired ease and match the pattern pieces. Paste them on paper and redraw the lines.
To make a Small Bust Adjusment, remove the needed ease, paste together and redraw the lines.
Remember to apply the changes to the back pattern piece and move the last button mark.
I love shopping for fabric! I have to admit that’s the only shopping I’m doing lately as I haven’t bought any clothes for at least 2 years (can’t say I’m saving any money though!). While designing the Camí dress, I came accross a few fabrics I thought would look nice and brought them back home.
This fabric I actually had before but I think it would look beautiful paired with the Camí dress pattern. It would make a very romantic dress. How about changing the shirt collar for a peter pan collar for a more 1950’s retro look? It’s a cotton poplin with a nice drape, a little bit of stretch and it’s very soft to the touch.
Gingham of course! There were 3 pattern testers versions made of gingham and they looked amazing. This one has bigger squares and would make such a cute summer dress with the short sleeves (very Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz!). There is a lot of variations possible: how about playing with the grainline for some pattern pieces? Or changing the skirt for a circle skirt?
With its basic dirndl skirt (2 rectangles gathered at the waist), the Camí dress allows you to play with borders. I found this white cotton-linen blend with blue flowers stripes and a larger stripe border that would look nice at the hem line. As a spring/summer version it would be so pretty and breathable, yet not too prone to wrinkle thanks to the cotton percentage.
Finally, this is the fabric I am going to use for the Sew-Along. It’s a cotton fabric with little blue, red, yellow and green flowers. I will make the collar and cuffs in contrasting fabric: white cotton sateen. The one I have is a bit on the heavy side but it will do.
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