Sewing A T-Shirt - Part 1

 

 I'm back again and am ready to start another tutorial. We are, once again, in lock down and week 1 is done and we know we will have at least 2 more weeks of this or more. 

I've struggled with sewing with knits. So much so that I gave up a while ago when I had could have won the prize for the most stretched out necklines in the world. With a lot of thinking and mulling over ideas, I'm trying again. 

At first I put it to my new sewing machine giving me success, but it's more than that. So we back up and move forward. 

The Pattern

The pattern I'm using is a free pattern from Pixie Faire. It is a great pattern but I find, for me, I need to do a few alterations. 

From Pixie Faire

I will show the alterations in the next post but they are:

• Add 1/4" to the back center seam so the fold over is 1/2".

• Add 1/8" to the neck seam so you turn over 3/8" and not 1/4"

The Fabric

For the two t-shirts shown, I bought girl's leggings in the largest size at a big box store. I have used good quality knit fabric from the stash. It was on the heavier side as I had a lot of issues using lighter weight knits, even when sewing people t-shirts. 

A note about using store bought leggings. I have found you can get 2 pairs of leggings and 1 t-shirt from the largest size. That is good value for $4.00 a pair. 

During the learning process, I have sprayed the knits with starch to make them stiffer. It didn't work for me but I now know what the issue was. Not the fabric. I no longer starch the fabric.

When handling the cut pieces, be gentle with them as they will stretch. I press, not iron the seams open. Ironing will stretch the fabric. 

The Sewing Machine

At first I thought it was the sewing machine that was the culprit. It really isn't, it was what I was using and doing that was wrong. 

• I grabbed a Microtex needle this time and I was happy with the results. You can use a Jersey needle also according to Schmetz. Just remember to use a new needle and change it often. I will make 3 pairs of leggings and 2 t-shirts before I change the needle. I'm also trying not to stitch over pins. I used a 10/75 needle also. 
  

• Needles also come in chrome and titanium finishes. As a home sewer, one does not need these needles as you can change your needle when necessary. It is more important to get the right needle for the fabric you are using. Confession- I have both chrome and titanium needles in my needle collection to try. With the higher cost, they will both have to perform perfectly for me to continue buying them.
  

• The sole plate on your machine needs to have the small hole for straight stitching not the oval one for other stitches where the needle moves back and forth to make the stitch. This was one of my biggest problems. If you can't change from one plate to another, use a leader fabric to start your seams. 

• Sew slowly around the neckline. I'm not a fast sewer and find sewing slowly helps me be accurate.    
  

If you wish to follow along, grab the free pattern, print it out but don't cut out the pieces yet. In the meantime...

Happy Doll Sewing.........................................................

Moving On To Meet My Goals

 I finished "Amy" and forgot to post a picture of it. 

I've been busy with many thoughts going through my head about sewing. Am I meeting all my goals? Am I happy with what I am doing in the sewing room regarding the dolls? 

I have to say that I am not pleased with how the doll sewing is going. I am spending way too much time testing patterns and not enough time enjoying the process or doing tutorials on techniques. That has been upsetting me to the point that I had spells of sadness and anger. Once I got through that I sat and mulled over the pros and cons of testing. 

• I enjoy testing as I get to see what new ideas testers are going to have published. But, I have also noticed that only one or two of my favorite designers use the forum I'm on. The rest have their own private testers and do it through private groups or via email. 

• Testing means fast sewing and I'm a slow sewer. I spend a lot of time fussing over details and making sure everything is correct. I'm a hand baster and sewer. I do miss some deadlines because of this but I do post what I've done and my comments about what needs fixing.
  

• I don't sew 8 hours a day as I don't have to. I have no business and I have a life outside the sewing room. Many testers sew the patterns and sell the outfits. I admire them for that.
  

• I love to do other types of sewing and coursework. 

I have decided that I will leave the world of testing sewing patterns and do more of what I want to do in the sewing room. The goal is finish by Dec. 31 but it could be sooner than that. 

One of my goals is to sew more of the patterns from the pattern stash. I have lots of patterns to sew. I have also decided that if I want a pattern, I will buy it. 

My other goal is to sew up the fabric and notions stash. I like to match pattern to fabric and if I can't find the fabric to go with the pattern, I look for another pattern. It is part of the process that I love so much. 

And I want to get back into the world of course work. Couture sewing, photography, and pattern drafting. I want to do it as they are part of my goals for this year. 

Thank you for reading my thoughts as I reaffirm my goals this year. I hope to do more...

Happy Doll Sewing............................

Living The Dream - Historical Doll Clothes

 I forgot to show the green dress completed. It is such a delightful dress. 

Using what I learned from making this dress, I tested the Civil War Day Dress for Thimbles and Acorns. I had some issues with the back of the dress not because of the pattern but because of me. I got them fixed and am very happy with this dress. 

Unlike the green dress, the bodice of this dress is lined. I do like lined bodices. Keepers Dolly Duds does not line her dress bodices, something that I will live with.

Both dresses button close which I do like. I'm getting better at making buttonholes. 

As I love sewing historical clothing, another Civil War era dress has been released for testing. It is Amy by Keepers Dolly Duds. She showed it on her Facebook page months ago. Not only I am living my dream of sewing historical clothing, I'm testing the patterns also. 

I will continue to use what I have learned from the other two patterns when making this blouse and skirt. Though the timeline is short (7 days for an intermediate pattern), I hope to do a good job on it. The blouse is like doing the bodice of the other patterns. The skirt is fairly straight forward which is nice and is like the blue dress. I should be able to finish it in good time even with the hand sewing I have to do. 

Do you have favorite patterns you like to make? Does making them several times allow you to become better at how they go together? 

Happy Doll Sewing.............................................

Starting the Dream of Sewing Historical Clothes

 I have been sewing the Civil War dress by Keepers Dolly Duds. I have the pdf pattern, not the Simplicity one. They book look very similar. 

A few things I've learned for the next dress is:

• Serge seams prior to sewing pieces together. Lesson learned when I tried to serge the side seams with the sleeves in. I can't see the seams with my serger as the foot is bigger. 

• Serge the sleeve cap side seams prior to sewing together. Makes for a nicer finish. 

• Make the ties earlier and serge with the front bodice side seams.

• Watch how you add the cuff to the sleeve as I have the first one in wrong. It closes back to front not front to back. I have to take it apart and do it correctly. 

I will be making this dress again as I love it. 

***************************

 Addy arrived yesterday and she is delightful. I can say love at first sight. She will remain historical and not move from past to present with her clothing.

She has been removed from her box and is resting. She is tired from her 4 week journey to our house. She will try on the Civil War dress this afternoon. 

I read the book "Finding Freedom" which came with her. It gives a great insight into her life. I'm going to get the rest of the books from the library to learn more about her. 

The dress she is wearing was her choice from a bag of clothes she and her momma got to choose from when they arrived in Philadelphia. I will be keeping this dress as part of her wardrobe. Slowly I will add more clothes and ideas are spinning in my head. 

Is Addy my last doll? We wait and see where the budget is in November when the dolls go on sale in Canada. If I can get one, it will be an Addy mold with ringlets. She will fit in with Addy if I want to have a bit of fun with them. In the mean time, I will sew for Addy and the other dolls I have. 

Happy Doll Sewing.............................................

Adding To the Collection

 It is time for an update. Things came to a grinding halt with the dolls.  I am now moving forward once again. Plans are in place for 2021 in the sewing room which didn't include getting 2 extra dolls.

Dolls

First, Addy Walker is coming to live in our house. She is the result of my very in-depth research on African Nova Scotians. I am keeping her as a historical character of the 1860's. Her clothes will reflect that era and I'm excited to sew for her.  I don't know where Addy is in her travels but I do hope she is safe and warm.

Julie and Lea were suddenly purchased when they were advertised on a Facebook page. They lived about a 30 minute drive from our house.  Both moved into the house yesterday. They are so happy to be out of isolation and in the sewing room. 

Julie is a historical doll and her era is the 1970's.  She will be a more modern girl who is interested in sports and dance. Julia is a pre-loved doll who in near perfect condition. She is also a first edition doll and came with her meet outfit. 

Lea was the doll of year in 2016 and is part Brazilian of which I am excited about. She is in very good condition for being pre-owned. Lea will model both historical and modern clothing. 

I am excited to have more dolls to dress. 

Happy Doll Sewing...................................................

2021 Thoughts and Aspirations

2020 has been quite the year. I've done a lot of testing as the pandemic had the designers reaching for their pencils and designing lots of new patterns. My doll's wardrobes are large and varied. 

As this year comes to an end, I've been thinking about what I want to do for the dolls next year. Which direction am I going to take? What would I like to focus on? 

Testing Patterns

I have been waffling around about pattern testing (sewing and knitting) for quite a while. I thought about quitting because I did a lot of testing and what I wanted to sew and knit. I was diligent to follow the rules and now that I have slacked off, I haven't been kicked out so I will stay until I get kicked out. Stay means on my terms. 

Pattern Drafting

I'm going to look at this once again and figure out how I can do it like a course. I need to get a program for writing up my patterns. Will I publish them? Maybe. But, I would like to have a few patterns to work with for the Gotz dolls. Basics that I can use pattern design techniques to make different necklines, sleeves, etc.

The other thing I want to do is change patterns a bit. One is making a facing for the inside of a jacket so the lapels match the outer garment fabric. 

Easy To Sew Patterns

I'm still wanting to sew a bunch of easy to sew patterns. They are the patterns that clear my brain and allow me to try a new technique or two. They are the ones that give you instant gratification when you really need it. They are the ones that complete an outfit with something that isn't the star of the outfit. 

Historical Patterns

As a person interested in history, I have read/watched a lot on the Victorian/Edwardian era. I have been mulling this around a lot this fall and I'm going to start sewing historical clothing in the new year. I'm going to combine it with couture sewing (a course I need to finish) and have a bit of fun. These will not be quick sews as I want them to be outstanding items. The goal is to use a lot of fabric from the doll's stash. 

The other era I like to sew for is the 1930-50's as the outfits are great on Kit. I don't research this era, I just sew them for fun. 

Techniques and Tutorials

I want to continue on doing different techniques and do tutorials on some of them. One is how to place embroidery on an article of clothing. What works well for me. I enjoy sharing what I've learned with others. 

I also want to share some hacks that I plan on doing in the new year. And I want to share how to sew with leather. Though it has its own rules, sewing leather is not scary. 

Photography

I want to improve my photography skills and need to get a ring light and an area to photograph. Using the ledge by the window gives less than professional pictures. I want to use my Cannon camera and learn how to use it correctly. There is a lot to learn but I can learn by photographing the dolls. 

What Else?

To sew up as many of the patterns I have on hand as possible. That could take me years to do but I hope to do some each year. 

To sew down the dolls' stash. I have lots of nice fabric to sew and I should be using it up rather than looking at fabric in the stores. This includes lace, ribbon, and buttons. 

To look deeper into selling doll's clothing on Etsy. I have questions to be answered by a friend. 

Thoughts for 2021

 Thanksgiving in Canada is this weekend and the housework has been at the top of the list. We have been given guidelines to follow so I'm getting ready to have a safe Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends. 

The Desk

The desk is in at Ikea but I can't get it for a couple of weeks. This week is too busy as is next week. But, I'm excited to know it's available and hope it is there when I can get in to buy it. 

The Striped Fabric

It sits on the shelf calling me but I still haven't found a pattern I like. I keep looking in the stash of patterns and on line for a new one. So it sits and waits calling out on a regular basis. After Thanksgiving, I will have another hard look at patterns once again. 

2021 Thoughts

I am having an issue with testing patterns at the moment. I have to choose one a month to test and there are months that none resonate with me. I do them, don't like them, and, after some time passes, I toss them. There are some I love and I really enjoy making those patterns. I have been staying because of them. I have to make a decision on what to do for both sewing and knitting. 

I want to take a bit of a turn in the path and try something different next year. 

A bit of history making outfits that come from books/movies I enjoy. One a month that takes a while to sew. Where did that come from, you ask? Lumineria published 2 new patterns this week. Meg and Beth from Little Women. I want to buy the set and do them plus the Downton Abbey, Little House, and Anne of Green Gables patterns I already have. I have the fabric and trim for most of these outfits. I have two dolls who will wear these patterns well and may look for a third one doll. Not sure as I want to keep the doll numbers down. 

Continue with Kit's wardrobe. I enjoyed working on it in the past and I want to add to it. I'm looking at a couple of Keepers Dolly Duds patterns for her along with, I hope a few patterns I hope are going to be tested in the near future. 

Work on the Gotz doll's wardrobes. I'm hoping to make them each 6 pieces for sure. They will pretty much have the same items of clothing - overalls, blouse, dress, coat, leggings, and skirt. All in different colors. Start with the overalls as I have one done. 

I am going to have a day of playing in the fabric and put together fabric with patterns. It will be a day to sort, think, fold, and have fun. 

In the meantime, I need to figure out the pattern for the stripe material. It is still calling me softly from the shelf. 

Happy Dolly Sewing.........................................