March 25, 2022
by Victoria Watkins
My latest (completed) sewing project at Folkwear has been the 225 Childhood Dreams pattern. Unmodified, the original sewing pattern serves as a re-creation of nightgowns from the early 1900s. However, I wanted to take the foundations and create a casual day-to-day dress that wouldn't be out of place on a modern day child.
My thought process for this was to remove all of the extra ruffles, and choose the view with the higher hemline. This is straightforward in theory, but in doing so, I learned that the dress is finished with these ruffles. Removing them required a little consideration on how to finish raw edges around the neckline and sleeve hems. So, I am going to show you how I did this so you can use this very sweet pattern to sew up a modern-ish dress or the ruffle-y nightgown.
To finish the neckline, I chose a bias binding to replace the ruffle. There are a couple things to keep in mind when doing this. I was definitely winging it when constructing the dress, so being mindful of when to do this step is helpful. My advice is to complete the back and side back pieces of the dress first, then do the bias binding before attaching the center front. Be sure to have binding that extends past the box where the front neck placket gets sewn down. Then continue the dress as normal. I do wish I used a slightly wider binding, but it worked fine for this sample.
The cuffs in this pattern are also finished with ruffles. And when it came to the that point, I let myself go on autopilot before realizing how I'd done it without the ruffles. Last week I was working on a blouse cuff for an upcoming pattern we're developing which has a wrist placket, and so I sewed the cuffs on this dress in a similar way. I sewed the cuff pieces right sides together, along 3 sides and left one long side end open. Then I turned under about two inches of the sleeve side seam allowance and topstitched them to form a simple placket. I encased the gathered wrist edge of the sleeve into the cuff assembly I'd sewn. This works fine (though necessitates a closure like a snap or button at the wrist), but I think you could also create cuffs without a placket for a child since their hands and wrists are usually quite small (and don't necessitate a placket). There are several ways to finish the cuff without the ruffles. One way to do this would be to sew the short ends of each cuff piece to themselves, then sew the cuffs together right sides together along one long side, and encase the finished sleeve end with the open ends of the cuff. Turn under the seam allowance on the long sides of the open end of the cuff and topstitch or hand stitch the cuff over the sleeve end.
March 10, 2022 2 Comments on Creative Fun with the 213 Child's Prairie Dress Pinafore
Clothing plays a special role in our lives and knowing that our patterns can mean so much to so many, truly drives what we do. The 213 Child’s Prairie Dress & Pinafore has the magic of harking back to the simple pleasures of childhood. We hope you enjoying creating for a special child in your life.
A yearning for romantic clothing and lifestyles has been reawakened in the past few years. Just type in the tagline “cottage core” on social media platforms such as Instagram or Pinterest, and romantic-inspired clothing for women and children alike is hard to miss. It would seem that wearing and sharing romantic clothing is never far from our hearts and desires. Folkwear's 213 Child’s Prairie Dress & Pinafore and, the adult version, 201 Prairie Dress are the perfect patterns to add a touch of "cottage core" to any wardrobe. If you like the idea of matching dresses with a child in your life, we have the patterns to get you started.
With Spring just around the corner, its the perfect excuse to get a fresh start on your sewing. And what better project than the easy-to-construct Child's Prairie Dress & Pinafore. This is a versatile pattern that can be changed any number of ways.
Pattern Info
The dress and pinafore are offered in two lengths, but can be made any length you like. You can even shorten the dress to make a smock-length top. To extend the life of the dress and/or pinafore add tucks to the lower skirt portion of either piece to allow for letting the length out as your child grows taller. Depending on the season, you could make the sleeves any length. Make the sleeve cuff as suggested in the pattern or insert an elastic band to the sleeves, or simply hem. You can change up, or omit, the collar. You can add trims and details or keep it simple. The pattern size range is designed to serve an entire childhood of effortless making and wearing.
The dress and pinafore both offer so much potential wearing and enjoyment, especially if made early in the season. This would be an adorable Easter dress. Both the dress & pinafore could be worn layered on the first chilly days of spring or even on an Easter egg hunt when paired with a cardigan and tights. The pinafore would be adorable interchanged with skirts, shorts, bloomers, t-shirts, tops, other cute dresses, or worn alone as a sundress all summer long. The dress is perfect all on it's own, especially in bare feet or sandals for summer. Plus, the dress has pockets - perfect for collecting treasures.
Embroidery and Design
I started with the idea of spring gardens and flowering meadows for my inspiration in making this project. I made the Child's Prairie Dress out of the sunny Merchant & Mills Marmalade Check Cotton and the pinafore out of a soft cream linen (sorry sold out). In this blog, I will focus on how I got creative with the pinafore, in hopes to inspire you to reconsider this practical and charming addition to a child’s wardrobe. Pinafores are not only cute, but they have always served as a protective layer, extending the life of the clothing underneath. Besides, for most romantically-spirited little girls two twirly layers are always better than one.
The wildflower design I created for this project is available for you to use in any way you like. Purchase it here. Simplify it, use it in a different way, add it to the hem of another dress or shirt, come up with your version, or let it inspire you to think up your own totally unique design. Of course, you can add the entire design or just a sampling of it, to the dress and/or pinafore. Don't feel like you have to do as much as I have to make this a fun and special piece. I chose to decorate this pinafore in hopes it becomes a favorite piece that gets worn with everything, making it a special piece in the childhood of a certain little girl. I covered the whole pinafore in flowers because I was having too much fun to stop.
Preliminary Construction
I wanted to make something that would go rather quickly and easily, but would have a charm all it’s own. I love the idea of embroidery, but my mindset was not to make something overly precious and time consuming. The idea of machine stitching was really appealing.
I made a quick sketch of my wildflower design idea on paper, using the pattern pieces as guides for how large the design would need to be. I kept it loose and open to interpretation that would lend itself to the nature of stitching on the sewing machine. I did not want overthink it's execution, and I wanted to go with what the machine and my ability would allow. The flower sketch served as a guide for stitching without it needing to be perfect. My hope was to avoid the seam ripper as much as possible.
You can approach this project how ever works best for you, but I will share with you the two approaches I considered and why. First, I made a muslin of the pinafore to use as my trial and error testing ground. This was my very first attempt at machine stitching embroidery designs to this extent. I thought it would be wise to experiment to see not only how the stitching would go, but how much of it I (and hopefully you) would actually end up enjoying doing. I traced a portion of the design using pencil on one panel of the already constructed muslin pinafore. Use a water-erasable pen for tracing the design on a final product.
At first, I thought maybe I would approach this project using a completely constructed pinafore in order to make the embroidery across the seams continuous. But that was not really important and could wait to be added later if necessary. I did realize it would be best to work with the seams pressed open and with unfinished seams. The embroidery going over the seams would be adequate enough to keep the seam allowance held in place and prevent the raw edges from fraying too badly.
I found stitching on the fully constructed muslin pinafore to work just fine. But, it did prove cumbersome trying to maneuver a completely constructed pinafore, because of so much fabric. To be honest, I decided it was too much bother to continuously rearrange the pinafore and constantly check to be sure I was not about to accidentally catch the fabric in the stitching.
My second plan was to make the stitching on each individual panel of the pinafore separately, prior to construction. I thought it might go easier if I worked on one panel at a time; and it was. The only real reason to work with the pinafore panels separately, is because less material is easier to maneuver.
I was feeling confident on my decision on how to proceed. But because, I would be handling each panel individually meant that this could lead to fabric instability. The linen I had chosen to use might become misshaped. More tightly woven fabrics are less prone to instability. I suspected the linen I was using would benefit from a bit of extra care so I took a couple of preventative measures in preparing each individual panel. It is probably best to stabilize your fabric before doing embroidery stitching. There are several options, depending on your fabric.
First, instead of cutting out each panel on the cutting line as I normally would, I positioned each pattern piece with extra fabric surrounding it. This extra surrounding fabric provides more stability and helps to prevent the fabric from distorting from use. Once the pattern was pinned to the fabric, I used the non-permanent pen to trace out each pattern piece on the cut line. Then I baste-stitched the traced cut line with a black thread on the right side of the fabric and used a cream color thread on the wrong side (in the bobbin). This provided extra stability, outlined the panel on the cut line, and made it clear which was the right side of the fabric. Adding serge edges to all the raw edges of the fabric helps with stability too. This is just another level of precaution I did add to some panels and forgot to do on others.
Note: Be sure to transfer the notches as marked on the pattern. I simply made heavier pen dots just inside the seam allowance so I could see them when needed.
My only deviation in working with separate panels was with the side panels. Because the side panels were relatively narrow, this made them less stable and prone to more warping. I did stitch them together as the pattern instructions dictated, treating the two pieces as one. I pressed the seam open before beginning the design stitching.
Transferring the Design to the Fabric
I created a separate design for each panel, with the panels coming together for an overall meadow/wildflower design. Now that I know how I am going to place the design, I am ready to begin transferring the design to my final fabric. Because the linen was light in color and thickness, I could trace the design through the fabric. A light box made it even easier. You can use a window/sliding glass door if you do not have a light box or light table. Of course, this will only work if you can see through your fabric.
If your fabric is opaque and you cannot see through it to trace well, then use a piece of transfer paper or non-permanent pen in a color that is visible and made especially for transferring a design to fabric. This blog.... is a great resource that is most helpful.
I weighted my fabric to the design drawing for tracing. If you use a window to back light your project, use masking tape to hold everything in place to make tracing easier.
Note: Be sure to test your pen to make sure it will remove from the fabric and won't be set with an iron.
Thread and How to Use ItThis project is a great way to use up bits of extra thread on spools and bobbins just lying about. We have a pretty large thread collection at Folkwear, and I purchased a few more colors and thread thicknesses to round out my palette. Depending on what you like and how you work, I recommend thinking about a basic thread color palette and be sure you have enough of the main colors you intend to use or just use what you have on hand. You can use regular all-purpose thread, silky embroidery thread, or a thicker buttonhole thread, or a combination.
Below is my collection of thread colors.
Due to the amount of stitching my design would require, and to add visual interest and texture I decided to try using more than one thread at a time and to use top-stitching or buttonhole twist. Doubling up the thread helped to beef-up the thickness of the stitches and allowed the stitching to stand out more than if I used only a single thread stitch. If you are not familiar with stitching with two threads at the same time, it is really easy. Put a spool of thread on each of the spool holders (most machines have two) or use two loaded bobbins added to one spool holder. Be sure each spool or bobbin is positioned so the tread will unwind and feed properly. Then pull tails out in equal lengths, joining the two threads as one and thread your machine as normal.
Another thread option is button-hole twist, also known as top-stitching thread. Even though buttonhole twist or top-stitching thread is thicker than regular thread it is still threaded on the machine just like a regular weight thread. Thicker threads are often too heavy when it comes to bobbin function, so use a regular weight thread in the bobbin instead. You may need to play around with adjusting the top thread tension depending on your stitch length and fabric when using thicker thread. I did not find adjusting the bobbin tension necessary. I did use a longer stitch length when using this heavier thread, and the stitch laid down flatter as a result.
Note: In the photo below the regular weight thread is on the left and the heavier weight is on the right. Note the different color of the plastic spool for each thread thickness. Keep in mind that button hole twist or top stitching thread comes in a limited selection of colors.
If you have trouble threading your machine with the heavier weight thread, you could try using a larger needle with a larger eye or using a needle threader. A needle threader also makes threading two strains of thread much much easier too.
Since I would be changing the color of my top thread often I opted to use a off-white thread in the bobbin at all times. The off-white blended into the fabric of the pinafore fabric on the wrong side and eliminated having to worry constantly about the bobbin thread color. This helped the wrong side of the pinafore stitching from looking overly messy too.
I backstitched at the beginning and end of each stitching section. You could not do this and pull all tails to the back and tie off, but backstitching looked fine and it was a heck of a lot quicker and easier. Keeping the wrong side of my work trimmed and tidy was still necessary. Every so often or when I changed the top thread color, I took the time to trim the underneath loose threads.
I experimented making the stems of the flowers and leaf/grass shapes without hesitating to experiment with stitch length to see what would happen. I made some stitches long and others shorter. For smaller details like the flower petals I shortened the stitch length to give me better control around tight curves. It was nice to try different stitching methods with the attitude that it did not matter if things did not go just so. Due to the nature of machine stitching, my drawing was also becoming more of a compositional guide, than a strict template. If I did not stitch directly on the drawn line I did not worry about it.
Hint: I was not strict about how close I stitched near or into the seam allowances. I knew that I could fill-in later as needed or as a final touch. As it turned out, only one seam ended up with a flower being cut off, which was easy to remedy.
I was really not sure about how far to stitch beyond the hem line. Because this would be the starting and sometimes the end point for stitching the foliage and stems, with a back stitch, I knew this would cause the stitching to build up and become rather thick. I guess I just instinctively went slightly over the hem line approximately 1/4-inch (6mm) or so and hoped that was OK.
I knew the tighter and smaller flower petal details would go slower than the foliage portions. This was also a reason I made the foliage stitching first. It went quicker and worked well with a less controlled approach. I did not hesitate to make another pass over the stitching if I felt a stem or leaf needed beefing up or definition. I used different colors of green haphazardly too, even when making a second pass. I rather liked the unstudied look it produced. I was glad I completed the foliage portion of the design first, leaving the actual flowers for last.
Because the flower petals were smaller and more defined, I had to slow down and ended up turning the hand wheel and lifting the presser foot to maneuver the tighter curves. This is where designing with color came into play. I just picked a flower color and used it in maybe three places on each panel and then filled in other colors as it suited me. This is something that really cannot go wrong. I kept reminding myself that flowers in wildflower fields do not arrange themselves just so.
Below the final bit of stitching the flower design over the seam.
What Presser Foot to Use?
I originally, thought the regular straight stitch presser foot would prevent me from seeing my stitching, but I quickly got used it. I kept stitching till I liked the look of the flowers. Over-stitching the flowers had the serendipitous effect of looking like delicate pedals, which I thought looked charming.
Once the panels were all complete, I rinsed each in cool water to remove the blue water soluble ink, then air dried overnight. The next morning I pressed each panel on the wrong side to ready for the pinafore construction.
If you are like me, this is when your excitement fuels the anticipation of seeing your project come together. Before assembling the pinafore, I cut each panel out using the black stitch line that indicated the cut line I had made early on in the process, being sure not to cut off the hem.
I cut out each panel as I was about to work with it. Much to my relief the panels held their shape and the panel pieces went together as expected. I constructed the pinafore according to the pattern instructions and as each panel was added the more pleased I became. Once the pinafore was all together, all that remained was the hem. I went ahead and serge the bottom raw edge of the pinafore. The black stitch line I had made for the hemming purpose served me well. While the hem line did not match up exactly along some portions, the fact that I had stitched beyond the hem line allowed for a bit of fudging. Once the hem was all tidy, aligned and secured with pins, I made a stay-stitch close to the folded edge of the hem to securely hold the thickness caused by the abundance of stitching. I use a single thread in cream, which was barely viable. Then, I carefully removed the black hem line stitching to create a clean finish. In looking back I might have zig-zag stitched the raw edges of each panel before assembly... just to keep the raw edges from fraying.
Not only was this project fun and stress-free to make, the results are charming and I am quiet pleased. I am so glad I made myself purchase the orange thread used on the pinafore flowers. It was just the right touch to make the 213 Prairie Child's Dress & Pinafore come together.
I hope this project will inspire you to see what fun possibilities you can have with the often overlooked pinafore. The Folkwear 213 Child's Prairie Dress & Pinafore is such a lovely pairing that will delight the maker as well as it's fortunate recipient. Don't forget there is a version for grown girls too. The210 Prairie Dress (and PDF version) is now sized XS-3XL. Get a head start on a comfortable and enchantingly romantic warm weather project now!
March 07, 2022
by Esi Hutchinson
When we talked about featuring our children's patterns this month, the 109 Little Folks pattern caught my eye. It has the cutest folk clothes for children six to eighteen months old. These patterns are perfect for making gifts for dear family members expecting. The pattern is only available as a PDF pattern, but because these are tiny patterns, they are really easy to print at home and assemble. You can read more about that here.
I made the Mexican Dress from this pattern for my cousin who is expecting a girl in a few months. I also liked the idea of making it totally unique by adding the optional embroidery. Almost every piece in this pattern has some embroidery that can be added to it. You can even see a little about one of the designs here, and you can see how to remove the waste canvas.
I am so excited! Although baby girl will have to wait a few more months to wear this little dress, I loved making it.
I made this dress from white handkerchief linen and DMC embroidery floss, with a section of 1/8" red ribbon.
Embroidery
I did not do all of the cross-stitch embroidery that comes with the pattern. But I did embroider the sleeves and center front of the dress. The pattern has options for adding embroidery to the hem as well.
It helps to print out the cross stitch pattern to decide what colors you would like to use. You can color right on the print out to see what you like. I used green, yellow, blue, and red.
All the embroidery is done before construction, and is worked on the fabric after it has been cut into the pattern pieces.
I basted a section of waste canvas to my cut out front piece (and sleeves) so I could apply the embroidery/cross-stitching. Make sure to give yourself some room on the outer edges of the canvas so you have plenty of room for the stitching.
I did not follow the instructions about where to start, and I started wherever I pleased. It is probably wise to start from the top dot where stated it might make it easier to pay attention to what direction you will be going and to center the design on your piece.
This is what the inside of the dress with embroidery looks like so far.
I really liked making the chicken, I'm glad there are two of them.
Next, I worked the embroidery on the sleeves. This went very quickly and I just did a couple rows of cross stitching with the waste canvas.
I finished with the amount of cross-stitching I wanted to do for this dress. Once embroidering is done, the waste canvas can be removed.
It is helpful to cut as much as you can away, just make sure to not to cut the fabric or the stitching.
I soaked one sleeve with the scrim still attached just to test it out. It loosened the waste canvas threads and made it easier to pull apart in my opinion. A pair of tweezers works well too.
I am not used to working with gussets, so the assembling of the sleeves was a little confusing for me, but I figured it out. Just pay attention to where the stars and dots are on the gusset and on the sleeves and body of the dress and you are good to go. It is a good idea to mark them with a washable marker, Crayola markers are perfect.
Hem the sleeves and the bottom of the body of the dress and you are finished with the cutest Mexican Dress!
I am so excited to gift this dress, it quite easy to make and the cross-stitching is a perfect activity to keep busy and creative, watch a good show/movie and stitch away. It really doesn't take that long, especially on a tinydress like this. Enjoy making! Please show us what you have made from the 109 Little Folks patterns.
March 02, 2022
Folkwear has a surprising number of children's patterns. Some are perfect for making a cute dress or nightgown, some are perfect for dress up or costume, and some are used for traditional dress or ceremony. Many of our children's patterns have an adult counterpart, such as 218 Child's Frontier Shirt and 212 Five Frontier Shirts, or 213 Child's Prairie Dress and 201 Prairie Dress, and 110 Little Kittel and 148 Black Forest Smock, etc.. Some occur in the same pattern - 141 Korean Han Bok and 120 Navajo Blouse and Skirt. These two, in particular, are often made for special events and traditional ceremony by people of the cultures. But there is also the 221 English Smock (so very cute) that includes a children's pattern. And, then the very popular 154 Child's Scottish Kilt and Jacket (to go with 152 Scottish Kilts).
I want to highlight a few of these great patterns that I made because they are often overlooked. They are mostly fairly easy and quick garments to sew They also can be made with fun and cute fabrics and usually don't take a lot of fabric to make anyway.
Sewing for special children in your life is rewarding and fun.
March 01, 2022
by Esi Hutchison
The Basics patterns are a great for novice sewers and we really encourage our customers to have fun with these patterns (and all of our patterns in general of course). However, the Basics are especially non-intimidating in terms of the construction which can allow easier alterations, options for finishing, and embellishing that can make these pieces fit your style. This blog post will focus on the Basics Pants but altering them into shorts. Warmer weather is coming, so get ready and start making some summer outfits with this great pattern. I was wanting a pair of simple and comfortable shorts so I decided to show how I altered the Basics Pants in shorts for myself.
Fabric Suggestions:
For casual and formal looks one could use light to medium weight fabrics such as linen, wool, gabardine, twill, lightweight denim, nylon, polyester. We recently have gotten a batch of beautiful raw silks that would be perfect for these shorts. Check out our fabric. Hopefully something will inspire you.
For bedtime you could even make these out of flannel or lightweight, soft fabrics of silk, cotton, rayon, synthetics, or blends such as crepe, challis, batiste, voile, or satin. Even a soft jersey would work.
There are so many options for different occasions, casual, formal, bedtime, outdoor activities . . . for making the shorts and or pants.
I am also going to show you how to add a drawstring instead (or in addition to) the elastic waistband in this post.
Making the Shorts
If you are not confident in diving straight into making the shorts from your final fabric I advise you to make a muslin first. If you haven't read our blog post for sewing these pants, please refer back to that for altering the rise of the pants because I will be using the same technique for the shorts that I made for myself. This post also has all the basic constructions details.
Measure how long you would like your shorts to be, I went with 15½" (39.4cm) which includes the ½" (13mm) seam allowance at the top. They will sit approximately around your natural waist. Include the final waistband width which is 1¼ (3.18cm) and the length or your desired hem, for me I decided to go with a 1½" (3.8cm) hemline, my idea is to fold under ½" (13mm) then fold under 1" (2.5cm) for my hem .
With the measurement of the front/back pieces and your hem take away your waistband width and that is the length you will cut the front and back of the pants to make your shorts, my total length will be 17" (43.2cm) You can also just decide how long you want the inseam to be, and cut your shorts that length, plus a hem allowance. If you do this, be sure to take into account the 1/2" (13mm) seam allowance at the top of the inseam.
Draw a line across the pattern pieces at the length you want your shorts to be on the Front and Back pattern pieces. Those will be the pieces for the Front and Back of the Shorts.
Sewing the Shorts
Lets get started. The instructions are still the same as for making the Pants, except they are shorter!
Pattern pieces cut out.
With right sides together, sew one POCKET C to FRONT A between boxes, matching notch 1. Don't forget to clip ⅜" (1cm) into seam allowance to boxes. Trim corner and seam allowance between boxes.
The key detail of these shorts are these sweet flap pockets, which could easily be embellished with an embroidered pattern or a button sewn on the keep the pocket down.
Inner leg seam stitched.
Waistband pinned.
Adding a Drawstring
If you want to add a drawstring, mark where you would want the tie to come out after the waistband has been sewn to the shorts, but before you fold the waistband down and stich to the inside of the shorts. The drawstring holes can be hand or machine sewn eyelets or buttonholes. In this case I have decided to go with buttonholes. Mark them an inch away from each other from the center front (or wherever you have chosen to place them). I used a visible thread on this muslin so you can see exactly where I put the openings for the drawstring. Cut the buttonhole or eyelets open before moving forward.
After you have made your drawstring holes, fold the waistband to the inside along the foldline, stitch in the ditch or slipstitch on the inside of the shorts.
Insert your drawstring through one hole, around the waistband, and out through the other hole. You can use a safety pin or bodkin attached to your string to do this. You can use a sturdy ribbon or string for your drawstring.
Hem your shorts hand sew your pocket flaps down if you haven't already. And you are done!
Once I made the muslin I knew for sure what I liked and what I didn't like from the fit of the shorts, the style and length. And, I made my final shorts from my fashion fabric with the adjustments I wanted.
I chose a less casual look for the shorts and used a green herringbone wool for my final pair.
These are my fabric pieces.
And, here is the result! I love these shorts. They are very comfortable and will be easy to wear in the spring with a pair of short boots or trainers.
February 25, 2022
Join us for a CONTEST! We are so excited to announce a Children’s Pattern contest here at Folkwear. We want to invite you to enter your favorite children’s item created with one of our patterns. We will pick three winners, who will each receive a $30 Folkwear gift certificate. Make something adorable for a cutie you know and show off your sewing by joining our contest.
You can enter by tagging your post on Instagram or Facebook (with #folkwearchildren or #folkwearpatterns), or you can email your entry to us at info@folkwear.com. The contest starts March 1st, 2022 and goes until March 31. Detailed contest rules are below.
Be sure to note, all of our Children’s patterns will be on sale for the whole month of March, so don’t wait, add your favorites to your collection today and get sewing!
THE RULESOur suggestions for the best photos:
NOTE: All images submitted become eligible for Folkwear promotions and marketing. Submission implies permission to use images in promotion and marketing.
Enter today! Visit our Children's Pattern page to get started with an adorable children's pattern to make for the special child in your life!
February 18, 2022
by Esi Hutchinson
Hello, it's me, Esi, again. I will be showing everyone how I made the Basics Pants today. The fitted measurements are stated on the back of the paper pattern or in the PDF instructions, check that out because first I will show you all how I changed the rise of the pants to better fit me, and hopefully fit you the way you would like them to.
Starting Considerations
Fabric: These pants can be made in lightweight or medium-weight fabrics. They have an elastic waistband so heavier weight fabrics will be quite bulky at the waist. We made several samples in linen, cotton, and linen blends and one sample in a medium-weight twill. For this sew along, I used a light-weight wool.
Notions: The Basic Pants only need thread and 1" (2.5cm) wide elastic. The elastic should be cut 1-2" shorter than your waist measurement.
Sizing: These pants are sized XS-3XL. While there is plenty of ease, you may still need some adjusting. I suggest making a muslin first to see if you need any fit adjustments before cutting you main fabric. You can also adjust the rise and the length of the pants. These pants have a high waist and will most likely sit on or close to your natural waist. Measure the existing rise of the pants in your size excluding the seam allowance (1/2" [13mm]) on the top and bottom of the rise. Include the measurement of the finished waistband which will be 1-1/4" (2.18cm) wide. Use a measuring tape to see if the rise suits you. If not, adjust for your taste.
I decided to take away 2-1/4" (5.72cm) from the front rise of the pants and kept the rise of the back of the pants the same because I realized this would fit me better. To do this, I marked a line above the lengthen and shorten line for the rise equal to one-half the amount I wished to shorten, in my case it would be 1-1/8". I made a pleat along the marked adjustment line, and taped it in place. Smooth lines to get a smooth adjustment.
The inner leg seam of the front and back pieces need to line up, however since I changed the rise of the Front piece, the Front and Back side seams will not match. I now had to change the shape of the top of the Back piece to match the front at the side seams.
I put the Front and Back pieces together matching the inside leg seams. I made a line on the Back side seam where it matched the Front at the side seam and connected it to the top of the back rise on the Back piece. You can cut or fold this top section above the line off. This is the new top of my Back piece. You can also adjust the notches to line up at this point if you need to.
It is always a good idea to make a muslin first to see how the fit will work for you. I did make a muslin to decide how I wanted to change the rise and fit of the waist and crotch. This helped a lot get the right fit for my main pair of pants.
Seam Treatments: Seams can be serged or flat-felled or faux-flat felled. Just choose what look you want. Often pants with flat-felled seams look a little more casual than pants without. It might be good to test it with a small piece of your fabric just to see how it will look.
Cutting the Pattern
I chose to use a light-weight wool, to give it a formal look and a warmer feel since it is still winter.
I didn't have enough fabric for the waistband to be cut in one piece, so I cut two long pieces the same width as the waistband, sewed them together, and cut the waistband from that piece. So my waistband has an extra center seam.
You will need to cut one waistband, two front legs, two back legs, and four pockets.
Sewing the Basics Pants
Pockets: With right sides together, sew one Pocket to Pants Front between the boxes (from top, pivoting at the corner and down to the other box on the side), matching notch 1.
Clip ⅜" (1cm) into seam allowance to boxes. Trim corner and seam allowance between boxes.
Turn pocket to the inside and press. Repeat with remaining front. You have just created the flap of the pocket.
With right sides together, sew a matching pocket piece to the curved raw edge of pocket between boxes, matching notch 2 and keeping front piece free from the stitching. You'll need to pivot at the top corner. Clip pocket seam allowance to square. Repeat with last pocket piece.
Zigzag or overlock the sides of the pocket raw edges to finish the seams. The top seam will be enclosed in the waistband and doesn't need to be finished.
Baste top edges of pockets to fronts along waist seamline to keep it all together and keep the pocket from shifting.
Turn pocket flaps down and press.
Front and Back: With right sides together, sew front and unstitched portion of pocket to Back at side seams, matching notches 1 and 3 and squares. Be sure to keep pocket and pocket flap free of stitching above the square. Press seam open.
I hadn't quite decided how I wanted to finish the edges at this point. Perhaps a faux flat-felled seam, or just pressing the seam open and over locking. So I decided to see what it would look like on a sample of fabric.
This is the faux flat-felled seam, it gives the pants more structure and can take away a bit of the drapery aspect of the fabric depending on what kind of fabric you are using. I decided not to use it and just overlock the raw edges.
Optional: On right side, you can reinforce the bottom of the pocket opening by stitching a bar tack through all thicknesses. For a bar tack I used a tiny zig-zag stitch. Test how wide and close you would like your zig-zag stitches to be on a scrap of fabric.
Stitch front to back along inner leg, matching notch 4. Press seam open.
Turn one pant leg right side out and slip into the other pant leg, so right sides are together. Stitch crotch seam, matching inner leg seams and notches 5 and 6. Stitch crotch curve again, 1/8" (3mm) from previous stitching in the seam allowance. Trim the seam allowances close to second stitching and/or overcast or serge raw edges. This reduced bulk in the crotch area. Press the remaining center front and center back seams open, clipping curves if necessary.
Turn the pants right side out. Don't fret they will look quite larger than your waist, but nothing a waistband and elastic won't fix.
Waistband: With right sides together, fold the Waistband in half, and stitch the short end. Press seam open. You don't have to finish this seam as it will be enclosed in the waistband, but if your fabric ravels easily, you might want to overcast or serge it.
With right sides together, stitch waistband to pants, matching boxes to side seams and front seams, and waistband seam to center back seam of pants. If you had to make your waistband like I did, I matched both seams in my waistband to the side seams of my pants. Then, press seam allowance toward waistband.
Press under ¼" (6mm) along raw edge of waistband.
Then, fold the waistband in half to the inside of pants so wrong sides of waistband are together and pressed-under edge slightly overlaps the waistline seam. Baste the waistband in place by hand and then stitch in the well of the seam on the right side along the waistband, leaving about 1" (2.5cm) seam open at center back waistline. You can also slip-stitch the pressed-under edge of the waistband to the waistband seam on the wrong side. That is what I chose to do instead of stitching-in-the-ditch/well. You can see the opening in the waistband for the elastic below.
Cut a length of elastic 2 inches (5cm) less than your waist measurement (if you haven't already), and thread it through the waistband from the center back opening. Overlap ends of elastic 1/2" (13mm) and stitch securely several times with a zig-zag stitch or a small box of straight stitches. Tuck elastic back into waistband and slipstitch center back opening closed. Personally, I like to stitch a seam and then stitch down the edges of the elastic to create a flat surface on waistbands. I stitch the seam several times to keep elastic secure.
Optional: You can stitch across the waistband at the center back seam several times, to keep the elastic from shifting. I chose to stitch in the well on the side seams of my waistband to keep the elastic from twisting.
Finishing: Press under ¼" (6mm) at pants hem; turn under again 1/2" (13mm) and topstitch.
You can also hand tack the pocket flaps down on the underside of the corner of the flap. Or you could add small decorative buttons here too.
The pants are finished! I like the fit and feel of these pants. They are comfortable and they look great.
In my next sew along will show you how I made the Basics Pants into Shorts.
February 08, 2022 3 Comments on Pinafore Dress Sew Along
I love our new Basics Pinafore Dress pattern! And when we were deciding who was going to make which pattern for the Basics Sew Along's, I volunteered to do the Pinafore Dress because I really want a couple for my own wardrobe. This simple pattern is quick to sew, flattering to wear, and has many customizations. It is available as a PDF pattern and a paper pattern. I am going to cover a couple of options for very simple pattern hacks in this sew along. I am going to make it a little shorter and change up the strap placement a little. But, today we are mainly going to cover how to sew the dress with a few tips and tricks.
Dress Considerations
Fabric: We suggest light to medium weight fabric for this pattern. This could be broadcloth, poplin, linen, wool, or even a sturdy knit. You could also use denim, twill, or even canvas (depending on the look you want). A fabric with a little drape is nice, but if you want a bit more structure, go for a stiffer fabric. For our original samples, we made one in a chambray, one in an African Wax Print, and one in a medium weight (soft) upholstery fabric. For this sew along, I choose a cute striped block print cotton in a light weight canvas. It made a dress that feels sturdy - almost like an apron or art smock. I really liked it.
Notions: I choose a white thread and two blue 3/4 inch (24cm) buttons I had in my stash. Buttons are an easy way to be creative with this dress. They can be a fun and beautiful feature of this simple style. They can also be simple and easy.
Sizing: This dress has plenty of ease in it. It will fit well over other clothes. Finished measurements are on the pattern, so you can choose to go up or down a size as you need. I would normally wear a size Small to Medium, but I decided to go with XS as I may wear this dress in the summer as well with less clothes underneath. I also tried on our XS sample and it fit well over my shirt and pants so will also be fine in the winter over clothes. And, I tend to like my clothes a little fitted.
Yardage: Since I am making the XS, I can use 45" (115cm) wide fabric (or wider). The larger sizes can only be cut from wider fabric - 54" or 60" fabric. But, you can also create a front seam in the dress to accommodate narrower width fabrics (instead of cutting the fabric on the fold). Just add 1/2" seam allowance to the front/back pattern piece and the front/back facing pattern piece at the center and you can use just about any width fabric. Also, since I decided to shorten the dress, I did not need as much yardage and the shorter dress also easily accommodated narrower width fabric. Just something to keep in mind.
Seam Treatments: Most seams in this pattern do not need to be finished as they are hidden. But if your fabric ravels easily, you might want to serge or zigzag your seam edges before covering them or turning them. For the front/back side seams, you could use a flat-felled seam or faux flat felled seam (these would be good for denim or heavier weight fabrics for informal dresses). Or, if you are using a lightweight fabric, use a French seam for the side seams. I chose to serge the side seams, but then my serger decided to not thread, so I just zig-zagged the side seam edges.
Cutting the Pattern
Since I wanted to shorten the dress fairly significantly (by 12"/39cm) to be knee length, I made a 6" (15cm) pleat in the pattern below the pocket placement (where the lengthen shorten line is). This shortened the dress by 12 inches.
There are a couple of options for the side seam at this point. I could have traced a new line from below the seam allowance of the armhole to the bottom edge of the dress, or I could reduce the width of the pattern at the bottom. I decided to reduce the width of the pattern at the bottom because there was still plenty of room in the dress and the fabric I used was a little stiffer and would not drape quite as nicely when so wide.
Option for tracing a line from below the underarm seam allowance to the edge of the bottom hem. Just follow the ruler line to create this.
Option 2 - fold the pattern over to line up with the seam line coming from side of the top of the dress.
I am also notorious for cutting the shortest possible length of fabric for a pattern and making do. So of course, I cut only just over 2 yards of fabric for this shortened dress and then did not have enough fabric to cut the facings on the fold. A great solution to a problem like this is to cut the facings from a different fabric (a lighter weight color-coordinating fabric would be good), but I decided to just add 1/2" seam allowance to the facing piece and have a center seam in the facings and cut these from the fabric I had. This worked fine, though it did add a little extra bulk in the garment. Not enough to be an issue, but it is something to consider if you do something similar.
I added 1/2" (13mm) to the center of the facing piece (in red washable ink) instead of cutting on the fold. I then cut 4 of each.
The other adjustment I made while cutting the pattern out was to raise the pockets about 1.5" (3.5cm). This is just personal preference, but it is a great time to make any adjustments like that. Be sure to transfer all the pattern markings to your fabric.
Pocket placement dots raised by about 1.5 inches on pattern piece. I transferred markings to the fabric.
Everything else was easily cut from the yardage I had, and similarly to the cutting layouts in the instructions.
Ready to sew!
Note: I press my fabric and seams at each step. It is best to press your seams flat, then open. Pressing is an important step.
Pockets: I pressed under 1/2" (13mm) seam allowance on lower edge on each Pocket Band and trimmed to 1/4" (6mmm). The lower edge is the edge with the stars. If your fabric frays easily or is very lightweight, you can skip the trimming - or finish the edge with a serger or overcast stitch.
Lower edge of Pocket Band pressed up.
Trimming the seam to 1/4" on lower edge of Pocket Band.
With right sides together, I stitched each Pocket Band to the top of a Pocket, pivoting at dots and backstitching at the stars.
Pocket Bands on top of Pocket pieces.
Pocket Bands stitched in place.
I clipped just the pocket seam allowance to the stars on each side of the pockets. Then trimmed the seam allowances and turned the band to the inside of the pocket.
Then, I pressed under 1/2" (13mm) seam allowances on the remaining pocket edges. If your fabric ravels easily, it might be a good idea to finish these edges first by serging or zig-zag stitching.
And, I topstitched the pocket band down with a straight stitch (backstitching at the ends). This is a great place to use some decorative stitching - maybe one of the fun stitches that your machine can do. You can also hand stitch the pocket band down if you don't want any stitching to show to the front of the pocket.
I pinned the pockets to the right side of the front piece (you can choose which piece you want to be front or back in this pattern) where I'd put the markings for the pockets. When pinning, I like to pin the pocket in place at the markings, then make any small adjustments that may be needed to make the pocket look correct. I then pin along the sides and bottom of the pocket. I also make sure to pin the top of the pocket closed to insure that it won't gape when finished (make sure the sides of the pocket are pinned in the correct place). And I stitched the pockets in place on the sides and bottom, stitching 1/16" from the edge. I back stitched several times at the top sides of each pocket to secure them in place. You could add bar tacks here as well to secure the pockets.
Straps: The pattern calls for interfacing on the straps (or one side of the straps). If you feel your fabric is sturdy enough, you may want to skip this step. While my canvas fabric seemed sturdy, I really hate it when my dress straps loose their shape, so I did apply interfacing to the wrong side of one pair of strap pieces.
Interfacing (white) applied to wrong side of one set of straps.
With the right sides together, I stitched one interfaced strap to one un-interfaced strap along two long edges and one short edge. The idea is to leave open the short edge that will be sewn into the back of the dress and to sew closed the short edge that will be part of the front button closure. I trimmed the seams again. This reduces bulk in the strap. And I turned the strap right side out and pressed it well. If you have a lightweight fabric, you may not need or want to trim the edges.
Straps right sides together ready to be sewn.
Straps sewn together on three sides with seam allowances trimmed.
Turning a strap right side out. This can be a bit of a pain to do. I also use a pointer/turner tool to poke out the corners as best as I can once it is turned.
Straps turned to right sides and pressed.
Depending on the look you want, you can topstitch the stitched edges of the straps now - 1/16" from the edge. This will also provide more structure for the straps. I did not topstitch my straps in this project.
Next I sewed the raw edge of each strap to the right side of the back at the placement marks. I like to get the straps right to the edge of the seam allowance on the outside. I stitched the straps in place at the seam allowance (1/2"/13mm) and then stitched again about 1/8" (3mm) from the first stitching.
Sew Front to Back: Next, I sewed the Front to the Back at the side seams. The front has the pockets, the back has the straps. If you have lightweight fabric, you could do French seams here. You could also finish these seams with a serger, zig-zag, or overcast stitch. These are the only seams that will be seen/felt on the inside of the dress. Be sure to press the seams open or to one side, depending on how you finish your seams.
Facings: If you are going to interface your facings, you should do it now. I chose not to interface the facings since this fabric had some heft and I didn't want to add more bulk to the seams, or the facing area.
As I had to cut the facings without a fold, I stitched each pair together at the center front with a 1/2" (13mm) seam allowance, and pressed it open.
I then sewed the facings to each other at the side seams. And, I clipped to the dots at the inside corners of the front and back facings. Clipping these corners allows you to fold up the seam allowance along the bottom of the facing.
I folded up the seam allowance and gave it a good press. At the side seams, I clipped the corners off the side seam allowance and folded the hem over each other as at a corner.
Trimming the allowance from bottom of turned up facing.
It is a good idea to baste (use a very long machine stitch) close to the folded edge to keep this hem in place. I forgot to baste, but it worked out fine.
Then, with right sides together, I stitched the facing to the dress, matching the side seams.
I clipped into the seam allowance along the curves to release the seam so it would turn easily to the inside. I like to clip my seams on an angle, and you can see that below.
Then, I trimmed the seams and clipped the corners. You can trim the seams straight (taking off about 1/4"/6mm), or you can grade the seams - trimming a little less on one seam than the other. This also helps reduce bulk but also can help with the bulk of the trimmed seam showing through to the right side of the fabric. With a graded seam you get a little less bulk where the seams are trimmed.
Graded seam - you can see that the each seam was cut separately to a different length.
I turned the facing to the inside and pressed it well. I used a point turner to try and get sharper corners (also just pulling the straps will pull the back corners out easily). I also rolled the seam slightly to the inside so that the facing would not poke out from the inside.
Facing turned to inside dress.
Rolling seam slightly to inside.
It is a good idea to baste or pin the facing in place at this point. You will be topstitching from the inside to secure the facing in place to the inside of the dress. The topstitching will show through to the right side so you want to do a pretty neat job of it. That is why pinning or basting may help. I started my stitching at the center back, but starting at a side seam is probably a better idea. You will need to pivot stitching at the inside corners of the facing and at the side seams.
Finishing: You can hem the dress now. Because of the curved hem, I turned up 1/4" (6mm), pressed, then turned up another 1/4" (6mm) and pressed. You could also turn up a bit more hem and use a blind stitch to hem and ease around the curve.
Buttons: To be honest, you could probably sew the straps in place and not need buttons to get it on and off, but they do make it easier to fit and get in and out of the dress. The pattern indicates to sew the buttonholes on the straps and buttons on the front. This will help if you need to adjust the buttonholes to make the straps slightly longer or shorter - just adjust where the buttonholes on the straps go. You can make horizontal or vertical buttonholes. You can read all about buttonholes here. But, you can also change things up. I decided to put my buttonholes on the front of the dress, and the buttons on the straps. This is another way to adjust the strap sizing (move buttons up or down the straps as needed). I made horizontal buttonholes. This is an easy way to make some design changes to the dress.
Deciding where to put the buttons and straps.
Decided to put horizontal buttonholes on the front, straps will go to the inside (buttons are resting on the dress).
I love how this dress turned out. I am planning on wearing it with leggings (or jeans) and boots in the winter and t-shirts or tanks in the summer. It feels like sturdy work clothes but fun and feminine at the same time.
I hope this sew along helps you when making your Basics Pinafore Dress - with ideas and inspiration as well as fundamental construction. Please share what you make in our Customer Gallery and/or on social media (and tag us!).
February 04, 2022 5 Comments on Sewing the Basics Tunic
by Victoria Watkins
When I was developing the cover illustrations for our Basics line, I tried on a sample of each and took a photo of myself wearing them to have a reference to draw from. When it came time to document our tunic, I was enamored with the fit and drape. As such, I was thrilled when Molly asked me to do a sew-along with our tunic pattern with permission to keep the end result for myself.
If you've read any of my fabric suggestion blogs before, you might've noticed that I always want to sneak in a playful, bold fabric. I am a fiend for a loud print, so when I saw this exciting cotton voile from Mood Fabrics, I knew it was perfect for this project. In my view, something airy with a gentle drape would be elegant with this pattern.
Cutting out the pattern:
This pattern only has three pattern pieces - the front/back and the facings. All are cut on the fold of fabric. You should choose a fabric that is wide enough to fit the size you need.
I tend to trace the pattern with tailor chalk onto the fabric before cutting it out. This allows me to see the fabric and the print when I am cutting without paper being in the way.
One trick I've picked up since I've started sewing more often is my way of marking notches in the cut fabric pieces. Before, I'd cut the notches outward as little triangles just like the pattern pieces, but now I make a small snip within the seam allowance to mark my notch. I find this so much easier to do, though it does take a keen eye to keep track of them all! And it may not be the best choice for certain fabrics.
Applying interfacing to the facings.
Clipping the seam/hem allowance so I could turn the edges.
Once that's done, it's time to sew the facing to the neck. First, I sewed around the curve of the neck, then sewed the back facing along the slit with the guidelines which I sewed earlier. Once that's done, I slashed along the slash line as marked in the pattern, and then trimmed the seams and cut into the corners of the bottom of the slit carefully but thoroughly so it would sit nicely when flipped around. I pressed carefully and well after flipping the facing to the wrong side. You could understitch the facing at this point as well. That will help keep the facing to the inside of the tunic.
I'm very pleased with the finished product, and I'm very grateful to get to keep it for myself. I think it's one example of how fabric choice can really elevate these simple patterns!
January 31, 2022 5 Comments on Quilted Basics Jacket Sew Along
by Esi Hutchinson
Hello! Today I will be showing everyone how I made a quilted jacket from the Basic Jacket pattern using an arbitrary patchwork assembling process, similar to Crazy Quilting.
I was inspired to do this by the quilted jackets that went into our inspiration post, as well as all the gorgeous scraps of linens we had laying around (we have most of these linens in stock here), as well as crazy quilts that I'd seen in the past. Here is a linked video about Crazy Quilting. The Crazy Quilt - The Ultimate Stash Buster! - YouTube
This was my first time quilting a garment, so I will give a few tips on what worked and did not work for my personal process. Making a patchwork garment is a great way to use the scraps that you haven't wanted to throw away of your main fabric, and with this project you can do the outer and possibly the lining if you have enough scraps.
I have selected most of the linen scraps that Folkwear had left over from previous projects and started to cut them up into large shapes with straight edges. You may cut them into whatever size and shape you wish, or cut them into equal sizes and shapes to make the patchwork process more straight forward.
This is how I started. I just cut straight edges on the scraps and started to sew them together to make a large piece of fabric that I could cut the pattern from.
It is helpful to press after you have sewn each piece together. Either pressing the seams open or pressing them to one side. Don't worry about finishing the raw edges, because you will be quilting all three layers of fabric together encasing each edge. And, the jacket has a lining so you won't see the inside.
Every now and then I placed the pattern piece on the patchwork cloth I was assembling to make sure it would be big enough.
Sometime later I came out with this.
Make sure to press the patchwork fabric well before cutting out the pattern from it. It's important that the pattern pieces are cut out to be the same size before your start to sew the jacket together. This will prevent a headache when sewing the jacket together as well as bunching when quilting the jacket.
I cut out my pieces for the Outer Layer from the patchwork above. I serged the edges around the pattern pieces, but depending how sturdy your fabric is you may not need to finish the edges. For fabric edges that are on the bias or loosely woven fabrics, it may be best to just staystitch the edges of the pattern pieces, especially around the curves. Actually, it would probably be best to staystitch all the edges of the pattern pieces before finishing them.
Now that the outer layer is done, it's time to cut the lining and inside batting. For this jacket, I used a white flannel for a lightweight layer.
If you'd like, you can use the same patchwork process for the Lining that you used for the Outer Layer, if there are enough scraps. I had large enough pieces in two different colors that worked for the Lining.
Flannel cut from the same pattern piece as the jacket.
Now that the front and back pieces are all cut, check again if they are all the same size, and trim edges if needed.
I then followed the instructions from the pattern: With right sides together, sew outer Front/Back pieces together at center back seam. Press seam open. Repeat with lining and with flannel (batting).
Then, I basted the raw edges of lining to the flannel wrong sides together, making it one piece.
With right sides together, I stitched the Front to Back outer layer at underarm/side seams; trimmed and clipped seam allowances, and pressed seams open. I repeated this with the lining/flannel layer.
Decide where to place the pockets. You can place them as indicated in the pattern, or angled up further from the original placement lines indicated. I angled the pockets up a little bit, then topstitched the pockets to the outer layer of fabric. I decided to use one solid color for my pockets, I thought it would be a nice contrast. If you want to quilt the whole jacket (i.e. also under the pockets), you will need to add the pockets after the jacket is finished and hand-stitch the pockets to the jacket.
I put together all layers of the Jacket as instructed.
If you wish to not stitch along neckline and hem edges as indicated in STEP THREE of the instructions, just layer the fabrics as they would be in a finished jacket. You can baste the layers together to prevent shifting and then trim any excess fabric from the edges when you are finished. However, you will have to bind the neckline and hem edges. You can use bias tape to finish the edges.
Quilting Time!
I practiced stitching on a separate piece I made similar to the Jacket to get a sense of the thickness I would be working with and whether or not to change the tension and the length of the stitch. Troubleshoot with your sewing machine to see what length and tension works best with your fabric thickness. I used the stitch length 3 so it would not be too tight and easier for me to take out stitches if I made a mistake.
Practicing on more scraps
Now starting to stitch onto the Jacket. I bascially decided to give each scrap section its own stitching design.
Drawing onto the fabric is helpful, it makes the planning process easier. Use a fabric marker, Crayola markers are washable.
This is what the inside looks like so far.
Planning the lines for the back of the Jacket.
Almost done!
I am finished quilting the Jacket, and used the same color for the cuffs to match the pockets. The cuffs neatly and easily bind the sleeves. This is basically the same method you would use to bind the front, neck, and hem of the jacket if you stacked the layers.
My only other advise would be to baste the layers together a bit more than I did to avoid shifting fabric. I enjoyed this project (such beautiful linens!), and I hope you are inspired to try something like this yourself!
Here is the final product! Thank you!
January 26, 2022
The patterns in our Basics Collection are perfect as a base for creativity - from fabric selection to embellishments to styling - these patterns can take you in many directions. Today I am going to share a few ideas for creating and styling the Jacket and Tunic. And check out our Pinterest inspiration board for more ideas and to get your imagination working while thinking about what you want to make with these patterns.
Jacket
The Basics Jacket is short and boxy, has wide built-on sleeves, and is fully lined. The front and back are sewn as one piece, with a back seam, and there are pockets!
First, if your fabric has a large print or stripes/plaids, etc., you don't necessarily have to have the back seam. You can cut the front/back as one piece by placing the pattern piece on the fold (taking out the 1/2"/13mm seam allowance). Just make sure your fabric is wide enough to do this.
Fabric choice is another consideration for making this jacket. You can make this jacket out of everything from heavy-weight denim to light-weight silk chiffon. Medium to heavy weight fabrics, or fabric without a lot of drape, will give you a boxier look, a more utilitarian jacket (good for outerwear, work, etc.), and will potentially be warmer. Fabric with drape and lightweight fabrics will be perfect for warm weather, making a cover up, or as a daily-wear jacket.
For one of our samples, we made the Basics Jacket from a kantha cloth, lining it with muslin (cause kantha can be expensive to use for both outer and lining) and using the back-side of the kantha for the pockets. For a heavier jacket, lining with another section (or back-side) of kantha would be warm, cozy, and beautiful.
This jacket is also perfect for quilting. The two layers (with or without a layer or batting in between) make it a great choice for adding the interest and warmth of extra stitching for loft. Make it in solid colors or patchwork. Either would be beautiful. We saw several quilted jackets that inspired Esi to make one from linen scraps we had left over from other projects. She will have a blog post soon about how she made her quilted jacket. Check out the inspiration (Pinterest links) below and Esi's jacket.
Pinterest link (Eileen Fisher).
Pinterest link (Anthropologie).
Esi's quilted Basics Jacket
Finally, because this jacket is fully lined, it is very easy to make a reversible jacket. Esi has a blog post about how she made the jacket reversible using two beautiful organic linens.
January 10, 2022 2 Comments on Making the Basics Jacket Reversible
Hello, my name is Esi, and I am a Creative Assistant at Folkwear. Today I will be starting a new sew along for making a reversible Jacket using the pattern from the new Folkwear Basics Collection. The great thing about the Basic patterns is that it allows and encourages personal creativity through different embellishment techniques, embroidering, bead work or painting. One could even quilt themselves a Jacket from this pattern (hint: I'll be doing that in another blog next month!). However, this sew along will be more basic with a little twist by making the Jacket reversible. The Basics Jacket comes in sizes XS-3XL - the sizing and finished measurements are stated in the pattern.
Choosing Fabric
First, I selected a fabric that would keep the jacket light and breezy. I used a coral and and off-white linen - one for the outer layer, one for the inner layer. You can choose any fabric that is medium to light weight for this jacket. Even heavier weight fabrics like bottom weight wools or denim would be fine. Since the jacket is seamed around the edges, the bulk can be an issue if the fabric is too heavy. For a reversible jacket, the outer layer and inner layer should be about the same (or the same) weight. If you are making a regular jacket (i.e. not reversible), then you could use a lighter weight fabric for the inner layer. It would be best that the inner layer fabric is the same weight or lighter weight than the outer layer.
Cutting Out the Pattern and Fabric
For the reversible jacket, cut out all of the pattern pieces except for the cuffs in each of the two different colors you have chosen.
You will also need to cut out an extra set of pockets so you will have one set on the inside and one set on the outside of the reversible jacket. You will need to cut 8 pocket pieces rather than just 4. You can cut pocket inside and outside pieces from the same fabric or from different fabric.
For the Cuffs, we will be using half of the original Cuff C and adding a 1/2" (13mm) seam allowance to make one Cuff with two different colors. One color will go to one side, the other color will go to the other side - when the jacket is finished.
To do this, take the pattern piece C and draw two lines, one in the center and another 1/2" (13mm) away from the center line. The line 1/2" (13mm) above the center line will be your new cutting line. To be able to use the Cuff pattern piece again, just fold the remainder of the pattern piece to the back at the new cutting line. And remember to transfer the notch mark to your new cutting line.
Now, cut four of Cuff C with the new cutting line: two in one color and two in the other color.
If not making a reversible jacket, you can just cut the cuffs as the pattern says. Or, even if you are making the jacket reversible, you can just choose one color to be the cuff, and not make this adjustment to the cuff. Just cut out cuff as pattern says.
Sewing
Making this jacket reversible means that we are going to sew the jacket together a little out of order from the pattern.
We will start with the cuffs: with right sides together sew two different color cuff pieces together with a 1/2" (13mm) seam allowance. Trim, and press seams open. repeat step with other Cuff.
Now we are ready to assemble the Jacket.
STEP ONE: JACKET FRONT AND BACK
Staystitch neckline edge on JACKET FRONT/BACK A, from center back to notch 3 on all four pieces. To staystitch, stitch ⅛" (3mm) from seamline within seam allowance, ⅜" (1cm) from raw edge.
With right sides together, sew one set of Front/Back pieces together at the center back seam, matching double notches 1. Press seam open. Repeat with other set of Front/Back pieces.
Stitching center back seam of white linen layer
With right sides together, stitch Front to Back of one color at underarm/side seams, matching notches 2 and 5. Trim seam allowances, clip seam allowances along curved underarm area, and press seams open. Repeat, with other color.
Stitched underarm/side seam of coral linen layer.
STEP TWO: POCKETS
With right sides together, sew two POCKET B pieces together, leaving open 2" (5cm) to turn on one side of the pocket. Trim seam allowances and corners, notch curves on the bottom of pockets, turn right side out, and press gently. Slipstitch opening closed. Repeat with remaining Pocket pieces. If using different fabrics for the inside and outside of the pocket, be sure to match them correctly (i.e. one inside fabric to one outside fabric).
Optional: Top stitch close to top edge of pocket (side that is not sewn to jacket).
Two sets of pockets. One will go on one side of the jacket and one of the other. I also had one more of each of these - for two pockets to be on one side and two on the other - for a reversible jacket.
Decide where you want to place the pockets. I have chosen to place them straight up and down and not angled as the pattern indicates.
On one jacket layer, baste pockets to right side of front. Stitch close to outer edge of pockets. Backstitch at each end. Tie off thread ends at dots. Bartack at opening edges for a more secure pocket opening.
White pockets on coral layer.
Coral pockets on white layer
STEP THREE: LINING
Turn one jacket right side out and slip into the remaining jacket, so that right sides are together.
White layer inside coral layer. you can see that I have pockets on both layers.
Stitch along neckline and hem edges, matching center back and side seams, and notches 3. Trim seam allowances.
Everything is lined up nicely and I just stitched around the edges of the neck, front, and back.
Turn the jacket right side out through one sleeve, and press the neckline and hem edges gently.
On right side of jacket, topstitch along neckline and hem edges. Topstitching will keep the jacket layers from shifting much.
Jacket right side out and topstitched.
Baste raw edges of sleeves together, within seam allowance, with wrong sides together, matching side seams and notches 4.
Sleeve layers basted together (along where arrow is pointing).
STEP FOUR: CUFFS
With right sides together, stitch each SLEEVE BINDING C piece together at short ends. Press seams open.
Press up ½" (13mm) seam allowance along one edge; trim seam allowance to ¼" (6mm).
Turning up 1/2" (13mm) of the coral fabric on this cuff piece.
With right sides together, stitch binding to sleeve end, matching notches 4 and seam lines. Trim seam allowance and press seam toward binding. I made this jacket so that the white cuff side showed on the coral side of the jacket; and the coral side of the cuff showed on the white side of the jacket.
This is the inside of the cuff. Cuff is sewn to the sleeve and seam is pressed to toward the cuff.
You can now turn the pressed edge of binding to the inside of sleeve so that it slightly overlaps previous stitching and baste in place. You will be folding the cuff on the stitching line created in the first step when you put the two colors together. On right side, stitch in the well (i.e., stitch in the ditch) of the sleeve/binding seam, making sure to catch the binding on the inside with stitches. Or you can slipstitch the binding on the inside. I stitched in the ditch, making sure my bobbin thread matched the color of the cuff below it.
Stitching in the ditch - stitching the cuff down.
You now are finished with your reversible Jacket! Pockets on both sides, this is a fun jacket to be creative with.