Sewing help--gathered neckline & puffed sleeves

[Aubrey]

I'm planning to make dd5 a Christmas dress that's sort-of Snow White-ish. I found these pics last night:

 

The bodice (esp of the lower dress) is what I want. So I made up a dummy out of some scrap pink fabric last night & cut it off short to be a shirt.

 

I only had a few problems, & I'm having trouble visualizing remedies.

 

1. I gathered the neckline & sleeves, which looks fine, but has no give. I'm wondering if elastic would be better or if it matters. The fit is fine, so it's really just a question of which is better.

 

2. Once I finished the dummy, dd couldn't get it on because there was no give, no buttons, & it was fitted to her chest, which is (duh!) smaller than her shoulders no. matter. what. :glare:

 

3. The shirt isn't lined, it's just hemmed up. I'm trying to plan ahead for differences from lining. I *think* the shell & lining will be the same as the shirt & sewn together. Iow, I don't want to make the lining to fit & the shell bigger, to be gathered (right?)--instead, I want to make them *both* big, sew together, topstitch, & *then* gather. Yes?

 

4. While the shirt looks fine, I might want to make some adjustments for the dress. The gathers on the shirt look like this:

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3102/2548280839_341c02f6f7.jpg?v=0 (pic's having trouble pasting for some reason). Anyway, it's fine, but I'm thinking the dress will look better if the gather is lower on the neckline & higher on the sleeve line, so there's some ruffle there. Since the dress will be lined, I figure I can just put the seam where I want it & topstitch the edge, right?

 

One other thing. When you make something gathered like this, is there a rule of thumb for how big to make it? I took dd's measurements last night & doubled them & got nice gathers, but...I'm thinking a *little* more might be good.

 

I tend to jump in head first, though, so to even stop & think before cutting is really out of character. To make a dummy first is extremely out of character. I really, really want this to be right the first time because I'm. in. a. hurry.

 

As an aside, ds7 commented recently that I'm always in a hurry when I sew (because I try to do too many projects at a time, lol). He said that dd5 will never learn to sew if I keep working at break-neck speed. Isn't it interesting the perspective & insight of our children? Man, they watch close, don't they? :001_huh:

[OHGrandma]

Yes, you needed elastic in the neck & sleeves. I found this tutorial, http://indietutes.blogspot.com/2007/07/peasant-blouse.html , hth.

 

We called them peasant dresses when I was a teen. Google that and you can find more info.

[Veritaserum]

I've made many dresses like this. I used elastic to gather the front neckline and the sleeves' armholes. I just did a straight hem for the back neckline. I gathered and machine stitched the bottom edge of the bodice before sewing it to the skirt. I had a pattern that was super simple to use (4 pieces) and I've made dozens of these dresses. It had an option to be a dress or a shirt. My patterns are all in box right now or I'd tell you the pattern number.

 

You could use a dress you already have to get measurement ideas.... Hope you figure it out! :)

[Blessedfamily]

The two dresses you showed both have elastic. The neck on the top has encased elastic, and the bottom has elastic sewn directly to the fabric(at least from what I can see). Both the sleeves have elastic sewn directly to them.

 

In your picture, yes, leave more room for a ruffle on the sleeve.

 

You said you think the gather should be higher on the sleeve. Just to clarify, the gather is at the right place on her arm. Just add about and inch or so plus seam allowance to the bottom to make a ruffle. If you move the gather up, the sleeve won't cap over her shoulder correctly. You see how the sleeve caps over the shoulder in the top picture of the little girl? That's what you want. In your picture you have just enough cap so don't take any away. Add on for the ruffle.

 

How wide to cut the fabric depends on how heavy a fabric you're using. If it's heavy, 2 1/2 times is often good. If it's a lightweight fabric, 3x usually works, though you could do more if it's very light.

[Aubrey]

The two dresses you showed both have elastic. The neck on the top has encased elastic, and the bottom has elastic sewn directly to the fabric(at least from what I can see). Both the sleeves have elastic sewn directly to them.

 

In your picture, yes, leave more room for a ruffle on the sleeve.

 

You said you think the gather should be higher on the sleeve. Just to clarify, the gather is at the right place on her arm. Just add about and inch or so plus seam allowance to the bottom to make a ruffle. If you move the gather up, the sleeve won't cap over her shoulder correctly. You see how the sleeve caps over the shoulder in the top picture of the little girl? That's what you want. In your picture you have just enough cap so don't take any away. Add on for the ruffle.

 

How wide to cut the fabric depends on how heavy a fabric you're using. If it's heavy, 2 1/2 times is often good. If it's a lightweight fabric, 3x usually works, though you could do more if it's very light.

 

Yes, I meant to leave more room for seam allowance--although odds are good that when I actually cut, I'll forget that, lol.

 

The pic I linked isn't mine, but it looks a lot like the one I made, as far as how the gathers worked out.

 

The dress bodice will be an embroidered velvet, so I think I'll go w/ 2.5x.

 

So...if I need elastic...would it work to encase it in the sleeves as well as the neckline? Just because that sounds easier to me, lol! I've never sewn elastic directly on.

 

When *do* you use a gathered edge like that, I wonder now?

 

Man, the more I mess w/ the shirt, the worse it gets! Dd5 was napping just now, so I tried it on dd1, & *she* could barely get it off & on. (Plus she was just up fr her nap, & boy did it make her mad! :001_huh:) Although...I guess she's a lot fluffier than dd5, so maybe I shouldn't make too much of that. :001_huh:

[Aubrey]

I've made many dresses like this. I used elastic to gather the front neckline and the sleeves' armholes. I just did a straight hem for the back neckline. I gathered and machine stitched the bottom edge of the bodice before sewing it to the skirt. I had a pattern that was super simple to use (4 pieces) and I've made dozens of these dresses. It had an option to be a dress or a shirt. My patterns are all in box right now or I'd tell you the pattern number.

 

You could use a dress you already have to get measurement ideas.... Hope you figure it out! :)

 

I've been to the fabric store several times since I decided to make this dress. I just can't bring myself to buy one. Either I don't feel like flipping thr the books or I don't have time or they're not on sale (for a good enough price). And, by golly, I'm pretty sure I can do it myself! I think I might be stuck in the 2yo's. :001_huh: :lol:

[Blessedfamily]

Yes, I meant to leave more room for seam allowance--although odds are good that when I actually cut, I'll forget that, lol.

 

The pic I linked isn't mine, but it looks a lot like the one I made, as far as how the gathers worked out.

 

The dress bodice will be an embroidered velvet, so I think I'll go w/ 2.5x.

 

So...if I need elastic...would it work to encase it in the sleeves as well as the neckline? Just because that sounds easier to me, lol! I've never sewn elastic directly on.

 

When *do* you use a gathered edge like that, I wonder now?

 

Man, the more I mess w/ the shirt, the worse it gets! Dd5 was napping just now, so I tried it on dd1, & *she* could barely get it off & on. (Plus she was just up fr her nap, & boy did it make her mad! :001_huh:) Although...I guess she's a lot fluffier than dd5, so maybe I shouldn't make too much of that. :001_huh:

 

Encasing elastic is easier to me. The problem is, sometimes elastic rolls in the casing during wear. Use a nice firm piece of elastic that's not unnecessarily wide.

 

Some machines have a foot for applying elastic directly to the fabric. Otherwise, you could apply it to the fabric by hand.(That can be tricky)

 

I'll tell you the basic of my old fashioned way of applying elastic directly without an attachement or foot.

 

Take a piece of elastic and put it around the model's arm. Cut the elastic to the size of the arm (you can add or subtract a little to give the finished effect that you want).

 

Take the piece of elastic and divide it, say into quarters marking each quarter with pins.

 

Take the sleeve piece and divide it into quarters marking each quarter with pins.

 

Match the pin marks of the elastic with the pin marks of the sleeve and pin them together at the marks.

 

When you sew, pull the fabric out flat and the elastic will stretch evenly over the section of fabric. Stop with needle down when you get to the end of one section and stretch the fabric/elastic in the next section and stitch. It takes a little dexterity and control.

 

For a small child's dress with thin elastic you may only need one row of stitching.

 

For wider elastic, I do three rows of stitiching-one down the middle of the elastic and one near each edge. You only have to pin the first time, and the next two are very easy.

 

Hope it makes sense. I'm sure I left something out, but I have to run.

[lighthouseacademy]

 

When you sew, pull the fabric out flat and the elastic will stretch evenly over the section of fabric. Stop with needle down when you get to the end of one section and stretch the fabric/elastic in the next section and stitch. It takes a little dexterity and control.

 

For a small child's dress with thin elastic you may only need one row of stitching.

 

For wider elastic, I do three rows of stitiching-one down the middle of the elastic and one near each edge. You only have to pin the first time, and the next two are very easy.

 

Hope it makes sense. I'm sure I left something out, but I have to run.

 

All true- but be sure to avoid a straight stitch- it will stretch your elastic out. Instead use a narrow zig zag (very narrow) or use the stitch that stitches 3 stitches in one direction and then 3 the other direction- mine is kind of S shaped but some have a more z shaped stitch.

 

Another thing, how heavy is that velvet? Velvet might not work very well or it might be too heavy (weight-wise) for such a shirt that is supposed to be light and airy.

[Blessedfamily]

All true- but be sure to avoid a straight stitch- it will stretch your elastic out. Instead use a narrow zig zag (very narrow) or use the stitch that stitches 3 stitches in one direction and then 3 the other direction- mine is kind of S shaped but some have a more z shaped stitch.

 

Another thing, how heavy is that velvet? Velvet might not work very well or it might be too heavy (weight-wise) for such a shirt that is supposed to be light and airy.

 

Yep. I left out the narrow zig zag stitch. Thank you.

(Dh cooked buffalo wings for dinner and my mind kept wandering, so I had to go:001_smile:.)

[Veritaserum]

I found this link. It's for doll clothes, which is what we're making, but I don't see why you couldn't apply these measuring instructions to a person. :)

 

http://dorriebelle.tripod.com/id30.html