Summer 2012 Tutorials

I'll be featuring three garment construction tutorials this summer.  Since the tutorials are very long articles, they will not appear as normal posts on the website's main page.  To access them, you will find buttons on the right side of the screen.  The buttons are not there today; look for them early next week! 

The first garment is Simplicity 2339, a traditional fitted shirt with collar, neckband, front bands, chest pocket, long sleeves, sleeve placket, cuffs, buttonholes and buttons. 

  

The shirt is appropriate work for a beginner or intermediate sewer.  I'll demonstrate the construction steps for View B with a light blue Italian cotton shirting.  The tutorial will be updated weekly with the garment taking three or four weeks to complete.  I don't teach the standard pattern instructions; instead I share a variety of easy and efficient methods I have learned over the years.  The goal is to make a high quality garment as painlessly as possible.

The second garment tutorial is a long evening gown made with Marfy pattern 2867.  The gown is advanced level work but if you are an intermediate sewer with some pattern drafting experience you might enjoy this project.  Pattern drafting skills are needed because the pattern has no seam or hem allowances as well as no guide sheets or instructions. 

Purchase pattern at voguepatterns.com or marfy.it

 

I will use mainly couture techniques but again an intermediate sewer may find this project within reach if they have a good understanding of pattern drafting.  The skirt will be made with a fabulous black silk chiffon embroidered with chiffon petals.  I found the fabric at gorgeousfabrics.com and purchased their last four yards.

Silk chiffon for Marfy 2867

The bodice will feature a black swiss lace overlay, red silk crepe and georgette as well.  There are many methods for applying boning to an evening gown, so you might enjoy seeing how I build structure into this gown.  I will spend six weeks teaching you about the construction of this gown.  The tutorial will be updated regularly as the gown progresses.   

The third garment is a cocktail dress made with Marfy 2845.

Purchase at marfy.it

This dress is for advanced sewers.  The pattern is difficult to assemble because there are numerous layers to the bodice and assembly must be accurate for the garment to lay nicely.  Construction will be couture.  This dress will take six weeks to sew.  I purchased an interesting metallic animal print brocade for this dress.

Brocade for Marfy 2

845

Please check the tutorials regularly as they will be updated weekly.  Updates will appear in the tutorials, not on the main blog page.  Please let me know if you have questions regarding the construction.  Happy sewing!