5748 part 2 - cutting

Let's cut!  Btw, that last piece of pie last night was amazing.

So I looked at the cutting layout in the pattern instructions and it just didn't work for me.  If your fabric has stripes, plaids, geometric patterns, etc., you may want to follow their directions to better help you match them.  Mine doesn't.

I wanted to do the biggest piece first, to make sure I had enough (I've made this mistake before!). That meant the skirt front piece that needs to be cut on the fold.  It's too big to go on the fold that the fabric comes on.  I opened the fabric and folded the end of it in the opposite direction.  

 The center of the fabric is the natural fold line.  There's enough room on the side there to fit the back bodice piece in. Let's do that.  If yours doesn't fit, there will be enough left at the end!

Notice those little triangles?  They're to help you line up pieces.  I've gotten to a point where I feel comfortable not using them for the most part but I used to ALWAYS use them.  I did cut them on the skirt back pieces because it can be hard to figure out which goes where without the fold like on the front skirt piece.  

Once you cut out the bodice piece, you need to mark your darts.  You can do this with chalk, disappearing ink marker thing or pins.  I like pins.  I just fold up the pattern half way through the mark and pin all the way through both layers of fabric.  

Then I transfer my pins to the wrong side of the fabric on both pieces.  I use the pin holes from the first marking as a guide.

Back to cutting (or do the cutting all first and come back to this section to pin after you cut both bodice sections - if you need to indulge in that juvenile act of defiance).

Keep folding the fabric in the same direction so you have just enough to cut another skirt section.

If you're doing the bow, you have room on the side to put that in.

Cut them out, I'd recommend cutting the three triangles on the back piece.  That's not a threat or anything.

Then fold your fabric back the way it came.  Put your front bodice section on it, pin and cut.

Then do your markings.

 

First step with just one set of pins in.

After transferring to the wrong side.

Here's what I was left with - it's enough to do a dress for one of my girls with some supplemental fabric.

I also had a decent sized scrap pile.  Perfect!  I need pockets!  For my Dr. Seuss dress, I didn't remember to pockets in until I had already sewed one of my side seams.  Of course I couldn't be bothered to pull the seam apart!  So that dress has one pocket.  My thanksgiving dress from the last post has no pockets because I forgot.  I'm not forgetting this time, hooray!

So grab some scraps, you'll need 4 pocket pieces.  I don't have a pattern piece, I just kinda wing it based on other pocket patterns.  Most importantly, I always use my hand as a guide, nothing is more annoying than too small pockets (like one of my favorite dress designers!  I seriously can't get a whole hand in.)

Something kinda that sized.  Make sure you do a decent drop on the bottom.  I've done a too shallow pocket before and then it's useless.

Now use that as a template and make two more.

Done!  Now go back to the top and start again with your lining fabric lol!

I'll be back tomorrow to start sewing that bodice. 

Butterick 5748 Sew Along!!

So I'm sitting here using this post as an excuse to ignore the Christmas decorating explosion that happened today and neither the hubs or I have gotten around to cleaning up.  Really we both just don't want to sort.  We have tons of crap from when we first got married that was cheap and "good enough."  Every year I'm too lazy to get rid of it so it keeps coming upstairs then getting sent back down to the basement.  This post is much more fun than that.  However, it would be better with that last piece of crumbly Apple pie that's sitting in my fridge.

**I would like to point out that I'm not intentionally capitalizing the word Apple.  My phone keeps doing it for me.  I have not named my pie Apple.

Anyway.  I would rather be eating pie but I'll use that as my reward.  

Back to the matter at hand (my phone knows I'm a music geek and keeps correcting back to Bach which I do find amusing.). I'm FINALLY attempting another sew along.  I promise I'll finish this one!  (Sorry Georgina!!). So I've actually made this dress three times before at three different sizes and none of them fit perfectly.  That's my goal this time.  Or at least semi-perfectly...better than before?

First things first.  Pick your size.  The back of the envelope will have measurements and corresponding sizes. This is where it gets tricky.  I can't tell you what to do but I will tell you about my fit issues.  I'm a size 14 on the bottom and 12ish on top.  I vary between a L and XL on modcloth/Emily and Fin, Bernie, etc.  

My measurements are: bust - 40", waist - 33.75".  According to those I should be between an 18 and 20.  I'm pretty sure when I made it before and was 25 lbs heavier I made a size 22 and had a waist  around 36".  It was big.  So when I made it again I was somewhere in the middle and cut between a size 18 and 20.  Also big.  I just made the bodice again on Wednesday night as my thanksgiving dress and as a quick refresher.  I cut between a 14 and 16 being confident that the dress was always too big.

Then I checked the measurements again and panicked.  A size 14 is a 28" waist.  No way I'm that small.  So I sewed my back darts a little short and did a 1/2" seam allowance on the sides.  Guess what?  Too big.  I've got maybe an inch and a half to spare on the waist (which wasn't a bad thing on thanksgiving!). But the bust is huge!  That is a bad thing.  I'm going to cut a size 16 waist and 14 on top and cross my fingers and sew a normal seam allowance!

So it doesn't look terrible with a sweater on but it bugged me.

Please ignore my 1960s avocado green bathroom (and kitty tail).  It's ready for renovation but sadly, after a full kitchen renovation, living, dining room, one kids bedroom full gut to the studs and hardwood refinishing, our budget and my husband are exhausted.

Here's the closeup where you can see the big gap at the bust.

So take your life in your hands and pick your size!  I highly recommend lining in muslin.  Do basting stitches in your bodice and try it as you go so you can adjust.  I clearly don't do it, but you should ;).  I did it once and it worked very nicely.

Let's measure.  Measure the fullest part of your bust, the smallest part of your waist (above your belly button - where you see the center of the hourglass) and over your hip bones.  Hip measurement really isn't important in this pattern though.  

Make sure the tape is comfortable around you.  Don't pull it super tight, that's not an accurate measurement.  Give yourself room to slide a couple of fingers between the tape and your body. The general rule is if you have bulging on either side of the tape, it's too tight!

So once you decide on your size, cut your pattern.  If anyone is a beginner and wants more explanation of pattern cutting please let me know!!  I'm happy to post photos or answer questions.  Then post a photo here or on our Facebook group to show us the fabric you picked! 

I'm cheating a little.  It calls for 4 1/4 but I always find they estimate high so I just bought 4.  I hope it doesn't come back to haunt me later!

I picked this cute green Christmas print from Joanns crazy 75% off fabric sales at week.  

I was so tempted to use my cute hedgehog critter flannel but I really want to do a dress with sleeves with it.

Isn't it adorable?!

Ok, show me yours!  Cut your patterns and I'll be back tomorrow to cut my fabric pieces.  I'd do it tonight but I'm out of floor space for cutting at the moment.  I promise you'll get fabric cutting pictures in the next post in case you're a beginner so you can have a visual on marking your pattern.

Pie time!!!!