Matching my gathered skirt to the design I am making

After making the spotty gathered skirt I decided to match it a bit better to the design I am trying to recreate.

I am using this image from my Pinterest board as inspiration. I love the style that the combination of shirt, skirt, tie and jacket produce. I may even make the cap.

Just a few variations on the spotty skirt.

1. I made the yoke strip a bit longer so it gathers a bit more.
2. I made the yoke strip wider so I could fold it over like a lining to cover the skirt seam.
3. I made the skirt strip in one piece because I had more fabric this time.
4. I made the skirt strip a bit narrower to compensate for the wider yoke.

• Cut out the yoke 4 1/4" x 15"
  
• Cut out the skirt 3 1/2" x 24"

• Overlock the hem edge of the skirt.
  
• Press over the 1/4" hem but don't stitch it yet.

• Fold the yoke in half lengthwise and press to crease.

• Press over 1/4" on one long edge of the yoke.

• Stitch gathering rows on the skirt. Leave tails at each end.

• Put a pin at the centre then gather from each side to the centre. Pull up each side to about 7".

• Match the ends of the yoke and skirt and pin at each end.

• Pull up the gathers to fit and tie off each end.

• Evenly distribute the gathers.

• Separate the yoke and skirt.

• With right sides together stitch the centre back seam of the skirt. Overlock the seam allowance. Press to one side.

• With the yoke opened out and right sides together stitch the centre back seam with a short stitch length.

• Press the seam open.

• Place the yoke inside the skirt. Right side of yoke to wrong side of skirt.

• Stitch the seam.

• Trim the seam.

• Press the seam towards the yoke.

• Fold the yoke in half so the folded in edge just covers the skirt seam.

• Turn the skirt inside out. Stitch close to the seam along the yoke to secure it.

• Stitch the casing rows 1/8" from the fold then 5/8" from the fold.

• Snip open the casing at the seam inside the waist.

• Thread 10" of 1/4" elastic. Overlap about 1/2" and stitch with a zig zag stitch to join.

• Ease the join back into the casing.

• Close the slit with a narrow zig zag stitch.

• Stitch the hem.

It is difficult to see the details in black but this cut in shoulder shirt with the collar and stand will be out soon in the Boy Friend Shirt pattern 1833. I will also be publishing the 2033 version at the same time.

Look out for the free tie pattern soon too.

Happy Sewing,
Val

How to sew doll clothes: Cute Gathered Skirt with a Yoke for AGD

My first skirt tutorial was for the pleated skirt with a yoke.
I have used the same size pieces for the skirt and the yoke but I do the casing for the elastic a bit different now. I think it is a better way to construct the pull-on skirt with a yoke.

My second skirt tutorial was for a skirt made with sheer fabric. It has a folded skirt so you don't have to hem it and a double layer yoke.

You can never have enough little pull on skirts for your doll.
My latest version of the gathered skirt with a yoke is for cotton fabric like quilting cotton.
This one is a perfect fit for American Girl Doll.

• Cut a yoke piece 12 1/2" long and 2 1/4" wide.

• Cut a skirt piece 25" or 30" long and 4" wide. I only had a small piece so I had to make side seams.

• Overlock one long edge of the yoke.

• I had two skirt pieces so I stitched the seam to make one strip then overlocked the hem edge.

• Press up 1/4" hem but don't stitch it yet.

• Stitch two gathering threads on the other edge of the skirt strip. Leave tails at both ends.
• Pull up the gathers from each end to the middle so each side is about 7".

• Stitch the skirt seam to make a circle.

• Stitch the hem all the way around.

• Press over 5/8" to form the elastic casing. Don't stitch it yet.

• Open out the casing fold and stitch the centre back seam of the yoke with a short stitch (2mm).

• Press the seam open. Repress the casing fold over the seam.

• With the yoke right side out stitch around the casing close to the overlocked edge. Stitch again 1/16" from the fold. You are stitching around inside the circle.

• Place the yoke inside the skirt and adjust the gathers to fit. Tie off the threads.

• Evenly distribute the gathers.
• Pin the seam and stitch.
• Overlock the seam allowance.

• Press the seam towards the yoke. Have the skirt inside out and put the point of the iron through the waist.

• Top stitch around the yoke 1/4" from the seam line to hold the seam allowance in place so it doesn't flip around when you pull the skirt on and off.

• Carefully snip open the centre back seam on the inside of the casing.

• Thread 10" of 1/4" elastic through the casing. Overlap the ends and stitch.

• Ease the elastic join into the casing and close with a narrow zig zag stitch down the opening.

Happy Sewing,
Val

An Australian Girl Doll Clothes Shirt pattern

I have been struggling to get the denim jacket finished for the Australian Girl Doll. The amount of time it takes to sew up makes multiple test garments very tedious. Hopefully the changes I made to the neckline and the sleeves will be the last. I can't see me publishing the jacket until at least the end of May.

The good news is I have been working on the 20" version of the collar and stand boyfriend shirt along side the 18" shirt so they will both be ready to publish soon. I am off to visit mum again next week so I am going to leave the publishing until I come back middle of May. I don't want to rush it through before I go away.

The shirt is such a cute thing on the doll with all the 'real detail'.
I even put button holes on this one and I will be publishing a post on how to get those pesky little button holes just right.

I debuted the 18" shirt on Facebook. It had contrasting button bands and cuffs. This one for the Australian Girl Doll is made from a man's flannie shirt I bought from Big W for $10.
It has one piece front and facings that I folded to the inside.

 I have lots of great patterns planned for the rest of this year. Make sure you Like my Page on Facebook and follow me on Google+ to see what I am getting up to.

Happy Sewing,
Val

Sleeve with Folded Placket: Photo Tutorial for 1833 and 2033 Boyfriend Shirt

This photo tutorial is a companion to the Pictorial Tutorial that goes with 1833 and 2033 Boyfriend Shirt pattern.

Do both sleeves at the same time. I think it is easier that way.

On the wrong side of the sleeve, mark the position of the solid line for the placket slit.

On the wrong side of the placket piece mark the solid line for the placket slit.

Position the right side of the placket piece face down on the wrong side of the sleeve. Line up the solid lines. The short side of the placket goes closest to the sleeve seam.

Place the left and right paper pieces on top of the fabric pieces, lining up the slit line with the markings.

Stitch on the dashed line around the slit.

Crease the paper along the stitch lines and peel it off.

Cut along the guide lines up the centre of the stitching.

Peel off the last of the paper.

Fold each side over the seam allowance and press.

Fold over 1/4" on each long edge and press.

Turn the placket piece to the right side. Press only the short top end of the placket rectangle.

Starting with the narrow side of the placket piece fold it over so the stitching line is just covered. Stitch it in place. Press.

Now working with the wide side turn in the little bit at the snip and press.

Fold over the end to the snip. Press.

Fold the long side over to just cover the stitching.

Depending on which sleeve you are doing you will stitch up the long side and make a square at the top or make the square first then stitch down the long side. You can put a cross in the square if you like. Make the square 1/2" down the placket. This catches the underneath bit so it looks neat. Press.

When you stitch down the long side you will not stitch the under lap because it is narrower than the overlap.

Mark the solid line for each pleat with a pin.

Fold right sides together. Stitch 1/4" from the fold and about 1/2" into the sleeve with a short stitch.

Keep the first pleat out from under the second pleat as you sew.

Press the folds towards the placket.

This is the right sleeve.

Happy Sewing,
Val