Easy velcro patches on doll clothes. Much better than strips.

I always use velcro patches instead of strips.

This is a vintage blouse with piping.

I love piping but I am definitely not a fan of putting piping on the collar. However, I am really happy with how it turned out.

I will probably stick with piping on the sleeves, a plain collar and coloured buttons to match the piping. It looks great. I will put up some pictures soon.

Today I am working on acute vintage blouse that goes with any of the suspender skirt patterns I am making.

Skirt 1882 is in the shop for just $4 AUD.  It is teamed with 1806 Open Neck Blouse.
See how you can make a circle skirt version here or keep an eye out for the circle skirt version in the shop.

The vintage blouse will be published soon. Keep an eye out.

I like to use just three patches on a blouse.
Do the top and bottom first then just centre the middle one by eye.

I will not line a garment unless it has no sleeves or no collar. I find lining for the sake of it just makes the garment stiffer and less normal looking. The front facing I have drafted fit very neatly into the shoulder. You would never know there is just a facing.

The hooks go on first under the right front.
Then the loops go on top of the left front.

I lay the fronts like this so I can position the loops.
Just hold it in place to put it under the needle.

All done. It only takes a few minutes.
It is easy to close and open and the small pieces
are easy to get out of the hair if that is where they end up.

Ready for the buttons.
I have used matching thread in the bobbin so the stitching hardly shows.

I think I used a velcro strip on my first ever garment and never again. I am really happy with the patches. You should give them a go.

Happy Sewing,
Val

How to Sew Doll Clothes: Velcro Closures

Very early in my doll clothes adventure I needed to take clothes on and off the dolls to photograph the outfits. I think I may have put long strips of velcro on one or two items and I know I got frustrated trying to make the hems even and close the strip without bubbly bumps. I decided to use small patches of velcro like buttons. They made it so much easier to adjust the garment and to get it off easily too. I haven't had any trouble with it not holding strongly.

So this is how I do my velcro closures.

I have small rolls of hooks and loops. I cut off rectangular pieces about 1/4" wide. I just cut them by eye. I always do the hooks first.

I have a little bitty box that sits to the right hand side of my machine. I put the patches in there while I sew each one. For a time I even put them inside a little zip lock bag because they mysteriously disappear. Sometimes they never turn up again. 

I use white or cream thread in the needle and thread to match the fabric in the bobbin. It is easy to place the rectangle so the hooks run side to side. I have found that for me as a right hander I like the overlap to be on my left looking at the closure of the garment so I sew the hooks patches on the under side of the overlap.

I start sewing down the long side first. I find by doing this it is easier to sew them onto knit fabrics that stretch side ways so I just do it this way all the time.

After the top one I put on the bottom one.

I then place the middle one by eye.

Now cut 3 loops patches. Put them in a safe place. Sew each one on the outside of the underlap. (I didn't notice that I needed to put dark pink in the bobbin so my stitching shows on the inside.) 

Sew on the bottom loops patch.

For the middle loops patch I like to just check it is level with the hooks patch before I sew it.

The stitching is not very noticeable on the outside.

I just felt this top needed buttons on the back. I sew on buttons using my button foot on the machine.

See my blog post about sewing buttons on by machine.

This design is pattern 1857 Fashion Top. The skirt is 1858. (Both will be published soon)

Happy Sewing,

Val

Velcro Fastening for Doll Tops, Dresses and Gathered Skirts

I have tried long strips of velcro and you need big muscles to open it. It also tends to stick in rolls and wrinkles so you have to keep undoing it to get it smooth. With small pieces you can close the garment a bit at a time and get it snug and neat.

One of the parts I include in all my patterns is Fastenings. This is the one about Velcro.

Cheers,
Val

Progress on the Classic Skivvy

I am having a lot of fun with this pattern. There are so many ways to put it together. For this one I just added a little skirt to the bottom of the pattern to make a dress. This version uses the 3/4 sleeves and the high neck rather than the roll neck. The leggings I made from my Pull-ons pattern yet to be published. Look out for the Classic Skivvy soon. It is going to be free so everyone can see what great patterns I make.

Sign up to Craftsy through my affiliate link in the side bar. It is free and I get a small commission to put towards fabric for samples. If you visit my shop make sure you click the follow button. Patterns are going up all the time and you will want to be notified.

I am having a lot of trouble getting the lighting right for the photos. This one came out just a fraction blurry. My little camera doesn't like shade at all. I can't wait to get my sewing room set up for photos. I will get out the good camera too. We move in to the new house in November.

When I started putting the velcro on the knits I kept having trouble getting started with the stitching. I worked out that my usual way of sewing the velcro starting on the short side meant I was going with the stretch and getting stuck. All it took was changing the direction. So I started on the long side and sewed down first then across. Too easy.

Another velcro thing that was bugging me was the way the little pieces just disappeared when I put them beside the machine after cutting what I needed. There must be little velcro bits stuck on all sorts of things by now. To solve this problem I have started putting the pieces in a zip lock snack bag beside the machine. The hooky pieces stay safe and sound now.

Cheers,
Val