Making waves

February 15, 2023 sewwhatwithafton2 Comments

Hey everyone!

I’m here today to share a recent hack that I made to one of my favorite color block tee patterns, The Valerie from 5 out of 4 Patterns. I was actually inspired to do this hack from a sewist friend of mine, Kimberly from Bow Button Fabrics, who made one first. Recently, Kimberly released some custom ocean themed fabric in her shop and shared a make including those fabrics, and down the middle of the tee she hacked it to have a wave. By this point I had already purchased one of the fabrics to make Tayln a tee out of it. Kimberly always gets me with her prints that include turtles/tortoises and this print had, you guessed it, turtles. For those of you who don’t know our family consists of the 4 of us, 2 dogs and our pet sulcata tortoise.

Before starting my project, I reached out to Kimberly to make sure she was okay with me recreating her hack and if she had any tips. She had a different idea on how to attach the two pieces than what I was thinking. Again, with her permission I’m going to share how she did hers, so if you too decide to recreate this amazing hack, you’ll have options. Who doesn’t love options?! Here’s what she did, she cut out her pattern pieces including a wave, serged the raw edge of the sand portion, stabilized onto the blue/darker print, then cover stitched along the serged seam. I would have never guessed that’s how she did it. It looks incredible and so clean and the serged cover stitched portion is really eye catching.

Kimberly’s adorable tee shirt she made for one of her boys.

Before I cut into my luxurious ocean fabric, I decided to make a muslin out of some bright striped fabric that I received from a mystery box that I’m not particularly fond of. The last thing I would want is to cut into the intended fabric which is not cheap (but totally worth the cost) and run into an error and have that fabric go to waste. Which would honestly make me cry. Luckily, my muslin came together amazingly and exactly how I envisioned it, so I was able to move onto the real deal.

I use a vivimage projector to cut out all of my patterns, (yay for saving paper!) so, for this first step I used parchment paper to cut out the pattern pieces. If you still use your printer and tape together your pdf pattern pieces, then go ahead and do that as instructed. Once you have done either option, you’re going to tape together the bodice pieces. Next, grab a writing utensil and create your wave going between both pattern pieces. When you’re happy with the wave, remove the tape used to secure the two pieces together and use a pair of scissors or your rotary cutter to cut out those curves from both bodice pieces. Take those cut curves and tape them to the opposite bodice piece (left bodice cut curve is taped to the right-side bodice along the same curve to fill in the gaps)

Place your bodice pieces over your chosen fabric and cut out. I chose to cut 1/4″ from my wavy edge to give myself a little more seam allowance but assuming you’re already using a color blocked pattern this step isn’t necessary as a seam allowance is already included. (Side note, be sure to cut out the correct necklines for front/back bodice pieces) Continue cutting out remaining pattern pieces per tutorial instructions.

How your pattern pieces should look after cutting out

After all pieces have been cut out, we’re going to start on construction. Grab your two bodice pieces and place them right sides together. I started clipping along the curves then continued to clip along the edge. This should be a 1:1 ratio, do not stretch either of the fabrics to fit. Don’t be afraid of using too many clips to ensure the pieces are lined up as they should be.

Pin or clip curved edges right sides together.

Whether you use a serger or are using a zig zag stitch with your sewing machine be sure to go slow while stitching the two pieces together. Once your pieces are stitched together use an iron to press the seam to one side then top stitch if desired. Afterwards you will finish the pattern instructions per the tutorial.

Close up of top stitching along the seam.

Now you’re done! Stand back and admire your work! I’m completely obsessed with this hack that Kimberly came up with! I’ve already made two shirts for my son and I’m sure as we head into spring and summer I’ll continue to make more. I also made a Tik Tok tutorial for this hack if you’re more of a visual learner. Thanks for hanging out with me today, I hope you enjoyed!

Fabrics not mentioned above.

Solid Blue French Terry from Raspberry Creek

Royal Blue Cuff Ribbing for neckband from Bow Button Fabrics

Honu Turtle Fabric from Ohana Fabrics

Pickle French Terry from Bow Button Fabrics

Until next time,

Afton

This post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase through this link, I may get a % at no additional cost to you. Thank you! Happy creating!

diy · Lingerie · Made For Mermaids · pdf patterns · sewing · Uncategorized · Valentine's Day

Victoria who?

February 12, 2023 sewwhatwithafton1 Comment

Picture this, it’s 2011 I’m a 21-year-old newlywed Air Force wife who just moved from Utah to Virigina. I was working at Victoria’s Secret, selling beautiful and delicate lingerie, pajamas, sweatsuits, and bathing suits. I was always amazed at the intricate details that were in these slinky little bras and panties. I would have never imagined that one day I would make my own. Guess what?! I did!

In January 2020 I purchased the Bridgette Bralette and Victoria Panty bundle from Made for Mermaids Lounge and Lace Collection. I had seen so many amazing photos of fellow sewists sharing their makes on these sexy little patterns. I was feeling confident enough I wanted to give it a go myself. Well, I chickened out and didn’t actually do it until two weeks ago. I have had more than a few battles with my sewing machine and eating up certain types of fabric, (I even broke my first machine in 2019 while sewing up a full sequin dress) where it just left me in frustration and wanting to throw my machine out of the window, which I’m sure many of us have felt on more than one occasion. I was terrified of buying some luxurious lace fabric and have my sewing machine destroy it.

Well, I am pleased to announce that no lace was eaten during these projects and honestly, I’m SHOCKED! Now you may be wondering what gave me this recent motivation to finally attempt these patterns. The older I get the more I loathe bras. I hate the underwire, the discomfort, the sweating, and just feeling suffocated. It’s always the first thing to come off when we get home from going somewhere (that is, if I even bothered to put one on). I’ve made plenty of sports bras which I really do adore, but most times the neckline is higher and that doesn’t always work with certain tops.

Raspberry Creek Fabrics recently released their Easter fabric line, and while I typically don’t make anything for myself for this holiday, this Tonal Royal Blue and Green Blue Bonnet Floral Print Fabric, from The Cottage Core Collection by Bri Powell print really caught my eye. I’m not a floral expert and you definitely shouldn’t ask me to take care of your plants when you’re out of town, so when I first saw this print, I thought they were Snapdragons. In my personal opinion I do feel they look very similar. This print drew me in due to some sentiment, it reminds me of my grandparents. When my sister and I were growing up we would often have sleepovers at this set of grandparents’ home. While there are several memories I will cherish from these sleepovers, I am only going to mention said snapdragons. They had these flowers in their backyard. My sister and I loved them, we thought the opening looked that of a mouth. My grandma would occasionally pull a bud or two off and place her fingers at the closed end of the flower and apply pressure, then release to make the flower appear as if it were talking and we thought it was the funniest thing.

Given this sentiment I had to buy a small amount to make myself something. I only allowed myself to purchase a half yard. I can make a pair of shorts for my kids out of a half yard, even a color blocked tee. For myself though, not so much. Flowers are a very delicate thing, I thought what else is delicate, a bralette. Using this cotton spandex fabric also gave me the opportunity to make a muslin of the Bridgette bralette pattern before moving onto a full lace version. I did still however, need to purchase stretch lace trim to finish all of the edges and making the straps. This Royal 1.25″ Wide Stretch Lace from Surge Fabrics was a near perfect match to the blue in the print and made the flowers really pop. I also chose to line this version with White Power Net to give myself more support. This pattern has three different back options, for this version I chose the racerback. Made For Mermaids did an excellent job in executing the instructions for this pattern. Not only were there written instructions but also links to video tutorials if you are a more visual learner.

This first version did still come with a lot of trial and error. First, I didn’t pay attention to the cup pattern pieces in regard to which way the greatest direction of stretch needed to be. While, I did have enough fabric to re cut these pieces the correct direction I opted to just try it out as it would cause the floral to be sideways which I didn’t find visually appealing. I also realized that I should have disengaged my blade on my serger or just used my sewing machine altogether due to the fact that it left some of the lace edges looking funny. I thankfully was able to seam rip and correct by folding over some of the lace edges or carefully cutting off excess to make it blend in instead of looking choppy. Lastly, I determined that I needed to cut longer shoulder straps to fit my body. The fact that I cut the cup pieces the wrong direction also contributes to the shorter strap issue as well. Overall, I do feel my cotton version turned out rather nicely for my first attempt at this pattern.

For my full lace option, I ordered the Tropic Rose 8.5″ Wide Stretch Lace from Surge Fabric. I also ordered the 3/8″ Pink Glo Satin Strap & Picot Elastic which was a nice pairing to the lace. To make things different from the previous I chose to go with the cross-back option and make it unlined. This version came together much quicker due to the fact that I didn’t have to finish the edges by adding lace trim. I also added 1.5″ to the shoulder strap pieces to give myself more wiggle room to work with which would up being the perfect length for my body. I also was lucky enough to have enough lace fabric to make a matching pair of Victoria Panties. This pattern comes together so freaking fast! If you go for the unlined full lace option like I did you only need to sew together the front and back seams, top stitch, sew together the crotch seam, and top stitch then, BAM, you’ve got a new pair of panties! I was worried I wouldn’t like these cheekies, as I’m not a fan of thongs or anything riding up my butt. I am pleasantly surprised that when I wear these, I don’t even notice that I’m wearing anything at all.

I am still in disbelief that I made something so stunning and can’t wait to purchase more lace to make more. There’s one thing I constantly have to remind myself of and that is, we can’t gain more experience and grow if we stick to our comfort zones all the time and making these patterns definitely took me out of my comfort zone. I also put together a Tik Tok for each of these makes that you can watch here and here. I would also love if you gave me a follow across other platforms.

I hope I inspired you today. Remember to always be true and always be you.

Until next time,

Afton

This post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase through this link, I may get a % at no additional cost to you. Thank you! Happy creating!

Halloween · Halloween costume · kids clothing · Kids fashion · Pattern Hack · pdf patterns · sewing · Tortoise · Uncategorized

Tortoise Costume

January 27, 2023 sewwhatwithafton2 Comments

I briefly was a part of Raspberry Creek Fabrics blogger team (and absolutely LOVED IT!) I wanted to share it here as well. This has somewhat been edited since I originally wrote it. All photos and writing are my own.

Hello, I’m so thrilled to share my sons costume for Halloween (2021) with all of you. My son has been turtle obsessed for a couple of years now and has wanted one as a pet for just as long. Well, this past July we finally decided to add a baby sulcata tortoise to our family. We are all absolutely smitten with him or her (we won’t know gender until around 4 years of age). Of course, that only made his love for turtles grow more.

When I asked both my kids last month what they wanted to be this year I was not at all surprised when my son said tortoise. My mind immediately started to ponder ideas on how I could make this happen for him. I mostly couldn’t wrap my head around how I could create the shell while still allowing it to have volume and dimension. I took to google first to see if I could find any tutorials, that turned up no luck. I saw this as a challenge accepted, I would take this opportunity to try something new and really get my creativity flowing.

I absolutely love RCF fabrics so I wanted to check what taupe/light brown shades they had available in the shop that would work for my vision. The khaki tan french terry fit the bill perfectly. All RCF french terry always amazes me with how soft and cushy it feels, my son was getting his dream costume but would also be so incredibly comfortable!! (Win, win!)

Once I decided on fabric, I moved onto what patterns I wanted to use as my base. For the pants I immediately thought of the Drew Joggers from Petite Stitchery Co. The rouching detail option perfectly depicts our little torts cute wrinkly legs. For the top I knew I wanted to attach the shell to a hoodie, I went with the Hannah from Sonia Estep Designs (which has since been discontinued) and used the crossover hood option from the add on pack.

For the base of the tortoise shell, I did a standard oval. Now, let me note that I have a projector and I have found that I love using it for more than just projecting patterns. I also have a Cricut, so I used design space to make an oval in the shape I wanted and projected it onto my cut mat, over the back bodice, to visualize how large I wanted it. Once I determined the size I wanted the oval to be, I cut it out. I then lined up the back bodice of the hoodie and centered the oval over that with right sides together. To secure the two I used wash away wonder tape, then measured 1.5” from the edge of the shell and sewed all the way around using a zig zag stitch. (You don’t want to sew too close to the edge or you’ll interfere with the remainder of the hoodie construction)

Next, we’re going to work on the top of the shell. To make sure we can add volume but keep the sides at a 1:1 ratio you’re going to measure the circumference of the oval. I marked the top center and bottom center and measured the distance between those two points which came to 27.5”. You’re then going to make two half circles, the straight line being the measurement you got for your oval. The fun part is you now get to decide how large you want your shell to be, there’s no wrong answer here. Once you’ve made your two half circles, you’re going to use your serger or sewing machine to sew the two half circles on the curved edge right sides together. (I used a 1/4” seam allowance)

Before attaching the top of the shell to the base I decided it would be easiest to add the scutes (the darker plates on the top of the shell) first. There are a few ways you can do this, you can use a fabric marker and draw them on, use another color of fabric and sew them onto the shell, you can use an embroidery machine, or use HTV (heat transfer vinyl). For my muslin I used fabric markers. While it didn’t look terrible a friend mentioned it gave Teenage mutant ninja turtle vibes and I must agree with her. The fabric marker was also inconsistent and didn’t give full coverage. So, I decided to go for HTV. I went back to my Cricut design space and made a mockup of the shell so I could play around with how I wanted my scutes to look. I found that using a standard hexagon shape but narrowing the height and bringing out the width it gave the look I was going for. After completing my mockup, I used my Cricut to print out the scutes in pieces. (With the round shape it would be very difficult to have it all in one piece)

I started by finding the center of the shell and using a pin to mark it. I also marked the center points of the first scute I wanted to place and lined the two up. After adhering the first scute I worked from top to bottom then moving my way outward. This step was by far the most challenging. It took time and patience to ensure I didn’t iron on the htv with a crease in the fabric.

Now that the scutes are finished we are going to attach the upper shell to the base shell. I’d like to note that before doing so I made a small little tail by cutting out two narrow triangle pieces out of the main fabric and one out of fusible interfacing. Once my tail was put together, I basted it to the right side of the shell base with the flat edge to the edge of the shell (you don’t want to cut off your tail!) You’re then going to sew the two shell pieces sides together. This means your back bodice will be sandwiched between the two. I marked the top and bottom center points of the base and matched the top shell pieces center points. Before stitching you’ll need to decide how you’d like to enclose your shell, (remember you still need to turn right side out, so you need to leave a small opening!) you can ladder stitch or use an invisible zipper. I went for an invisible zipper in a similar color so I could remove the poly filling for washes.

I installed the zipper at the top center of the shell

After turning the shell right side out, I then used a zig zag stitch and sewed around the entire shell to add detail and try to mimic what an actual tortoise shell looks like. My stitches are ¾” long and about 1” spaced apart.

Close view of the stitches around the entire shell.

Next you will finish construction of the hoodie pattern you chose before moving onto filling the shell. During construction of the hood, I added eyes and nostrils using black htv. If you have an embroidery machine, I think that would look even better! Sadly, I don’t have one yet. Finally, you’ll fill your shell with poly fill and sew it closed if you left an opening. Now we’re done! My son is absolutely in love with how it turned out and has asked to wear it whenever possible. I can’t wait for him to show it off to everyone this Halloween.

Thanks for joining me today!

Until next time,

Afton

This post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase through this link, I may get a % at no additional cost to you. Thank you! Happy creating!