Hi Sarah , you may not need to unpick the elastic on the yellow dress, you could sew the lining based on the bodice pattern and hand-sew it to the waistband. Unpicking takes a long time and is risky, hand-sewing does not take such a long time (unless there is a zipper somewhere?) Anyway,like you are, I am right into analysis paralysis for my summer sewing and procrastinating by watching your video ;-)
Ah, you're right, I didn't think of that and it would be much easier that way! I did add a zipper to the side seam for ease getting in and out of the dress (not part of the pattern or instructions), but I could hand-sew the lining to it in the same way I'll sew it to the waistband and I do like hand sewing, so this solution is truly ideal. Thank you!
I made a lined dress and handsewed the lining to the zip and the waistband. I think it's given it a neater finish and you can do it while watching TV or even sitting outside 😊
@@mnoeliarc I agree! And I especially love the idea of hand sewing it in sitting outside listening to the birds and enjoying the summer light - divine!
Hi Sarah. The yellow dress is beautiful. Here’s another idea: make a slip using that dress pattern- abutting the skirt piece to the top piece removing excess from waist & hips (become a 1 pc.), and narrow the strap so that it will be hidden under the dress strap. We will have an undergarment that fits well and can be used for other garments.
You don’t have to unpick the elastic for the yellow dress. Just do the lining as 1 piece. Let it fall from top inside. You can secure it to elastic band with a few tack stitches so it doesn’t move around.
Hello Sarah, lots of great projects in store. You're gonna be busy! For your yellow dress why not opt for a slip lining dress? The top in silk is going to look great. It's a shame to have to use polyester to line it though. I hope you have time to sew your birthday dress. With this fabric it's gonna look phenomenal! Thanks for sharing and have a good weekend 👋
I agree, I'm wondering it I can't just layer the silk top over a nude-colored camisole - it would be warmer, but I think that would work too and then I'd have soft silk against my skin, especially at the neckline rather than itchy polyester crepe! But then the facing would show through... or I could buy a similar-weight silk and line it that way... hmm 🤔
Wow, what a challenge you have set yourself. I can totally understand how you love being surrounded by fabric. When I gave up sewing clothes I took up patchworking and the fabrics and patterns are amazing.
Oh, I am exactly the same getting completely overwhelmed and paralysed by all the things I want to make and do. I'm surrounded by sewing, knitting, quilting and embroidery supplies and a million things on my To Make list, but I walk around in chaotic circles trying to decide where to start. I can't wait to see which pieces you get to finish this Summer. For shortening the straps on your knitted tank, you might just cut the yarn close to the join since you're going to make it shorter anyway. You can just unravel the strap as far as you need to, and it might be easier to unpick the original joining stitches from the cut end once the length of the strap is not attached. Good luck! 💙
I'm glad I'm not the only one and yes, I have definitely also walked around in chaotic circles trying to get my projects organized 😂 Thanks for the tip for the knitted tops, that is indeed a much simpler technique and would work just fine!
@@Sarah_Naomi Having too many fun things to do is definitely not the worst problem in the world, but it can be frustrating trying to just pick one already! 😅 I'm sure you'll do great with all your plans. 💙
I think you should wear a slip under your yellow dress. You could use silk so it would be comfortable. I’m on a pattern ban so your video hasn’t helped me at all!! Such lovely garments, I love your attention to detail and getting a professional finish and good fit.
Thank you for your kind words! A silk slip would be heavenly, I really need to get to making one - it's on the list! I admire you for sticking to you pattern ban, the temptation must be so strong and I'm not doing anything to help it 😂 stick in there!
From Tahoe here! The water will be COLD, even in August. But it’s still possible to get in and enjoy it for a bit. Wear all the sunscreen, higher elevation = faster to get a sunburn. Also, Mill End Fabrics in Reno (if you haven’t been there) is almost like a fabric warehouse. You have to be prepared to hunt, but you can find some really great fabrics. Have so much fun!
One idea for Darla: A long dress can feel like it's trapping heat, but an easy fix would be to create tall slits in the side seams. It might preserve the proportions better than shortening a hem would. I'm interested in making one of these now, it looks so good!
I love hearing your plans and seeing the beautiful fabrics you have lined up for them. You have a lovely style and a great eye for what works for you. I made a list the other day of my summer/early autumn project plans, and it is ridiculously long, especially considering how long it takes me to make anything. I really need to be brutal about prioritising them since only a fraction will get made. I look forward to seeing your finished projects in due course. Don't be intimidated by the projects that seem a bit daunting. You made your gorgeous wedding dress, and if you sewed that, you can sew anything.
I vote for the seamwork shorts in the white linen fabric! I think that style will be more versatile to dress up or down than the other shorts. And the white linen seems like the most comfortable fabric for summer. Looking forward to seeing how it all turns out!
I really enjoyed seeing your outfits and fabrics and plans. I can tell you really love fabric and I am drawn to fabrics as well. Some are almost too pretty to use. :)
Both sound great! I'm glad your local community college has a sewing class on offer and I'd also like to try knitting socks someday! They must be very easily portable projects 😊
Thanks for all the lovely ideas. I totally recognize your enthusiasm for summer garments and the kind of overwhelmed feeling that can come with it from time to time. But how great it is we can get this inpsired and have all these plans and ideas. Love that. I also love the linen brownish linen you showed for the Dani shorts. I made these pants twice and love them. Another short pattern I can recommned is the Billie shorts by Atelier Jupe. Just make sure to make the option with the elastic through the front AND back, because otherwise your side seams will end up on your back.
It’s funny I am watching this in the Truckee/Tahoe area. The weather is beautiful and the water is not too cold once you get used to it. Have a great vacation!
Jut make a full-length "slip" lining that's handstitched in where you mentioned on the bodice and down either side of the zip. Make it A-line or follow the line of the dress uncinched (pre-elastic) so that you can get it over your head or hips, but, if the fabric is fine/silky enough, it won't add any bulk. You could, of course, add an elastic channel at the waist too, but I don't think you really need to. As long as the fabric is non-cling, it'll help your dress hang better too.
Hello Sarah I am so glad that I found your channel. You are very inspirational and I just might try to sew a Summer sundress. I look forward to your future videos. ☺
On the white trousers: a good trick is to use skin toned lining fabric (or cotton lawn) to bind seams, and as the pocket, and maybe even to face the waist band interior and the fly shield. The idea is to make every interior piece (except seam allowances) beige that would otherwise show through to the exterior. A skin-toned fabric is invisible from the outside. I discovered this with a pair of RTW golf slacks. They had beige trim pieces on the interior. It looked strange on the hanger but the genius of beige became apparent when I put the slacks on.
Oh, I planned on using a beige fabric for the pockets, but I didn't think of applying the same logic to the the waistband interior or fly shield, thank you for sharing this tip!
Hi Sarah. I've recently found your channel (thank you YT algorithm!) and just love your style! What lovely fabrics (birthday and swimsuit fabrics were my favourite) and those patterns are delightful. Looking forward to seeing more of your videos! PS. I haven't used it yet, but recently bought Filmoplast H54 (by Vlieseline) to do some hand embroidery on fabric destined to become a shirt. It was recommended to my by my local patchwork shop, so might be worth checking out for your shirt (which I'm so excited to see)
Hello, i love watching you and love your style. For the polyester georgette with orange flowers: you can cut it in between two silk paper or freezer paper (light and transparent. Or you can use rotary cutter. I sometimes cut it on a rug, so it adheres and doesn’t slip. Putting a bunch of pattern weights or pins can help. Otherwise you have wash-out type starch spray. For sewing you should use 60 or 70 microtex or silk needle in the machine. You can use freezer paper under the fabric and then rip it away, or you can use that Ban-Rol for a narrow hem. Good luck
Gosh Sarah you are certainly going to be busy. I love how you choose the very best fabrics which really enhance the design and drape of the pattern. I think it might be easier to do a slip dress say in a silk and then you can use this as a dress as well. Happy sewing ❤
Thank you so much for your kind words! Lots of people are, like you, suggesting wearing a slip underneath the yellow dress and it is becoming very obvious to me that it is an essential piece that’s missing from my wardrobe! I’ll have to make one soon and thank you for the suggestion 😊
Lots of lovely projects. I envy you. I have just finished making some merino leggings for my grandson and now I am cleaning my sewing room. Tomorrow we fly to London to see our daughter and grandson. We live in NZ and will be away until October, so no sewing for me for a long time. We will be spending time in Japan on our way home so I might be able to visit some of the lovely fabric shops that you recommended. I look forward to seeing your future videos.
I'd like to try knitting something this winter, but can't wear wool next to my skin and really don't like acrylic either, whilst cotton yarn can be a bit lifeless. I love your recommendations for some of the yarns. I love your style and how well your garments are finished. Clearly the are made to wear and not just for RU-vid "content".
I understand! Choosing the right fiber to knit can be hard and I'm still figuring it out too. I'm so glad you enjoy these videos, thank you for your kind comment!
Love the idea for the embroidery for the blue top you're planning! I've used sulky solvy and you can fuse that to your fabric and it dissolves. If you have a printer, you can even get precut sheets that you can print the pattern you want! And I'm sure you know this, but to account for shrinkage, sew the embroidery before cutting out your pattern pieces! Not an expert by any means but that has worked well for me. Love your videos!
Thank you so much for these tips! And no, I didn't think to account for shrinkage, so thank you so much for mentioning that too! 😂 I'll look up sulky solvy now 😊
For the knitted camis put in a knitting needle on the strap in the stiches approximately where you want the new length to be. Cut the strap just the row before it's attached to the back. Then you can unravel the straps and have the stiches secure, do an bind off and then remove the thread and sew down the strap.
knit tank alters...cut off the strap from the body of the tank; you need to shorten the straps anyway. and then you can unravel to where you can re-join. I'm pretty sure this would be an easy alter.
Ah, you're right! That would be much faster and I need to remove about 10cm anyways; it wouldn't hurt to cut right into it at the base of the strap. Thank you!
I'm so looking forward to seeing the videos about recreating the RTW outfit and the pattern(s) 3-4 ways - please feel free to dedicate a video to your multiple interpretations of the Brene top as well as the Seamwork pattern. My knitting project highlight of the summer so far is knitting my Vest 23 by Deborah Dougherty. I made it out of linen yarn, finished it about 2 weeks ago, and so far have worn it like 5 times. I love love love it. It's a great, well written, and FREE pattern!
I'm glad to hear that you're interested in my video ideas! It motivates me to get working on them 😊 and wow, what a great knitting pattern, it looks so classic and lovely, thank you for mentioning it!
Second the comments on not unpicking the elastic waistline. Wash away stabilizer will work on the T-shirt embroidery backing, but test because you often don't need a stabilizer for hand sewn embroidery like you do on machine embroidery. Embroider before cutting the fabric out. Some exquisite fabrics and great garment ideas. Can't wait to see what you make.
Sarah, if you feel like the beautiful blue leaf pattern dress overwhelms you, then imagine how you’ll feel when you put on a top sewn out of the really bold blue and red floral fabric. You might consider using that fabric for a skirt instead to keep such a bold print away from your face and sewing a solid color coordinating top to go with the skirt.
Wow, what gorgeous fabrics!!! I love all your plans 😍 For the shorts I would go with the beige linen, for practicality. The white linen would look lovely but you might end up having to wash the shorts after every wear because of dust/dirt etc and that would drive you nuts when you're on holiday. The beige is a good neutral that would go well with any of your tops, plain or patterned. Just my opinion 😊
I think I agree! The linen would be somewhat see-through as well and the cotton gabardine too stiff... the beige linen then! I agree, I think it'll be easy to wear with lots of colors and it's been in my remnant stash for a few years now, it'll be great to put it to use!
Your plans sound so good! I guess you will have a busy summer! :D I watched your video while unpicking seams.. so I feel your pain for the Oona dress. I'm super curious about the Hansie top with the Sashiko stitch pattern and also the YMA dress. But in general you have a great taste in your fabric in pattern choices! Very inspiring! Happy crafting!
I love all your choices of fabrics and patterns. I love that white dress thst you're thinking of lining. The lazy sewist in my would just buy a nude slip and call it a day😅 As for the Sew Over It fabric, have you thought of lining it with viscose fabric? I made a dress for my daughter which was made with viscose and I bought an ivory viscose challis fabric from Minerva (they do loads of colours). This way it may make it all less static. I find that you can even wear tights with viscose lining and the fabric does not stick to the tights in the same way that cotton would. Edited to add: the last dress has a lovely fabric and it looks like it would go well with a few of the tops fabrics. I recently changed the Sew Over It wrap dress into a skirt and the fit at the top wasnt right. I also wanted to ask yiu about that knitted top that was lumpy - do you block your knits after you finish them? Blocking turns a garment that looks wrinkly and wavy into a garment that looks perfect. It's lije pressing when you sew.
Thank you for your message! I'm also tempted to just buy a nude slip, but I can't quite find one that I like and I can't help thinking that I could make one better (except it's been years and I can't seem to get to it 🤣). For the slinky orange flower fabric, I'd like to line it with viscose, but I'm worried it won't hang the same way and get really wrinkly, but maybe that's a non-issue. It would certainly be the simpler option! And for the knit top, you're right, I think blocking it would make it less lumpy (I do always block my knits), but it's still so enormous on me that I don't think that the design of the sweater is right for me and I'd prefer to reuse the yarn some other way 😊
I love watching these videos for motivation to work on my own projects more 😄 As far as the Highlands dress, I think a skirt sounds lovely, you could even try to make a tie in the back or a big bow in the back to use up some of the bodice fabric?
So many great plans. I'm excited to see the results. I also get paralysis from too many plans but I'm determined to make a dent in my pattern and fabric stash this summer.
I also meant to say that I think TomKat Stitchery has a vlog about lining or partially lining trousers. It's on my list to try as I have some fine wool to make a pair of trousers.
Hi Sarah, you mentioned you were knitting a pink top that started to look like a dirty mop. I'm currently having the same issue and I'm trying to figure out why certain knitted pieces look "dirty and grey" while I'm knitting them. I wash my hand thoroughly before I pick up any knitting/sewing project, so they can't possibly be dirty. I think it's the way the light reflect and creates shadows from the texture of the knitting that causes this dirty look. Either way, I find this discouraging because I can never guess whether a yarn will produce this "dirty" look once knitted up. I've never heard anyone else describe this phenomenon and I was relieved when I heard you mention it.
Hi Sarah - I so enjoy your videos; I appreciate your preference for lovely, classic fabrics and designs. I wonder if you could sew in some bra cups into the fitted dress? If there's a lining, they're easy to attached between the lining and the fashion fabric. You might also be happy with a shelf bra for that dress as you can attach bra elastic to the lower edge and it would be smooth enough to not cause lines in the bodice. In case you're not familiar, there is power mesh (a little more stretchy) and power net (firmer). I think Bra Builders' online shop is great and their quality is terrific. Happy birthday, and safe travels.
Thank you for the suggestions! I made a toile of the bodice of this dress and I have an RTW strapless bra that luckily has a bra band in the back that dips low enough not to be seen, so I think I'll use that, but thank you for the tips, I've been looking for better bra cups and I'll check out Bra Builders!
I wonder if you made the lining in two pieces. You could attach the bodice top the way you described in the video, then either stitch in the ditch or hand sewn above the waist band. The waist band isn't transparent so no need to worry there. Then make a skirt lining and attach it below the elastic waist by either hand sewing or stitch in the ditch. I'm not familiar with this pattern...but perhaps this would work and save you a complete headache. I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of your makes! Lovely patterns and beautiful fabrics.
So many beautiful ideas! For the tank top straps, maybe you could do some surgery? You could cut the straps at the shoulder shorter and kitchner stitch them back together?
Have you considered putting in some silicone tape / silicone elastic in your bathing suit to help it grip. Some of my ready made swimwear has this and it works really well for me!
For the light yellow dress, have you considered making or buying a slip? It may be a better solution than taking the dress apart and attaching a lining.
Why not make a full size pale yellow or white slip that fits just this yellow dress? I'd recently bought a pattern and fabric for a white and a black full slip, but I would like to see someone make one before I dive in for the first time.
Since the yellow dress has a zipper and the elastic is only decorative (not required to actually get into the dress), why not make a formfitting lining with darts? I would do that, than attach it to the facing as you were planning and anker it to the zipper and the bottom of the dress with short thread tacks. That way, the two pieces can move a bit independently and won't pull against each other. The downside of this method would be, that it will only work well with a somewhat slippery lining fabric. If you want to use a lightweight cotton for breathability, you risk it looking odd, as the outer dress might 'ride up' on the cotton lining. A separate 'slip dress' like they used to wear in the 50's is also an option, as these are handy to have if you wear a lot of dresses. Difficult decision!
Hi Sarah,gosh you are going to be very busy bee 🐝 😊 all of your projects are very much you.hope we can have an update when you are back from your vacation ❤what you were able to make and did you wear them all ❤
Thank you for another lovely video. Perhaps you don’t need to unpick the elastic. Could you attach the lining to the facing, install a small elastic in the lining and let it hang separately from the facing down. It would keep the outer dress light and drapey. Just a thought.
I'm lazy enough to not to do the work I really don't want to do, so I look for the other ways to make it work If I had to insert a lining into an almost done dress, I would consider not to unpick the elastic in a lemon dress and leave in as is: i'd attached lining to the facing and sew together the top of the elastic and the lining into the already made stitch and the rest left as is It wrinkles, yes, but it is a lining Moreover it probably would be even easier and more practical to create a separate slip dress to wear under sheer dresses
Beautiful fabric paralysis 😅 Yeah, I get that occasionally. I still have a piece of gorgeous silk-linen blend changeant, my then boyfriend bought for me 20 years ago. We were both poor students and that fabric was way out of my budget. But he saw how much I loved it and went back and bought 1m for me. I always wanted to make something really, really special with it, although it's not a lot of material to work with, of course. Maybe I'll try my hand at embroidery as well and turn it into a decorative item. How crazy is it, to have a piece of fabric you really love and never do anything with it? 😭 Also: that is more, than I manage to sew all year. How do you find the time? 😅
Oh wow, what a special gift! I understand your reservations about cutting into such a precious fabric! And for time - I will likely *not* get to even 2/3 or these ideas, this is a highly ambitious list!
Everything is gorgeous! I am on a self imposed fabric and pattern ban. It’s been 3 days since I purchased anything. I had to reset the clock after stepping in to Shaukat in London. With the swimsuit strap issue could you add a second strap that went over the same shoulder and make a keyhole type feature and still have that dramatic one shoulder effect?
If you made a very light strapless slip(shift?) that is skin tone and just knee length you could wear it under both light dresses. If you wear a strapless bra with a slip it also smooths the lines of the bra. Just an idea.
Hi Sarah, thank you for another lovely video and good luck with all your summer sewing projects! I'm visiting Frankfurt later in the year and was wondering if you know the name of the haberdashery/fabric store you mentioned? Thank you!!
Good morning from upstate NY! Such lovely makes and fabrics. I'm so glad I came across your channel. For your beautiful light yellow dress, why not save yourself all the unpicking and go with a simple very lightweight cotton voile/or similar, slip for the skirt portion? The top will be fine, if you wear a nude colored bra. I'd love to get your opinion after you make the pleated pants out of the poly crepe, on whether or not they end up feeling warm because of the non-breathable poly content. I'm so hesitant to use poly for summer garments. For the multi-paneled skirt, could you interline each piece with the lining fabric and then treat each panel as one piece, rather than main fabric and lining fabric? Thanks!
Hello and thank you for such great suggestions! I’m also a bit worried about static and heat with the polyester crepe pants, but I’ll try it and report back! Also, the underlining idea is excellent, I’ll try it if my second attempt at a lining fails again 😊
Hello, for the see through yellow dress, could you not just make a slip dress for under it instead of a lining? (Asking as someone who knows nothing) Other works are great and I hope you have a great rest of your summer.
Great sewing plans.I find that light color shorts are terrible for holidays as you want something you can sit on the ground with and not stand up and find that it is stained
For the yellow Oona dress, why don’t you just line the top portion only and make a silk or satin half-skirt to wear under it to cover your bottom half ? You won’t have to unpick, and you can wear the half-skirt with other outfits.
Alright. It may sound rude but I swear it's a genuine and innocent question: *how much do you spend on sewing per season???* (or per year) I started sewing in April, and I already spent 140€. Oh, I'm not broke, I don't mind, it's nothing but I did feel surprised by how fast the bill gets filled up, lol. Do you have any advice to make it back financially? Like, do you sell the stuff you make, or does making RU-vid video manage to finance your sewing budget?
Good question, but I don't know exactly! Sometimes I go months without buying new fabric or patterns and sometimes I purchase a lot in one go. I would estimate about 40 to 50 EUR a month at the most. I do sometimes get gifted patterns or fabric in return for a review or a post, and I've been able to work with some really nice fabrics that I wouldn't have been able to afford otherwise that way. I do make a little from the ads on RU-vid, but so far I've invested a lot more in this channel in equipment than I've made (camera, mic, etc.) 😂 But I remember what it was like when I first started, and it was expensive, so I understand your worries! Now that I've been sewing for 7 years, I have a lot more resources and tools I've accumulated that can be reused, I know now where to get good quality materials for the best price where I live, and I end up spending a lot less per project that when I started. But I remember at the beginning, I wanted to sew everything and it was hard to slow down and space out my spending! I hope that helps! P.S. You could try selling your makes, but I find that the amount you can get for it (since most people are used to fast fashion pricing) compared to the investment of time it requires isn't worth it, but it depends on what you make and how good you are at marketing your makes 😊
Thanks for letting me know, here is another to try: www.seamwork.com/catalog/hansie Otherwise, just look up "Seamwork Hansie" and you'll find it. It's always free, even without a referral!
