The Solberg calls for overlocking - but if you don't have the right colour to blend into your fabric, some bound seams are a bloody lovely alternative.
Here we go.
What you'll need:
The Solberg Jacket or any other garment you'd like to try this on.
Bias binding - I cut my strips of binding 2.5cm / 1 inch wide.
How to do the thing:
Follow the instructions that come with the pattern. When it comes to a section that says 'Overlock/finish your seam', you can use this technique instead.
For this example, I've used some calico offcuts but labelled them as the front and back of the garment so you can see which side you'll be sewing your binding to.
Here I have sewn the front and back pieces together with a 1cm (3/8 inch) seam allowance.
Place your binding, right side down, against the seam, so the raw edges are all lined up. Sew the binding to the fabric, using a 0.5cm seam allowance.
Press the binding away from the seam.
Wrap the binding around to the other side, covering the raw edge of the seam.
Stitch in the ditch to secure the binding in place.
The back edge of the binding has been left unfolded to reduce bulk. Some of the seams are topstitched in place (which will secure the binding further.)
Press the seam towards the back.
I have attached a video involving the process of binding the seam at the back of the jacket, which is at a right angle.
Hope this is helpful.
x Lauren
]]>First things first, do you need an FBA?
There are a few ways to tell if you need to do an FBA. If your full bust measurement is larger than the full bust measurement that corresponds to your high bust measurement in the size chart. Also, if you've sewn a toile and there is tightness in the bust, the fabric is pulling forward at the front armhole, or there are drags lines radiating out from the bust.
It's always worth checking the finished garment measurements of your pattern first before starting your FBA.
Being a wrap bodice, this style is far more forgiving than a fully enclosed bodice. So if you're only one or two cup sizes above the C/D cup option, I'd still recommend sewing a toile as is, before going straight to an alteration, as you may find it still fits you well as is.
I've attached an image of the fitting notes from the Homme Wrap instructions that talks about sewing cup sizes (because in case you didn't know, sewing cup sizes are different to bra sizes!).
The combined C/D cup has a 3.5in (9cm) difference between the high bust measurement and full bust measurement.
If you have determined you definitely need the FBA, you'll also need to calculate how much to add to your FBA.
First things first, find your size in the size chart using your high bust measurement.
Check the corresponding full bust measurements of that size. Calculate the difference between the largest full bust size available in your size and your actual full bust size.
Because the front pattern piece is based on half your body, you will need to divide the number by two – that’s how much you'll be adding to the pattern piece.
For example: These measurements below put the wearer in a size D, except for the full bust, which is an F. There is an extra 4in (10cm) between the full bust measurement for size D and size F. Half that is 2in (5cm). So they'd be cutting out size D and doing a FBA of 2in (5cm)
Let's get started.
Take your front bodice pattern piece. Mark where the apex of your bust hits (marked with red cross).
I have also marked the centre front of the bodice (red line). It runs between the two notches as shown. The grainline runs parallel to this.
Mark the 1cm seam allowance around the lower curve of the armscye (red line).
Draw 3 lines (shown in blue)
1. From the bust point to the curve of the armscye.
2. From the bust point to the side seam
3. From the bust point to the halfway point between the waist darts.
Cut through line 3, starting at the hem. Pivot at the bust point and continue cutting through line 1, stopping at the seam allowance you drew in (red line). Cut a small notch through the seam allowance at line 1, leaving a small paper hinge at the sewing line.
Cut through line 2, stopping just before the bust point, leaving another small paper hinge.
Take a blank piece of paper, larger than the pattern piece. Place the pattern on top.
Measure the distance of your FBA from line 3 (5cm in my example). You can draw these lines in on the piece of blank paper if you like (green lines).
Please note, I've redrawn the bust point (red cross) to sit in the middle of the added width.
Cut a line from the bust apex to the centre front notch (shown in purple). Slide this piece down so the hem lines are aligned.
Re-draw your front neckline, blending between the pieces to get a smooth line (shown in orange).
Now we're at a point where the waist seam of the front bodice has an excess of fabric and won't fit to the pants/skirt as intended. There are multiple options as to what you can do next - it's really up to you and your design preferences.
I'll list a couple of options below.
1. Turn the extra fullness from the waist into a third waist dart (new dart shown in a dashed line), by pivoting the bottom left piece upwards and closing the gap in the side seam.
Or
2. Take the extra fullness from the waist by pivoting the bottom left piece (marked as 1) to meet the bottom right piece. This will increase the size of the wedge in the side seam. You can turn this into a dart, but you will need to re-draw it so the dart point sits further away from the bust point. (new dart shown in a dashed line. Have also trued the side seam of the dart in blue) and re-shaped the waist seam to have more of a gentle curve (yellow line).
Alternatively, you could take the extra fullness created from your FBA and rotate it into the existing darts. If you're adding a significant amount in though, the only issue with this method is that your darts will be quite wide. And the wider the dart, the pointier the tip. Having 3 darts will create a smoother curve around the bust.
But as I said before, it's really up to you and how you want this top to look and what works best for your body.
Hope this helps!
x Lauren
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For context, I name my sewing patterns after musicians that I love/listened to during the pattern making process (the older patterns are named after suburbs I've lived in/spent a lot of time in).
So if you're into rock, grunge, metal, prog - anything dirty, sometimes heavy, sometimes soft, melodic, industrial and a bit bleak at times- you're in the right spot.
Here's my Spotify playlist!
I've picked 5 songs for each artist and man it was tough to narrow it down.
And here's a list of the pattern names and their namesake if you heard some tunes you liked and wanted to go down a musical discovery spiral of your own.
Akerfeldt Coat - Mikael Åkerfeldt, vocalist/guitarist and primary songwriter for Opeth.
Buckley Tote - Jeff Buckley, singer/songwriter
Cornell Shirt - Chris Cornell, singer/songwriter for Soundgarden, Audioslave
Davis Belt and Davis Crossbody Vest - Jonathan Davis, singer/songwriter for Korn
Duplantier Dress - Joe Duplantier, vocalist/guitarist for Gojira
Homme Wrap (soon to be released) - Josh Homme, vocalist/guitarist for Queens of the Stone Age
Maynard Dress (taken down for now) - Maynard James Keenan, vocalist for Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer
Page Dress - Jimmy Page, guitarist for Led Zeppelin
Reznor Skirt - Trent Reznor, vocalist/instrumentals/songwriter for Nine Inch Nails
Sanders Button Up - Troy Sanders, bassist/vocals for Mastodon
Smith Hoodie - Robert Smith, lead singer/guitarist/primary songwriter for The Cure
Staley Top - Layne Staley, vocalist for Alice in Chains
Steele Pinafore - Peter Steele, vocalist/bassist/composer for Type O Negative
Weiland Tank - Scott Weiland, vocalist for Stone Temple Pilots
Enjoy some bangers while you sew. Would love to know if you have a listen while you make any of my patterns! Would make my bloody day.
x Lauren
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We left off having cut out your pocket pattern pieces and you'll also need your bodice all sewn up and pressed neatly.
I already regret my fabric choice - if you take anything away from this blog post, please let it be choosing the right fabric.
Natural fibres that take heat well (as there will be a lot of steam pressing to set folds into the fabric). Choose a sturdy weave. Denim and canvas are my recommendations.
My fabric was labelled as a cotton in the denim section at the fabric store but deep down I knew it was mislabelled but I still went ahead and chose it for the colour. I am a superficial beast and I learnt my lesson as this was a STRUGGLE to work with. Shifty and frayed a lot. Not a good time. I would've packed it in, but I knew I had to do this post. So please excuse the terrible sewing.
I've actually already created a video for sewing these types of pockets, as they've been used in the Davis Belt. I did take a series of photos in the pink fabric but honestly, I'm too mad at it to post them and this video shows the process more clearly anyway.
For my pink version, I also added pocket flaps and D ring closures.
I took a 5cm length of ribbon (you can use webbing, preferably 25mm wide. I could only find 20mm in this colour) and threaded it through 2 25mm D rings and sewed this shut. I made 2 of these for the larger pockets.
These were then attached at the centre bottom edge of the pocket, on the right side of the fabric. Fold the seam allowance down so you're only sewing the ribbon/webbing to one layer of fabric.
The stitching shouldn't be visible from the outside of the pocket.
I also attached a length of the same ribbon/webbing within the pocket flap.
Place this in the centre bottom edge of the pocket flap and sandwich between the two pocket flap pieces. Sew around the side and bottom edges before turning the flap out to the right side.
Here we have all my pocket pieces and pocket flaps ready to be attached to the body of the garment. You'll see I've already sewn pocket 2 on top of pocket 4.
Follow the steps in the video linked before to attach the pockets.
Pocket flaps:
With right sides facing together, centrally align the pocket flap above the pocket, so the raw edge of the flap is a few millimetres above the hem of the pocket.
Sew the flap in place using a 0.5cm seam allowance. Press the flap down over the pocket and topstitch in place, 0.5cm from the fold, making sure you don’t catch the top of the pocket within the stitching.
That's it! I added a snap closure on the smallest pocket to tie in with the snap closures on the waist, but there are so many ways you can customize this to make it your own.
Looking forward to seeing your pattern hacks. If you do give this a go, please tag me on instagram with #daviscrossbodyvest and #elbetextiles so I can admire your handiwork.
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If you haven't already gotten your hands on a copy of the Davis Crossbody Vest pattern, you can find it here.
BUT today I'm coming at ya with 3D pockets galore. If you've got the Davis Belt pattern already (if you haven't, you can buy it here), you will notice I'll be taking the construction method from those pockets but altering the dimensions and adding a few extra bits and pieces to give it that utilitarian vibe.
OK. Let's get stuck in.
I'd highly recommend making a toile first so you can check the fit and play around with pocket size and placement before fully committing. I love calico or an old bedsheet for this as I can draw straight onto it to determine where the pockets will sit and any alterations I may need to make.
Now you can make it in your main fabric!
Follow the instructions given with the pattern to sew up the vest, skipping steps 2, 3 and 4 (the steps relating to the zipper pocket).
This will give you a fully lined, blank slate to attach your new pockets to. The way I do it, is to sew the pockets on over both the main and lining fabric (for extra security, in my humble opinion). If you'd prefer a neater finish to the insides of your garment, you're more than welcome to attach the pockets to the main fabric BEFORE attaching the lining!
If you're resisting making a toile (and yes... I know you probably are) there is another way to determine what size pockets you want.
Trace out your front pattern piece (and the back piece too, if you want pockets on the back) onto some spare paper.
Mark in the 1cm seam allowance. Cut out this shape.
This is the final shape that your vest will be.
You can draw onto these pieces of paper to check pocket size and configuration. Make note of the pocket dimensions for a later step. (This is the finished size of the pocket, the actual pattern piece will be larger once the depth and seam allowance are added in).
The size of your vest and your personal preference will make for size pockets, so don't feel like you have to copy mine. But for those playing along at home, I have made size D from Block 1 and my pocket dimensions are as follows:
Pocket 1 - 9cm x 12cm
Pocket 2 - 10cm x 16cm
Pocket 3 - 3cm x 10cm
Pocket 4 - 7cm x 9cm
I've also drawn up pocket flaps to go with pockets 1, 2 and 3. I have made them 1cm wider than the pockets themselves, to allow for full coverage of the pocket openings.
If you'd like to use my templates, you can download the PDF for free here. It's 5 pages and fits on both A4 and Letter size paper. I'd recommend opening the files in Adobe Acrobat and ensure you check the box in the print settings that says 100% or Actual Size.
I've printed mine out and I'm cutting them out in an offcut of my chosen fabric here.
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It can. And it will!
I'm keeping this as an optional download though, as I don't have the time (read: energy) to re-do the instructions for the Page with the additional info. Instead I'll attach a link to a video I created on how to attach the sleeves.
If you haven't already got yourself a copy of the Page Dress, you can find it here.
Because this dress has cutaway armholes, it's not as straightforward as adding on standard sleeves. The illustration below shows the Page Dress compared to where a standard armhole would sit (shown in red).
It is possible to attach a standard sleeve to this dress pattern, but you'd have to extend the shoulder width and alter the front and back armscye.
I've created a sleeve pattern that has the extra width and height to go up and over the shoulder bone and attach to the existing bodice shape with a gathered sleeve cap.
You can download the large format copy shop file here (A1 size ), or
You can download the version suitable for home printers here (suits both A4 size and letter).
Print layout for A4/Letter shown below
These PDF's are layered, so you can choose to print only the size/s you want. I recommend opening this on Adobe Acrobat.
I've included a video on how to sew the sleeve in my YouTube channel. You can watch it here.
If you don't want to watch a video, here's a quick description on how to sew it:
Cut a pair of the sleeves out, making sure you mark the notches on your fabric.
Fold the sleeve in half, right sides together. Sew down the side using a 1cm seam allowance. Finish/overlock the seam and press towards the back (the backside of the sleeve is the side with the double notches).
Set your machine to a longer stitch length and sew two parallel lines of stitching around the sleeve head (between the notches). Leave a tail of thread and do not backtack. One line of stitching should be 0.5cm from the edge, the second line of stitching should be 1.5cm from the edge (this will be removed after setting the sleeve in as at sits outside the seam allowance).
Place one sleeve in the corresponding armhole of the dress. Match up the underarms seams and the notch on the top of the sleeve head to the shoulder seam. Pin in place. Pin the lower part of the sleeve to the dress, up until you reach the notches/gathering stitch.
Pull the threads of the basting stitch to gather the sleeve head. Keep gathering until the sleeve head fits into the armhole. Distribute the gathers evenly and pin in place.
Sew the sleeve and bodice together using a 1cm seam allowance. Finish/overlock and press well.
Optional:
You'll notice in my black sample that I've cinched in the bottom of the sleeve with elastic.
To do this I drew a line in chalk on the wrong side of my sleeve fabric, 3cm up from the hem.
I then divided this line into quarters, using pins as markers.
I cut some thin elastic (6mm or 10mm works well) to size. I measured around my bicep and added a little bit extra so it wasn't digging into me but this comes down to personal preference.
I joined the ends of the elastic together and divided it into quarters too.
I pinned the elastic to the wrong side of the sleeve, matching up the quarters.
I then sewed the elastic to the sleeve using a wide zig zag stitch, stretching the elastic out to sit flat on the fabric, using the chalk line as a guide.
Easy!
If you're not a fan of elastic rubbing on your arm, you could also create a fabric casing and run some elastic through that instead.
This is just a suggestion, there are so many ways to customise it :-)
And that's it! A big ol' poofy sleeve for your Page Dress. I hope you like this. Please tag me on Instagram if you use this, I love to see your creations.
Use the tags #pagedress and #elbetextiles
While I'm giving this away for free, I always appreciate any extra support to help me with my other creations! Here's my Ko-fi account where you can donate. Any little bit helps and it much appreciated :-)
x Lauren
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The layers option allows you to print only the size/s you want - saving on ink and making it easier to see what lines you need to cut out.
Here's a quick guide on how to use them when printing off your sewing pattern.
The newer Elbe Textiles patterns all feature the layers option and I am currently in the process of updating the older patterns to have this too! Thanks for your patience while I get this done.
First things first, if you've purchased a pattern and want a hand downloading it, here's a step by step guide: Using a Digital Sewing Pattern.
If you're printing from home, my recommended PDF reader is Adobe Acrobat. You can download it here.
Once you've downloaded and saved your files to your computer, open your pattern in Adobe Acrobat.
To the left of your screen, you'll notice a panel with some icons on it. Click the one that looks like sheets of paper stacked on top of each other.
Clicking this will reveal the layers menu. You can switch the layers on and off by checking and unchecking the boxes.
I've unchecked every size except for size H in this example.
It's important to keep any layers on that mention Graphics and Borders as these contain the labels for the pattern pieces and the page numbers, borders and diamonds that help align the pattern sheets.
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As you would have noticed, I have two sets of instructions for the Weiland Tank, with different methods of constructing your top. While this post is relevant for both sets of instructions, I am showing photos from from the construction method shown in the Alternative Instructions (where the side seams haven't been sewn together yet).
For this tutorial I am using a black rib knit as my main fabric and a pale pink ponte as my lining. And I am sewing View B, the V neck.
Before we start, I think it's helpful to talk about the machine foot you use for knitwear sewing. I've just used a general purpose foot here because I haven't had too much of an issue with it stretching out my fabric. But if you find that your foot grips the fabric to the point that it stretches and warps your fabric, then I would consider using a walking foot! This foot helps guide the layers of fabric through evenly.
I have sewn together the front and back pieces at the shoulder and pressed the seams open.
And done the same for the lining.
I've placed the lining and the main fabric right sides together, making sure the shoulder seams, centre front and centre back are aligned.
This step isn't necessary, but I like to mark in the centre of the V for View B. Use erasable fabric pen or chalk for this (I've actually used an artliner for this tutorial, only because my chalk wasn't visible for the photos and my top is black anyway so it shouldn't show later on. Don't do this on a lighter fabric).
Sew around the neck using a 1cm seam allowance. If you're sewing the V neck option, clip into the seam allowance of the points of the V.
Time to sew the elastic into the seam allowance. I place mine right next to the stitching of the neckline, on top of the lining. I like to give the elastic a few stretches to warm it up first before sewing it in.
For the V neck, I sew in two sections - from the centre front to centre back, and again on the other side. If you're sewing the scoop neck, you can sew it in one go, starting from the shoulder seam.
To begin, give yourself a tail of elastic to hold onto while you get the first few stitches in. Hold the elastic taut as you sew it onto the neckline. Try not to stretch the fabric as you sew.
Keep sewing till you reach the other side of the V. Chop off the excess elastic and repeat the process on the other side. Or if you're sewing the scoop neck, keep going around the neckline until you reach your starting point.
Trim off the excess seam allowance.
Understitch the seam allowance to the lining.
Fold the lining into the main fabric so the wrong sides are now facing together. Give the neckline a good press, ensuring that the lining isn't visible from the right side. Also keep in mind that you may need to lower the heat settings on your iron, now that you're pressing clear elastic.
Here's how mine looks from the right side.
And this is how it looks from the wrong side. Not my neatest work, I could've understitched closer to the point of the V, but ehh, nobody will be seeing this once I'm wearing it!
Hope this was helpful!
x Lauren
]]>Have you been directed here after reading the instructions that come with your PDF purchase, or watching my YouTube video on sewing the armholes? Welcome. This is the optional step mentioned in Step 4.
If you're looking for the method outlined in the alternative instructions, you can watch that video here instead.
This blog post is all about the armholes of the Weiland Tank.
This sewing pattern is designed for knits with 2 way stretch and a stretch percentage of 40% or over. I've also recommended using a knit with good recovery for this style - as is it quite fitted and you don't want your top getting stretched out and saggy after wear or during sewing.
What does good recovery mean? It means the fabric easily bounces back to it's original form after being stretched. This is easy to test when you're fabric shopping in person - but I know these days a lot of us shop for fabric online and it's often too late to return fabric after it's been cut off the roll.
If you've found yourself with a knit fabric with poor recovery, this may affect how your Weiland Tank sits. The neckline and armholes may get stretched out as your sew everything and leave you with gaping or warping... which we don't want.
One way to help this is by stabilising your seams with clear elastic.
So you've just sewn your armholes together, popped the top on to see how it's fitting and found that there's a bit of gaping?
Unlike woven tops, fitted knit tops do not usually have bust darts, and the excess fabric where the dart *would* be is cinched in by binding. But this design is lined - it does not have binding.
So instead clear elastic can be sewn into the seam allowance to bring any excess fabric in (if necessary). Luckily I haven't had the need to do this for any of my samples, but I've done it here on this one to show you how I would do it.
This is how my top looks from the right side now that the armholes have been sewn.
This section of the armhole is the most curved and therefore the most prone to getting stretched out. This section is where I will be sewing the elastic into the seam allowance.
Now that the neckline and armholes have been sewn, it's impossible to turn the top fully inside out. So I've turned it out as much as I can, so you can see the curve of the underarm on each side - where I'll be sewing the elastic.
I've pinned where I'm going to start sewing from.
Make sure to give your elastic a couple of stretches before sewing it, to 'warm it up' for lack of a better term. I've also given myself a tail of elastic to hold onto while I sew the initial stitches in.
I've used a zig zag stitch to sew the elastic onto the lining side of the seam.
If you just want to stabilise the seam/keep the curve from stretching out - then you only need to hold the elastic taut as you sew it on.
If you're wanting to reduce gaping, then it's worth making a note of how much excess fabric you want to cinch in, and ensuring your elastic is marked to size accordingly. You will need to stretch the elastic out as you're sewing it onto the fabric to ease in the excess fabric.
Trim the seam allowance down if you haven't already.
Understitch the seam allowance to the lining around the curve of the front and back armhole.
Give it another light press, making sure the lining is tucked slightly away and shouldn't be visible from the right side. (be careful of the fact that you now have plastic in the seam and may need to change your iron settings).
And that's how it will look from the right side!
Too easy.
Another great resource for perfecting armholes in knit fabric is this post here from Seamwork.
Hope this helps.
x Lauren
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It's so simple. All you need is access to a computer and a printer - either your home or office printer, or you can take the files to your local copy shop where they can print it for you.
First things first, head to the SHOP section of the website, find a pattern you like and complete the checkout process.
Once you have successfully completed the checkout process, wait a few seconds you will see this confirmation page.
You can access your pattern two ways : by clicking on the red box that says 'Access Digital Content' or by finding the email that is sent to you automatically after purchase. The title of this email will be 'Your Elbe Textiles Content'. If you can't find it, it may have gone straight to your junk/spam folder. If you still can't find it there, there may have been a typo in your address so please email me.
Your email will look like this and you can access the files by clicking on the link in the email.
When you click the link, or the 'Access Digital Content' button, you will be taken to this page.
I have circled the link in red that you need to click on to begin the download. Please make sure you download your files on either a desktop or laptop computer. Smart phones and tablets do not always recognise zip folders and you may have trouble accessing your download unless you are familiar with the process and have certain programs/apps that can open zip folders on these devices.
You have 8 attempts to download the folder. This does not mean you can only use it 8 times. Once you have downloaded and saved the folder, you can use it limitless times (you, personally - please don't send it to friends and family as they need to purchase their own copy). I have given 8 attempts in case you change computers and lose your files, other similar reasons etc.
Locate the download on your computer and open the zip folder to access the PDFs.
These PDFs can either be emailed, or saved on a USB stick to be taken to your local copy shop where they can print the files for you. I have included a large format option for all my patterns (except the hat patterns as they are so small). The file name will include COPY SHOP and/or the size of the page. Usually A0 or some are A1.
Alternatively, you can print the files at home using an A4/Letter sized printer. These files will be named as Home Printout or have the words A4/Letter in them.
I recommend opening the files with Adobe Acrobat - there is a free version of this and also paid subscriptions. Google 'Free Adobe Acrobat' to find the free version.
Once you have opened the PDFs in Acrobat (or your PDF reader of choice), make sure the print settings are as follows:
- Scale is set to 100% or Actual Size
- Centre the Printable Area (if it hasn't already automatically done that for you).
Print the first page only to check everything is to scale. Measure the box in the corner of the printout to check. Once you know that is correct, you can print the rest of the pages.
Very rarely there is a miscommunication between your printer and the computer and what is printed on your paper may not look exactly like what is shown on the screen. Stray lines out of place, etc. If this has happened, it can be fixed in the Advanced Print Settings. Check the option that says 'Print as Image' (circled in red).
And there you have it! Hope this helps.
Keep in touch if you have any more questions by emailing me at lauren@elbetextiles.com.au
x Lauren
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As much as I love the cool hemline action in the original design - it's super handy to have some basics in the wardrobe and I think view A of the Staley Top is ideal for this purpose. It's a very easy change to make to the pattern and sews up so quickly!
Let's crack on.
Start by tracing the front piece of the pattern onto a fresh sheet of paper.
Two of my most popular sewing patterns are the Sorrento Bucket Hat and the Serpentine Hat. They're a quick and satisfying make and don't use much fabric. Huzzah.
Francis is wearing the Sorrento Bucket Hat made out of rigid, hand painted denim.
While I adore seeing your photos on Instagram of these, I do notice the odd floppy brim. So this blog post is about how we can avoid that.
Most important thing is fabric choice! These patterns call for denim, canvas, cotton drill, mid to heavy weight woven fabrics that hold their structure.
Sturdy, reliable - the type of fabric that would drive a Hilux.
Look for fabrics with a tight weave and high GSM. If you pick the fabric up and it instantly sags, then guess what, your hat will sag too.
BUT. I get it. Sometimes you have a cute print in your stash that you want to use, despite it not being sturdy enough. Or maybe you just don't like the look of denim, canvas or those other heavier fabrics.
This is where some re-enforcements come in. Here are a few suggestions to make your chosen fabric a bit more rigid.
- Before cutting out your pattern pieces, *fuse your chosen fabric to a heavier, sturdier fabric. Cut the pattern pieces out of this bonded fabric and sew as you usually would.
* Fusing is an adhesive webbing, than when heated up by an iron, will stick two layers of fabric together. Sandwich a sheet of fusing between your two layers of fabric and use a dry iron on a hot setting to melt the fusing. You may need a pressing cloth, depending on your chosen fabrics fibre content.
- Interfacing. I'd recommend iron on/ fusible interfacing and using this on the brim pieces. The weight you choose depends on your fabric and how stiff you'd like the brim to be.
- Sandwich a layer of wadding between your brim pieces. Better yet, sandwich a layer of wadding between your interfaced brim pieces, then top stitch around the brim to secure in place.
- Millinery wire. Sew a channel around the edge of the brim to thread millinery wire through.
I sewed up a Sorrento Bucket Hat using fusible wadding in the brim, to show you all how I went about it.
First I traced the brim pattern pieces onto my fusible wadding. To reduce bulk when sewing, I took off the 1cm seam allowance before cutting out.
I placed the wrong side of the fusible webbing (the sticky side with the little glue dots) to the wrong side of my chosen fabric. I used a hot iron to melt the adhesive to the fabric (making sure my fabric was on top, an iron on top of the wadding would melt it).
Follow the instructions provided with the pattern as normal.
Pictured here are my brim pieces sewn together and notched around the edge.
A good way to get the curve of the brim nice and crisp, is to press the seam allowance out flat before turning to the right side and pressing flat. You can use a pressing ham/tailors ham for this. Or if you don't have one, you can also use the curved edge of your ironing board to press around the curve of the brim.
To secure the layers of the brim together, I topstitched around the edge at 1cm intervals.
I marked the intervals with chalk to act as a guide.
Topstitching in progress. Not the neatest, but hey, nobody is looking that closely when you're wearing it.
Follow the rest of the instructions to finish up your hat.
You'll notice I haven't made mine properly reversible. I've kept the lining of the band and top pieces in a lighter fabric, as the denim I used on the outside/main fabric would've been too rough on my hair.
Hot tip : Line your hat with silk to help avoid frizzy hair. Cut out the Band and Top pieces in silk for the lining of the hat.
Here's how it looks from the outside.
Look at that brim. Hooooowheeeeee. Nothing flaccid about that.
Please note that all proceeds of the Sorrento Bucket Hat are donated to a different organisation each month. If you have any ideas of a great organisation to donate to, please email me with your suggestions!
x Lauren
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It’s straightforward enough for most of the pattern pieces, but I want to focus on the Front Skirt Top piece, as that is where things get a bit different!
First things first, let me explain what is going on with this pattern piece so you have a better understanding of why we’ll be blending between sizes this different way.
When I grade the side seam of a garment, there is usually a 1.27cm difference (1/2 inch) between each size. And you’ll notice that the left side of the skirt has this standard difference between sizes.
But you'll notice a bigger difference between sizes on the right side of the skirt.
This is because the size of the pleat also increases with each size. Which means we can't just blend between the sizes as the new line we draw between the waist and the hip will end up more angled than it should.
SO. Here's what we can do instead. I'll show you an example using someone whose waist measurement corresponds with size E, but their hip is a size D.
This pattern is layered, so you can choose to see only the sizes you need. The following images will only show size D and E.
Draw a gently curved line between the different sizes on all the pattern pieces (except for right side of the Skirt Front Top). Start at the waist and blend to the hip notch.
I've used a red line to show the new side seam on the pattern pieces. (Lining pattern pieces not shown, but the principle is the same for these).
Cut out the pattern pieces, except for the Front Skirt Top piece.
Lay the Front Skirt Bottom on top of the Front Skirt Top piece as shown, so the waistlines are aligned. Make sure corner point of the waist of the smaller sizes (in this case, Size D) are lined up.
Use the side seam of the Front Skirt Bottom as a guide to draw on a new side seam for the Front Skirt Top piece.
Cut out your amended pattern piece and you're good to go!
One more thing important thing before you go!
Use the notches and markers for the pleat that correspond to your waist size. For this example, I will be sewing the pleat using the Size E markers.
Don't try to blend between one size notch on the waistline and a different size marker at the hip as it will throw things out. Just stick with your waist size!
Go forth and skirt. Looking forward to seeing your creations. Remember to tag me on Instagram and use the hashtags #elbetextiles and #reznorskirt
x Lauren
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Which brings me to my first (poorly filmed) video tutorial. Watch me in all my awkward glory, showing you how to sew the waistband for the Fremantle Pants and Trigg shorts.
This video is intended as a supplement to the written and illustrated instructions that come with the sewing patterns. It's not a standalone tutorial. So if you're keen, you can buy the patterns here!
]]>An industrial sewing machine is the preferred choice for sewing this pattern. But fear not. The following tips should get you through on a domestic machine with minimal broken needles and swearing.
1. Use the appropriate needles for your fabric.
Most sewing needles packages will state what kind of fabric the needle is suitable for. But if it doesn't, a rule of thumb to remember is the larger the number, the larger the needle.
Look for needles labelled as 'Jean' or 'Heavy', as these have a sharp point and strong shank, suitable for heavy weight fabrics. Or needles with the numbers 90/14, 100/16 or 110/18.
2. Choose thread suitable for the garment
When using heavier fabrics, such as canvas, denim and oilskin, you will need a durable thread to match. I've recommended upholstery thread in the instructions for the Akerfeldt Coat, but you could use any kind of thread that's stronger/heavier than the general 'all purpose' thread.
3. Machine Foot
You may like to use a speciality foot for this kind of sewing.
A walking foot that allows the top and bottom layers of fabric to feed through at the same rate.
A Teflon coated foot, that allows the fabric to glide through easily.
A roller foot to help the feed dogs move the fabric under the foot.
4. Hammer your seams
Pretty straightforward. If you're hemming a garment and worried about getting your machine foot over the doubled up flat fell seam, you may like to give the bulky area a good whack with a hammer or a mallet first. This will help break down and flatten the fibres, allowing the needle to penetrate all the layers more easily. Sandwich your garment between some scrap layers of fabric before hammering, to prevent too much damage.
4. Machine Foot Tricks
I could try to describe the following machine foot hacks, or I could just direct you to these two great short videos that will do a way better job of showing you.
Sew Through Thick Seams With This Trick
Credit: Baby Lock Sewing Machines
Credit: Spencer Ogg
I posted this video because, 1: I adore the way Hump Jumper is pronounced here. My Aussie accent would make a meal of that. And 2: this could be made out of things you have lying around the house - cut out cardboard etc. Genius!
5. Using the handwheel when you get to the bulkier bits.
I've broken many a needle flying over seams at a vigorous pace. Slowing down and turning the handwheel manually can help prevent this. You can feel it if the needle is resisting going through the layers when you do it slowly and halt progress, preventing needle breakage. If there is resistance, you might have to refer back to the previous tips if you haven't done so already (hammering seams etc) or your needle may be too blunt.
Some other things worth mentioning to help make the sewing process easier are grading your seams and slightly lengthening your stitch length (I usually have mine on a 3, but I change it to a 3.5 for heavier projects).
Hope this helps.
x Lauren
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I'm using the Sanders Button Up as my example for the diagrams, but this info can be used for other button up shirt patterns.
Before you start, I can't stress how important it is to sew a toile of the garment first to accurately pinpoint which areas need to be altered. I often see people dive straight into altering a pattern before even sewing it up to check the fit.
Full Stomach Adjustment:
This alteration is to be done on the front piece only. The back can stay as is.
Cut into the Front as shown. Pivot the cut piece to accommodate the extra width needed. Smooth out and redraw the hemline. Ensure the side seam of the front is the same length as the side seam of the back and add the extra length.
And that's it. Too easy.
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I will also show you how quick and easy it is to remove the seam lines/panels on the lower half of the back to have one flat pattern piece without the shaping (if you'd prefer a boxier fit).
First things first, if you haven't already purchased the pattern, you can buy it here.
For a plain front:
Take the Front Yoke and Front pattern pieces. Draw in the 1cm seam allowance along the bottom edge of the Front Yoke piece and the top edge of the Front piece.
You *could* trim this seam allowance off and tape the pieces together. But if you're planning to use the pattern again in the future with the pockets, then I'd recommend the following method.
Fold the seam allowance of the Front Yoke piece up.
Line this folded edge up against the line drawn in on the Front piece. Tape together.
That's it. Too easy, ammiright?! If you're keen for a patch pocket, you can easily alter the Pocket pattern piece available with the pattern. Just add a couple of centimetres to the top of the pattern piece to give a wider turn back for the hem.
For a plain back:
Take the Centre Back Panel and Side Back Panel pieces. Mark in the 1cm seam allowance along the inside edge of the Side Back Panel and the corresponding edge of the Centre Back Panel.
Trim the seam allowance off the Side Back Panel.
Line up the top and bottom of this trimmed edge with the top and bottom of the marked seam allowance of the Centre Back Panel.
And that's it! To make things less confusing when you're cutting out your fabric, you can either fold or cut the Centre Back Panel in half at the centre back seam and cut this new piece on the fold. Or you might like to trace off a new pattern piece entirely and re-label it.
If you'd like to keep the shaping in that was provided by the panelled seam lines, you can draw some darts in as shown.
Or keep it boxy! It's up to you.
Keen to see your hacks if you do any. I love my patterns to get good use. Tag me on Instagram @elbe_textiles and use the hashtags #elbetextiles and #sandersbuttonup so I can appreciate your handiwork.
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The Page Dress is a versatile sewing pattern with plenty of options to customize the look. It has subtle cutaway armholes and a high neckline.
The following two views are just some of the style options, but it’s super easy to mix and match the design features. There are in-seam pockets, button stands, tucks, splits or can be left as a classic shift dress. The pattern is available in multiple cup sizes: B cup, or a combined C/D cup.
View A: Ballet length button-up dress featuring multiple tucks running down the front and back bodice that open out into a pleated skirt. The waist can be cinched in with the internal drawstring, or left loose for an architectural silhouette. There are in-seam pockets and side splits.
View B: Shift dress with a drawstring, in seam pockets and side splits in the skirt.
The main pattern pieces for this pattern are actually the same for both views. The difference for view A, is that tucks are sewn into fabric panels and the front and back pattern pieces are then placed over over the tucked fabric to trace out the pattern shape.
This tutorial relates to step 2 of the pattern instructions. If you haven't already got your copy, you can buy the pattern here.
What you will need:
Page Dress sewing pattern
Fabric panels cut to the dimensions listed in the instructions
Thread
Ruler
Fabric pen or chalk
The 'Tuck Guide' pattern piece.
Process:
Please note, I'm using a small sample of fabric for these photos, so mine will look far less impressive than your full size version.
1. Line up the Tuck Guide along the top edge of the fabric panel, making sure the centre back or centre front of the fabric is aligned with the marking on the pattern piece. The Front Tuck Guide has been used for this sample.
2. Use a fabric pen or chalk to mark the notches. These notches indicate where the fabric will be folded.
3. Move the guide down along the length of your fabric and mark the notches again. If you have a long ruler, you can skip this step. My ruler is 30cm long but my length of fabric is longer than that, so I need this extra marking for when I'm ruling a line between the notches.
4. Move the guide down again to the horizontal line you've drawn in at the waist (as set out in the pattern instructions) and mark the notches in again.
In this example for my small sample, I'm sewing the tucks all the way to the bottom of the fabric.
5. Rule vertical lines to connect the notches.
6. Fold the fabric along the drawn line.
7. These tucks will be 1cm wide. Use the markings on the plate of your sewing machine to line the folded edge of the fabric against the 1cm mark. If your sewing machine doesn't have a ruler guide on the plate, you can create your own temporary guide by laying tape down 1cm from the needle position.
8. Sew the tucks in one by one. Back tack at the beginning and end of each stitching line. I usually sew them all in before washing the chalk off, then pressing - as the chalk I use can leave a stain if it's set by an iron. But if you have some fancy, fandangled marker that erases by air or by heat, then by all means, press each tuck after sewing!
9. My un-ironed and unwashed sample.
10. Now that I've gotten rid of my chalk marks by giving the fabric a quick wash, I'm going to steam press the tucks, away from the centre.
11. There you go! Tucks galore. Don't worry if they're not perfectly straight or even. The sheer volume of tucking and pleating will hide a multitude of sins.
Follow the instructions that come with the pattern to complete your Page Dress.
Modelled by the lovely Liz of Woven Stories, who also happens to own a fabric store full of delicious natural fibres (like this black, printed cotton shown above).
Shop fabrics here.
Photos by Daniel Njegich (the good studio photos, that is... not my povo instructional photos. That was a phone job.)
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This placket tutorial relates to my Cornell Shirt pattern, but can be used in any other shirt pattern if you like this particular method and template.
The following photos show the sleeve placket, but if you sew View A of the shirt (which has a longer placket on the front of the shirt), the method is the same.
Let's go.
Cut out the sleeve plackets and interfacing pieces for the placket.
The Cornell Shirt involves separate pattern pattern pieces for the interfacing.
As this is a casual shirt, I'd recommend a lightweight iron on interfacing. You don't want anything too stiff.
Apply the interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric, following the guide on the placket pattern piece.
Mirror this for the other placket piece.
Use a fabric marker or chalk to draw the stitching line onto the fabric (follow the dashed line on the pattern piece). If you're using a pale fabric that might stain, from markers, a hand basted line of thread could do instead.
Place the right side of the placket on top of the wrong side of the sleeve (both wrong sides of the fabric will be facing up).
Match the notch of the placket to the notch of the sleeve (the notch is marked placket).
The shorter end of the placket should be on the back end of the sleeve.
Stitch around the marked lines. You may need to use a shorter stitch length around the corners for accuracy. When you reach the corner, leave the needle down in the fabric, lift the presser foot, and pivot the fabric around.
Cut through both layers of fabric, down the centre of the stitching. Stop cutting about 1cm from the top, and trim diagonally into the corners of the stitching. Get as close as you can into the corner.
Press the outside edges of the placket in towards the wrong side, using the interfacing as a guide where to fold. (Marked on the photo as 1, 2 and 3)
I like to use a the straight edge of a sheet of paper sandwiched between the fold of fabric to get a crisp edge when pressing.
Turn the placket piece through the slit so it's sitting on the right side of the sleeve.
Spread the inner placket (the shorter side) towards the slit opening.
Press the seam allowance inwards.
Take the folded edge of the inner placket and bring it over to just cover the line of stitching.
Stitch in place, close to the folded edge.Make sure the fabric at the top of the opening is neatly tucked within the inner placket once sewn up.
Take the outer placket (the taller side) and spread it out flat. Press the seam allowance in towards the centre.
Fold the outer placket over, so the folded edge covers the line of stitching.
I use the edge of a sheet of paper again for the sharp edge when pressing.
This will now be top stitched in place. But first you will need to mark where you will be sewing across the placket horizontally. If you have followed the placket template accurately, it will be 1 inch (2.54cm) down from the top edge. As you may be able to see in the photo, this line of stitching will be a little bit above the opening of the placket, but below the raw edge of the seam allowance - so everything will eventually be neatly enclosed within.
Start in the top corner, stitching down to meet the mark, and continue sewing around the top of the placket to create a square. Once you reach the corner you started at, continue stitching down - carefully following the previous line of stitching and continue going down until you reach the bottom of the placket.
I prefer to sew a cross within my square too, for added interest.
There is a detailed diagram within the Cornell Shirt instructions with a stitching order guide for both the square option or the cross option.
This is how my finished placket looks with the cross pattern top stitching.
All done!
Not that bad, hey. It may be a bit fiddly at first, so I'd recommend a few practice runs on scrap fabric until you get the hang of it.
Hope this tutorial helped.
x Lauren
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Before I get stuck in, let me say this isn’t an instructional series. It's a visual documentation of my sampling process of various natural dyes and how they react on different natural fibres with a selection of mordants.
If you'd like to see a breakdown of one of my dyeing processes, have a read of my blog post on dyeing with eucalyptus leaves here . While this is specific to eucalyptus and iron sulphate, the method can be used on a lot of other plants.
Hopefully this post is helpful in it's own way by giving you an idea of the colours possible from various plants, flowers and food and will provide some inspiration to do your own experimenting.
The details:
I have taken 5 different natural fibres: silk, wool, rayon, cotton and linen. These have been thoroughly pre-washed to remove any sizing/oils/dirt.
I've divided each length of fabric into 3, and pre-mordanted each length with a different mordant: alum (aluminium sulphate), copper and iron (ferrous sulphate).
When I'm in Australia, I buy my mordants from Kraft Kolour. In New Zealand, I buy them from Hands Craft Store. I'm not affilliated, I just like the selection offered in these sites. But hey guys... I'm open to sponsorship *unsubtle wink*.
In hindsight, I regret not sectioning off another length for a soy milk mordant. From previous dyeing I've done, I've found it an effective, environmentally friendly alternative to the metal mordants previously listed.
If you've worked with natural dyes before, you'll have noticed that silk and wool (the protein based fibres) take on stronger results. As soy is a protein, mordanting with soy milk helps give a stronger result to non-protein based fibres.
The results:
All of these dye baths were prepared by submerging the dyestuff in water in stainless steel pots. After bringing to a gentle simmer, I'd let the pots sit for 4+ hours to help develop a stronger colour. I divided the dye into 3 separate pots for each different mordant. I'd recommend straining the solids out before placing the fabric in.
Every photo, the layout of the fabrics are the same.
Left to right: Silk, wool, linen, cotton, rayon
Top row: Alum mordant
Middle row: Copper mordant
Bottom row: Ferrous sulphate mordant
Apologies for the photography quality. I'm by no means a pro at taking pictures or editing pictures, so the colours aren't always 100% accurate. I blame Melbourne weather for changing the natural light quality every 10 minutes as I was shooting these.
Turmeric:
I used the powdered turmeric you can buy at the grocery store.
Rosemary
Picked from the garden
Osage Orange
I purchased a packet of the dried and chopped up wood from Kraft Kolour. It was hard to photograph this colour, but it isn't as golden yellow as this photo suggests. It has more of a green tinge, especially with the copper and ferrous mordants.
This is my favourite result. From previous dyeing with osage orange, I've found it to be strong and colour fast.
Weld
Purchased at Kraft Kolour.
Pomegranate Skin
Fruit purchased fresh at the grocery store. Pomegranate skin already act as a mordant as well as a dye, so you don't actually need to add another mordant. But for continuity, I used my pre-mordanted fabric swatches.
Brown Onion Skins:
Rifled through the onion bin at Coles for all the loose skins. I always seem to get patchy results with onion skins, no matter how many skins I use. I wouldn't recommend this dye for clothing worn close to the armpits!
Soursop (oxalis)
This is a common weed in Australia. As a kid, I used to pick this and suck on the sour tasting stem. I had no idea it could be used for dyeing until recently and I'm so stoked because it's bloody PROLIFIC. I didn't use many flowers for these samples, so it's not the strongest result. But with the right amount, I'm sure it'll be very bright and strong - almost highlighter yellow.
Dandelions:
I've tried fresh dandelions multiple times with no luck (they're a common weed in Australia), so I tried a packet version of the dried flower heads this time and still didn't have much luck extracting colour.
Others:
There are a lot of other yellow producing botanicals, but due to time and resource limitations, I haven't sampled them all. I've listed a few below that were recommended to me (thanks to the think tank that is my gorgeous Instagram community)
Marigolds, saffron, acacia flowers, carrot tops, goldenrod, ragwort, coreopsis flowers, myrobalan
I also stumbled across this blog post from The Spruce Crafts when doing my research for this post. They've got a great list of plants I haven't mentioned here.
Further reading/viewing:
If you're feeling excited and now want to know ALL OF THE THINGS to do with natural dyeing, I've popped a couple of links below to some of my favourite sources of inspiration.
Rebecca Desnos - all round dye wizard and has the most gorgeous photography
Samorn Sanixsay - Samorn's Instagram page is an absolute delight in itself but I've linked to the website as there are workshops and beautiful items available.
Otherwise I'll be creating more 'Dye-ries' as time permits. Next on the agenda is pink and purple. I'm particularly excited for these, as they are my favourite colours (aside from black). I'll be sending out an email as each post goes live, so please join my mailing list to keep up to date! You can join up at the bottom on my homepage.
Thanks for reading!
xx
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If you haven't already checked out the blog post on cutting out the Maynard Dress - you can find it here.
I've used gorgeous fabric from The Fabric Store for this sew-along. I wish I'd checked the fibre content when I was at the shop so I could let everyone know what it is, but my guess would be a linen/rayon blend.
HOKAY. Grab a coffee and strap in. This is quite a long one.
Sewing the Maynard Dress
Place the back piece so the right side of the fabric is facing up. Cut into the slit as marked on the pattern piece. Take the godet, wrong side facing up, and place one of the longer edges against the slit. Ensure the bottom edges of the back and godet line up at the 1cm seam allowance mark. The mark at the centre top of the godet should meet the top of the slit.
Optional: If your fabric tends to fray easily, you may like to apply a patch of lightweight iron on interfacing to the wrong side of the back piece at the top of the slit.
I'm wearing camo for these photos.
Sew the godet to the back piece, keeping a 1cm seam allowance on the godet. The back piece will start off with a 1cm seam allowance, but your line of stitching will taper in towards the top of the slit, reducing the seam allowance down to nothing.
Once you reach the top of the slit, keep the needle in the fabric and pivot the fabric layers around, so you can sew down the other edge of the slit. Make sure the other edge of the godet has been pulled around so it's running along the edge of the slit. As before, keep a 1cm seam allowance on the godet and the back piece will taper out from nothing to 1cm.
This is how it should look from the wrong side.
Overlock or finish the raw edges. I've chosen to bind the edges for a neater finish inside. Press these seams outwards.
Sew an inverted box pleat into the centre top of the back piece by folding the back in half, right sides facing together. Match the notches at the top together and the marker guides further down. Stitch from the notches down to the marker, ensuring you back tack at the start and finish of the seam.
Please note: Depending on the broadness of your back, you may like to reduce the width of the notches and marker guides (giving a smaller pleat), or eliminate this pleat altogether. It will not affect any future steps if you do decide to eliminate the pleat, but it will create more of a gape at the back neck. Some small pleats, darts or pin tucks are ways to bring the back neck in. If you’d prefer a tighter fit around the waist, you can move the position of the markers outwards (closer to the cut edge of the piece).
Please excuse my thread that has blended in so well you can't actually see my line of stitching.
Press out flat so the centre notch meets the seam of the pleat. Baste stitch the top of the pleat in place, 0.8cm from the edge.
Topstitch around the centre of the pleat, 1cm either side of the fold line.
Please note: If you're concerned about the fit of the back, save the top stitching of the pleat until you have had a chance to fit the garment, in case you decide to change the dimensions of the pleat or get rid of it altogether. Less unpicking this way!
Hem all the edges of the back piece with a double turned hem. Fold the raw edge towards the wrong side just shy of 1cm, then fold again by 1cm.
Before hemming edges that are cut on an angle/on the bias, you may need to stay stitch along the edge, or apply stay tape to stabilise the fabric and prevent it from stretching out.
I've stay stitched 1cm from the edge on the angled edges to make my hemming process easier.
Hem all the edges of the back piece and press flat.
Again, if you're concerned about the fit of the back pleat, you may prefer to leave the top edge of this piece un-hemmed - in case you need to go back in and change things at a later step. Shown here with an unfinished top hem.
Make horizontal snips into the notch marked A, about 1.5cm long, on both front pieces.
Fold the edges as shown towards the wrong side by 0.5cm, press flat.
I have stay stitched 0.5cm from the angled edge to prevent it from stretching out.
Fold this extension in again, this time so the right sides are facing together. Fold at notch B, so the corner meets notch C. Stitch along the top edge using a 1cm seam allowance, on both front pieces.
Trim the corner off the edges and any other excess fabric to allow for a neater finish, and turn the extension out to the right side. Ensure the corner has a sharp finish and press flat. In turn, the top edge will be folded a second time and pressed down flat in line with the corner.
You can pin the folded edge of the collar in place until you reach the step where you will be sewing it down.
Sew a pleat into the front right piece, by bringing notch D down to meet notch F. The centre of the pleat (notch E) will be folded upwards to meet notch A. Stitch in place, 1cm from the edge.
Fold the pleated edge of the front right piece, using a double turned hem. Fold the raw edge towards the wrong side just shy of 1cm, then fold again by 1cm. You may need to snip a little further into the cut at notch A, to release the tension to allow the fabric to be turned twice. This will leave a small area of raw edge on the wrong side of the fabric – if you are using a fabric that tends to fray, you may need sew a few hand stitches to contain the edge, or coat the raw edge with a specialised fray-stop spray or solution. Press in place.
Another option is to wedge a small strip of the selvedge within the fold to help stabilise it. It will get sewn down when these pieces are hemmed.
Fold all the remaining edges of the front right piece to create double folded hems. Use the method outlined in Step 3 of the PDF instructions (that come with the pattern) for a neater and less bulky finish to the corners of 90 degrees or less. Once all the edges have been folded and pressed, stitch in place. Follow the inside edge of the fold.
How it will look from the wrong side.
And the right side.
8. Sew an inverted box pleat into the front left piece. Fold the piece in half, so notch G and H are lined up and the right sides are facing together. Stitch 2cm out from the notches.
Take the fold of the pleat, and spread it out flat so the centre of the pleat, aligns with the stitch line. Stitch the pleat down flat, 1cm from the edge.
Fold and press the remaining edges back on the left front piece, using a double folded hem.
Once all the edges have been folded and pressed, stitch in place. Follow the inside edge of the fold.
Remember to stay stitch or use tape on edges cut on an angle to prevent the fabric from stretching out.
How it will look from the wrong side.
And the right side.
Sew the straps by folding the strap pieces in half, right sides together. Stitch along the length, using a 0.5cm seam allowance. Turn the strap inside out and press flat. Tuck one end in and sew down to finish.
Stitch all the straps in place according to the PDF instructions.
Next step is to attach the front pieces to the back. The hem of the front pieces will be overlapping the hem of the back. First of all, line up the front and back pieces as shown. Pin in place. Before anything is stitched down, it is highly recommended to check the fit of the dress.
The line of stitching that indicates the inside edge of the collar extension, should line up with the top edge of the back piece.
You can check the fit by flipping the front pieces over so the wrong side of the fabric is against the wrong side of the back piece.
Align the notches marked ‘underarm opening’ on the front left piece, with the corresponding underarm opening notches on the left side of the back. Overlap the hem of the front, on the hem of the back.
Please note: The bottom hems are intentionally asymmetrical. The edges are not supposed to line up. Pin in place.
When you try this on, you may want to make some alterations. Play around with how much the panels overlap at the side seam if you want to take the width in.
You can shave some extra length off the panels if they are sitting too long for you - I'd recommend starting with the front left piece (the longest) before cutting into any other panels. Shave the length off the longest point of this panel, blending it in to the current length at the other side of the hem. Do this in small increments until you're happy with the proportions.
Below I've shown the process for adding in extra panels to the back/shoulder to create a greater range of arm movement.
These panels will be taken out of the facing section of the pockets.
Depending on how much extra room you’d like at the back, cut a wedge out of the pocket facing, leaving 1cm width at the apex. For this example, the bottom edge of this wedge is 7cm. Finish this edge with a double turned hem. Trim the corner off and neaten the other edges with overlocking (or your other choice of finishes).
Line up these wedges between the front and back pieces in a position that feels most comfortable to you to wear. The hems of the front and back pieces will need to overlap the overlocked edges of the wedge by 1cm.
Once you're happy with the placement, stitch the wedge to the back piece first, following the previous line of stitching. When you reach the bottom of the wedge, pivot the needle around and sew back up along the folded edge of the hem, creating a rectangular shape.
How it will look from the wrong side.
Sew the front piece on top of these wedges, overlapping the hems. As before, sew along the previous line of stitching, and continue stitching around in a rectangular shape.
Stitch the side seams together. The front hem will overlap the back hem. Start top stitching at the underarm notch. Once you reach the bottom of the seam (where the back piece turns into a corner), pivot the line of stitching in a rectangular shape and continue back up, sewing close to the folded edge.
On the left side, flip the strap forward, so it is facing the front and gets stitched down.
Once the side seams are sewn up, it's time to sew the pockets.
Fold the angled edge of the pocket towards the wrong side by 1cm and press in place. I like to stay stitch this line first to avoid stretching the fabric out.
Fold the pocket pieces again, at the notches, so the right sides are facing together. Sew down the sides using a 1cm seam allowance. Trim the corners off to allow a neater finish when turned out. Turn the pocket out so the wrong sides of the fabric are facing.
Fold in the remaining raw edges by 1cm and press in place. Top stitch along the angled edge. Some of the larger sizes have a long pocket- you may like to fold the bottom edge up by more than 1cm if you’d prefer a shorter pocket.
Line up two of the pocket corners according to the markers on the pattern piece. This is just a suggested guide, you may prefer another placement. Stitch close around the edge to secure in place. Stitch another line inside of this to create a twin stitch effect.
And you’re done! The dress is designed to be worn with the right-hand side overlapping the left-hand side.
Please feel free to get in touch if you have any further questions or want a hand with other fitting queries!
Can't wait to see your creations. Tag me on Instagram - Elbe Textiles and use the hashtags #maynarddress and #elbetextiles
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This blog post is to supplement the instructions provided with the pattern - please make sure you've read the instructions carefully before starting!
If you haven't already purchased the pattern - you can get it here.
Let's do this.
Follow the Printing and Assembling document within the pattern files to help you get your paper pattern together.
I've used the two A0 copy shop files, which still require assembling at the grey border line. Once the pattern has been assembled, you will need to cut around the outside border only.
Make sure you have pre-washed and pressed your fabric. Fold the length of the fabric in half so the wrong sides are facing together.
Place the entire pattern piece on top of the fabric, matching the folded edge of the fabric with the side of the pattern marked 'Place on Fold'.
If you have a pattern notcher, I find it handy to cut notches in the paper pattern. It's not a necessary step, but I think it's easier to mark the notches with chalk on the fabric if the pattern has a cut away notch.
Transfer the notch markings to the fabric using chalk or a fabric pen.
This is not a necessary step, but I've cut away the strap pieces to allow me better access to the notch markings of the other pattern pieces.
Use an awl to poke holes in the paper pattern at the points where lines intersect or change direction. I've misplaced my awl, so I just used a sharpened pencil - anything sharp or pointy will work. Mark the fabric with chalk or fabric pen through these points.
Work in sections to draw the lines of the pattern onto the fabric. You'll be drawing lines between the marked holes and notches, according to the pattern. Place a pattern weight on one half of the pattern and fold the other half back to keep it all in check/as a point of reference. Use a ruler to keep these lines straight.
You only need to mark the solid lines - no need to mark the dashed lines that indicate fold or stitch lines. Once all the solid lines have been marked, you can cut them out.
All the lines, except one, are to be cut through both layers of fabric.
You'll notice on the pattern, that the left side of the godet is the only line that is to be cut through the single, top layer of fabric.
Snip into any internal notches marked.
Cut the pocket pieces in half at the fold line. Do this for the straps as well.
If the process of marking the notches got a bit too confusing (which it still can for me - even though I've made this dress SO MANY TIMES), I like to place the fabric pieces on the corresponding paper pattern piece to check I've got everything/mark the ones I've missed. The front pieces have different notches for the right front and the left front. Pictured below is the right front.
And this is the left front.
Once all the notches have been marked with little snips into the fabric, flip the fabric to the wrong side and transfer the markings using chalk or fabric pen. This step may seem fiddly and time consuming, but trust me - it's necessary. Extend the markings horizontally for 4cm or more. Because the edges of these pieces are finished with a double turned hem, any smaller markings will get lost within the folds and just prove to be a nightmare later when you are assembling the pieces together.
Transfer any marker points to the fabric as well. You can skip the pocket placement ones if you like - these are just a guide and I found most people preferred to determine this placement once the garment was made up and tried on.
That's it! You're ready to sew. I'll be posting a sew-along blog for anyone who'd like extra visuals to complement the instructions that come with the pattern. I'll update this post with a link once it's ready!
Feel free to shoot me an email if you have any further questions or comments.
I can't wait to see your makes.
Tag me on Instagram - elbe_textiles - use the hashtags #maynarddress and #elbetextiles so I can see your progress shots and finished items.
]]>There's no way I want these amazing off-cuts and scraps floating around in landfill and this is one of my favourite ways to use them up.
This is the first dress I made and I've been hooked ever since.
If you're keen to look like a circus tent, then please read on for my take on sewing up a patchwork dress.
If you can't already tell, I prioritise feeling comfortable over looking sexy.
What you will need:
Fabric scraps and off cuts - it helps to have fabrics with a similar weight and drape.
Thread - Choose a colour that blends with the most prominent block of fabric. It's usually safer to go with a darker shade rather than lighter shade.
Sewing Machine and overlocker - the overlocker is not a necessity, but it's my preferred method to finishing seams for this kind of project. I've listed a few other methods for finishing seams below.
Iron and ironing board
Sewing pattern - I like to use something simple and basic with a relaxed fit. The Page Dress is a good start . I usually just follow the top half of a pattern and attach a gathered up rectangle as the skirt.
Pattern making paper/ butchers paper - you can get away without using this, but I find it helpful for step 3.
Let's get down to business.
Step 1.
Organise and collate all your scraps. I like to place ALL my fabrics off cuts on a table and ruminate on how much money I've spent on fabric over the years.
Once you've gotten over this horror, now you can decide which of these fabrics will look good all mashed together in one dress.
I don't have any specific rules on how to choose what fabrics will work together. You really just have to trust your judgement. If you have shit judgement, ask a friend.
I think a mix of solids and patterns is a good start. And within the patterns, it's good to have a mix of large scale and small scale patterns. Checks, stripes, florals, spots - go nuts.
About 6 - 8 different fabrics is a good amount, otherwise it could get overwhelming. Or underwhelming if you choose less than 5. We're aiming for whelmed here.... but only if you're in Europe.
Image: My collection of scraps looking as neat as they've ever been.
Step 2.
Once you've picked which fabrics you'll be using, make sure they're all pressed and flat. I'm going to assume everything has already been pre-washed from the initial projects these fabrics were used for. If not, shame on you and your family.
Seriously though - if your fabrics aren't pre-washed and you sew them altogether, they will experience different rates of shrinkage when you place the finished garment in the wash and create all kinds of crinkly, uneven nightmare seams.
Trim your fabric scraps into even rectangles and squares. Follow the grain, where possible. You will be left with some odd, little pieces, for which I'll be making a blog post later on how I like to use these up.
Step 3.
Get your chosen sewing pattern out. I've used a basic, self drafted top for this. The skirt will be a gathered rectangle and doesn't need a pattern. Most commercial pattern pieces have the front and back shown as half pieces to be cut on the fold. For this project, I find it helpful to have the full pattern piece to lay my fabric scraps over. It gives me a better idea of how it'll all come together.
Take some pattern making paper or butchers paper, fold it in half and trace the pattern pieces on. Cut them out and lay out flat.
Image: Front piece of a self drafted top pattern, cut out as a full piece.
Step 4.
Play around by laying your fabric pieces over one of the pattern pieces until you're happy with the array of shapes and colours. I prefer a mix of small, medium and large sized fabric pieces. It can take a while to get the right mix - the perfectionist within me likes to take time with this step.
Step 5.
Once you've found the right balance, it's time to start sewing the pieces together.
I sew my pieces together using a 1cm seam allowance and finish them off with an overlocked edge.
If you have the space and ability - it's handy to have your sewing machine, overlocker and iron all set up close together. I switch between the 3 constantly to get a neat finish, pressing as I go.
As a rule of thumb, I sew the smaller pieces together, overlock and press the seam to one side. I then sew this group to it's neighbouring piece. And so on, so forth.
Image: The right side of my front piece, before being cut to shape.
If you don't have an overlocker, or would just prefer another way of finishing your seams, here are a couple of other methods I've tried.
1. French Seams.
Pro: Tis' the epitome of neatness.
Cons: SO time consuming. Could get bulky around the joins, depending on the weight of your fabric.
Image: French seam -right side
Image: French Seam - wrong side
2. Raw edges.
To keep this somewhat neat and contained, I place the wrong sides of my fabric together and stitch together using a 0.8cm seam allowance. I finger press this seam to one side, then topstitch close to the raw edge of the fabric. This almost looks like a twin needle stitch and has the benefit of preventing too much fraying.
Pros: No need for an overlocker. Can look pretty cool on the right fabric. Linen, cotton, hemp etc.
Cons: Can look pretty crap on the wrong fabric.
Choose wisely people. If you're going to use this method, I'd recommend ensuring all your other finishes are very neat - bias bindings on sleeve and neck openings etc. A beautiful faced hem. This will ensure the raw edges in the body of the garment look intentional.
Image: Raw edge - right side
Image: Raw edge - wrong side
Step 6:
Place the pattern piece over your patched together fabric and trace the outline with chalk or a fabric pencil.
Before cutting this out, I like to sew a line of stitching within the chalk outline. This should help stop any of the joined edges coming apart after being cut.
Cut out around the outline. This is the view from the right side.
And the view from the wrong side.
Step 7:
Once you've made up all your pattern pieces in this fashion, then you just sew your garment up as you usually would. I prefer to create the top half of the dress first, before making up the patchwork of the skirt.
I've finished the neck and arm openings of this dress with bias binding (created from other offcuts) and inserted inseam pockets within the skirt. The hem has been faced.
Image: Front view of my finished dress.
Back view
Inside view - featuring inseam pockets and a faced hem.
I haven't photographed this particular dress on the body yet, so have a few photos from my last patchwork dress instead.
Please note: It was windy and I lost my ability to pose.
So there you go. I hope this served as some kind of inspiration to go dive into your scrap bin. Or if you don't keep your scraps - maybe you should start! There is already so much textile waste in landfill and we can all do our part to help minimize this waste.
If you do make up a patchwork garment, I'd love to see it! Tag me on Instagram so I can marvel at your scrap busting wizardry.
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I mentioned in my last post that I'd be making this version into shorts. I already have so many pairs of Fremantle Pants in heavy rotation and now that it's coming into summer here, these pasty legs of mine need to see some sun. Please don't be confused if you see the pattern pieces and instructions interchanging between shorts and pants. This won't affect the rest of the tutorial.
So now that you've raised the waistline of your pants, it's time to change the pocket style from angled side pockets, to in-seam pockets.
In-seam pockets can be added to most garments with a straight or subtly curved seam. Styles with noticeably curved side seams aren't the most suitable for this type of pocket as they may not sit flat.
If you have a sewing pattern with an in-seam pocket bag shape you already love - feel free to use it. Otherwise, it's super easy to draft your own.
First, I traced the shape of the side seam of the Front piece of the pants and decided where I want my pocket opening to start.
Place your hand down and trace around, however large you want your pocket bag to be, including seam allowance. Mark another notch where you want the bottom of the pocket opening to finish.
Cut out and label your new pattern piece. Line the Pocket Bag pattern piece up against the Front piece. Transfer the grainline from the Front piece to the Pocket Bag.
Transfer the notches from the Pocket Bag, to the Front and Back pattern pieces.
If your fabric isn't particularly stable, or has the potential to warp, you may like to place iron on interfacing around the pocket openings. Cut the interfacing to the same length as the pocket bag, and 1cm wide.
Apply the interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric.
Overlock/finish the rounded edges of the pocket bags.
Line the pocket bags up against the notches of the front and back pieces, right sides of the fabric facing together. Sew the pocket bag on, using a seam allowance 1/2mm less than the seam allowance you'll be using on the side seam.
Overlock/finish the side seams.
Press the pocket bag out flat.
Stitch close along the edge of the pocket bag lining. This step is optional, but it will help keep the pocket lining neatly in place once everything is assembled.
Place the corresponding Front and Back pieces together, right sides together. Ensure the pocket bags are lined up neatly. Stitch down the side seam until you reach the notch of the pocket bag. With the needle in the fabric, lift the foot up and pivot the fabric around to sew around the edge of the pocket bag. Once you sew around the curve and reach the other notch of the pocket back, pivot again and continue sewing down the rest of the side seam.
Here is an illustrated version, to get a clearer idea of the stitching lines.
Press the seams towards the front.
And there you go - there's now a sneaky pocket lurking in that side seam.
Too easy.
Now to bask in the patchiness that is my onion dyed cotton. This fabric was originally a tablecloth I found at the op-shop for $4.
The shorts look super cute, but I'll limit them to wears around the house until I over dye them again with something that will give me an even, solid finish.
I'd love to see if anybody tries this pattern hack!
Tag me on Instagram and use the hashtags #elbetextiles and #Fremantlepants
Happy sewing xx
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This unisex pattern has been designed to sit halfway between the waist and hips, but I'm noticing the ladies making these pants have the inclination to wear them higher! And why not - high waist pants are the shiz.
I have a lot of cropped tops ending a little bit below my waist, and my Fremantle Pants are just a touch too short to wear with them (and nobody needs to see my pasty white muffin top).
So I thought it’d be a perfect excuse to make a tutorial on raising the waistline of the Fremantle Pants!
In turn, raising the waistline of the pants will throw off the proportions of the angled side pockets. The current pocket opening is at a good height, so I’d like to keep this, but change the style of the opening to in-seam pockets. I'll cover this in Part 2 of the tutorial!
First things first – I’d recommend making a pair of the Fremantle Pants as they are, so you can see where the existing waistband sits, which will help you figure out how much to add to your pattern alteration.
If you haven't already purchased them - you can find them in my shop here:
Pop your pants on. Tie a length of string or ribbon around your waist/or where you want your waistband to sit. Measure the distance between the string and the top of the waistband. My measurement is 7cm, and I’m going to use this amount the entire way around. But you can take separate measurements at the centre front, centre back and side seams if you have particular fitting issues. This number is how much you’ll be adding along the top of your pattern.
Trace the front pattern piece onto paper. I use butchers paper for when I’m in the altering/playing around stage of pattern making. I trace my patterns onto heavier weight card once finalised if I know they’re going to be a favourite/used often. I much prefer tracing chalk around card onto the fabric, rather than pinning tissue onto the fabric.
Line up the Pocket Bag pattern piece on the Front piece, according to the notches on the Front. (Also, please ignore the fact I wrote 'pocket back' instead of 'pocket bag' on my pattern piece. I am a dingus)
Trace around the outer corner to fill in the complete shape of the front piece.
Using your measurement from before (mine is 7cm, so the following instructions will be as 7cm), measure from the top of the pattern piece and make dashes at regular intervals, 7cm up. Join the dashes to a smooth line.
Extend the centre front and side up to meet the new waistline. Use a French Curve if you'd like to keep a subtle curve on the side edge.
Keep in mind, this is a pull on pant with no fly or button closures. Your new waist opening measurement here needs to be big enough to pull over your hips. After curving in the side edge of the pattern, you need to check that there’s still enough room for your hips and adjust the curve out according. Or you can adjust the line of the side seam straight upwards if the waistband fits over the hips perfectly already and you want to keep the same width at the opening. See the red lines in the following image.
Because I have the bum of a 12 year old boy, disappointingly small and flat, I won’t be making any changes to the inwards curve of the side seam.
Cut out your new front piece and label your new pattern.
** Because I already have quite a few Fremantle Pants on heavy rotation on my wardrobe, I’m changing this pair into shorts for something a bit different. I hope the following photos will not be too confusing. The steps will all the same, but you’ll notice I’m labelling my pieces as ‘Fremantle Shorts’ from now on.
Trace out the back pattern piece.
As before, make dashes 7cm (or whatever your measurement is) above the top of the Back pattern piece.
Extend the dart upwards and bring the side seams upwards to meet the higher waist. As you can see, following the natural curve of the side seam and extending the darts upwards has decreased the size of the opening. Like I said before, I won't be changing this because I can still get this new measurement over my hips.
If you want to keep your waistband opening at the same measurement, measure straight upwards to mark new points for the side seam and dart openings.
The red lines in the second image show the new, modified pattern shape.
Cut out your new pattern piece.
Now it's time to adjust the waistband pattern piece (if need be).
Mark 1cm seam allowance on Front pattern piece - at the centre front seam and side seam. Line up the centre front seam with the centre fold of the waistband.
Mark a notch on the waistband where the side seam of the Front piece is.
On the Back pattern piece, fold the dart together as it would be sewn. Mark the 1cm seam allowance on the centre back seam and side seam. Line up the centre back seam notch with the side seam notch on the waistband. Mark the new centre back of the waistband.
Mark the new centre back of the waistband.
Last chance to check the waistband measurement is enough to fit over your hips!
That's it for Part 1. I'll cover the in-seam pocket change in Part 2 of the tutorial.
Hope this was easy and clear - feel free to get in touch with me if you're giving this a shot and want anything clarified :-)
And as always, please tag me on Instagram with your makes!! Use the hashtags #fremantlepants and #elbetextiles
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Anyone that knows me, knows that I am not the biggest user of colour in my work. As Rei Kawakubo said ‘I work in three shades of black’.
So as much as I loved the idea of natural dyeing, I never really used it much for my clothing and textile designs because I couldn’t achieve the dark and moody shades I wanted. Natural dyeing was more of a fun experimentation on the side when I wasn’t after a certain look. As an Australian, the obvious choice for a dye substance is eucalyptus leaves. Where I live, there are trees coming out the wazoo...
]]>So as much as I loved the idea of natural dyeing, I never really used it much for my clothing and textile designs because I couldn’t achieve the dark and moody shades I wanted. Natural dyeing was more of a fun experimentation on the side when I wasn’t after a certain look. As an Australian, the obvious choice for a dye substance is eucalyptus leaves. Where I live, there are trees coming out the wazoo.
Depending on the species of eucalyptus, you can get colours ranging from red to amber to gold. I’ve tried a few different trees now but always end up with a golden hue. (Where are these mythical red producing trees??)
Enter Iron Sulphate, aka the greatest mordant that I ever did see. After adding iron to one of my eucalyptus dye baths, I achieved the most glorious shade of grey. When I threw in full garments to over-dye, it gave me that faded/distressed look that is usually achieved from stonewashing or enzyme washing a black garment.
These are the Trigg Shorts – the fabric was originally a white, heavyweight cotton I found in my local Good Sammies (I believe they used to be curtains). The pattern for these shorts is available here.
For anyone new to natural dyeing - a mordant is a substance used to help dye bind to the fibre. Mordants also have the ability to change the colour of the dye. Some common mordants include alum, tin, iron sulphate and copper.***
They can be used in a number of different ways.
- Pre-mordanting- Treating the fabric with the mordant before dyeing.
- Adding the mordant to the dye bath.
- Or treating the fabric with mordant after dyeing.
For this post, I will be focusing on adding the mordant to the dye bath.
Let me preface this by saying I am in no way an expert on natural dyeing. Yes, I have a degree in Textiles- but the need for careful measuring and weighing never stuck with me. I use my intuition more than anything – so if you are here for a strict recipe to follow, then I’m sorry to say you’ve come to the wrong place. Consider this more of an inspiration to try your own experimentation with dyeing!
What you will need:
-White/light natural fabric/fibres/garment that you want to dye.
Protein based fibres such as silk and wool pick up colour better than other natural fibres. In saying that, I have achieved some strong colours with linen, rayon and bamboo cotton by soaking in a soy milk solution beforehand.
-A large, stainless steel pot.
I usually use a 10 or 15L pot. Other metal pots (eg aluminium, copper etc) can cause different results in the final colour of your fabric.
-Eucalyptus leaves
The amount depends on how strong you want your colour and how much fabric you are dying. I usually fill my pot halfway with leaves (or 2/3’s if I’ve been lazy and kept branches attached)
-Soy Milk (optional – if you’re using fibres other than silk or wool)
-Iron Sulphate
-Gloves
-Tongs
-Strainer
-Another large container to strain the dye into
Method:
Fill your pot to your desired level with eucalyptus leaves. Make sure any insects hiding in the leaves have had the chance to escape. I once cooked a spider in my dye bath and I still feel guilty about it.
Fill the pot with enough water to cover all the leaves.
Place the pot on the stove and heat for at least an hour and a half to extract the colour. The longer you leave it, the stronger the colour will be. You can turn the heat off after the hour and a half and let the pot sit.
This is the colour I achieved after an hour and a half on the stove.
While this is happening, it’s a good chance to prep your fabrics. Pre-wash your fabric to remove any sizing, oil or dirt.
When dyeing cotton, linen, rayon or bamboo, I soak these fabrics in a solution of 1 part soy milk to 4 parts water. Because the soy milk is a protein, and proteins pick up dye better, this helps the dye attach to your fabric. Make sure the soy and water are thoroughly mixed so you don’t get patches of stronger colour where a pocket of soy may have been hanging out.
After soaking for an hour, you can take the fabric out of the solution (do not rinse) and hang on the line to drip dry. This fabric doesn’t have to be used straight away – you can always dry and store for use on a later date.
BUT I’M IMPATIENT SO LET’S GET TO THE NEXT STEP.
Remove the leaves/debris out of your dye bath. Pour it through a strainer into your second container. Pour it back through the strainer again, back into your original pot.
If you’d prefer the golden colour of straight eucalyptus, you can put your fabric into this dyebath.
For the grey colour, I add roughly half a teaspoon of Iron Sulphate to a pot that is half full, 2/3’s full. You don’t need much to see the dye bath turn black instantly.
Please excuse my shoddy photography – but I’ve put these swatches here to give you an idea of the difference between a plain eucalyptus dye bath, and one with a touch of iron sulphate added.
Stir thoroughly.
To get an even finish on your fabric, I make sure my fabric is damp all over before placing in the bath. Using your gloves and a pair of tongs, lower the fabric into the dye evenly, ensuring all the fabric is covered and there’s enough room to stir the fabric around. Move and agitate the fabric constantly, getting the dye in and around any fold or creases. The more time you devote to stirring and moving the fabric around, the less chance of patchiness.
Keep the fabric in the dye bath for at least an hour -unless you want a lighter/subtle colour.
I usually leave mine in for 2 hours with constant bouts of stirring. Once your level of colour is achieved (remembering that it will lighten significantly when dry), take the fabric out of the dyebath and rinse until the water runs clear. Or if I’ve done a large batch of dyeing, I’ll forgo the rinsing step, just wring the excess dye out and put the fabric through a quick 15 minute wash in the washing machine.
Hang your fabric on the line to dry and voila – all done!
From the top – silk chiffon, 100% cotton pre-soaked in a soy milk solution, and cotton cheesecloth – also pre-soaked in the soy milk.
This whole outfit is a eucalyptus/iron sulphate situation. Sami is wearing the Carine Tee in a textured cotton jersey (pattern no longer available) and an amended version of the Lawley Skirt (pattern also no longer available). The hat is made from denim and I used the Serpentine Hat pattern.
Photo: Daniel Njegich, Model: Sami Warren
*** Please note that the addition of a metal based mordant to your natural dye increases its environmental impact. Of all the mordants listed above – alum is probably considered the safest.
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