Easy 2 hour dress New Look 6750 stretch fabric casual dresses and stash busting

I oiled my overlock machine, dove into my fabric stash and made three dresses from my remnants. All are view B from New Look 6750.

Dress 2 and 3 have twin needle stitched hems. Dress 3 is my favourite to wear, the others are very figure hugging on me and I am just not used to it.

Dress no. 1 - View B, cotton blend fabric with little stretch,

made as per pattern instructions

Dress no.2 - View B

a drapey knit by John Kaldor fabrics.

Dress no.3 - View B, a cotton knit.

This time I removed the shaping

at the waist by ruling straight from the underarm to the hip.

It is cool dress for hot days.

Two colour twin needle stitching on dress 3.

This is a classic easy to wear dress. The BurdaStyle range of dressmaking books are another source of classic patterns and are available with free postage from the Book Depository.

Asymmetrical stretch knit top McCalls 6400

This asymmetrical stretch knit top was partially sewn when I bought it along with the pattern. It's previous owner must have gotten really really frustrated with the slinky stretchy fabric and gave it away.

I overlocked the side seams and twin needled the sleeves, neckline and hem.

It fits, feels comfortable, looks weird and keeps sliding over to reveal bra straps.

It is very easy and quick to sew.

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Burda Start III 3197 variation

 

Another variation of the Burda Start 3197 pattern. This time with a warm skivvy type neck. The fabric has thin stripes of silver sparkle thread - hence the "dots" in the photo.

I used my overlocker to do all the seams and neck and the sewing machine and twin needle for the wrists and hem.

This fabric "suited" the twin needle and I had no need to put paper under the hemline. Adjusting the needle position two steps to the left, and having a stitch length of 2.6, tension 3.5 was enough to get perfect twin needle stitches all the way around.

Pink Cutie

This top is made from a remnant of man made fibre - some polyester nylon something or other, it has self stripes, a slight stretch and is tough to sew. Despite feeling delicate, pins and needles have difficulty penetrating it - I used sticky tape to position the sewing line for the darts and when cutting out the pattern pieces.

The seams are over locked and the hem and sleeve edges roll hemmed with navy woolly polyester thread on the over locker.

Navy blue rolled hem on sleeve

T-shirt style nightie with embroidery

A useful, quick project means a happy sewer.

The nightie has an embroidered pocket, button placket and mock flatlocked hem and sleeves. The fabric is a polyester cotton rib knit remnant - feels very soft. I used iron-on interfacing to stabilise the shoulder seams and in places around the neck and armhole edges. The pocket is machine embroidered with a cross stitch flower.

A dusty pink nightie for spring

Detail of button placket and pocket. I have previously
used soft velcro thinking it would be easier for nursing staff, but have found
they don't generally close the velcro or buttons

Mock flatlocked hem

The pattern came from this pattern pack.
I have made several nighties from this pattern-
see older blog posts

Polo style top

Body length shortened for Misses' sizes as per pattern directions,
self-fabric used for the collar

Zip closure

Actual garment looks better than the technical drawing


 

Notes:

• Fabric a polycotton rib knit remnant
• Self-fabric collar
• If wearing it as a close-fitting version the zip is more for looks only unless you like the high neck look
• I made this in XS size for my Mum who has shrunk to a size 8 or less, but it also fits Mary in a more body hugging way and Mary is a size 10-12.

Lettuce edging top

I made this several weeks ago and have been wearing it fairly regularly - so Mary hasn't had a chance to model it until now. It is from a Spotlight brand pattern and is a raglan sleeve top. I have modified it by making lettuce edges on the sleeves and hems with the overlocker.

Notes:

• This pattern is quite close fitting under the arms and the neckline is quite wide. The sleeves also seem quite long, although if made as per the pattern they will form that puff at the sleeve hem. I shortened them by about 4cm.
• I used two layers of light weight interfacing on the neckband and it was quite stiff initially but after a couple of washed it has relaxed and kept its shape.

Embroidered pocket nightie

Another nightie but this time with a monogram and floral stem on the pocket. I used a 100% cotton knit with a light print of sea horses, fish and shells.

The basic pattern

Short sleeves, velcro placket, a pocket and no neck binding
 (the edge was turned over and stitched)

Close-up of placket and pocket

Pocket detail - machine embroidered

Notes:
Reduce needle tension on the embroidery (there was some bobbin thread showing)

See and Sew 3630 stretch knit skirt

This week I wanted and needed to overlock. The skirt from See & Sew 3630 (copyright 2002) was my overlock project. I refered to my manual and a book on serging.

A pattern from 2002 but with plenty of potential to wear now.

I used the instructions from Creative Serging Illustrated
 to construct the skirt rather than the pattern instructions.

A very useful book with clear line drawings and practical information.

Mary in the completed skirt - a grey ribbed knit remnant.

Close up of lettuce edging on the hemline - went around it twice.

Notes:

• Be very accurate with elastic measurements because once it is serged to the skirt who wants to unpick it if it is the wrong size.

Flatlocked spots - another KwikSew 2867

I flatlocked the edges of this KwikSew 2867 top to give it a bit more umph - the beige/milk coffee colour was a bit boring even with the maroon spots. It has a velcro placket to make it easy to get on/off for my Mum whose limbs are very stiff.

The button was purely to give it some colour as I couldn't overlock over the thickness of fabric at the placket.

Modified square neck top

Knitwit Pattern 1500: Square neck raglan top and culottes sizes 6 to 22

I'd previously made the top for me in a blue floral knit. This time round I thought I'd give matching stripes a try - like on the pattern envelope photo.  Managed to match the stripes across part of the top and one side!

I added a placket and folded it back. The sleeve and bodice hems were overlocked.

Nightie Night

A quickly overlocked nightie (and even flatlocked hems) to replace the one gone missing. No buttons this time just three squares of soft velcro.

Pattern: an old by the fortnight series called 'Make It Easy' pattern 9 Marshall Cavendish 1984

Singlet/tank top with placket and flatlocking

Button  placket pinned on, ready to sew

Button placket folded and pinned



Armhole and neckline edges 3 thread overlocked

Flatlocked hem - rightside (top), wrongside (bottom)

Decorative buttons with soft velcro underneath to fasten

The completed top

Flatlocking

My overlocker/serger and I are good friends (as long as I play by its rules).  Over the last couple of evenings I've been teaching it and me a new trick - flatlocking. This is not a new technique to the world of sewing and garment manufacture. I'd read about it in issues of Threads magazine, in sewing books and serger books but hadn't really understood it.

My inspiration to actually sit down and work it out was a book by Palmer/Pletsch. However information on line such as this 2 page pdf are also very helpful http://www.ca.uky.edu/hes/fcs/FACTSHTS/CT-MMB-198.pdf

Wrong side view showing how fabric remnants were flatlocked together

Flatlocking "ladders" on right side of fabric.

Martha Pullen

A very luck day. Bought Martha Pullen's "French Hand Sewing by Machine, the second book".
A heirloom sewing book by someone not afraid to use modern machines and techniques. Lots of lace and ribbon. Stunning creations for children, tweens and adult women who want or need some lace and ruffles in their lives.

Square neck top

A newsreader on TV wore a square neck top recently and it reminded me of a knitwit pattern I have. It went together very quickly and is very comfortable to wear.
Pattern 1500: Square neck raglan top and culottes sizes 6 to 22 Knitwit 1985.

Front view

Inside out to show construction of neck