On a Lark » Pleats

The Schoolhouse Tunic!

Emily — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 01:16:37 +0000

After several years of seeing The Schoolhouse Tunic Pattern by Sew Liberated appear on blog after blog, I finally got it! Happy birthday to me courtesy of my very patient sweetheart who helped me pick out the fabric at Alewives. If you’re unfamiliar with this pattern, just Google it or check out their Flickr group. It’s become the most loved pattern around. And I now I know why.

The whole pattern, start to finish, took maybe two or three hours. The construction and instructions are extremely straightforward and you end up with a nicely finished piece. The sizing was exactly as measured, which I hardly ever encounter. I usually cut patterns several sizes larger than my normal size based on the measurements on the pattern and end up swimming in the result, but this fit great. It’s a little too short to wear without tights, so I think I might add a few inches for some summer versions.

I did make a few adjustments to the pattern. They call to have a little gather at the shoulder. I rarely wear tops with a gathered shoulder so I cut the sleeve out as they said, set it in without the gather, and I think it still turned out pretty well. Also, the pattern called for two smaller pleats in the front. I made one pleat that covered the same amount of fabric. I’ve seen photos where the two pleats looked lovely, but who wants two box pleats on either side of their torso? Not this girl.

And one more shot because I so rarely succeed at sewing clothing:

Now that I’ve gotten a hang of the pattern, I have some plans in the works for different versions. I’d really like one in a black and white or navy and white gingham like this one at mmmcrafts.com. I’m also day dreaming about a white linen version with some retro thick lace or crochet trim along the bottom. This will obviously be a disaster because two dogs are part of this home. Brown dogs. And who am I kidding? I spill stuff on myself all the time. Maybe it will be gray linen. Or navy. I’m also pretty sure I would not regret a voile version for summer time either. I just need a few more hours in the day. Is that so much to ask?

Stress sewing

Emily — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 22:06:00 +0000

I’m back home after a great time catching up with old friends. It’s always nice to know that even after years apart, it sort of seems like no time has passed at all. But this trip wasn’t all fun, it was also a job searching mission. It’s looking hopeful, which is comforting given the current job market. Still, I’ll be moving away, which is always a little tough. Cue “500 Miles” by Peter, Paul, and Mary .
So I needed a little time to clear my head. And as usual, sewing didn’t let me down. I got working on a new bag, which might look a little familiar. This bag is going to be a surprise for a great lady. And I even got to another chance to test out putting in a zippered pocket.

Pinning the pleats

Zippered pocket success!

It's done!

I think I’ve finally gotten this pattern completely worked out and it finally seems to come together without any fussing. I wrote a hubpage on how to put in a gusset using this bag as an example. So, what do you do when you need some time to think?

Spring Break trip = new clutch required

Emily — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 21:57:29 +0000

I’m heading down south for a job interview! And I’m also catching up with some college buddies that I haven’t seen for almost TWO YEARS!! If that doesn’t scream “new wallet” then I don’t know what does. I’ve been using this wallet for a while, but I finally got tired of my shady zipper installation and I decided to try a new pattern. I drafted one this morning the dividers and triangles I should have been using for chartwork practice.

I’m a big fan of a bright lining so I used the same pink fabric from this bag. And as always, Piper, the lion/golden retriever, helped out.

Piper doesn’t look too pleased with my design. Oh man, this is going to be a much needed trip. Wish me luck!

Duck canvas = the answer to interfacing woes

Emily — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:21:55 +0000

So, my Mom’s birthday is coming up! For those of you who know her, she is a great lady and has some excellent fashion (some of which she may or may not have liberated from my closet). So, for her birthday present, she picked out some fabrics that she liked and I got to work.
On the other bags I have made, I was never completely happy with the interfacing on the exterior. (Interfacing is an iron-on stiffening layer). When I made the pleats, as soon as I pressed a pleat lightly, the crease was almost impossible to remove. Answer? Duck canvas! I got mine from Joann’s on sale, but it’s available all over, especially at fabric warehouse type places. So, for Mom’s bag, I drafted about a 2/3 size from the pattern I used from my charcoal and teal bag. I’m still perfecting my pattern making skills. At the moment, this mostly involves brown wrapping paper, a ruler, and scissors. There must be a better way. Here are all the pieces ready to go:

Anyhow, I used a dark red canvas for the exterior. The handle has two layers of fusible fleece and is made from home decorator weight fabric that I got at The Fabric Warehouse in Auburn, ME. If you’re in the area, they are amazing. Great prices and very helpful staff. The interior is the same design fabric but light blue. I made two pockets, one divided to hold cell phones etc., and one with a pen holder. And of course, a giant button. I wish I could find bigger buttons. Any suggestions are welcome. Because they are great.
Here’s the finished product! I’m going to make one for myself this weekend, so stay tuned.