Sewing A Barbie Dress

Hi Barbie! Have you noticed the pink phenomenon that is spreading all over the world? It's a whole Barbie craze! And, I'm here for it. Gimme aaallll the pink. Have you seen the movie? I saw it twice. I made a dress and had to share it with you. Yay for Barbie sewing!

Barbie Dress. Check! Pink fuzzy slippers. Check!

I grabbed the Barbara Bodice pattern from Gertie's Patreon. If you aren't a member, run, don't walk, and join now! She gives so much over there, even at the base level. The Barbara bodice is the updated version of her original Butterick 6453.

This isn't a sew-along, but it's more of a show and tell. I want to show you the Barbie movie-inspired dress. If you've made a Barbie dress, shorts, PJs, or other inspirational item, tag me. I want to see what you made. I've seen a few goth Barbie outfits that are super fun too.

Let's dive in!

Feeling fabulous!

Barbara Bodice

My thoughts on the Barbara bodice might not be the popular opinion. But, I much prefer the Butterick 6453. I like how the back fits me. It has a simple dart. The Barbara has a 2-piece back pattern. It's fine enough, but seems to be extra. 

Barbara has different cup sizes, which is awesome!! No more figuring out your FBA. For the busty gals, this is a huge plus! However, my bodice didn't fit, as flawlessly as the Butterick 6453. I had some extra armpit room, which is weird. I like the FBA I created for the Butterick pattern better. I plan on making another Barbara (I didn't make a mock-up for my Barbie dress) and I'll play with the pattern, fit, and sizing.

Gertie included 2 strap options with the Barbara Bodice. Self-tie straps that are thin, and wide gathered straps, for bra strap coverage. I opted to use the thin self-tie straps, and they covered my wide bra straps well enough. 

The Barbara doesn't have any facings, it's fully lined, which I'm a huge fan of! I definitely love the pattern and am a huge fan. Both the Butterick 6453 and Barbara come together so easily and are fun to sew. It's the perfect last-minute dress pattern. But, I'm still on the fence if I'm over the moon happy with the Barbara. 

Have you sewn it? If so, have you compared the two patterns side by side? The general consensus I've seen across the interwebs is that the Barbara is wonderful. But, as I've gone down the pattern-making black hole, I've become more of a pattern snob kabob. 

Thinner straps that you can tie into a bow. Easy and cute.

The new scoop back is pretty too.

Skirt Stuff

Gertie also created the Barbie movie skirt pattern to go with the bodice. It's a full box pleat skirt that uses aalll the fabric. When I ordered my fabric, I ordered 4 yards. However, the skirt alone uses over 4 yards. So, I went with plan B.

I opted to draft my own circle skirt, and of course, I added roomy pockets. I actually prefer circle skirts over gathered ones anyway. I have a fuller tummy and appreciate less fabric in that area. Plus, circle skirts are just fun! 

I've been learning pattern making as I mentioned above, and I'm taking it one step at a time. If you're interested, check out Tricia, she's the best teacher! And, her motto is "You don't need to be good at math for pattern making". Which I'm all about because mathing is hard. Haha :D

Self drafted circle skirt.

Circle skirt twirls are the absolute best.

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Welp, that's it. Do you love the dress? I sure do. I feel so girly in it and it'll be a February staple as well. I plan on wearing tights and a sweater, or a long sleeve underneath it.  

Not a Barbie fan? You can sew a 1950s-style swimsuit instead. It's the Bombshell and it's flattering on everybody.

Have you ever been interested in making a quilt? Read my blog post and you can sew one up in about a week. 



Thanks for hanging out today. Happy sewing of all things pink! 


XOXO,
​Annette

New Look 6446: Sewing Fail

Sewing is a journey. Whether you've been sewing for a few months or decades. As sewists, we are constantly learning. We have ups and downs. Recently I took a jump and disregarded a golden sewing rule. Yep, I had a sewing fail. I've been sewing for over 20 years and you would think with that many years under my belt, I'd be a super pro. Nope, not the case. 

I started with a pattern I've made before. The fit is good but, I went rogue! I used knit fabric for a woven pattern. And the outcome was, well, all kinds of wrong. Here's why you stick with the fabric that the pattern recommends. 

Choose your fabric wisely. When you pick a sewing pattern, the envelope gives you lots of important information. Do not ignore it. Read the fabric recommendations and stick with them, for the most part. I made my first New Look 6446 pattern back in 2020 with a stretch cotton sateen. It turned out beautifully. I wear it all the time and love the fit. I wanted to make another one and figured since the last one turned out, I could use knit fabric for a second one. It would be the ultimate cozy secret pajamas. I was wrong!

I followed the directions to the T. I even followed the layout instructions after I had made a mental note of my directional fabric. The back legs ended up getting cut upside down. Womp womp. Nevertheless, I carried on.

Sewed the darts on the front and back bodice pieces. 

Added the interfacing to the top piece. At this point, I started to realize I had chosen the wrong fabric. the knit didn't like being sewn in this direction. But, I kept going. 

The pocket bags sewed up nicely. This pattern has such nice roomy pockets. I love it!

Legs are sewn together.

Pant legs went together easily. I realized I sewed them with upside-down fabric afterward. So far, the only wonky part is the bodice.

Sewed up the crotch seam. I was getting excited because it was coming together nicely.

Pinned the bodice piece to the legs at the waist and sewed. I did notice a little stretching at this seam but thought it was no biggy. Secret pajamas remember!? This is going to be so cozy!

Next up was the invisible zipper. I love sewing these. It feels so wrong the way they go in, but it looks so right after they're in. I buy mine in bulk, so it was either black or white. I chose black, but wish I used a white one. Ah well. 

I didn't take photos of the lining, but it's the same as the bodice. It was all stretched out. I attached the shoulder straps and hemmed the legs. 

I tried it on and it fit. It fits with tons of extra room! Not good. It's not a baggy-style jumpsuit. It's supposed to be more form fitting. Ack!! 

Where I Went Wrong

• I chose knit fabric for a woven pattern. Not smart. The amount of ease and sewing pieces were created for a nonstretch fabric. When I made my first one, the fabric had a slight stretch but, wasn't knit. Lesson learned. 

• I laid my fabric out with the direction in mind, but then left my brain in the kitchen and placed the pattern upside down. So, my back pant legs are upside down. Face-palm, lesson learned.

• The rippled top piece was interfaced with stretch interfacing. Not sure if this was a good or bad move. I think it was a bad move perhaps? I also think I should have made the lining with a woven fabric. It would have acted as a stabilizer to keep the knit fabric from stretching out. 

Fixables

• Armhole sagging, gapping, bagging. I will unpick the waist seam and take a "dart" out of each side seam. This will hopefully eliminate the baggy armholes.

• I'll take in the waist seam a bit too, it's on the too big side.

A Positive Side

I learned my lesson on fabric choice. I thought I'd be able to get away with using a different fabric, but learned that I, in fact, cannot. I'm glad it was a silly mistake that I can fix. I still love the jumpsuit and plan on wearing it for three seasons. It's super comfortable and looks cute. The upside-down fabric on the backside doesn't bother me as much. The print is small enough that nobody will even notice. 

It’s a wonky green thing, but I wear it often. It’s another secret pajama outfit!

What's your most recent sewing fail? Or sewing win!? Let's celebrate both today!! Comment below. 

Happy sewing!
Annette

Ta-da!! It's the Bryant Gown. This dress gave me all the feelings when I made it for a cruise a couple summers ago. 🫠 The pattern was made for a 7ft tall person. 🤣 No really, it was! It almost broke me. ✨ Thank goodness for the gram because that's how I found @katiecanavan and she shared how she fixed hers. 😘 You just whack off 3 feet from the bottom. 🤣 And reattach the ruffly bit. 🙌 ✨ Anywho, this dress was meant for last night, but it was too tight and I like breathing. So, I took a photo and put my Florida dress back on. Ho hum. 😂 And yes, there were a few people in the hall who saw me do this. 🤪 ✨ Viva is over, and I'm sad. But I'm happy to be home so I can sleep in my own bed. My eyes are swollen and I have full blown luggage (not just bags) under eyes. 😴 Goodnight and I'll see you all in 2 days. Oh, I have a list already started of what I'm making next year. A patio dress, fringe dress, and a pake muu for starters. Pattern: @gertie18 Charm Patterns Fabric: brocade from Fabric.com 😔 Laughing: brought to you by a too tight dress. 😂 #bryantgown #charmpatterns #gertiepatterns #gertiedress #isewmyownclothes

Daytime outfit for Sunday was perfect for flamingle-ing, complete with a flamingo purse! I was channeling my inner Florida gal, without the dreadful humidity. 🤪 🦩🌴🦩 This was an outfit repeat from a few years ago. Sshhh, don't tell anyone. It's a comfy dress and so easy to sew. We went rogue on Sunday and did our own thing including thrifting. 🤩 🌴🦩🌴🦩🌴 👗Pattern is the popover dress from @gertie18 Book, Gertie sews jiffy dresses. 🌴Fabric was from ye olde fabric.com 🥹 💗Belt is @hellbunnyofficial 🦩Purse by my daughter @cunie.crochet 🌺 Fascinator by yours truly #popoverdress #gertiesewsjiffydresses #gertiepatterns #memadeeveryday #casualdresses

Playing catch-up on outfits. This was my evening outfit for Saturday. This dress was something I attempted to recreate from a vintage dress I saw at Viva last year. It turned out okay. I'm not in love with the fit at all. However, I am very proud of it because I drafted all the pieces by myself. 💖 It's flowy which is fun, but feels too grandma-y for me. 👵 Oh, and I'm wearing the sweetest spider pin made by @spiders_sparkles_and_blooms who I met at Craftcation. She makes the coolest spiders!!! Go check her out. 🕷️ The fabric is all from @fabricwholesaledirect Pattern is self drafted: sheath dress, circle cape, and gathered skirt overlay. #sewingadress #eveninggowns #memadeglamour #chiffonfordays #isewmyownclothes

Are you sick of outfit posts yet? Or are ya hungry for more!? 🤪 🍋🍋🍋 This was my car show outfit. My Lemony Loretta's and Mary sunhat. There was supposed to be a Rita top, but whoever sewed it had an outer body experience and forgot to use a longer zipper.. It did not fit over my head!!!! 🤣🤣🤣 Cue running to the shop to grab a black top from @steadyclothing . Crisis averted. 🎉 🍋🍋🍋 And do you see my adorable lemon purse? Yes, my daughter crocheted it for me the night before we left. She's the best!! @cunie.crochet 🍋🍋🍋 The cars were gorgeous. And all the vendors were amazing and of course I bought aaaalllll the things. 😆✨ Patterns @gertie18 @marynishimutaatelier Fabric @made_everyday Place @viva.las.vegas.vlv #Lorettashorts #marysunhat #memadeeveryday #isewmyownclothes #carshowseason #gertiespatreon

My dress from last night's activities. Went to the burlesque show, dinner, then wall flower danced at the R n' B show. @viva.las.vegas.vlv 💚🍸💚🍸💚 The dress I made and wore is @gertie18 Starlet Gown available on her Patreon. I used an olive green stretch velvet from @fabricwholesaledirect. I love the dress!!!!! So easy to sew and the fit is perfect. It's a secret nightgown. 🤩 I'll have to make a video of me walking and twirling in this dress. I left a slit open in the front just like the fabulous @sewveryfaye did with hers. 🍸💚🍸💚🍸 Ohhh, and I only have 2 blisters on my feet so far. 🤣 Yay bandaids!!🎉🤪 #memadeglamour #starletgown #stretchvelvet #isewmyownclothes #gertiespatreon #vegasglam

Yay! A somewhat decent picture of my daytime outfit. It's a Lamouretta and picnic skirt combo to create a playsuit. 🍄 Having fun as always at @viva.las.vegas.vlv Went to the sewing meetup this morning and met some new friends and reconnected with old ones. ❤️❤️❤️ Patterns are @gertie18 on patreon and Charm Patterns 🍄❤️🍄 #vivalasvegasrockabillyweekend #sewingtribe #vegasbabyvegas #isewmyownclothes #memadeeveryday

Never have I ever... Wanted to take a backdrop home with me so badly. 😆🌛 Do you think I could fit this in my car? 🤪 I'm having the best time at Craftcation, of course. 🌛 🌛 🌛 @dearhandmadelife #dearhandmadelife #craftythings #foundmytribe #craftcation2024

☔️Since it's snowing today, I thought I'd finally share my raincoat. 😂 It's been finished for almost 2 months, I just haven't posted it because... I think it's rather boring. It's not bright or colorful. Or fun. 💙 However, it does fit and has already been worn in the rain. Twice. It kept me dry too. Yay!! 🎉 I made this coat alongside my magical sewing friends from the online world. Thanks @miss.taeschli for hostessing with the mostessing all of our Zoom calls. And, thanks @sewminigems @medivel @scattercrafted @sarahssewingchronicles for all the advice, laughs, and sewing inspo. 😘 ➡️It's the No-Name navy raincoat. So, let's name her! 💙 🧵 🪡 Go! 💙💙💙 Pattern: @gertie18 Princess coat with hood expansion available on Patreon Outer Fabric: 2 layer Burlington ultrex fabric from @rockywoodsfabrics Lining: is flannel from @joann_stores and it sorta resembles raindrops. I used plastic KAM snaps Size 12 F/G cup 💙 #hoodedprincesscoat #princesscoat #sewistsofig #sewingintherain #isewthereforeiam #gertiepatterns #charmpatterns #sewcalists #socal #handmadewithjoann

I enjoy cutting and taping PDF's. I know I can't be the only one, right? Do you love them? They're easier than tracing off paper patterns IMO. I've started the Viva sewing. Finally! 🎉 First up on the cutting table is the Starlet Gown by @gertie18. It'll be in Olive Green velvet. 💚 #pdfpattern #starletgown #vivasewing #vivalasvegasrockabillyweekend #sewcalists #socal #1930sfashion

Happy Fabulous Friday!! 💕 I'm finally sharing the poodle skirt I made last weekend. This was for a special day at school, not a Halloween costume. ☺️ Funny fact: I've never made a poodle skirt. It's fun, easy, and super cute!! 🐩💕🐩 Now that I've shown you how easy it is, are you running to the machine to make one? 😆💕 Also... This song! 🎶💕 If you're wondering about the circle cheat sheet, you can grab it by signing up with Tricia, the pattern making teacher extraordinaire!! @creative.costume.academy Everything was purchased from @joann_stores I used pink fleece instead of felt. #poodleskirt #50s #50sstyle #pinkfashion #socalgal #pinkpoodle #handmadewithjoann #isewmyownclothes #sewingmom #outsidersday #southerncalifornia

Simplicity 8654 Vintage-Style Shorts

Summer is here, and do you know what that means? It's time to tackle your warm-weather vintage sewing patterns. The weather has been cooler lately, but shorts are still a necessity. The Simplicity vintage-style pattern 8654 is a perfect summer sewing pattern. It has swooshy shorts, a cute top, and a fun skirt. I chose to sew the shorts. I have a pair of RTW shorts that are similar, but no longer fit. So, I decided to make my own. The shorts have minimal pattern pieces (4) and take about 2 yards of fabric, more or less depending on your size. Let's get started!

Cut + Trace

​
Find your size on the pattern. The style is very forgiving in the hips, so I went with my waist measurement only.

Cut the pattern or trace it onto paper. Transfer all your markings. This is especially important for the pleats. 

​Cut out the fabric pieces and interface your waistband. 

Sew, sew, sew!

Match the front pieces together. Pin and sew along the curve. 

Sew the inseam curve.

Fold the pleats, matching the marked lines, and sew. Do this with both of the front pieces. Then, repeat the same steps for the back pieces. The pattern instructions were fairly easy for these shorts. No issues to write home (or you) about.

Mark and sew your pleats. The marking is the most important part.

Topstitch the pleats in place.

Your pleats should look like the ones above. Topstitch after you sew them to keep them secure. 

Flip over the shorts, and there will be two rows of stitching, like the photo below. So far, pretty easy, right?

After top stitching, you will have 2 rows of stitching. the inside will look like this.

Grab your two pocket pieces. Sew along the edges on a front piece and again on a back piece. This pattern only has one pocket because of the side zipper. If you're feeling brave, you could easily add a second side pocket and insert the zipper in the back seam instead.

Sewing is all about customization. :D

I didn't love how they had you sew the pocket. But, note to self, next time sew it up how I would regularly sew an inseam pocket.

Follow the pattern instructions to sew the inseam pocket.

This pattern only has 1 pocket.

Zipper time! This pattern calls for a lapped zipper, which is a true vintage-style zipper. I am somewhat new to the lapped zipper, as I've only been sewing them for 2 or so years. I'm a huge fan! They take minimal effort and go in pretty easily, with a few tips and tricks. 

I use a strip of 1" interfacing for all of my zippers. It helps stiffen up the fabric, and the zipper looks nicer after it is sewn in. 

Press the right side under 1/2". Pin the fabric right next to the zipper teeth. Sew, using a zipper foot. 

Then, press the left side under 5/8". I close the zipper and pin the fabric to the zipper tape. Be sure to barely cover the right side stitches. Unzip, then sew.

Inserting a lapped zipper.

Left side of the zipper. This will be the underlap.

Topstitch the lapped zipper. These are so nice to sew and look nice too.

​Time for some waistband action. I sewed a straight size 18 for the shorts and used the size 18 waistband pattern piece, but the waistband was too short. So, I added an extra piece of fabric to ensure the waist band was long enough. I've noticed with a lot of patterns that the waistband always falls short of the skirt, shorts, or pants. ?? Maybe I'm broken, but does this happen to you?

It was an easy fix, luckily. Just make a note of it when you make these shorts. 

Pin and sew the waistband to the shorts, making sure to match notches and seams.

Had to add extra fabric to the waistband. Nobody will notice.

After sewing the waistband to the shorts, flip the raw edge over to enclose the raw edges of the shorts. The band will enclose them. 

Pin from the outside, right along the seam line, catching the inner fold with the pins. This is my most favorite way of sewing a waistband. It goes quickly and has a clean finish. 

Fold over edge, pin, then sew.

Pin around whole waistband.

Finished waistband.

Time to hem your new shorts. You can turn the raw edge under 1/4" and then under again, as the pattern instructions say. Or, serge the raw edge, and turn under once, and sew. I prefer to do it this way most of the time. It is quick and easy, and is great for pants or shorts. 

Hem the shorts. Turn under and under again. I serged the edge.

Add a label in the back of the shorts. The front looks very similar to the back, so this little addition helps when it's time to get dressed. If you don't have labels, add a fun piece of grosgrain ribbon. 

Add a cute label.

Don't forget to add your buttonhole and button. I opted for a fun contrasting pink one. I love my colorful coral zipper too. It mostly matches. Ha! 

End Thoughts

The shorts fit great! I went down a size in my waist because I know the big 4 patterns usually add a lot of ease. My waist is 33-34", and I sewed the size that had a 32" waist. They fit perfectly and have a little wiggle room. The fabric I used is a rayon challis. In my experience, rayon shrinks over time with the first few washings. If it shrinks, I'm good. If not, I'm good. Either way, I'm happy with the size I chose.
The fabric is a Gertie designed fabric she used to have at Joann stores. It's almost a decade old. I made my first Rita Blouse with it. The leftover fabric was from the yardage I bought all that time ago. 
Funny enough, I did not have a top that matched my new shorts. Yes, I have black tops, but I wanted some color. I made a solid bright pink Rita to wear with them. I know, bizarre for me to sew solid fabrics. Because the shorts were so busy, I wanted some simplicity on top. 


Next time I make these shorts, I'm going to play with the pleats. I think I'll fold the fabric differently to give them a different look. Maybe a large box pleat? 

Thanks for following along. Now, go grab the pattern and get started on your summer sewing. 

Are you excited to make these shorts? Have you made them before? Would you make them again?

​Happy stitching,
Annette

Gardner Top by Gertie

The holidays call for fancy fabrics and sequins. Don't you agree? There's just something fun about wearing sparkle during the festive month of December, isn't there? Add soft velvet and, I'm in! If sewing velvet scares you, read this post. I share my sewing machine and tips for tackling tricky fabric.
These Gardner tops fulfilled my fancy holiday fabric needs. The fabric was originally for vintage-style turbans. I've wanted to make velvet ones for quite some time. I only had 1 yard of each and was lucky that the one yard worked out. Whew! I changed direction at some point and decided to make Gardner tops instead. The matching sequin fabric went with the red one, and the sheer floral went with the green one. 

As usual, I don't go into depth with Gertie's Patreon patterns because I value her as a creator. However, I like to share tips and photos that show you my process along the way. If you're interested in this pattern, join her Patreon membership. She shares new patterns each month and so much more! 
I made one Gardner top following the exact directions and another collar-hacked version. This post is full of photos. Let's go!

Red Gardner Top (Original Pattern Version)

Red Garner Top

Start your top by tracing the darts onto the front. I prefer old-school wax paper and a tracing wheel system for this part.

Dart legs should look like this.

Staystitch front, clip into seam at center.

Staystitch the front and back necklines. Sewing from the shoulder towards the center prevents the neckline from stretching out. Never skip this step.

After you sew up the darts, cut them open. If sewing your top with velvet, don't press the seam open.

Cut dart open.

The sheer fabric is full of glitter, sequins, and all the sparkles. Perfect for holiday festivities.

Yay, no puckers!

If you go slow while sewing and make sure your seams are clipped, you shouldn't get any puckers in the V-shaped front. If you do get puckers, unpick that section and re-sew.


Sew up the back sheer keyhole area. Use thread that blends in with your fabric or skin tone.

Attaching the back sheer piece onto the back bodice went smoothly. It felt easier to sew than the front. But, follow the same process.

Wah-la! I love how the sequin fabric looks with this red velvet. So festive and fun. Don't you agree?

Make sure you top stitch to keep all the layers flattened on the front and back. 

The Collar

The collar was easy to sew, but it was tricky with velvet. I used sew-in interfacing that worked nicely. It went in smoothly, but I had a hiccup when I made the green top. You'll see below how I went in another direction with it. 

I did a few hand stitches to keep the collar together. All in all, it worked, but I wouldn’t want to sew another velvet collar in the future.

The sleeves and hem were easy to finish. I love this pattern and see many more Gardner Tops in my future.

All that's left is to sew on the hook and eye at the keyhole. 

I love the fit. I could have gone down a size, but I didn't want it to be too tight. This was a wearable muslin, and you never know until you make it. I love it despite the semi-itchy sequin fabric. Haha

I wore the red one to ring in the New Year. It had just enough sparkle to make me me feel festive.

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Green Velvet Top (Hacked Collar Version)

I didn't intend this Gardner top to be different, but I tried to fuse interfacing strips on the collar, and it didn't work in the end. So, after ripping out the collar, I ended up with a collar band and button. I wanted to show up in case you had a collar issue or just wanted to do a collar band instead.

I traced both tops with my favorite chalk pen by Clover. 

Cut both tops with my rotary cutter and mat. This keeps the velvet from stretching out. 

Green Velvet Gardner

I only had 1/2 yard of the sheer fabric, so I had to change the direction of the print to fit this top. The front has the vines running horizontally while the back is going vertically. Nobody will notice unless I point it out. I wanted to show you just in case you run into this issue, too. ;)

Collar Band Hack

I shared on Instagram my collar flub but didn't take any photos with my camera. So, instead, you're only seeing the band option.

​I measured around the collar opening and cut a strip that same length plus 1" by 3" wide. 

I folded the raw short edge under, pinned the long raw edge to the sheer fabric, and sewed with a 1/4" seam allowance. 

Fold the other long edge over and under, then pin and stitch on top. Stitch from one end to the next, making sure to close up the folded side. I stuck a small hair elastic in one end, for the button loop. 

Hem the sleeves and bottom hem using a zigzag stitch after turning up once. 

I picked the sparkliest button I had in my big button jar. I wish it was gold but, it works well enough. 

What do you think? Do you like the original collar version or the hacked band version better? 

I can't decide if I love the sparkles and red velvet or the florals and green velvet better. They're both so beautiful and fun!

Don't you just love this top? My favorite part is how the sheer sits on the shoulder. It's flawless and so feminine. It's also fancy and comfy to wear. I love how quickly the band came together, where as the collar took a little more time. But, I do love both versions.
Thanks for hanging with me today. Go join her Pattern and get this beautiful pattern along with tons of others. 

Happy sewing and happier pattern hacking,
​Annette

How to Sew Velvet Fabric

Have you always wanted to sew velvet but have been too nervous that you'd ruin the fabric? It's finicky with an iron, let alone a sewing machine right? Wrong. It's easier than you think to sew with. Imagine velvet capes, dresses, and pants! 
In the past, velvet has always been a Halloween costume staple around this house. The serger would do all the work for those themed capes and dresses. However, this year, I wanted to dip my toe into something more, dare I say, scary!? 

Gertie rolled out her Gardner top on her Patreon, so if you're not a member yet and love vintage fashion sewing, join now! I cannot keep up with all the content and patterns she gives us. No, I'm not sponsored, I just love everything she does for us. 

Anywho, back to the Gardner top. The pattern uses knit fabric for the bodice and collar, and sheer or lace for the cutout. I wanted to use some stretch velvet to bump it up a holiday notch. Sequin and velvet scream holiday festivities, so I picked red and green velvet with matching sheer fabrics. 

But, before we get into sewing the fabric, let's get your machine set up.

Sewing Machine Tips

These part of my pin feed system. These accessories came with my machine.

I have a Brother PQ1500SL sewing machine. You can read all about it here. 

It has a pin feed system that is made for sewing tricky fabrics like velvet. I'm going to show you how to get that set up. If you have a different machine with a pin feed system, refer to your manual to learn how to set yours up. 


If you don't have a pin feed system, I suggest reading your manual, as well. But, in a pinch, lower your feed dogs and it might be okay to sew the velvet. I'm just sharing how to do it on my machine because the internet lacked what I was looking for.

See the pin sticking up near the feed dogs? That pin moves the velvet from underneath, similar to how the feed dogs work, but it is more gentle. No velvet will be harmed during sewing. 

Use a stretch or sharp needle. This will gently pierce the fabric instead of tearing through it. 

Turn the feed dogs to the red position. This lowers them almost fully and engages the pin feed mechanism at the same time.

Raise the presser foot to the red position. This keeps the velvet from being crushed while getting sewn together.

Now that the settings are changed, you have a brand new needle in, and the correct presser foot on, it's time to sew on some scrap fabric. 

Grab some scraps of your velvet and practice sewing on them. Sew 2 and 3 layers together using different stitch lengths. I found 2.5mm worked best for my velvet. You might need a longer or shorter stitch length. When I increased the length, my stitches got wonky. Once you get the stitch length sorted out, you should be good to go. 

You don't want it to look like this.

This looks better.

I sewed a few rows just to be sure the stitching was the correct length.

Extra Tips

• When cutting velvet, make sure the nap is going down. You can test this by running your hand up and down to find the smooth direction. 

• Use a rotary cutter when possible to cut out your pattern. You can use sharp scissors, but a rotary cutter and mat make it easy and painless. ;)

• Trace and cut with the fuzzy side down. It's easier to mark the back of the fabric with a chalk pen. 

• Use a walking foot if you don't have a pin-feed foot system. It will keep the fabrics from shifting.

• NEVER iron velvet. If the 80s taught us anything, it’s to never iron velvet. Haha

• Velvet patterns require sew-in interfacings only. You can't use fusibles. 

• Your hems need to be zigzag stitched. Velvet has a natural stretch so, you want to avoid using a straight stitch for the hem.

• Use a stretch, ballpoint, or microtex needle. I mentioned it above, but, thought it was worth mentioning again. 

Trace on the wrong side of velvet fabric.

Use a rotary cutter and mat.

If you'd like to see the process for my Gardner tops, read that post, here. I finished them just in time for NYE. I wore the red one for New Year's Eve. The green one is perfect for wearing during fall through the chilly spring days. 

Good luck sewing all of your upcoming velvet patterns. I hope these tips helped you out and made it look less intimidating. 

Happy velveting,
​Annette

Trying to decide what to ew next.