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So Classic Sundress Hacks

August 3, 2018

The So Classic Sundress has released so grab your favorite wovens and sew yourself or your little ones a pretty dress. In true P4P fashion we have gathered some easy hacks that you can make to the So Classic Sundress that will give you even more options than the many included in the pattern.

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Gathered Thick Straps

The first hack we have for you is a gathered strap. If you would like a little more shoulder coverage or just want a fun new option, this hack is for you. Cut your dress as per the pattern instruction and simply cut the straps wider. For youth 3M to 4 you will be cutting the straps 7″ wide by the length given in the pattern. For 5 to 14, your straps will be 8″ by the length. If you are making this hack for the women’s dress then your new width will be 8″ (XXS-S), 9″ (M-XXL) and 10″ (1x-3x). The length will be the one listed in the tutorial.

Fold the straps lengthwise, right sides together and stitch with a 1/2″ seam allowance. Trim the SA to 1/4″, press open and turn the straps inside out. Press and optionally top stitch.

Sew two gathering stitches at the top and bottom of the straps. One should be about 1/4″ away from the raw edge and the other 5/8″ away.

Pull the gathering stitches so the  straps are 3/4″ wide for sizes 3m to 4. Your finished gathered straps will be 1″ ( for 5-12 and xxs – xs), 1.25″ (m – xxl) and 1.5″ (1x-3x).

Repeat this step for all raw edges of the straps.

Continue sewing the dress as shown in the tutorial. Tadah! you have a brand new option added to the So Classic Sundress repertoire.

 

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Skirt

For this hack, we’re going to do something that we love to do to our dresses- create separates. In this case, we’re creating a classic style woven skirt using the bottom portion of your So Classic Sweetheart dress. This is a great hack for everyday wear or more professional look as well.

To begin, you will want to decide which version of the skirt you would like, plain front or button up, along with length. Once you’ve decided, you will want to cut out your skirt pieces as given in the tutorial chart. The only change you will need to make is to your waistband. You will want to double the length when cutting it out.

To assemble the waistband, begin by stitching your waistband pieces together using a 1/2″ seam allowance.

If you are making the button placket, you will now have a long waistband piece, that is constructed in the following order: front waistband, back waistband, front waistband. If you are making the plain front, you should have a tube. Trim seams and press open.

Fold waistband in half lengthwise, with wrong sides together. If desired, you can top stitch 1/8″ from top of waistband. Baste only your back waistband piece together.

Cut your piece of elastic to the appropriate length given in the tutorial chart. Using a safety pin or other tool, pull your elastic through the back waistband casing.

You will now stitch in the ditch at the waistband seams to hold elastic in place.

Your waistband is now ready to be attached to the skirt! Follow the directions as given in the tutorial and begin to enjoy that gorgeous skirt you just created!

~ Nicole and Erinn

(Nicole is wearing the button placket skirt and Erinn is wearing the plain front version)

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Ties Straps

I’m here to show you a super simple tie strap hack! This hack is great for tiny babies who are more difficult to get dressed, a grow with me length of strap that is super quick and easy, a way to get the perfect strap length every time, and of course, just another adorable detail to change the look up a bit.

Start by cutting 4 halter straps rather than just 2.

Follow the tutorial to finish the straps just as the halter straps are finished.

For placement use the suggested placement for the regular/traditional straps.

Finish constructing bodice and dress just as the tutorial instructs.

Enjoy the adorable bows on the shoulders!

Judy

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Simple Belt

 

While browsing Pinterest I saw a dress very similar to the So Classic Sundress that featured a real belt instead of a waistband so I knew I had to make a simple one and show you how to make your own belts.

Start by gathering your supplies. You will need fabric, any woven fabric will work, belt hardware (that I actually upcycled from an old one) and grommets.

Cut a strip of fabric 4 inches wide by 50-60″ long depending on the size you’re making.

Fold the fabric lengthwise with the right sides together and sew around the raw edge leaving a 2-3″ opening. Turn the belt with the right side out, topstitch around the edges so you close the opening and give it sturdiness.

Using a fabric marker or chalk, draw a 3/4″ line about 1.5″ away from the edge. This will be your buttonhole marking.

Sew a buttonhole using your buttonhole attachment. If you need a refresher on buttons and button holes check out the P4P University blog here.

Add the belt hardware as shown in the pictures below and sew in place. Optionally you can slide one additional metal belt loop on the belt.

Take the other side of the belt and mark your grommets positions. Make sure that you add your grommets to the right side of the belt so it matches the other end. I like mine spaced 2″ apart. Try the belt on to see if you need to add any additional grommets.

There you have it! You made your very own belt. Now think about all the fabric possibilities! 🙂

…..

Bow front

 

Adding a bow can be another way to add a pop of color or a cute detail to your dress. We’ve shown it here for the girls, but you could easily add this to the women’s as well using the same methods.

You will want to begin by cutting your rectangular bow pieces. You will need two rectangles. To determine the width, follow the graphic below (this is just a guide, you can make your bow wider or narrower, based on preference). For the length, you will want to make sure that it is wide enough to tie and fit across the bodice piece. It’s ok if it is too long, as you can always trim it down later.

Taking one of your rectangles, fold it in half with right sides together. Stitch, using a 1/2″ seam allowance. Repeat with other bow. Next, cut a “v” notch from the top of each piece, as shown below. Press seam allowance open.

Holding the bow slightly open, it should create a tube. You will want to align the stitched edge with the opposite side now, to create the curved edges of your bows (the seam should now be in the middle rather than the edge). Stitch around the curve, using a 1/2″ seam allowance. Repeat on other bow.

Trim along the curve’s seam allowance using either pinking sheers or scissors.
* If using scissors, make small cuts into the seam allowance, making sure to not cut through stitches. This will help your curve to lay smoother.

Using your favorite turning tool, turn bows inside out, smoothing out the edges and press. Top stitch if desired.

Taking your center bodice piece, position each bow and baste into place (make sure to leave enough length to tie the bow, as shown in the next step!). Trim any excess length. Attach side pieces as directed in tutorial.

You now have two options- You can either tie the bow in a simple knot, like this. 

Or, another option is to create a center tie to hold the bows together. If using this method, you will not need as much length when you baste your bows.

You will want to begin by creating a small tube. Cut a rectangular piece 2″ width and approximately 6″ long. Fold in half, right sides together, and stitch using a 1/2″ seam allowance. Press seam allowance open and turn tube right sides out. Press, making sure that the seam is in the middle back of the tie.

Overlap your bows and wrap the center piece around them.

Stitch across the center piece to create a loop (as shown where pin is placed above). Trim any extra length that you might have and rotate the seam to behind the bow. Finish dress as per tutorial.

~ Erinn

Piping

If you know me you know I’m a huge piping fan, store bought piping that is. If I can add it to a dress I will, so it is only normal that I added it to the So Classic Sundress.

After cutting your pattern pieces as instructed you will add the piping to the desired seams. I love it at the princess seams and the sweetheart neckline. You could add piping to the straps, the waistband and even the bottom hem if you’d like. I would not recommend adding piping to the back as piping doesn’t look nice gathered.

Sew the piping to the center princess seams using a zipper foot. Store bought piping are smaller than the 1/2″ SA included in the pattern so place it a little bit away from the edge.

Sew the princess seams with a 1/2″ seam allowance.

Take the front of the bodice and pin in place the piping at the raw edge. Start 1/2″ away from the side seam and stop 1/2″ away for the other side seam as shown below.

Sew in place and continue the dress construction as per the tutorial.

Such a fun detail and so easy to add!

 

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No Waistband

 

You might have noticed above that I skipped the waistband piece on the bodice. This is such an easy hack. All you have to do is use the lining pieces as the main piece. So you will be cutting two front linings (one in the main fabric and one in the lining), four front side linings (2 sets of mirrored pieces with the lining fabric and two with the main fabric) and two back lining pieces (one in the lining and one in the main fabric).

You can make this hack for all straps options and for both women and girls. 🙂

 

….

Shirred back

The So Classic Sundress feature elastic casing at the back bodice but if you or your little one prefer the feel of shirring or would just like an extra option you can do that so easily. Construct the bodice as shown in the pattern and skip cutting the elastic pieces. and creating the casings and replace with shirring.

All you have left to do now is shirr the back using elastic thread. Follow the tips in the Shirring 101 blog we have for you as part of our P4P University. Easy peasy!

 

….

Adjustable Straps

The pattern includes standard or suggested strap lengths, but some may prefer to have adjustable straps.  I adjusted the width of my straps to do spaghetti style and used “lingerie” sliders from Joann Fabrics.  There are wider width sliders and rings available from various shops (such as Bra-Makers Supply) if you prefer to keep a wider strap to cover your bra straps.

Cut 2 longer straps (these will be the adjustable section ) and then 2 short straps (this will be attached to the back portion of the bodice).

My straps were 1.75″ x 28″ (the length of the halter straps in the pattern).  In retrospect I think adding about 8″ to the shoulder strap lengths in the pattern would be sufficient enough.  My sliders ended up on top of my shoulders and I really didn’t need all that extra length.  The short strap is 1.75″ x 3″.

Fold each strap in half lengthwise right sides together and stitch.  Trim and press seam allowances open.

Turn straps right side out.
Pull end of strap through one side of slider. Note – the right side of your strap will be facing up. The middle bar of the slider will be on the wrong side of the strap.
Feed strap through opposite side of the slider and then slide the ring through the end of the strap.
On the wrong side of the strap, feed the strap end through the top opening of the slider.

Fold the strap down and continue to feed it through the bottom opening of the slider.
Fold strap end under and stitch.
Feed shorter strap section through ring.
Fold in half and baste in place.

Now you have a completed set of adjustable straps. Treat them as a single strap and attach to the bodice as shown in the tutorial.  The shorter strap side should be attached to the back bodice. I also chose to do a criss-cross, so instead of placing them parallel, cross them over to create an X when attaching them to the front and back bodice.


….

Front Bodice Cut-Out

The So Classic Sundress is a classic, vintage style but with this slight modification, you can make it edgy and on trend. You can adjust the size of the cut-out to your preference but I used the empire and princess seam as a guide as to where to place mine.

Construction is slightly different and since we will be enclosing our front bodice in the waistband you will not use the lining pieces in the pattern.  Instead, cut out 2 (mirror image) of all the main front bodice, main back bodice and front and back waistband pieces.

Construct your front and back bodice per pattern instructions and attached your straps.
With right sides together , place lining on main front bodice and stitch along the entire top edge. (just as the pattern instructs).
Open bodice from lining. With right sides together, place back bodice in side front bodice. (just as the pattern instructs).
Fold main bodice so that it is right sides facing with the lining, sandwiching the back bodice in between the layers. Stitch side seams. (just as the pattern instructs).

Moving the back bodice out of the way, pin the bottom raw edge of the front bodice along the V cut-out. Stitch with a 1/4″ seam allowance. Note – do not stitch along the side bodice section.
Clip the center of the V up to but not through the seam-line.
Open bodice and pull the back bodice out to turn the entire bodice right sides out.
Press and top-stitch along top edge and V cut-out.

Now we will move on to construct and attach the waistband and skirt.

With right sides together sew front waistband to back waistband at side seams (short ends), creating a circle.
With right sides together, slip waistband over bodice. Baste in Place.
With right sides together, slip lining waistband inside bodice. The bodice should be sandwiched between the main and lining waistband. Stitch.
Fold and press waistband wrong sides together.

Baste back waistband along bottom raw edge. Do not stitch the front waistband yet.
Insert elastic in waistband.
Stitch in the ditch (along the side seam) to hold elastic in place.
Top-stitch front waistband and baste along bottom raw edge. Attach your skirt as per pattern instructions.


Now that you have all these extra options, go sew some So Classic Dresses and don’t forget to show them off in the P4P group !

Alex, Nicole, Judy and Erinn

Filed Under: Frequently Asked Questions, Pattern Hacks, Pattern Release, Uncategorized 1 Comment

Wiggle Dress – easy hacks

October 24, 2017

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Separates

The full-length mermaid-esque dress is gorgeous, but maybe you want to pair it with a different top or choose different fabrics?  With this simple hack, you can create a gorgeous set and wear them as separates.  For the skirt, cut along the crop cutline.  Stitch the center back seam and each side seam.  Using the cropped band measurement and instructions, attach to the top edge of the skirt.  Easy peasy!

How cute is Katy in this Ariel inspired Haloween outfit!


And seriously, how amazing is this sequin skirt!!


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Color-Block Bodice

Keeping with the concept of separates, but perhaps you still wanted a dress. Doing a color-block bodice gives you a chance to mix up your fabrics. Since there is already a crop cutline on the pattern pieces that hits at the natural waist, we will be using that as a guideline. Re-trace the crop cutline 1/2″ above and below it to create your seam allowance on both the front and back pattern pieces.  Cut your new top bodice and bottom skirt from both front and back.  For the back, you will have 2 back top bodices (mirror image) and 2 back bottom skirt (mirror image) pieces.  For assembly, with right sides together, stitch with a 1/2″ seam allowance the front bodice to the front skirt. Repeat for both back bodice and skirt pieces.  Continue construction as provided int he pattern. 🙂


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Decorative Button Back

Adding embellishments to your dress can give it some extra special details that will set it apart from the next.  Since the pattern is drafted for stable knits, you do not need a zipper or functional buttons to put it on, so these buttons are purely for decorative reasons.  I love the finishing touch it gives the back. Using the center back seam as a guideline, I hand stitched pearl buttons every 1/2″.  I used the zipper lengths as mentioned in the tutorial as a guide where to end my button placement.  For this version, I used a total of 13 buttons. ”


…..

Straps for off the shoulder

Love the off the shoulder but hate wearing strapless bras? No problem! Let’s add some cute straps to the Wiggle off the shoulder dress that will cover your bra straps. Print the off the shoulder option of the pattern and sew it up as per the pattern tutorial. Stop at the neckline finishing steps. Cut two pieces of fabric 4″x 9.5″. These will be your straps. The length of your straps may vary slightly based on the size you make.

Fold the straps lengthwise and sew them side with a 1/2″ seam allowance.

Turn the straps inside out and press them with the seam in the center.

For perfect straps placement, try the dress on with your favorite bra. Mark with a pin or a clip where the bra straps will be.

Sew the straps to the dress with the right sides together. Finish the neckline as per the pattern tutorial.

That’s all! You now have yet a new style of the new Wiggle dress!


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Sleeveless

The Wiggle Dress is already packed with soo many options and great for every season but I don’t know about anyone else but summer here is HOT!! I can not handle any type of sleeves at all so a sleeveless version of the Wiggle dress would be what I would want for summer and lucky for me it is a really quick and easy hack.  Let’s get started.

First, you are going to cut all your pieces except for your sleeves.  You do not need to modify the armscye at all for this hack so just cut your front and back as usual.  Sew the shoulder seams and side seams as directed in the pattern, but skip the section for adding a sleeve.   Next, you will iron and pin your armscye to the wrong side 1/2″ inch as shown below. Topstitch using your favorite stretch stitch.

 

Now just finish up the dress or top as instructed in the pattern and you’re done. Quick, right!?


…..

Full Zipper Back

As soon as I saw the Wiggle dress I knew I had to make a full zipper back! So I took it up a notch and bought a dual zipper. This style zipper opens at the top and bottom. You can add this zipper to the high back, low back or even the off the shoulder option as well as the above, bellow or midi length. Just make sure the zipper you use is long enough! As a point of reference, I used a 48″ zipper for the high back, midi length style.

Start by marking the hem on the center back seam.

Add a strip of 1/4″ Wonder Tape to the center back seam, 1.4″ away from the edge. Start at the point you marked above and stop 1/2″ away from the top.

Repeat with the other back piece.

Remove the paper backing of the Wonder tape and adhere the zipper right sides together. Sew in place with a 1/2″ seam allowance.

Zip up the zipper and place the other side of the back piece, right sides together, making sure that the bottom and top match.

Sew in place and top stitch.

Now that you have your back piece ready, sew the dress as per the tutorial. You will be enclosing the zipper in the bottom hem as shown below.

All done! Now all you have to decide is where the next date night will be! 🙂


 

I loved the idea of a full-length zipper like Alex showed us above, but when it came to finding one locally, I wasn’t able to get one the length I needed.  I did find a chunky zipper that would be perfect to use as an exposed zipper and just so happened to work out that it’s finished length was about knee length.  I opted to go with the midi length and do a split hem at the center back.  You will install your zipper the same as you would in the tutorial, except place it on the RIGHT side of the fabric with the wrong side of the zipper centered along the back seam.

Place zipper on top of the center back seam.
Pin in place and topstitch.
View from Back
Fold the remaining center back seam to the wrong side and topstitch.


…..

Lace Applique

I’ll be honest, Judy created this dress while we were pre-testing and I had to replicate it.  Adding a lace applique is super easy but adds a super sexy and classic flair.  For this particular version, the lace extends along the entire side seam, so I constructed my bodice first, added the lace to the top, then sewed my sleeves on so that the lace was enclosed in the armscye.  You can, of course, add lace wherever you’d prefer, such as the neckline or bottom hem but I love the silhouette the wide stripe gave from the front and back.   I used a fairly narrow zig-zag stitch down the center seam and along each edge of the stretch lace trim.  Be sure to keep your lace taut as you sew along the waist and hip curves.


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Front Leg Slit

What sexy dress doesn’t include a slit!  Show off those legs and add a front slit to your wiggle.

Try on your dress and mark where and how high you would like your slit. For reference, mine is 24″ from bottom hem (just above the knee) and is about half the distance from the center (1/4 point).
Cut the slit.
Cut 2 binding strips 1 1/4″ by the length of your slit.
With right sides together and using a 1/4″ seam allowance, stitch binding to each side of the slit.

Fold the binding to the wrong side.
Fold the raw edge down to the previously sewn stitch line.
Fold over to the wrong side again, and pin in place.
Topstitch.

…..

Sweetheart/Wiggle Mash

We couldn’t end this epic hacks series without a Wiggle dress/Sweetheart mash up. I just had to make myself a black velvet and lace long dress. We all need one in our closets, right?

This mash is super easy. Simply take the front patterns of the wiggle dress and mark the sweetheart color-block lines using the Sweetheart dress top pattern piece. Don’t forget to add the seam allowance!

Sew the two front pieces (lace and velvet) as suggested in the Sweetheart pattern.

Once you do that simply follow the directions in the Wiggle Dress pattern to finish your dress. I used lace for my sleeves too. Since I didn’t have any black elastic and I certainly couldn’t use white elastic for the neckline, I used clear elastic instead. It worked like a charm!

Tadah! Just by adding a sexy sweetheart color block front, you took your Wiggle dress up a notch!


Holy Moly…. I think we covered just about every hack we could come up with to take The Wiggle Dress to the next level (if it wasn’t already on its own)!  Make a Wiggle? Hop on over to the Facebook Group, and share your makes, we’d love to see it!

Filed Under: Frequently Asked Questions, Pattern Hacks, Pattern Release, Uncategorized 15 Comments

P4P University:: Knit Binding 101

May 18, 2017

With our recent release of the Cross my Heart and Heart Breaker Cami patterns, we’ve had some questions and hesitation about the straps… because, well, they look scary!  They may look intimidating but they truly are not as bad as they appear.  We’re going to show you a few different ways to do knit binding and hopefully help ease those fears.

What is Knit Binding?

  • There are two main methods to finish a neckline or armhole.  Knit bands are an extension of the neckline and probably the most recognizable finishing method for a traditional T-Shirt (rose floral shown below). We’ll dive in to bands on another post ;).  Knit binding is done similar to bias tape binding, which is typically used on woven fabrics and encloses the raw edge of the neckline but does not extend above and away from it (ivory floral shown below).

Tools to create successful knit binding:

  • Use fabric with spandex.  You will yield better results with fabric that has great stretch and recovery.  Not sure what fabrics to use? Check out our Knit Fabric Cheat Sheet.
  • Steam iron:  One of the best tips to create even and professional looking binding is to press, press and press again.  Throughout the entire process of binding your garment, hitting your binding with some steam will help it bounce back to shape and keep a clean, crisp fold which is easier to turn and top-stitch.
  • Ball Point or Stretch Needles:  Whenever using knit fabric, stretch or ball point needles are always recommended.  The needle tip slips between the knit fibers and does not break or damage them while sewing.  Stretch needles are mostly used with fabrics that have a higher percentage of stretch (think swimwear or athletic fabrics) but most prefer to use them for all types of knits.
  • Pins or clips: Pinning or clipping your binding, especially when you get to the later steps to turn and top-stitch is a life-saver.  Once you become more comfortable with binding, you may not need as many but it’s always best to clip more now than regret it later.
  • Optional: Blind Hem Foot – this helps keep an even straight line along the edge of your binding when top-stitching.

Both the cami patterns, the Sweetheart and Me Hearties Dress, and Essential Tank use knit binding to finish the necklines, armholes or sleeves but you can apply this method to other tops and skirts in lieu of bands or hemming.  Just be sure to take in to account your seam allowances and band heights as they will finish lower or higher if no adjustments are made.

Methods to do knit binding:

  • Serger: (this method is used in the Cross my Heart and Heart Breaker Cami).  Using a 1/4″ seam allowance, the binding is serged to the neckline or armhole with the right side of the binding to the wrong side of the main fabric.  The seam allowance is pressed up with binding folded up and over the serged edge and then top-stitched.

  • Sewing Machine: (this method is used as an option in the Sweetheart and Me Hearties Dress and Essential Tank).  The binding is pre-pressed in quarters (double folds).  Using a stretch stitch (narrow zigzag, lightening bolt, or triple stretch stitch), with right side of the binding to the wrong side of the main fabric, the binding is stitched along the crease. The seam allowance is pressed up with binding folded up and over the raw edge and then top-stitched.

  • Serger or Sewing Machine: Using a 1/4″ to 3/8″ seam allowance the binding is stitched with right sides of the binding to the right side of the main fabric.  The seam allowance is pressed up and binding folded over the edge to the wrong side of the fabric and then top-stitched.  The excess binding is trimmed at the seam-line.

 

There are multiple options for Top-stitching binding.  Here are few of our favorites:

  • Twin Needle: Double straight stitch on front and zig-zag on back.  (Elisabeth walked us through using a twin needle a few posts back and is a great resource for top-stitching the knit binding using a regular sewing machine.  In case you missed it, be sure to check it out HERE!)
  • Coverstitch: single or double needle: straight stitch on the front with a stretch zig-zag stitch on the back.
  • Narrow Zig-Zag: Gives the appearance of a straight stitch but still has some stretch.
  • Triple Step Zig-Zag:  This is great for swimwear or high stretch areas.

 

Need more help?  Here’s a video of the binding options described above 🙂

 

Hopefully this answered your questions about knit binding and eased some of your fears.  Just remember, press and go slow!  As with any new skill, it takes time to master, so keep practicing and you’ll have added another finishing method to your sewing arsenal.

Finished a project using knit binding? Be sure to share in our Facebook Group! We’d love to see it.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Frequently Asked Questions, P4P University, Sewing Techniques, Sewing with Stretch, Knit Fabrics, Uncategorized 2 Comments

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