Sunday, March 3, 2013

Step up your sewing game-tutorial on an Oliver+S Ice Cream Dress.

Today I have an Oliver+S Ice Cream Dress for you and more important I have a tutorial for the sewist who wants their clothes to be as pretty inside as on the outside. To me making clothes that looks good inside and out is very important. It is a bit like putting (fairly - let's be realistic here) nice underwear on on a daily basis. Even though I am (usually!) not flashing my underwear it just give me a nice feeling knowing that I am wearing it. You know what I mean?

Check out Evelyn's expression here (we call it grumpy bear). Oh boy there is a lot of that from her at the moment. SO 3 years old!

If you have followed this blog from the beginning you have seen this dress before. In THIS post I am also giving a mini tutorial to shirring which is my addition to this dress and not part of the original pattern.
Wilma's dress has short sleeves too she is just wearing a t-shirt under because well spring might be right around the corner here in North Carolina but we still have cold days.


Make-a-bias-tape-covered-slit-and-other-tricks-to-hide-your-seams-tutorial.

So what is this tutorial about? Well, this dress has a doubled layered yoke which should give the basis for hiding all the seams inside the double yoke. BUT because the back yoke has an opening it is not possible to sew the back yoke on to the gathered piece below without having a visible seam inside. Yes, you can serge/overlock it - but with a small chance you can totally hide it inside the double yoke instead. And THAT is what anal people like me like, yeah!

First you have to create a opening in the (going to be gathered) piece below the yoke so cut a 2 inch/5 cm slit down in CENTER BACK ONLY! Then you need to cut a piece of bias tape (1 inch/2.5 cm wide + 4 inch/10 cm long).

Place bias tape's right side to wrong side of back piece with slit. 

Fold bias tape over and stitch from right side.

Fold fabric with slit in center back and stitch where you can see the dots above on photo.

Here you see the bias covered slit from the front and now you have the opening you need. 

Now you can go back to the pattern's sewing instructions for a bit and sew the gathering threads but sew on only the outer layer of the yoke on right against right - as you can see above. This photo is taken from the inside of the dress.

And a couple of jumps forward where I sewed the inside yoke to the gathered piece, the neck opening and closed the slit opening in the yoke - all done though the sleeve opening (side of yoke on this photo) that I am going to close in the very end with bias tape, after sewing the side seam.


A close up of the slit opening from the outside.

And a close up from the inside. No visible seams - ahhhhh says the freak(s). Whatever says the other ones.

This is a photo taken after I sewed the side seam and you are looking into the sleeve opening before I closed it up with bias tape. You can see the seam allowances from the front and back yoke with the navy gathered piece in the middle.

And here we are with two happy (for now) girls with happy dresses inside and out.

5 comments:

  1. Very well explained, Mie and a great way to finish off the opening, with the same coloured bias tape. I hope you don't mind, but I'm pinning this for future reference. I'd love you to add this one to the Sewing Tips and Techniques link party

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  2. Fun! I'd love for you to check out our Pattern Party! Those with patterns and templates to share are invited to link up! Check it out
    http://getyourcraptogether.blogspot.com/search/label/Pattern%20Party

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  3. This is very cute! Love your creativity! My little girl would love something like this!

    I'm visiting from Pink Hippo Party and following your blog via GFC and Facebook. :-) Have a great week!

    http://www.artistic31mama.com

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  4. GREAT IDEA!! Darling girls :) We are starting a link up party on Thursdays (today:), and we would love for you to join us with this post and/or any others you would like to include. We are at allthingswithpurpose.com. Hope to see you there!!

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