General info: This pattern is property of Gina Mastrianni, organization Gina Making Art, and intended for your personal use only. The pattern can not be shared and garments can not be made from the pattern for resale. Thank you for supporting my small business and making it possible to share my designs with you! Check out other examples and please tag your own projects with: #Thebalconyshorts on Instagram @gina.making.art Garment Construction The shorts are worked in 5 main steps. First, the left panel is knit flat and includes the left front and left back of the shorts. Second, the right panel is knit flat and includes the right front and right back of the shorts. Third, the crotch seams are hand seamed shut with a tapestry needle. Fourth, stitches are picked up for the waistband and knit in the round. Lastly, elastic is folded into the waistband and crocheted shut. Techniques expected to be understood: long tail cast on, knit, purl, bind off, vertical invisible hand seaming (including slopes), pick up stitches, crocheting surface slip stitches, sewing an elastic band together. These shorts are relatively simple, but include purl stitches 50% of the time. You’ve been warned! Fit: These shorts are intended to fit loose like basketball shorts or sweatpants shorts. They can be worn casually or dressed up! Sizes are based off of Ysolda´s Free Women’s Sizing Chart with a range from Waist 26 - 54 “ & Hips 34 - 62 “ Garment Waist ease: 9.5” (24cm) of positive ease, except 5X size: 9” (22.8cm) and XS: 9.75” (24.8cm) Garment Leg opening ease: 7.5 (7, 7.75, 7.5, 7.5, 9.25, 9.5, 9.5, 10)“ of positive ease 19.1 ( 17.8, 19.7, 19.1, 19.1, 23.5, 24.1, 24.1, 25.4) cm Garment Full hip ease: 8.5 (10, 11, 10.25, 9.75, 10.5, 11, 8.5, 9.5)“ positive ease 21.6 (25.4, 27.9, 26, 24.8, 26.7, 27.9, 21.6, 24) cm Designer notes: I used the same size needles for ribbing and stockinette and achieved the same gauge, as did most of my test knitters. However, please consider using your smaller needles if your ribbing is generally much looser than your stockinette! Make a test swatch ahead of time to see if you need to use a smaller needle size for ribbing. Personal opinion in choosing a size: Because the shorts are intended to be so loose, many of the testers technically fit into two sizes and weren’t sure if they should size up or down. I suggest measuring your hips at your fullest hip and your waist at about your belly button. This can help to maintain a more loose fit. Materials Pattern written for Rauma Pelini, 50 g / 176 oz = 102 m / 112 yd (DK weight, 50% linen 50% cotton). Yardage Estimates: 402 (475, 547, 612, 653) (761, 851, 924, 959) m / 440 (520, 598, 669, 714) (832, 931, 1011, 1049) yds Needles 3.5 mm (US 4, UK 9) circular needles // Read Designer Note Above 3.25 mm (US 3, UK 10) circular needles for waistband 4 mm (US G6 4.25, UK 6) crochet hook for closing shut the elastic into the waistband. This step can technically be done with knitting needles if a crochet hook is the only thing keeping you from trying this design, however the pattern is written based on using a crochet hook. Tapestry needle for hand seaming the shorts. Sewing machine to sew ends of elastic band together (alternative: hand sew with needle and thread) Elastic band to be sewn into waistband Elastic length: at least the width of your waist Elastic Width: XS (S, M, L, 1X, 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X) 1 (1, 1, 1.25, 1.25, 1.25, 1.5, 1.5, 1.5)” 2.5 (2.5, 2.5, 3, 3, 3, 3.5, 3.5, 3.5) cm Note!: Information on elastic length is NOT specified in pattern. The length of the elastic will be up to the individual knitter! Testing info: Other yarn used by Test Knitters include the following: Small: Rauma Petunia (473 meters, 215g, 4.3 skeins) Small: Valley Yarns Leverett (425 meters; 220g, 4.7 skeins) Medium: Lana Grossa Landlust Sommerseide (510 meters, 150g, 3 skeins) 2XL: Cascade Yarn The alternative yarns are not officially included in the pattern. Test knit completion in Rauma Pelini: S, M, L, 1XL, 2XL. Not all sizes have been test knit due to unforeseen circumstances hindering test knit completion and/or no applicants for those sizes. Please feel free to send an email if you are interested in testing the shorts in 3 - 5XL. Note: the best way to get ahold of me is through email: [email protected]. This pattern was graded by That Metzbowergirl Designs
Quick & Easy Summer Wardrobe Patterns 1948 Woman & Beauty July 1948 Self Draft / All Sizes Kindly reproduced by Miss Rayne who blogs over at Vintage Chic Free 1940's Sewing Pattern Here
Needles Babylock and Janome recommend Schmetz ELX705 needles for their stand-along coverstitch machines (The Brother 2340 can use all standard Schmetz needles, same as for your home sewing machine.) The ELX705 scarf is longer than a standard sewing machine needle so when the looper passes it picks up the thread better. There is also a long groove at the back of the EL needle to hold the thread as it goes into the fabric to prevent abrasion and thread breakage. The Schmetz ELX705 needle point shape is similar to the light ball point Schmetz "SES" needle. I use both Schmetz ELX705 and Organ SY2922 needles interchangeably in my Babylock CS, although the Organ needles are available in more sizes (#11/75, #12/80, and #14/90) and are usually less expensive so I've been using Organ needles mostly. Thread nets Always use thread nets on your needle threads. You may also want to use a net on your looper thread, especially if using Wooly Nylon. The nets provide an extra bit of tension needed to form prettier and more uniform stitches. See photos below. I must thank Belinda for urging me to use the nets already included with my machine's accessories.They really do make a big difference. How to treat the beginning coverstitch needle thread, or when you start a coverstitch, can you just clip the threads, or do you have to pull them to the other side and tie them off? There are various answers depending on what you're doing ... If I'm coverstitching in the round (like a sleeve hem), I will pull the starting needle threads to the back so it looks neater. But that's me. The beginning stitches won't come undone easily so you can just snip them, but for added "insurance" you might want to either (a) start with a very small stitch length for a few stitches and/or (b) if stitching in the round, stitch over the first few stitches before pulling the ending threads to the back. If I'm stitching flat and the stitches will be enclosed in a seam or crossed by other stitching, then I always just snip them. Where to buy attachments and how to attach the generics? Babylock, Brother, and Janome all have some attachments designed specifically for their branded CS machines. The Babylock CS machine can use "generic" industrial attachments without modification and they cost a fraction of the cost for the identical attachments sold through Babylock and its dealers. See photo below which shows a Babylock binder with generics. Which is the Babylock and which are the generics? The other CS machines can also use most generics but you will have to somehow modify how you attach them to your machine. Blu-Tack or Sticky Tack or even duct tape and masking tape have all been used by owners of those machines. See the links below for Belinda's page and the Janome thread on Pattern Review. Janome sells their own binder which comes with a flat plate which is attached to the bed of the Janomes before attaching the binder. I think Janome CS owners will have much better results with the generic binders if they first purchase the Janome "kit" so they can use this plate with the generics. See photo of Janome binder below. I bought my generic attachments from an Ebay seller. His old Ebay ID was CutSewSupply but he is now selling under the ID of SharpSewing. Click Here for his Ebay store. I have absolutely no affiliation with this seller and he tends to not reply to most emails so I can't help you with that. I do know that he is reputable and any items you order will be received. Sew Link on Amazon seller also has some generic binders (not a monetized link). What size binder(s) to buy? Well, here are my favs ... The binder I use the most is the 1-1/8" A style. This makes a 3/8" binding that is folded twice on top and only once on bottom. My next fav is the 1-1/2" B, which makes a 3/8" binding folded twice both top and bottom. After that, the one that makes 1/2" bindings folded twice (which is the *only* one I bought from the Babylock dealer). I like the 3/8" bindings for girl stuff and the 1/2 bindings for the guys. What size belt loop folder to buy? Your preferences may differ, of course, but I like the 3/4" cut size belt looper folder which will make strips finished at 3/8". I think this size replicates RTW belt loops. Other Coverstitching Links • Rebecca's Sewing Corner YouTube Double Fold Bias Binder Tutorial and check out her other GREAT tutorials on YouTube here • Gail Yellen's YouTube CS Binder Tutorial • Babylock CS Clear Foot on Amazon (not a monetized link) • Bev's 900CPX Cookbook • Melissa's (Fehrtrade) article in Seamwork • The Last Stitch's Master the Coverstitch Machine (book) • Sure Fit Janome CS Tips & Techniques Video • Janome Coverpro message board topic on PatternReview.com • Gigi's Photo-Tutorial for Coverstitching Over Serged Seams
Print these sewing cheat sheets out for free and have right on hand to save you time and effort, leaving you more time to create beautiful things!
Learn how to sew a french seam with our expert french seam sewing tips. Use it when sewing garments to finish seams while you sew.
How to substitute fabric in a sewing pattern - learn when you can use woven fabrics instead of stretch fabric and vice versa.
Today I’ll be showing you how to use a twin needle or double needle on your sewing machine all in a video tutorial. There’s a photo tutorial as well along with some great close up examples to help you be as successful as possible with sewing with a twin needle. There’s something about sewing two […]
As with life, along your sewing journey there are moments that change you. Things you learn that blow your mind, and change the way you do things. When things like this happen, it can totally alter the way you think about sewing. Stop you from cringing over sewing an armhole, from shying away from certain […]
Hello! Today's post is a quickie tute for the full-busted, or those who sew for them :-) What with the proliferation of raglan patterns and their general on-trend stylishness, I wouldn't want anyone's fit worries to cause them to miss out! To note before starting: this is a variation on the no-dart full bust adjustment (FBA) outlined here. We'll skip over that part pretty quickly today in order to get to the raglan-specific bits. Refer back to that post for details if you need to. OK, down to it. Grab your pattern, and we'll start with the front bodice. I'm using the Lane Raglan sweatshirt/tee pattern by Hey June, but of course any raglan-sleeved top will do. Here it is in its original state: Now perform your no-dart FBA, as described in detail in this post. The raglan front shoulder seam is a different shape from the 'standard' armhole, but the principle is exactly the same. Draw your adjustment lines Cut Spread out the pieces by the desired amount Slide some spare paper underneath and stick it all in place Then complete the FBA by re-drawing the front shoulder seam to smooth it out: Stick everything in place and cut out your adjusted front piece: Now, onto the extra step necessitated by the raglan sleeve construction. Because we've just changed the front shoulder seam on the bodice pattern piece (by lengthening it slightly), we also need to adjust the front shoulder seam on the sleeve pattern piece. Otherwise they won't match up properly at the underarm and your attempt at bosom-accommodating will be in vain. We'll do this by determining how much length we need to add to the sleeve seamline, and then adding it :-) So, firstly, measure the length of the shoulder seam on your adjusted front bodice. It will be slightly curved - the easiest way to measure around the curve is to stand your tape measure on its side instead of laying it flat. Like this: Note this measurement as precisely as possible. Now take your sleeve pattern piece and before you do anything else, identify the front shoulder seam. We don't need to make any changes to the back! The front seam is usually marked with one notch and the back with two - but whatever the markings are, just make sure you are working on the correct side! In this picture, my sleeve pattern has the front shoulder seam on the right hand side. Measure and note the length of the front shoulder seam as accurately as possible. Now, subtract this measurement (the length of the front shoulder seam on the sleeve) from the previous measurement you took (the length of the front shoulder seam on the adjusted bodice). The seam on the sleeve pattern piece will be 1-2cm shorter, depending on the size of your FBA. Note down exactly how much shorter it is. This is the amount by which we will lengthen the front sleeve seam. In a couple of steps, I will refer to it as XX cm / YY inches. Before you lengthen, trace the original curve of the front sleeve seam and underarm point onto a spare piece of paper: Now, slide this piece of paper either downwards or outwards slightly, following the curve of the seam in the most 'logical' direction, positioning the new underarm point XX cm / YY inches away from the original underarm point. Like this: As you can see, in this case I extended the seam downwards and out slightly. The curve of raglan sleeve seams varies from one pattern to another: when positioning the new underarm point, just follow the curve in the direction that seems easiest. Sometimes, it might be necessary to re-draw the seam slightly to smooth it out - in this case, a good trick is to trace over the sleeve curve from a larger size of the original pattern. That way, you can change the length of the seam without deviating from the shaping of the original pattern. And all that remains is to connect the new underarm point back to the side/underarm sleeve seam: Finished! Go forth and sew your slightly-more-accommodating raglan tee! What became of mine, you may be wondering? Ahem. Yes. Sometimes, there is such a thing as too much slouch. Sometimes, one can even be unnecessarily zealous about adding room for the boobs. Sometimes, one steams ahead with a fabric that has absolutely no stretch recovery, and ends up with a ridiculously oversized sweater with a humungously gaping back neckline which is only made wrinklier and worse by application of the elastic thread fix. Ah well. You win some, you lose some. I might shorten the sleeves and make it into a grandad-style cardi, but not any time soon. The weather has turned and now I must make ALL THE SUMMER THINGS. Yay! Hope it's helpful my dears :-) Jo
This sewing for beginners class will teach you all of the basic sewing skills you'll need to start sewing your own projects! Learning how to sew home decor projects is an easy way to decorate your home on a budget.
This tutorial is in response to a question on how to re-size a vintage child's pattern from a size 5 to a 2T. Below is the general steps to be taken to shrink a pattern. The actual amount to be shrunk will have to be up to the sewer, who should already know how much distance is to be bridged by either having the child's measurements (allow for room to move and note seam allowances) or a pattern in the correct size that can be measured to obtain a desired length and width. If your pattern has seam allowances, please note them down or cut them off (of your working pattern, not the original). They will affect your final measurements. You can use the method below while leaving on the seam allowance, but remembering they are there is important so that you can still measure your desired lengths and, of course, assemble the pattern correctly when you are done. Before you start out, trace your original pattern onto paper of some sort to create your 'working pattern'. Gather sticky tape (or glue), scissors, a straight ruler, a french curve (or curve square) if you can, and a pencil. Here is my generic version of a shirt pattern front piece: Now to shrink the pattern there are several points which you are going to want to take in. Because children grow at different rates, their chests do not expand as fast as they lengthen, we can not just make the whole pattern smaller. Generally, though, for each size smaller take off: 1/2" of the chest (which is 1/4" off a pattern that is cut on a fold) 1/8" of armhole 1/8" of the shoulder 2" of length Exact measurements will help you out to fit a specific child. I will start with one area to take in and show how each point can be done using the same general method. Beginning with shortening the armhole, take your your ruler and draw a line perpendicular to the curve as shown below. Cut along your drawn line to separate the pattern into two pieces. Bring the pattern together again by overlapping the pieces, shortening the overall armhole to the desired length. Use the straight center line to align the pattern pieces correctly. Tape the pattern together into the new configuration. You'll note that the armhole curve is now a bit choppy, which is easily adjusted by re-drawing the curve with your french curve (or eyeball it, it'll be fine). Tape a separate piece of paper behind the pattern if you require a bit extra, draw the corrected curve, and cut it out again. To shorten the overall length of the pattern, choose a point along the side below the armhole and draw another perpendicular line. Cut and separate: And rejoin to form the desired length, once again noting the center straight line and making sure that is all even up. Correct any choppy lines with a ruler. The shoulder is narrowed in the same way. You'll note that above I demonstrated each adjustment individually from the original pattern, but yours, of course, will have alterations as you go which will affect the overall size and look. Here all the steps are again, this time with the changes intact. The sleeve piece is adjusted in the same manner, cutting perpendicular to the curve and adjusting the width. To make sure you have the correct length of shoulder curve, use a flexible tape ruler to measure it and compare it to your armhole curves on the front and back pieces (keeping in mind to minus any shoulder seam allowances if they are on the pattern). The french curve is particularly helpful for sleeve curves, however, you can still easily wing it if you do not have one. The back piece of the pattern can be done in the same way. This is also a great method for making single adjustment in width or length for your children who do not fit the mold (and whose does?). To enlarge a pattern the same method applies, except instead of bringing the pieces together, you separate them to the desired size, using another sheet of paper behind to make up the difference. I can tackle specific pieces in the comments section if you have questions. This is a rough outline to adjusting pattern sizes and each specific pattern will have its own quirks. As always, whenever you make a new pattern, try it out the first time on broadcloth or inexpensive fabric, not the good stuff. Just, you know, in case :)
I got to the studio today, ready to write a blog post about checking curved seams as a follow up to last week's blog post on creating princess seams , when I realised that I'd actually done it a few months ago (high-five to past self for that one)! Thankfully I realised before I started.
Hi there, readers at Pickup Some Creativity! I'm so glad to be posting here as part of Chris's fantastic Sewing 101 series! I'm Suzanna...
Our first Quick Tip segment teaches you how to raise a raglan neckline. Also, submit your own random sewing related question.
Sewing mistakes happen to both beginners and the most experienced sewers. Learn about the most common mistakes and how to fix them.
Learn how to edgestitch and how to topstitch and what the difference is between the two sewing stitches! They are often mixed up!
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Pattern symbols are used to help you achieve accurate results when cutting, matching & sewing. Learn how to read sewing pattern symbols.
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I often get asked which Aurifil thread people should be buying so I thought I'd do a quick run through of which weight of thread is wh...
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Hello lovely SewMcCool readers! Irene @ SergerPepper - again, for the second part of your serger dictionary! This is our Serger Dictionary Part 2 - G-Z!
Whether you’re sewing or just binge-watching a bit too much TV, you need to get up and move around. These ten simple exercises don’t require any special tools; use your own body to stretch and strengthen.
Looking for a fabric conversion chart? Try this fabric yardage conversion chart for your projects.
What are the pressing rules you must NEVER break for a perfectly finished sewing project? Read all about it on the Sew some stuff blog.
