Tag: Measure Twice Cut Once patterns

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The Milicent Dress – Tie shoulder and ruffle hem version

I’m breaking this down to be super simple changes you can make to the Milicent Dress to create tie shoulders and a ruffle hem. First up tie shoulders

Part 1.

  1. Don’t cut out the straps provided in the pattern we are going to create wider longer ones.
  2. on a piece of paper draw a rectangle 10cm wide x 70cm
  3. cut x 4 out of your main fabric
  4. cut x 4 out of iron in interfacing
  5. iron interfacing onto wrong side of fabric

Part 2.

  1. Fold in half lengthwise
  2. Press
  3. stitch around outside edge leaving one narrow edge open
  4. clip corners
  5. turn right side out

Insert straps into garment as per regular instructions.

For the Ruffle Skirt

Part 1.

  1. take you skirt pattern piece, draw a line on where you want to shorten it to. I’m only 5 foot tall so my skirt was reduced to 38cm including seam allowance.
  2. fold or cut your main pattern piece to that length
  3. decide on the height of your ruffle. Again I’m short but my ruffle is a finished height of 25cm. With seam allowance and hem it is 28cm high.
  4. Fold your fabric right sides together, place your skirt pattern pieces
  5. using chalk and a ruler mark in the ruffle height, go across the full width of your fabric for extra fullness

Part 2.

  1. Cut out your pieces
  2. Assemble the top portion of your skirt (including pockets) as per the instructions in your pattern.
  3. Run 2 lines of gathering stitch along the top edge of each ruffle
  4. pull stitches to create gathers until it is the same width as the lower edge of your upper skirt
  5. sew side seams of ruffles, finish edges

Part 3.

  1. right sides together pin and then stitch ruffle to upper skirt. Remove gathering stitches
  2. Hem lower ruffle then proceed with remainder of pattern instructions

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Sewing Adventures – Milicent Dress in Pink cotton linen

Am so happy at how you are all loving the newly released Milicent Dress!  Today I’m sharing a version of it I made for myself and  I’ll be back with all the info on how to hack the original pattern to this version.

All summer I kept seeing tie shoulder dresses with lower tier ruffles and thinking they looked so cute and perfect for the hot weather. Then one day it struck me that I could totally make the Milicent look like that. Here are a selection from Gorman and Obus that caught my eye.

I took my own copy, played around with the pattern a bit and hey presto cute summer dress version 2!

The fabric is a digital printed cotton linen from Nerida Hansen / Hansen Print Textiles. It’s been in the stash for about 18 months or more. Originally I was so excited as I loved the print but them when it arrived I was thoroughly underwhelmed with the print quality and how heavy and stiff the fabric felt. I honestly thought I was going to have to use it for endless amounts of bag making!

Washed it a few times, tried to make it feel softer it did by a very tiny amount. Disappointed I put it in the stash. I got it out when I was thinking of this variation and thought it’s going to hang stiffer and the ruffle is going to be way more noticeable making me look like a giant obnoxious cupcake but hey sometimes looking like an enormous cupcake is preferable to a fabric wallowing in the stash.

Sewing wise it sewed ok, quite stiff and stable but frayed unbelievably badly. I even overlocked some seams that were going to be enclosed by plackets it frayed so much and I was worried that with wear it would come apart.

Despite the less than stellar fabric I do really like how it has come together and I think I will get a lot of wear out of it. A friend suggested wearing it with a t-shirt under it for the winter and I think that could totally work.

Don’t forget to come back when I explain all the details on how to hack your pattern to make this version

Pattern: modified version of the Milicent dress by Measure Twice Cut Once

Fabric: Digital printed linen cotton by Hansen Print Textiles

Alterations: ruffles, tie shoulder straps

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Sewing Adventures: Running Sloths

This top has been in the to do pile for at least 2 years? Possibly longer. I ordered the sloths when I got some pandas (you can see the pandas made up here).
Originally I had planned them as running tops and the pandas work ok but the fabric just isn’t good enough for summer running. So I’ve found that it makes it into the rotation for walks, weights and being on the bike trainer (like spin class but you get to use your own bike).

The sloths have been just waiting for the hemming to be done since the day after the pandas were made. Earlier in the year when I had planned to get a coverstitch machine this was going to be first thing I did. Then the getting of a coverstitch turned into a debacle and once again the sloths got set aside.

During my month of getting stuff done, I got my new Prym jersey twin needle, threaded it up and spent about 15 minutes finishing it off. Am so glad I did. Not only is it finished it also makes a nice addition to my current work out wear (current work outs consisting of walking or bike trainer, not allowed to do anything else yet). I still feel (and look!) quite swollen so I know these photos are in no way flattering but they are an accurate reflection of where I’m currently at.

The twin needle works like a dream. Perfect stitching and just glides over the fabric with not a care in the world. I’ll certainly be putting it through it’s paces on all kinds of knit projects from now on. Speaking of dreams, how lovely is my running view?

Overall I’m enjoying the sloths, much like the pandas I feel like the scale is too big and creates a kiddy type look as opposed to a cool print look. The fabric is fine for activities that don’t create huge amounts of sweat but the face of the fabric is quite easily affected. I already have more than one pull in the fabric from it snagging on a pin, my nails or general no rough useage.

Pattern: Women’s Racer Back Singlet from the Measure Twice Cut Once Basics range
Fabric: Activewear jersey from Spoonflower
Alterations: lengthened, graded out 2 sizes from Bust to Hem.