This is my secret little pick-up-put-down hand sewing project. It is a “smock blouse”, stitched entirely by hand, using a pattern from the spring 2007 issue of Pochée, size 90-100 cm. Clever use of just one piece of fabric + all hand sewing = the perfect March challenge! The sample smock in the magazine used a beautiful new fabric from Emiko Takahashi that created a striped border along the bottom edge of the smock. For mine, I used a Japanese fabric that I bought at Yuzawaya awhile back.
(inside-out cuff)
I sewed French seams along the sides, and folded-in-then-sewn seams at the neck and cuffs, followed by bias tape sewn to the neckline and 4 cm in from the edge of the cuff, with elastic run through them. For fun, I used red hand sewing thread for the cuffs for contrast. A pattern that does not include seam allowances allows for so much flexibility with construction methods. Some parts required a 1.5 cm seam allowance, other places 2.5 cm, and other places 1 cm. If I had wanted to sew this by machine instead, possibly without the French seam part, I could have easily adjusted the pattern.
Inevitably, when my daughter wore this out to the park yesterday, a friend asked how I “find the time” to make things. I could probably write about this topic endlessly, and in fact, I already have written about it once. I am still working on how to answer the “How long did it take you?” question, considering how many times I pick up and put down projects. For fun, here is how I “found the time” to sew:
Friday-Sunday: Studied pattern and instructions, decided fabric to use
Monday: Traced and cut out pattern, gathered supplies
Tuesday: Cut out fabric pieces
Wednesday: Sewed first side seam (stitched twice to make a French seam)
Thursday: Sewed second side seam, started bottom seam
Friday: Finished bottom seam, made bias tape, sewed bias tape to the neckline
Saturday: Sewed cuff seams and bias tape, inserted elastic into cuffs
Sunday: Still thinking about a little ribbon to attach to the neckline…
6 responses so far ↓
Alex // March 12, 2007 at 2:21 am |
A thoroughly admirable project. Love it!
EelKat // March 12, 2007 at 6:48 am |
so pretty!
I love hand sewing, esp crazy quilting, it seems like no one does that anymore.
keep up the good work!
~~EK
carolyn // March 12, 2007 at 9:22 pm |
people make time for things – they just don’t realize it. then they accuse you of having more time than they do – just because the things you’re making time for are different than the ones they’re making time for. it drives me NUTS. people need to shut up sometimes!!!!
alice // March 14, 2007 at 12:43 am |
wow–so impressive! you always make me want to pick up my handsewing projects right away…. :)
DeeLight // March 17, 2007 at 4:48 am |
Wow!!! By Hand!?!? I am very imressed. I feel like I have accomplished something when I put a hem in by a hand!! Great Work!
Carla // March 19, 2007 at 5:25 pm |
Cute, cute. When you think about it, people used to handsew every single item because that was the only way to do it. It can be done, we just have a different mindset today. And… it has been years, but I have made baby dresses completely by hand. Batiste is easy to sew and darling for the wee ones.