This project was my first complete project back in the early days that I did almost from scratch. It included the spinning all by myself (the very first yarn I spun since my training at The Woolery a few months prior) and knitting with my homespun yarn. This was my first real spinning project – not my first knitting project, though. As a kid, I learned to knit from my grandmother and from my neighbor. I leaned how to crochet from my mom. I was seven when I started and I haven’t stopped ever since.
As a knitter, I always wanted to have a full control of the type of yarn I am using for my projects. Naturally, it’s very difficult to find the exact composition of natural fibers in my yarn, yarn thickness, type of yarn, color, price, and many other factors that affect the final article I am making. Having said that, spinning my own yarn had always been my secret dream.
That year, my dream came to fruition. The way it started, was quite shocking for us. It all started with our shed fire on the New Year’s night in January 2018. A lot of expensive farm equipment, animal feed, tools, etc. were lost in that fire. It was a devastating experience for my family. With time, we had to move on and continue living as normally as possible. We cleared our yard from the fire remnants and recovered from the effects of that horrible disaster. As a part of the recovery, we decided to make a purchase for each of us – something that would make us happy. I chose to buy a spinning wheel.
Elizabeth 2 by Ashford arrived at my door in January 2018. Although elegant and beautiful construction, the wheel look extremely intimidating to me. I had no idea how to start learning. I searched for YouTube videos and spinning classes in my area. To my great surprise, the famous Woolery is within a mere forty-minute drive from my house! We lived in the country, and the closest grocery store was farther away than The Woolery. I took the beginner class at The Woolery and I am so glad I did! Nancy, the instructor, has a specific teaching method that really helped me master the entire spinning process very quickly.
My choices and possibilities have multiplied infinitely with the new skill of preparing fleece and spinning wool into yarn. Since I learned how to spin, I made a commitment to spin almost every day and definitely every week. Subsequently, I have spun many hundreds of yards of fiber (may be even miles, I am not sure). And I made many articles of clothing with my hand spun yarn.
This little project was my very first piece of work that started from spinning my own yarn and finished as a final article of clothing.
Romney wool is one of the easiest types to spin for beginners. These rovings of white and blue Romney fleece were purchased at the local yarn shop.
The transformation of wool from fleece to the final article had began.
Romney wool rovings.
I ended up using my second spinning wheel, Kromsky Symphony with a double treadle for this project. And I am glad I did. The double treadle gave a good control of the drive wheel and made my first big project very easy to accomplish as a beginner.
I enjoyed my first independent spinning project enormously.
I spun two bobbins of white and blue single (not plied) yarns paying very close attention to the thickness of my fibers. Nevertheless, I made a typical beginner’s mistake – I overspun my yarn.
My yarn is “over-twisted.” This is a typical mistake a novice makes. The forgiving long wool Romney fleece still feels very plush.
This mistake gets corrected to some degree during plying when the yarn unwinds a little. This is because when we ply yarns, the plying direction is opposite to spinning direction. For example, spinning occurs clockwise direction forming a z-twist. While plying happens in counterclockwise direction resulting in an s-twist. You can easily see the s-twist in the pictures below because it has contrasting fibers.
Freshly spun yarn should not be plied the same day. The yarn rests on the bobbins for 24 hours to set the spinning tension.
After the waiting period I made a two-ply yarn.
Below is a picture of my very first plying project. I was happy with the result because the final yarn tension was lessened by the plying. And my overspun strands were compensated.
Two-ply worsted weight Romney wool yarn for the mittens.
After plying, my yarn became much more relaxed. But, it’s not ready for knitting yet.
The next step was to remove the yarn from the bobbin and wind it into a skein in preparation for washing. A wool tool called niddy-noddy is used for that purpose.
Two-ply yarn on a niddy-noddy. You can see the imperfections. It’s thick in some places and thinner in others. This is my first project after all.
The next step is to wash and dry the yarn. I slipped the skeins off the niddy-noddy and washed them in hot soapy water. Washing of the wool is very different from regular laundry. Wool is placed in hot soapy water to rest there for 15-20 minutes. Wool is then removed and gently squeezed of water. No agitation in the wash and no wringing is allowed. Otherwise, the wool will felt.
After the wash, I rinsed the wool in hot water a few times. I use a small amount of vinegar in the last rinse to remove any residual alkali soap and to condition the wool. I used my drying rack to hang the washed skeins to air dry. Sometimes, I use weights for the drying process. But I didn’t use any weights that time. I let the wool dry naturally. To my surprise, the yarn became very relaxed and not over-twisted at all after washing and air-drying.
My next step was to wind the wool into balls. A couple of wool contraptions are used for this. The swift stretches out like an umbrella to hold the skein around its “waste.” And the yarn ball winder creates nicely wound balls of wool.
I could’ve used my sturdy sewing desk for this purpose. But I actually preferred to use my second floor railings for this job. The umbrella swift opens very widely, and I sure don’t want it to catch on anything or anybody while I wind the yarn.
Using a swift (left) and a ball winder (right) to transform the skeins into balls of yarn.
The amount of fleece rovings in the basket above produced these three balls of tightly spun and rather thick yarn.
Balls of white-and-blue two-ply yarn ready for knitting.
Since this project I spun miles of yarn. Every new project hones the skill. But, I think, this wasn’t too bad for a newbie.
I used long wool for my first spinning project. This type of wool is easy to spin, but the resulting yarn is coarse. Long wool is usually not fine like Angora or Merino. The benefit of long wool is that it’s very durable. In addition I used a worsted spinning method making the yarn even stronger.
The yarn that is so thick can be good to make socks, outer ware, or mittens. I decided to knit a pair of mittens since longevity is important. The tight twist of the thread adds to the durability even more.
I hand-knitted this pair of mittens while having a social breakfast with my family on a weekend. I could definitely see the uneven areas of yarn and I knew where I needed to improve.
The palm side of the mittens.The back of the mittens.
My first project gave me an amazing sense of satisfaction seeing the shapeless and fluffy wool transforming into an article of clothing.
How I made my Wool Lace Tunic from Start to Finish
Making things from scratch is so rewarding! So, when I crafted my lace tunic a few years ago, I intended experience every aspect of garment making. It wasn’t truly a farm-to-fashion journey quite yet because I didn’t really see the sheep that produced the wool. In fact, the roving I purchased was an import from England.
But, I was excited to embark on my new wool craft endeavor. To give you a sneak peak of my lace tunic project, I made the picture montage below.
Hickory lace tunic montage
Starting my Lace Tunic Project
My project began with a trip to the local yarn store for a quick purchase of some fleece for the spinners guild meeting. I bought a pound of off-white roving consisting of wool from 57 different sheep. With that roving and my travel spinning wheel, I rushed to my guild meeting.
Wool roving for my lace tunic.
Gosh, I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed my spinner’s guild back in Kentucky! I made so many friends and learned a lot. Ah, I really miss my Kentucky guild!
I arrived to the meeting and set up my Lendrum portable spinning wheel. All yarn spinners bring their wheels and arrange them in a large circle. That way, we can all see what other crafters are working on, share tips and ideas, joke and socialize while having refreshments. I hope, you guys are back to your gatherings after the pandemic.
Spinning the Wool into Yarn
So, having everything setup, I decided to spin very fine yarn for my lightweight gossamer pullover for that exceptionally warm winter month.
Wool roving and the lace-weight yarn.
After the meeting, I finished the rest of my project at home in a few days. It was surprising to me to learn how long it took to spin just one bobbin when the yarn is so fine!
When spinning yarn, the general recommendation is to keep it on the bobbin for 24 hours to let it rest and set in the twist. I as a diligent spinning student, I followed this recommendation and waited impatiently until the next day. My spinning instructor would be so proud!
The next step after spinning is plying. To ply the yarn, you need to spin two or more fibers in the opposite direction. This way, the yarns literally wind on each other. The opposite spin allows to slightly loosen the torque by unwinding the yarn. I made a two-ply yarn to make sure it is still very fine for my gossamer tunic.
The Niddy Knoddy Winding and Singing
Following my usual routine, I transferred the spun and two-plied yarn from the bobbins into skeins using a hand reel with a bucolic name “niddy noddy”. (Some people call it knitty knotty, but it’s actually niddy-noddy). Back in old days, women and children used to sing the niddy noddy song while winding their yarns into hanks.
Here is my hand-spun yarn on a niddy noddy.
The Yarn Makeover
The next steps in yarn preparation for knitting are dyeing and washing. Since my yarn was almost white, I could used any color I desired. As with all other fibers I produce, I use only pigments derived from nature. This time, I found the natural dyes right here in my back yard.
The carpet of fallen autumn leaves transformed the forested countryside into a cinnamon-colored landscape. The bright patches of terrain found under the hickory trees are especially attractive.
We collected a few pounds of dry hickory leaves for me to dye my yarn. Dying with natural pigments has an element of surprise as one never knows what exact color, tone, or shade to expect. I could hardly wait to see the final color. To my great surprise, the result exceeded my expectations. I was very happy with this rich golden-brown hue.
Hanks of wool yarn dyed with autumn hickory leaves.
I am finally ready to wind my washed and dyed yarn for knitting. Whew!
My Lace Tunic will be One Big Swatch of Elaborate Patterns
I have a large collection of intricate and intriguing lace knitting patterns. The patterns by themselves are very elaborate and pretty. I decided to go even further and combine some patterns into a three-dimensional garment. My elaborate lacy needlework required a little bit of calculations, but it wasn’t too bad at all.
My lace tunic project was kind of an experiment combining gossamer patterns. Two things I knew for sure. first of all, I wanted a round yoke and three-quarter sleeves. Everything else was pretty much a free form.
After making a small stockinette swatch to measure the knit gauge and a little counting, I made my “Hickory Gossamer Tunic”. Because of not knowing the final result and going with the flow so to speak, the making process became very gratifying to me.
Quite often when knitters finish their work, they stop there. However, there is one more step to do to make your garment looking neat and professional. This step is called blocking. The blocking can be done in many different ways. Perhaps, I’ll write an entire post just on that. So, let’s see how I blocked my lace garment this time.
Blocking my Handmade Lace Tunic
Before the Block
As you can see from two pictures below, the lacy pattern makes the newly created knit fabric look very corrugated.
Lace yoke has a lot of texture.
The pattern that I selected for the bodice has even more relief. In fact, the shape looked to me like an egg carton while in the making.
Lace pattern is corrugated in its original form. It needs blocking.
Obviously, some knitted projects have a purpose of being scrunched like this. It all depends. But I wanted my tunic to be more flat. For this project, I decided to wet-block followed by a steam-block.
Soaking the Garment in Water
For wet blocking, I completely immersed the tunic in water. When it was fully saturated, I pulled it out and squeezed most of the water very gently and trying to avoid any wringing. Then, I laid the tunic onto a thick towel and rolled it in like a burrito. An additional squeezing of the towel burrito moved a large portion of the water from the garment into the towel.
Spreading and Pinning the Tunic on the Blocking Table
After this process, the tunic stayed pretty wet, but not dripping. I placed my tunic onto a special blocking table. The markings on the table surface help spread out the garment as symmetrically before setting it in a permanent shape.
Blocking lace tunic.
The tunic in the picture isn’t just lying on the table. I use special pins and wires to shape the neckline, the sleeves, the sides, and the “teeth” of the hem. This is quite an elaborate process, but it’s done only once. You don’t need to pin and block your knit wool garment after each wash.
Steaming and Ironing the Wet Tunic to Set the Texture
The final step in blocking is to fix this shape to make it permanent. I used the iron that I floated at about half-an-inch from the pullover. This this distance from the iron plate provides enough heat to set the fibers in the pattern without pressing them leaving some texture, but making the garment more manageable during wear.
When the tunic eventually dried on the blocking table, I still wanted it a little more flat. This time, I simply steamed it with the steam iron without touching it. You can touch your garment with hot iron. But this will block it into a very flat garment permanently. This type of blocking is called “killing”. Killing can give you very nice result if desired.
The Result
My lace tunic turned out to be very nice, lightweight, and comfortable. I like the shape, pattern, color, and overall design.
All fabrics are classified by their construction and content. Fabric construction is how the fabrics are assembles from yarns or threads. The three main construction types are woven fabrics, knitted, and non-woven fabrics. Fabric content or composition, on the other hand, is the material that constitutes fabrics. This post summarizes fabrics by their content.
You can find types of woven fabric in this post: Three Main Types of Woven Fabric. I will be publishing knowledge-base articles on knitted and non-woven fabric types soon. Subscribe to my newsletter to receive notifications of new posts and my store discounts.
For now, let’s review fabric and yarn classification by composition.
Yarn & Fabric Classification by Content
The two types of textile fibers are natural and artificial (man-made) fibers. Natural fibers come from animals and plants while artificial fibers are synthesized from petroleum*, polysaccharides, proteins, and their blends.
* As a proponent of sustainability and transparency, I focus on natural fibers. I do not cover petroleum-based synthetic fibers in terms of their production and the fabrics made from them. However, petroleum synthetics are included in this classification to make the list complete and to know which materials to avoid when shopping for natural fabrics and clothing.
Natural Textile Fibers
Fibers grown in nature are found in animals and plants.
Animal Fibers (Protein Fibers)
Wool
Silk
Camelids:Alpaca, Guanaco, Llama, Vicuna, Camel (Dromedary, Bactran, and Wild
Mulberry
Goat:Mohair, Cashmere, Orenburg
Eri
Sheep:Merino, Rrambouillet, Shetland, etc.
Tussar
Rabbit:Angora
Muga
Yak
Ahimsa
Quivit: muskox
Chiengora: dog
Plant Fibers (Carbohydrate Fibers)
Seed
Bast
Leaf
Cotton
Flax
Manila
Kapok
Hemp
Coir
Jute
Kenaf
Ramie
Synthetic Fibers
Fibers synthesized in a lab or manufacturing facility from carbohydrates, protein, or petroleum, and their blends. These fibers and fabrics made from them are also known as synthetics.
Regenerated Carbohydrate (Polysaccharide Fibers)
Regenerated Cellulose
Bamboo and tree wood pulp: viscose (Rayon), modal, lyocell (Tencel)
Cotton waste: Cupro
Acetate: diacetate (acetate), triacetate
Regenerated protein (Amino Acid Fibers)
Animal-Based
Plant-Derived
Milk fiber (a blend of milk protein (casein) and acrylonitrile* (petroleum-based synthetic fiber used to make acrylic)) was produced in Europe and the US in 1930s.
Arachin (groundnut or peanut)
Aralac, Lanatil and Merinova
Soy
Azlon (casein copolymer (25%-60%) grafted with 40%-75% acrylic monomers, of which at least half is acrylonitrile, has been developed in Japan under the tradename Chinon.)
How many times have you drafted a bodice pattern following instructions, only to have your head spinning at the end of this project and still not understanding how you got there? I’ve done it too many times. So, I decided to make changes in my approach to the pattern drafting to save time and eliminate the fatigue and frustration.
What makes my approach simple is that you are working on one section at a time until finished. It takes you only a few seconds to complete each section. (May be, with the exception of the arm and neckline curves simply because you need to exercise some care and take time to make the curves smooth.) Also, if one measurement is used in different parts of the block, this measurement is used all at once, and you don’t have to look it up or calculate it again.
If it does not make sense right now, do not fret. It will all come together once you try to follow the directions and draw the pattern this way.
You will need large pattern paper (or any other large paper from a roll). I use medical office lining paper because it is transparent and cheap. Optional: self-healing cutting mat. I lay my transparent (parchment like) paper on the mat. This way, I can see the grid through the transparency of the paper. It works very well.
You’ll also need a long ruler, pencil, eraser, French curve, and a measuring tape to take your measurements if you have not done it yet.
Measurements
You will need only nine measurements for this project. The detailed description of the measurements can be found in a separate post (coming up soon).
Below is the list of the parameters.
Horizontal Measurements:
Neck Circumference – full circle around the neck at the nape.
Bust Circumference – full circle around the fullest part of the bust.
Waist Circumference – full circle around the narrowest part of the torso.
Bust Span – bust point to bust point.
Shoulder Length – nape of the neck to the shoulder tip.
Back width – distance from arm to arm at the scapula (shoulder blade) level.
Vertical Measurements
Armscye Depth – nape of the neck to the shoulder blade line where the back width was measured.
Bust Height – shoulder to bust point (the highest point of the bust).
Waist Height – nape of the neck to waist in the back.
Now, that we have all the measurements, let’s start building the block.
Neck, Bust, and Waist Lines, Guidelines
Mark a starting point S close to the top left corner of your paper leaving some space around the starting point. From this point, draw a vertical line extending above and below it.
The vertical line is the Center Back of the block and the grainline of the back pattern.
Center Back line extends above and below the Starting Point S. The line above is only a few inches long.
Markings on the Center Back Line:
N1: Neckline: Measure 1.5 cm (5/8″) above the starting point S – mark this point N1. (N for neck.)
S1: Sleeve/Shoulder Head Guideline: Divide the armscye depth measurement by 5 and subtract 0.5 cm (1/8″). Mark this distance from starting point S measuring down as point S1(S for sleeve and shoulder).
D1: Shoulder Dart Guideline: Mark point D1 15cm (6″) down from starting point S, on the Center Back Line. (D for dart.)
A1: Armscye Line: Add 0.5cm (1/8″) the Armscye Depth. Measuring from point S down, mark this distance on the Center Back line. Label this point as A1(A for arm/armscye).
B1: Bustline: From point N1, measure down the Bust Height. M mark this point B1 (B for bust).
W1: Waistline: Measure the Waist Height down from starting point S, and mark it W1(waist).
Mark all vertical measurements on the Center Back in one setting.
Here is the summary of the vertical distances:
Summary of vertical measurements.
Now, that we marked all necessary points on the Center Back line, let’s move on to the horizontal measurements and the Center Front.
Horizontal Lines:
We will be using Adjusted Bust Circumference:
Adjusted Bust Circumference = ½ (Bust Circumference + Ease)
Only one half of the Bust Circumference and Ease are used for the pattern because the pattern is made for one half of the garment. The Center Back and Center Front are the lines running through the middle of the body. The lines will coincide with the midline of the garment.
The same holds true for the ease. Only half the ease is used on the half of the pattern. For example, if the ease to the bust is 6 cm (2 1/5″), add 3 cm (11/4″). Remember to halve the amount of ease, before adding it to your half bust circumference.
Build the Block Using Adjusted Bust Circumference
Block: Draw horizontal lines equal to Adjusted Bust Circumference from points N1 and W1 to the right. Mark endpoints as N2 and W2, respectively. Connect N2 and W2 to form a rectangle. The vertical line on the right is the Center Front line.
Sleeve Head Guideline: Draw a horizontal line from point S1. This is only a guideline. It does not need to have a specific length.
Back Shoulder Dart Guideline: Draw a horizontal line from point D1. Same as above, this is just a guideline. It does not have to be a specific length.
Armscye Line, Bust Line: Draw horizontal lines from points A1 and B1 to the Center Front. Label the intersection points as A2 and B2, respectively.
Draw the horizontal lines in one setting.
To summarize:
The only horizontal line, that we have not included yet, is the Front Shoulder Guideline. You will see very soon, why it is added later.
Front Shoulder Guideline will extend inwards from the Center Front.
Now, that we’ve built the basic block, we can move on to the outlines of the pattern starting with the Back and Front Necklines.
Back and Front Necklines
On the Neck and Shoulder Line:
The measurement used for this section is the Neck Circumference divided by 5. It is easy to see that the back neckline should coincide with the front neckline at the shoulder seams. That’s why, the same measurement is used for both.
N3: Back Neckline: Mark 1/5 of Neck Circumference from point N1 to the right. This will be point N3.
N4: Front Neckline: Mark 1/5 of Neck Circumference from point N2 to the left. This is point N4.
Mark the neckline distance in the back and front on the pattern block.
On the Center Front Line:
Front Neckline: Mark 1/5 of Neck Circumference (same measurement) from point N2 down. Mark as N5.
Mark the neckline distance on the center front line.
In summary:
Summary of the neck measurements.
Front Shoulder Guideline: Mark a point 0.5 cm (1/8″) up from N5 on the Center Front line and draw a horizontal line from this point. This is just a guideline, so it doesn’t have to be a specific length.
Draw the front shoulder guideline.
As you can see, we used the same measurement in two corners and the Front Neckline mark was used as a starting point for the Front Shoulder Dart Guideline. Easy!
Necklines
Connect points N1 and N3 with a smooth shallow curve to form the back neckline. Check that the line is at the right angles* at the Center Back line and the shoulder seam.
Connect N4 and N5 with a deep curve keeping the right angles* at the seams. This is the front neckline.
* When working with curved lines, always check that they come to a right angle when they meet a straight seam or fold (for example, the center front, center back, or the side seam). By doing this, you ensure that you will get a nice smooth curve where the back and front necklines join.
Draw curved necklines.
We continue working in the upper section of the block around the neck and shoulders. Let’s move on to the seams and darts.
Back Shoulder Seam and Dart
Add 1.5 cm (1/2″) to the Shoulder Length (this is the allowance for the shoulder dart). Use a ruler to pivot this distance from point N3 until your measurement passes through the Sleeve Head Guideline (the horizontal line drawn from point A1). Draw a straight line to create your shoulder line. Label the endpoint S3.
Draw a back shoulder seam line.
Mark M3 the midpoint of the back shoulder seam (line N3S3). Mark a point 1.5 cm (1/2″) from M3 toward S3 (to the right) and label as point M1. Draw a vertical line from midpoint M3 down to the Back Shoulder Dart Guideline. Mark a point 3 cm (1 ¼”) from the intersection point toward the Center Back and label as point D2. D2 becomes the point of the back shoulder dart.
Make the marks for the back shoulder dart.
Connect M3 to D2 and M2 to D2 to create the dart arms.
At this point, the shoulder segment of the dart (connection between M3 and M2) and the auxiliary vertical line can be erased.
Summary:
Draw the back shoulder dart.
Let’s move on to the front shoulder and dart. First, we need to mark the Bust Point.
Mark the Bust Point
Divide the Bust Span by two (as we are working on the half) and add 0.5 cm (1/8″) (allocated ease).
Measure this distance from point B2 to the left on the bust line. Mark it as the Bust Point.
Mark the bust point.
Draw a vertical line passing through the Bust Point and intersecting all your horizontal lines. This is the Vertical Bust Line.
Draw the vertical bust line.
Mark point D3 1 cm (3/8″) above the Bust Point on the Vertical Bust Line. This will be the point of your dart.
Mark point D3 on the vertical bust line.
Front Shoulder Dart
This equation is from Burda Style tutorial.
Add or subtract 0.6 cm (1/8″) to 7 cm (2 3/4″) for each 4 cm (1 1/2″) bust increment above or below 88 cm (34 1/2″). For bigger busts you will need a larger dart (add to 7 cm), and for a smaller bust you will need a small dart (therefore subtract from 7 cm).
For example, if your bust circumference is 84 cm (33″), which is 4 cm (1 1/2″) below 88 cm (34 1/2″), you need to subtract 0.6 cm (1/8″) from 7 cm (2 3/4″), leaving a dart width of 6.4 cm (2 1/2″).
Use this dart width calculation to mark this distance from N4 as point S4.
Connect S4 and N4 to D3 with straight lines to create the front shoulder dart.
Create the front shoulder dart
Front Shoulder Seam
Using a ruler, pivot from point S4 the Shoulder Length until it crosses the Front Sleeve Head Guideline (Front Shoulder Guideline). Draw a straight line creating your front shoulder line. Mark the end point S5.
Draw the front shoulder line.
Drafting the Armhole
On the Armscye Line (A1A2), measure the distance of half of the Back Width plus 0.5 cm (allocated ease) from point A1. Mark this point A3. Draw a vertical line from point A3 upwards until it reaches Sleeve Head Guideline. Find a midpoint between A3 and the intersection with the Sleeve Head Guideline. Mark this point M5.
Make a guideline for the armscye on the back pattern.
Take the distance from the Center Front to Bust Point (i.e length from B2 to the Vertical Bust Line or half Bust Span plus 0.5 cm) and mark this distance on Armscye Line, measuring from the dart arm closest to Center Back. Mark this point A4.
Draw a vertical line from point A4 upwards until it intercepts with the front shoulder seam.
Divide Armscye Depth by 5. Mark this distance on the line just drawn from A4, as point A5.
Make a guideline for the armscye on the front pattern.
Find the midpoint of the line between A3 and A4 and mark as M6.
Draw diagonal lines (lines drawn at a 45-degree angle) inwards from points A3 and A4. From A3 the line is 2.5 cm long (1″) (mark endpoint as A6), and from A4 – 1.5 cm long (1/2″) (mark endpoint as A7). These diagonal lines will help in the next step, when we draw the armhole curve.
Mark the endpoints for the armscye.
Summary of Measurements:
Summary of the armscye measurements.
Connect points S3, M5, A6, M6, A7, A5, and S5 with a smooth line.
Connect the endpoints to create a smooth armscye line.
Creating Waist Darts
At this point, the Waist Line is the same length as the Bust Line. Our Bust Circumference, however, is usually greater than our Waist Circumference. To remove this excess girth from the waist and to create a well-tailored pattern we need to make waist darts (one in the back – remember this is on the half so when you make your block there will be two in the back, and one in the front, as well as slightly tapering side seam, which we will also treat as a dart at this point).
Dart Width Calculation
Subtract Waist Circumference from Bust Circumference and divide it by 2. Add 2 cm (7/8″) ease (which adds a total ease of 4 cm (1 1/2″) throughout the waistline).
Divide this number by three, so that it can be distributed evenly throughout the back dart, front dart, and the side seam. This is the dart depth (width).
Back Waist Dart
To mark the placement of the back waist dart, find the midpoint of line A1A3 and label as D4. Draw a vertical line from this point so that line intersects the Waist Line (W1W2). Mark the point of intersection as point W4. This will become the center of your back dart.
Mark the endpoint and the guideline for the back waist dart.
Distribute the dart depth evenly on either side of W4 and join endpoints to D4 to create dart arms.
Side Seam
Draw a vertical line from M6 until it intersects the Waistline (W1W2). Mark the intersection point as W3.
Draw the side seam guideline.
For simplicity treat the side seam (line M6W3) as a dart at this point. Distribute one third of the dart depth to the back of the bodice and two-thirds to front of the bodice, either side of W3. Join the endpoints to M6 to create the front and back side seams.
Side seam (dart)
Front Waist Dart
Mark the intersection point between the vertical bust line and the waist line as W5. Distribute dart depth evenly each side of W5 and join the endpoints to a point 1cm (3/8″) below the Bust line to create dart arms.
Draw the front waist dart.
Balance the Waistline
At this point the waistline of the pattern is straight. But as the front of our bodice must pass over the fullest part of the chest (the bust), we need to add a little extra length to our Center Front, to prevent this part of the waistline from riding up when the bodice is made.
Mark a point 0.5 cm (1/8″) to 1.5cm (1/2″) down from point W2.
(0.5 cm (1/8″) for small bust / 1 cm (3/8″) for medium bust / 1.5 cm (1/2″) for large bust)
Connect point W1 to point W6. Extend the dart arms to reach the adjusted waistline.
Balance the waist line.
Complete the pattern outline by connecting S to W1 and N5 to W6. And finish the darts by capping them.
Complete the pattern outline.
Trace the pattern
The pattern is done. All you need to do now, is trace the front and back parts of the pattern onto separate pieces of semi-transparent paper including all details.
These side slant pockets are comfortable and very useful for pants and shorts, skirts and dresses. You can make them as deep as you wish.
Construction of Side Slant Pockets
The side slant pockets become a part of the front piece of the garment. For example, if you are making pants, you will attach the pockets to the front pant patterns. Making pockets is the first part of your garment assembly. After the pockets, you can attach a zipper, and finally, sew the pieces together.
What fabric should be used for pockets?
Fabric used for pockets or pocketing fabric should be thin and strong at the same time.
A pocket pouch consists of two layers of fabric that lay underneath the main material of the garment. This fabric has to be thin so that it doesn’t stand out in relief. The pockets should be unnoticeable unless the pockets are prominent by design.
In addition, you need very strong fabric for obvious reasons, – you don’t want your pockets to rip and lose their valuable content.
Natural pocketing materials are cotton and linen. Personally, I like ticking cotton fabric for my pockets. It’s thin and strong at the same time. But ticking cotton can be expensive.
Another material used for ticking is Silesia fabric named after its place of origin. Silesia is an historic region in Central Europe spreading throughout Poland, the Czech Republic, and Germany.
The pocket construction consist of three parts: two pocket liners and one visible patch. Personally, I like using ticking material for my pant pockets. The visible patch is made of the same fabric as the remainder of the garment you are making.
The method consists of two steps:
Step 1: The front pocket liner is attached to the front piece of the garment.
Step 2: The back pocket liner is attached to the front pocket liner.
It’s that simple! Let’s review the method step-by-step.
Step 1: Attaching Front Pocket Liner to the Front Piece of the Garment
Prepare Pocket Liners
Use the front piece of the garment to make the total of four pocket liners: front and back liners for two pockets.
The liners should be as wide as the front piece of your garment.
Use thin, but durable fabric for your liners.
Make a Visible Patch
We will attach the visible patch to the back side of the pocket that is showing through the opening. It is made of the same fabric as that used for the garment itself. As an option, you can make the entire back liner of the pocket with the garment fabric. But, if it’s too thick, the pocket may show through.
Create Pocket Slant in the Front Garment Piece:
Measure along the waste line 2″ from the side seam towards the center and mark the top edge of the slanted opening. The 2″ distance is optional. You can make it bigger to give your pocket opening more slant.
The pocket opening should be wide enough to fit the hand with 1″ margins on each side.
Mark pocket corners. You can use a pencil or make small nicks with scissors.
Next, fold the pocket slant along the bias.
Because the fold runs along the bias, it can easily stretch and lose its shape. To avoid stretching, we need to reinforce the folding line with an adhesive liner or by making several quilting seams along the side of the line that will be folded so that the quilting seams are not visible in the final garment. (I use a cotton adhesive liner.)
Fold along the line. The quilting stitches should be hidden.
Make sure, you have strong quilting stitches and/or tape to reinforce the bias edge.
Attach the Front Pocket Liner to the Front Garment Piece
Cut off the triangle from the side of the pocket liner to match the pocket slant.
Align the pocket liner with the front piece of the garment and fold the slant. Pin it to prepare for stitching.
Stitch from the right side along the fold using thread and stitch selection that matches the color and texture of the fabric and the desired style. This seam will be visible. The photo below shows the white thread for demonstration purposes.
Next, stitch along the folded corner of the front garment piece and the front liner of the pocket.
Step 2: Sewing Together the Front and Back Pocket Liners
Prepare the Back Pocket Liner
Use zig-zag or overlock stitch along the curved edge of the visible patch.
Attach the visible patch to the top side of the back liner by stitching along the curved border.
Align the back pocket liner to the front garment piece making sure that the corresponding marks (nicks) in the seam allowances line up.
The next step is to sew the two pocket liners together.
Attach the pieces at the corners and reinforce the pocket opening with additional zig-zag stitches.
You can iron the front part of the garment at this time. The pockets are ready.
After finishing the first part of the project, I took a little break. Finally, I returned to my sari silk pillow and finished it. When I started my project, I intended to make two pillows with the sari silk top on one side and cotton fabric on the back. In this process, I couldn’t find cotton fabric in my stash that would be a perfect match. I did not want to go shopping because of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, I ended up combining the two woven tops and constructing one pillow.
To make it more visually interesting and versatile, I changed the order of colors in my second pillow top. The first part has orange on the outside and green inside. The second part is just the opposite, with green on the outside and orange strips in between the green ones.
Both sides are so pretty! I cannot make up my mind about which side I like better.
The second woven pillow top hot off the loom
The next step was to use the same silky liner and embellish my sham with cotton lace. The result was just as adorable as the first half of the project.
The irregularities in the fabric grain render the handiwork a more authentic look.
After finishing the liner and embellishments, I reinforced the fabric edges with a so-called sewn-out zig-zag stitch. It was not absolutely necessary, but I wanted to add some extra durability.
Finally, the two pieces were combined to complete the pillow case with a small opening on one side.
Finished pillowcase with a small opening on the right for stuffing.The pillowcase on each side.
The fluffy stuffing was distributed with care to make sure that every corner has an equal amount of stuffing and that the pillow looks and feels very smooth and even. And here it is, stuffed and smiling at you like a happy seal basking on a beach.
Stuffed pillow ready to be sealed.
The parts of the opening were hand-stitched together. The pillow is finished.
Sari silk and cotton decorative pillow collage
I hope you enjoyed reading about my project and looking at the pictures.
