I saw this combination of options and thought how nice it would be to pair with my high-waisted Cozy Pants (of which I have two more planned: a navy pair and olive pair.) I had a lot of this daisy DBP leftover from a Be Genuine top, so I decided to use it to make a test garment which turned out totally wearable.
About the Fabric
White Daisies on Black – Double Brushed Polyester (DBP) from Made of Love Fabrics
- Fiber Content: 95% Polyester, 5% Spandex
- Weight and Thickness: Midweight
- Stretch: 125% horizontal, 50% vertical
- Softness: ★★★★★
- Sheerness: ★☆☆☆☆
About the Pattern
Well…I’ve learned I’m not a huge fan of Ellie and Mac instructions. (This could in part be why I’ve sworn off the Duchess Jacket.) No major reason; just a lot of little annoyances that add up (detailed in What I Did Differently below.)
About This Make
- size small graded to large at waist
- crop length
- lengthened 1″
- bishop sleeves
- plus an additional 3″ to bottom of bodice for a 1.5″-wide elastic at the hem
What I Did Differently
- sewed basting stitches for sleeves on the flat after sewing the bodice basting stitches. Might as well do that all at once.
- used a 1.5″ wide elastic for hem cuz I can only tolerate wide elastics around my waist and hips
- sewed instead of serged the first elastic hem seam because the instructions look like a literal afterthought on this step
- I did NOT measure the hem elastic; I just sewed one continuous piece until I came full circle and then cut where needed. Works way better.
- did not overlap the hem elastic
- Had to trim where the top bodice meets the bottom bodice when sewing the side seams. That tiny little extension of fabric at the sides of the bottom bodice doesn’t hold up well to serging, so the raw edge of the completed front bodice doesn’t line up very nicely.
- Used my sewing machine to attach the sleeve cuffs. I knew it would save me a lot of headache compared to if I tried to serge them with the gathers and such limited space. Plus, it makes it easier to remove the basting stitches before running that seam through the serger to tidy it up.
Notes for Next Time
- Lengthen bodice 1″
- Lengthen sleeve cuffs 1″
- Anchor clear elastic before sewing (or obtain an elastic foot for my serger.) I almost didn’t use clear elastic on the bodice, but since this was a test garment, I figured I’d give it a shot and ditch it on the next make if I didn’t like the result. The result is fine, but the instructions to just place it on top of the gathers made sewing that seam deeply annoying since you’re trying to wrestling the elastic in place while making sure the gathers feed nicely and the bottom bodice fabric stays flat. I ended up with a pretty substantial catch that’s thankfully hidden well by the busy print on this fabric.
- Serge first elastic hem seam
- I have an idea to color block this in a long peplum circle or short dress version: purple DBP for bodice/skirt, and leftover open weave sweater knit from my Rock & Republic sweater.
- Be sure to use a needle thread for basting that doesn’t turn into an eyesore because you won’t be able to remove the innermost row of basting stitches from the bodice when you serge it and there isn’t quite enough allowance to cut it all off.
Project Settings
Sewing Machine vs. Serger
| Sewing Machine | Serger |
|---|---|
|
|
Sewing Machine Settings
| Presser Foot | Stitch# | Stitch Width | Stitch Length | Needle | Top Thread Tension | Application |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| standard zig-zag (A) | 5 | 1.0 | 4 | blue tip | 4 | seams |
| standard zig-zag (A) | 0 | 3.5 | 5 | blue tip | 4 | basting #1 |
| standard zig-zag (A) | 0 | 7 | 5 | blue tip | 4 | basting #2 |
Serger Settings
| Stitch Name | 4-thread overlock |
|---|---|
| Needles | R, L |
| Finger | B |
| Threads | 4 |
| Tension Left Needle | 4 |
| Tension Right Needle | 4 |
| Tension Upper Looper | 4 |
| Tension Lower Looper | 4 |
| Cut Width | 6 |
| Stitch Length | 2.5 |
| Differential | 1.0 |
| Application | seams |
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