Sewing Garments With Lady Bird
We are halfway through August and the heat is on!! Since Lady Bird will soon be arriving to quilt shops, I wanted to share some garment inspirations with you.
If you haven't sewn garments before, I'm here to assure you that they aren't as scary as they seem and quite fun to wear when you're finished!
I think the most important tip is to take time to make a muslin. This is a handmade garment and it's your job to make sure it fits to your liking. I have used old sheets from my linen closet to make this process go a little faster. You can also save a little time by using the basting stitch on your machine.
The garments that I am sharing work well with quilting cotton. I will also be sharing them in order of skill level starting with the easiest first.
The Verano Tank Pattern by Christine Haynes is a new favorite of mine. This pattern comes with dress variations as well so you can create several different looks with the same pattern. It's available in print and digital download. Christine also has a video workshop you can watch at your own pace. What else could you ask for?
This is the Verano in View D with button and pockets!
Everyone needs a party dress! This is the Flora Dress by By Hand London. I love this fit and flare style because it looks elegant and it's so comfortable to wear. This dress also comes with bodice and skirt variations. Really the only tricky part is a zipper in the back! Come on, you've got this. Just take your time! I baste my zipper in first to make sure everything looks right.
Since I love everything vintage I'm also in love with the vintage inspired Sew Over It patterns. This dress is appropriately named.....Vintage Shirt Dress and it's available as a PDF download. The first time I wore this dress out the hostess gave me a compliment and it warmed my heart. Finding unique buttons is also part of the dressmaking fun for me. The buttons I chose for this dress are mother of pearl cat eyes from Etsy.
You may notice that some garment patterns are only available in digital format. Not sure where to have them printed? I recommend uploading your files to PDF Plotting! They have a minimum order amount of $10.00, so if you have two or three patterns to print it's a better deal. They have a fast turnaround and they are shipped to you in a large tube ready to cut. Don't tape hundreds of pages together, this is so much easier. Once it arrives at your door, you'll be off and running....not with scissors though, don't do that.
I hope I've inspired you with some fun ways to use Lady Bird. I can't tell you how excited I am to see what you make. Please tag me on Instagram @cmanningsews so I can see and share your creations.