Day 4 of the Shana and Emily Sew-A-Long

The final day! YAY you for making it to here - the end is in sight ! so let's dive right in :)

Today we will start at the sleeves, in between the 2 notches (which you can't really see because of poor photo positioning (oops) you will set your machine to the longest stitch length (no backstitching!) and sew a gathering stitch or two. Do this on both sleeves.

Now take your first sleeve and match the edges up and the center gathering with the shoulder seam.

I pin each edge and center and then pin the in betweens - sometimes I need to take a pin out here and there to make sure the material lays nicely but for the most part I find this the easiest way to make sure everything stays where it should

Once you have that sleeve pinned sew it on! Make sure you are back to regular stitch width :)

Do those steps for each sleeve and then move on over to your serger or set your machine to zig zag. It is time to finish some edges/seams.

I brought it over to my serger and finished the sleeve seams I just sewed first.

Then I serged the sleeve bottom edges - where your hand will be :) If you don't have a serger you can skip this since you will be doing a double fold hem

Then Pin up the sides - be sure to match up your under arm seams! and Sew and finish! I serged first and then sewed - I sometimes do this if I know there won't be a fit issue :) 

I Then serged the bottom of the tunic - but again if you don't have a serger you can skip this step since you will double fold the hem.

Now fold up your sleeve ends and you bottom ends and sew! If you did not serge then do a double fold hem :) Remember there is a VERY handy folding template in your pattern :)

At this step I tried my Shana on. As you can see in the pictures the sleeves are a bit too long - even for my extra length sleeve loving self and I decided I wanted a bit of cinching in at the back for a bit of a more fitted look. I would NOT do this if I had made mine shirt length. But since i did more of a dress length I decided to. so make any final hemming adjustments as you deem fit.

If you did shirt length shana or if you did the emily - then congratulations you are done!!!! If you love the fit of you longer length tunic - then YAY you are done as well!!! If you want a cinched in back like mine - then keep reading :)

Now before I go on I want to say - if I was doing this again I would save myself the headache of stretching out elastic and just make a bias tape casing on the inside. So there you have it. 

Either way - cut a piece of elastic the width of your desire. I did the width (ish) of the small of my back.

and in my very accurate way of measuring I looked at that picture I took of myself trying on my Shana and thought I think it would look best to have the gathering about a hand width down from the underarm seams.

So I pinned the elastic to each end and then the middle and then the quarters.

And then pull the elastic (I have to hold it behind and in front where I am sewing to keep it tight.) Stretch as you sew if you do this method. but again. the bias tape casing would be much easier and give the same look, without the hassle.  

I sewed to the top and bottom of the elastic.

and voilà! DONE! and I ADORE my Shana !!!! Corduroy over tights with boots - fall cozy perfection! And this neckline - LOVE it!!!! 

Don't forget to get your Shana/Emily into the album over in our facebook group!!! Prize/s on the 4th of September, 2013! 

So do you love yours as much as I love mine?