Adding Pockets to the Portrait Peasant

This week on Project Run and Play it is denim week!!!! 

This was the week I was most nervous about, but I actually got it sewn before upcycle week haha. Turns out I didn't have to think toooo hard on how to make denim week not overwhelmingly 90's !

I used the portrait peasant for the top and the easy fit pants for their bottoms. Both the necklines are in the pattern. So, today's tutorial is for adding the pockets! 

I made a size 5 and 2 and my pocket pieces were 6 and 7 inches tall and I made them 9 inches wide (better a bit extra than not enough). Serge or zigzag your ends. and then you will fold over the one side that will be in the center of the shirt and then fold over the top edge 1/4 inch and then another 1/4 inch. You can also add a hemband along the top as you will see in a little bit.

Next, you will pin your pockets onto the fronts and sew along the inside edge and then baste along the bottom and around the outside edge. Then you will just finish sewing up the portrait as per the pattern!

I personally LOVE the pockets on peasants! My kids also adore the pockets and promptly collected rocks and leaves and things when we went out on our picture walk !

 

Anyone want to guess what I'll be sewing/showing for signature style week next week?

Rebecca dress with a gathered skirt - tutorial!

I don't know about you, but straight skirts never really feel like my friend, and especially not after the second baby. However, I LOVE the neckline and details of the Rebecca pattern! So, I decided to do a gathered skirt on the Rebecca! 

ps. do NOT forget to muslin, muslins are indeed your friends and worth the extra work!

This is really so simple folks! I took the Angie skirt dimensions - and cut them down by a few inches for each pieces (less gathering) and the Angie pocket pieces as well. 

If you don't have the Angie and still want to do this for the Rebecca you will need a measuring tape. Measure your front bodice and then cut a rectangle of fabric that is: bodice width x 1.5 or 2 by the desired length. and then measure side pieces and cut two (2) rectangle pieces that are  bodice width x 1.5 or 2 by the desired length. 

If you are using the Angie measures you can simple cut the second rectangle in half to give you the 2 pieces for the back skirt.

 So you should have 3 skirt pieces. one large rectangle and then 2 smaller ones plus 4 pocket pieces if you are adding on pockets.

Sew your pockets a couple inches from the tops of each skirt piece as seen above and then you put the sids together and sew - like the Angie pattern. and you will have a long skirt piece with the middle in the center and a back skirt piece on either side. Now you gather it up and then attach as per the directed in the Rebecca pattern!

Nice and easy right? 

Now another thing I want to touch on is that the Rebecca is NOT meant to be a skin tight ultra fitted bodice. of course you can size down to get it how close fitting you want it, and should practice getting the fit you want via a muslin.. I want to show you this pic - as you can see I can pinch an inch in front and back.   

but that extra bit makes this dress sooo comfy, and it still looks fitted.

Do you see my zipper?

I LOVE this dress, I love the fit, I love the colours and fabric (the new Jenny Eliza found in Joann's fabric stores btw) and I LOVE the gathered skirt. I feel ready to go have tea with the queen!