Monday, May 16, 2016

JUNE - Washi sew a-long

Hey Peeps -

Yes it has been a while. I have not been ignoring you, I have been doing all sorts of living my life. I could bore you with all the details but you really are just here for the sewing.

I went to The Stash Bash back in April and had a super fab time. I have been sucked in by my quilt-y friends and actually designed and made my own quilt top. Weird, I know! More about that another day. But I still say "I don't quilt".

While I was there I got LOADS of requests for help making clothes. Quilters like certain types of clothes patterns in particular and there are a few that are big hits among them. A few are The Washi Top / Dress, The School House Tunic,  and the Esme Top. This is largely thanks to Karie Jewell (and her obsession with the Washi and the School House) and now she has started the Wiksten Tova craze, it is quickly climbing the charts, so I may have to try that one out too.

I was not able to walk everyone through all the clothes making they wanted to do so... I offered to do a sew a long. We are starting June 1!! THE WASHI SEW A LONG!



I am going to make a muslin straight from the pattern size closest to mine and then make adjustments from there. I really think this will help you guys more than me trying to show you all the flat pattern changes I make. Your changes will be different. Having your own muslin will help you see where you need to make changes.

Here is what you need to do before June 1.

1. BUY the pattern - either for download or buy the printed pattern and get it shipped to you. Either way is fine, it is your decision as to which you would like to do. I will walk you through how to put the home printed one together since that is what I have. Everyone needs their own copy of the pattern. Sharing is stealing, we are supporting our fellow artists by buying their pattern.
- if you are doing the home print you need glue sick and masking tape, yes Wahi tape will work too.

2. Gather Materials
- Muslin - If you would like to make a tester you can make it out of muslin. Please use decent quality for your muslin, if it is too different from your final fabric it will not give you a realistic idea of what your final product will look like. And the fit may end up different.
- Woven Fabric - light to medium weight: shirting, voile, double gauze, quilting cotton, linen or rayon. *The biggest size of the longest option says to get 3.5 yards. so measure yourself and round up. I know some of you will be gasping at buying such big yardage not for a quilt back. But I never buy less than 3 yards. I usually buy 6.
- 1.25 yards of 1.25" wide bias tape or plan to cut your own. (you need this if doing a facing or the sleeveless option. Do not need it you are doing a full lining).
- lightweight interfacing (if doing the neckline cut-out)
- coordinating thread, there is debate about quality. But personally I use serger thread for everything.
- elastic thread (and if you are weird about bobbin tension, get an extra bobbin case for your machine they are like $5 and shirring is so fun and easy and amazing) If you are not weird about it we will change the tension on our bobbin case ever so slightly. I change mine all the time but apparently some people think I am insane.

3. Now - Sign Up! send me an email c@chrissyweeks.com tell me your name and where you are from and I will send you an invitation to our Slack channel where we will have discussions.

So that is the basic, basics of getting started.

Here is my plan for making this happen.

June 1 - Putting together your pattern and choosing what size to cut. Discuss all the options! *pre-wash your fabric or muslin to be ready for next week.

June 8 - Cutting out and marking your pattern pieces.

June 15 - Sew it together! With the shirring on the back.

June 22 - What changes would you make? Cut out the Real Deal!

June 29 - Talk amongst yourselves b/c I will be on vacation.

July 6 - Sew together your real deal Washi!

This may be ambitious? I am not sure, I have never done an online sew along before. And if anyone in the Atlanta area wants to come over and sew with me for real, let me know! We should do that!

Alright....see you June1!!

Hugs - Chrissy



4 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  2. This looks so awesome, and I love that Washi pattern. Sadly my sewing skills are NOT up to par to accomplish this dress.

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  3. It is a really simple pattern. But it does take basic sewing skills.

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  4. Woohoo!!!!! I will be traveling to and from Va 3 times before the end of the sew a long but I ❤️❤️❤️❤️ you!!!!

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