Tag: FAQ’s

Guest post by MoonStar

This week I’ve been treating you with photo-tutorials on the Nivalis Dress & Tunic.
So far I’ve explained how to hem the bottom  and how to sew the colorblock option.
Today we will take a closer look on the collar.

I’ve seen questions about making the collar as well as questions on how to attach the collar. So today I will try to explain both these steps.

How to make and attach the collar

This photo shows you the pattern pieces needed for the collar.
As you can see I already ironed the interfacing to the small pattern pieces. I also folded these pieces in half and pressed them. This will help you once you’ve sewn the 4 pieces together.

Next thing to do is sew those 4 pieces together…

4 collar pieces are one long piece of fabric now…

Fold the long piece in half (right sides together) and sew the both ends together. You create a “circle”…

which should look something like this…

You close one of the sides. When working with a print like I did here, you will close the part that looks like the bottom. Otherwise your print will be upside down after you attach it.

We are now ready for the next step: attaching the collar to the dress.
If you want to sew buttonholes, do it before you attach the collar. And don’t be afraid about the buttonholes! Personally I like the look of the buttonholes best on this pattern. But I know not everybody shares that opinion…

Don’t forget to use the markings on the pattern pieces to place the collar on the dress. You should “wrap” the collar around the dress.
The photo on the left might be confusing… the collar is upside down on how it should be attached. It’s to show you on which side you should have the buttonholes.

With the collar pinned in place, sew on your regular machine, or when you’re more confident you could skip this step and go straight to your serger.

After sewing with a stretch stitch you can now finish the raw edges with a serger or with a zigzag stitch or a overlock stitch on a regular machine.
Give it another good press and you’re all done!
Oh, sorry, you need to attach your buttons first. About the buttons, they are supposed to be decorative. But I attached the first button on the other side so it is actually functional. As you can see in the picture below, it’s not noticeable.

Time to show off your creation!!!

Hope you all enjoyed these past three days reading about the Nivalis Dress & Tunic.
What pattern would you like to read more about in a next series?

Guest post by MoonStar

Yesterday I told you how Sofilantjes decided to start working on some FAQ’s.
Quite a few of these Frequently Asked Questions involve parts of the instructions in the Sofilantjes patterns. Instructions are quite clear and I find all patterns pretty easy because of the combination of written instructions and graphics. But sometimes it happens that the confident beginner needs some extra help and even the more experienced sewist can have a temporary brain freeze.  And so I thought it would be nice to add some photo tutorials.

First pattern I’m tackling is the Nivalis Dress & Tunic, more specifically 3 questions we hear often:
How to…
– hem the bottom (that strange corner part)
– sew the colorblock version
– make and attach the collar

Yesterday I’ve explained 2 ways to hem the bottom. Today’s post is all about the colorblock version of the Nivalis Dress & Tunic.

How to sew the colorblock version?

For this one I will be showing you step-by-step photo’s

Important note: when making the colorblock version you need to read the instructions about which pattern pieces to use. Actually I think it’s important to read all instructions carefully before you start.

Repeat these steps for the back bodice pattern pieces.

You are now ready to continue with the instructions of the Nivalis Dress & Tunic.

Come back tomorrow to see how you can make & attach the collar to the dress.

Guest post by MoonStar

The Sofilantjes Facebook group has been expanding tremendously this year. We are very pleased to see how many people enjoy our patterns.
Over the past few months we’ve noticed there are quite a few of the same questions that keep popping up. Therefor we’ve been thinking to launch a FAQ’s document in the group. Bear with us, we are working on it!
Did you know you can find quite a few FAQ’s on the website? Check it out here.

Of course a lot of the Frequently Asked Questions in the Facebook group involve questions about the way certain parts of patterns are to be constructed.
So, I will be making tutorials on those parts that can be challenging to the beginning sewist.

First pattern that I’m discussing is the Nivalis Dress & Tunic.
In the next 3 days I will try to explain how to:
– hem the bottom (that strange corner part)
– sew the colorblock version
– make and attach the collar

I know hemming the cap sleeves is also something that might need some extra instructions to the less confident sewist. I might do a photo tutorial on this when the weather is getting warmer again (sorry to our Down Under friends or any other folks that live in warm and sunny parts of the globe).

How to hem the bottom of the Nivalis?

I’ve tried several ways. I’ll start with the last one. This is the one my mother suggested. She’s been sewing for about 60 years, so you can say she’s one of my most important role models when it comes to sewing.

Hemming version 1:

• I finish the corner edge and the bottom edge with my serger (an overlock stitch or zigzag stitch on a regular machine will do fine as well)
• Next I draw a line to where my hem needs to be folded (so double of the hemming length; in this particular case 5 cm or 2 inches)
• Then I fold my hem upwards and press it all around. This really helps the hemming later on!

• When you are sewing the side seams, you do not sew the little corners, you leave them open for this way of hemming.
• You now fold the bottom upwards. Because you already pressed the hem, this step will be easy. Pin in place!
• With the bottom hem folded upwards and pinned in place you are ready to sew. To get a clean finish you can baste the hem in place before using your twin needle or some cute decorative stitch.

Hemming version 2:

Another way of hemming is this one. I find it quicker, but it can give just a tad more bulk in the corner if you’re a little bit sloppy…

• Preparations are the same as version 1, although you might want to skip finishing those little corners, as that can be the reason why the corner gets bulky.
• When you close the side seams you now also close the little corner!
• Fold the hem upwards again, which is yet again easier because you pressed it already during preparations. You might have to pay extra attention to the corner when folding it up and pinning it into place.
• With the bottom edge folded upwards & pinned in place you can start sewing. Yet again, using a basting stitch first can be very helpful.

Want to know how to do the colorblock version of the Nivalis Dress & Tunic? Check out tomorrow’s post!