I was reminded of 5 Simple Sewing Tips while sewing my Quiet Valley Historical Farm volunteer’s costume.
5 Simple Sewing Tips
Check out the video to see the tips in action
- Choose your pattern before you buy your fabric
- Transfer pattern markings by folding back your pattern at the locations of the marks, then use tailor’s chalk to mark your fabric
- Baste when the pattern tells you to baste – it really does help!
- Check, then double check that you have your sleeves in correctly!
- Try on your garment as you go … you can make alterations before you make a mistake!
I am volunteering to help demonstrate natural dyeing and all of the volunteers dress in period clothing – which means: I need to make a costume!
I am quite excited to dress as if I am going to step onto the set of Little House On The Prairie (my favorite show of all time). For the costume, I am using Homespun Fabric, Homespun is a lightweight fabric of fine cotton yarns, produced by using traditional colonial techniques of hand dying, warping, weaving and washing. These are the fabrics that I have selected for my costume.
I am using NewLook pattern #6868 for the blouse of the costume. It is a great top because it does not have any zippers or buttons, it just slips right over your head.
Two of the homespun fabrics will be used for aprons. When dyeing fibers, a black apron is a good idea – if it gets stained … no one can tell! The plaid fabric will be the everyday apron.
The top fabric is a yard of Pendleton Wool. It is gorgeous! I can’t bring myself to cut into the single yard. It will just get hemmed and be a simple wrap.
The fabric with the ticking, is a 1/4 yard cut and will be used for a little kerchief to keep the sun off of the back of my neck.
I still have to figure out the sun bonnet, but for now, I am super happy with the fabrics and the way they are coming together!
Hope the 5 tips I remembered while sewing the blouse for my costume help you out too!
