Fast enough that you are able to manipulate the fabric under the foot to go around a corner but not so fast you aren’t accurate. You need to find a balance in your sewing speed. Other times you will need to make sure your edges are matching and hold them together as you sew in between the pins. Sometimes you end up with extra fabric on the top which you can gently nudge under the foot as you sew. Your right hand should be controlling the raw edges. Guiding the fabric is how you should think about your hands. Your left hand should be flatish and out wide, resting lightly on the fabric, not pushing or pulling. Use two light hands as you sew - a bit like how Jamie Oliver dresses a salad - nice and light. Don’t start at one end and go to the other.
Pin either end of your seam, then in the middle and then in the middle of those pins. If you are new then please pin your edges – a lot. Learning to do this is part practice/part science. What does this mean in practice? It means that the two raw edges you are sewing together are in line AND that you are using the seam guide on your machine to ensure the seam is exactly the right distance from the raw edges.
A perfect (or even a good) seam allowance is the key to sewing. This possibly seems obvious but I’ve watched a few people learn to sew over the last few years and I think that not enough time is spent learning this. A lovely, drapey, easy to wear vest in a fabric I love.Step 1 – Advice for beginners about seams Then it was on to the binding (all machine sewn this time), a quick wash and press to remove left over starch and that’s it. I used the overlocker on a narrow three thread stitch to finish the shoulder and side seams together then pressed them towards the back (same settings as the BHL Anna dress). I kept the cut-offs so I can adjust the pattern for next time- just as long as I don’t misplace them before that. Then I trimmed them a bit more before I added the binding. I trimmed them after basting the side seams to check the fit. This time I remembered to adjust the armscyes to avoid the pulling I had on version one. Making bias binding from rayon, even after starching isn’t that much fun as it turns out but it does makes beautiful binding that is easy to apply and sits beautifully. I ended up with a plain white rayon made into half inch double fold tape.
So many shades of white and grey, none of which matched. I also didn’t bother with the pocket on this version so technically it’s the Tiny Pocketless Tank.įinding a fabric to make binding out of was a bit of a challenge. It’s a bit shorter than the original pattern but that’s ok- for layering with other tops it’s just fine. This top will be added to my ever-growing Grainline collection- so far Scout Tee one, two and three and Alder shirt dress one and two.Īfter a bit of folding, refolding, turning around and micro adjusting of pattern pieces I managed to squeeeeeeze a front and back piece out of what I had left (that’s the benefit of cutting whole pattern pieces, it does make that a lot easier). The fabric originally came from the Village Haberdashery and I LOVE it so didn’t want to waste a single scrap if I could help it. I had a teeeny amount rayon from Cotton and Steel’s first rayon collection Frock I think it’s called pixel print neon left over from my BHL Anna dress. Version one was made in Liberty tana lawn in 2 colourways and an added dropped hem at the back. So this is version 2 of Tiny Pocket Tank pattern from Grainline Studio. It’s another Grainline pattern to add to the Scout Tee versions one, two and three and the Alder shirt dress versions one and two. I’m adding a Talvikki/Linden mash-up in a gorgeous French Terry and an Archer popover variation in double gauze to the list too.