PROJECT #19: HOLIDAY SEQUIN TANK TOP

© 2012 Runway Sewing. All Rights Reserved.

Holiday time is here again. Want some BLING in your wardrobe? Dress it UP with a satin or velvet bottom or dress it DOWN with your favorite denim. Make this tank in any knit fabric. Here we have a sequin knit tank made in simple steps. Start from scratch all on your own and make this or any knit tank in only about 3 hours! Celebrate this holiday with your DIY SEQUIN TANK TOP!

1. Find your best fitting knit tank top you want to copy and follow the step by step instructions below.

2. Lay the tank on pattern pattern or any paper big enough to trace the tank onto. Pin the tanks onto the paper so it does not move around. Trace the edge of the tank onto paper.

3. For the area such as the front neckline where you cannot trace the edge due to the back neckline being higher than the front.. use a pin or push pin to mark the paper by puncturing hole into the paper to trace later. You can use a tracing wheel if you have one.

4. Finish tracing the front and back of tank and cut it out. You will have a front piece and a back piece.

5. Lay the pattern pieces onto fabric and pin. Cut along the edge leaving 1/4' seam allowance all around. Sew the front and back side seams and shoulders together. For the armhole and neckline, you can finish the edges by sewing a bias binding or fold inward and single needle top stitch along the edge. For this tank, I only sewed a stay stitch along the edge to prevent stretching but I kept the edges raw.

If you have a knit dress, you can do the same and have a tank dress! Try it and have fun making your holiday tank. It's fast, it's easy and it looks great! Happy Holidays Everyone!

NEW WEBSITE LAUNCH!

Hello All! I have a new website. Go to www.RunwaySewing.com and check it out!!!

I just added a new DIY project called the "Molino". It can be made to be worn as a jacket, dress, loungewear or a beach coverup. It is a very versatile piece. I have published my 1st pdf eBook which has step by step instructions along with a printable pattern. I love the Molino and wear mine all the time! Try it for yourself and see what look you can come up with! You can see more pictures and information at the new website! Thanks!

© 2012 Runway Sewing. All Rights Reserved.

PREVIEW OF WHAT'S NEW TO COME!

© 2012 Runway Sewing. All Rights Reserved.  

Sorry for the delay in posting this month. I have been busy getting ready to launch a new Runway Sewing website for early September! Here is a sneak peek from today's photoshoot for what's to come! Stay Tuned!!! So Excited!

 

PROJECT #18: SUMMER TUBE TOP

© 2012 Runway Sewing. All Rights Reserved.  

This project is very similar to project #17: Strapless maxi. You can use knit or woven fabric for the body. For the top and bottom finishing, you will need a rib. Make a few different styles for the summer!

See the directions below on how to make this cute top. You can shape in the waist (reduce -1 1/2" total where your waist hits, or keep the sides straight as the diagram below for looser/relaxed fit.

A. Width = Your Chest circumference +2".
B. Center Front (longest length) = Desired length.
C. Center Back (shortest length) = Front length - 3".
D. Rib (with spandex) Length = A - 1 1/2". Height = 1/8" more than elastic height. If your elastic is 1", the height of the rib will be 2x's (double), as you will need to fold in half + seam allowance.
E.  Elastic = Circumference under you armpits. Keep it tight enough the top will not fall down.You only need elastic for the top.

For sewing, stitch the sides together. Sew the rib ends together, sew top and bottom rib all around the edge. Leave about 1 1/2" open on the top seam. You will need to pull the elastic through, inside the top rib casing. Sew the elastic ends together once it has been pulled through. Now finish stitching the rib to the top rib.  You are done!!! Have fun mix and matching the fabric and rib in different colors and prints. You can design and make this top for any occasion depending on the fabric you choose!

PROJECT #17: STRAPLESS MAXI

© 2012 Runway Sewing. All Rights Reserved.  

Here is the perfect summer dress you can make in just couple of hours! It is so easy to make and wear. Make it in a solid or printed fabric. You can use knit or woven fabric for this project.

Here are step by step instructions on how to make this dress.

#1)  1 1/2 yards of fabric + elastic

#2)  Figure out how much length of elastic you will need to go around right above your chest / right under armpits AND around your waist. Remember to keep the elastic tight so the dress will hold up when worn on the body. Sew the elastic ends together.

#3)  Fold the fabric in half. Sew the center back from top to bottom edge. Cut the back -2" blending to 0" at front. The back must be lower than the front of the body to fit properly.

#4)  Fold the garment inside out and start pinning the elastic at top opening. Make sure to leave enough fabric at top to fold and cover the elastic after sewing. When sewing the elastic to the fabric, you will need to gently pull the elastic to create shirring in the fabric since the fabric circumference will be much bigger than the elastic it self.

#5) Fold the top seam allowance inward to cover the elastic and stitch the elastic and fabric together again.

#6)  Pin & sew the elastic the same way as the top but there will be no seam allowance at waist. The elastic will be sewn directly to the inside of the waist. The stitching used on this example was in zig zag stitch but you can do straight stitch if you prefer.

#7) Finally, hem the length of the dress to your liking. You can keep it long maxi length or shorter.

Enjoy the summer showing off your new outfit that you made! :)

PROJECT #16: WRAP DRESS WITH VINTAGE VEST

© 2012 Runway Sewing. All Rights Reserved.  

This is a preview of draping projects to come! I draped this wrap dress straight onto the dress form. The vest was also draped on the form but I made a pattern diagram below so it will be easy for you to follow.

The vest was made from an embroidered mesh fabric. The fabric was expensive so I made a small vest using only 1/2 a yard of fabric!

The pattern below is in 3 pieces. The back and front are exactly the same excpet at center front and front shoulder lines. Trace the front and back the same except follow the blue dotted line for the front shoulder seam lines.

You can adjust the measurements to fit your body. For this tutorial, the vest is a size Small/Medium. Note, you will need to add 1/4 to 1/2" seam allowance all around the pattern.

A. Body length = 17"
B. Shoulder slope = 3 1/2"
C. Armhole straight = 8' (curve the armhole in about 1/2" at middle of amrhole.)
D. Bottom side curve = 3/4"
E. Shoulder width across = Chest +2"
F. Chest width 1" below armhole = 20"
G. Sweep = Chest -1/2"
H. Adjust the front shoulders as the blue dotted line.

I used this lace seam binding for finishing the inside of the vest. The lace binding creates a vintage feel to the vest and looks very pretty.

Draping the dress! This dress is made from a matte jersey fabric. The front panel has the grainline draping diagonally from shoulder across body. In this tutorial, I do not give specific meausrements but took pictures to show you the steps in the process of draping a garment. Usually, you would use muslin but I wanted to do a quick job so I used the fabric directly on the dress form.

The front shoulders and back skirt seam have pleats added for fullness. Once the front and back pieces are draped, the lines are cleaned up after laying flat on the table.

Here is the finished dress. Worn with a belt, this dress looks great on any figure! Happy Sewing!

PROJECT #15: TYE DYE COWL NECK DRESS

© 2012 Runway Sewing. All Rights Reserved.  

This project is a little more difficult then the previous projects but you can do it! You will draft your own pattern using the specs given. This sample is a size Medium. The mannequin is a size 6 so if you are smaller or bigger, you can just increase or decrease the width of the pattern.

This dress has exposed raw seam allowance at side seams and at cowl neck. The wide neck is held in by sewing a 1/4" elastic at back. This way neck opening will stay in place and not fall off the shoulders. The edges are kept raw and rolls for a deconstructed look.

Here is a inspiration board for other tye dye ideas! You can also just buy a tye dye kit from a craft store and dye clothes that you already have for a fresh new wardrobe!

Material:

1.) 1 1/2 - 2 yards of 60" wide knit fabric

2.) 1/4" elastic

Duration:

Drafting Pattern: 2 hours

Cutting & Sewing: 2 hours

Level: Beginner to Intermediate

Drafting the Pattern: It is best to use pattern drafting paper. Make sure to add at least 1/4" seam allowance all around the pattern. Note, there are total of 4 pc's. See below for each panel how many to cut.

The front and back are the same except for the neck and cf lines. For the construction of the neck piece, make sure to fold the ends and match to the shoulder seams. the CF cowl edge will naturally fold inward and stay put without extra sewing. See picture of cowl neck on mannequin. The last piece to sew will be the elastic at back neck. The length of the elastic can be determined based on how much you would like the width of the neck to sit on your body. This sample measured, 8" across.

When drafting the pattern draw the CF and CB line then the widest width and longest length. After you cut out the pattern pieces along the seam allowance, make sure to walk the seam lines to make sure the length match up. If the seams do not match up in length, you will have to adjust it. Make sure to also add notches so it is easier for you to sew the pieces together accurately. Good Luck and have fun!

PROJECT #14: THE LACE DRESS

© 2012 Runway Sewing. All Rights Reserved.

This dress is flattering to any figure and it is a "ONE SIZE" fits all! Well, it will fit you if you are a size small, medium or large. Basically the waist circumference is 38", so if you can pull it over you head, it will fit! ;)

In this picture the the dress is layered over a nude color slip. This dress will need a belt to cinch in the waist and to also cover the waist seam. You can add any belt you have or make one as I did in this picture. The belt was made out of velvet ribbon. You can see the instructions in "the valentines top" post.

Valentino Spring 2012 runway show inspired me to make this dress!

Material:

1.) 3 1/2 yards of lace fabric (preferably with scalloped edge)

2.) Velvet ribbon for belt (optional)

Duration: Approximately 4+ hours 

Sewing Level: Beginner to Intermediate

CUTTING THE FABRIC! This particular lace I used measured 42" in width (scallop to scallop). If the lace you get measures longer or shorter than 42" it is ok. Your dress will just be shorter or longer in the sleeve length and body length than pictured in this photo!

#1 Lay the fabric out flat and cut into 2 pc's as shown in the diagram below. Note TOP and Skirt sections. 

Then cut in half as shown in the red doted line.

#2 Layout the cut fabric on top of each other (double layer) as shown in picture below.

A&B. Sew the side seams together with the 1/4" seam allowance. 

C. Baste stitch the top 1/2" away from raw edge all around the circumference of the skirt. DO NOT STITCH THE TOP LAYERS TOGETHER. Once the baste stitch is done, shirr the waist so the circumference measures 38". The hem circumference will measure 92".

#3 Follow the silhouette spec as drawn below. You can either wing it and just pin the points where the seams needs to be cut or make a paper pattern. It is up to your skill level. Don't forget about the 1/2" seam allowance wherever you see the red seam lines.

**ALL MEASURED FROM IMAGINARY (HPS) LINE.

A. BODY LENGTH: 36 1/2"

B. BODY WIDTH EDGE TO EDGE: 42"

C. TOP LENGTH TO WAIST: 16"

D. SHOULDER SLOPE: 1"

E. NECK WIDTH: 7 1/2"

F. FRONT NECK DROP: 2 1/2"

   BACK NECK DROP: 1/2"

G. SLEEVE OPENING: 14"

H. WAIST WIDTH (AFTER SKIRT HAS BEEN SHIRRED): 19"

I. HEM CIRCUMFERENCE: 92"

J. UNDERARM CURVE : ABOUT 1/2" FROM WAIST LINE

Pin and sew the red seams together. Make sure to keep ALL of the seam allowance on the inside of the garment! You can do it! Gook Luck!!

PROJECT #13: THE COLD SHOULDER T

© 2012 Runway Sewing. All Rights Reserved.
 
This is the easiest T shirt project. Saw an anthropologie sweater and simplified it by making a cut out T shirt in just 15 minutes. All you need is a scissor and a tape measurer! 

Pin the points marked in red or use washable chalk directly on the T shirt for the cut out areas. Make sure to cut right next to the armhole seam of the sleeve so there is minimal stretching. You can determine the front neck drop length based on how low or high you want the neck to be. For this sample pictured, the width of the straps equal 2" on each side and the neck drop was 6" down from HPS (neck and shoulder seam point). The front and back are cut out the same at shoulders. The back neck drop is only 1/2" from HPS and the sleeve length was cut to make 3/4 length.

Experiment and make your own cut out T shirt design!