Oct 16 2019
What have I been sewing lately? It was a garment a customer brought along to Clone Your Closet that gave me the inspiration for this project. It was one of her favourites she was going to learn how to make a pattern from and it was the pockets hidden in the seam that I wanted to recreate.
I used the pattern block for our wiggle dress as the starting block and after a bit of pattern cutting on the front bodice I created the design I was looking for. All I had to do to the back bodice was make it shorter. After shortening the front bodice, for the centre panel, I sliced the bodice vertically from the neckline, down the left side of the waist dart and across to the side seam creating a curved pocket opening. For the side bodice, I sliced the bodice vertically from the neckline, down the right side of the waist dart (this removed the waist dart) and across to the side seam at a lower position to incorporate a pocket bag (I cut this piece in a contrast printed jersey from our online shop). I then cut a front pocket bag and because the garment was being made in jersey, I reduced the sleeve width.
To prepare my machine for sewing with jersey, I used a regular stitch but changed to a ballpoint needle and walking foot and reduced the pressure of my presser foot (not all machines allow you to do this). With everything cut out, I stitched the bust darts and back waist darts.
.jpg "MINISTRY MAKES-OCTOBER 19")
.jpg "MINISTRY MAKES-OCTOBER 19")
The pocket bags were then sewn onto the right side of the centre bodice
panel starting at the side seam and finishing 1cm from the end of the
pocket bag
curve to leave a seam allowance to allow me to add the side bodice.
The pockets were then pressed to the wrong side.
I joined the side bodices to the centre panel from the neck, stopping exactly at the point where the pocket bags were attached and pressed the seam flat. Raw edges could be left, as they did not fray.
.jpg "MINISTRY MAKES-OCTOBER 19")
I pinned the pocket bag and side bodice pocket bag extension together
and stitched from the point where the side bodice and centre panel seam
ended to
the side seam.
With the pocket bags sewn, I put in a couple of pins to hold the 2
pocket bag layers to the centre bodice panel at the side seam (this
could be machine
tacked).
I placed the right side of the back on top of the front and joined them at the shoulder seams.
Sleeves were inserted on the flat, easing the sleeve in was easier on jersey than woven fabric.
The sleeve underarm and side seams were sewn together and sleeve and bottom hem pressed and stitched.
I used the navy jersey to finish the neckline with a binding.
And this is how it looks on…..
These are a couple more I made, the stripy jersey is from our online shop and the navy is a ponte roma fabric from John Lewis.
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