Day 3 - Form Bodice and Attach Sleeves

Welcome to Day 3 of the Gabriella's Winter Coat Sew-A-Long! Are you all caught up? If you need to go back, here is where you can find Day 1 and Day 2.

Today we will be forming the bodices of our Gabriella's coats and attaching the sleeves. This will be steps 6-11 of the pattern.

We are starting actual construction today! Yay! Prep work is so important to do for construction to go smoothly, but it's always fun when you can actually start seeing your project take shape.

Forming the Bodice

Follow steps 6-9 in the pattern tutorial to form your bodice. When you are finished, your piece should look like this. Don't forget to repeat with your lining pieces. If you have never sewn princess seams or pleats before, we are available to help with any difficulties you may run into. Our Facebook group is the best place to get your questions answered.

TIP: When sewing oppositely curved seams together, pause every few stitches and readjust your fabric. It helps keep your raw edges aligned and avoid puckers in the seam. Focus only on the area directly in front of your needle as you go around. If you typically sew with a long stitch length, it may be beneficial for you to shorten it for these curves in order to make them smoother.

The way I do my pleats is slightly different than in the pattern instructions. If you have difficulty with the instructions, here is how I do them.

Step 1: Fold bodice right sides together at center pleat mark. Press a crease down the length of the bodice. Your two outer pleat marks should be on top of one another.

TIP: You can baste in a line from the stacked pleat marks a couple of inches down or up at the top and bottom in order to help keep your piece in the right place when you are pressing the crease. Remove these basting stitches when finished.



Step 2: Pull left side of bodice open until you reach your stacked pleat marks. Press a crease down the length of the bodice while leaving your pleat marks stacked.



Step 3: Baste the pleat in place at the top and bottom of Gabriella's bodice. Remember to stay within the seam allowance.

Attaching Gabriella's Sleeves

Follow steps 10 & 11 in the pattern for both your main and lining to attach your sleeves. When you have completed these, you should have two bodices as in the image below. Now is a good time to try the bodice on your model to test the fit. Remember, this is a winter coat, so it will likely be worn over a few layers of clothing and thus has plenty of ease built in.

Wearing Ease: "Wearing ease is the amount added to a person’s body measurements so one can move in a garment. Without it a garment made to just the body measurements would be skintight."

TIP: You may find the sleeves are less prone to puckering if you sew from the shoulder seam out in each direction.



That's it for today! Please post a picture like the one above on the Day 3 thread in the Facebook group in order to participate. Check back in tomorrow for Day 4!