Amelia Hack Day 2 of 2: Skip the Gathers!

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Welcome to Day 2 of hacking the Amelia pattern. If you missed Day 1 when we raised the back neckline, you can check it out here. 

Today, we will discuss those dreaded gathers and a few ways I’ve skipped them. The Amelia has gathers in three different places on the adult pattern:

  • Under the bust
  • On the waistband
  • On the skirt

For this tutorial, we will be skipping the last two gathers. 

Goodbye Waistband Gathers 

When sewing Amelia per the instructions, you cut QTY 2 of both the Waistband and Waistband Lining. Then, you gather the height of the waistband until it matches the height of the lining. So, let’s create a flat waistband without the gathers by cutting QTY 4 of the Waistband Lining. QTY 2 will be for the lining and QTY 2 will be for the outer dress instead of the Waistband pattern piece.

In a standard Amelia, there is a taller pattern piece for the outer waistband because it is gathered to match the lining.

Looking back to the instructions, you can now skip the gathering bit for the waistband. Continue construction as directed in the pattern.

Goodbye Skirt Gathers

Now, for my favorite hack to any pattern – adding a circle skirt. This is guaranteed to make me feel like a million bucks. I don’t know what it is about a circle skirt, it is just heaven in a garment to me.

For this one, all I did was compare the width of the Amelia waistband lining pattern piece to the bottom of my Sahara bodice. They were the same, so I knew I could just pop the Sahara skirt onto my Amelia bodice

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Don’t own the Sahara or have a printed copy in your size accessible? No worries, we can use a calculation to get there. Don’t love math? Me neither. Check out this simple calculator from By Hand London. 

Voila

We did it! Time to take that dress out for a spin.

 

 

 

 

Amelia Hack Day 1 of 2: Raising the Back Neckline

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My favorite silhouette to sew for myself is a fitted bodice and full skirt. Amelia fits the bill perfectly. It has a front crossover bodice and unique deep back v-neck. Amelia is topped off with a gathered waistband and gathered skirt. Amelia is a really enjoyable pattern sewn “as is” but I’ll show you a few “hacks” to get even more mileage without a lot of effort.

Let’s Hack!

Today, let’s work on raising the back neckline. The amount you raise is up to you. We will talk more about that below.

For this hack, you will need:

  • The Amelia has two back pieces:
    • Back Bodice
    • Back Bodice Lining
  • Fabric, main and whatever you want to use for the lining, I had enough of my main and just used that.
  • Ruler
  • Paper
  • Writing tool
  • Adhesive: tape, glue, etc.


Behind the Scenes Tip: Ever wonder why all the BSD patterns with lined bodices have a lining and exterior pattern piece? The lining is slightly smaller so it rolls inside and the seam isn’t prominent. So, because there are two different back pieces, we want to raise them by the same amount.

Back Bodice and Back Bodice Lining

 

Let’s start by attaching the Back Bodice piece to your paper. I used tracing paper and tape here:

Then, extend the back center up in a straight line user your straight edge. I also drew red dots where the neckline currently begins and ends on the pattern piece.

We’re Almost Done Now

Now, we need to determine how much we want to raise the back neckline. I started with 5 inches (shown on this paper), did a muslin, and then settled on liking 3 inches, reflected in this garment.

Now, draw another dot at the top inside edge of the shoulder seam 3/8 inch down. This is to account for our seam allowance. Don’t worry if you forget the first time like I did, you can simply trim it later and remember for the next time. Now, use the straight edge again to connect the two marks (green line). 

 

This your new pattern piece. Cut around to remove the excess.

 

Then, repeat for the second piece, raising it by the same amount.

 

Fabric Time!

Now, you’re ready to use your new back pattern pieces to cut into your fabric:

  • Back Main (we will need to cut QTY 2, mirrored, from the main fabric)
  • Back Lining (we will need to cut QTY 2, mirrored, from our lining fabric)

Follow the standard assembly instructions.

Tadah – you did it!

Can you spot the other two things I did to make this Amelia different? I’ll be back later this week to tell you about removing the gathers around the waist and replacing the gathered skirt with a circle one.

 

 

Convert An Elastic Waist Pattern To A Knit Waistband

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We all have our favorite comfy pants patterns, but sometimes you just want a little extra comfort, right? Why not change that elastic waistband into a knit waistband for the ultimate comfort fit? I can show you how!

Convert An Elastic Waist Pattern To A Knit Waistband

First thing’s first, what do we need to make this work?

Supplies:

You will need:

your pants sans a waistband

a knit fabric with really good stretch and recovery (I’d recommend a minimum stretch of 75%)

lots of pins

measuring and cutting tools

your sewing machine

Before we start

Before we go too far there is one other crucial piece of information we need. A waist measurement for the intended wearer of these pants. So, grab your measuring tape and grab that. You’ll want to measure at the waist where the wearer bends or approximately 2 fingers above the belly button.

Since these pants are for my daughter, I measured her. Her waist is 21.5 inches. With this information and your supplies in hand, we’re ready to get started! (I apologize for the slightly blurry pic here… she was a wiggle monster today!)

Let’s Do The Thing!

First, take that waist measurement and subtract 2-3 inches. This will be the band length. It will ensure that the band is snug enough to keep the pants up, but not too tight so as to cut into the body and cause discomfort. Now, we need a waistband height.

If the pants you have sewn includes a separate waistband piece, you can use the height of that piece.

However, if it’s a case of folding to create a casing, you’ll need to alter your pant pieces before you sew them. Let’s say the pants include instructions to fold the waist by 1/4″ and then by another 1″ to create a casing. You will need to remove 2 1/4″ plus a seam allowance (I generally do this at about 1/2″) from the top of your pant pieces. So, in my example, I would cut 2 3/4″ from the top of my pieces in order to add a knit waistband.

In my case, I had a waistband piece that measured about 3″ tall. So I cut my knit waistband piece at 19″ long by 3″ tall. (My fabric is folded in the picture.)

Once you have that piece, fold it in half to match the short ends with right sides together and sew that short end.

With that done, You’ll want to fold your finished loop in half again, this time lining up the long ends with the wrong sides together, creating your waistband. Then, stick a pin through the seam and use that as a starting point to quarter your knit waistband.

Follow suit with the waist of the pants, quartering the waist opening so that you can attach the waistband evenly.

Now the REAL fun begins!

Starting with the center back of both pieces, match up the pins and pin the pants and waistband together, matching raw edges with the waistband on the outside (right side) of the pants. I matched up each of the four pins first and then stretched and pinned more between them. This is why you want a knit with a good stretch ratio. For most elastic-waisted pant patterns, there will be quite a bit of difference between the waist measurement of the pants and the waistband measurement that you created. So, stretch it good, stretch it evenly, and use LOTS of pins!

There will be a LOT of excess fabric on the pant side, but I promise this will all work out! Its time to take this all to the machine.

Beginning right over one of the pins (I chose to start at the center back here too), stitch your pants and waistband together, making sure you stretch everything flat as you go. The more careful you are, the better.

With that done, finish the edges (the woven fabric kinda demands this step) and flip the seam to the inside. Then you can run a topstitch just below that seam to make sure it all stays where it belongs! This step isn’t strictly necessary, but it is something I typically tend to do. I like the look, personally.

Then that’s it! You’re done! You have a beautiful pair of woven pants with a comfy knit waistband! That wasn’t so bad now, was it?

Keep a lookout for a new pattern coming SOON from Bella Sunshine that you can use to complete this tutorial yourself! And please, share your creations from our patterns and blog tutorials with us in our Facebook community… because we wouldn’t be anything without our fans!

Let’s Do The #MonsterMash!

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The beginning of the month means a new sewing challenge and contest! And in honor of this being the month of Halloween, we’re dubbing this month’s contest the #MonsterMash!

Let’s Do The #MonsterMash!

This month, we want to see even more of your amazing creativity! Do you have your favorite Bella Sunshine patterns? We all do! But sometimes we all want something maybe a little bit different, right? Now’s the time! #MonsterMash is the perfect time for you to do some experimenting and make something new! How? Let me explain!

Take 2 of your favorite Bella Sunshine patterns and mash them together!

For instance, you can use the bodice of the Sahara with the skirt from Maci:

They really do seem to be quite a perfect match, don’t you think?

Or how about the top of a Maggie mashed with the swing of Sophia?

Looks like the perfect little fall top to me! And since these patterns also come in adult sizes, you could easily make one for yourself too!

There’s always the Amelia bodice with an Emmaline skirt…

So classic and classy looking. I’m really loving this simple yet sweet combination!

Even better! Take the bodice from Emmaline and throw in Sahara‘s skirt and sleeves! Magic!

And you really can’t beat a good twirl factor! This one is especially good if you want a higher back neckline or just don’t care for lined bodices.

This is one of my personal favorites…

An Emmaline bodice with a Sahara skirt. Perfect for tops or dresses and really, versatile enough to make for any kind of weather! (Although I must confess it is MUCH like the example above, I love that this particular version can be made in my size! haha)

Now that we’ve filled you with inspiration, what are you going to make? Just let your imagination go wild and think of all the different combinations you could make! We can’t WAIT to see your creations! Just make sure you post them in our Facebook group and put #MonsterMash somewhere in the post so that we can find it! And don’t forget, one lucky participant will win an amazing prize! This month it’s a $25 gift certificate from Q A Fabrics!

 

The BSD Files: Video Help For You!

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Did you know that Bella Sunshine has a YouTube channel??? There are SO many amazing helpful videos there! Along with a few fun promotional videos if you want to see some sewn up patterns in action! Right now, I’m going to share a few specific things from our channel with you that might just be the video help you need!

The BSD Files: Video Help For You!

Pants: Two Ways to Blend the Waist

Making a new pair of pants and need help blending the waist for a perfect fit? We have a video for that! Watch Melissa go step by step through 2 different blending methods so you can get a great fit every time!

Sewing Tutorial: How to Ruffle Fabric Using Clear Elastic

Do you hate gathering? Well, there are a TON of options out there for making it easier. One of those options? Use clear elastic! This video tutorial will show you how it works and how easy it can REALLY be! Just watch and see for yourself!

Sewing DIY: How to Turn Tiny Spaghetti Straps the Easy Way

Have you ever fought FOREVER trying to turn teeny tiny spaghetti straps? I’m not gonna lie, I have. More times than I care to admit. But this video could change everything for you! Watch this for some great tips on getting them turned with little to no fuss!

The Key to the Perfect Fit: How to Blend Sizes

Like most people, I don’t usually fit any one size perfectly. But that’s the beauty of patterns, right? You can blend sizes to get the perfect fit for YOU! And that’s where this video comes in! So, watch this to learn all the secrets of blending to get a great fit for you!

The Key to the Perfect Fit: How to Measure Your Child

Finally, we bring you this. Children are hard. Hard to raise, hard to control, hard to measure. Well, we can help with one of those! Simply watch this video for some great tips on getting successful measurements on your kiddos. Then you can treat them to a perfect fit too!

We hope these videos helped! And if you want to see more videos, we have them! Learn blending tips for specific patterns, or just watch some super cute promo videos to lift your spirits or give you some inspiration! And as always, please share your makes in our Facebook group to inspire others!

Pattern Hack: Adding Fringe to the Hazel Dolman

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Pattern Hack: Adding Fringe to the Hazel Dolman

Hi Sunshines! I’m An from Diskordia’s Curvy Sewing. I’m so excited to be your guest blogger today. I’ll be showing you how to do this very easy fun hack for adding fringe to your Hazel. The drawstrings on the shoulders of this pattern reminded me of a Mickey Mouse dress my mother bought me when I was a kid. It had the same sleeves as Hazel, but it also had this fun fringe at the bottom. It just had to be recreated! 

It’s awesome, cause you don’t have to hem the bottom, nobody likes hemming right!? and you get to play with your fabric, which is almost as fun as playing with your food as a kid ;). I guess our fabric is kind of like our food as a sewist if you come to think of it. Anyways, I’m wandering off. (This happens a lot to me) Another great thing is that you don’t need anything more than a pair of scissors or a rotary cutter if you are braver then me. Also make sure your fabric curls, if it won’t curl, you won’t be able to make the fringes. 

How to do it!

I cut this one at dress length and marked the sideseams where the tunic line hits. This mark will be the end of your fringe, so you can move that up or down as you like. Construct the dress as you would otherwise but stop sewing your side seam where the mark is. That’ll be the end of your side seam. 

I used a scrap for the tutorial pics, cause I’m a bit daft and I forgot to take them while actually making the dress. Round of applause!!!! :p

I then marked my scissors (using magnets) with the length of the fringe, so I didn’t have to mark the entire dress. Then cut strips the width you want it to be, I cut the strips about 1 inch wide. Do this around the entire dress. The hem is a bit curved, so keep that in mind while cutting, don’t be too worried about your cutting, once it turns into fringe you will not notice any too long or too short or too wide, etc. cuts.

Once that’s done, the fun starts, you now want to turn those strips into
a fringe, just grab hold of the bottom and the top, pull it a bit and it should curl up. It takes a bit of practice. You’ll get the hang off it after a few.  I did a short video on how I do one. You can find that here: Awesome Fringe Video.
Put on your favorite tv show, grab a cup of tea (or heck a glass of wine, I won’t judge) and get them all done, this will take a while! But hey, easier than hemming still…maybe. 😀 Once you’ve done this, you are done! Make sure to show off your hacked dress in our facebook group! 🙂 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How To Create and Attach a Knit Binding

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Knits are some of my favorite fabrics to sew with for so many reasons. Mainly, how comfortable the clothing is once it’s done! But when you live in a hotter climate and don’t want the double layer of a lining, or just want a slightly more sophisticated finish than a band at the neck of your garment, you might need a secondary option. That option is a knit binding and I’m going to show you how to create and attach one now!

 

How To Create and Attach a Knit Binding

Supplies:

Garment (unfinished)

Matching or coordinating fabric

Sewing Machine

Thread Scissors

(basically, the usual suspects)

Step One: Creating the binding

Thankfully, this is easier for knits than it is for woven fabrics. To create a woven binding, you have to cut on the bias in order for it to have the stretch it needs to be successful. For a knit, you just cut along the stretch. I will typically cut my binding 2″ tall which leaves my binding approx 1/2 inch when finished, but you can play with it to create your own personal aesthetic.

The length can be a little tricky. As a general rule, you want to cut a neck or sleeve binding at approximately 80% of the opening you are binding plus a seam allowance. So, or you have a neck opening of 20″ your binding would be 16″ long plus 1/2″ on each side for a seam allowance for a total of 17″ in length. This percentage can vary with your knit type but works well for cotton lycra in my experience. (Of course, if you’re replacing a band with a binding, you can always use the band length to make it easy!) Once you’ve done your math and cut your rectangle(s), it’s time to move on!

Step Two: Attaching a knit binding

Again, this (for me) is easier than dealing with a woven binding. First, you’ll want to sew the two short ends together to form a loop.

Then, it’s much like a neckband, only you will not fold the loop in half. Instead, you’ll take this flat loop and place pins at the quarters, starting at the seam. Do the same for the opening you are binding.

Now, with the RIGHT side of the binding against the WRONG side of the opening, match up the pins (with the seam at center back) and add a few pins between to make sure everything is all nice and even.

Once you’re all pinned, it’s time to sew! Sew at 1/4 the width of the binding (or just a smidge less). In my case, I sewed at about 3/8″.

Now comes the slightly tricky part. You’re going to pull the binding up out of the neckline.

 

Fold the loose raw edge in to meet the raw edges you just sewed together.

Then fold again so that the raw edges are all enclosed within the binding. Also, take care that the first round of stitches is hidden beneath this fold. Pin it well.

Then, being careful not to stretch as you sew, edge stitch around the fold to finish it off. That’s it! Beautiful bound edges!

One Other Idea

There is one other way to incorporate a binding into your project, and that is to bind your hem! If you want to do this, the instructions are pretty much the same. You’ll just want to adjust the length of your binding up to 90% of the opening.

I really hope you enjoyed this tutorial and found it helpful! As always, feel free to join us in our Facebook group for fun and support! And check out our sew along group to sew patterns as a group! We’ll be sewing up something at least quarterly, so come join us!

Halloween Costumes Made Using Bella Sunshine

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It’s that time of year again! Temperatures are coming down, trees are starting to drop leaves, there’s pumpkin spice EVERYTHING in the stores… Fall has arrived! And with fall comes my favorite holiday, Halloween! Crafty moms (and dads) everywhere are gearing up to make this the best Halloween ever for their kids by making them the cutest, fiercest, scariest costumes their kids have ever dreamed of. So today we’re going to show you some amazing Bella Sunshine hacks that became amazing Halloween costumes for you to use as inspiration!

Halloween Costumes Made Using Bella Sunshine

 

As I stated before, Halloween is my absolute favorite! So, of course, I’m always on the lookout for fun new costume ideas! Let’s start with Sahara. Its fun shape and low difficulty level make it a no-brainer! And its versatility can take you to SO many places!

picture by Debbie Schaeffer-Parker

Anna

What little girl doesn’t want to be a princess at some point in her life? And with the ever-popular Frozen remaining at the forefront of most girl’s minds, this Anna dress is perfection! The details can be stenciled on or embroidered, giving you a couple of options to recreate this beautiful look.

picture by Indu Anakareddi

Supergirl

Girls can totally want to be superheroes too! I completely ADORE this Supergirl look! The added touches of the arm warmers and cape round it out perfectly.

Picture by Stephanie Hauser

Luna Lovegood (Harry Potter)

Witches are SO popular for Halloween. But why be a traditional witch, when you can be an unconventional Luna Lovegood? This dress has it all. And the added additions of the hat and wand make it SO unconventionally Luna!

picture by Anna Fisher

Princess Bubblegum (Adventure Time)

Why let the little kids have all the fun? I’m 40 and proud to admit I totally still dress up! So I love seeing big people in costume too! Which is why this group speaks to me. Princess Bubblegum (in the pink dress) was achieved here by mashing the Sahara bodice (slightly modified) with the Amelia skirt. And I  think its perfection!

Let’s move on to another great option, Adaline! With a few tweaks, she’s perfect for costuming as well!

picture by Danielle Jasmin Oliver

Queen Elsa

This Ice Queen has it going on! This Adaline was sewn pretty much as she comes, but the maker added a cape and crown that paired perfectly with her fabric choices to create a truly beautiful Elsa dress. And the model looks so regal!

Picture by Sandra Zeigler

Mulan

Admittedly, this one took a bit more tweaking. But if you’re good at hacking patterns, something like this is totally doable! This stunning Mulan was made with Adaline as a base, and I think she looks amazing!

Our next look was made using the super simple Maggie pattern, but it was JUST what the costume called for!

picture by Rachel Daymude

Sally

From the Nightmare Before Christmas… The Halloween/Christmas move we all know and love. Maggie’s simple lines make it the obvious choice for Sally’s simple dress. And if you can find the right fabric… *happy sighs*

And how about Juliet? All of those ruffles are worth it for some costumes right? Well, feast your eyes on this one…

picture by Melissa Prendergast

Nemo and Dory

Those ruffles made the BEST little fins, right? Nemo and Dory have never been so cute! And the color blocking and trims add just the right touches, don’t you think?

Our last inspiration picture is my absolute favorite, which is why I saved it for last. The Sansa pants were used for this one. Are you ready for it?

picture by Lindsay Hamilton

Lady Glitter Sparkles!!!

I cannot get over how amazing this one is. If your household is anything like mine, you know the Trolls movie well. And being a huge fan of Zooey Deschanel, Bridget aka Lady Glitter Sparkles is my favorite. The Sansa pants were used to make the bottom of this jumpsuit with a little horsehair braid in the hem to really make them pop. How can you NOT love this?

Which one was your favorite? Have you made an awesome costume using our patterns? Please share with us in the comments below! Or better yet, join our Facebook group and share ALL of your Bella Sunshine creations with us! We really do love seeing them!

10-Year-Old Award Winning Seamstress’ Triumph

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While perusing Facebook sewing groups, we ran across a post made by a woman named Lea O’Reilly in which she shared her 10-year-old award winning seamstress’ triumph in obtaining 5 major awards in 2 different fairs with a dress she sewed herself. We found this very inspiring. And also very impressive. So we requested an interview with the mother and got to interview the girl herself! Let’s see what she has to say about sewing, her award-winning dress, and her plans for her future!

10-Year-Old Award Winning Seamstress’ Triumph

 

The girl’s name is Serenity Ventura (which is an awesome name!) and this is her interview.

So, Serenity, how long have you been sewing and what got you into it?

I’ve been sewing for almost 5 years and I started sewing because I joined 4-H and it looked like fun.

That’s so cool! Do you use Bella Sunshine patterns very often? And which are your favorites?

I have been using their patterns often and I like the Sahara and the Amelia. The Amelia crossover is what I used for the top of my dress.

The one that you submitted for your fair project right?

Yeah!

That dress was so gorgeous! Can you tell me more about your fair project?

Sure, I really liked the Amelia top and the candy castle dress bottom so I decided to put them together. The top and bottom of both had cutting and sewing on the bias. It was hard to hold all the layers together but it was fun to make. Crossing over the front of the Amelia was interesting and wasn’t as hard as I thought. I made 2. One for my 5th-grade graduation and the other for fair. My one for graduation didn’t do well at a 4-H event but I tried again for fair. The different knits acted differently when I made the tops, probably because the skirt was heavy.

That’s a fair assumption. Can you tell me what awards you dress won and at which fairs?

It was entered into the San Diego County Fair and it won Best in Show and 2 Donated Awards and then it was entered at the Ramona Jr Fair in Ramona, CA where it won Home Economics Best in Division for Junior Sewing (ages 5-13) and Home Economics Reserve Best in Show Overall, for all ages and divisions.

That’s amazing! Do you have any plans for the next fair?

I want to do a 3 piece outfit. A jacket, shirt, and pants and work with new materials.

That’s ambitious. What materials?

Wool, twill, and challis.

That sounds challenging, but I’m sure you can pull it off!

Thank you. I want to try making Gabriella’s winter coat next. It looks really cute.

I love Gabriella! It’s one of my favorites. Do you think that will be your next project?

Yes, it will!

What do you think your sewing future looks like? Is this something you plan to continue doing?

Yes, I want to start my own business soon. I also want to make my own patterns and I want to continue to make my skills better.

What kind of business?

My own clothing business so I can make things such as sports wear, dresses, shirts and leggings.

Thank you so much for talking with me! And please make sure you or your mom shares your Bella Sunshine projects in our group! We LOVE seeing young talent!

Thank you, we will!
I want to thank Serenity and her mother Lea again for a wonderful interview with an extremely talented young seamstress! We wish her all the luck with her future endeavors and expect to see great things from her!

Back to School Blog Tour ~ Day Three

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It’s hump day! And the third day of the Back to School blog tour with Bella Sunshine Designs! Are you ready to see some awesome back to school gear? I am! Today we’ll get show-and-tells from Jillayne Whipple Richey, Amanda Cross, and Becca Olson! I’m ready to see what they’ve whipped up, are you?

Back to School Blog Tour ~ Day Three

Jillayne Whipple Richey

Jillayne is a mother to 4 and Arizonan at heart. She likes dancing in her bare feet, balanced budgets, books, quilting, sewing (especially when it looks good), music, playing music, baking bread, being warm, getting organized, making stacks, getting organized again, soft beds, baby noses, chick flicks, hugs from her kids, skipping ahead to read/watch the ending, quiet, chaos, singing really loud, her family and sharing her sewing on her blog ‘Hazelnut Handmade’. For today’s share, she hacked the Maggie Top for her daughter’s back to school outfit.

Amanda Cross

Amanda Cross, Cross Stitches Custom Clothing, was inspired by the seamstresses in her family to also take up the art and has been sewing for 24 years. She appreciates the ability to create a custom fit when it is near impossible to find it off the rack from Ready-to-Wear garments. She enjoys sharing the creative process, wonderful fabrics, ground-breaking patterns, and the necessary know-how for taking a garment from Home-Made to Hand-Made.

Becca Olson

Becca Olson Nana to 2 adorable monsters. Addicted to sewing, quilting, and basically anything she can add to the studio without getting busted by hubby. Her favorite thing to do though is sewing for those monsters. For the back to school blog, she focused on the FREE Regan Raglan…
Please check out Day One and Day Two if you missed them! Also, don’t forget that Bella Sunshine is having a week-long Back to School blowout sale in effect ALL week long! It’s the perfect opportunity to grab some of those patterns you’ve been on the fence about at a great price! Come back tomorrow to see what new pretties we have in store for you!

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