Woohoo! How much did everyone LOVE the debut of the new collection?! Meg is just amazing, right? I swear, these patterns just keep getting better and better.
But now that we’ve gotten through all the introductions and inspirations, it is time to get down to business – variations and tutorials! I just haaaaad to start with the Crescent. I mean, it is one of the most beautiful and detailed designs in the collection, and I am completely enamored with it. But being the most detailed also means it could be the most intimidating to some sewers. Yes, there is a lot of bias tape, and yes, there are a lot of steps. But it’s really not that hard, I swear! So I’m here today to walk you through a few (and more difficult) steps, highlight important parts, and offer some tips along the way.
Ok, let’s get started!
>> Let’s start with the button loops. Once you sew your seams, make sure you trim the seam allowance. It will be hard to turn them right side out if you don’t.
>> Now it’s time to turn them. In the instruction booklet, Meg mentions using a loop turner, or a hand stitching trick to do this. But I have another option – remember in my sewing kit post, where I mentioned that I use a set of tweezers for so many different things? This is one of them. I insert the tweezers into the inside of the loop and pinch a bit of fabric. Then pull and roll until it is turned right side out. Repeat just a couple of times until it is completely turned around.
>> Lastly, when placing your loops to your bodice, make sure you place it directly in the middle of the shoulder edge. This will ensure you don’t run into any problem when attaching your bias facings.
>> OK, so now about all of that bias facing. The instructions in the booklet for making your bias tape is super simple. But Meg also went over the entire bias tape making process the other day. So if you need help with that, check out her post.
>> After you attach all of your bias strips according to the instructions, one of the most important steps is to trim back your seam allowance. Trim it to 1/8”, or very close to your stitching. This is important, because if you don’t trim, your raw edges might peek out when you turn your bias facing towards the inside. See that left photo above? Thats the result of an untrimmed seam. Sad face. But the right side? Happy, trimmed, hidden seam allowance!
>> Another important step is to make sure you sew along the short shoulder edges. Again, if you don’t do this, you will have raw edges when you turn everything right side out. So sew your 1/4” seam, and don’t forget to trim it back to 1/8″ and clip the corners!
>> Even with those steps completed, some raw edge of the short shoulder edge might show through once the facings are turned around. Or maybe it is just gaping and not laying correctly like mine (above left). If yours is doing either of these things, just simply bring the two facings together and to a close, using a hand stitch.
>> Time to topstitch! As the booklet instructs, You can finish all of your bias facings by topstitching all edges. BUT, if you don’t like the look of the visible topstitching over the collar, you could just as easily secure the front bias facing with an invisible slipstitch (hand stitch). This will leave the collar with a clean, stitch-less look from the outside, while the rest of the shoulder and armhole edges are topstitched. Or if you are really ambitious, or just don’t like topstitching, you could slipstitch all the facings for a super clean finish!
Need to know how to do an slipstitch? Check out this post.
That’s it! After you finish these steps, the rest of the blouse is a breeze. Remember, this pattern isn’t as scary as it looks. And if you have any questions, don’t be afraid to ask!
Stay tuned tomorrow for my first variation of the Crescent blouse. It’s a super good one, I promise :)
