Simplicity 8448 Part 1 Video Transcript 1
Project Announcement & Traveling
Thanks for joining me here again at the Life kawaii. I know that I already made an announcement about the next sew along that I’m going to be doing. Once again it’s going to be the Simplicity 9736 (or 8448). This very lovely vintage pattern. Before we start this sew along I just wanted to explain something to some of you who watched my previous sew along video. I am traveling to Kentucky because I have some things I need to do there for the performance side of my life here in New York. I do have a sewing machine there because my parents live there. The first part of the video will not be as detailed as my previous sew along. I won’t have my camera tripod with me. The first half of the sew along video when I’m making this dress, and you’ll get to see me pinning things. I’ll still walk you through all of the instructions, but it won’t be until about the middle to the end, when I’m back here in New York that I will have my tripod. Then you can actually see me sewing the dress. If you have a preference for one or the other, please let me know.
Making sewing clear to beginners
I figure since there are probably some beginners who like to watch the sew along videos, that it’s helpful for them to actually see me doing the sewing part. I know for some of you that may be tedious. I think that that’s helpful for people who are just starting, who really want to see every single part of how a pattern is made. I would like to keep doing that. This one video will be the exception because of my traveling needs that I won’t be showing every single step. Do rest assured if that’s important to you, whenever I do my third sew along after I finished this project, I will be back to featuring and videoing everything. You’ll get to see everything except for the cutting out of the pattern, because I don’t do that. So get ready for a background change.
Step 1 making the bust dart seams
So this is my next sewing project, the Simplicity 8448 or 0736. It’s a very pretty 1950’s vintage pattern, and yes, this will just be a sew along. I will show you all of the steps that I take while going through this project. So I will just start at the beginning, and I’ll cover everything from start to finish. So for the very first part, number 1. Staystitch side edges of front 1 and 1/8 from broken lines within the dart seams as shown. Make bust dart seams. Let me show you what I’ve already done. Obviously I’ve already cut out my pattern pieces. This is piece one, and they’re talking about this dart, and then also this dart right here. I like to do this. You do not have to do this, but I like to go ahead and go through and just use tailor’s chalk to draw out my dart. I’ve already done that on both sides. I’ve done it over here too. Then I also did it for the smaller dart here.
Sew the dart before you staystitch
Now the way that they have the directions. They’re telling you to do your staystitch along here, and then also through this part. Then they have next in line to make the dart. However in the picture you can see that they have done the dart and then they’ve staystitched through it. I am actually going to do this first, even though they have it listed second, and make my dart seams. The first thing that you’ll want to do, go ahead and mark your darts if you’ve not done that already. Then you’re going to pin together those two lines, with the right sides of the fabric together. So this is the wrong side of my fabric. This is the right side of the fabric. You’re going to pin these together like this, and then sew those together. So go ahead and pin that together, and then I’ll show you as I sew mine.
Do you backstitch or hand tie the dart threads?
My darts are done now. This is what they look like. The next thing that you need to do, after you’ve done this, is go to your ironing board and press these as flat as you can. So press them open and then flat. Also on these darts, the couture way to do them is to make a knot here and not backstitch this. I have never had a problem with backstitching my darts, so I just went ahead and backstitched mine. I will take the ends and tie those into a knot just to give it a little bit more stability. Both ways are fine. I know people who finish their darts both ways. Either way is fine, however you finish yours.
The 1/8 inch staystitch
Just make sure that you press it open once you’re done. I’ve gently pressed my darts open with some very light heat. Mostly because the fabric that I’m using feels very much like a thicker high quality silk, so I don’t want to burn anything. Before I do my stay stitching, I just want to point out, the 1/8 seam allowance that they want you to do is right here on this smaller dart. The one that you’ve not done yet. So you’ll be stitching your regular stay stitching at 1/2 inch through here and along the sides. Then through here, I’ve marked mine so that it’s easier for me to see. You’ll be doing that tiny 1/8 th inch stay stitch.
Then it doesn’t say to do this, but I would assume that once you’ve finished that, you’re going to start tapering back into a 1/2 inch on the way down this piece. I’ve also marked, because they didn’t say where to stop. On my pattern piece, I’m going to be stay stitching this side, and then along here. I’m going to do the 1/8th staystitch right here, and then I’m going to start tapering to that 1/2 stay stitching. I’m going to stop right here, which I’ve marked on my pattern piece on both sides. So now do that for both sides. Make sure when you’re stitching to have this seam pressed open like it is in the photo.
Tapering from 1/8 inch to 1/2 inch
This is what it looks like after the stay stitching is done. Starting at the top of that 1/2 inch staystitch, making sure to keep my dart open as I go, continuing that. Switching to 1/8th whenever I get here, so I just kept 1/2 and then whenever I hit my 1/8 marking I started switching that. You can see here I wanted to show you that I did some backstitching here. It doesn’t say in the pattern instructions to do that, but I’ve already read through the pattern. I know that this piece is going to take quite a bit of wear and tear as I work with it. So I just want to make sure that the fabric is strong there. I did backstitch through this triangle shape. Then I started tapering back to 1/2 inch through here. Of course I did that on the other side as well.
Step 2 sew your staystitching
For step 2 grab your piece 2. Go ahead and lay out both of your pattern pieces so that you can see what it’s going to do. You can see I’ve already marked my dart here. This is the dart. Then you have another dart here. I’ve already marked both of those the same way that I did the piece one, just so that it’s easier for me later whenever I need to do them. So you can see my dots and then also my markings. The first part of step two, you’re just going to be doing your staystitching. So that’s that 1/2 inch stay stitch, and you’re going to do that all throughout the exterior here. All the way up. This is going to be your shoulder and neck strap. Back down, and you’re going to sew right here as well. So coming down both sides here, and then you’re going to stop at this waistline. Go ahead if you haven’t, and mark that waistline on your pattern, so that you’ll know how far to go down. So go ahead and just do that 1/2 inch staystitch all around, and then come back.
This is what the staystitching looks like once it’s done. I’ve gone all the way up and around, and back again. Down to the place that I had marked to stop. The next part you’re going to be doing this stitch right here, and I’ve already done one so that you can see an example. That’s right here. If you go to the instructions, you see the staystitching too. After you’ve completed that you’re going to be doing this additional stitch, and then clipping to that. So for part 2, to reinforce large dot at the small dart in the side front, stitch along the seamline and broken line between small dots. Let me show you where that is.
Lining up the small dots for the bust dart
So for the part 2, what you’re looking to do is complete a stitch between the small dots here and the large dots. So stitching basically on this dotted line, and I’ve already done that where I showed you before. I’ll show you one more time. Yes, so here’s a large dot, but then I had another large dot here, and a small dot here and a small dot here. You’re going to do a staystitch from that small dot through the large dot back to the small dot. Then once that’s done you’re going to be clipping into that large dot. So go ahead and just finish your stitch on both pieces between your small dots.
Clipping the darts for better movement
So now I’m going to show you how I clip this. This is the stitch you just did and you are clipping this so that later you can put this small stitch together with these dots. So you can form a new pleat. Or not a pleat, sorry, so that you can form a new dart. I’m just going to cut from here to that dot. You don’t want to get too close to it, about right there is good. For the first part of step 3, you’re going to be taking this section that you did your staystitch and then you cut into the fabric here. You’re going to be putting this dart together. That is why I went ahead and traced mine earlier because I knew that it would be easy. So you’re going to match this large dot to this large dot, and then you’re going to stitch that together. Now I’ve pinned one so that you can see what that looks like. So this is what that looks like once it’s been pinned. This is where you cut your fabric, right there.
Lining up the large dots for the bust dart
Then I’m going to go to my other piece over here, and you can faintly see my outline. I’m going to put this large dot with this large dot. Like so, and then I’m going to pin that to make my dart. Then I’m going to stitch both of those. This is what that dart looks like on the inside after you’ve sewn it. I’m just going to go press these. So press them like this, towards the front, and then I’ll also show you what it looks like on the right side of the fabric. So this is what it looks like when you flip it out. So just go press both of those towards the front now.
Step 3 Stitch the darts and press them open
For the next part of step 3 you’re going to be forming this dart right here. So go and find that on your piece, which is right here. I’ve also already pinned one so you can see what that looks like, so this on is already pinned. You’re going to be taking these two pieces and pinning this together starting at this point. Right sides together to form your dart. Once you have both of those pinned, just stitch from the point all the way down to the selvage, and the backstitch there, and you’ll be all set. This is what it looks like after you’ve finished both of the darts. Then you’re just going to go to your ironing board and you’re going to press these open. Then you have one more dart to finish before this step is done. For the next part of step three you’re going to be doing this dart right here. Now I have already marked mine with chalk because I wanted to make it a little bit easier for you to see. Here is what that looks like.
Sewing the middle waist dart
If you need reference on the pattern, this is the dart that you’re working on right here. So I’ve just outlined that on both of my pieces so that it’s easier for me to see. Now I’m going to pin this together like this, so matching my dots, I’ll pin that together. I will also make note of where the top small circle is and the bottom small circle is, and I’m going to stitch that together. Let me stitch one of them and show you what that looks like. So this is what that looks like once it’s stitched, it’s just a dart in the center of the dress. Those are corgi feet that you here in the background. This one is just pinned and ready to go. So I’m going to stitch from here to here, to here. That will make the next one, and once you’re finished with these you’ll want to press them towards the center. So press this way.
Attaching shoulder straps to the bodice front
Alright, I have finished both of my seams(darts) here and I have pressed them in the direction that they need to go. The next and last part of that step 3, is attaching the rest of the strap up here. I’ve already done one so that you can see what it looks like. I’ve stitched those together, and then I’ve lightly pressed them with some gentle heat. Because my fabric is like a silk. If you want to see what that looks like with the pattern piece, it’s piece 2. The same piece that you’ve already been working on, and then it gets attached to this piece 3. So you’ll just match up your notches and don’t worry if it looks a little weird at first because after you stitch your 5/8’s seam, it will look like this. So don’t worry about that.
So once again, I’ve already done one of them. That’s what it looks like when it’s done. This is my other side. My piece three, and I’ve matched up my notches here. Now I’m just going to pin these right sides together, like so, and stitch a 5/8’s seam. Then I’m going to press that open. These are both of the straps finished. Just show you both of those really quickly. Alright, so that finally completes step 3.
Step 4 creating the lining
For step 4 you’re also going to be using piece 4. I would suggest that you go ahead and use your talkers chalk, or whatever it is that you want to use to mark out your darts, like we have been so far. You can see I’ve already done that on my pieces here. So you’re going to be doing the same thing that you did before with your piece 2. Your going to stitch this line. You’re going to clip to that large dot like you did before, and then you’re going to stitch your dart like that. so that’s the same thing that we already did in the previous instructions. The second thing you’re going to do, which is something else we’ve already done too. You’re going to mark out your dart, if you haven’t done that already. Then you’ll put these two right sides together, you will pin this together from the point to the end here. Stitch it. Then press it open. So do that for both of these pieces. Refer back to step 3 if you need too on how to do that tricky little section here, and then come back and join me again.
