{Sewing} Checking You Out

There is no rhyme or reason for it, but I have been ALL about the separates lately. Not that making skirts is necessarily a new thing for me, but I’ve been completely enamored with making skirts and a matching top that can masquerade as a dress, but can also be split to mix and match to my heart’s content. With time at a premium these days, I am all for tricks that make my wardrobe serve double duty…

I admit I’ve fallen way behind on having the time to sew, let alone style photoshoots and writing up tutorials. It’s been an absolutely crazy time at work (well, crazier than usual) and I haven’t done a good job of taking time for myself. But, two weeks ago we had our fall break, where I gave myself permission to step back, hit the sewing machine, and catch up on a few projects… 

The Design

Awhile back, I shared my most favorite Gertie print ever – the Hopscotch Gingham. I was lucky enough to snag it in green and blue. But, the black and white evaded me for months until the lovely Jasmine spotted it in a shop in New Zealand and sent it merrily my way from the Land Down Under. 

I hemmed and hawed for ages about what to make (because I had doubts this fabric and I would ever cross paths again). But, given its rarity, I knew I wanted to make something that wouldn’t be restricted to day or night. In the end, I decided to give the Gertie Landis bodice a whirl. It’s a princess seamed bodice with a criss cross shape in the bust and a bit of fairy tale feel. 

So, with the pattern set….away we go….

To recreate this set, you will need:

Construction – the Bodice

Because this would be my first time making the Landis bodice (and my fabric was too precious to risk it), I started as all sewists should: with a toile. Personally, I like to make a toile out of what could be my lining, should all go well. Lucky for me, other than lengthening the bodice by 1″, the 6 D/DD (finished measurement 37.5″ bust, 28.5″ waist)  was a perfect fit.

Confident in my toile, I took a deep breath and started in on my fabric. This one would pose a few challenges: I wanted to be sure I had at least 4 yards for my skirt, so I had to be strategic about how I used the rest of the yardage. Because of the gingham, I was going to need to work some pattern matching magic, and I knew I wanted to concentrate the border print on the criss cross straps.

Sometimes, you can plan and plan, but ultimately have to just go for it.

Luckily, the large check pattern meant the pattern matching wasn’t too much of a headache, and I was able to cut those pieces out fairly quickly. I spent a bit more time working out the exact rose layout for the criss cross bust pieces (you never want a rose smack centered over the boob, but otherwise had things cut out in no time!).

I also cut out matching interfacing, and carefully pressed it onto each one to add a bit of structure.

First step for this pattern was to prepare the criss cross bands on the top of the bodice. For this, I stitched each piece to its black lining, grading the seam allowances and clipping the curves. I flipped them right side out, understitched as far as I could go, and pressed like a crazy person. (I always think it’s worth the extra press time to get those seams really clean).

I repeated this for the other, shorter shoulder band and put them to the  side.

Next, I turned my attention to the bodice pieces. Even if you took care when cutting to pattern match, you want to be really careful when sewing it together. I tend to use a LOT of pins, securing every inch or so to be sure nothing shifts during sewing to throw off the pattern.

I started with the center front. First, I basted the right shoulder piece to the right front bodice, and then carefully stitched the center seam, hoping and praying with each stitch that my checked would align.

I stitched the bodice band along the upper curve of the bust, securing it in place. I did the same with the left bodice band, basting it along the top bust and in along the left bodice seam allowance.

Then, I sewed the center front to the side front, creating those  princess seams. I worked slowly around the curves, being pretty generous with my clipping at the curves edges. I followed my same excessive pinning method here, accepting the fact that with so many pieces and curves, it was unlikely to be perfect. But, so far, I was pretty pleased with the results. I pressed the seams flat – and hey, it was starting to look like a bodice!

Then, I just worked slowly around the bodice, connecting each piece and doing my best to match up the checks. I did a fitting at this stage to be sure it fit, and was pleased to find there were no adjustments needs (cue sigh of relief)

Because I already had put together my lining (which was that handy black cotton toile), I could move on to the next critical step: the boning. As with the Lamour bustier I made awhile back, I opted to stick with the simple option: 1/4″ boning with casing. Although there are more manual options out there, I’ve found this does the job and is insanely easy to put together.

Following the bodice instructions,  I was going to add boning on the front and back princess seams, on the side seams, diagonally on the side front bodice pieces, and diagonally on the back.

If you’ve never used this material before, start by measuring the length I would need, and cut out strips of boning with casing. I scrunched the casing down about an inch, and trimmed and tried to curve the edge of the plastic boning, before covering it with casing again (use some old scissors for this. It can do a bit of a number on them).

After doing this for each piece, I pinned the boning in place on my lining (very important – you don’t want to sew it to your bodice, or the stitch lines will show. Then, on the wrong side of the lining, sew around the edge of the casing, securing the boning in place. (I use foot #38 for my Bernina, which is perfect for this job). I repeated this up and around each piece until they were all secured to the lining.

With the boning securely in place in the lining, I pinned the lining to the bodice at the top edge, and carefully stitched them together. Once sewn, I clipped the concave curves and notched the convex ones, clipping a “V” at the center front. 

Then, I flipped the fabric to the right side and pressed all of the seams with a LOT of steam. I also put it on my dress form for a few days – this helps to sort of “train” the boning and fabric into shape. I particularly like clipping the upper seam, which will help prevent the lining rolling to the outside.

For the final finishes, I pressed in the seam allowance at the back and up at the bottom. If you saw my Lamour Bodice post, you know for a top like this, we’ll need a separating zipper. First, I pressed under the bottom edge of the bodice and the right side of the back seam allowance under 1/2″, sewing the right side of the zipper to the right back seam allowance. I finished the left side as a standard lapped zip (I walk through it with a bit more detail in this post if you’re struggling)

To finish the bottom edge, I just pressed under the lining to match the edge of the bodice, and topstitched the two together using a black thread. There are ways to do this more invisible, but I wasn’t too concerned given the black thread blended in with the black gingham, so it was nearly invisible anyway.

And before I knew it, I had a bodice! I really love the curved strap detail over the bust, which I knew would really bring up that rose print that would go along the hem of my skirt.

Speaking of skirts…..

Construction – the Skirt

Next up: Skirt time! I’ve made more dirndl skirts than I can count at this stage, so this would be a really straightforward make. I had set aside 4 yards of the black gingham fabric, which was going to be used as a border print along the bottom, finished with a wide, piped waistband.

I started by cutting the length I would need for the skirt, which would be 30.25″ wide (29″ in length + 1 & 1/4″ seam allowance) by 4 yards in length. 

I also cut out my waistband, with a 3″ x 34″ fabric piece and matching lining. I also cut out a piece of interfacing, which I pressed onto the wrong side of the waistband.

To add a little bit of something extra, I decided to go with a piping detail on the waistband. I hadn’t ever done this before, but knew the basic principles. Plus, given there were no curved edges, I knew this one would be pretty straightforward. I cut out 2 x 34″ pieces black Wrights maxi piping, which I pinned along one edge of the waistband to the right side.

Using piping foot #12, I slowly stitched the piping along the edge (with the piped edge towards the center). Then, I put my lining on top (right sides together), flipped, and stitched the two together along the existing stitch line. I repeated this process for the other side, until I had one raw piped edge, and one set of piping sewn between the waistband and lining 

When I flipped them so the right side was facing outward, I had one perfectly piped seam (and the other would later attach to the skirt, with the piping visible)

Next came the actual skirt, which would be the easiest part of this process, thanks to my Bernina Foot #86 for my Activa 220. Working on the edge opposite the border, I quickly gathered the skirt on the tightest setting and a short stitch length. This got my 4 yards of fabric down to 29″ without even stopping for a coffee. Then, I quickly stitched in a 9″ black zip, going with my usual lapped zipper.

Next, I sewed the waistband to the waistband lining at the top seam, following the same method as above to ensure my piping would be sandwiched between the skirt and the waistband.

As my finishing touches, I pressed under the hem selvage and finished the hem with a blind hem stitch. Then, I sewed two waist clasps to the waistband and pressed one of my custom clothing labels in place. Needless to say, it was a pretty satisfying finish after only a few hours of work! I truly couldn’t wait to pair these beauties up and take them out for a night on the town….

The Debut

Before winter fully entrenches her position, I have been trying to make the most of my summer dresses and breezy jacket-free evenings (although who am I kidding. My winter wardrobe is my summer wardrobe regardless, just with tights and a cardigan). We are actually at my very favorite time of year here in NC – where the days are hovering around that perfect 72-74 degrees and there is just the slightest nip in the air in the evenings. I know it won’t last, but can’t you say that about all good things?

Come out here where the roses have opened. Let soul and world meet.
Rumi

I wish I could say that I foresee life slowing down in the near future, but we seem to be moving at hyper drive. Everyone (from faculty to the students) is so unbelievably stressed, that it’s almost palpable in the air.  But, with the calendar flipping over to November, the holidays are in my sights. I always feel we turn a bit corner once we are a stone’s throw from Thanksgiving, where I feel I have permission to stay in my pajamas all day and ignore the ever-present demands coming from my laptop.

We are staying true to tradition this year, and my family will be heading our way. I foresee a week of turkey, pajamas, neighborhood walks, and movies to get us into the Christmas spirit. And, if we’re lucky, more than a little bit of sewing. I for one can’t wait. 

But until then, we are head down, crinolines up!

xoxo

Construction Details:
Bodice Pattern: Landis via the Gertie Patreon
Skirt Pattern: Self drafted
Fabric: 5 yards of Hopscotch Gingham Sateen in black by Gertie via Spotlight
Piping: Joann’s
Additional notions (zipper, thread): JoAnn’s

Outfit Details:
Bodice: Made by me!
Shorts: Made by me!
Capelet: Alannah Hill (similar)
Handbag: gift (similar)
Shoes: Sophia Webster, sold out (similar secondhand)

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Any items marked with a “c/o” (courtesy of) a retailer mean I was provided with an item for free in exchange for a review and/or feature on my blog. I always provide my honest opinion of any item I’m reviewing, regardless of whether it was sent to me as a courtesy item or if I purchased it myself. In addition, this post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you click and/or make a purchase through certain links or ads on this site, I may make a commission from that click and/or purchase at no cost to you, which helps with the day-to-day running costs of my blog. 

1950, border print, Charm Patterns, DIY dress, dresses, dressmaking, fashion, Landis, OOTD, sewing, vintage inspired