Part I: Copycat Burton Womens Trailblaze flannel top free pattern/tutorial.

Receive positive comments, feel inspired, ponder, sleep....blog about it!  Ready to make your cool flannel?  Let's go.

Gather your supplies, my loves.  You will need:

• Iron and ironing board
• Paper-cutting scissors (not to be confused with fabric-cutting scissors, ever, or fear the consequences)
• Yardstick
• Pattern weights (or large washers or canned goods)
• Washable marker
• Large paper (brown paper by the roll works; my husband scored some large cardstock-weight paper in the recycling area at his printer office)
• A pattern of a button-down, collar or band, long sleeve blouse that fits you.  Our work here focuses on the front: whatever is going on in the back, whether it has a back yoke or just one piece, is fine.  Loose fitting can work, if that is what you like.  I am using Burda #2838 and omitting the front darts.  Had the pattern for a decade, appears to no longer be in print.  McCalls 6436mcc has what you need. Kwik Sew 2835 would be great for larger sizes.  Kwik Sew 3475.  Simplicity 2741.
• patience and a little time!

Ready, set, get really set, go!

 

1.  From your pattern, cut out pattern pieces that include FRONT, BACK, SLEEVE, COLLAR or COLLAR STAND, CUFF.  It is good practice to use a dry iron to iron your pattern pieces; do so now.

2.  Make a new FRONT pattern piece:  on the FRONT pattern piece, using the line marked CENTER FRONT, you are going to make a full front pattern piece, not just a "cut two" piece.

front pattern piece lined up from edge

draw a vertical line

Put your FRONT pattern piece on the left side of a piece of big paper.  Right next to the pattern, draw a long, vertical line on your big paper.  Line up your CENTER FRONT line on this drawn line and set down your weights.

put center front line on your vertical line

weight pattern

tracing....

Trace around the pattern.

Flip your pattern over, face down; line up your center line again, set down your weights, trace around your pattern.

use canned goods or pattern weights while you trace around

You will have a mirror image on either side of the center line.  I forgot to mention....if there are pattern marks, and I'm sure there are, make them.  They are helpful.

3.  Drop your center front down 1 inch from the collar line.  You will just want more room, trust me.  No curve necessary, just draw it to closely resemble the previous neckline, only lower.

drawing a freestyle curve

curve drawn

4.  Draw a diagonal line across the front.  It's not an exact science, but I figured out what worked for me.  From your lower left corner, mark in 3 or so inches.  Lay down the yardstick on the diagonal, from the mark you made, up toward the right, where the neckline turns into the shoulder.  It will be okay if a little bit of the neck-to-shoulder corner gets nipped off.  Draw your line, as shown.

diagonal line drawn from bottom left to upper right

make little Vs for your markers.

 Cut out the pattern you made.  Cut inside the marker lines, and cut a tiny V for your pattern marks. Cut along your diagonal line, creating two pieces.

5.  Cut 2 strips of paper: make them roughly 36 inches long X 2 inch wide. Tape  one of the strips along the diagonal line on the bigger front piece, as shown. 









This is going to overlap your snap placket and will have your snaps spaced evenly along here.  Let the strip extend up from the top more than you think you will need.  How's that for vague?  Sorry to be so nonspecific!  Just leave quite a bit up top!  Label the other strip SNAP PLACKET and set aside.

getting ready to make your cowl using collar pattern piece

1 inch long mark made 2 1/2 inches past edge of collar

 6.  Make your cowl:  It is a trapezoid, with the smallest side attaching to the neckline.  Here, let me illustrate!  At the bottom right corner of a big piece of paper, set down your collar or collar stand pattern piece with the part that attaches to the neckline at the edge of the paper.  Make a one inch mark 2 1/2 inches further from the edge of the collar.  Since we dropped the neckline a bit, you will need some extra inches on the cowl (plus hemming edges of course).  

From the bottom right corner, measure 20 inches up the left side and make a mark.  

parallel line drawn 20 inches from bottom line 

Measure 20 inches up further down so you can make a nice long parallel line 20 inches from the bottom. On this new line you just drew, measure 18 inches from the left side; make a 1 inch mark at the line (perpendicular).  

final line drawn from 1 inch mark to 1 inch mark

Finally, use your yardstick to connect the ends of your 1 inch marks.  

Boom!  Trapezoid!  Over on your left edge, make a FOLD marker as shown.  Cut out your cowl pattern, just inside the marker lines.  Make sense?  I hope so.  I'm still new to this, and don't mind constructive criticism or requests for clarification.

So now we have drafted a new FRONT, COWL, and SNAP PLACKET pattern.  I'll give you a minute to put this all together....meanwhile, stay tuned for Part II.....the exciting conclusion of the Trailblaze top tutorial.  I can hardly wait!!!! 

Comment anytime, loves!

Stay tuned for copycat Trailblaze top!

Whilst trying to write out the steps and take pictures of the Trailblaze tutorial, I hit a little speedbump.  As it turns out, I'm not sure why I did something I did originally, and I'm not content to leave it at that.  So I'm getting some advice as well as putting in my unconscious and sleeping on it.  Get ready for Trailblaze Top Pattern Tutorial Part I in a couple of days!

Also considering doing a series of tutorials that is very near and dear to me.  Superheroes.  My kids love superheroes, dressing like them, quoting them, playing with the action figures, and watching cartoons, but primarily dressing like them.  Try finding a Spiderman costume in June!  So began the wardrobe.

 That's just from yesterday!  The kids prefer to wear superhero clothes anywhere, and I don't mind most of the time. I want them to at least look authentic and to be durable.  Those flimsy little disposable costumes from  big box stores wouldn't hold up for an afternoon around here.  So began the sewing.

I've learned a lot about superhero garb and would love to do a series of our favorites if there were interest.  For most of you, Halloween is a long ways away....better start planning now!  Encourage me!  I've sewn Hulk, Spiderman, Wolverine, Thor, Iron Man, and Wonderwoman.  What's your pleasure?  Want me to share?  Comment please!

Peace and love to you all!

Adventure Time Finn Hat *free sewing pattern and tutorial* White Hat with Ears

Adventure Time, c'mon grab your friends....

I like cartoons, and I really enjoy having kids so I have a good excuse to watch cartoons. Once in awhile, a cartoon comes along that we all can enjoy, and it has occurred and is on Cartoon Network.  It's weird, it's funny, it's sometimes creepy, it's got adult moments without being too salty.  


But enough about my feelings, you are probably here for the hat, which is not unlike the one adorning the human living in Ooo.

This pattern fits about a 19-21 inch head, because of the stretch of the fleece.  

For the free pattern, click here or copy this URL and paste it in your browser.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0Bzr8dMgZCJipU3gzX1RiN1BmQ2M/edit?usp=sharing

(when you print, be sure that the check mark for the "fit to page" is UN-checked)
This is my first pattern I've made to share, so please be patient!

DIFFICULTY LEVEL: easy peasy.  I am going to use overly explanatory explanations for the nervous beginners because you guys rock for trying something new.  If you need information on sewing with fleece, check out http://coatsandclarksewingsecrets.blogspot.com/2012/01/sewing-on-fleece.html  

TIME NEEDED TO COMPLETE: one hour, but don't be angry with me if I'm wrong.  It really depends on skill level and if you have children.

MATERIALS:You will need a half yard of white fleece.  If you want a contrasting lining, get a half yard of fleece in your choice of color.  Check to see that they stretch about the same.  Oh, and white thread and your choice of closure, i.e. Velcro, large snap closure.  

When you lay out your pattern on the fleece, check to make sure it will stretch in the direction indicated.  Use weights or canned goods to hold pattern in place.

 Trace around your pattern with a washable marker onto the fleece, then cut just inside the marker lines.  Mark the Xs and Os with your marker on both sides of fabric.

Traced pattern

cut just inside your marker lines

 Repeat, cutting the contrast/lining, omitting the "ears".

Your hat and ears and lining.

I use a straight stitch set at 3.0 for this project.  You can do that or use a zigzag stitch.  I don't care, I'm not the sewing police.

Sewing instructions are as follows:

1.  Make your "ears" by sewing two together, right sides together and using a half inch seam allowance, then turning,.  

2.  Lay your hat out flat with right side up.  Position "ears" x and o over x and o on hat, then fold hat, right sides together, as shown. Your "ears" will be sandwiched in with all x's and o's matching.  Pin in place.  Starting at top of the point on the hat, stitch down the edge, catching in the "ears", using a half inch seam allowance.  Repeat on the other side.  You will now have two points.

3.  Pin remaining raw edges of hat, right sides together, and stitch through curve and down to the bottom, as shown.

4.  Lay your contrast/lining out flat with right side up and fold hat as you did in step two with the hat, omitting the part about the ears.  Starting at the top of the point, stitch down the edge; repeat on the other side.  Two points.

5.  Pin remaining raw edges of contrast/lining , right sides together, and stitch through the curve and down to the bottom as you did with the hat.

6.  You can admire your hat and your contrast/lining, which looks strikingly similar hopefully.  Enough admiring, back to work.  

With right sides together, place the lining over the hat and pin so the back of the hat seams match up.




7.  Stitch raw edges together, leaving the bottom portions open for turning.

8.  Turn, pulling through the opening so right sides are out.  Adjust and stretch a bit around the hat so it looks nice and no contrast peeks out.

 

9.  Tuck in the bottom flap raw edges about an inch and pin in place.

10.  Top stitch a half inch around the entire hat, closing up the bottom flap edges.

11.  Put a closure on the flaps:  many prefer Velcro, I use a big snap closure.  What's your preference?

12.  Don your sweet dome piece and find your adventure.  

Thank you to one of my favorite people, Mary, and her friend Jonathan, for making this pattern look so good!

P.S. If you like this pattern, perhaps you might enjoy a bunny hat, just in time for Easter!  I use the majority of this pattern in my newest post on making a Bunny Hat!

Easter Bunny hat utilizing the Finn Hat pattern!  Find it here.

Thank you to Chelsea for her helpful post about sharing a pdf.  Find out how at http://stayingsteyn.blogspot.com/2012/01/how-to-share-pdf-in-blogger.html