5-Thread Stitch: 2-Thread chain stitch and 3-Thread overlock

Top is with left needle position (and loose
green needle thread). Bottom is the
right needle overlock position. 

Next stitch is the 5-Thread Stitch: It has 2-threads for the chainstitch and 3-threads for the overlock.

The overlock stitches can be narrow (Right needle) or wide (Left needle). Strangely, when I use the narrow (more distance between the chainstitch and the overlock stitches),  the stitches for the overlock look good. However, when I move the needle over to the left side, the Green needle thread is loose. Same tension settings . . .

Tried increasing the tension for the needle thread to 5 (rest are 4), but not much of a change.

Packing away for today; will have to try rethreading if it doesn't work!

Tunic: Fabric Ideas and Construction Plans

Having made the changes to the pattern for New Look 6803, I'm looking at what fabric to use. I have this fabric in my stash, a printed and embroidered voile cotton.

It's very sheer, so I'll have to either wear a camisole under or maybe underline just the front and back of the tunic.  I don't want the tunic to have much body however, so will have to play with how the fabric will look and feel underlined. I was thinking of using the muslin cotton for the underlining, but the voile is so thin, it may be over powered by the cotton . . .

I also want to do something about the collar; either embroidering with similar colors a lot of flowers, or maybe a completely contrasting fabric.

I'll have to hit the fabric stores and trawl around. In the meantime I'll have to serge the fabric and wash it. I'll be able to cut out all the various pieces while I search for the underlining and collar pieces and then I'll be able to make a sample of the fabric against the muslin and maybe others to see how it works.

Getting reacquainted with my Juki MO 735 Serger

When I got my serger originally, I took the time to try all the various types of stitches as shown in my users manual. With scraps of fabric, I bought thread in the colors of the guides and threaded up the serger.

I'm not sure where I stuck those scraps (although I labeled the scraps themselves!) so I'm doing it over again. This time I'll also be making samples with the other feet that came with the serger. I'll be doing it in sections, since there's so many settings/types.

The first one is the 4-Thread overlock with Integrated Safety Seam

Opened to see the seam; no seam separation - GOOD!

Settings:
Tensions: 4 (All threads)
Cutting Width: 3
Differential: N
Stitch Length: 2.5

I've ironed the seam to set the stitches (although the picture on the right was before I ironed). Solid stitches with no seam separation so definitely usable for piecing on its own.

I think I could play with the looper tensions a bit more; the lower looper thread is showing a bit on the top side; either the top tension is too high or the bottom looper is a little to loose.

The bottom seam is the 4-Thread Overlock with Integrated Safety Stitch.  The top seam is where I used the same stitch, but set to gather.

Settings to gather:
Tension: 4 (All threads)
Cutting Width: 3
Differential: 2
Stitch Width: 4

This will provide a slight gathering with light medium weight woven fabric. When I increased the thread tension on the needle threads however, it gathered more (higher needle tension makes the thread shorter, hence more fabric to less thread distance (compared to leaving the tension the same).

Potentially usable for sleeve head easing, but must watch/manipulate how the fabric feeds, mine had a tendency to pull away from the knife so the edge had to be readjusted multiple times.

Durable seaming but probably not good for areas where I want a lot of stretch.

Jan Saunders - 4 Thread overlock stitch has the advantage of a safety stitch. If the seam line thread breaks, the second row of stitching prevents the seam allowances from raveling out.  

Conclusion: New Look 6803 Tunic View D Muslin and future ideas

Tried using the embellishment used on the sleeves for the vents and tunic hem. Somewhat successful. Definitely need to figure out length of embellishment design and see how many multiples are needed to have the best outcome. I used the edge of the tunic to guide the embellishments, but I think a marking line would be much more precise when I do try it on the fashion fabric.

Tunics slides on and off, is snug, but doable. Definitely much more fitted. I may want to consider the following changes to the pattern.


Construction considerations:

1. Need to figure out how to handle the inside of the collar area; the collar facing actually flips out so the inside of the collar can be seen. Maybe a second facing? I read something recently and am trying to remember what the article was about. Same with the shoulder seams as they go into the collar.   I realized this can be partly handled in this pattern if I remove the CB seam.

Pattern Considerations:

1. Front darts may need to be shifted slightly nearer to CF. Although they don't look BAD, I think they could look better if one of the vertical darts lined up with the BP.  Moved the seam so that one is under the BP (marked 'New').
2. 
   
3. I left the closer of the vertical darts (relative to CF) as a released tuck. Again, it doesn't look bad but may want to think about it more. 
4. 
   
5. Vents (or more accurately side slits) should be longer, meaning I'll have to reconsider the pocket placement/size to make it work. Added markings for vent and moved the pockets up and resized pocket to smaller real estate.
6. French dart may need to be lowered just a bit more. I will probably just cut out the bust 'box' again and shift down to do so.  Leaving this as is for now. 
7. One of the things I realized (too late) is that although the sleeves look and hang alright, they're not supposed to be puffed/gathered at the sleeve head. Which means I may want to try and remove some of the sleeve head ease. I think just a half inch fold will be plenty.  Removed about 3/4 inch of ease by making a horizontal tuck at the sleeve head. Smoothed out the new cutting and seam line.

Misc:

1. Consider a side zipper if I want to make the tunic any more fitted. 
2. Consider taking this pattern and starting to slash and pivot the darts to try princess cut, or a yoke front/back. Since I've put in work to make the pattern fit, it's probably pretty close to a sloper (although still with some ease built in, which is not really a sloper). 

Fabric considerations:

1. Definitely want to try this with the voile. Need to fix Construction Item #1 first though . . .
2. Charmeuse or other drapey fabric would also be great. Nothing with body however. 

Sleeve head-taking out ease

adding marking lines

Adding marking lines. Also removed
the CB seam

Resized pockets and moved match points

Vents marking

New dart placement on front + new pocket
match points + Vent

Sleeve and stitching the front and back of tunic

Nearly done.

Basted in second sleeve and then sewed in flat. Then stitching front to back. However, I pinned sleeve front and back together, tacked with machine stitches to ensure I'm on seam. Then stitched sleeve together and then tunic front and back together.

I did leave the side vents open at the bottom (about 3 inches), but I will want to have the vents longer, which means that the pockets will either have to go, or I'll have to drop the size of the pockets significantly. Also found that the markings on the pockets need to be transferred once I sew them onto the tunics, since I overstitched the correct point and instead stitched to the match points of the pockets.

Tried on the tunic. I'm happy with the results and changes to the pattern. The lower and more vertically angled french dart looks much better. I realize that the more horizontal french dart actually makes the tunic more boxy.  And the back is much more fitted, in the original make the back did not hug my curves at all.

Something else to consider. I may want to try the S-curve  and maybe even break the front of the tunic into two pieces with a waist seam curving up at center front.

Tomorrow I'll finish the vents and hems (including sleeves).

I believe I'll be able to make a tunic with good fabric next.  This may be a tried and true pattern soon.

New Look Tunic: Finished Collar

Point turner and iron used to make the collar facing lay flat. Used Juki's 2mm distance guide foot to the center point and needle position to 1.4 to top stitch the 'raw' edge of collar down.

Tried it with the Edge Presser foot and realized that the guide was also going to push the facing away, so switched to the guide foot. Looks very professional.

Tomorrow will have to base the other sleeve in and sew flat and I may be able to sew the underarm and sides too. Must remember to leave the sides to vent, but may not be possible of the pockets droop too low.  Then it's hem the bottom edge of tunic and sleeves.

I was thinking that I may be able to make this a more wearable muslin if I embroider on it. Then it may look more like a sheer tunic.

New Look Tunic: Sleeve and Collar A

The instructions say to put in the sleeves in the round. I tried putting it in flat. Seems to work. The pattern requires easing the sleeve cap; I put in three parallel gather lines first, then sewed up the bottom to the start of the easing spot. Then I pulled the gathering threads so the sleeve cap would fit and sewed it up the rest of the way. Worked a treat.

The collar facing. I would definitely trace a line in the pattern and onto the facing to show where the raw edge should be turned in. I used the serged line as the template which was probably only possible because I was very careful to serge as closely to the cut line as I could.

Also, when I assembled the collar and basted it on, I had to match the fold lines between the collar facing and the front of the tunic. Again if I drew in a line on the center front of the collar facing and the front of the tunic, it would be less guesswork.

Collar facing seemed small for the collar, but once I tacked all the main points (side seams and center front and back, I realized that it would stretch and may be what was designed since it would then pull in the direction of the facing. We'll see.

Sewing the collar together was not bad at all. I did it in sections from one tack and another. And since the instructions call for double stitching for strength, it actually worked to my benefit.
This time I made sure to cut down the center front of the facing, but have to trim fairly close to the stitching so that it would turn clean. I am stopping there for the night.

Next thing will have to be ironing the collar after turning it to the outside. Will use the point turner to get the edges straight and then have to edge stitch the collar down.

Tried on the half assembled tunic and like what I saw. Bust point is looking right; it was too high before.

Unfortunately I serged using blue thread knowing that this is a muslin, but now that it's coming together so well, I wish I had used white thread, might be wearable. As it is, probably just a round the top.

Oh, and the pockets make the side vents much shorter. May have to take them out all together . . . .

Embellishing the muslin

Worked on the tunic and added a 3/8" stitched line at the sleeve hem because it makes turning the hem in easier.

I thought it would be cool to try some of the embroidery stitches on the Juki (#59 on the F600). I added a layer of tissue behind the area and stitched two rows of repeating chevrons. It looked good. And when I fold up the hem I think I'll be able to do a line right through it.

I will have to do the same with the tunic hem since I want to make vents on both sides. Better do it next before I stitch any of the rest of the pieces together. Also want to make sure I put the collar facing together; because I reduced the back neck dimension, the facing also needed to be reduced. We'll see how it shows up.

One step closer; packaged boy's shirt

Finally, stopped procrastinating and packaged up the shirt with care instructions. But first a few pictures. Managed to figure out how to get the pictures to the blog.

 Close up of the collar and top stitching. I used Fashion Incubator's technique.

The inside of the collar also looks okay. It was much cleaner than the muslin that I made. 

Inside front extension and the serged shirt hem.

 I flat felled all the seams, but when I checked out some RTW versions, noticed that some just serged the seam and then top stitched. Could be easier!

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New Look 6803 : Woman's Tunic (View D) Part 2

Finally got to working on the tunic again. I decided not to interface the back facing; we'll see how that turns out.

Today I spent much of the sewing in serging the individual pieces. I'm definitely getting much better at inside and outside curves and even sharp inside corners. I'm very happy with how well it turned out.

I believe that most things you have to do repeatedly to get good at and serging is definitely one of these things. I think that without doing it (and doing all variations of serging) you don't even get to understand how something could get better. Many of the tips I've read online and in books have come together for me. For instance how to serge without trimming off fabric and then switching to a section where you want to trim fabric. For how to secure serger threads at the start at the end of the seam.

Also I noticed that when serging outside curves, the looper threads have to be loosened since the loops travel a bit more distance between one needle and the next. The reverse is true when serging inside curves; then you have to add more thread tension; meaning less thread passes between one needle and the next.  Although I'm not sure whether I'll want to continually change my thread tension when serging pieces.

I'm being very careful to try not to mess up the chalk transferred markings; I recently purchased the large tracing paper from Richard the Thread, but I have not tried it yet.

I had added additional darts and tucks to shape the tunic more. After finishing my serging I sewed up the side darts; made them longer and lowered the bust point (BP). and also one side of the dart.  I made up a size 14 originally, but found that I could have made a size 10 so added lots of darts and tucks to take out the additional ease. However, once I finish the muslin, I'll probably have to make a call whether I want to keep all the additional darts. It's kind of painful to have to add so many darts in. I packed it up after that since I realized I was feeling a little rushed.

One last thing; I stay stitched on my collar and after that, checked it against the pattern piece. I realize that although it may be easy in the moment to hang onto fabric for dear life to make the stitching straight, it probably stretches the pieces and adds unwanted length . . . now that I think about it, that's probably what happened to the little boy's shirt I just finished; the body was 1/4' to 3/8" longer than the sleeve.

On that note, I still have NOT sent the shirt to my friend. I really need to get that taken care of!!! Tomorrow I'll address the manila envelop and fold the shirt in. Then all I'll need to do is drop it off Monday morning.