Silk black fabric belt-Evening accessory must haves

I love accessories just as much as any girl out there.  The thing is is that I am constantly getting inspiration from various stores and websites, the problem is is that I am not always happy with some concepts

1. Cheap price usually reflects lesser quality
2. Materials are always the same from company to company as with style options
3. Certain fabrics used by companies make excuses to over charge insanely.

What happens if we go against the grain and make stuff ourselves out of materials we choose?
Well, you have to be aware that some materials work and some do not.

When making a belt, as a DIY person, I know I am limited for now.  What I mean is, I can't sew with really thick leather hide and so I must choose other options.  Silk tends to be a nice belt material option here.  Now, I have to choose the right type of silk.

1. Silk Taffeta
2. Thai silk
3. Shantung
4. Silk Faille(expensive and not too readily available everywhere) 

These types are non stretchy, crisp plain weave types. The faille actually has a ribbed texture.  Now we need the right interfacing.

1. Stiff woven fusible....most likely
2. Maybe....buckram...I don't know...mmm...no XXXXX won't be able to tie the belt nicely.

Remember, this is a fabric belt, not a jewel one and, since this is a black belt for evening wear, it would be great to use a contrasting thread that would look good with any outfit.  No, I would not be crazy and stitch a top stitch detail with an ugly orange or even scarier fushia!  I can't perform fashion suicide that way!
AND BELIEVE ME...NO ANIMAL PRINTS FOR MYSELF...UGH!!! (Not my cup of tea) No offense to anyone, I know how popular they are with...except me.

The next thing I need to do is measure how long a belt I want it to be.  I have figured it should be 150 cm  tops.  This would allow for a tie in the front with a fancy jewel stuck to your waist line and such.

I also need to consider whether the ends of the belt is pointed or squared.  To be honest, having a pointed end is far more easier to turn out than a squared one in my experience. I can accompllish a really good crisp edge that way.

This is the basic outline for my belt that has pointed ends instead of \
a squared end.

I need to draft my own belt here.  I also know that the straight section between the slanted ends can be a variable.  The shorter straight end I would need to cut on the fold because I want a mirror image as one piece.
As with the seam allowance I don't think it matters.  Except of course 1 cm rocks!  For items like these, a smaller seam allowance is more handy due to less bulk.

Steps to making the belt:

Step 1

Measure the length you want your belt to be......150-170 cm

I measured the ends to be at 45 degrees from the horizontal, and I also had to make my belt 14 cm wide when I cut it, so in keeping that width the entire way, I measured out 160 cm in length.  I then measured in 5 cm on both ends and formed my 45 degree angle to both sides.  I had to do this doubled because the centre line is the fold line.

See how the symmetry is with the middle centre line?

Step 2:

Apply interfacing (fusible) to one half of the entire length of your belt.  This was easy to do since I have 2 metres of it that I just bought.

Interfacing is needed on only half of the piece on the wrong side
This angled  end is repeated on the other side.

Step 3:

Begin sewing right sides together matching angled end and long end together.  Sew all along leaving a space somewhere to turn your belt right side out.

Step 4:

Press out along the entire length pressing fold line and don't forget to clip corners to lessen the bulk if you want a crisper angled corner.

Step 5: Optional

Top stitch the entire perimeter of the belt in any colour you want.  I wanted a contrast so I picked a 50 weight YLI silk brand sewing thread in colour 182.  It is an off-white ecru colour that went nicely with the black.

Top edge stitching with YLI brand silk thread.
Awesome silk thread!!!

That's it!  The black Thai silk worked out FAB!

Here is a brooch to pin to your evening wear or whatever to glam it up!

Thanks everyone!!!

Marfy 2155 Blouse. Where draping matters

Well sorry about the white blouse syndrome that keeps going around here.  I just thought that a Marfy sewing tutorial should be underway.

To all those who may have been paying attention, I have been belly-aching about the yokes on women's blouses, and yes, the design feature still sucks.  I also have this pattern that DOES NOT have a yoke but draped short sleeves that kind of looks difficult on first glance.  This may be why I put it off for another day, but then the right sale comes on and you find a bolt of fabric that is 'the one', then by all means start the damn project.

So, this is our end project:

Since there is draping on the sleeves you must choose a fabric that drapes!
Also has 4 buttons
Top stitching details (optional)
Vent on side front-side back seam.  (Adds flare or hourglass shape enhancement)
Seam joining front and back sleeve to where draping starts
May need to apply a bias binding to underarm area

Now, this blouse has a really good shape.  I also see that if you are the modest type then this may not be the blouse for you, simply because the U shape neckline is quite low.  But, I will remedy that problem in a jiff..wait until the finished product...then you will see...

Now, I will still show you step-by step how this is done.  Remember to take this as a guide only!!!

Please be aware of my short hand words, notes or symbols

CB- Centre back
CF- Centre front
R-right
L-left

Step 1:

Prepare to layout your pieces almost like I did.  It may not be the most efficient but I didn't waste too much. Remember to add your seam and hem allowances like I did leaving enough space between pieces.
I have a 1.5 cm seam allowance on side seams , CF and CB seam whereas I use a 1 cm seam allowance on all non-required size adjust areas such as armhole neck band etc
I also must adjust to cut 1.5 cm away on fold with the collar, under collar, neckbands to compensate for CB seam.  I also added a 2 cm hem allowance on required pieces Front, front facing,  side front, side back and back.

Decide on your seam finish technique:

French seam
Serge shut
Zig zag
Pink sheared
Flat felled seam...may seem awkward and may not work with drapey fabrics

SLEEVES MUST BE CUT ON THE TRUE BIAS!!!!! (45 degrees from selvedge edge)
Refer to trigonometry if you have to.

The first 3 pieces Back, Side back and Front

The next set is Upper sleeve, Side Front, Collar/under collar and front facing

The last set is the neck band pieces, and lower sleeve

Yes, I am sorry I don't have a proper cutting table.  For now I have the floor! I have to wait until I get a larger place.

Step 2:

Cut out pieces marking notches at this point.
Prepare fusible interfacing for the front facing, under collar and neckband facing.  Mark or baste the centre line where the buttonholes are to go on the RIGHT side of front piece.  I wouldn't choose a button larger than 15mm.

Body of blouse

Step 3:

With right sides together, sew the centre back(CB) seam where the pattern piece states " Seaming half back".  There is no match point letter here.  Press seam out.

Step 4:

With right sides together, sew the B seam.  This seam connects the BACK-SIDE BACK. Press seam out, and trim at underarm area if needed. You may wish to stay stitch this area if you want to reduce stretch.

Step 5:

With right sides together, sew the E seam connecting the FRONT-SIDE FRONT.  Press seam out.  You may need to stay stitch this before hand so it takes out the stretch.

Step 6:

With right sides together, sew the D seam connecting SIDE FRONT- SIDE BACK.  Stop sewing at the lowest notch and leave open if you want the vent.  If not, sew all the way through.

At this point you should finish your seams.  I always serge shut these blouse seams.  Press all seams towards the CB, with the exception of the CB seam, which can be pressed to the left or right side of body.

Step 7:

With right sides together, sew the shoulder seams press and finish. Press seam towards the CB.


Collar and Neck Band

Step 8:

Apply the interfacing to the wrong side of the ' over collar' piece, not the 'collar'.  With right sides together, sew together the over collar to the collar leaving the top open. Press out collar. Baste the top edge of collar together if you wish. You may wish to topstitch the collar.  I suggest an edge stitch or 6mm from edge.

Finished collar with a basted open top

Step 9:

Prepare interfacing to the wrong side of  piece labelled 'Collar strip' that has the O-M match point.


Step 10:

With the uninterfaced piece of the neckband and collar piece sewn together, with right sides together, match CB of shirt to CB of the long side of neckband piece(notched edge) having the seam allowance extend past the O-M match point with the CF of shirt. Sew this together and press seam towards the top of neckband piece.



Step 11:

With the uninterfaced piece labelled 'inside of collar', this is also known as the neckband facing.  Press under the seam allowance to the wrong side.

Seam allowance on long side pressed to wrong side

Step 12:

With the collar done as in step 8, with right sides together, baste together the short side(unnotched edge) of uninterfaced neck band to the collar piece.

Baste together collar assembly and uninterfaced neckband
Right sides together, pin to the interfaced neckband.
Notice the seam allowance extending beyond CF

Step 13:

With right sides together, pin the assembled piece from step 12 to the unnotched edge of the interfaced neck band piece. Sew the entire length including sides. Since the ends of the neckband piece are pressed under the seam allowance, match edges together by basting them so when you turn the neckband piece right side out, it will have a matched, even edge.

Sew through all 3 layers and the neckband seam will be flush with the CF
Make sure not to catch the collar assembly unnecessarily

Front Facing

Step 14:


Prepare interfacing to the wrong sides of left and right piece of front facing.
Press under the seam allowance to the wrong side of long straight edge of facing.  Edge stitch finish.

With right sides together, sew the facing to the CF of blouse stopping at the point where it joins to the neck band piece. Clip corners.  Press seam towards CB.

Hand sew remaining distance to the where the shoulder seam and end of facing meet. Any stitch you choose is fine but slip stitching is not visible, it may be most suited for this task.

If you don't want to slip stitch, sandwich the facing between  neckbands
baste across and edge stitch all layers.

Sleeves.  This is it folks!

Step 15:

As we can see the seam in the picture, we may guess where this needs to match up.  You got it!  The shoulder seam.  If the sleeves looks confusing, I don't blame you, it looks like a Mobius Loop.  It is actually a modified cap sleeve.

i)

MAKE SURE TO MARK LETTERS FOR FRONT AND BACK PIECES OF SLEEVES AND MARK ON UNDERARM SECTION WHERE THE NOTCHES ARE.

We already have eliminated D here from step 6. Mark on the body of blouse the
C and H match points for both R and L sleeves. Points B and E will match with sleeve

ii)

With right sides together, sew the A seam joining the front and back sleeve pieces.  This seam will match with your shoulder seam on the body of the blouse.  They should be mirror images of each other indicating the left and right sides of the body.

A match point seam that will join to the shoulder seam

iii)

Finish the arch seam A
Please note that at this point your sleeve halves look like the front crotch area of a pair of pants or bloomers.

iv)

Next, along the top of the armscye of your sleeve seam, sew a gathering stitch to fit the armscye between B and E match points having the sleeve seam match with the shoulder seam. I know this arch does not match up with the armhole area, so you have to fit it down to size

Here I have sewn a gathering stitch along the top.

Next, with right sides together, place arch seam A at the shoulder seam, the E match point on armscye at the E seam sewn from step 5, and match the B seam from step 4 to the end of arch seam A match point E.   Gather to fit. Turn back the facing on each side and baste this seam at this point.

****This must be done right with the B and E match point on sleeve with the body of the blouse. ****

Just know that B is for the back and E is for the front.


v)

Finish the facing edge of the C or H side of the sleeve pieces. You can turn under and edge stitch or which ever way you want to finish a hem.

Marfy also says to pleat along the bottom hem line of the sleeve.  I don't believe that a gathering stitch would accomplish a nice drape and make it look all pretty and knotted, so, pleat your hem area of your front and back halves of each sleeve piece. I would direct your pleats towards the letter C for the back half and towards H  for the front half. This way, it should cause less grief for each R or L sleeve.

***When forming your pleats, try to keep them within the fold lines.***

We see that the pleated hem edge of the front and back piece need to fit into the area on the SIDE BACK and SIDE FRONT underarm area, so readjust your pleats to fit the space from C match point to B(arch seam) and pleats to fit the space from H to E(end of arch seam).

Loop the back C pleat on itself creating a single loop structure. Baste pleated edge right sides together matching C-B distance. Do the same for the front except feed it through the single back loop.  This will give you your knotted sleeve.
With right sides together, baste this pleated edge from H to E distance

Here on the back of Left side, I have 4 pleats covering the C-B
length until it meets up with the end of the armscye seam above that.
Then, loop the front half through back and do the same for the front aspect.

vi)

Sew entire distance that you have basted, from C to H.  Press seam and finish.  At this point you may want to attach your bias binding but on my fabric, it would look wrong and droopy, so my method to finishing the underarm is to turn back the seam allowance at the notches and sew a edge stitch.  This would complete the arm hole area.


Buttonholes and buttons

Step 16:

This material is so light and summery that I can turn on my machine and let it go.

I have 4-12 mm buttons that are white plastic.

Place machine to set buttonholes where you have marked them on the CF line on the RIGHT side.  Marfy clearly has the button hole placement mapped out on the pattern piece

Sew 4 buttons into place on the LEFT side of CF of blouse


Hem

Step 17:
With right sides together, sew the hem allowance from facing edge to CF facing seam.  Turn this right side out and press.

Press under your desired or added hem allowance to the bottom of the shirt.  Finish hem to your liking

Bottom of front facing sewn to hem

Voila, we are DONE!!! (Sorry I blue-bombed this shirt with my water fade marker)

Here is your solution to 'covering up'.  Get some fashion jewelry statement pieces!
(I have 3 different necklace themes here)

That's it take care!!!