Monday 7 April 2014

Winifred - A Collarless Variation...

Hello everyone, I hope you are have a great time finishing up your Winifred dresses after sewing along with us. Can't wait to see all your pictures.

Spring is still dragging her feet about arriving in my parts, so it seemed like the time to make a seasonal appropriate Winifred. For this version I was thinking about making a neutral base piece that would be easy to layer.  I'd also been watching a lot of episodes of "Longmire," which happens to be set in Wyoming.  All the women on that show have kind of a "cowgirl chic" style with lots of denim, leather jackets and big necklaces. It makes me want to move to the mid west and learn to ride a horse.  Instead I rustled up my pattern cutting scissors, some chambray and then got to work making a collarless Winifred.
"Hi Y'all, seen any cowboys around these parts? I might need some help cause this wind is about to blow me over."  Alas no cowboys appeared and I had to save my camera tripod myself.  But enough about that, let's talk about dresses instead.
Like my previous Winifred I used smocking on the back and added the Billie Jean pockets to the side seams. The big change was cutting off the collar section, leaving a curved neckline with a notch.  The neckline is finished with facings and understitched. It's hard to see in these pictures, but I've also added a little sewn on cuff to the sleeves.

All of these pattern changes are easy and I'll show you how to do them.  Are you really to get cutting?

Collarless Neckline Instructions
You'll need a traced copy of your front, back and facing pieces, a straight ruler, a french curve and a pen/pencil.  You can always tweak the measurements I use to suit your own preferences/size.  I'll be using the size 10 in all these examples.

1. On the front measure up 4" from the joint point and mark.
2. On the shoulder measure 3/4" away from the collar and mark.
3. Use these two marked points and a french curve to draw a new neckline.
4. New front neckline will look like this. Now you can cut it out and continue on to the back.
5. On the back the neckline needs to be widened to match the front.  Lay your new front on top of the back, matching the shoulder seams on the sleeves.  Mark the new width of the neckline on the back.
6. Use a french curve to draw the new neckline.
7. New back neckline will look like this, cut it out on the new lines.

To finish the neckline we'll need to modify the front facing and draft a back facing. Let's start with the front.

8. Place the new front over top the front facing and trace off the new neckline.  Then cut off the collar so that they match.
9. The facing is now a little to small to sew so we'll add onto it.  Tape paper to the shoulder side and extend out the shoulder  1 1/2".
10. Use a french curve to blend the shoulder area into the bottom of the facing.
Finished front facing looks like this.
11. To draft the back facing place a scrap of paper over the back pattern piece.  Trace off the neckline, some of the shoulder and CB.
12. First take off the seam allowance on the CB and mark the facing as being on the fold.
13. Then draw in the seam allowance on the shoulder seam.  Grab your front facing and do the same.
 Place the two facings on top of each other on the seam line.  Use the front facing shoulder to mark the correct width of the back facing.
14.  Use a french curve to draw the curve on the bottom of the facing.
Finished back facing looks like this.
Cuff
To draft a cuff simply measure the circumference of your sleeve hem and draw a rectangle with that length.  For the cuff pattern width decide how wide you want the cuff to be and double it.  Example, my pattern is 3" wide for a finished 1 1/2" cuff. Add seam allowances to all sides and the cuff pattern is done.
Happy sewing everyone, if you need me I'll be down at the rodeo. Yee Ha!
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Happy sewing!

Abby
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