Vote for your favorite MAE!!!!!

Time to cast your votes, folks!

This so, so exciting! All the entries are so darn beautiful! I'm kinda glad its not me voting, i truly don't think i could pick between them all, I'd want to give everyone a prize, haha.

So below is how to vote and  its real simple to:

    1. Check out  the fabulous contestants listed below.                      

     2.   Then cast your vote on the  voting form and and pick your favorite.
 
Once your all done with voting, i will tally them to find out who YOU chose as the 3 winners!

Due to the extension for more time to upload your finished Mae blouses, the winners will now  be announced on Monday 30th September (aest) so you will need to cast your vote by 29th Sunday (aest).

In case you have forgotten, here is what the lucky ducks could win:

Below is the fun part, the Contestants!!!

So get voting!!


Paunnet

Sew Charleston

Handmade by Heather B

Sew Classic

Mmi Crafts

Have fun  voting!!!!


Abby
xxxxx

Quick reminder: Last chance to enter!!!

Just a quick reminder that this is your last chance to upload your photos  of your finish Mae blouse to the  Flickr group, to  enter the Mae sew-along contest and win cool stuff! 
I have extended the cut off date until the 24th to give everyone some more extra time and have the chance to participate.

So hop to it, voting will being here on the blog on the 25th September 2013! Yay!!!

Abby
x

Strawberry Mae...

For  all of you still sewing up your Mae blouses at the moment to enter the Mae sew-along contest or those of you in need of a little inspiration, check out this most lovely of loveliest Mae blouse made by Heather over on her blog handmadebyheather.

Heather was kind enough to answer a few questions for me about her sewing experience with the Mae blouse, so take it away Heather:

What type of fabric did you use? What inspired your choice of fabric?

My Mae blouse is made from some vintage cotton purchased off of Etsy.  It's most likely quilting cotton, which I usually shy away from for garments, but I'll make an exception for a vintage fruity print.  I love fruit prints, especially ones that aren't too cute.

 Did your Mae blouse live up to the image you had in your mind?

Yes!  I've mentioned before that my figure is probably just a larger version of yours.  Makes it easy to picture how Bluegingerdoll patterns will look on me, just add some more cake ease.

How did you decide to reflect your personal style in the pattern?

Mostly through fabric choice. I wanted a top that was classic looking but fun. Also I match my vintage inspired pieces with modern shoes and accessories. Otherwise I just look like I'm wearing a Halloween costume.  

Tell us a bit about your sewing process, any tweaks you made?

I started with some of my normal fitting tweaks, a forward shoulder adjustment and adding more ease in the waist and hip area.  I think the neckline is lovely as is, but I also like flashing my collar bones, so I decided to cut it back.   I did this by tracing the scallop edge with a clear ruler 5/8" away from the pattern edge.  This change makes the centre scallops larger but the neckline still looks great.  Make the same change to the facings and sew as instructed.

 What thoughts do you have about the project?

This was a fun little project to sew together other than the fact I can't see any markings on this fabric!  Putting in the buttonholes was a bit of a hit and miss affair.  It all worked out in the end and I can even button all those buttons myself!

Have you got  any plans for any future Mae Blouses?

Oh yes, I wanted to sew along with everyone else so I'm making a white with black polka dot version. It's gonna have some red accents just for fun.

Thanks Heather for sewing up the Mae blouse so, so  beautifully!


The Mae giveaway is still very much open to all who wish to participate, there is still time to upload your finished Mae blouse to the Flickr group, and go in the running to win some fab prizes! I will extend the cut off date, due to a quite a few queries from you all that want to participate but are a little bit behind. So you will have until Tuesday the 24th to  upload your photos,  then lets the voting begin!!!

I have spied some really gorgeous Mae blouses in the Flickr group already and all i can say is WOW! They all look so AMAZING..  I'm even more excited to see  more of your beautiful Mae blouses!



Abby
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MAE SEW-ALONG #3 - Apply fusible interfacing, stay stitching & bodice darts

Hello again fine sew-alongers! Today's blog post we will be starting the prep work we need to do to get our Mae blouse's on the road to being stitched up. Before we start just to recap, by now you should have  sorted out any alterations/sizing adjustments you may need to have made, cut out your interfacing and fabric and be well and truly be ready to get started. 

As i said,  today's blog post is all about the prep work of the blouse, which means we will be attaching our fusible interfacing to our facing pattern pieces, stay stitching the neckline and lastly stitching up the darts on the front and back bodice pieces.

OK, lets get started:

Step 1: Apply lightweight fusible interfacing to your facing pieces.

Grab your facing pieces and apply the lightweight fusible interfacing to the wrong side of the front neck facing ( 4), back neck facing (3) and armhole sleeve facings (5) following the manufacturer's instructions apply your interfacing.

Step 2: Stay stitching

What is staystitching?

  Staystitching around curved edges especially necklines helps prevent them from stretching out, making them easier to match up later.  You simply machine stitch along the edge of the neckline.

1. Stay stitch 0.5'' away from the front and back bodice necklines edges.Take your time and go slowly around the scallop curves and pivot at the scallop points.

Step 3 : Front and back bodice darts 

1. On the wrong side of the fabric, create the darts on the front bodice (2). Match the marked dart lines  together to form a fold .Pin in place  from the top of the darts to the bottom of the dart .

2. Beginning at the top of the dart, stitch along the marked line down to the bottom of the dart. 3. Repeat the same process on the darts on the back bodice pieces (1).  

Below is a finished look at what the  bodice darts, front and back should look like once you're done. 

Lastly press the front bodice darts towards the centre of the bodice and do the same for the back bodice darts. 

Next up we will be sewing up the bodice shoulder seams and finishing off the bodice back edges.

Remember this is your sew-along, so if you have any questions would like to see something shown in the sew-along that i may have missed, then just yell out!!

Abby

xxx

MAE SEWALONG # 2 - FBA & SBA TUTORIAL

 Welcome back to sew-along post # 2. This post i am going to show you how to complete an FBA & SBA on the Mae blouse. I did mention in yesterday's post that Bluegingerdoll patterns are drafted to a D cup, which received a round of applause from a few readers, Yay! But obviously for those of you with different cups sizes, not so Yay. So instead of being restricted by your cup size, i  think it is an important to know how to complete Full bust adjustments or small bust adjustments, that way it doesn't matter what your bust size is, because you will be able to adjust any pattern to your right bust size. And  cup size wont rule your life, and that's a Yay all round!

So before we start, just a quick recap on yesterdays post. If you are sewing along you should have your fabric picked out, pre-washed and ready to go, your pattern traced to your size,  a muslin sewn up and tested the fit and  established if you need to make any adjustments  for a better fit.

OK lets jump in shall we:

What is an FBA & SBA? 

 

 In simply terms:

 

Full Bust Adjustment ( FBA) - You  need some more room for your girls, it is too tight in the bust area, they are getting squashed/flattened and  they need some air.

Small Bust Adjustment ( SBA) - You need less room for your girls, they is drowning in there.

So how do you know if you need to complete either a FBA or SBA?

 Simply! Just refer to that handy size chart on the back of the pattern envelope and:

FBA - If your bust measurement falls into the larger size column than the rest of your body.

SBA -  If your bust measurement falls into the smaller size column than the rest of your body.

Another way to tell, is if you’ve already made a muslin, you might notice that the bust area just isn't right i.e too loose, excess fabric, fabric sagging or too tight, the bust apex sitting too low or its  just simply looking just plain weird. Then you will need to complete a bust adjustment.  

Calculate your FBA or SBA 

Calculating your FBA & SBA is easy. You just need to figure out what size you would be if you used your  bust measurement... Got it? OK, then compare this size to what size you would if you used your other measurements ( waist, hip) as your size. Then grab your front bodice pattern piece and measure the distance between these sizes. TA DA! This is your FBA or SBA amount.Which ever adjustment you are going to make, this is the amount we will either increase or reduce the bust by.

What tools do i need?

Grab your traced Mae front bodice pattern piece, pencil, ruler, scissors, sticky tape and pattern paper. 

* Please note the bodice images i am using throughout the tutorial, all are working with the seam allowance included.

First up i will show the steps in completing an FBA, the SBA follows exactly the same steps, but instead of spreading the pattern piece for more room we overlap it for less room. For learning purposes it is easier just to focus on the one bust adjustment first up.

STEP 1 

To being with, cut off the sleeve section on the Mae bodice front.

 
 

 

STEP 2 

Get your pencils out and draw your slash lines onto the bodice front, as follow:

Line 1 - Draw 1/3 up the armhole to the apex and then straight through the centre of the vertical dart down to the hem line.

Line 2 - There is no side dart on the Mae blouse so you need to  slant the dart as if there were one. So draw Line 2 slanted from the side of the bodice and extending to the bust apex.

Line 3 - Draw anywhere below the bust apex in the section shown in the diagram.

Step 3

Grab your scissors ( not the fabric ones!) and cut line 1 starting from the hem line and then up to, but not through,  the armhole edge. On the armhole edge, snip a tiny amount in towards line 1, but not completely through,  to create a tiny hinge at this point. ( See diagram below)
Then cut line 2  up to line 1 at the bust apex point, again not right up to line 1, leave enough room to create another tiny hinge.

 



 

















 

Step 4 

 Now you need to tape down  the front section of the bodice, to keep it in place. So i would recommend placing some new pattern paper underneath the bodice piece you are altering and tape it onto that.

This is where we start to make the adjustments. Pull the bodice pieces apart at the horizontal arrows along line 1, using  the FBA amount you calculated that  you  would need for the FBA. You need to keep the long edge of line 1 parallel.  So to do this, keep the bodice completely  flat,  with the armhole going up  and the side panels dropping down - Line 2 will open up and form the side dart.
Now you need to keep these two side sections in place, at the pink dots on the diagram, so tape em down

Step 5 

Our last line we need to cut is Line 3. So cut  line 3 straight across and lower it  until the  bottom edges of the pattern sections are even. Tape it down at the pink dots, as shown on the diagram.

 

 Step 6  

Now because you have already taped your bodice pattern piece onto new pattern piece, you will have noticed that you have filled in these newly created FBA spaces. If you haven't taped it down onto new pattern paper, then you will need to fill in the openings with new pattern paper. Nearly down, all you need to do now is re-draw your darts on the bodice,  as shown on the diagram below. Most probably you will also need to fix up your seam allowances, so do that now as well.

 

Step 7 

 Tape  those sleeve back onto the Blouse, and cut out your new bodice pattern piece! 

 

SBA - SMALL BUST ADJUSTMENT

As i said at the beginning of the post, to complete and SBA on the Mae blouse, you basically follow the  steps from start to finish exactly the same as the FBA i.e draw your lines, cut them etc but instead of spreading the pattern at the 3 drawn lines, as you would for an FBA ,you simply just overlap the pattern at these same lines, using the SBA amount you have calculated. Easy!

 































 

FBA & SBA -  Important things to note!

*Making these bust adjustments will change the size of the waistline (IE make it smaller or wider) so you may need to make an adjustment at the waistline to maintain your correct size.
 *Depending on which bust adjustment you have completed and how much you have shifted the pattern to allow for more room or less, you will have to 'true' your patterns style lines IE at the side seams, hem line etc. 
* Keep the adjusted bodice pattern piece for your future reference, don't chuck it out!
* Once you have adjusted your bodice pattern, either with an FBA or SBA make another muslin and test again.



I hope this helps. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me!

Catch ya tomorrow for the next sew-along post ;)

Abby
x

MAE SEW-ALONG # 1 - GETTING STARTED

Buying the right fabric:

 I have  just recently posted about the best fabric for the Mae blouse and  its radness for stash busting,  so check out the post, here . Also check out the  suggested fabrics listed on the back of your pattern envelope, which you will see the preferred fabrics are: Light weight cotton and cotton blends.

For a little more inspiration you can also see some recent  examples of the Mae blouse all sewn  up  in a couple of  different fabrics and ways:

Left::Meg 

Right:  Jen 

Making a muslin:

I kind of think this is the norm these days in the sewing world, but i am going to say it anyway! I highly recommend making a muslin for the Mae blouse... Why? A myriad of reasons but the main reason being, the final fit of the blouse. The blouse is designed to be very form fitting  around the waistline, and has very little ease. Also if you are new to Bluegingerdoll patterns, they are drafted based on a D cup. Completing a muslin before you cut into your fabulous fabric you have picked out, is also  a great test run before you sew up your final blouse.. trust me  it will also save you a bucket load of tears and swearing down the track, by dealing with any glaring fit issues that may occur.

So below is just a quick run -down on the basics of making a muslin:

* Pick out some calico or cheap fabric that is a similar weight and drape to your main fabric you have selected. If you have managed  to  find some cheap fabric that isn't fluro,1980s inspired and completely gross, you will also score your self another blouse, also called a 'wearable muslin'.  A simple muslin you can simply just be basted together and don't bother stitching the buttonholes, buttons or facings. If  you are going to make a wearable muslin stitch together as normal as you would your final blouse.

Choose your size:

If you need a refresher on how exactly to measure yourself properly, then welcome back my  lovely measuring lady... . i am yet to name her!  Use her as a visual guide,to make sure you have the right measurements. Grab a a measuring tape, and note down your bust, waist and hip  measurements( there a slight peplum to the Mae  blouse, so the hip is relatively open so not as important, but measure anyway.) 

Now that you have your measurements, refer to the size chart on the pattern packaging back to determine your size. As i mentioned above the Mae blouse has been designed to be form fitting, and without very little ease around the waistline, so keep this in mind when finding your size. If you prefer a bit more room, then choose a larger size.

Don't panic if you find that you are in between sizes here and there, it is a common occurrence  to overlap into different sizes. I will also show you quickly,  just  how to trace the pattern when you are in between sizes.

Trace your pattern:

Due to the fact that you may need  to make some pattern adjustments, tracing your Mae pattern is recommended. Even if you don't need to make any pattern adjustments, its a great way to keep your pattern a lot longer, in its original state, for future use or if you want to sew up a Mae for a friend who is a different size then you. So to start with trace off your chosen size, which  you noted down from the back of the pattern packaging. It is important to trace each pattern piece as accurately as you can, this is where,  if you have some curved rulers they will come in handy.

If you found you are in between sizes you will need to overlap into different sizes at the areas which differ i.e bust, waist hips.

** Above i have graded from a size 12 bust to a size 10 waist, then size 12 hip***

 Also make sure to copy down all the important info and pattern markings, and notches onto your traced pattern. It is also a good idea to label each pattern piece, and the size you are using, and any instructions they have i.e cut on the fold, grain lines etc

Cut out your pattern:

Now you can lay out your pattern  pieces as shown in the cutting layout diagrams on the instruction sheet, page 1 or as economically as you can with the fabric you have. 

Unless you’re making a wearable muslin, there is no need to cut out the facings. Just cut the bodice front and back. I did choose to cut out my facings in this case, because this will be my final blouse. Remember to transfer all markings (dart,  button, button holes, fold lines, etc) onto your fabric, then cut out the pattern  pieces.

Stitching up your muslin:

Once you have cut out your muslin fabric, depending on what type of muslin you are making simply just follow the below steps:

Simple Muslin, machine baste

* Sew the darts, front and back bodice

* Sew the shoulder and bodice side seams.

Wearable Muslin

* Stitch as the blouse normally  as per the instructions.

Determine any fit alterations & alter pattern if needed:

Now you can try on your Mae muslin! 
If you have stitched up a 'simple muslin' I would recommend just overlapping the back bodice pieces right over left and pinning them place where the buttons would be, during this test fit phase. 

OK now you need to ask yourself a few questions about the muslin's fit: 

Have I cut out  the right size? Is it comfortable?

Does the bodice fit correctly across the bust? No pulling or too loose?

 Is the bodice  waist nicely  fitted and  comfortable? Again no pulling or too loose?

Is the bodice the right length?

When i test a muslin i also like to move around in it, wear it around the house, do some chores etc just to confirm that it fits just as well moving, as well as standing still in front of the mirror.

If you have found some funny business going on with the bust fit, then  stay tuned I  have a detailed tutorials coming up next on how to complete a Full and Small Bust Adjustment on the Mae blouse. 

If you have found the waistline to be too tight or loose, then you need to adjust the size you have traced and cut out.

If you find the bodice is too short or long, you will need to  lengthen or shorten the bodice. These only require simple slash alterations on the lines indicated on the pattern pieces. There is also a quick explanation on the instruction sheet, page 1 on how to complete this step.If you do decide to lengthen or shorten the bodice you will also need to make adjustments to the button placement, as these will shift when you make the alterations.

 So tell me....I  would love to know what fabric you  have picked out your Mae blouse ? Cutest buttons ever for the back? Or Fabric covered buttons? Spill....

 Until the next sew-along i encourage everyone to post and  share your progress as the sew-along progresses.Also remember this is your sew-along so please let me know if i have missed anything, or if you want to know something in particular and ill try my bestest to help you out!

In case you haven't yet, you also need to join the  Flickr group to enter this contest at the end of the sew-along, cause we gonna be voting on em all! If you feel like socializing or want to keep tabs on the sew-along, here are the places to do so:

Facebook/Bluegingerdoll

Instagram/Bluegingerdoll

Twitter/Bluegingerdoll

Use the hashtag # Mae

Abby

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