Welcome to day 1 of the Josephine Sew-A-Long!  First this is first, take out your pattern and get acquainted with it!  Today we are going to be doing my most favorite part of any project, picking fabrics!

Josephine options

Before we dive into fabrics, you are going to need to decide on your options.  Are you going to do a dress or a blouse, long sleeves or flutters, ruffle button tab or plain?  

Picking fabrics can be fun, but for those who don't have a clear vision of what you want, don't fret!  Sit down with you fabric stash, or head out to your local fabric shop and look around.  Find something that speaks to you!  With this pattern, you can use a wide range of fabrics, from cotton, to chiffon, to silk, the possibilities are endless!  

polka dot fabric

I am in the process of sewing my daughter a back-to-school wardrobe capsule, so I knew I needed to chose a fabric that spoke with the rest of her capsule. In the end, after much deliberation, I chose this sweet teal and white polka dot.  In my eyes, you can never go wrong with a polka dot!  It is a timeless pattern!

Once you've got your fabric squared away, it's time to think about notions!  Make sure you have some matching thread and bias tape.  If you want to make your own, check out this tutorial from last month on using bias tape makers

.heart buttons

You are also going to need some buttons.  Grab 5-6 for a blouse and 6-10 for a dress.  And don't forget to grab a 4-6 for the sleeves if you decided on long sleeves.

So now we've got everything ready for tomorrow, snap a quick photo and post it here in the Violette Field Threads FB group!  Get that fabric washed and dried and ready to go!  Tomorrow we print and tape the pattern together, cut out our fabric and get sewing!!  Check the schedule below for the breakdown of what we are working on everyday!  See you back here tomorrow!

sew a long schedule

 

August 17, 2015 by Emily Steiger