Today is Day 4, and it might be the {hardest} of all the days. Today we are tackling the addition of sleeves and sashes. These tasks aren't hard, per se, but in this pattern we learn how to finish our seams using a French Seam, so it's a bit more time consuming.
Since I am not adding in sleeves, I will briefly go over your steps, but make sure to read your directions over before you start sewing! First things first, gather the bottom of your sleeves until they are the same width as your cuff. Take your sleeve and place it on top of the cuff , right sides touching. Sew with a 1/2in SA. Fold 1/2in of the sleeve cuff towards the wrong side of the cuff and iron. Then turn up the cuff another 1/2in and iron. Your seam is now enclosed. Topstitch in place and repeat with the other sleeve.
Now you are going to gather the top of your sleeves. Lay your bodice wrong side up and pin your sleeve to the bodice, wrong sides touching. Gather your sleeve so it matches your opening and sew using a 1/4in SA. Trim off 1/2 of your SA. Fold the sleeve toward the bodice and iron. Pin your sleeve along the seam you ironed and sew with a 1/4in SA. Now your seam is enclosed. Fold your sleeve down and iron it towards the bodice. Do this for both sleeves.
If you are creating a sash, grab your pieces. If you would like a pointed sash, place 2 pieces together, right sides(or wrong sides if you are a rule breaker like me) together, and cut on a diagonal. I like to line up my sash with the diagonal lines on my cutting mat! So easy and perfect lines every time! Repeat with the other 2 sash pieces.
Place 2 sash pieces RST and sew, leaving the short flat edge open for turning. Trim off 1/2 of the SA clip corners and notch curves. Or use your pinking shears!! Repeat for other 2 sash pieces. Turn right side out and topstitch if you desire.
Place your bodice right side up, lining up the edge of your sash with the arm seam. Make sure you have a little more than 1/2in left from the edge of the bodice to the bottom of your sash. You will need to pleat your sash a bit to give more room. Baste in place and repeat for the other side.
Now we are going to enclose our bodice seams, so make sure to pin your sash out of the way! Pin your front and back bodice pieces together with wrong sides touching. If you have sleeves, do this for the sleeve portion too. Sew with a 1/4in SA, trim your SA.
Turn your bodice wrong side out and fold the sewn seam with right sides touching and iron. Sew along the edge you just ironed with a 1/4in SA. You have now enclosed the seam. Iron the seam towards the front bodice. Repeat for the opposite side.
To help keep all the layers in place, finish the bottom edge of your bodice with a serger or zig-zag stitch. If you created the everyday look, you are done for today! If you are doing the sheer version, you need the encase your neckline in bias tape, just like you did your armholes.
Since tomorrow is Saturday, and the weekend is always our catch up days, we will hop back into our SAL on Monday, with our final day! Take the weekend to catch up and I will see you back here Monday!!
