Sewn with Love : My Dirndl Skirt

(It took me more time to post another Sewn with Love Sew Along. Have I told you that I always blame my tight schedule & full time work days ? If I haven't, I will blame them again LOL)

"Dirndl" originally came in form a dress worn by native Germany and Austria. This Dirndl Skirt maybe was designed by following the original shape of Dirndl's skirt. The skirt's size comes from 18-24 months until 7-8 years. I chose the smallest size for my daughter, and after it had finished, I saw that it was too big for her. Maybe it will fit better in my niece

About the materials :
The book suggests us to prepare 2 yards of plain chambray. I had some chambrays in green (that was used for making playsuit). If I used it again, you and I would be bored so I wouldn't use it again. I decided to use a quilt cotton (it is Bubble Cocoa from Arianna by Benartex) And later I found that my quilt cotton was to stiff and heavy for this kind of skirt. For size 18-24 months, I only needed 1 yard of fabric. You will also need 30 cms elastic (3 cm wide) and some ribbons or trims


Sewing The Skirt's Tiers :

1. From the pattern, I had five long strips of fabric. Four of them for skirt's tiers and one strip for skirt's waistband. I named the tiers from top, so the tier's following order from top is Tier 1 - Tier 2 - Tier 3 - Tier 4 (bottom tier).
For each strip, I joined its end onto another end, the pinned and stitched it the along its seamline. Then I sew two rows of gathering stitches around the top of each tiers, leaving long threas at each end. I pulled the gathering stitches and made sure the top of Tier 4 (bottom tier) had the same width as the bottom of Tier 3. I did the same method for Tier 3, Tier 2 and Tier 1.

2. I lined up the top of Tier 4 with the bottom of Tier 3, right side together. I pinned and sew the along the seamline, with 3/8 inches seam allowance

3. The I folded the Tier 3 put, and pressed the seams.

4. I did the same method (picture #2 and #3) to attach Tier 2 into Tier 3, and Tier 1 into Tier 2. I pressed all the seams and overlock any raw edge.


Waistband :

1. Like what I did to tiers, I stitched a waistband end onto another end, and press the seams open.

2. I folded and pressed the waistband in half lengthwise and its seam allowances

3. I pinned the right side of the waistband into the wrong side of skirt

4. After turned out the skirt, I attached and sew one edge of elastic into wrong side of the the waistband. Had a safety pin on another edge of elastic, I folded the waistband to the right side of the skirt, pressed it along half lengthwise and made sure the waistband's seam allowance had been folded inside.

5. I made a top-stitching along the bottom line of the waistband, and left three inches unstitched so I had enough room to pull out the elastic using the safety pin I had mentioned before. I pulled out the elastic and stitched it in its place (you can see the elasticized part of the waistband clearly at its pattern). I locked it by sewing the unstitched waistband's bottom edge and topstitching waistband's top edge.


*I was lack of words when I wrote thi, so pardon me if this post is kinda boring :D*


Important note : Please respect the writer
The skirt's design and Some texts are copyrighted, by Their Nibs (2010)

Sewn with Love - Playsuit Day 4 (Last Day)

This was last day of the playsuit sew-along. I finished the playsuit almost two weeks ago, and procastinated in editing the photos and the post. The playsuit consumed four days using my novice sewing experience. In the meantime, I just realized that I had 100.000 more hits since few days ago. Congratulation, my blog ! You just put another great step stone. Ooops, no further talk, here we go :

Attaching Bottom's Cuffs :

1. I took the playsuit's bottom, and made two gathering stitches next to button plackets / button extensions. They were gently gathered up until the width of cuff pieces

2. I aligned one right side of the cuff (that had been folded in half lengthwise and pressed) into wrong side of the bottom's leg, and sewed it using 5 mm seam allowance

3.I took the folded side of the cuff to the right side of the bottom. I pinned it in its place and top-stitched "around" the cuff. "Around" here means along the four edges of the cuff. I did the same for another leg


Sewing The Bodice :

1. I prepared my bodice and its lining, and then sewed each of them at the shoulder seams and side seams

2. I met the bodice and the lining at the wrong side, fitted them, pinned and then sewed them around the neckline

3. Had the bodice turned and pressed, I then prepared the armholes. I fold the armholes' seam allowance inside and pressed them. This task quite challenged me, especially when it came to align the folded edge of the bodice and the lining. After I felt they were aligned, I pinned, basted them, and finally topstitched the atmholes real close to their edges. Pheuww... a hard work


Joining The Bottom and The Bodice :

1. I got a bottom and bodice prepared for the next step

2. I made two gathering stitches at the top edge of the bottom, started next to button placket. I didn't follow the book's instruction this time. The book says to line up the bottom and the bodice at the right side. I did it at the wrong side (from the lining). I stitched along the seams with 5 mm seam allowance, started "next to" button placket. I did not forgot to fold the seam allowance of bottom's button placket first. I did a zigzag stitch around the raw edge. I flipped it outside, and folded the seam allowance of the bodice. After pressed it nicely, and I pinned it around the joint

3. {The button placket was the trickiest task} I folded the bodice's button plackets inside, after folded in each of their seam allowance. Met the bodice button placket with the bottom's button placket. The next step was topstitching the seams that joined the the bodice and the bottom's button placket. Please be aware that you should topstitch the bottom of the button placktes together where they overlapped

4. {This picture will show you how I did it (from the wrong side). I'm afraid that my bubbling wwon't explain the exact steps} Started at bottom of one button placket, I topstitched the the button placket, up to the neckline, and down to the another button placket


Making buttonholes and Attaching Buttons :

1. At the front part of the playsuit bottom's button extension, I made seven "horizontal" buttonholes. The first was on the middle of the extension just beneath the center front seam. Made one at each cuff, and made other four spaced between the first buttonholes and the cuffs' buttonholes {The picture told you better than my words}

2. I sewed seven buttons to the corresponding position

3. I made five "vertical" buttons, place three of them at the bodice button placket and two others at the bottom button placket

Pheuw, I'm glad that I had finished this playsuit sew-along post. How about you ?

For all of you who haven't read the playsuit sew along's previous days, I've collected them into one page "Sewn with Love Sew Along". I hope this can help

Update :

Some of my friends asked me my original opinions about the book and the pattern. I tell you that I'm not that good at critizing something, so I won't write any criticism. I just share my experince *wink

The book has a good order, and some great chapters. I enjoy reading them. My point here is that the book is more suitable for intermediate seamstress, because its instructions are mostly written, and there are not enough step-by-step illustrations for a (very) beginner seamstress

Pattern sizes are not included in the book, so I must opened the enclosed CD. Thank God, the publisher give us a varies number of sizes. Babies's patterns start from 0-3 months until 12-18 months, and older style's patterns range from 18-24 months until 7-8 years. And all of them are packed in organized folders. I didn't have any difficulties to open and choose my size. Of course I need a computer to open the CD, but hey, everyone can access computers now, so I think that's not a big point

The seam allowance is included, yes, included !! It is mostly 5 mm wide, and it help me a lot. The downside is, there are no "Top" sign that indicate top side of a pattern. I needed some good guessings in this thing, and the grainlines guidance helped me a lot. But if you have ever work with some patterns before, it won't be a big trouble for you

That's my point of view

Is there anything else ? Do you want to add something, or add some criticism ? Don't worry, you can write any criticism here, because I believe that criticism is good

Tata for now *smoochies*

Note : I link this post into some of these link parties

Decluttering My Blog Layout

A very talented person told me to set this intention in my mind from this second "I am like a sponge that soaks in knowledge & inspiration but wrings out only productive action". Productive action is the key. I'm still summarizing my goals for this year, and having some difficult time to choose what I shall do first in my blogging world.

I chose to start the year with an ordinary month in January, and to fill February with sew-alongs. And while doing them, I tried to examine my blog structure, and what ??? a very messy messy sidebar (in my opinion) and unstructured menus. My sidebar was fat, I mean, too long. I put too much informations there. The menus didn't represent my true self. So I decided to give my blog some organizations. I want my blog looks clean and neat

So, what I did with my Sidebar ?

I've ever tried to make a 3 columns blog, but I ended dislike it. So I stick with a 2 columns blog, and had some hard times to choose sidebar widgets that were fit to my style. I changed most of my sidebar widgets few days ago, and here are what I did :

- Added "Search This Blog" widget in the top of my sidebar

- Slimmed my Categories (Label) into 4 Popular Categories

- Added "Recent Post" widget, so the reader can find my latest post easily

- Slimmed up "Blog Archive" into a drop-down widget

- Deleted "Blog Roll" ==> I will add it into "Link Love" Menu (that I have not created yet)

- Deleted my favorites links, from "Creative Connections" until "Indonesian Bloggers" (maybe I made 5 or more links widgets) ==> I will add it into "Link Love" Menu (that I have not created yet)

- Rearrange the widgets. I'm the master of an always changing sidebar, so you may find my sidebar composition change time after time. But mostly, I love my current sidebar composition :

1. A search widget
2. Popular Categories
3. Links to find me elsewhere
4. Recent post
5. Blog Archive
6. Current Sew Along Button & Grab Button Box
7. Giveaway sponsor buttons
8. List of my friends (GFC & Facebook)
9. Subscription form (RSS)
10. Bloglovin subscription
11. Blog & SEO statistics
12. Copyright & license

Blog Header :

I don't have enough budget to pay talented blog designer out there to create my blog header. So I make some experiments with digital scrapbook kit that I have collected. I'm still a beginner, so here is what I come up with :

My previous blog header was in bright colors,now I want to make it more pale, and I also add a transparent scallop background (from blogger.com) to create a pale layout.
Comparing it with my old header, which one you like most ?

Remember this ? My old blog header :

Blog Menus :

I wrote a (not completely) new "About Me" page and found it not enough describing my passions, so maybe I will write a new one.

The "Tutorials" page now comes back. I had made a same page few months back, but I deleted it. Now I have enough confidence to add it again

I also add a "Sponsor A giveaway" page, so if there is anyone who is interested in helping me doing this, she can find the way to contact me

Having some done, changed and deleted, now feel that my blog's pageload is even more faster ! No delays and un-opened image like what I experienced before

So, what changes you made onto your blog lately ?

Did I Try Too Hard ?

{Spoiler : This is just a personal note about my blogging activity. Some are teary, some need to be laughed. Do not take it personally}

I am bad at blogging. Hmm.. after neglecting this blog for a week and did not post any warning for my readers that I would leave this blog unattended for (at least) a week, I know that I'm not so good at blogging. I have some drafts for sew-along, a request for a pattern, and a draft for an interview which are in my-to-do list, waiting to be accomplished. And sadly, I don't feel guilty to do this. Maybe it is just my (baaad) habit.

I must confess. My bad habit is, if I feel that I have tried so hard to write any good (perhaps, in my opinion)post, and there are not much responses into it (there are responses, but they're not as much as I want), I will run away and leave them behind. I was too excited... and I was wrong. Maybe I just tried too hard.

I wrote this post as my own therapy. I don't want to judge myself, actually. But if I must count my mistakes to change my not so good behaviour, I will do that no matter what you might say. Be prepare to laugh as hard as you can :D I must finish this post in 30 minutes, so I will make it fast. Let me examine my own blog :

Most Viewed Content in February : Triangular Pouch + Patterns = 1600 views in February
The pouch was made in a night and its tutorial followed the next day. I didn't even think that some of you would like it. It was just a simple pouch, whose triangular shape was inspired by a purse that caught my eyes long time ago. And the tutorial was written in a hurry, in a very early morning, just before the dawn, in a notepad !! This post was viewed 1600 times in February and has been viewed 20.000 times (and counting) since October 2010. It had been posted on CraftGossip.com and WhipUp.net. Some of you even had made the pouch. Maybe it was a hit. I was lucky

Let me compare it with my latest post : Sewn with Love - Playsuit Day 3 : Bottom Pieces = only 20 views in February
I thought hard before I decided to do the sew along, I even gave away the book to make some of you excited. I measured and counted. I thought you would be excited just like me. And then ? I only got 4 comments and 20 comments. Actually, I don't really need comments. But this one quite made me shocked. After those post, I felt like I was going to give up

What I have learned from those stories :
After my triangular pouch became hit, I was obsessed to do the same thing. And I tried so hard to do that. The result were : flat, no expressions, confusing, no clear direction, meaningless, no deep thinking, and show-off posts. Need an example ? "Hi friends, I have made this bla bla bla, using bla bla bla. It is so bla bla bla, and I bla bla bla it !!" Check mate ! Too much "bla" caused my post became BLAH ^_^


What's wrong with those post ? If you asked me a week ago, I would not know the answer. But now, after contemplating a whole week , I will answer that the reason is I was not content. I could not make you feel engaged. I chased the numbers and quantity of my post, but not the quality. I had tried too hard. I felt like running alone. And it was not fun at all.

A week ago, my laptop crashed. God has pushed me to sit down and think for a long time how good I want to be. And God, let me proclaim now that I want to be content, to make my post more meaningful, embracing and engaging my readers. I want them to feel enriched after reading my post. Point


ps :
- Thank you so much Jessica van Den and Tara Gentile to help me open my mind. And Paul Arden to serve me delicious meals for my brain

- I will continue the sew-along, only in a new format. Not in a day-by-day posting mode, but maybe in a more brief post at the end of each week

- A little more note (because I can't abandon them, they are sweet persons who keep me inspired)
This is my new favorite fabrics from May May Shop. It needs a long time to arrive in front of my door.

What will I make it into ? A dress, a bag, a wallet ? I'm still indecisive. It is so pretty XD



Handmade covered buttons and a postcard I received from Fiona Leow as a gift :



And my finished playsuit photo :


See you !!

Sewn with Love - Playsuit Day 3 : Bottom Pieces

I had finished the Playsuit, but didn't have time to post the sew along. "Sorry" won't work, so let's pass this foreword and jump to the point
(Because I forgot to put numbers on my photo collages, I will write all step-by-steps in clockwise order )

So, after finishing the Day 1 and Day 2, what will we do next ?

Joining Front Bottom Piece :

With the right side together, sew the front bottom piece at the center front

Joining Back Bottom Piece :

- Prepare your back bottom pieces. Beware that the button plackets are on the top-side
Fold the seam allowance of the button plackets (5 mm wide) to the wrong side and press using irons. Clip the corner, fold the button placket, and press. Do this same steps for another back piece

- Place the left back piece in front of the right one, then pin them together
- Before sewing the center seam, make sure the pinned back piece and front piece have an equal measurement on the top
- Sew the center back seam, beginning below the button placket

Joining The Front and The Back Bottom Piece : (no pic, sorry)

- With right side together, sew the bottoms at the side seams
- Press all the seams and finish the raw edges with zig zag

Making Bottom Button Extensions and Cuffs :

- Fold the seam allowances ( 5 mm ) to the wrong side and press them in half lengthwise
Do this for the cuffs. You will have 2 bottom button extensions and 2 cuffs

Joining Bottom Button Extensions :

- Take the bottom piece. Put the front side facing up. Pin or baste one bottom button extension into the bottom parts, and then stitch and press

- Flip the folded edge to the wrong side of the playsuit. Enclose the raw edge within the fold. And then pin or baste.

- Topstitch the wrong side of the button extension

- To secure, topstitch along the outer edge of the bottom extension

- Do this for the other side of the bottoms

Day 3 finished here, pheuww...

Editing pictures and writing the step-by-step really take our time, don't they

Day 4 will be posted soon

Dirndl..Dirndl.. in The Swing

I happily announce Poll Result for the Second Week : Playtime, and the winner is Button-Through Dress. It seems that must of us vote for the girly things (boys things surely needed a lot of fans here). But I have to change my plan, folks. As some of you may notice, Emily from The Handmade Experiment is having a Button Through Dress Sew Along. So I will not sew the dress. Instead, Dirndl Skirt as second most voted project is that what I will sew. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to disappoint Emily, as she is the first who initiate the Button-Through Dress sew along

Playsuit Sew-Along Day 2 : Bows and Pockets

There was something wrong with my sewing machine in Wednesday. I checked, checked and double-checked most of its spareparts during Thursday, and came up to conclusion that maybe my sewing machine just miss me *just kidding* Actually, she just needed more oil. But that was enough to postpone my schedule

And yesterday, Bluebellbunny wrote to comment that she love this project but her only problem is that she can't seem to get that book here though except second hand and really expensive. I knew it is expensive. But, hey maybe I have a good news for you. Anne from Craft Gossip wrote here that she plans to do giveaway for this book in the next few days. Isn't that awesome ?

For those who miss the first part of the Sew-Along, you can read it here, and for those who are keeping up with me we will start to sew the bows and the pockets. Here is my story ..

Making the bows :


1. From the patterns, I had 4 fabrics for the bows. I divided them into two pairs, met each of them in wrong side. And then basted and stitch along the seamline, leaving an inch opened for turning out the fabrics. The book says that we need to baste before machine stitching. Pin or baste, it is up to you. Sometimes, I prefer pinning, but for this project I tried basting the fabric. And it gave me a very neat finish. I like it !

2. I turned out the right side, pressed and top-stitched the bows. I made the bow fasteners, by folding their seam allowances to the wrong side, and pressing it using iron

3,4,5 I pinned one end of the bow fasteners at the center of the back of the bows and basted. I tied it around the center to gather the bow. Pinned the end to the back, and blind-stitched it.

6. I got two cute bows !

Making The Pockets (part one)

1. To prevent the fabric from unravelling, I made a zig-zag stitch along the edge of the pocket and its lining. I joined them at the top seamline at the right side, and then stitched along the seamline

2. For trimming, I cut it at the center of the pocket. And be careful for accidentally cutting the seams ( I almost did it !!)

3 & 4 I turned the lining into the right side. Neat the center crease, and press. Picture no 3 shows how the pocket should look like from the front. And picture no.4 shows us its look from the back

Making The Pockets (part two)



(Almost done, yay !!) Ok, here I went again ..

1. I folded the pocket's seam allowance to the wrong side, pressed and basted it

2. This was how it should look like from the front

3. And this was my favorite part : I put the bow and the center of the pocket, and top stitched the vertical edge of the bow-fastener. Ahh, what a super cute pocket !!

4. Have you transfer the pocket placement on your pattern to your front bottom pieces ? I had. Now I just had to put the pocket into the bottom pieces. Pin or baste, and the (as usually) topstitch. And you will have two nice pockets hanging in your bottom pieces

Pheuww, enough for today. Actually, I have not edit the rest of the pictures I had taken last night (editing is more time-consuming for me now ^_^) Questions and critiques are welcome

Playsuit Sew-Along Day 1 : Printing Pattern & Cutting Fabrics

I'm still alive XD !

You may think what an odd opening words for a post. What had happend to me was such a miracle. Before we begin, let's hear my story, the drama queen :)
I went to Sukabumi, a beautiful city in West Java for a job, at Tuesday. And OMG, I'm really glad I'm still alive today. Because, yesterday I even thought that if I did not die because of a car crash, then I would die because of heart attack. That crazy driver and crazy turns really drove me nuts and made me scared to death. Can't you believe that he drove the car at 120 km per hour, in a climbing mountain road, full of 90 degrees turns and big bus and trucks ?? Insane ...

Ok, enough bout my story. How 's everyone going ? I hope I have some friends to sew-along with me this week! I had a very limited time to buy new supllies, so I ended up with this chambray and flowery cotton. Plus order some fabric-covered mini-buttons for the button plackets

Ok, let's open the enclosed CD from the book and open the folder Playsuit. You will some sizes from 0-3 months to 12-18 months. I chose the last size, keeping up a plan to send this playsuit for the first birthday of a lovely-girl. Hmmm... how is she ? Keep wondering :D

Print the patterns. I printed them in an inkjet printer, using letter-sized papers. They are in 12 pages :

Wee... the photo below is so scary ! I took it at 1 a.m, the light is so low (so sorry about it). I taped the patterns together, grouping some that need were need to be in a group, and let some un-taped

Cut the pattern. Don't forget to mark the up and the down of the patterns. The writer didn't include it, so I needed some good guessings. Here were all the patterns. I had put them in vertical positions that seemed right for me

Sometimes, it is better to have a PDF CD enclosed in a book. And in this book, I found them useful, and sometimes are not. The postive is, I didn't have to trace the tissue paper. And for me, it was really helpful. The minus is, I had to put the separated pattern pieces in a correct manner, and sometimes it didn't work very well. Or maybe I just printed them in a wrong scale, I did not know. There were some stretched patterns. Just like the top bodice patterns (it is the top-left pattern piece, in photo below)

Trace them into the fabrics. Trace..trace.. and done ! I used the flowery cotton for the bodice linings and the bows

Bottoms pieces :

Bodice pieces :



Pockets, bows, and cuffs :



This is where we're stopping for today. See you tomorrow for some more

Don't forget to vote for Week 2 Project in my Sidebar or here The vote will end tonight, and tomorrow I will announce it

p.s. We will be busier in the next round :)

Have a great day !

UPDATE :
Day 2 - Bows & Pocket
Day 3 - Bottoms