Sew-Alongs: Simplicity Project Runway Sew-A-Long (4) Ready to Sew

Good grief! I cannot believe it has taken me so long to get to this point! In my younger years I could have started this project in the morning and had it hanging in the closet by bed time! Of course I did not work outside my home then, I was a stay at home Mom and when the kids left for school, I sewed! Now I work hard and am usually too tired to come home and work on a project. I learned years ago... never, never sew if you are too tired, it will just end in disaster!

I did get a lot done today tho, I traced all my pattern pieces and copied all the markings and info onto each piece. I do this if I have a multisize pattern. I can't bear to pay for one and then only use it once because it has been cut out on one size and I need a different size. This way I can reuse that pattern as many times and in as many sizes as I need to.

I used waxed paper to trace this pattern, I also use freezer paper, especially for an adult pattern because it is wider and better able to accommodate a larger piece of pattern.

When using wax paper, I lay it on top of the original pattern and use a tracing wheel to transfer all the info I need, cutting lines, dots, pleat lines, darts, etc, any info you even think you will need. I start by tracing the strait of grain line and proceed from there.I also mark each piece with the name of the pattern company, the number of the pattern, the name of the pattern piece, the number of the piece and how many to cut of fabric, lining, or interfacing. I repeat this process until all of the pieces I need have been traced, sometimes if I know I will need other pieces in a project at a later date, I will go ahead and trace those also. After I have traced, marked, and cut each piece, I fold and press all the original pieces and place them back in the pattern envelope.

When it comes to the interfacing, I usually use fusible and when I am tracing my pattern pieces, I trace a piece for the interfacing, measuring all along the cutting line to 5/8 of an inch inside the cutting line so my interfacing will fit in between the seam allowance.

I am now ready to start laying my pieces out on the fabric. I usually start with larger pieces first. You can follow the directions on the instruction sheet that came with the pattern, but I rarely use it. The most important thing to me is making sure that that grain line marking is for sure on the strait of grain, and if you are using a fabric with a nap, keep it all going in the same direction! I always measure from the selvedge to and all along the length of the strait of grain marked line to make sure it is strait. Sometimes if it is a short line I can eyeball it, but if it is long, I always measure it!

(I have no idea why there seems to be wet spots in these pictures, all I can figure is it must be a glare from the flash off the wax paper. Believe me it is not wet. very strange! LOL )

After pining all the pieces to the fabric, I transfer all the marking to the fabric. I cut a small slit in each traingle, and mark each dot, pleat line, etc and make a small memo about the center front, center back and any other info I might need..