Tutorial: Pleated Detailing + Giveaway Winner

It always amazes me how different a dress can be by adding a little design extra. One of my favourite extras to add to an outfit is pleats. I love how it can make it a simple dress look more interesting, or a give a hem more body. This tutorial will show you how to make those pleats.

The good news is they're easy to make!

What you'll need:

• More fabric! - And you were just looking for an excuse to buy more weren't you. You're welcome.
• One ruler - the measuring type, not the presiding over a kingdom type
• Scissors
• Sewing chalk - two different colours

Let's do this:

With a measuring tape, measure the width of the area that you are wanting to add pleats to. For example the width of your hem or your cap sleeve. Write this figure down.

Cut out long strips of fabric. The total length once joined together will need to be exactly 3.66 times the length of your above measurement. It's good to have a little extra to be safe so I usually times it by 4 to keep it simple.

I cut my strips with a 10cm width, but you can make your pleats as long or narrow as you like.

Note: I cut my fabric on the straight grain which makes the pleats a bit rigid. This gives it the nice kick out that I like. If you want a flatter-to-the-body pleat you can cut the fabric on the bias, so that the pleats are flexible and curve around the body.

Join your strips together so that they make one continuous strip that is 3.66 (or 4!) times the length of your original measurement.

Tip: Join your pieces using a french seam so that there are no raw edges.

Hem the length of your fabric. You might choose do do a narrow hem, or encase the hem in bias binding.

On the right side of your fabric along the long raw edge you are going to make alternating notches in intervals of 4 and 7cms.

The first notches (I've made mine red), are the lines that you will be sewing along. The alternating notches (white) are the lines you will be folding. Place your very first notch on the strip 3 cm in from the short edge of your strip.

Continue marking 4cm (white) then 7cm (red) in alternating colours along the length of your strip until you reach the end.

With WRONG sides together, fold along your first white notch (the second notch on the strip).

Sew in a straight line perpendicular from your hem, at your first notch (red).

Continue to fold along the white notches and sew in a straight line from the red notches until you reach the end of the strip. The width of each pleat should overlap the previous stitching line so that it is not visible.

The back of your pleats will be flat and should look like this.

Press your pleats in one direction

Baste along the raw edge of the strip to hold the pleats down.
Trim your loose threads.

Attach your pleats to a seam, or fold under the raw edge and sew onto your skirt.

Tip: I like to overlock the raw edge of the strip once I have basted it.

And you're done! Isn't it pretty?!!

Here are some projects that I have previously made that have pleated detailing. Click on the pictures to see the blog posts.

GIVE AWAY WINNERS!

Congratulations to the following winners who were both randomly selected and have both won a $50 e-voucher to Mood Fabrics!

Angella *originally listed the wrong web address, sorry! Angella please email me at julia[at]juliabobbin.com

and

Jess from Jessthetics

Hooray! I'll be emailing you in the next few days with your vouchers!

Happy sewing everyone and if you use the tutorial, I'd love to see your pictures! Have a lovely week xxx

Colette Patterns 4 x $50 e-Voucher GIVE AWAY and Goodbye Google Reader

Hello sewers and sewer appreciators (the needle and fabric type, not ninja turtles living underground in actual sewerage type),

Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to be punched in the face by the internet? Well I recently found that out. Turns out daddy google doesn't want to play with google reader any more and is giving it the virtual boot.

What does that mean? Well it means us bloggers who write and read blogs using blogger/blogspot, can no longer follow other blogs using this bad boy:

Google Friend Connect.

What? WHAT?!!? Yep, when we log into our blogs we can't see posts by our favourite bloggers, and our readers can no longer see our blog posts. Still don't know what the H it is? Click here for a bit more info. Effectively you lose a whole bunch of readers to your blog.

Ugh. Well that sucks.

After kicking and flailing my arms and legs around on the kitchen floor to no avail (I DO love a tempter tanty), I decided to look at other options. On a side note, I should REALLY wash my kitchen floor ...

If you currently read my blog with Google Friend Connect, you can stay up to date with my posts by subscribing via email:

Subscribe to JuliaBobbin by Email

By following my blog on Bloglovin'

Or by using Feedly. I haven't played around with this site yet, but it looks like you can transfer the blogs that you follow currently with google reader over to this new platform.

I have starting shifting all of the blogs that I follow over to bloglovin' so I can keep track of new posts. The interface is similar to google reader and I do love how easy it is to use. But I'm still grumpy about it. Don't know what Bloglovin' is? Click here for the run down.

To cheer us all up I decided to do a giveaway:

The Prize:

4 x $50USD e-vouchers for Colette Patterns online store

To WIN:

Follow my blog through Bloglovin' or via email (or heck, anything other than google reader) and comment on this post.

If you already follow my blog through one of these means, then you are welcome to enter as well!

Four lucky peeps will be randomly selected and each will win one $50 e-voucher.

Entries are open to everyone from anywhere in the world. 

Entries close on Friday, April 26th, 2013

The winners will be announced in a blog post on Sunday, April 28th, 2013

So is anyone else put out by the latest news from google? Discovered any great ways to keep up to date with your favourite blogs? Know how to give kitchen floors a good clean?

Let me know!

P.s. - Don't forget to email me your pictures for the Mad Men Challenge An extension has been given until Monday, the 22nd of April so we can work on our projects over the weekend.

I can't wait to share all amazing outfits you guys have made. Such a talented community!

Huon Pine - Burda 7739 + Brooch give-away winners

 

Hello young lovers, where ever you are ...

I'm currently working on a pretty little sewing project which I can't WAIT to share with you guys. (Seriously, I have a real patience issue). It's a bit labour intensive so it's not yet finished, but it will be soon!

So I thought I would share with you a project that I made last Autumn and is an old favourite. In fact, I'm wearing it now as I type (minus the umbrella). It's the lovely cute little dress pattern #7739 by Burda,

But before I get all detaily on you, let's talk ...

Brooch give away winners!

Three winners were randomly chosen using http://www.random.org

A big congratulations to the following three readers who have each won a brooch!

The lovely Anna from AnnaBanana

 The lovely Zoe from ZoSews

 The lovely Fran from Lovely Little Sweetpeas

Congratulations ladies! I will be contacting you shortly with details.

Do not despair if you missed out. You can buy your own fabulous brooch at Ruemiraldi's online store.

So back to the dress! The dress is named Huon Pine because the beautiful buttons on the dress are in fact Huon Pine from the beautiful state of Tasmania in Australia. 

My wonderful friend Theresa had made a trip down to Tasmania, saw these fabulous buttons and brought them back for me. Isn't she the ace-est?

The buttons were so interesting and unique that I instantly went scouting to find the perfect dress to go with the buttons. Check out the middle button, it sort of looks like the map of Australia. Coincidence much?

After searching through pattern books I found a Burda pattern # 7739 which looked playful and cute, and would perfectly showcase the beautiful buttons.

I made version A with the bodice in a size 12 and the skirt cut as a 14 from the hips down.  I shortened the bodice by two cm's to give it a more obvious empire waist.

I used coating fabric for the dress, which was not exactly my most inspired moment; the dress gets hot really quickly. But it's great for those really cold days.

I like the little pleats at the front of the dress and the Peter Pan collar. The dress isn't lined, the instructions are easy to follow and it's a great pattern for a beginners.

I made the epic mistake of inserting an invisible zipper into this incredibly thick dress.

Twice.

As you sewers will expect, the zipper couldn't handle the fabric and broke.

Twice.

Suddenly my brain started working again and I bought a heavy duty zipper and inserted my first centred zipper.

Success! I learn the hard way apparently. My disclaimer was that I made this a year ago and so my sewing brain was still quite under developed (it's a thing).

Look at me hiding my face in shame!

This is one of the easiest dresses that I've ever made, but it sure gets a work out in the cooler seasons. It's lovely.

Fabric Give Away!! 100% Silk Peau De Soie/Duchess Satin

Friends, followers, family, fabric-lovers and other things starting with 'F'.

It's give away time over at Julia Bobbin for all those lovers of silk and shiny.

I am giving away to one lucky person two meters of one of the most beautiful fabrics I have ever let my Janome sink it’s teeth into.

The fabric is 100% silk Peau de Soie, also commonly known as Duchess satin and it’s in a hard-to-find royal purple. I have been on the hunt for more of this fabric in other colours ever since I found it but can only find whites/baby pinks/baby blues. If anyone knows anywhere online that you can purchase this fabric in other colours, let me know!

There are so many things that I love about this fabric:

• Firstly, it’s silk.
• Secondly it is perfect for evening gowns and vintage numbers
• Thirdly it’s royal purple.
• Fourth, it’s Peau de Soie - French for 'Skin of Silk'

Have any of you used this fabric before? It’s incredible! It is so strong and has so much bounce in it that it looks like it’s pumped with air! Take a look at this picture of the fabric folded on its side.

I made a dress out of it a while back using Burda 7494 and I got compliments on it every time I wore it. The colour is so rich and vibrant and shiny. What I love about the body of duchess satin is that even when I took the dress off, it sat up like there was still someone inside it, it’s incredible! (And admittedly, slightly creepy).

I loved the fabric so much that I bought me another two metres of it and I’m looking forward to giving it away to a fellow reader who can delight in it as I did.

Here are the fabric details:

2 metres (2.18 yards) of royal purple Peau de Soie (Duchess satin)

130cm wide

100% silk

Dry clean only

Value $35AUD per metre

Side effects: when you touch this fabric people have been known to lose their vocabulary and be reduced to only the sounds ‘ooo and ahhh’ for at least five minutes.

To win this fabric simply comment on this post.

All entrants will be put into a hat (well your names will be any way - it’s logistically impossible to fit actual people into the hat) and one lucky person will be announced the winner.

Entries are open to everyone from anywhere in the world.

Entries close on March 2nd, 2012 Australian EST

One random winner will announced in a blog post on March 4th, 2012.

Oh how delicious! Speaking of delicious, has any one seen the Give-Away over at Thinking in Shapes?

Ummm ... it's a Mad Men dress! In fact two mad men dresses, one in an extra small and one in a medium. Lady Danburry has made them in honour of the Mad Men Challenge. True story!

Isn't it lovely? The thing that really tickles my fancy is that it's called ... the Julia Dress That makes me happy in all sorts of selfish ways. I'm only human...

Check out Lady Danburry's blog to win one of the dresses.

How you are you going with your Mad Men dress?
Found your inspiration dress yet? Picked the fabric?
I have been busily stalking following many of your blogs and there are some mouth-watering ideas popping up.
Can't wait to see what everyone comes up with!

UPDATE
I have recieved a few emails from readers to say that they are unable to leave a comment due to some blogger glitch. I'm convinced it has to do with gremlins.
If you can't leave a comment, send me an email instead at julia@juliabobbin.com