It’s time for our July sew-a-long! Whether you’re sewing for summer, or looking ahead for fall and winter (and please, please, please, back-t0-school time!!), Penelope has all the options you need! The princess seams add an extra bit of interest, and are so flattering on the women’s version.
My daughter has lovingly requested the dolly version to match, as well as matching Penelopes for all the littles in our neighborhood, too – haha!
On top of the everyday Penelope looks, the princess versions of Penelope are what my six year old self DREAMED of!! Simple hacks for these looks are up on the blog:
Dana also did a great post about doing an FBA on the Penelope, since the princess seams can present an extra challenge.
Before we get started, there is a ton of helpful beginner information between the M4M and P4P blogs, in case you are new to knits, or new to PDF patterns in general:
- New to PDF patterns? Check out our helpful tips here
- New to sewing with knits? Brittany has some great info here
- Not quite sure how to measure yourself accurately? Don’t worry; check out the post here!
- Having issues printing? Most issues can be resolved by using our FAQs/troubleshooting tips
- Looking here for more extensive grading help!
- Not in our official SAL group yet? Join here 🙂
Our first day is all about prep! First, be sure to measure yourself (or the person/people that you are sewing for) accurately. The tutorial includes information about grading and mashing, but you can also check out the blog linked above! I know the portions about measuring/grading are easy to skip over in the tutorial, but be sure to pay attention for the Penelope, as it is a bit different due to the princess seams!
I typically mash sizes for both of my kids, and have to grade a bit for myself as well most of the time! I always like to get fresh measurements before I sit down to sew anything, especially for the kids, because they change so often. Remember that you won’t necessarily use their/your ready-to-wear (store bought) sizing.
Just as a note – I sized up a bit for my daughter on the rainbow/striped version you’ll see in the SAL videos, so that she could wear it for a bit longer, and because I used two custom cotton spandex prints.
After you’ve measured, you’ll want to choose your fabric and gather your supplies. Some of my favorite fabrics for this are waffle knits, sweater knits, double brushed poly, modal or bamboo blends, and I do like cotton lycra for for my daughter so I can use small pieces of my favorite prints. You can definitely use lighter knits like rayon spandex, but it will not be as structured.
Next, go ahead and print your pattern! Be sure to print a test page and measure your 1″ square before you print the whole pattern. Once you’ve got your pattern pieces printed and assembled, go ahead and cut out your fabric so you are all ready for day 2.
Don’t forget:
- Make sure you are taking an accurate and consistent seam allowance; this is especially important along the princess seams, to make sure you have smooth lines for the armscye.
- Be sure that all of side panels (both front and back) are cut as mirror images. Center panels (both front and back) are cut on the fold.
Want to sew along with me? Check out today’s video!
If you have questions about measuring yourself, printing, putting your pattern together, or cutting your fabric, you are always welcome to post in our SAL group so we can help you! Be sure to check in each day during the SAL, and look for daily posts to enter our giveaways. We can’t wait to see what you create this week!
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