Sewing Luna Lapin's Friends: Over 20 sewing patterns for heirloom dolls and their exquisite handmade clothing
144
Sewing Luna Lapin's Friends: Over 20 sewing patterns for heirloom dolls and their exquisite handmade clothing
144Paperback
Overview
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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781446307014 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | David & Charles |
| Publication date: | 07/31/2018 |
| Series: | Luna Lapin , #2 |
| Pages: | 144 |
| Product dimensions: | 8.20(w) x 10.60(h) x 0.50(d) |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Luna and the Fine Old Thing
When Luna Lapin was a kitten she spent Tuesdays with her Granny. Granny Rabbit was a sweet old thing who walked with a single cane and had the largest collection of scarves known to rabbitkind. Luna loved her dearly, and always looked forward to their time together. Granny had many projects and her house brimmed with old books and fabric, some older than herself, which for a little rabbit seemed quite nearly impossible.
Luna loved to hear stories of where these beautiful things had come from. There was smooth, cold cotton from Egypt, ribbons that had been saved from birthday cakes and clippings of lace from wedding dresses. Metres of silk that slipped through the fingers like liquid, and the most wonderful assortment of prints you wouldn't even begin to imagine.
Granny Rabbit's house was a treasure trove of imagination, so much so Luna truly believed that fairies sipped the milk left on the bird table for them overnight and that the mice that lived there really did steal Granny's glasses.
One day, just after Luna had gotten out of the bath, her bob tail fluffed up once more after a long day making mud pies with her naughty little brother, Granny asked Luna if she would like to learn something new. Now Luna was never one to shy away from new things so of course she said yes.
Granny's sewing machine was a fine old thing, a beautiful trio of red flowers stood out on its glossy black bow, the blooms outlined in gold. Luna had watched in wonder as Granny had picked out fabrics, laid tissue paper in all sorts of odd shapes upon them and began to cut with such great confidence and her tongue poking out of her mouth (a habit that was somewhat of a family trait). And with the beating of a foot (something that for a rabbit was quite easy) and the whirr of cogs and bobbins something amazing would soon be fashioned and slipped over little Luna's head.
Luna sat patiently as her Granny explained the best way to place your pins, how to hold the scissors so you get the cleanest, straightest line. "Now you just have to make friends with your sewing machine," Granny said. And Luna did, every Tuesday, for her little world was meant to be full of perfect choices, perfect dresses.
Materials
This section describes the materials and equipment you will need to make the projects in this book.
BEFORE YOU START
Before starting a project, look at the You Will Need list for the project and gather your supplies. Give yourself enough space and time to work – this really does help eliminate mistakes. Read through all of a project's instructions first and highlight any areas that you will need to focus on more than the simpler parts. Press fabric with a suitable iron temperature to ensure it is flat and easy to work with.
BASIC SEWING KIT
You will need some general supplies for making the projects in the book, including the following:
• Selection of needles, including sewing needle, tapestry needle, darner needle and doll needle (for sewing on arms)
• Sewing threads to suit projects, including embroidery threads
• Pins and safety pins
• Sharp scissors for fabric and scissors for paper
• Fabric marker (e.g. water-soluble pen or chalk)
• Adhesive tape
• Implement for turning parts through and stuffing (e.g. knitting needle or chopstick)
• Iron
• Sewing machine
FABRICS
Various fabric types have been used for the projects in the book and this section gives some advice on using them.
Felt
Felt is possibly the perfect crafting material. The felt I am referring to in this book is a flat fabric-like felt, not what you would use for needle-felting or wet felting. Felt is not a woven fabric, but is formed by the agitation of fibres and therefore will not fray when you cut it. This allows you to cut a shape that can be appliquéd, or sewn to the outside of a project. However, not all felts are made equal, so if possible choose a felt that has wool in it, and look for a thickness of about 1.5mm (1/16 in) – definitely no thicker. I adore the softly marled tones of the felts that are used for Luna and her clothes, which are a wool and viscose blend (seeSuppliers). Felt doesn't have a grain to the material, so you can move your pattern pieces around to get the most out of your felt.
Corduroy
Corduroy is a fabric that has a luxurious look and feel. The fabric is made up of ribs of tufted fibres, called wales. Colours seem to glow in corduroy; think of it as a practical, everyday velvet. As with all of Luna and her friends' projects, it's important to think of their scaled down world, so choose a fine needlecord (one that has 14 wales per inch – or higher).
TIPS ON SEWING WITH CORDUROY
When cutting out the corduroy, all pattern pieces should be laid up and cut in the same direction, because corduroy has a 'pile' which means it looks a different shade one way to the opposite way – our layouts follow these principles.
Wool Tweed
The beautiful soft colours and natural fibres of wool tweed make it perfect for Luna's fashionable wardrobe. Tweed is a heritage fabric and when buying it is worth researching the provenance of what you are investing in. Don't think you have to go out and buy a huge amount though – it may be you could recycle an old tweed jacket into a skirt and bag for Luna. Save scraps too, as the tiniest pieces can be used for appliqué. Avoid anything too chunky as Luna's clothes are a miniature scale, which means you need something midweight rather than heavy. If you are worried about matching stripes or checks, turn the fabric to be on the bias (so the pattern is diagonal) as this will give a different, less designcritical look.
Printed Fabrics
Cottons tend to be more stable than other fabric compositions and therefore will give you more control when you are sewing these small items. Choose prints that work with the scale of the garment – that's why I love the ditsy prints you will see in the projects. Choose fabrics that are lightweight without being delicate – a quilting weight is about as heavy as you should select.
Trims
There are some wonderful trims and haberdashery available, designed to make sewing easier as well as more beautiful. The most important consideration when choosing trims is scale: try to use doll buttons rather than those you would use for your own clothing. Select narrow ricrac or ribbon so it looks like it belongs in a miniature world. Be inventive – these designs are just a starting point and the best creations are of your own invention.
Techniques
This section describes the basic techniques used for the projects. Each project is given a difficulty rating with the You Will Need lists – one acorn for easy projects, working up to three acorns for more difficult ones.
LAYOUTS
Layout diagrams are given for the projects as a guide for the amount of fabric needed, but if you have a different shape of fabric you will need to be flexible. Take note of which pattern piece will need to be cut out more than once and pin this onto double thickness fabric. The pattern pieces and layouts give this information so follow them carefully.
PATTERNS
Full-size patterns for the projects can be downloaded from:http://ideas.sewandso.co.uk/patterns.
CUTTING OUT
Time spent on accurate cutting will really improve your end result. Use a good quality pair of scissors that are suitable for (and reserved for) fabric. I tend to use the part of the blades that are closer to my hand to start cutting – this gives me better control and allows me to make a longer cut, as I have the rest of the blades to travel through the fabric. I only use the tips of the scissors when I am marking notches or for really fiddly bits.
TRANSFERRING MARKINGS
Mark the notches shown on the patterns with either a tiny snip in the fabric or using a water-soluble pen or chalk marker. Mark any triangles as a triangular cut from the fabric. Mark any dots on the patterns with either a water-soluble pen or tailor's tacks. The triangles and dots are position markers. The notches can be there to mark a position or to help you ease around curves so please be accurate when you are snipping them. Once you have marked the positions, unpin the pattern pieces from the cut fabric and store them together once you are sure you have cut them all out.
RIGHT SIDE AND WRONG SIDE
Printed fabrics and some plain fabrics have a right side and a wrong side, and this is shown in the illustrations and referred to in the instructions. Felt normally has no definite right or wrong side, but I have referred to right and wrong to help you sew.
FINISHING RAW EDGES
You could use an overlocker or a machine zigzag stitch to finish the raw edges of the seams on woven fabrics. The items in this book are small ones that are not going to be washed, so this is optional. Because of the nature of felt, the edges do not need finishing.
HAND SEWING STITCHES
Hand sewing is relaxing, portable and allows you to focus on something creative. Luna's friends are sewn by hand and you could aim to complete a limb each night or perhaps take her on your commute to work. I have used various stitches, both practical and pretty. Always start and finish with either a knot in the fabric or a couple of small stitches in the same place.
Overstitch / Whipstitch
I use an overstitch (also called whipstitch) to sew felt pieces together. Use a single thread thickness and make sure you sew consistently, that is, the same distance between stitches and the same depth in from the edge, about 2mm (1/16in) into the felt.
Bring the needle through to the front and then sew from back to front, repeating and working from right to left if you are right-handed (see Fig.1) or left to right if you are left-handed. As you pull the thread through you will feel the tension as the thread is drawn and you can then continue to the next stitch. The thread will sink into the felt.
Backstitch
Backstitch is used to sew two pieces of fabric or felt together with a seam allowance. Backstitch is a good replacement for machine sewing if you wish to sew the garments by hand. Use a single toning sewing thread on your needle.
Following Fig.4, bring the needle up at point 1 and then back to point 2. Bring it out at the top again beyond point 1 at point 3, and then back through at point 4, which should be very close to or in the same place as point 1. Repeat along the seam.
Blanket Stitch
Blanket stitch is a decorative and functional stitch that can be used to make a seam and to decorate it at the same time. The key to a good blanket stitch is consistency in the depth of the stitch and the distance between the stitches. A common mistake is to make the stitch too close to the edge of the fabric, which loses the decorative quality. Use a contrast embroidery thread to work blanket stitch – I tend to use between three and six strands of embroidery thread, depending on how bold you want the contrast stitch to look.
Following Fig.3, bring the needle through to front at point 1. Insert the needle in the front at point 2 and come out at the back at point 3, holding the thread under the needle at point 3 as you pull the stitch tight.
Satin Stitch
Satin stitch is an embroidery stitch that is good for creating blocked-out shapes in contrast colours. Use between three and six strands of the embroidery thread, depending on how bold you want the contrast stitch to look.
Following Fig.4, draw out the outline of the shape you are going to fill. Use the needle to pass backwards and forwards from outline to opposite outline. Try to keep your stitches parallel to one another and don't pull the stitches too tight.
Slip Stitch / Ladder Stitch
A slip stitch (also called ladder stitch) is used to join two fabrics when you don't want the stitches to show.
Following Fig.5, secure the thread onto a bulkier part of the project – a seam allowance or the fold of a hem. Now pass your needle through a tiny amount of the main fabric and then travel diagonally into the back of the other fabric piece. Come down directly into the main fabric again, pick up a small amount again and travel diagonally across to the second fabric again. Repeat along the edge.
MACHINE SEWING TECHNIQUES
I recommend sewing the clothes for Luna and her friends on a sewing machine as this will give a more professional and even finish. For these projects it is assumed that you have the basic skills of machine sewing. However, here are a few tips on how to sew small items.
The Right Stitch
Test your fabrics first, for example, a cotton lawn will react differently to a tweed under the machine and you may need to adjust the stitch length or tension.
'Donkey' or Stitch Starter
If you find that with small projects and fine fabrics your fabric tends to disappear down into the needle plate at the start of a seam, you could use what's called a donkey. Fold over a piece of scrap fabric so it's about 5cm (2in) square and a few layers thick and start your line of sewing on this. Butt the project up to the donkey and continue sewing onto the project – reversing as in Securing Your Stitching, below, but without involving the donkey. You can snip the threads to detach the donkey at the end of the seam and use it again and again.
Securing Your Stitching
Always use your machine reverse function to start and finish seams as this will stop your seams from coming undone. The reversing should only be for two to three stitches – if you stitch any more than this then you probably will have lost the line of stitching anyway.
Seam Allowance
It is amazing how many people come to my Make Friends with Your Sewing Machine classes who don't know what the little parallel grooves are on the footplate of the sewing machine. These are your sewing guidelines and before you start sewing you should identify which line is right for the recommended seam allowance. So, if sewing with a 1cm (3/8in) seam allowance, you should be feeding the sewing through the machine so the raw edges are on the right-hand side of the presser foot and are running along the 10mm groove. If you are working to a narrow 0.5cm (1/4in) seam allowance, use the edge of your presser foot as the guide for the edge of the fabric.
Using the Hand Wheel
Instead of using the foot pedal, using your hand wheel to make the last few stitches before a point you are aiming for can really improve your accuracy and confidence. Always turn the wheel towards you.
Turning a Corner
To make a crisp, accurate 90-degree corner when you are sewing, at the point of the corner leave the needle down in the fabric, lift the presser foot and move the fabric around at a 90-degree angle, and then continue sewing.
Coping with Curves
Sewing a curve is easier if you are using your seam guidelines. Slow down to control your sewing more easily and if you need to realign what you are doing, leave the needle down in the fabric, lift the presser foot and move the fabric slightly to bring the curve back in line. You may find that you have a speed setting on your machine or foot pedal, so if it helps you should slow the speed down whilst you practise new techniques.
Easing
There are times when it feels like you are squeezing more fabric on one side to match less fabric on another side. This can occur, for example, if you are setting in a sleeve or sewing a curve onto a straight piece of fabric. To help with easing there are two different techniques, as follows.
METHOD 1:
This is the normal dressmaking technique. Change your stitch length to be the longest possible. Do not reverse at the beginning or end, and then on the longer looking side (normally the curved side), sew two rows of stitching. Row 1 should be 3mm (1/8in) from the raw edge. Row 2 should be 6mm (1/4in). Now grab the sewing threads from one end of the upper side of the fabric and gently pull to slightly gather up the fabric. Do the same with the other ends, but make sure you don't have actual gathers, just more tightness. Now you can pin and sew to the other piece of fabric and eventually remove the initial stitching. Remember to change your stitch length back to normal first though.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Sewing Luna Lapin's Friends"
by .
Copyright © 2018 Sarah Peel.
Excerpted by permission of F+W Media, Inc..
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Luna and the Fine Old Thing,
MATERIALS,
TECHNIQUES,
The Fox and His Father,
REYNARD'S TWEED JACKET,
REYNARD'S BREECHES,
REYNARD'S CRAVAT,
Luna and the Brand New Friend,
FREDDIE'S DUNGAREES,
FREDDIE'S GRANDAD SHIRT,
FREDDIE'S GILET,
Luna Gets Lost,
LUNA'S TIE SHOULDER DRESS,
WELLIES,
Luna Goes to the Seaside,
WILHELMINA'S WRAP DRESS,
WILHELMINA'S PINTUCK TOP,
SUITCASE,
Luna Saves the Lido,
LUNA'S CORDUROY CAR COAT,
LUNA'S BLOOMERS,
Luna and the Big Dress Project,
CLEMENTINE'S DREAMY DRESS,
FRAME TOP BAG,
Luna and the Wonderful Woman,
LUNA'S NIGHTIE,
MATTRESS,
PILLOWS AND SHEET,
QUILT,
How to Sew Luna and Friends,
HOW TO MAKE LUNA,
HOW TO MAKE WILHELMINA,
HOW TO MAKE REYNARD,
HOW TO MAKE FREDDIE,
HOW TO MAKE CLEMENTINE,
THE PATTERNS,
SUPPLIERS,
ABOUT THE AUTHOR,
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS,