My first sewing adventure with jersey

Ina (Schnuckelina) has inspired me so much with her beautiful clothes for her grandchildren that I’ve now caught the sewing bug too. I’ve got various fabrics on hand, my sewing machine is ready, and I could get started.

Over 40 years ago, when my son was still little, I used to sew a lot—with a very simple old sewing machine. So it’s not completely new to me.

But what is completely new—and takes some getting used to—is sewing with stretchy fabrics, such as jersey. So my first pieces are very simple and a real sewing adventure. Luckily, I found some really great and very easy patterns here at CP that made getting started much easier. By now, I can even say that I have two favorite authors and have stocked up well on patterns from them. Because I still have quite a bit planned. My two granddaughters want dresses for the summer.

My first sewing adventure: a children’s skirt with a waistband

This skirt is really very easy to sew. The pattern is very simple and well written. However, there was one small hurdle for me, and I found a good solution for it. And that’s what I’d like to show you today.

The challenge was sewing the waistband evenly to the top of the skirt, which is cut much wider. It’s actually not that easy to pin these two pieces together in the first place. So I came up with the idea of pulling the skirt, waistband and all, over something so that the fabric would be taut. Only then could I distribute the pins evenly. My laptop came in very handy. I simply pulled the skirt over it, since the width was just right.

Beforehand, I put a pin into each side of the waistband to mark the sides. On the skirt, these were the side seams. The whole thing looked like this:



After pinning it in place, I pulled the skirt with the waistband back down and could start sewing.




And this is what the finished skirt looks like:



After that, I made two hats. For those, I simply used a can to help and pulled the hats over it. Worked great!




And here are the finished hats—together with the matching hats for the dolls:





Maybe my tip has made it a little easier for you to get started, and perhaps you’ll feel like sewing too.

Best regards
Monika

WOW, Monika, I’m so impressed—you really nailed it!!! Both the skirt and the hats look great and are sewn neatly.

Hugs, Inge

That really was a good idea. 

The skirt turned out great—the summer can come!

Your projects turned out great! Have fun sewing more for your granddaughters!

Oh, thank you all so much—I really appreciate your praise. Especially yours, Inge, since you’re THE expert here on the forum.

Now I’ll move on to the dresses as soon as I get around to it.

Best regards, Monika

Dear Moni,
you did a great job with that. I think I’ll get back to my sewing machine soon, too.
My sister has two little granddaughters, so I’m sure I can sew something nice for them.
Warm regards
Petra

Thank you, dear Petra! :))
Yes, there’s so much you can make for girls. Best of all, it’s quick to finish, and that’s what appeals to me most. Handmade items are always a hit in the summer.

Warm regards, Monika

Dear Monika,

these are such great first pieces from your sewing collection. The skirt and the hats look absolutely fantastic! I’m also totally in love with the little bee fabric—it looks super cute. My Lisann would have loved it, too.

Sewing with jersey also offers many advantages. You’ll notice it soon enough. And the kids will definitely notice it when they wear them. The little bit of spandex woven into the fabric moves with every step. Nothing can feel tight or pinch.

I think the tip about stretching the waistband over another object to make pinning easier is great. I always just eyeball it—and often have to keep pinning it until everything is evenly distributed. But next time, I’ll try your method. You just have to find an object that’s the right size.

I’m looking forward to more sewing projects from you. Welcome to our CP sewing group.

Best regards from Ina

Now that’s a great idea! If I ever sew again and ever dare to try jersey, I’ll keep that in mind!

Yes, Veronika, that really makes things a lot easier. I’m currently looking for a suitable piece of flat cardboard that I can use for projects like this.

Dear Ina, thank you so much for your contribution to my sewing adventure. I got the bee fabric from our swap group; it’s been sitting around for a while, patiently waiting to become a little skirt. Unfortunately, it was only a very small piece—I would have loved to sew more with it.

Yes, stretchy fabrics are really much more comfortable than stiff ones, especially for kids. It’s easier just to get them dressed. Well, and for moms, too, since they usually don’t need to be ironed. I’m going to sew myself a skirt like this now—it’s very nice and comfortable in the summer.

Tomorrow I’ll upload the hat and the skirt to the gallery and link them to the designer’s page, in case anyone’s interested in sewing them themselves. These two patterns made it much easier for me to get back into sewing.

Best regards, Monika