Hi Everyone! In Part 4, we wrap up the rainwear fabrics' topic with the final steps in the Pepper Hill sew-along. Over the course of this topic we've spent some time looking at the qualities and characteristics of different rainwear fabrics, how to sew with them, and how to best choose them for your project. In Part 3 we began the sew-along and demonstrated sewing the hood. In this final installment we will finish up sewing the coat together!
If you haven't sewn the hood yet, you can refer back to the video in the prior section to complete steps 1-14 before continuing with the steps in this post.
In this first video we will look at attaching the Bodice Shell to the Bodice Lining, with an emphasis on the sleeve cuff design. This coat is designed to have the sleeve look "rolled-up" so the lining fold up over the sleeve with the cuff peeking out from underneath.
Follow the instructions in the pattern to sew the Sleeves to the Bodice Front's and Back's on bot the shell fabric and the lining fabrics, then pick up at step 24 in this video:
Let's continue with the "Pleated Skirting" of the shell fabric. The important elements to pay attention to are the direction of the pleats and the depth of the pleats. The final pleated coat skirting is designed to line up with the waistline of the coat. If it is off you'll need to check the pleat depth to make sure it is the correct width.
Now we will look at the coat skirt lining fabric and sew it to the bodice lining and finish it off by sewing the shell and lining fabrics together along the hemline.
Then we will do the trickiest part, attaching the Front Panel to the center fronts. There are several ways to do this, rolling it inside out (as demonstrated) or sewing it flat around the panel (as demonstrated int he step-by-step pictures). The 18-inch size is a bit easier because it is a bit larger than the 14.5-inch design, but both come together beautifully when finished!
We're getting so close now! It's fun to see the coat take shape! In this final video we attach the hood to the coat body and sew the finishing details!
We also have this video showing hoe to sew snaps under buttons. It is part of the Hand Sewing mastery course.
I hope you enjoyed this Sewing With Cinnamon course! I'd love to see the raincoats you've made and am happy to answer any questions you might have along the way. Just tag me in the SWC FB group to get my attention!
Happy Sewing!
]]>Hi Everyone! Now that we've prepped and prepared, we're ready to begin sewing the Pepper Hill Raincoat together! In Part 3, we will sew the Hood and the Hood Lining. If you haven't cut out your pieces and applied the interfacing yet, refer to parts 1 and 2; then jump back over here and follow along as we sew the hood together!
Watch the video and follow along to see the full process of sewing the hood. We will be following steps 4-9 to sew the hood and 10-14 to sew the hood lining, as shown in the pattern instructions. You will be using the Hood Sides (2), the Hood Center Back Panel (1), The Hood Facing (1), The Hood Side Lining (2), and the Hood Center Back Panel Lining (1).
The video shows the primary version in the pattern with the interfacing applied to the Hood Sides and Center Back Panel. There is a short section a the end of the video that shows the Version 2 interfacing application as well.
Once you complete the hood, continue to follow the instructions through Step 23 to sew the Bodice and Bodice Lining pieces. We will pick up in Part 4, with the next video at Step 24 showing how to attach the Bodice to the Bodice Lining, with a focus on the correct attachment for the sleeve cuff design.
If you have questions, or want to share your progress with the group, pop over to the SWC Facebook group and post them there :)
]]>Hi Everyone! In Part 2 we explore the possibilities of creating super cute custom rainwear with custom made vinyl coated cotton fabric. Follow along as I show you how easy it is to transform a piece of regular quilting cotton into a lightweight durable waterproof fabric, perfect for creating tiny rain coats, rain boots, and more!
DIY Vinyl Laminated Cotton Fabric:
Refer to the tips and tricks for sewing with vinyl coated cotton fabric posted in Part 1 for any questions you might have about sewing with this fabric.
By now you should have your fabric choice finalized. Take time to read over the pattern, prep your fabric, cut out all the pieces, and apply the interfacing if desired. In Part 3, we will begin to sew the coat together starting with the Hood and Hood lining.
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Hi Everyone! Let’s talk about Rainwear Fabrics! You know, those lightweight, waterproof, crisp and sometimes rubbery fabrics that are used to make things like raincoats, ponchos, and windbreaker jackets? Ripstop, laminated cotton, polyurethane and Gore-Tex® to name a few. Although the end result is great, the thought of sewing with these types of fabrics may seem a little bit intimidating, am I right? Well, we’ve got you covered!
Over this 4-part series, we’ll share with you the tips and tricks for sewing with these fabrics while demonstrating using the adorable Pepper Hill Raincoat pattern.
This topic is going to be a great resource for the longterm, filled with tips and trick for sewing a variety of rainwear fabrics to help you achieve great results every time! You can follow along as we teach each part, practice what you’re learning while sewing a few projects and then keep it to refer back to at any time in the future!
Are you ready to jump in and get started? Let's do this!
To begin we are going to take a look at the various types of fabrics, the tips and tricks to sewing with them successfully, and how to choose the best interfacing for this project.
I encourage you to take your time here, download and read through the Pepper Hill Raincoat pattern, watch each video, choose your fabrics (maybe it's time to do a little shopping!), and gather up all the necessary supplies. The sew-along will begin in Part 3, the first two installments will cover all the prep related to choosing fabrics, cutting the pieces out, and applying the fusible interfacing.
The Pepper Hill Raincoat pattern is available in two sizes, 18-inch and 14.5-15 inch. The coupon code for the free pattern for September can be found in the SWC Bonuses section. If you haven't downloaded the pattern yet I encourage you to do that!
Sewing With Ripstop Fabric
Ripstop fabric is a lightweight tightly woven polyester or nylon fabric. The most prominent distinguishing feature is the weave which results in a grid on the fabric. It comes in a variety of weights which are water resistant, and can be coated in a polyurethane which makes them heavier and waterproof. For the doll scale Pepper Hill Raincoat we will be focusing on the lighter-weight water-resistant varieties. You can purchase ripstop at a variety of stores, we got ours at JoAnn Fabrics. Both the blue and yellow are in the same product listing, but the weight is much different.
10 Tips for Successful Sewing with Ripstop Fabric
Sewing With Laminated Cotton or Vinyl Coated Fabric
Laminated Cotton is exactly what it sounds like! It’s a cotton fabric that has a thin layer of vinyl coating applied to the right side of the fabric. It’s a great choice for sewing raincoats, windbreakers, rainbows, backpacks, and more. The real challenge with this type of fabric is that the choices may seem very limited when it comes to sewing things at the scaled down size. Luckily there is a product available so you can create your own custom laminated fabric. You can find that tutorial in a separate video (in Part 2) and once you create your fabric you’ll follow these tips for sewing with laminated fabric.
Special Note - Laminated Cotton is very different that PUL (polyurethane laminated knit or polyester fabric). The PUL is often used to make reusable baby diapers, it is soft, a bit stretchy, and thick. It's not something I would recommend for this pattern design. If shopping online, Laminated Cotton is more similar to Oilcloth fabric.
10 Tips For Sewing With Laminated Cotton Fabric:
Choosing The Appropriate Fusible Interfacing
In this video I’m going to show you how to choose and apply interfacing to your chosen fabric.
There are a few things to consider when choosing a fusible interfacing.
For the ripstop fabrics we used a medium weight fusible interfacing for the medium weight blue fabric and a lightweight fusible for the lightweight yellow fabric. If the interfacing applies smoothly, then you can go ahead and follow the primary version 1 instructions. If you notice some puckering on the fabric test, you'll want to apply the interfacing to the Hood Facing and interior side of the Front Placket as shown in the alternate Version 2
For a twill, or heavier weight woven fabric, you could apply the fusible as instructed in the pattern. Just match the weight of the interfacing to the fabric, a medium weight fusible works great.
Laminated fabric or custom vinyl coated fabric could be sewn without the interfacing. The vinyl layer is basically adding that structure to your fabric on the outside! Although, I still recommend using a piece on the Front Placket to help add support to the snaps.
Part 1 Assignment
Wow! That was a lot of information! I hope this gives you the confidence to move forward with this project.
Prepare for Part 2