Aimee s Dolly Apron. SAGA Stitches - A Kids Can Stitch Tutorial

Transcription

1 Aimee s Dolly Apron SAGA Stitches - A Kids Can Stitch Tutorial

2 Aimee s Dolly Apron Purpose- To inspire the next generation of smockers. The Yankee Chapter of SAGA with the assistance of Denis Lamb, came up with this idea. Each child received a ready-to-wear, pre-pleated apron/ pinafore for their 18 doll. Each child learned to smock on their own apron.

3 Supply List 1/2 yard cotton fabric. (This is enough for 3 aprons) 1 1/2 yards of 1/2 to 3/4 wide ribbon per apron 1 yard lace trim per apron embroidery floss-6 strand cotton DMC #7 crewel needle

4 Construction Cut 2 bodice fronts and 2 bodice backs Cut skirt piece 15 wide x 8 long Sew front bodice to back bodice at shoulder seams using a 1/4 seam allowance. Repeat for lining Trim seam to fat 1/8. Press shoulder seams open.

5 Construction Right sides together, align the header of the lace on the 1/4 seam line of the bodice. Stitch through the lace header. Press seam towards the wrong side of the bodice, allowing lace to extend. Press under 1/4 on the long ends of the bodice lining.

6 Construction Right sides together, pin bodice to lining at neck edge, matching shoulder seams. Stitch neck edge using a stitch length of and a 1/4 seam. Trim seam to scant 1/8. Turn to right side and press. Topstitch long edges of lining to bodice.

7 Pleating Starting at the short end, roll your skirt fabric onto a dowel. You will pleat 7 full space rows. Start the first row a 1/4 from the raw edge.

8 Pleating Remove 3/4 seam allowance from each side and tie off threads as shown. Count the pleats and mark your center. Ours had 60 pleats.

9 Smocking Cut 18 length of DMC stranded cotton floss. Separate 3 strands. and thread your needle. Tie a knot at the end of your thread. Begin on your second pleated row. Starting on the wrong/back side of the pleated skirt, come up in the valley to the left of the pleat where you will start.

10 Stitch 1 -Cable Stitch Go through the first pleat, entering on the right, and exiting on the left. You will use the pleating thread as your guide. Stitch through the top 1/3 of the pleat. Go through the second pleat in the same manner. Make sure your needle is horizontal and the thread is below the needle. Pull the stitch through until it is taught and lying neatly on top. This is your completed down cable.

11 To make your second stitch, the up cable, repeat the previous steps, but keep your thread above the needle. Continue across the row, making sure to alternate the thread above and below the needle with each stitch.

12 Tying Off Once you reach the end of the row, you will need to tie off your thread. Take the needle to the back through the valley of the last smocked cable. Go through the top 1/3 of the cable on the back. Before cinching down, take your needle through the loop, forming a figure 8. Tighten loops against the fabric and cut the thread tails.

13 Stitch 2-Wave Stitch Secure and enter row 3, as instructed in the cable stitch. Stitch one down cable. Enter the next pleat on row 2. Make an up cable on row 2. Return to row 3 and make a down cable. Repeat this process until you reach the end of the row.

14 Stitch 3 - Three Step Trellis Begin with an down cable on row 5, on the center 2 pleats. This will allow you to center the hearts of our design. Make a second down cable halfway between row 4 and 5. Make a third down cable halfway between row 3 and 4. The fourth stitch is an up cable which will rest directly under the previous stitch on row 3.

15 Stitch 3 - Three Step Trellis To descend, you will make an up cable between row 3 and 4. Make another up cable between row 4 and 5. End the trellis with a down cable on Row 5. Continue pattern across the entire row. To complete the left hand side, flip your work over and repeat the process.

16 Construction Skirt Narrowly hem the long edges of the smocked skirt. Press 1/4 to the wrong side. Turn 1/4 again, press and topstitch the folded edge. Press under 3/4 along the bottom for the hem. Turn 3/4 again, press and stitch 1/4 AWAY from the folded edge. Press.

17 Construction- Skirt Measure bottom of bodice front. Pin skirt to your ironing board and pull up threads until the top of the skirt measures the same as the bodice front. Steam pleats holding iron 1 above skirt. Continue to steam until pleats are damp. Cool before unpinning.

18 Construction- Skirt Serge bottom edges of front and back bodices and top edge of pleated skirt. Overlap the wrong side of the bodice front seam over the right side of the skirt seam. Stitch using 1/4 seam. Use double sided tape to keep the pleats from shifting. Center ribbon over the seam and edge stitch around the ribbon, creating a box.

19 Smocking Graph

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