sewing: boat neck tutorial and a Lady Skater

This post is written by Monica of Adirondack Inspired.

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Hi everyone! I am so excited to be a contributor over here at Imagine Gnats. Even more so because my very first project is being part of the incredible Perfect Pattern Parcel. This concept is amazing, supporting indie designers and charity in one fell swoop, and choosing your price. It reminds me of this episode of the Ted Radio Hour that examined generosity and philanthropy. I haven’t been a part of this sewing community for very long, but more and more it feels like home.

Now on to the goods! There is little doubt I will be sewing up (at least) a version of each pattern. But for this ease-in to sewing for myself, I gravitated immediately to the Lady Skater. First, I love a comfy knit dress. Second, sewing with knits is really forgiving in the fit department. The thought of darts and small bust adjustments (ahem) has had me putting off sewing for myself. The stretchy-ness of knits solves all of that, so if you are new to the “selfish sewing” (or, you know, just sewing) I think knits are a great place to start. I’m not going to even attempt modesty here — I LOVE this dress.

I found a lovely cream and blue navy at Girl Charlee that inspired this boat neck version with a peter pan collar. Most of my sewing goes this way… I don’t have a plan until I start the project, and then things just flow.

While the bodice was inspired by the fabric, I love a boat neck for my shape. I’m ‘little in the middle, but got much back.’ In other words, I have narrow shoulders, small boobs, and wide hips, so boat necks are my friend. And since I’m not anything close to a pattern designer, I had to wing it.

This should give you a lot of hope, because if I can wing it, you can too. This is the third item I’ve sewn for myself…ever. Unless you count the lovely plaid vest and shorts combo I made at sewing camp the summer of fifth grade. (seriously)

Want to pattern hack your own Lady Skater? Of course you do! Because we all love as much variation in our patterns as we can get, amiright?

Step 1: Cut out or trace your corresponding size. I just use printer paper taped together.

Step 2: Find a t-shirt with a regular-old neckline (if this is too technical for you, let me know. heh). Trace that neckline onto your pattern so that we can then adjust it to a boat neck style. I turned the t-shirt inside out and flattened out the seams so that I was matching up the seam allowances of the t-shirt with the pattern because the pattern includes the seam allowances. It’s important to think about your seam allowances when changing things up. The neckline will be higher and the shoulder wider.

Bonus: you just pattern drafted a regular-old neckline for yourself, pretty much giving yourself a sloper that will let you change things up in the future. Pat yourself on the back.

Step 3: Turn this new pattern into a boat neck by raising the front neckline by half an inch. Now mark the halfway point of your shoulder, and make a gentle curve from the neckline to the shoulder.

Step 4: Don’t forget the back bodice! Make sure the shoulder seam now matches your front bodice, and lower the back by half of an inch. Draw another gentle curve to make your neckline.

Step 5: Decide how you are going to finish the edges (bound? bias?) and add your seam allowance to your neckline. I used a facing, and added a seam allowance of 3/8 of an inch to the curve of the neckline.

I added a peter pan collar by using the method I talked about in this post. Well, I made half a peter pan collar and just put it on the front. Half the work with the full effect. I like it! And for full transparency, I went to great lengths to try to make the stripes on the collar match my stripes on the dress. It… didn’t happen. If I were doing this again, I may have made different choices on the collar.

Oh, and I also made it a sleeveless dress, which you can learn how to do right here on Amanda’s (Kitschy Coo) site. I love when the pattern maker posts hacks of their own pattern! I also shortened the waist quite a bit; over three inches total. Probably a bit past what the original pattern intended, but I just kind of fiddled with it in the mirror until I found the look I liked the most. I also added a couple of inches of length to the skirt.

Once you sew your peter pan collar pieces and baste them to the top of the neckline, the pattern sews together per the directions. It sews up incredibly fast and I love how she incorporated clear elastic at the waist and shoulder seams. I’ve never had a pattern call for this before, but it let’s your seams stretch without getting all stretched out. Clever!

I used a navy ponte knit from Girl Charlee. I actually had to research what ponte knit was before I purchased it. If you have a knit dress that you can ball up and throw in a suitcase but it doesn’t wrinkle, it could be a ponte knit. I don’t really love it… but it’s a trade-off. I love that it doesn’t wrinkle and that it skims my lower half. Have you ever worn thinner knit dresses that kind of cling to your hips and butt? Or worse, give you a wedgie. Yeah… not flattering. Ponte knit skims your body nicely, without revealing every bump or lump. The part I don’t love is the polyester content. It is not one of those fabrics that I pull out and love to run my hands over.

But once it is on my body (or pulled out of my suitcase), I forgive and wear it happily. Happier than I look in these photos, I’m certain.

You can read more about Perfect Pattern Parcel from Rachael and get your own Parcel right here.

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