Claire Kennedy Design

SDR (Scuba Doo Rag) Pattern & Layout

Here's the pdf file for the pattern.  Print pattern out on your printer, then match line A to line B to make the total Center Top piece.  There are four pieces:

1. Center Top (this piece will need to be glued together from the pages you print out.
2. Side
3. Front Tie
4. Tie Ends

This shows the layout out of all the pieces.  There should be four pieces, two are cut on fold.  When you cut on fold you cut one piece.  The other pieces that are not on fold, you will cut two pieces.  I would lay out like above, as the "nap" or direction of the fabric is consistent with how the pieces will go together to make the final product.

The large arrow is the "straight" of grain of fabric.  The strength of the fabric is the lengthwise or long strands of the fabric - this is called the warp of the fabric.  (The crosswise threads/weaving is called woof.)

 

The pattern has some "notches" and other markings.  The dart markings on the Center Top piece, notches on the top of the Center Front piece, notches on the end of the Center Front and Tie End pieces.  Mark each as they are important.

The direction of the fabric is important.  You can cut two ways:  Cut with the design of the fabric right side up in front or right side up in back.  I usually choose the former, as I figure most people will be looking at my front not back.  In the design above, the seahorses are facing up from the front.

I mark the end of the dark in the Center Top piece with a pin "in" (top of pin) as the point of the end of the dart.  This needs to be marked on the wrong side of the fabric. 

With a few easy markings and care in cutting, this is an easy pattern to put together.

Assembling SDR (Scuba Doo Rag)

 

Fold over the dart - where you've marked with the pin (circled above) and follow the dart line with a 3/8" seam.

 

Starting at the bottom of the dart, fold the short side up 3/8" and pin to other side, then sew this on the 3/8" seam to the place the pin marked.

 

When you get to almost the end of the dart, decrease the stitch length to very short stitches, and sew right on the fold of the fabric for about 1/2" and do not back tack, this will make the dart end smoothly and without the bulk of back-tacking.

 

If you have a serger, serge the seams, if you don't, you can zigzag the seam edges to finish edges.  Make sure that the stitches on the outside do not catch the fabric.

The seam may not look as finished as a serged edge, but this is just as efficient for preventing unraveling of fabric as a serged edge.

Here are both darts finished - one with serged & other with zig zag.  I will finish the rest of the doo rag with serged edge, but you can zig zag edge if you want.

The rule of thumb for pressing seams and darts is always press toward center front or back, except for side seams which always press back.  These darts press toward center back and press.

The next seam is the trickiest seam - - attaching a curved line to a straight line.  The first thing is to notch or clip the straight seam so it will curve easier.  This will require a little stretching and working of the fabric to make it go in smoothly.

On the Center Top piece notch along the side where you will attach the curved piece.  Notch only 1/4" deep - not to the edge of the seam allowance, but just shy of it.

Pin the seams together making sure all the fabric "eases" into the seam without any gathers or pleats.  You may have to stretch and work with the fabric to make this work.  Sew on 3/8" seam allowance.

 

Sew the Tie Ends to the Front Tie matching the notches on the edges.  Sew on 3/8" seam allowance.

After you press this seam (it's hard to do, but makes for easier top stitching), and remember to press toward center front, then top stitch on the 1/4" from seam allowance.  Most companies have feet that are made to mark the 1/4" seam allowance which makes this a lot easier.

Sew the front band onto the top cap, match the notches in front.  The notches match to the seams on the front cap.  This is a seam that requires a little ease, but not as much as the side to top seam.  Pin this seam first before you sew it.  Press down (toward bottom of cap) and top stitch 1/4" from seam.

Press the remaining outside seams with an 3/8" seam allowance.  Be sure and miter the lower corner (close up picture follows) and on the corners fold the future  line first then the seam you're sewing second....this makes it easier for the machine to sew over.

Mitered corners - these are hallmark of a quality finished project.  You don't have to do these on all corners - anything more than a 90° doesn't really need a mitered corner - anything 90° or less looks really good (and is easier to sew) when mitered. Here's how to do this:

 

First, fold both sides of the corner and press - BTW, press after each step, it's easier (even if I forget to say so!)

Next, unfold the top fold and pull the corner diagonally to the 3/8" seam allowance line.  Fold along the pink line above, and press.

Now fold over that top seam again, and voilá - a very nice mitered corner.  Top stitch 1/4" from the edge and this will create a flat, professional look.

This is the finished doo rag.

Now I know you have lots and lots of questions - please feel free to ask.  I'm sort of using you gals as guinea pigs and expect you to ask away....if something isn't clear, let me know what it is.  The first thing I did wrong was to do this in such a difficult fabric to photograph...and I'm sure there are other things  PLEASE - just ask away.  You can post a comment right here, but I expect questions more than comments!!!

Mentors

We all need mentors.  My first one was Edith Head - who wouldn't love her.  She had this impeccable style that wasn't over-bearing, yet completely identifiable!  She didn't out shine her clients, but you knew who she was instantly.  The little icon I use on my site and on my blog is the take off of Edith - Edna from The Incredibles!  She's so much fun in the movie....dahlink!

OK - back to mentors - after Edith was Erma - my teacher.  She had gone from shoulder pads of Joan Crawford to the shoulder pads of Thierry Mugler (who could wear those should pads better than Alexis!)

I was like a sponge and soaked up all I could with Erma and she was a great teacher.  She let me go at the speed I could and it seemed sometimes like I was going at lightening speed.  I would take the cover of W Magazine to her and discuss how I was going to cut this or that line and draw this or that style and how I was going to accomplish techniques and then take the dress back to her in 2 weeks and she would critique it.  I usually got a very good grade.  She used to tell me that basically her school was practicing and practicing - sort of what I learned in music class...."Practice, practice, practice....play, then practice, practice, practice...play, etc.!"  Made sense, and I suppose it was that it was so much fun to figure out one puzzle after another that I couldn't get stumped - no matter how difficult I made the next project.  I really didn't have a need for all these clothes, I just kept making them cause I could.  And it was the freedom to know I could do anything I wanted.  My only limitation now on clothing was fabric, and if I could find fabric, then I could make it.  That is still my main problem with my clients and me - fabric.

But finally it's time I turn around and do the giving so this fall I will start teaching.  I'm really looking forward to it and especially if I can have a student or two who will really take off with the art. (BTW, my tools have never looked this neat, and will never again - this was a special "art" picture!)  I'll start teaching at the local Bernina store where I have purchased all my machines this fall.  Berninas are wonderful machines, and the local store does a fine job in setting up classes.  They are starting to get requests for clothing construction as is the local fabric shop.  We're lucky here to have a good fabric shop.

I'm going to try and include some of the highlights of these upcoming classes here!  I'm really excited about this.  I want to pass this on in a way that will make more people excited and empowered to sew.  It's never been drudgery to me, and always been exciting and freeing....so here we go!

Veil

I love my work.  And this doesn't sound like a problem, but here's the deal.  I love to play too - and all work and no play - yada, yada, yada....so I "need" to play - don't we all - but I love to work, you see the dilemma!

So I'm working on this bridal gown and I'm doing this veil.  This summer has been the summer of heirloom veils which I particularly love.  Love doing something that's been in the family for years and using in the gown or somehow in the wedding dress.  So I'm in an heirloom-ish sort of mood these days. The bride's dress is in Chantilly (that and other gems from this summer soon to be on my gallery page at my site), and this lace is gorgeous.  We had a little supply problem, so got the lace in white and dyed it (another subject for another time). 

This lace is so delicate, that it doesn't take much and the lace can just delicately finish the veil.  Alençon lace can be heavy and another look, but Chantilly is light and delicate, and needs to be designed with that in mind.

So here's the start - This is my work space:

Yikes - look at that mess off to the right - and I actually use all that junk - rulers, pokers, brushes, pins, my ever faithful exacto knife, awl, nail file (hate working with silk and having my nails rough)...just general junk that I need and can't live without.

I digress....so anyway back to the veil...I've applied the lace:

And starting cutting - yes this takes guts, but fortunately I can feel underneath if I'm catching the tulle, and the purpose here is to trim out the excess, cause all I want is a very tiny trim on the edge.  After I finish this trim, then I have to trim the scallop edge so that the scallop shows up better.

Tools - How many times have I seen beginners start with poor tools and then give up thinking that's it's their ability - it's usually not.  It's the tool.  These are Gingher scissors - to my mind the best.  (Note to self - do blog on tools!)

These scissors make this trimming so much easier and they are very sharp.  My other fav (besides my regular shears), are the knife-edge Ginghers....they are marvelous...but not to digress.

Finished - see how delicate this is?

Just what I wanted....

Will post pictures of bride, gown, veil and all after the wedding.

One of my rules is that I don't show or display dress till after client has worn the dress.  I've heard numerous stories of customers going into dress shops and being shown everything that has been sold but not worn yet.  The customers have walked out horrified, and in this small town (even though it's a city) that sort of thing gets out. 

For Susan

Friends are great - especially when they make you think about things in a way that you wouldn't normally think. 

I saw this pattern in the June, 2007 issue of Burda World of Fashion monthly magazine.  Didn't really think much of it, and was more looking for a simple jacket to show off some buttons and use up a piece of neat yellow fabric I got at the local Hancock's that is closing.   Burda Magazine comes with about 70 patterns every month which makes it well worth the subscription of $70/annually....here's the link to get a subscription.  It looked really cute in the photo in the magazine:

After all it couldn't hurt to try it.  Here it's done in a thin searsucket stripe to a great effect.  The first thing I noticed after I scanned this was the sleeve header - no wonder I had trouble easing all that fabric into that sleeve......it's supposed to be gathered.  Oh well, at least Erma, my teacher, is proud that I was able to get all that in there without any gathers!!!

You know how to get the gathers out of the pattern?....just  cut the top of the sleeve head down about 1/2"....just the header of the sleeve, not the sides...if you need me to do that I can do it, and put it in a pdf file.

OK - back to the finishing of the jacket.  This jacket does look good - even without the gathered sleeves.

OK here's the inside top of the jacket

You can see that half of the front placket folds back on itself to face the inside, while the other half is under the collar seam.

Then here's the bottom of the inside placket

Hope you can see this well enough to see how it's constructed.

One other note.  The original (in the Burda picture) has contrasting top stitching, and I'm thinking that the white would be really special in there.

As a piece de resistance....there's this jewel!!!

It came out great....it might be hard to see, but I did the binding on the sleeves- it really came out great....here's the back

One problem....the zipper was lacking about 3" being long enough for the back, so I lowered it, and put a hook on top....the bottom here looks OK, and I think the top will work fine

The top closes really well, even though there's a space between the top of the zip and the hook.  I did put the zipper in by machine.  I think it will look better and will last longer.  I also released it a little through some of the seams, but not enough to really matter except to feel more comfy.

I'll include the other bias strips and the left over fabric, in case you want to use it as a trim for another shell.  The bias strips will need to be trimmed a little - I think they're about 1¼" wide and might need to be thinner to get through that binding food mechanism!