Shiny Media's sweatshop opens for business
It's one approach to tackling the problem of sweatshop labour! We put our intern Emily Tan writes: to work on one of the new 'make your own' dress kits from eco chic label Gossypium to see just how much work goes into putting together a garment. The answer: quite a lot, as this is only day one in Emily's dressmaking diary. Find out after the jump how to cut out the right shape for your dress and make a versatile 'obi belt' from the excess fabric.
[via Crafty Crafty]
1. Deciding on the dress pattern
The dress kit offers several options. You can choose to make a shift-dress, a long tunic top, or a longer smock dress with a frill. You can also choose the shade of your bodice, to add a collar, frilled sleeves, or a button placket. Not having a sewing machine, and preferring a simpler design, I opted to sew the simple shift dress just like the happy girl on the right is modelling. See how happy she is? That dress must be doing something right to make her look so delighted.
Also, I opted against wearing the excess material provided for the frill around my head like she is doing, and to instead sew an obi belt out of it because I love cinched waists.
2. Cutting Out the Pieces
Having decided on the dress pattern, I proceeded to cut out the pieces. The three sizes are clearly marked out by dots (small), dashes (medium) and solid (large) lines. As a size 6-8 I carefully snipped along the dotted lines. As you can see from the image, I also diligently followed the stern instructions administered by the rather bossy Abi in the Gossypium Instuctional videos and cut out the instructions printed on the cloth. I then pinned them onto the corresponding dress pieces.
After watching a few more of the videos, I got so cheesed off by the patronising school-marmsy tone that I felt a need to rebel. So I deviated from the instructions and crafted my Obi-Belt on the spot.
3. The Obi Belt
The material provided for the frill is neatly divided into two large rectangles for the back and front of the dress. I cut it out into the following shapes:
1. Main panel of Obi Belt
2 & 3. Obi Straps
4. Plate
Instructions
- Cut the frill out, keeping the two halves joined together.
- Fold in two along the line, and fold again so you end up with half the length and cut it in two (for 24" waist or less. If your waist is larger, you'll have to cut this longer).
- One half is the main panel. The other half will form the straps. Take the half that is the main panel, and created the rounded edges by drawing the shape out with the plate and cutting it out.
- Take the other half and cut it along the line. Take one of the pieces and cut it down the middle so it's half the width. These are your straps. If longer straps are needed, cut the other piece in two and join the pieces together to form longer straps.
- To make the straps, fold one of the pieces (2 & 3) in half inside out so they are half the width, and sew along one end and down the length. If you want, you can make one end pointed. Turn inside out, press flat and repeat with the other piece.
- To make the main body, fold it along the solid line inside out. fold the straps inside so the unfinished ends poke out at either of the curved ends. Arrange so the unfinished ends of the straps are in the middle of the curved ends. Sew along one end, down the length, and half way up the other end (just enough to secure the strap.
- Turn the obi inside out and carefully stitch the last bit closed as invisibly as possible.
- Admire your obi belt.
Try your obi belt on. At full width it's too wide for me, but someone with a longer torso (mine is very short) should look fab in it. For myself though, I'll wear it folded in.
And that's the end of Day 1!
Related: How to sew your own Obi Belt | How to: Make a quick and easy summer dress for $8
