Pin-tuck Alma

This is Sewaholic Alma No 5, but who's counting?!

 

 

 

I was idly browsing some blogs back in March, and came across this photo here (forth one down - unfortunately there isn't a source on it).  I instantly thought, "Alma!  With pin tucks!  Yes please." 

 

So after the success with the tucks on my Mathilde blouses, I got my Alma pattern, some paper and a scrap of fabric, and started work on the pin tucks.  I decided that all I needed to do was to add in the amount of fabric for each tuck.  I made the spaces between the tucks 5/8", and the tucks 1/8".  I ruled them out on a fabric scrap with marker pen to see what they looked like.

Then I sewed them up.  I really should have ironed the fabric first!

I pinned this to the front of my Wednesday Addams Alma to get an idea of what it would look like.

 

So then I got the tracing paper out, and re-traced my front pattern piece.  I ruled the lines where I wanted to insert the tucks,

then cut along the lines and filled the spaces in with pink paper.  Each space is 1/8" wide.

This is what the whole pattern piece looks like.  To mark the tucks on the fabric I cut a snip in the fabric, just a few millimetres long, at either side of each tuck.  Then I connected them up with a long ruler and some chalk.

 

I'm very pleased with how they turned out.

 

Here's a close-up so you can see how I pressed each tuck towards the centre.

And here it is in action.

 

The fabric is cotton that I bought recently in The Paragon on Donegall Pass in Belfast.  I've a feeling it may be quilting cotton, but I liked the pattern and it's comfortable to wear.  I can't remember how much it was, but it wouldn't have been anything more than £5 per metre.

 

I put the zip into the back, and I'm definitely getting better with the invisible zips.

 

My inspiration photo also inspired me to make a pencil skirt, the pattern being Charlotte by By Hand London.  But that's for another post.