Autumn Sew Along – Day 1

Welcome to day one of the Autumn sew-along! I’m so excited to be hosting this pattern for September. Autumn is an adorable shift top/dress that is so perfect and comfy for fall. Whether you decide to sew a top or dress this knit pattern is sure to become a quick staple in your sewing room!

Pattern Options

Autumn is a gorgeous knit pattern with several customizable features. First let’s look at the sleeve options; you can choose sleeveless, short, 3/4 or long sleeves. For the neckline you can choose to add a lining or use binding. There is also options to add a color-blocked version or flutters. Lengths include top, vintage, or dress versions. I’ve chosen to make a color-blocked dress version with flutters, 3/4 sleeves, and binding for the neckline.

Once you’ve chosen your pattern options you can then print your pattern pieces. There are layers within the pattern pieces that allow you to print only the size(s) you need. If you are unsure how to print with layers this tutorial can help you. Also, make sure you check out the nifty chart on page 5 that shows you what pages to print for the options you’ve selected. You can also find line drawings on this page for the featured options.

Fabric

Autumn is drafted for knit fabrics. When selecting your fabrics try to find a quality fabric that has between 50-75% stretch. Try to avoid using slinky, thin, or warped knit fabrics as they can cause final fit issues. Cotton lycra or cotton jersey are great fabric base choices for Autumn. Designer tip: you can use a cotton woven fabric for the flutters as seen in the photo below.

All fabrics used in this sew-along are from Art Gallery Fabrics. AGF knits are super soft and consist of 95% cotton and 5% spandex. They also have a great weight of about 7 ounces. The print fabric I’m using is from the Spooky ‘n Sweet Collection and features the cutest Halloween inspired prints and colors. The coordinating solid is Caviar from their Knit Solids collection.

Once you’ve selected your fabrics, make sure to wash them before cutting. Fabrics have a tendency to shrink slightly during the first wash. This shrinkage can cause fit issues of your finished garment. I always wash new fabrics in free and clear detergent with several Color Catchers thrown in to catch any possible color bleeds. I never put knits in the dryer and always lay them flat to dry to avoid any stretching of the fabric.

Cutting Your Fabric

When cutting knit fabrics I like to use a large cutting mat and 28mm rotary cutter. The smaller rotary blade allows me to cut curves with accuracy. To keep your fabrics from shifting while you are cutting, you can use pattern weights. If you don’t have pattern weights, rocks or canned food can work great!

Pay close attention to the direction of stretch of your knit fabric. Make sure it matches the direction of the stretch arrows located on your pattern pieces. Cut out your dress/top front and back pieces, side panels, flutters, sleeves, and lining or binding.

Day 1 Progress

That’s it for day 1! Easy, right? Make sure you upload a photo of your day 1 progress into this sew-along album in the Facebook fan group. I’ll see you back here tomorrow when we’ll add the flutters to our top/dress. I will have a video to help walk you through these steps. Have fun picking out your fabrics! I cannot wait to see what you choose.

Happy sewing,

Chauncey