Sewing Chat: Discussing Progress & Projects

In this blog post, I share updates on my current sewing projects, including the latest progress on the chain dress and my plan for attaching the lining. I’ve also decided to make a pair of flared jeans, experimenting with a new style and fit. Additionally, I’m continuing to sew baby blankets, working on new designs and finishing touches for these cozy, handmade gifts.

Transcripts

Hi everyone, my name is Teria with Peace and Make, and in today’s video, I’m going to give you a quick catch-up on what I’ve been working on—what’s on my sewing table right now, and some updates on my projects.

The first project I want to talk about is the updates to the chain dress. Honestly, I haven’t had much time to work on it lately—it’s been a while since I last touched it. However, I’ve still been gathering materials for it. I did remove the seams from the shoulders, but I think I’m going to sew them back up. I don’t think I need to take the entire shoulder apart anymore.

When I made the pink flower dress and used the bootleg lining technique, it gave me an idea for how to add lining to this chain dress. Initially, I was planning to take apart the side seams and the shoulder seams and add the lining as an underlining, sewing the two layers together. I may still do that, but I’ve realized I don’t have to approach it that way. I can keep the seams together and just add the lining inside.

I also took apart the placket to insert the lining under it. Let me show you the lining fabric I originally bought for this dress. When I made the video about getting the fit right (I’ll link it in the cards above), I tried the dress on and noticed that the cotton satin was catching on my undergarments. As I walked, it kept riding up, which was frustrating. I could wear a slip with it, but I wanted the option to just have a lining instead.

The first fabric I found for the lining was a polyester Georgette from Joann Fabrics. While it worked, I didn’t want a polyester lining for this dress. I couldn’t find a natural fiber lining that would work with it, so for the pink dress, I used muslin. But the muslin and the cotton satin didn’t slide against each other very well—they kept sticking.

Then, I had a brilliant idea to try viscose, and I’m so glad I did! I bought this beautiful viscose fabric from La Finch Fabrics, and it is so soft. It slides against the cotton satin much better than the muslin did. It’s breathable and feels more like a natural fiber, which was important to me because I want to use more natural fibers in my projects. I was so happy when I found this fabric—it’s the perfect match for the cotton satin.

If this doesn’t work out, I do have a backup with the Georgette, but I’m hoping the viscose works. I’ve already cut out the lining pieces, though I’m just using scrap fabric for now.

So that’s the first project I’ve been working on, though it’s been progressing slowly in the background. I haven’t forgotten about it!

The next project I’m working on is a pair of bell-bottom jeans. I’ve got this stretch denim fabric—I’m not sure the brand off the top of my head, but I’ll link it below once I find the name. I want to turn this into a very long pair of bell-bottom pants, kind of like wide-leg bell bottoms that flare out at the bottom.

The pattern I’m using is for wide-leg pants, but I need to make some adjustments to taper the fit at the top and add more flare to the bottom. I’m in the process of tweaking the pattern, which is why I haven’t cut it out yet, but I’ll be sharing more details soon. I made a video on my journey to making pants, so this will be part of that series.

Another project I’m working on is a set of baby blankets. I’ve shown a sneak peek of the first one already, and I’ve just started the second one. I gave the first blanket away already, but I plan to post some pictures and maybe even a short video of it soon. I’m making three baby blankets and two kid blankets, and all of them will be given away as gifts.

It’s been a while since I’ve made baby blankets—probably 10 years!—so this is a fun challenge for me. I have a special attachment to the things I make, and I always get a little sad to give them away, but I love that I can make something for someone else. It’s always nice to be able to share the things I create, especially when it’s something as meaningful as a baby blanket.

For the second blanket, I’m using this binding, which I used on the first blanket as well. I have a lot of this fabric left over, so instead of buying more, I’m just using my stash. Here’s a sneak peek of the fabric—it has these cute, dainty flowers on it.

The baby blanket project is on a bit of a timeline because I’m giving these away for baby showers, so I need to finish these first. Once these are done, I’ll get back to the bell-bottoms and the chain dress. Hopefully, I can wrap up the baby blankets by the end of this week, since one is due for a baby shower on Saturday.

The last thing I want to update you on is something sewing-related, but not an actual project—it’s about my sewing channel! I’ve recently upgraded my setup with a new desktop computer. It’s a gaming computer with a great video card, which has been a game-changer for my video editing.

Before this, I was using a laptop to edit my videos, but I kept running into glitches and technical issues. It just wasn’t able to handle the video editing software, which made it difficult for me to post consistently. Now with the new desktop, editing is so much smoother.

I’m so excited about it! I’d love to make a video about my new setup for anyone interested in the tech side of things, so let me know if that’s something you’d like to see. The desktop has all these cool LED lights that change colors, which is a fun touch. I’m still working through a few software issues, but overall, it’s been a huge upgrade.

I also want to take a moment to say hi to all of my new subscribers! I’m so grateful for you all, and I appreciate every one of you. When I started this channel, I honestly thought I’d get maybe one or two views after a few months, so I’m thrilled to have reached 171 subscribers (as of now). If you haven’t subscribed yet, please do—I’d love to hit 200!

I recently posted a tutorial on invisible zippers, and it seems like you all really enjoyed it, which makes me so happy. I didn’t expect it to get such a positive response, but I’m glad it’s been helpful. My hope is that it becomes a go-to resource that you can come back to whenever you need to refresh your memory on how to install an invisible zipper. I’ve been watching some of my favorite sewing tutorials for years, and I hope my videos can be that helpful to you as well.

I just want to thank you all so much for your support. If you’re new here, be sure to check out some of my older videos and playlists. I’ve got plenty more content coming, including more sewing tutorials, DIY crafts, home decor projects, and more!

I know I can be a bit random with my projects—one day I’m working on garments, and the next I’m making something for the home—but that’s just how my creative brain works. I hope you enjoy following along with me!

So, tell me—what kind of sewer or crafter are you? Do you enjoy making garments, home decor, quilts, or something else entirely? I’d love to hear about your favorite projects in the comments! I really want this channel to be a place where we can all share our ideas and experiences.

Thanks again for watching, and don’t forget to like, subscribe, and turn on notifications so you never miss a new video! You can also follow me on Instagram at @peaceandmake, the same handle as here on YouTube.

Alright, I’ll see you all next time! Bye!