OUT Chapter 3: The Book with a Hole

It's here, it's here, it's here!  I am so excited to have 3 weeks of Once Upon a Thread!  Welcome, welcome.  We're on chapter 3 with some witty authors, and thrilling giveaways (I might bombard you with more than a post a day throughout these 3 weeks because I've got some guest posting myself to share).  Do you think anyone would notice if I entered myself in the giveaways? ;)

So, here we begin with the first page.

I have fallen in love with all books Hervé Tullet, and it's not just because he's French.  The man is clever up and down and all around.  Every single book of his I pick up and get inspired to sew something, so you might see more of him here, but today I am sharing something inspired by "The Book with a Hole."

This would be a really great book to give to an older child along with a camera with the instructions to go around taking photos of what they smartly come up with to place in the hole.

Pearl and I started outside with things we could find,

But then we were running all over the place,

with how about this?

and what about this?

In fact, as I was finally loading photos, she was still coming up to me with things to put in the hole.

Then, of course, everyone else wanted to throw in their ideas.

And we joked about what a stomach ache this man must have!

We even got the poor innocent bunnies involved in the disappearing act page.

What better to sew than a dress with a hole (or more)!?

I was given a big roll of light blue denim by a friend who was downsizing sewing supplies that has been sitting in the garage for 8 months (I know that because I was waiting for Drummer to be born any day!)  The color wasn't what I wanted, so I dyed it this aqua blue and it worked perfectly for this project.  I made up the leggings by the seat of my pants, using some circle print for the cuffs.  I got the pattern for the dress from this Japanese book, and then added the fun details of top stitching and HOLES!

This is similar to how I did the swimsuit cut out, but with an added piece of hand printed scraps I bought from a fun Australian shop called Umbrella Prints (more on those later).


❍ Begin with a circle drawn on the wrong side of a scrap with the edges finished.  Decrease stitch length to a 2 and sew around the circle, stopping frequently to pivot the needle in order to stay on the circle.

❍ Cut 1/2" smaller than circle, and clip seam allowance, but not into the stitching.  Turn the circle to the inside and press.

❍ I tried a couple of different ways to keep the printed scrap in place but found using dissolvable adhesive tape to work the best, which, ironically enough, I first used on my very first OUT post.  It holds the scrap perfectly without the need to stop to pull pins out.  Just surround the hole on the back and place scrap on top to the right side will show through when you flip it over.

❍ I also tried using lots of different feet, including the edgestitch foot.  What I found to be most helpful and accurate in sewing around the hole was the open foot.  I let the right side run along the inside of the hole and moved the needle position over so it was stitching closer to the opening.  It worked really well.

I loved the little glimpses of the print, which makes your mind wonder what the whole print looked like.

I also added details of top stitching in a contrasting color and used some aqua glass buttons.

Aren't they fun? 

And if one giveaway today wasn't enough, Umbrella Prints is offering 3 deliciously delectable pieces of their hand printed fabrics to YOU!  And, why yes, there is orange in every single one of those fabrics.  I didn't even have a hand in that.

❍ So, leave a comment here to be entered for this scrumptious giveaway.  

❍ And come back tomorrow for another page turner! ❍