Sandra's Port Elizabeth

My friend Sandra made a gorgeous Port Elizabeth from my BurdaStyle pattern. Check out her blog here. She specialises in dolls clothes for dolls houses- so cool!

How to adapt the Port Elizabeth pattern: Advanced

Once you feel confident, or have had a go at the basic and intermediate styles, you could move onto these designs.

This pattern adaptation for a gathered neckline uses the 'slash and spread' method. Evenly mark vertical lines through the pattern, 'slash' down the lines and (keeping the bottom edges together) evenly 'spread' the pieces. Stick your new pattern down onto a backing paper. You will need to smooth the neck and hemlines (in green). You could reverse this method and make a flared hem/ trapeze/ swing top instead.

If you want to add buttons at the shoulders, you will need to add a facing to get the best finish. You will need to add a button stand (1/2 inch either side of the shoulder line) first. Then use the front and back patterns to draft a facing pattern onto, as diagram. This is really easy to construct: Stitch up the sides of the top and the sides of the facing; pin the front facing to the front top and the back facing to the back top (right sides together); stitch all the way around the armholes, shoulders and necklines; clip corners and curved seams; turn inside-out and press; edge stitch if necessary. Consider whether to put the buttons on the back or front, mark on, make buttonholes and attach buttons.

How to adapt the Port Elizabeth pattern: Basic to Intermediate

I have finally got around to drawing some ideas out for adapting the very simple Port Elizabeth sewing pattern, available on BurdaStyle. I hope the diagrams are helpful; please contact me if you would like any help or want to know how to adapt the pattern another way.

☞ Please remember this pattern has no seam allowance. You must adapt your pattern and then add seam allowance afterwards on every edge a seam will be ie side seams, shoulders, armholes, neckline, hemline and centre front if you have a seam here.

One of the simplest ways of personalising this pattern is to alter the neck or hemline. You can change the neckline to a scoop, V or square shape; you could add a V-shape or shirt style hem. You could shape the neckline and finish the edge with visible bias binding or draft a facing (I can add a diagram if you are interested).

A simple addition is a Patch pocket or an Apron style pocket, as below. Use the front pattern piece to draw a pocket pattern, as the diagram.

When you start to feel confident about pattern adaptation, you could start to cut the pattern into more panels and add a yoke. You will need to cut the bottom half of the bodice off and extend the bottom section as much as you would like it gathered into the top section. It is important to remember that 'what goes up, must come down' ie side seams and shoulder seams etc must be equal. On the diagram a=b and c=d.

Something simple to achieve that changes the look entirely, is to add a button stand. The centre front (or centre back) line becomes the central position for your buttons and buttonholes. Therefore, you need to add 1/2 inch either side of this (your button stand). You must then add a 1 inch facing and then add your seam allowance on every edge. This is simple to make: once cut, press along the seam allowance and facing lines and neatly tuck under. Stitch just under 1 inch from the edge on the right side to secure the layers together. Mark on buttonhole placement and add buttonholes and then buttons. Finish neckline with bias-binding.

Calling all Port Elizabeth Sewists!

I have set up a photo pool on Flickr, as suggested by Cecili. Please add photos of your creations here. I have added the photos posted on blogs and will include links to your blogs- hope you don't mind. I can remove them if you do.

Cecili's Port Elizabeth

This is Cecili's PE top and I think t looks great! I have followed her blog for a while and am so thrilled that she has used my pattern! I can't believe the popularity of this pattern; I just keep finding versions of it. Cecili talks about adaptation ideas and I had planned to do a post on how to adapt the pattern to personalise it. What do you think?

Another Port Elizabeth by Emily

This girl is lovely and her blog is really arty and interesting. She has made a great combo in this photo- using the PE pattern for the top.

Another Port Elizabeth!

Just stumbled upon another Port Elizabeth made by Elena. Looks great!

More Port Elizabeth Makes...

Two more makes on BurdaStyle:

This one is by a lovely girl called Kathryn from London (check out her blog here). She sent me such a sweet message to say thank you for the pattern on BurdaStyle. It's so lovely to know that people are enjoying making things using my pattern!

This one is by CodaMoment from Brooklyn:

More Port Elizabeth Makes...

Some more Port Elizabeth tops made by two great sewers who downloaded the pattern from Burdastyle: Angie (stripe), from Sew-I-Thought and Camelia, from Camelias and Crinolines. Check out the photos. I'm so thrilled- they look great! Well done ladies!

Photos by Sew-I-Thought and Camelias and Crinolines