At the beginning of the design process for the Pierce Shirt, I planned to offer two views – a long-sleeve and a short-sleeve version. As the development progressed, it slowly became too much to handle two different pattern layouts, so I decided to drop the short-sleeve view and focus solely on the long-sleeved version. Now that the pattern has been released, I wanted to revisit the short-sleeve version and show you how to make one for yourself.
For this hack, we will work directly with the printed pattern pieces. You will adjust the sleeve length and manipulate the pattern layout to work better with the shortened sleeves. After you have developed your new pattern layout, you will be able to measure it to determine your fabric requirements.
Note that for this particular hack, the result is minimal waste, not zero waste, as the end pattern layout is not a complete rectangle. There may be other ways to approach this pattern hack, and I welcome you to play with the pattern layout to see what you can come up with. The pattern layout for the Pierce Shirt is quite versatile and can be used as a base for multiple designs.
Okay, let’s get started! The changes you will make to the pattern layout are relatively straightforward. If you have already made the long-sleeved version, you will understand how the pattern comes together, which will make hacking the pattern a bit easier—although this is not necessary.
Prep work:
Before we start the hacking, you will need to print the pattern layout of your selected size, assemble it, and cut it out as directed if you haven’t already. Once all the pieces are cut out, set aside the 7-COLLAR, 8-CUFF, 6-PATCH POCKETS, 9-BIAS-BINDING, and 10-OPTIONAL HANG LOOP pattern pieces. If you are making Size D-I, you will not need 11- OPTIONAL MENDING PATCH or TEST STRIP (the irregular pattern piece between the 1-BACK and 2-LOWER FRONT).
Step 1: Shorten 1-BACK and 2-LOWER FRONT sleeves
Take the 1-BACK and 2-LOWER FRONT pattern pieces and mark the point on the sleeves where the underarm curve ends (about 3″(7.6cm) away from the side seam edge). At this point, draw a new sleeve opening edge perpendicular to the straight edge of the sleeve, as shown below in red. Fold the excess sleeve length back and out of the way (or you can cut it off if you wish). This line is the new sleeve length of the BACK and LOWER FRONT pieces.
Once the sleeves are shortened on the 1-BACK and the 2-LOWER FRONT, you can position the pieces so they are butted up next to each other.
Step 2: Shorten 3-UPPER FRONT sleeve
To adjust the 3-UPPER FRONT, align the edge of the neckline openings on the 3-UPPER FRONT and 1-BACK, as shown below with the blue dashed line. To do this accurately, you can lay the 3-UPPER FRONT pattern piece on top of the 1-BACK piece. You can now mark the sleeve length of the 3-UPPER FRONT piece. It should match the sleeve length of the 1-BACK. The 2-LOWER FRONT piece should be 1.5″(3.8cm) wider than the 3-UPPER FRONT.
Step 3: Arrange updated pattern layout
Once the 3-UPPER FRONT sleeve length has been adjusted, you can position the angled sleeve edge against the angled sleeve edge of the 1-BACK piece. Make sure that the center front of the 3-UPPER FRONT is in line with the sleeve edge of the 1-BACK piece (as shown below). Now, you will find a place to put the remaining needed pattern pieces. I have eliminated the 8-CUFF piece, as we will not need it for this hack.
There are a couple of ways to lay out the remaining pieces. You can play with the pattern pieces directly on fabric (as shown below) or work on a large table or the floor to determine the required fabric for your updated layout. As you can see, the original pattern pieces don’t fit perfectly into the updated pattern layout.
The 6-PATCH POCKET, 9-BIAS BINDING, and 10-OPTIONAL HANG LOOP pattern pieces are flexible and can be adjusted to fit within the new pattern layout without much issue. The 7-COLLAR pieces must remain their original size to fit the garment once sewn. Although, the 7-COLLAR pieces can be cut as one, as shown below, but you must eliminate the 1/2″(1.3cm) seam allowance at the center of the piece.
The images below show the adjusted pattern pieces in the updated layouts. You can make new pattern pieces for the 6-PATCH POCKET, 9-BIAS BINDING, and 10-OPTIONAL HANG LOOP, or you can draft the edges directly to the fabric when cutting.
At this point, you will be able to determine your required amount of fabric by measuring the perimeter of the updated layout. Remember to multiply the length by 2. The first option will use a wider width of fabric but less length, and the second option will use less width but a longer length.
Step 4: Sew
Now that you have the new pattern layout, you can continue as directed in the pattern instructions. For my version, I finished the sleeves with bias binding. I used the French bias binding method, which is the same process used at the hem of the shirt. I also adjusted the position of my patch pocket by aligning the top edge of the pocket with the seam of the upper front.
That’s it! If you have any questions regarding this hack or the original pattern, don’t hesitate to reach out – emily@goldfinch.limited. I look forward to seeing more short-sleeved Pierce Shirts out in the world.
Today I’m pleased to bring to you a guest post from Bean of @sewsoybean. Bean was a tester for the Eddie Smock and she made a few beautiful versions during and after the testing process. She also made a knit cardigan hack that just blew my mind. I asked Bean if she would be willing to write up a blog post about the process of hacking the Eddie Smock into a cardigan and I’m thrilled she was willing to do so. I’m planning on making myself a version in the next few of weeks. Continue reading below to learn how to make your own. If you don’t already have the Eddie Smock Pattern, you can find it here.
Eddie Smock Sweater Hack
As cool fall breezes begin to whisper in my ear of the colder temperatures to come, they seem to usher into my sewing plans ideas for cozy garments, perfect for hunkering down or even bundling up to head out. Cue the knit Eddie Smock Sweater hack! Straightforward and simple modifications to Goldfinch Textile Studio’s pattern and design yield a unique wardrobe staple that you can throw on for any occasion.
– Stable knit fabric for the body, 8-14 oz. per square yard: cotton slub, french terry, sweater knits
– Cotton/elastic ribbing fabric for the neckline and cuffs: ¼ yard cut of 50-60 inch wide should be sufficient; see note below if you’re shopping for your stash ***
– For neckline ribbing: (80% of finished neckline + .75) x 3 inches
– For cuff ribbing: (Wrist circumference + desired cuff ease) x 6 inches
– Needle for sewing knits (I like Schmetz Stretch 75/11 as an all purpose needle for knits)
– Ball point pins
– Pre-made single fold bias tape (purchased or made from your stash)
– Matching thread for topstitching
– Snaps or buttons (optional–this hack is lovely as an open cardigan too)
– Tailor’s clapper (optional–for getting a better press on bulky fabrics)
– Tailor’s chalk or marking tool and long ruler to transfer pattern to fabric
*** Your ribbing should be 80% of your finished neckline measurement. You can measure your paper pattern pieces to mathematically determine finished neckline length before constructing your garment. Add the curved edge of back and front necklines pattern pieces and multiply by 2 as they are cut on the fold. Subtract 4.5 inches (2 inches for shoulder seam allowances, and 2.5 for placket construction). Find 80% of that quantity and add .75 inches for tapered neckline construction. EXAMPLE: Back neckline curve 5.75 inches, front neckline curve 8. (13.75 x 2 = 27.5; 27.5 – 4.5 = 23; .80 x 23= 18.4; 18.4+.75= 19.15 inches). Neckline ribbing cut: 19 x 3 inches.
Picking out your fabric
What I love about the Eddie Smock pattern is its panel pattern pieces, allowing you to optimize a single piece of yardage, or even better yet, utilize narrow strips of knit yardage that are leftover from past projects. If you’re like me, when you sew with knits you may end up with long narrow pieces of fabric at the edges of your fabric after cutting out your project. While these leftovers can be challenging to reorient and use in other knit patterns that require the cross grain stretch of the fabric, because the Eddie is designed for wovens, the degree of stretch of the fabric is of little consequence when considering placement of the pattern pieces for cutting. That being said, don’t be afraid to think of how you can place your panels and pattern pieces to maximize the fabric already in your stash. I never would have thought I could complete an entire cardigan sweater from these green leftovers, but the beautiful result is a testament to how incredible this pattern can be as a knit scrap buster.
Notice how my sleeve pieces have the striations of the fabric running horizontally, but in the body panels they run vertically. In many knits you may notice these sorts of directional textures, and again, don’t be afraid to play around with placement of the pattern pieces in order to make use of fabric you already have. I recommend more stable, and not extremely fluid or drapey knits. Cotton slubs, light to medium weight french terry, or even some sweater knits that are not too bulky would be perfect. For my green version, I used a 9 oz. cotton slub sweater knit, and the camel version is sewn in a 12 oz. french terry. The sweater knit is slightly more fluid and drapey, and the french terry resulted in a more structured jacket-like cardigan.
Considerations for sewing with knits
Some knits can be prone to stretching out as you sew, so decreasing your presser foot tension for all seams is recommended. I lowered my presser foot tension to -3 for all seams and had very minimal rippling of fabric. It can also be helpful to increase your stitch length for bulkier knits. Throughout the construction process I used a regular straight stitch, which the exception of the cuffs and the neckband where I used a lightning bolt stitch.
Use some of your fabric scraps from squaring up your fabric to test out your stitching before you get started. If you do have some stretching or rippling while constructing your garment, be sure to give your seams a good blast of steam at the iron which should bring them right back into shape. Do this between each step of the construction process over each new area that you have sewn.
Cutting out your pattern pieces
Once you’ve decided on your fabric, you will need to cut out the body panels, side panels, and sleeve pieces of the pattern view that you have chosen. For my versions, I have based my pattern layout on View 3, but adjusted the length of the body and side panels to accommodate my available fabric. Since View 3 is the short sleeved version of the pattern, I have used the long sleeve pieces from View 1. You may consider drawing out your layout on a piece of paper to map out any changes that need to be made before cutting.
For this camel version, I decided to rotate my pattern pieces so the fold of the fabric is along the top of the panels and the selvedge edges are at the hem. This means that the stretch of the fabric runs vertically, and not horizontally as it usually would in a knit garment requiring stretch. Again, this is not a problem with Eddie. Also, this placement means that the width of my fabric dictates the length of my finished garment.
Cut the garment pieces according to the pattern, omitting the woven cuff pieces and the bias binding rectangle. We will be using rib knit fabric for a neckline and sleeve cuffs and pre-made (purchased or made from your stash) bias binding. You can choose to incorporate the pattern’s pocket pieces into your cutting layout if you would like too. For my camel version, I used the entire piece of 56 inch wide fabric in my cutting layout and was left with a 16” x 20” square after cutting the sleeves pieces to length that I could potentially use for adding patch pockets to the front, or save for a future project or mending.
Sewing your Eddie Smock Cardigan Sweater
Using the above tips above for working with knits, construct the garment per the pattern instructions, except for the following steps:
Back panel pleat and neckline facing (starting on page 20)
Step 6a (pattern instructions page 20)
When attaching the back neckline facing, the pattern calls for a pleat in the facing piece. I personally love this design detail, and have included it in both my versions. However, it can be quite bulky depending on your fabric choice. To omit this for a bulky knit, follow the instructions already written into the pattern on page 20 for removing ¾ inch along the curve of the neckline facing.
Step 6b (pattern instructions page 22)
The pattern calls for folding your back neckline facing under ¼ inch (.6 cm). With my stable french terry, I was able to fold under and finish the facing as written.
With my green version, I opted to finish the facing edge on the serger to reduce bulk. Keep in mind that if you go this route, you will want to either trim your facing down the ¼ inch (.6 cm) before serging, or adjust your topstitching about ⅜ inch in from the serged edge so your stitching line crosses right where the pleat on the back begins.
Step 6f (pattern instructions page 23)
The Eddie Smock has this great little hang loop feature that I avoided including on my green version due to bulk; however, I figured out a work around for my french terry version that is simple and lovely. Construct the hang tag as written in the pattern and instead of folding raw ends under by ⅜ inch when attaching to the facing, simply lay it flat and use a wide yet short length zig zag to completely cover the raw edge. On my machine, the appliqué stitch worked wonderfully here.
After fully constructing your garment body per the pattern instructions, it’s time to finish the sleeves and neckline—sweater style!
Gathered sleeve with ribbed cuffs
Follow the instructions on page 30 for View 1 to gather the sleeves. I started and stopped my basting stitches at the underarm seam where the two sleeve panels meet. Be sure not to overlap the gathering stitches.
Cut your matching ribbing for the cuff to your desired width by 6 inches tall. I like a tighter cuff so I usually add 1 inch to the circumference of my wrist which is 6 inches. My rib cuffs on this version were 7 inches wide by 6 inches tall. A snugger cuff is my personal preference, and I feel like it creates a dramatic pouf that I’m really like on a sweater sleeve. A cuff with more ease will have less pouf. Fold your cuff rectangle in half widthwise and sew the 6 inch edge, right sides together, with ⅜ inch seam allowance. Press the seam open. Next, fold your cuff wrong sides together lengthwise and press. It should now resemble the finished cuff.
With the sleeve inside out, slip the cuff inside so the right side of the cuff and the right side of the sleeve are together. Align the cuff seam and the underarm seam of the sleeve. Adjust your gathering so the sleeve circumference is flush with the cuff circumference. Pin in place. With the presser foot inside the sleeve cuff, sew the cuff to the sleeve with ½ inch seam allowance making sure you do not sew over the basting stitches. Remove the basting stitching. Finish the seam allowance with a serger or zigzag stitch and press the seam allowance away from the cuff towards the sleeve. Repeat with the second sleeve.
Tapered Ribbed Knit Neckline
Measure the finished neckline with a fluid measuring tape, taking care to not stretch the neckline. Then cut a rectangle of ribbing that is 80% of that value plus ¾ inch, by 3 inches. My finished neckline was 23 inches, I cut a rectangle of ribbing 19 x 3 inches. (.80 x 23 = 18.4; 18.4+.75= 19.15)
Press the 3 inch edge of the rectangle in half wrong sides together so you have a ribbing piece that is now 1.5 inches wide by your specific length. Fold neckline ribbing half lengthwise and place a pin at the center. Fold the side edges in to meet at the center point and place a pin at each fold. You now have your neckline ribbing quartered.
To find the quarter points of the neckline, place the center point of the front neckline where the two front plackets meet directly on top of the center back neckline, and line up the neckline curve. Place two pins where the neckline folds in half (yellow pins). When you let the neckline fall naturally at the shoulder seam you will see that those pins fall a bit to the front of the shoulders.
Align the pinned center point of the ribbing with the center back of the neckline, at the pleat seam on the back panel; then align neckline ribbing quarter pins with the two yellow pins, or quarter marks of the neckline. Gently stretch ribbing so it lays flush against the sweater neckline and finish pinning ribbing between the second and third quarters.
For the quarter of the ribbing that aligns with the front plackets, mark a ⅜ inch seam allowance down from the neckline on both sides of the placket edge, and ⅜ inch in from the end of the ribbing strip along the folded edge. Align these two marks. There will be ⅜ inch of ribbing that will overhang the front placket on both sides. This will get folded down and secured when you topstitch the finished neckline. Continue pinning the rest of the ribbing to the front neckline, again only stretching the ribbing, not the sweater’s neckline. You will have a triangular portion of the raw edge of the ribbing that will not align with the raw edge of the neckline. This will create the tapered ribbed neckline finish. (See video below for more info on inserting the neckline.)
Sew the ribbing to the neckline from the wrong side of the garment so that you can follow the raw edge of the sweater neckline with your presser foot, not the raw edge of the ribbing, which will not align with the sweater neckline the whole way. Once the ribbing is attached, you can trim the excess triangle of the neckline ribbing.
Where the ribbing attaches at the back neckline facing, there will be substantial bulk, especially if you’ve included the neckline facing pleat like I did. Grade the seam allowance, trimming down some of those layers to reduce bulk. Then, finish the seam allowance and press away from the neckline and towards the body of the sweater. From the right side of the garment, topstitch ⅜ inch away from the neckline seam, catching the neckline seam allowance below.
Hem Sweater
The only thing you have left to do is hem your Eddie Smock Sweater. On my green version I used bias binding from my stash in quilting cotton weight fabric. I followed the French Bias Binding method as outlined in the pattern on page 35, Step 15. I do think the double layer of the quilting cotton provides a bit more structure than the garment fabric, making the hem bow out a bit. For the camel french terry version, I opted for a pre-made single fold bias tape which functioned as more of a narrow facing to finish the hem. This was a much softer finish and doesn’t affect the drape of the fabric at the hem. Both options produce lovely results, it will just depend on the look you are going for and the type of fabric and bias you use.
Optional Closures
I think the Eddie Smock Sweater is perfect with no closures and left flowy and open in the front as in my green cardigan style version, but the copper snaps on my tan french terry iteration give it a sweater jacket feel that I cannot wait to style this fall. If you would like to add snaps or buttons and buttonholes, you can do so now at your preferred spacing. Either way you can’t go wrong with this garment. It is a workhorse piece that you’d never know you needed until it’s in your closet and you catch yourself reaching for it again and again. Enjoy!
Thank you, Bean! I’m looking forward to diving in and making my own Eddie Smock Cardigan Sweater. If you make your own version we would love to see it! Share on IG with the hashtag #EddieSmockSweaterHack and be sure to tag @sewsoybean and @goldfinchtextilestudio.
Since the release of the Jones Trouser last spring, I have been thinking of a way to modify the pattern into shorts. The main roadblock to shortening the trousers into shorts was the leg gusset. The leg gusset is an integral part of the crotch curve length, and simply shortening the leg and gusset portion of the pattern layout would result in shorts that do not fit properly. I wasn’t sure how to rectify this issue while still maintaining a zero/minimal waste layout.
I had been putting off thinking about this issue as it felt like something I couldn’t solve, and I was having difficulty seeing how I could lay out the pattern differently. Now that summer has arrived, I realized that I had a hole in my wardrobe for a nice pair of shorts – I only had elastic waist shorts that I throw on for everyday wear. I wanted a pair of pleated, wide-hem shorts to wear casually or dressed up. A pair of Jones Trousers shorts would fill this hole perfectly, and with a little nudge from fellow sewists (@sewsoybean and @la.ila.creates, who both made Jones Trousers Shorts this spring), I was able to finally focus on coming up with a solution. And to my surprise, it was not nearly as difficult as I had let myself believe!
I started by staring at the pattern layout on my computer, and this got me nowhere but frustrated. So I dug out my paper pattern and started messing around with the pieces – moving and shifting each piece around. Through this process, I realized that the angle of the pockets matches the angle on the leg gusset, and these pieces could be nested together by flipping the leg gusset in the opposite direction than I had initially laid it out.
By nesting the leg gusset between the pockets pattern pieces, I could shorten the leg gusset significantly, allowing the legs to be shortened by the same amount. When I began this process, I was not committed to a specific inseam length as I wanted to be flexible in how I modified the layout. So I decided to use my pocket length as the inseam length (10” in this case). I planned to adjust the shorts’ length once I sewed them, as I wanted to include a wide-hem.
How to Adjust the Pattern Layout
Pattern Details: Size H made with Hemp Summercloth dyed with Rit Dye.
Fabric size required for Size H: 37″ wide by 62″ long
First, determine how long you would like your inseam. You can start with the length of the pockets as your inseam length, as I have done, or can start with a shorter inseam (the leg gusset will still be placed between the pockets and there will be a small excess of fabric).
Now, mark this inseam length on the leg pattern pieces. You can either trace a shortened version of the original pattern piece or fold the pattern piece back and out of the way. You can also straighten the outer leg seam at this point if your leg piece is long enough to still include the angle.
Once the necessary pattern adjustments to the inseam length have been made, then the remaining pattern pieces can be adjusted to work with the adjusted leg length. I eliminated the cuff piece and moved the fly pieces to fit within empty spots in the layout. There is a remaining rectangle that could potentially be used as patch/cargo pockets or for another project. Also, depending on the length of your belt loop piece, you may need to cut additional belt loops from the remaining rectangle. Note: If you are making Size I-S, you will make the same changes, but you will replace the cuff piece with the pocket extension piece.
Pattern Piece Cutting
After the pattern layout is fully adjusted, the pattern pieces can be laid out on the fabric and cut out. The pockets and the leg gussets should be placed on the fold. When cutting out the pattern pieces, DON’T cut the fold on the pockets. You will need to cut the fold on the leg gusset since the orientation of the leg gusset has changed. The leg gusset will be sewn back together in the proper orientation. For the remaining pieces, the process of cutting is the same as for the original pattern.
Sewing Process
Now that all the pieces are cut out and ready, the sewing can begin. First, you will need to sew the leg gusset piece together with a flat felled seam or a faux flat felled seam. After sewing the leg gusset together, you can then proceed as directed in the sewing instructions.
After the shorts are fully constructed, you will need to hem the shorts. I tried on my shorts and played around with how long I wanted the inseam to be. I decided on an inseam length of 7″. Due to the slight angle in the leg gusset, I was unable to simply turn up the hem and sew because the hem would not lay flat. At this point, I could have cut off the excess length, but since I wanted a wide hem, I needed to find a solution. After a bit of research and thinking about my finishing option, I decided to open the inseams as you would if you were shortening tapered pants.
To do this, I unpicked the inseam seams to about 1/2″ shorter than my desired hem width. I used a 2″ hem with an additional 1/2″ turned under to conceal the raw edge so I unpicked 2″ of the inseam. The wide hem could then be spread apart so that it would lay flat. To finish the seams, I pressed the raw edge toward the wrong side by 1/2″ and then again by 2″ and pinned the hem in place. Then, I folded and pressed the seam allowance of the split inseam toward the wrong side and pinned them flat. If you know from the beginning how wide you would like your inseam to be, you could stop your inseam seam at the appropriate point.
Once the hem is pinned, you can edgestitch the hem in place. When you reach the gaps at the inseam, just continue sewing so that it looks like a continuous seam from the outside. Then, finish the splits by hand-stitching each edge down. I used a blind hem stitch so that it would not be visible from the right side.
After the hem is finished you can give your shorts a final press and you’re done! I’m very pleased with my finished Jones Trouser Shorts and I will definitely be getting lots of wear out of them this summer. Please let me know if you have any questions about the process for hacking the pattern – email emily@goldfinch.limited or reach out on IG @goldfinchtextilestudio. I look forward to seeing more Jones Trousers Shorts in the world. Be sure to tag me on IG if you post your version. I love seeing your makes!!
One thing I love about the Eddie Smock is that once you understand how all the pieces come together, you can adjust the layout and design to suit not only your available fabric but also your preferences. For this hack, I used View 1 (the long-sleeved, dress version) as the base and I modified the neckline from a scooped neck to a v-neck, adjusted the layout to shorten the sleeves, and replaced the side ties with an elastic back. I also shortened the dress to work better for my height (5’4″). The steps below will walk you through the process of making these modifications to your Eddie Smock. You will need the original Eddie Smock pattern to complete this hack, along with a piece of elastic that is about half to two-thirds the length of your waist.
For this hack, I used 3/4″ elastic to gather the back. I chose this width because that’s what I had on hand and I didn’t want to use a wide elastic. You can choose to use whatever width suits you. The placement of the elastic casing can also be adjusted. I was able to make the whole dress first (with the exception of finishing the hem) and then decide exactly where I wanted the elastic to go. Once the dress was finished, I was able to pin the elastic over different portions of the back panel to decide where I wanted my elastic gathering to be.
Process
After selecting my size (Size B), I began the process of making my desired changes by shortening the front/back and side panels and swapping out the long sleeves from View 1 with the short sleeves from View 3. I used Adobe Illustrator to do this, but you could draw the layout to scale on a sheet of paper or use Inkscape (a free vector drawing program). I first shortened the front and back panels to 42″ (taking 4″(10.2cm) from the length). Then, I adjusted the side panel length and hem width based on the instructions in the instruction booklet. If you don’t need to make any length adjustments, you can skip to swapping out your sleeves.
To shorten the sleeves, I simply used the sleeve measurements from View 3 instead of the measurements from View 1. This left me with a sizable gap in the pattern layout. I used this area to my advantage and placed the pocket piece under the sleeves. Due to the width of the sleeve, the pockets didn’t need to be pieced together as in the original layout. I decided to keep the original length of the pockets, but this length could be adjusted if you wanted to. Also, because I used the short sleeve option, the cuff pattern piece was eliminated.
For the final adjustment to the layout, I eliminated the side tie pattern piece and made the remaining portion of the layout the continuous bias binding. Note: A long, skinny piece of fabric will need to be used for the elastic casing. This could be a scrap piece of fabric or it could be incorporated into the layout. I didn’t add this piece to my pattern layout because I used a scrap piece leftover from squaring off the fabric used to make the dress.
Once the pattern layout is finalized, you can make the necessary adjustments to the neckline template. After printing and cutting out the template for the front neckline, I took a piece of paper and placed the template in the top, right-hand corner. Then, I traced the template leaving me with a starting guide for adjusting the neckline. Next, you will want to determine how much you want to lower the neckline — 1/2″(1.3cm)-2″(5cm) depending on your preference. I chose to lower mine by 1.25″(3.2cm). Mark this point along the right-hand edge of your paper (the fold line edge of the template). Now, adjust the width of the neckline slightly — 1/2″(1.3cm)-1″(2.5cm). I widened mine by 1/2″(1.3cm). Again, mark this point.
After your height and width adjustments are made, you can change the neckline from a scooped neck to a v-neck. Begin by marking the edge of the button placket, 1.25″(3.2cm) over from the center of the neckline, and transfer over your new low point of the neckline to this edge. You don’t want to include the width of the button placket when re-drawing your neckline. To create the v-neck, you will connect this point to the new width point using a gentle curve. You can use a curved ruler to do this or if you don’t have a curved ruler, you can print one. Don’t just draw a straight line connecting the two points, as it will not look quite right on your body once sewn up.
Next, you will fold the paper on the button placket edge (at the 1.25″(3.2cm) point) and then fold it in again by 1/4″(0.6cm). This mimics how the button placket is created. Once folded, flip the paper over and trace the v-neckline. You will do this for both portions of the button placket (as shown below).
Finally, once the front neckline adjustments have been made, you will need to make the same width adjustment to the back neckline.
Sewing Steps
Now that all the pattern adjustments have been made, you can begin sewing your modified Eddie Smock. When sewing your garment you will follow the written instructions with a few minor changes to the process as follows below. I’ve noted when a step is skipped and when changes have been made to a particular step. If nothing is noted about a step, then proceed as written in the original directions.
To begin, follow the cutting steps as directed using your updated layout and use the new neckline template to trace your neckline to the front and back panels.
Skip Step 3
Step 4: If your pocket pattern piece was adjusted to eliminate the need to piece your pocket together, skip Step 4b.
Step 5: The image below shows how the new neckline and button placket will be pressed in place.
Step 6a: When making the neckline facing using the front neckline cutout, your piece will look different due to the v-neck adjustment. Instead of matching the wrong sides together, match the right sides together so that the box pleat will be on the wrong side instead of the right side.
Step 6b: When pressing the edge toward the wrong side, make sure the tip of the V is folded in to conceal any raw edges.
Step 6c: To determine how long to make the back pleat, measure down the length of the new neckline along the center of the back panel.
Step 6f: You may choose to adjust where the hang loop is positioned. In this case, I decided to place the hang loop at the neckline edge as shown below.
Step 8a-c: I chose to sew the panels together first and then finish them together. Since the side ties are not being used, you do not need to add the openings as directed in Step 8b.
Step 8d: Press the seam allowance toward the side seam. At this point, ONLY topstitch the seam allowances on the back panel. The front seam allowances will be topstitched at a later step.
Skip Step 10
Step 12: Follow the instructions for View 3 – the short-sleeve version.
Step 15: When finishing the neckline, I used the same instructions as given for the original neckline, but because of the angle of the neckline I made some adjustments at the button placket edge. The following is what worked for me, but it is not perfect. When pinning in place, I hung the bias binding over the edge slightly. Once sewn and pressed to the wrong side, the edge of the bias binding was very close to the edge of the button placket and I was able to continue as directed.
It may have been better to insert the bias binding using the traditional method so that you can align the angled edge with the edge of the button placket better than how I have done it. Play around with it a bit and see what works for you.
Step 16: Because the front panel seam allowances have not been topstitched yet, you will finish the hem after the elastic casing has been inserted.
Skip Step 18
How to add the elastic casing
The final step is to add the elastic casing. To begin, you will need to determine where you would like to insert the elastic casing. I chose to place mine at the same point where the side ties would have been inserted; starting and ending at the front panel/side panel side seam. By starting and ending at the seam, the seam allowance can be folded over the end of the casing and topstitched down to conceal the ends.
Once the placement has been determined, you will measure how long your casing needs to be by measuring from one endpoint to the other. For mine, the length was 36″(91.4cm). Next, determine the width of the casing. Take the width of your elastic and add 1″(2.5cm). My elastic was 3/4″(1.9cm) wide so I cut my casing 1.75″(4.4cm) wide by 36″(91.4cm) long. Then, press each long raw edge toward the wrong side, by 3/8″(1 cm).
To attach the casing, begin by marking a straight guideline from one endpoint to the other. To do so, I first marked the point where each side tie opening would have been, 16.5″(41.9 cm) down from the shoulder edge as shown in the instructions. Then, to find the point at the center back, I measured from the first points I marked (16.5″(41.9 cm) down from the shoulder) down to the hemline. I used this distance to measure up from the hem at the center back. Then I was able to connect all the points to have a straight guideline. With the guideline established, I pinned the casing in place and topstitched along both the top and bottom edge of the casing, leaving both ends open.
Now that the casing has been inserted, you will need to determine the length of the elastic. I didn’t want mine to be too tight, so I just measured on my waist, at about the point where the side ties would be inserted, from side to side. I marked the elastic at this point but didn’t cut it yet. Then, using a safety pin, I inserted the elastic into the casing. Once the elastic was in the casing, I pinned each end and tried it on. At this point, I decided to tighten it up just a bit. You will be able to play with it to determine just how gathered you want the back to be.
Once I was happy with the length, I cut the elastic, making sure it was still pinned in place. Then, I folded the seam allowance over the ends and topstitched it in place. This secured the ends of the elastic. Finally, I didn’t want my elastic to twist in the casing, so I also stitched it down at a couple of points on the back.
Lastly, I finished the hem as directed and was done!
If you have any questions about these modifications, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me via email – emily@goldfinch.limited. I would love to see any Eddie Smocks that you make – please share using the tags #EddieSmock and #GoldfinchEddieSmock – make sure to also tag @goldfinchtextilestudio.
I try to make some kind of Christmas gift for my family every year. Some years the gifts are more elaborate than others. Sometimes I have an idea well before Christmas, other years it feels more last minute. I’m sure if you have made handmade gifts you know this feeling well. And even though the official gift-giving season is over, for now, I thought I would talk a bit about the gifts that I made this year because really any time of year can be a time to give a handmade gift to a family member, a friend, or even yourself. Luckily, this year I managed to not only have an idea, but I had “plenty” of time to get it done. I say “plenty” because I did have lots of time to get the gifts done, but I still felt a bit of pressure – such is the nature of working in Santa’s workshop.
When Helen’s Closet released their pattern for the Sam Apron (free when you signup for their newsletter), I was hooked. For years I’ve been telling myself that I need to make myself a full apron – I had been sporadically wearing a half waist apron – and this was the perfect opportunity to finally get it done. I thought it would make the perfect gift for my family members as many are great home chefs and/or work in workshops where an apron would be readily used.
After reviewing the fabric requirements, I ordered some heavyweight linen hoping that I would be able to adjust the pattern to work with the width and yardage that I purchased. Since I was making aprons for a variety of people – different heights and sizes – I knew I needed to figure out a way that I could adjust the pattern so I won’t have a bunch of random pieces of leftover fabric. When I ordered the fabric I did not have a full plan yet, I was just hoping that I would be able to figure something out easily.
The pattern provides you with very helpful guidance on selecting a size. Because I was making these for people who were not standing in front of me, I needed to make some guesses. When selecting the sizes, I also wanted to take into account my fabric length and width so I would be able to maximize my fabric. Fortunately, I was able to divide the sizes of 6 individuals into 3 apron widths, i.e. 2 aprons at 31″ wide, 2 aprons at 33″ wise and 2 at 36″ wide. For the length, I decided to make them all the same by dividing the fabric width of 57″ in half and cutting the aprons out on the cross-grain. This allowed me to get 2 aprons for each width that I needed. This also meant that the aprons ended up being a bit short.
To solve this problem, I dug into my linen scrap collection with the idea of adding scrappy patchwork at the bottom of the aprons to make up for the missing length. Past me must have been planning for this because I found some already pieced-together linen that happened to be just about the sizes I needed. Needless to say, I was very excited about this find. It ended up being a huge time saver! I just sewed these patchwork strips at the bottom of the aprons and made the lengths different based on everyone’s height. This solved my length issue perfectly.
The next decision was to decide how to use the bib cutouts. I knew that I wanted to incorporate them into the apron somehow. For a bit, I thought of using them to lengthen the aprons, but that wasn’t going to work. Then I started playing around with various pocket ideas. The original pattern comes with ample pockets and I wanted to make sure the ones I made did too. In the end, I made a patch pocket out of the cutouts. I sewed the cutouts right-sides together, leaving a small opening so I could turn them right-side out. Once turned out and pressed, I had a nice lined patch pocket made for the apron offcuts. I sewed down the top edge and added a little indigo tag to each pocket.
I used more scrap linen for the top pocket and the towel loop – which by the way is an amazing addition to any apron! I also made it easier on myself and used twill tape for both the cutout finishing edge and the straps. I would have been able to piece enough scrap linen together to make the straps, but that would have increased my time spent by a lot.
In the end, I am very pleased with the outcome and so are the recipients. I even remember to wear mine while cooking – mostly! I would highly recommend the Sam Apron pattern – for yourself or as a gift. I enjoyed the process of taking a pattern and reimagining it as a zero-waste pattern. This one was simple and easy to do and I look forward to challenging myself more this year with this kind of work. I hope to share more of this in the coming months. If you have done the same, I would love to hear about it!
I have been thinking about making a dress version of the Lawrence Top for a while. I began with the idea of lengthening the tunic version and adding a wide ruffle at the bottom. I did the math, adjusted the pattern pieces, and selected fabric, but something was holding me back. The more I thought about my idea, the more I realized I couldn’t see myself wearing the final version. I loved the idea, but the design didn’t fit my wardrobe or lifestyle. I love the look of ruffles and frills, but I don’t necessarily like wearing them. I didn’t want to make something that I would only wear once or twice.
I put the idea on hold for a bit while I tried to decide what direction to go with it. When I found a piece of navy double gauze in my stash, my motivation for making a dress was renewed. I decided to blend the two views of the Lawrence Top and make an oversized shirt dress with a tie.
As I looked at the original pattern, I tried to think about what aspects of each view I wanted to use in the hacked dress. I wanted to use the shape and inseam pockets of the tunic version, but with shorter sleeves that could be rolled up if I wanted a different look. I also knew I wanted to incorporate the split hem from View B, but I wanted the hemline to be even.
Once I started laying out all the pieces on my fabric, I was able to work on more specific details of the design. My piece of fabric was 59″|150cm wide x 90″|229cm long. I began by switching the orientation of the original pattern pieces (to be oriented with the grain instead of cross-grain) so I could get more length. Based on the length of fabric I was able to get a dress that hits above the knee.
Adjusted pattern piece layout
I also wanted a little more volume to the dress, so I made the front and back panels wider. I didn’t change the width of the yoke and I was able to gather the panels more. I did make the yoke taller – making it 9”|23cm instead of 6”|15cm – to go with the proportions of the more oversized look.
The buttons are one of my favorite parts of the dress. I found these yellow, vintage buttons last summer and when I got them I had no project in mind. I just loved how all the different shades of yellow and different shapes went together. Once I started sewing the navy gauze, I remembered that I had the yellow buttons and I knew they would be the perfect fit for the dress. I love how they pop on the navy fabric and add a bit of whimsy to the dress.
While I was making the dress, I thought about various ways that it could be worn. I wanted to make sure that it worked in a variety of situations and seasons. The dress definitely feels fancier when it is tied at the waist, but it can also have a casual feel. I like how it feels flexible in its style. The dress layers well over leggings and it can be worn in the cooler months. And I discovered (after we took these pictures, of course) that it layers well over wide-leg culottes. Worn without the tie, it creates a very artist smock vibe which I really like. Wearing it untied, without pants, is also an option. I think it will be great to throw over my swimsuit when we head to the beach.
If you have made the Lawrence Top and/or tried hacking the pattern I would love to hear about it. Leave a comment or post and tag me on Instagram @goldfinch.limited #zwlawrencetop. I love seeing everyone’s makes!
