making my dream pleated mini skirt (SEWING MY PINTEREST BOARD PT 2)

[@mettenielsen]

A game changer for me: more of a mindset thing, but leaning into what I enjoy making. I enjoy hand-sewing at the moment (maybe one day I will get tired of it and will want to move on to machine sewing). I started machine sewing a few years back but it never stuck, I didn't enjoy the speed of it, and the fact that i could make so much stuff in such a short time. Just didn't enjoy that somehow. The whole process of working on the machine just didn't feel good. When I gave up on the machine and decided to start again by hand i have been enjoying it so much more, and i love what i create more too. So i guess my game changer would be to allow yourself to work the way you enjoy. When you enjoy the work more, the end result becomes better too.

[@fromcarlyb]

This is such a wonderful comment. Everyone needs to see this!!!

[@LeeLee86]

Carly you are such a doll!! I am a 44yo mother of 2 grown kids about your age. I no longer work (due to health reasons) and since my kids are grown and don’t need me like they used to, I needed a hobby and watching your videos has inspired me to buy a sewing machine and learn how to sew and make stuff!! Your joy is infectious, your silliness and smile is what this world needs more of! Please know that you and your videos really do make an impact on people and help to brighten their world. It has been a really really hard last few years for me but I have gotten a little pep in my step and am excited to do learn and something new! My family has even commented on how excited I am and how much more I smile lately. And it truly is from watching you and your videos!! It has helped me get out of this rut I’ve been in and this doom and gloom feeling!! Thank you Love, keep inspiring and just being you! ❤❤❤

[@anjak.8183]

What a beautiful message ❤️

[@dodgethis_]

My tip is for beginners: when sewing, ensure the loose fabric is not twisted, hanging down off the table, etc. It's SO much harder to sew a straight line when the fabric pulls in random directions. Take a moment to straighten it so it's flat and at the right angle to your sewing line - a simple thing, but it makes a huge difference.

[@LittleDizzyGirl]

Under stitching was the biggest game changer for me. It really adds a polished touch

[@MrsLeBlanc14]

My game changer was my ultra short throw projector. I am not skilled enough to draft my own patterns, just alter patterns a little (if needed) from indie designers, and instead of printing 80-150 or so pages of paper, I just project right onto my table and get going. It’s been amazing.

[@fromcarlyb]

WOW!!!!! This sounds like such a level up

[@GinnyEvergreen]

My game changer was realising and accepting that I don't have the patience for sewing myself, but just love to watch sewing videos, and that's okay😂❤

[@hollypk]

Ah ha ha! That’s awesome! I love it! 👍

[@linal427]

me too, i just crochet as i find it easier!

[@sharonrussell7933]

I'm 76 and have been sewing most of my life. I love your vids because you point out and problem solve different situations. When I decided to button hole by hand, I would sit down and make one after another on scrap material until I was happy with my results. Keep up your videos and teach us all the best way. 😊

[@busybila]

My biggest tip is getting a clear invisible zipper foot, the type with a notch to catch the zipper teeth! I just uploaded a video with other random tips I learned in fashion school. Love how the skirt came out!! You can definitely do a skort next time and it might surprise you how easy they actually are!

[@fromcarlyb]

LOVE IT!!! Also I will have to just bite the bullet & give it a go!!!

[@dodgethis_]

Stitching in the ditch is even easier if you use a zipper foot! You can use the side of the foot to lift and push the waistband fabric slightly so the stitch gets buried completely!

[@KelseyCodes]

That’s a great idea!

[@bellas535]

Loved the captions added!! I’m hard of hearing and sometimes the KZbin auto captions are either incorrect, unavailable, or the grey boxes put around disrupt the ability to see the projects in videos so I absolutely loved this! Also obsessed w ur skirt it’s adorable the hand stitched contrast thread for your button hole is perfect 🤩

[@fromcarlyb]

Ok fantastic! I have also been frustrated at KZbin auto-captions, so I'm glad it's not just me. Thanks for the feedback! Also thank you!!! heheh thank you for appreciating my buttonhole stitching!!!

[@ellamcleod9948]

Love this! My tip: oil your machine! Especially when it’s your Gran’s from the 60s 😂

[@Georr17]

idk why but I'm scared of oiling my machine lol but I'll do it if you say so!

[@deidraliddell8543]

I feel you on having to redo the wasteband. Thats why I hand baste it before sewing it down on the machine. That thing is going NOWHERE. 😂 Because the pins can still shift even when you're super meticulus about it. I want security. 😂 😂

[@bibblepp]

my tip is just a simple always press; never underestimate the use of the iron! also, i'd LOVE to see a skort experimentation. i love the look of mini skirts but can never wear in fear of flashing!

[@Ashbeazil]

Half of sewing is pressing! So true. My sewing was garbage till I stopped being lazy with the iron.

[@fromcarlyb]

hey everyone! let me know how you feel about the captions in this video? (i'm personally a captions girl so i wanted to give it a go!) hope you're having a wonderful week AND be sure to leave your BEST SEWING TIPS in the comments!!! lots of love!!

[@paper_maiden]

I always turn on the auto-captions so the hard subs are appreciated!

[@iwishfortherain]

I prefer watching without captions personally and if I need them I can turn on the KZbin captions

[@tayah1676]

I love love love the captions!!! I always turn on the KZbin ones and was happily surprised when I saw your captions 🥰❤️ They’re awesome for accessibility!

[@fromcarlyb]

@@paper_maiden love it!!

[@fromcarlyb]

@@iwishfortherain I appreciate the feedback! :D

[@SuzanneChristian-v3m]

Cutting my patterns on a raised table top in lieu of the floor....CHANGED THE GAME IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. LOL. Thanks for showing us all of the steps to your sewing .....mistakes and alll....that's truly what sewing is all about! Love your vids Carly!

[@fromcarlyb]

INCREDIBLE !!!!!!!

[@chloemxrie]

god i love your brain, you're seriously my favorite creative i know of and such an inspiration!!

[@fromcarlyb]

whaaaaaat this is so niceeeeee !!!! THANKS FOR WATCHING

[@emh.1178]

Gluing the buttonhole just blew my mind thank you

[@NatalieEng113]

ok production value!!! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@fromcarlyb]

AWH!!! working on it hehe

[@littleaudity]

I love this skirt so much!!!! I wanna make one for myself right now something that changed the game for me was tailors chalk (at least, that's what it is in the US). it's heat erasable and lasts so much longer than my heat erasable markers ever did. will never go back to anything else to mark out pattern pieces

[@fromcarlyb]

so goooooooood

[@lynn858]

If your fabric frays minimally or not at all, and you're sewing curves together - 1/4" seam allowance will be far easier than 1/2" or 5/8" like commercial patterns recommend. Bras cups are inserted into the cradle this way. It will definitely allow you to do some intense princess seams. You can cover the seams with bias tape or seam binding after if you're not lining it.

[@fromcarlyb]

INCREDIBLE information. Thank you!!

[@aliciajordan98]

That skirt is adorable!!! Also love the captions, my adhd brain struggles to hear things properly and having captions means I don't need to pause and go back to double check what I misheard. I'm still in the early days of learning how to sew but I highly recommend making a mock version if you're using a pattern and the pattern makes absolutely no sense to you. I spent 20mins trying to comprehend one step in a sewing pattern while using the mock and it made sure that my mistakes and learnings were all done on the mock instead of the actual material I wanted to use.

[@ljshaw8516]

Inverted box pleat! Thanks Carly.

[@MicahKC]

I would also love a skort video! My biggest tip was that the small things (different kinds of needles, different kinds of thread, different presser feet) work absolute wonders to make my sewing look and feel more secure ☺

[@fromcarlyb]

yes!!! i'll make one for sure! also love that tip.

[@briannakyse5167]

Wow! I don't personally need them but I can appreciate the extra time you put into the subtitles. Super thoughtful and it did not go unnoticed :)

[@fromcarlyb]

i appreciate your feedback !!! thank you!

[@hollypk]

It’s so fun watching you UP your skill set with each video! I’m 60, and have been sewing off and on since I was 5. Lately my products have gotten SO much better with these self rules: Never sew in a hurry, Accept that the iron is as important as the sewing machine, Unpick any seam I’m not totally happy with, and Replace my picker often because they dull really quickly. But above all, influenced by young sewists including you I invested in a serger/overlocker, and I’m thrilled by the results. And it’s so fun to use! (And changing the thread on it isn’t nearly the nightmare many have made it out to be.😁)

[@firstaidfaery]

tip for sewing invisible zippers: BEFORE you sew the seam, hand baste one side of the zipper. zip it closed and line up the other side, then hand baste that. then sew the zipper on with the machine (WAY easier to machine sew an invisible zipper without pins), then sew the rest of the seam from the bottom of the zipper down to the hem of the skirt. I don’t know if that all made sense but it’s how I sew invisible zippers and I’ve never had a problem :)

[@fromcarlyb]

LOVE IT!!!!!

[@neon-heart]

Bonus tip - if you want to be even lazier (like me), use Wonder Tape to tape down the zip before sewing it! Removes the annoying pins that sometimes get in the way.

[@c.r.8195]

I HAVE THAT SEWING BOOK!! It's the best to have such a comprehensive guide of what even exists out there for sewing, sometimes you don't even know what words to use to explain to Google what you want, this book comes in clutch for me all the time ❤❤❤

[@keeleybrown9209]

What’s the name of the sewing book?

[@c.r.8195]

​@@keeleybrown9209 It's the Reader's Digest "Complete Guide to Sewing" :D Her and my copy are OG late 70's copies. In my case I had to pay twice the book's price in shipping, but it's been so worthed. My understanding is that these older versions have more info than the newer editions, but honestly I don't think any Reader's Digest book is going to be bad 😊 Evelyn Wood, here on YT, has a great video talking about sewing books that are good to have. Just type her name + 'books' and she you should come up at the top ✨

[@jildou1411]

I've learned so many good things since I started sewing during the pandemic! One of my favourite ones is to ruffle/gather things with leftover bits of topstitching thread, which not only doesn't snap as easily as normal thread but is also so much easier to take out after! Also, learn how to do a flat felled seam, they're my favourite on jackets and trousers!

[@hollypk]

Oooo. The flat felled seam. I know how to do it now, and looking for a project where I can use that!

[@felinetherapy4782]

Very cute. I love my box pleat skirts. Timeless.

[@fromcarlyb]

Thank you so much!!

[@lexyesss]

Love the addition of the captions!! I'm not sure how you feel about the caption feature on KZbin but you might want to try it so they are togglable for people who don't like them? Personally I really like them so can watch on low volume before bed without missing anything 😍

[@fromcarlyb]

Let me have a little investigate to see if I can upload my own captions to KZbin! Fantastic - I'm glad to hear it!

[@Rainicornucopia]

Forced captioning drives me crazy. I’m pretty sure there is a way you can upload your own somehow. I do watch another KZbinr and people were commenting how grateful they were that she did that. But some thing about little flashing letters on the screen kind of makes me dizzy. I had to cover the bottom of my screen so I could watch.

[@kaytiej8311]

I had the shorts version of that Style pattern 44 years ago and loved it so much. Good choice! How cute.

[@paper_maiden]

Also, I forgot to say, I would really like a skort video!

[@TiaDonohoe-jk8sd]

SAME

[@hollypk]

For me, with fuller hips, I like inverted pleats! They are more slimming.

[@valleriejoy]

I love your videos. Best tip for me …. Make a mock-up, it’s really improved my end result.

[@mannliie]

omg that horse sweater???? so adorable, everything in this video is so adorable, the editting the subs, the process?? i dont even wear skirts usually but this made me want to try sometime soon! great video, carly! and my only tip is to take a day to make patterns and cut my fabric for 2~3 projects at once so it's easier for me to get motivated to just get sewing when i feel like it

[@conchesodan]

Carly, you are not only a sewist but an artist and creative as well!🎉

[@Georr17]

omg I've been sewing for YEARS now and that stich on the ditch thing you did there? I never thought about it and it's FANTASTIC, I can't wait to make a project with a waistband to try it. My tip, I think it's kind of everyone's knowledge, but it you're sewing a rubbery fabric like those lycra pleathers or such, sandwich it between some regular parchment paper. The seam ends up so crisp!

[@ima8track]

I got a mini iron (off brand version of a Cricut EasyPress) and a small ironing pad that sit on my sewing table right next to my machine. Being able to quickly press seams and darts without getting up makes my work much more efficient. (I used to have to iron in a different room and it was so tedious going back and forth every few minutes!)

[@fromcarlyb]

VERY CLEVER!!!!

[@paper_maiden]

I love your explanation of the stitch in the ditch. I never understood that before!!!

[@lnboxco397]

Hi, tips : interfacing on the pieces cut on the bias such as collar, v or pocket

[@moonhunter9993]

To iron before, during and after sewing. What I didn't know is that ironing doesn't just make your sewing "look good" but it actually sets the seams, meaning there's no pulling/shifting after you finished.

[@fromcarlyb]

COULDN'T AGREE MORE!!!

[@moonhunter9993]

@@fromcarlyb ❤️

[@meggzbenni]

i totally feel the need to slow down with sewing now that i'm more experienced. getting those finishes perfect are so worth the time it takes. the pleat positioning you used turned out so amazing!

[@petrathorsty3833]

Mine is to press every single seam (and to not skip stay stitching ). When I first started sewing I always avoiding pressing things and now that I've started it's so clear how much it improves a garment

[@sandrab5477]

Skort : yes yes yes ! I like dresses and skirts but because of chaffing, I always have to wear underwear leggings and they are quite often long so not mini skirt friendly. I remember when I was a kid, I loved sports so much.

[@fromcarlyb]

ok wonderful!!!! i will certainly do this in the future!!! I remember loving skorts so much as a kid too !

[@annalina-we]

i just bought myself a good quality tailors chalk a few days ago after using a shitty one from the dollar store for two years - absolute blessing lol, i no longer hate tracing patterns

[@pocketfullofbugs]

My sewing tip is for unpicking. Unpick a few stitches on say the right side of the fabric and pull the thread, then on the wrong side, you have a nice loose thread so unpick a few on that side, pull the thread, and then repeat. I hope that makes sense. It’s great for having to unpick hems or seams quickly and you don’t get a bunch of tiny bits of thread everywhere. I absolutely love inverted box pleats! Also your skirt is beautiful and I also love hand sewing buttonholes! 😊

[@positivepossum13]

I would love a skort video!! I am dying to know how to make one!

[@Billybloop]

My tip, a ruffling foot. It makes ruffles take a hot minute instead of forever and there is no stress and thread snapping, no unevenness.

[@KelseyCodes]

I need to get one, but every time I search there’s so many styles and options of ruffling foot and I get overwhelmed. I’ll have another search..

[@MyBirdyLife]

My biggest tip would be, look up any tips and tricks about the fabric you're working with before you start. Currently working on a project with satin and knowing you have to cut on the bias was such a game changer!

[@AJisreading]

I would loooove a skort video!! I've been wondering they might be the solution to my QLD summer woes, so if you happen to have a crack before then that would be fab!

[@PortobelloPink]

“What’s changed the game in my sewing practice” the seem ripper trick. Put it in ball side and it just glides!

[@fromcarlyb]

INCREDIBLE

[@TheHopefulRebel]

I'm definitely an inverted box pleat girl - I found a excellent quality second-hand vintage skirt from Fletcher Jones (probably from back when there was a factory in Victoria) and it had inverted box pleats and now I can't go back. One day I hope I'll be able to make a skirt like that, but until then, I'll enjoy wearing the one I own!

[@CrownedLily]

Honestly, pressing my seams as I work has been a game changer. Not so much a tip, as I already knew I should be doing it. Once I started though game changer. I moved and my ironing broad is now set up right near my sewing machine and not in the next room so I press now.

[@fromcarlyb]

love this tip!! i had the same revelation one day & never looked back! thank you for sharing

[@ibengoosbahnson1260]

Your skirt is lovely ❤️ I love skorts, so it would be interesting to see you make one/a pair (?)

[@fromcarlyb]

on it!!

[@kristofkramar-hendrickson9474]

hi! i just wanna say, defs try new sewing techniques are awesome and like u said will help with ur skills and learning. i also want u to know tho that if u love a lap zipper and an unlined skirt and wanna stick with that after trying new stuff doooo iiiit. ive been a tailor for five years and my favorite way to create garments is in a way that is super tailorable. that means alot exposed seams obvious hand sewing and lots off extra seem allowance. some may think this is blasphemy! but its simply the way i prefer sometimes!!! i dont have any quick tips to share mostly because all i like to do is tedious work lol. and last note the pleating you did was basically a double pleats. you should try thoooooose i think ull like them!!

[@BookishLovely]

Please do a skort video, I would love to make a skort since it is super windy where I live but I am so intimidated!

[@brookeemarie]

Using a basting stitch to measure where you need to fold. Need to hem 1/2”? Sew a basting stitch 1/2” from the bottom and fold and press on that stitch. That was a game changer for me.

[@carolinadelaurenzio6603]

Pls do a skort 💕

[@Deer_Woman]

PLEASE do a skort! i like skirts too but im a thick thigh girly and i chafe when i wear skirts D':

[@fromcarlyb]

noted !!! i will defs do this in the future!

[@khedidjayahialahssene2340]

Go for the skort 🤸 .. make the back side of it longer then the front side

[@ChloeRichardson-j9z]

Loved this video thank you!!! Would love a skort video!

[@GinnyEvergreen]

Skort skort skort skort skort!🎉💃

[@moda78z]

❤❤❤

[@thayslenamartinez3215]

😍😍😍😍 18:28

[@RavenAttwoode]

Skort, please!

[@augustclementine]

skort video please!!!

[@fuzzles93]

I’m laughing cuz I went to a private school and those skirts the longer ones coming right above the knee were are school uniform and honestly they were very comfy but not something I view as a outfit outside school lol

[@wolfietaurus]

Hi, hello. I would like to request a skort video from you, please, and thank you XD 💕

[@fromcarlyb]

ON IT!!!

[@QuicklyLiquid]

this is so random but you sort of look like gracie lawrence (she also is a pleated mini skirt lover, which is why i thought of this)