Sally’s Art Smock
by Sally’s Angelworks
Download printable PDF of this tutorial right here!
Here is a fun tutorial using some of Amanda Herring’s (the Quilted Fish) new laminate fabric from her Sugar and Spice line – an art smock for your little budding artist!! Grab your favorite paint brushes, crayons, and laminate fabric and create this with me!!
Fabric/Cutting requirements:
56”x23” piece of laminate
56”x23” piece of fabric for the lining
2 4”x10” pieces of laminate and fabric each for ruffle sleeve
2”xWOF strip of laminate
Strip of 2 ½” binding of fabric (cut on the bias for the collar)
Another strip of 2 ½” x 13.5” binding (for the top of the big pocket)
10”x13” piece of laminate (big pocket)
10”x10” piece of laminate (little crayon/paint brush pocket)
Trim/crocheted flowers – optional
Before I show you how to whip this puppy up, I wanted to share Amanda’s Laminate sewing tips! I stole these right off of her checkerboard tutorial post on the Riley Blake blog right here! Check it out! Such cute stuff and perfect for your leftover laminates after you finish this project…anyway, on to her tips:
1. Use a walking foot! I went through 2 boxes of needles before I figured that out. Slow learner, I know. If you don't have a walking foot, you may want to try a teflon foot. I have also heard that blue painters tape on the throw plate helps, too. I use a walking foot and it works like a dream!
2. The Riley Blake laminated fabrics are so nice that you can iron them. Not on the laminated side (obviously) but on the back. Use a HOT iron. You CAN iron on the front but only if you use an ironing cloth.
3. You can wash the laminated fabrics, too! I would not dry them, just hang to dry. Then iron if you need to.
Let’s sew it up!!
*To make the ties, I took one 2” strip and folded it (long ways) right sides together and sewed with a ¼” seam. I used my FasTurn tool and turned it right side out! I then folded it in half and cut it in half, then did the same to cut it into quarters.
*Put the 4”x14” strips (ruffle sleeve pieces) of laminate and fabric lining right sides together and sew them together leaving one 14” side open.
*top stitch those three finished edges. You can iron on the fabric side, but be careful not to leave your iron on it too long!
*Go to your raw edge and sew a gathering basting stitch (I used the longest stitch my fun machine can do!!) and then gather that edge! Go back over the gatherings with a regular sized stitch to secure the gathers.
*Place your big laminate piece and your lining fabric piece right sides together and pin the long edges together. Keep your pins as close to the edge as you can. Remember pinning laminate can cause holes that don’t really go away. Just a reminder (since I’ve lived it a couple of times throughout this tutorial!! LOL!)!!
*Fold the pieces in half (both ways) to find the middle. Cut a hole in the middle for your little artist’s head. Check this measurement out by dropping it over his/her head. You will want it a little bit bigger than you think because the binding will make it smaller! (trust me…another lesson learned…sigh!)
*Using a pin to mark that middle, you want to put that ruffle sleeve in between the two pieces of fabric. First, mark where the middle is on the sleeve, then stick it between the two fabrics. Make sure you match the fabrics (ie…the lining fabric should be up on both pieces), and then match the middle pins!
*Measure down from the middle evenly on both sides where you want to put your ties. Make sure you have all four ties pinned in between the fabrics before you sew the sides. (hint from a non-perfectionist: you can drop that inside-out smock over your darling's head and pin one where you want it and match the measurements for the other three after you've taken it back off. Wherever they end up, they will keep the darling's clothes from getting painted on! yipeeee!!)
*Sew all of the side seams. Turn it right side out! Yay!
*Now, if you did my earlier tutorial of my fun white space 9-patch, you may be like me and have a bunch of binding left over. I’m notorious for having a bunch of extra binding. Anyway, if you didn’t do the tutorial, you can cut new binding on the bias. This will help you to stretch this around the curved edges.
*I sewed this on just like a typical binding, matching raw edges, sewing and folding it over and handsewing the other side.
*optional – add trim!! (this is seriously cute stuff from Riley Blake Designs…mini pompom fringe!
The Pockets!
*Fold the side and bottom edges in ¼” of the 10”x13” piece of laminate. Sew top stitching all around leaving the top edge raw. (remember, painter's tape on the throat plate can help with moving that laminate along. My walking foot was helping keeping it going through!)
*fold the 10”x10” piece of laminate and place it where you want it on the big pocket.
*Pin the edges with trim covering the raw edge and sew! If you aren’t using trim, go ahead and fold the edges and sew them down.
*To make the little pockets for your paintbrushes, use a pen or a couple of paint brushes and sew against them. Start from the bottom and go up to the open top. Things just stay a little neater going that way…trust me, I tried both ways! Teehee!!!
*Take some more of that wonderful binding and sew it raw edge to raw edge to the top of the pocket. (use a 13.5” piece and fold each end inside and press)
*Instead of handsewing the other side, I folded the binding over and machine sewed it. I like the look!
*Grab your art smock and position the pocket where you want it and pin the edges with a few pins on the top stitching so you don’t have those extra pesky holes. Sew right over that top stitching. Be warned…if you are a perfectionist, sew slowly and carefully. I’m not, so my pocket is a little whomperjayed…not a problem for me!
*To finish the bottom edges, fold both the lining and the laminate to the inside ½” and press. I then zigzagged the edge about 3/8” in from the edge.
You are pretty much done here!!!
But if you’ve been following Amanda’s or my blog, you know that I love to be authentic in my tutorials. It’s only fair you should learn from my crazy sewing habits.
*After I sewed my pocket onto the smock, I noticed this craziness at the bottom. Instead of just pretending it was not there, I decided to make it an opportunity for more glam!
*Riley Blake has these awesome crocheted flowers that cover a multitude of sewing sins! (yep, the seam ripper and I are the best of friends!!) I grabbed two of them and added a little button and sewed it right on top of that little blurb!
*perfection!! Love!!!
And here is my finished project!!
Let me know if you do this tutorial!! It was great fun for me…so much so that I get to whip up another one for my darling 11yo. Watch my blog to see how it all turns out! AND I have lots of fun stuff/inspiration/ideas/craziness happening on the old blog…check it out here: http://sallysangelworks.typepad.com. Be sure to run over there soon and sign up for the newsletter! My August edition will come out this weekend! You won't want to miss it!! :)
Special thanks to Amanda for all of her love, encouragement, fun laminate fabric and exciting Sugar and Spice fabric! Yay!!
