Tutorial: How to Pattern Hack Coco for Breastfeeding/Nursing

So this tutorial is only going to be of use for a small minority of sewers. However, like my maternity top pattern tutorial, you may wish to bookmark it for the future! ;-) Over the last seven months I've found that attempting to dress in a stylish and comfortable way for breastfeeding/nursing can be a total pain in the arse/impossible. This is especially true if, like me, you prefer to make your own clothing rather than buy mass manufactured garments. Here's a way to adapt your favourite jersey top pattern, for example the Tilly and the Button's Coco which I've used here, for breast feeding functionality.

The basic concept of this pattern hack is to create an elasticated overlap of fabric at the boob area. In this top (or dress if you're making that version) you can discreetly 'gain access' without needing to lift up your whole garment, yank your neckline down or fiddle with any buttons or zips. You remain well covered which is a major bonus if, like me, you feel the cold or you don't enjoy exposing lots of flesh. Plus you also don't need to wear a vest layer underneath either, which I've been concerned about now we are approaching warm weather. This is an awesome answer to those two climate conundrums! 

My modesty prevents me from modelling it's full function so here's my dress form instead to give you a proper idea!:

Pattern prep:

A note about sizing: This pattern hack works on close fitting garments, so you may want to consider sewing a size smaller than you otherwise would, or take in the side seams a bit half way through your make. If you are in between sizes on the Coco pattern, definitely go for the smaller one.  

Step 1:

Trace the front pattern piece for whichever Coco view you are planning to make, transferring the notches and any useful markings from the original pattern.

Step 2:

Cut the front pattern piece out and hold it up to your body in front of a mirror (sorry you'll have to imagine this bit in your head as doing it plus taking a photo at the same time proved impossible!). You will need to make two small marks on your pattern in pencil:
1) the top of your breast, roughly where the top edge of your bra cup sits (don't worry, this doesn't have to be super accurate, this line will be hidden).
2) your 'empire line', about 3/4 down your breast (more flattering than a line that hits right underneath your breast).

Step 3:

Draw lines through your marks that extend across the front pattern piece. The lines need to be at right angles to the centre front.

Step 4:

Make two new pattern pieces by tracing round your front pattern piece:

1) For the first, trace round the top part of the front pattern piece to the lower of the two lines you just drew. Add 1cm (3/8") seam allowance below the lower line. Cut the piece out. This is the new pattern piece is the upper front pattern piece and is pictured on the left below.

2) For the second, trace round the bottom part of the front pattern piece to the upper of the two lines you just drew. Add 1cm (3/8") seam allowance above the upper line. Cut the piece out. This is the new pattern piece is the lower front pattern piece and is pictured on the right below.

Step 5:

Add a notch on each of your new pattern pieces at the side seams where the other piece finishes (minus the seam allowance you added). These notches will help with the construction of the garment. You should be just be able to see them in the picture below to see what I mean:

Now cut out your pattern pieces in fabric as you usually would, replacing the original front pattern piece with your new upper and lower front pattern pieces.

Applying the elastic to the fabric pieces:

This stage should be completed after cutting the fabric pattern pieces out but before garment construction ensues.

Step 6:

Lay the fabric upper front piece wrong side up on a table. Leaving extra clear elastic over the edge of the side seam, pin one end of elastic to the bottom edge of the pattern piece (pictured below). Being careful not to stretch the elastic NOR allow it to be too loose, lay the elastic along the bottom edge and pin in place at the other end, once again leaving extra clear elastic over the edge of the side seam.

Step 7:

Marking with a pin, pen or whatever method you prefer, make the elastic 1cm (3/8") shorter and re-pin to the lower edge. As you can see in the picture below, the elastic will now not quite lie flat against the fabric.

Step 8:

Slightly pulling the elastic as you go so no pleats or tucks appear, baste the elastic along the bottom edge of the upper front piece by stitching down the centre of the clear elastic with a straight stitch. Then fold the 1cm (3/8") seam allowance up, encasing the elastic, and stitch using your preferred stretch stitch (I've used a three-step zigzag here).

Step 9:

Repeat Steps 6, 7 and 8 to apply elastic to the top edge of the lower front piece, HOWEVER make the elastic 2cms shorter in length than the top edge (unlike the 1cm you shortened the elastic on the upper front piece). The elastic applied to these edges prevents them from gapping as long as the overall top is a snug fit. The elastic on the upper front edge isn't quite as tight as the elastic on the lower front piece because a gathered effect on the upper front piece is less desirable as it would be more visible.


Garment Construction:

Now you can continue the construction of your garment as per the pattern instructions using the upper front piece instead of the old front piece to complete the shoulder seams, neckline/collar finishing and sleeve head insertion.

Step 10:

When you are ready to stitch your sleeve seams and side seams (usually done in the same process), you need to bring your lower front piece to the party. Lay the lower front piece face down on top of the upper front piece so they create an overlap. This is where those little notches to made in the side seams really help you to align the pieces correctly.

With the sleeve and side seams stitched, now would be a really good time to pop the garment on and see how it's fitting. As I've said before, the overlap will only function well and look nice and gape-free if the fit of the garment is quite snug. If it looks like it might be gaping, pinch in the side seams to see how much extra needs to be removed from the side seams. Withe the fit perfected, you can finish the construction of your garment.

Now you're ready for a hungry baby!

Introducing 'Hello Sewing Machine' E-Book with Discount Code!!!

I don't know about you, but I love to find out about what interesting and innovative sewing-related things people get up to. Which is why I was really excited when Tasha from Stale Bread into French Toast emailed me about her recently created e-book designed to assist and encourage more people to get over the hurdles that might be preventing them from learning to sew.

I'm a firm believer that more sewers equals more creatively nourished, self-expressive and actively thrifty people in the world and helpful, encouraging and beautiful texts/blogs/articles etc. like this e-book will help swell our ranks. 'Hello Sewing Machine' really does 'what it says on the tin': it introduces you to your sewing machine and helps take the fear out of all those confusing dials, knobs and pedals. It'll have you get your machine up and running in no time with lovely illustrations as well as carefully written descriptions to guide you. It also helps you actively get over any fear you may have towards your machine with simple drawstring bag-making project that makes you put a lot of what you've learn into action. The super-helpful troubleshooting and glossary sections are fantastic as well.

Tasha has generously offered readers of my blog a substantial 25% discount on 'Hello Sewing Machine' which you can use when checking out of her Etsy shop. Looking at the sales of Tasha's shop, her e-book is already 'out there' in the world actively helping heaps of people get their heads round the tricky parts of the awesome activity known as sewing. So if you feel you could use some support in this area, or have a friend who is interested in sewing but needs a little push to get over the technical barriers, then why not buy yourself/your friend this e-book using the code HELLOSOZO, which is valid until the end of August 2013.

But you know me, I'm a nosey bugger and I wanted to hear more about Tasha's project. She sweetly agreed to answer some questions about it which I'm sharing with you here...

Z: What inspired you to create this e-book? 

T: Since I started my blog, I’ve been amazed at how much is online for sewers. There are many wonderful blogs of course (including yours Zoe!) and also so many beautiful independent patterns, tutorials, sew-alongs—pretty much all the help you could ask for, but I still thought there was a gap where someone who hasn’t sewn anything before would be lost. Most of what’s out there assumes that you have some basic skills already. If you have never used a sewing machine before, there are some really basic facts (like how the machine makes stitches and why tension on the thread is important, etc.) that are hard to find online, but will give you a much more solid foundation for sewing. Also, I know a lot of people in real life who have a sewing machine, and even plans for things to make with it, but don’t quite have the confidence to get it out and get started. I wanted to create a thorough, approachable way for all of them to fill the gap between what they know and what they would like to know about sewing, and to give them a confident start to take on bigger projects. I’ve taught lots of beginners in face-to-face sewing classes, and I wanted to translate what I’ve learned from that into a format that could work all over the world.

Z: Why is it important to you to get more people sewing? 

T: I’m trying to save the world! It may sound silly, but I think it’s better to just admit it. I was talking to a friend who is an environmental journalist, and she gave me the most blank look when I talked about how crafting is tied to conservation, but to me it totally is. You don’t have to make all your own clothes to discover the work that goes into the everyday items in your life, and then to realize the satisfaction of making some of them yourself. I think making things for ourselves is a powerful force for change in our whole society. It can break us out of the cycle of consumerism, and into a place where we are really content with what we have and what we can provide for ourselves.

Z: What part of making it did you enjoy the most? 

T: My favorite part was doing the drawings. It was also difficult, it was at the edge of what I could do illustration-wise, and I definitely erased as much as I drew! But in the end I loved how the drawings came out, especially some of the ones of the old treadle machine (I think old machinery is beautiful) which I did near the end. Now, if I can just keep my drawing skills up until the next project!

Z: What part of the process presented you with the biggest difficulties? 

T: The very technical parts are the most challenging to me. I had to learn a whole lot more about Photoshop than I had ever used before, in order to take the drawings on the screen from what came out of the scanner back to what they looked like to me on the page when I drew them. And at the end it seemed like I would never, ever stop editing the text, but eventually of course I had to declare it done! 

Z: What does sewing mean to you/ what role does sewing play in your life? 

T: Beyond what I said about saving the world, sewing (and cooking and knitting and fixing things, etc.) to me is about a deep sense of joy. It’s almost like the money-and-environment-saving part of it is just a happy side effect, I really do it because of the lasting sense of self-sufficiency, and resulting satisfaction with my life that I get when I make things—especially the things that I need and use everyday.

Z: What are your hopes for this endeavour? 

T: My biggest hope is that Hello Sewing Machine will take a lot of people from thinking of sewing as something they might try sometime, to actually going ahead and trying it! And that the foundation they get from what I’ve written will serve them well and allow them to take on more advanced projects down the road with confidence. It would be just amazing if I could be part of the journey to handmade for more people! Thanks so much Zoe for featuring me on your lovely blog! I loved answering your questions—they were thought provoking and fun to write about at the same time.

Refashion with 'So, Zo': Rework Your Wardrobe Session

I'm pretty sure the vast majority of the people reading post this will not be interested in taking this class, because you probably already have mad-skillz in this area. But nevertheless, I want to share with you my new Rework Your Wardrobe session/class which will take place in Brighton on Sunday 3rd February because, A) you may know someone who it would appeal to, and B) some peops have expressed an interest in hearing about my self-employed shenanigans and this class is part of that. 

This Rework your Wardrobe session encourages attendees to bring their unloved, unworn, broken or ill-fitting clothes to the session and learn skills and techniques that will bring them back into wardrobe rotation!

The beginning of the New Year can often feel frustrating and miserable. You've spent far too much money over the festive period, plus if you're in the Northern Hemisphere you've got months of grey and chilly weather ahead until Spring shows it's face. You would really like some new clothes in your wardrobe for an injection of new style for the new year, but financially it's just not happening! This session, however, could help you rework and refresh things you already have to bring some much needed fun into your clothing selection. 

Reworking your existing clothes, rather than chucking them away and buying new things, saves you money and has a much smaller environmental impact. Plus, this session can teach new sewing skills and approaches that can be used again and again in the future. We can also rescue charity shop and vintage finds! 

The Rework Your Wardrobe session is simple: you just need to bring a bag full of garments to fix, fit or rework, we provide all the equipment you will need. However, if your garment had a broken zip, you will need to bring a replacement that I can help you insert.

We will start the session by taking a look at what everyone has brought and having a brief chat about each garment to establish what needs to be done to bring them back to life.

I will then assist you to fix/fit//rework as many garments as possible within the session. 

The skills, techniques and approaches you will learn will obviously depend on what your garments require, but they may include:

• Hemming trousers and skirts
• Fixing rips, tears and holes
• Reshaping for a more flattering fit
• Inserting a new zip
• Shortening hems or sleeves for a new look
• Plus many others!

All skill levels are welcome. Previous sewing machine experience is helpful but not essential. 

This session takes place at Super+Super HQ, in Central Brighton, UK. It runs from 10.30 to 13.30 on Sunday 3rd February 2013 and costs £26. If you have any questions and require more specific information, please feel free to email me at: sozoblog (at) gmail (dot) com.

If you would like to book a ticket to attend, you can do so very easily below. If you know anyone who this session may appeal to, please send them the link! Thanks lovely peops.

Online Ticketing for Rework Your Wardrobe powered by Eventbrite

Refashion Friday Tutorial/How-To: Draft a Collar for a T-shirt Refashion/Remake

As useful as a plain t-shirt is, it hard to get excited about them, don't you think? I love how comfortable T-shirts are to wear but I prefer to add something or alter them in some way. I've been drafting cute collars to add to some t-shirt remakes which use a small amount of contrast woven fabric, great for stash busting those little pretty bits of fabric you don't want to through away. 

So, if you'd like to draft your own contrast collar pattern and aren't sure how to go about it, here's a tutorial:

Step 1:

You'll need a pattern of your front and back necklines, so if you are using a pattern to recut your old T-shirt you will already have this. If you plan to add a collar to an existing T-shirt that doesn't require reconstruction, you'll need to trace the neckline onto some paper. Fold your garment in half to give you the centre-front and centre-back and trace round the necklines.

Either way, make sure your new neck hole is big enough for you to pull it on and off ver your head without stretching the neck hole. Draw a nice scoop neck shape, the new collar will frame it nicely. Here's my back and front pattern pieces I've used to recut the old T-shirt:

Step 2:

Because I am a naughty lady, I often don't draw my seam allowances onto my self-drafted patterns. However, make sure your seam allowance (whatever it is, I've used a 1cm seam allowance here) is drawn onto the shoulder seams:

Step 3:

Overlap the front and back pieces along the shoulder along the stitch lines. It doesn't matter whether it's the back or front pattern piece that lays on top of the other. Whatever your seam allowance is for the rest of the T-shirt seams, I would advise a 1cm / 3/8" seam allowance around your neck hole for easy application of your collar. Draw 1cm / 3/8" in from the neck edge on the shoulder seam line:

Step 4:

Next you need to overlap your front and back pieces an extra 1cm / 3/8" at the shoulder point (the other end of the shoulder seam from the neck edge). Remember you are measuring 1cm / 3/8" in-between the stitching lines, NOT the cutting lines:

Step 5:

Pin the pattern pieces together in this position along the shoulder seam. Draw in the 1cm / 3/8" seam allowance around the neck hole:

Step 6:

Time to draw your collar shape. It may be useful to use a tape measure against another similar top to give yourself an idea of how wide you want your new collar to be:

Step 7:

When you are happy with your new collar shape, trace it onto another piece of paper. Remember, if you don't have any pattern drafting paper, standard tracing paper, baking parchment or grease-proof paper can work just as well. Add the seam allowance around the outside edge of your collar. You will be trimming most of the seam allowance off before you turn the collar through after stitching, so you may as well keep this seam allowance 1cm / 3/8" too:

Step 8:

Make sure you've marked in the centre back and indicated that the collar pieces will be cut on the fold of your fabric. You can of course add a seam at the centre back and cut out two pairs of collar pieces, rather than one pair of collar pieces if you are cutting them on the fold. Cutting the collar in two pairs of pieces with centre back seams will be more economic in terms of fabric usage, just remember to add the extra seam allowance to the centre back if you plan to do this. Also, you will want to alter the grainline so it runs the length of your collar piece (see the photo from step 6 where I have drawn it in). If you plan to cut your collar out on the fold, the fold line will also be your grainline, I was running out of space on the pattern piece to write that in too!:

Step 9:

Very importantly, make sure you mark on your collar piece where the shoulder seam of your T-shirt will align. This will help you no end when applying the collar to the main T-shirt. Stitching a woven fabric to a stretchy jersey one can be a little tricky, so this point of alignment will make doing so much easier. When you cut out your collar pieces, make little notches at this point on all your collar pieces (snip in half the depth of your seam allowance):

Step 10:

You may wish to make your collar rounded at the front, Peter Pan-style, instead of angled like mine. Either way, you need to know where your centre front point is on the collar. I squared off the seam allowance (see below) so I'd know where the centre front is easily:

Step 11:

Time to cut out your collar pattern piece. Cut 1 pair (AKA two) of collar pieces, unless you are making a centre back seam as previously discussed. Unless your woven collar fabric is super thick, I'd advise applying fusible interfacing to one of your collar pieces. The interfacing will give the finished collar more body and make it easier to apply to the neck edge. If your chosen woven fabric is quite light-weight, you may wish to apply interfacing to both collar pieces:

Step 12:

With the collar piece(s) fused with interfacing, stitch them together right sides together around the outside edge:

This picture below highlights how to stitch the corners at the centre front. Follow the squared off seam allowance:

Step 13: 

To get a really neat collar, trim away a lot of the excess seam allowance all the way round, in particular at the corners. Turn the collar through to the right side, carefully poke the corners to get them nice and sharp, then press the collar with an iron:

Step 14:

Now your collar will be ready to apply to the neckline of your garment. If you haven't already done so, make your T-shirt, being careful not to stretch out the neckline during the construction process. Because stretching the neckline should be avoided, if you want to check the fit of your garment before hemming, it is best to try it on after you have applied the collar.

The method I use to attach a collar to a T-shirt neck edge is just to overlock (serge) it straight on, although you may prefer to stitch it on using a normal sewing machine instead, and then neaten the raw edge after. I lay the woven collar on top with the jersey neck edge underneath and line up the front collar edge with the centre front of the jersey top. With the woven collar positioned on top of the jersey neck edge, you will find it easier to ease the jersey in if necessary when sewing them together. Remember to match up the shoulder point notches on the collar to the shoulder seams of the jersey top, and to match up the centre back points of both as you stitch round.

I then turn the 1cm / 3/8" seam allowance towards the inside and do a line of top stitching to secure it down about 0.5cm from the edge. The inside edge of my neckline then looks like this:

The outside edge of my neckline at the centre front usually looks something like the picture below. After the top stitching I give the neckline a good press with an iron to set it all nicely. The row of top stitching makes pressing the collar back into shape after laundering much easier too.  

There you have it! A pretty contrast woven collar for a your jersey top/T-shirt. I've added a ribbon bow to the top below, picking out one of the colours in the printed cotton I used for the collar. Adding a row of little buttons, like the top in the second picture from the top, might also be a nice extra touch.   

Sew Good: Sewing Workshops

On the last day of 2011, I laid down some creative intentions I had for 2012. One of those was:

'Teach a sewing class/workshop. The plans I had for this have had to be aborted, but hopefully an opportunity will present itself by the end of the year that will make it possible'

I feel strongly that sewing is an important life skill, and that pretty much everyone should have, at the very least, a vague knowledge of how to do basic sewing repairs and alterations. It's very sad that sewing, or at least genuinely useful sewing, isn't being taught in every school today. It is also really sad that the prevalence of dirt-cheap 'disposible' clothing make many people think that the necessity for clothing maintenance is now obsolete.

I think it would be optimistic to say that the general mentality of the UK population is shifting towards a more sustainble mindset, but it is clear that a certain sea-change is taking place and many 'early adopters' or more naturally sustainably-minded individuals are seeking out places to pick up sewing and dress-making skills. The fresh crop of sewing lounges offering access to machinery and/or sewing classes and is a well documented and heartening phenomenon and lays testiment to this trend.

I've always really enjoyed helping out whenever a friend or aquaintance has asked me a sewing quuestion or wanted to learn a sewing or pattern cutting skill, so I've been thinking for a while now that I'd love to share my knowledge in a more structured format. Whether my assistance resulted in someone discovering a new life-long passion for sewing, or simply making one pair of jeans last longer by helping their owner to re-hem them, I think it'd be a worthwhile endeavour.

Towards the tail-end of last year, I had high hopes and fairly developed plans about creating a drop-in 'sewing surgery' in the basement room of the Handmade Co-op shop here in Brighton. But unforeseen circumstances, plus the recent transformation of the basement from useful space to store room for junk, has scuppered those plans. And it was at that point that I laid down those creative aims for 2012.

Well, I very pleased to say that only two months into the new year, I have already had the opportunity to begin making good on that original endeavour. And I didn't need to look as far afield for that opportunity as I thought I would, either. As you may know about my job, I make clothing from donated clothing and textiles that sells under the name TRAIDremade. But the charity Traid's activities are myriad and far reaching. There is a small but fantastic Education team who organise lots of talk, seminars and workshops in schools, colleges, universities, companies, social spaces etc. This department is lead by a dynamic and interesting lady called Lyla (pictured above on the left) who, incidentally, features a fair bit in John-Paul Flintoff's 'Sew Your Own'. When I saw in Traid's newsletter that the 2012 dates were confirmed for the 'Sew Good' workshops Lyla and her team run in the Traid shops in London, I got in contact to see if I could come along and help out.

Which is what I did one (snowy) night last week. The workshop was held at the Camden shop after normal trading (pun intended) hours. Accommodating up to five members of the public, it was free as long as they confirmed they were going to attend, and could bring any garment/s or aspect of sewing/mending/alteration they wanted. They could have one-on-one assistance from one of the 'experts' or simply have access to the sewing machines and equipment.

From my perspective, it was an interesting evening seeing how Lyla and her ladies run these events. For a while I gave some help and advice to a girl wishing to make a polo shirt style T-shirt from a couple of patterns she was trying to frankenstein together. But the fact she had only brought one of those patterns with her kind of limited the amount of progress she could make in that session. I then went on to help another woman who was actually a journalist for the Metro who was there to write a piece for the free newspaper about the workshop and making an on-trend rip-off (see Karl Lagerfeld sweatshirt pictured below). Despite my dislike for the advert-peddaling free papers like the Metro that have been littering London and other parts of the UK for the past six year or so, AND my hatred for (what I view to be) the self-esteem damaging glossy 'Grazia' that she also writes for, the journalist was lovely and really good company. Anyways...

The fashion editor or someone had contacted Lyla in advance asking if PVC and sequins could be provided because, due to deadline pressures I'd imagine, the journalist had effectively already written the article, and was merely there so she could add the final 'annecdotal' flourishes and create the actual garment to be photographed for the piece. That was a bit frustrating for Lyla and myself because it would have been preferable for the journalist to attend the workshop, having brought any materials with her, and experienced what she could achieve in the workshop in a less contrived set-up. But I know that I'm being naïve about how journalism really works, and we are grateful for any exposure Traid can obtain.

Conclusions? Well, it was a very interesting experience, but I'm not sure how much of my sewing/pattern making ability I was really able to share at that event. Plus it was a long way to go (two hours travelling to London each way after having already worked a full day at the studio in Brighton) for no extra pay. Maybe it was that my presence was a bit superfluous and that with fewer 'experts' (there was four in total for five attendees) there would be more to do and you'd feel you had helped more by the end of the session.

I'm very interested in helping out Traid's Education team again, probably in different and perhaps more structured scenerios that they are currently working on (fingers crossed that some of those come to fruition because they sound exciting). I am also still very interested in my drop-in sewing surgery plan, or perhaps extending that to more structured workshops/classes, in Brighton. Those ideas are napping but haven't been put to bed.

Simplified Stash-Bustin' Sencha

Now it's safe to say that I have something of a pattern-crush on the Sencha blouse from Colette Patterns. Pictured above is my latest version which will soon be heading for a new life in my best mate's wardrobe (with regular outtings I hope!). It's made from some beautiful vintage crepe fabric. It's previous incarnation was as a large second hand handmade skirt that had been dwelling in my stash for at least six months. The colours in some of these photos have gone a bit screwy, but the above photo is the most accurate depiction. I've got some really lovely pieces of fabric in my stash, and I'm really trying to focus on turning them into wearable garments that will make someone happy, rather than languishing for years in a dark cupboard.

Well, I haven't seen a version of the Sencha blouse on the tinter-webs that hasn't made me feel want-y. But you know me, I just can't leave a pattern alone! Since my first (Sailor) endeavour, I've made quite a few Senchas for my boss and other ladies at Traid. I've continued to tweak the pattern and streamline the construction method so that, combined with the practice I've got from making them all, I can make six in a day (including cutting out) without, IMO, compromising the look of the original blouse style.

I'm betting there probably aren't many sewers out there who are interested in making six Senchas in one sitting. But I thought I'd share the bigger changes I've made in case it helps someone get more out of their limited sewing time. Of course, making these changes to the pattern will take some extra time in the first place, but if you plan to make several versions of this blouse, I think the changes'll pay off in the long run. Anyways, here's what I did:

1) Remove half of the seam allowance from the neckline on the front and back pattern pieces and completely ignore the neck facings. Then once you've attached the front and back pieces at the shoulder seams and neatened the shoulder seam allowance, overlock round the raw edges. Then fold the overlocking to the inside and stitch neatly down. Press the neckline with the iron and you should have a pleasingly neat finished neckline (see above) without the faff of a flapping facing.

2) Similarly, remove most of the sleeve facings leaving about 1cm (3/8") seam allowance. Overlock around the edge, fold the 1cm back and neatly stitch down. Press, and all will be well! (See above.)

3) The most major of the changes is to ignore the whole back button fastening thing, cut away the most of the back facing and insert a zip instead. Now, this would have been much easier to do if the Centre Back was marked on the original Sencha back pattern piece (which, inexplicably, it isn't) but it's easy to make an educated guess where the CB should be by seeing where the button/buttonhole indications are and just having a stab. You can always err on the side of caution and not cut too much away, then try the garment on before inserting the zip to decide if more needs to come off. I used a 1.5cm seam allowance and inserted a long closed ended zip (see above).

4) A general way to speed up the construction of garment is to, where possible, make closed seams rather than open ones. Basically, this means that after stitching your seam, you finish the edges of the seam allowances together rather than separately. With a closed seam, the seam allowances are pressed together in one direction, rather than pressing the seam allowances apart which makes an open seam.

I've spoken to a couple of clothing designers and pattern cutters about open seams V.s closed seams, and in situations where either are possible, and the consensus seems to be that the main benefits of closed seams is that they save time and overlocking thread. If you press your seams neatly during construction, from the outside both types of seam should look the same. If you were into making a couture-style garments, you'd probably opt for an open seam. I'm not. I'm into making neatly finished, nice looking garments that don't require an investment of months of precious sewing time to construct.

Anyways, as a fan of the mid-century kimono sleeve (AKA grown-on sleeve, Dolman sleeve, etc), I've long been seeking the neatest method of finishing the underarm seam at the curve to not create too much bulk. Having inspected lots of vintage garments with this type of sleeve, most seem to have had the seam allowance trimmed away at that curve and left with a raw or pinked edge. That can create a fraying issue, and the long term life span of a garment with raw edges concerns me. Therefore I've concluded that my favourite method for finishing this bit is to first make the whole of the side seam a closed seam. I flat-stitch as usual, then when I use my overlocker to neated the edges of the seam allowance, I basically cut away the seam allowance (overlockers, AKA sergers, have a blade in them that trims the fabric away as you sew) as close to my first stitching line as I dare. I then turn the garment through so the right-side is out and press the garment flat so the curve sits as it should do.

I hope any of those ideas/techniques come in handy to someone at some point. Happy Sencha (or any other kind of) sewing!