April 25, 2019
Top Panama...online tutorial!
Hello! Well....you are crazy!!!! This PANAMA pattern made you lose your mind, and you were very very very many to want to sew my little summer pattern. Suddenly there were quite a few bugs on the site, some of you contacted me to tell me that download links were dead, there were also typos on some boards...my apologies for these hiccups, the problems are resolved on the files. And for those who have problems with the files (normally the problems concern orders placed the first days) do not hesitate to recommend the pattern (free until May 15th to be found here ;) ). And there is now a version with the booklet translated into English (worldwide baby!!!) I am so happy, seeing this craze for PANAMA exceeds anything I had imagined. And it is with delight that I discover your pretty sewing on Instagram! Don't forget, to participate you have until May 15th, and you have to repost your creation by tagging all the contest partners (and following their accounts) who have come together to spoil you: Eglantine et Zoé, Les coupons de Saint Pierre, FrouFrou, Dutchlabel Shop and Coudre et broder. PANAMA is a pretty easy pattern, but I understood that some people had difficulty assembling the top, so badaboum badabim....a hot tutorial to help you! For this occasion, I sewed my top in the very very pretty Rifle Paper viscose, and I added a gold piping. The lining is a scrap of silky caramel viscose from Eglantine et Zoé. PANAMA is a little preview of the SEW ME PAMPA collection which normally comes out on Friday May 3rd, and I decided to do a great shoot for the launch, so here are some shots taken during this session at CarréMer beach! 
Well that's not all...let's get to the tutorial! 1/Assembling the upper part of the bust : Sew the front bust and the back busts right sides together by the shoulders. Do the same with the front and back bust lining pieces. 
Prepare your small strap that will be used to button your back. Position it on the mark of the back piece and fix with a few stitches on the right side of the garment. To do this I have a tip: take a strip of about 10 cm of fabric and fold it lengthwise by inserting a cord. Sew the end of the cord to fix it, then all along the cord with the piping foot. Cut the end flush with the cord then pull on it to unroll your "spaghetti". Cut the cord, and fold your strip to form the strap. Fix with a stitch. 
Place your fabric and lining pieces on top of each other, right sides together. Pin from the back slit mark, go up along the neckline and finish on the other back slit mark, then sew (your strap is sandwiched between the fabric and the lining). Then pin the armholes, sew. Notch the rounded neckline, trim the corners. Turn right side out. 
To turn right side out : slide your back lining through the space between the fabric sleeve strap and the lining. 
Pull out your corners well and iron carefully. Assembling the sides of your bust : pin right sides together the front and back fabric busts, continue by going through the underarm seam and pin to finish the front and back linings. 
Close the bottom of the back : pin the right and left back fabric right sides together, and continue on the right and left back lining section. 
To make the rest of the assembly easier, you can attach the bottom of the bust fabric and lining together with a seam at 0.5 cm (the seam will then be covered when assembling the flounce), do not forget to transfer your marks center front and back. Here I did it when installing the piping. The piping is to be placed right side against right side on the edge of the bust, use the zipper foot to install it. 
2/assembly of upper bust and flounce : Sew right sides together the sides of the flounce pieces at the front and back . Overlock your seams. 
Gathering : on your machine, enlarge the stitch and release the thread tension as much as possible. Sew a first gathering thread 0.5 cm from the edge of your flounce. Leave plenty of unsewn thread margin so that you can then handle it. Make a second line of gathering thread 0.7 cm away. Pin your flounce to your bust right side against right side: start by pinning the flounce according to the center front and back marks, and match the side seams of the bust and flounce. Pull on your gathering threads, and distribute your gathers, pin. Sew, and overlock your seam. Fold your flounce and iron well. 
3/finishing: Sew your bottom hem of the top: fold over 1 cm a first time and sew. Fold over a second time using your first seam, iron to mark the hem and sew neatly on the right side. 
Sew your button. Well done, Panama is just waiting for one thing: a ray of sunshine to brighten your pretty shoulders! And while you wait, here is a photo that reveals a bit of this new collection....I can't wait!!!! 
Well that's not all...let's get to the tutorial! 1/Assembling the upper part of the bust : Sew the front bust and the back busts right sides together by the shoulders. Do the same with the front and back bust lining pieces. Prepare your small strap that will be used to button your back. Position it on the mark of the back piece and fix with a few stitches on the right side of the garment. To do this I have a tip: take a strip of about 10 cm of fabric and fold it lengthwise by inserting a cord. Sew the end of the cord to fix it, then all along the cord with the piping foot. Cut the end flush with the cord then pull on it to unroll your "spaghetti". Cut the cord, and fold your strip to form the strap. Fix with a stitch. Place your fabric and lining pieces on top of each other, right sides together. Pin from the back slit mark, go up along the neckline and finish on the other back slit mark, then sew (your strap is sandwiched between the fabric and the lining). Then pin the armholes, sew. Notch the rounded neckline, trim the corners. Turn right side out. To turn right side out : slide your back lining through the space between the fabric sleeve strap and the lining. Pull out your corners well and iron carefully. Assembling the sides of your bust : pin right sides together the front and back fabric busts, continue by going through the underarm seam and pin to finish the front and back linings. Close the bottom of the back : pin the right and left back fabric right sides together, and continue on the right and left back lining section. To make the rest of the assembly easier, you can attach the bottom of the bust fabric and lining together with a seam at 0.5 cm (the seam will then be covered when assembling the flounce), do not forget to transfer your marks center front and back. Here I did it when installing the piping. The piping is to be placed right side against right side on the edge of the bust, use the zipper foot to install it. 2/assembly of upper bust and flounce : Sew right sides together the sides of the flounce pieces at the front and back . Overlock your seams. Gathering : on your machine, enlarge the stitch and release the thread tension as much as possible. Sew a first gathering thread 0.5 cm from the edge of your flounce. Leave plenty of unsewn thread margin so that you can then handle it. Make a second line of gathering thread 0.7 cm away. Pin your flounce to your bust right side against right side: start by pinning the flounce according to the center front and back marks, and match the side seams of the bust and flounce. Pull on your gathering threads, and distribute your gathers, pin. Sew, and overlock your seam. Fold your flounce and iron well. 3/finishing: Sew your bottom hem of the top: fold over 1 cm a first time and sew. Fold over a second time using your first seam, iron to mark the hem and sew neatly on the right side. Sew your button. Well done, Panama is just waiting for one thing: a ray of sunshine to brighten your pretty shoulders! And while you wait, here is a photo that reveals a bit of this new collection....I can't wait!!!!
