African Wax Print Duster
As a novice sewist I get to have many firsts. My latest first? Working with waxed cotton! I've been wanting a duster cardigan for a while now and I've seen so much inspiration on Instagram and Youtube from Mimi G, Rosy Peña, Kim Dave and others. There were so many cool looking dusters that I couldn't decide which direction I wanted to go! I knew I wanted a video tutorial which is why I was initially leaning towards Mimi G's duster tutorial. I still plan on doing that one by the way, but I wanted to use a lightweight sweater knit for that and I currently don't have any in my stash. I ultimately decided on Montoya Mayo's tutorial because I found a fabulous African Wax Print at moodfabrics.com that I've been dying to use and hers looked to be made of African Wax Cotton as well, so I figured I wouldn't have to worry about the fabric not being well suited for the project. I also really loved the high low effect on the hemline. So I went with her tutorial and the pattern she used was New Look 6514.
I have to say that this was an easy and fun project. Montoya's tutorial was so detailed and easy to follow! It made the whole process enjoyable and I really appreciated that she didn't assume that you knew the basics (like clipping your curves and pressing your seams) and she really took her time to show you exactly how she does each step. She even added pockets for the win!
As you can see on the back, I did not attempt to pattern match. I may cut the fabric on the fold next time, but I'm still very happy with the result.
An additional first I had with this project was using my BRAND SPANKING NEW Brother 1034D differential feed serger!! Shout out to my husband for the bomb anniversary gift! Since this duster isn't lined, it does have one seam that is visible from the outside, which made me super grateful for the serger! It's gonna take me some time and lots of practice to feel comfortable using it regularly, but I did manage to serge the center back seam and sleeves without ruining my entire project lol, so I call that a win.
Ok so let's talk about the finished look! I am so pleased with it! I definitely see some improvement in my ability to attach sleeves. I got a nice even hem all the way around and I'm happy with the fit - although it's actually a little bigger than I thought it would be. I cut a size medium and while the sleeves are quite snug, the rest is quite roomy. And I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. I like that it's big enough to wear it like a wrap dress with a belt. I'm even considering adding a snap or some sort of closure so it will stay wrapped even if I'm moving around.
By the way, my husband was playing music outside, so I may or may not have been busting a move as these photos were taken lol. Anyway, thanks for reading and happy sewing!