67 Day to Night Cabbie Pattern Now Available!

I've completed the Day to Night Cabbie pattern, but I must warn that it's not suitable for beginners. Working with velvet and chiffon can be challenging, as velvet slips easily and requires hand-basting before machine stitching, while chiffon is prone to snagging and requires careful grain alignment. However, substituting velvet with twill and chiffon with regular cotton fabric can make the project more manageable.

Available on Etsy.

Inspired by the American Girl Day to Night Barbie outfit, I aimed for accuracy, adding details like a fully lined jacket. The jacket and skirt are made from velvet, adding an extra touch of elegance. I did make a few tweaks, like adding elastic to the waist of the skirt for easy on-and-off, omitting the Velcro.
Pattern includes instructions and pieces to make a velvety jacket with white contrast collar and two-button closure, a chiffon scarf, a felt hat with band, a bodysuit, and a reversible skirt with velvet on one side and gathered chiffon on the other side.

Materials Needed

·        1/2 yard pink Velvet or twill fabric (Velvet is difficult to work with, so I recommend twill for beginners.)
·        1/2 Yard Lining fabric
·        6x18” of white broadcloth for collar
·        20x10” stretchy fabric for bodysuit
·        1/4 Yard white felt for hat
·        1/3 yard hot pink chiffon*
·        Light Tear Away Stabilizer
·        Two 1/2” white buttons
·        Velcro or size 4 sew-on snap
·        10” (¼”) elastic
·        7/8” Hot Pink Polka Dot Ribbon
·        4.3” Round foam disc, about 1.6” high (usually in the floral section)
·        Cornstarch or stiffener for hat
·        Saran Wrap
·        Freezer Paper

*It is highly recommended to purchase more chiffon than needed, due to the cut often being off.  You may also use a solid cotton fabric, as chiffon is difficult to work with.

General Instructions

·        Prewash and iron fabric, if necessary.
·        Right sides together, stitch 1/4” seams (included in pattern pieces).
·        Use an overcasting foot and overcast stitch or zigzag stitch to finish seams.
·        RST=Right Sides Together.
·        RSO= Right Side Out

Fabric Tips

·                  When working with velvet, hand-baste before machine stitching to keep the fabric from shifting.  When ironing, use a lower heat setting, only iron on the wrong side of the fabric, and don’t press down too hard, just barely touch it with the iron.  You may also use steam instead.
·                  When working with chiffon, you must find the grain of the fabric before cutting.  Since chiffon is often cut very crooked at the store, it is recommended to get more than what is required--possible 12” more, depending on how crooked the cut is.  To find the grain, gently pull on of the strands of thread on the selvage.  You may need to do this a few times depending on how crooked the cut is.

Helpful Tools

·        Loop Turner
·        Disappearing ink marker
·        Point Turner & Seam Creaser
·        Mat and Rotary Cutter
·        Overcasting Foot
·        Blind Hem Foot
·        4mm Rolled Hem Foot
·        Heat Gun