Sewing Lessons & FAQ

[palespider]

thank you so much for the ideas, i might be able to do them all, but i like the nighgown idea, it is lepard print after all (such a sucker for it )

 

[Miss 1929]

Sort of a wrappy sarong-style evening gown would be awesome in leopard charmeuse!

 

[Lady Day]

Whats the difference between a slide fastener and a zipper?

On a lot of my patterns I see them listed as different things. I thought they were the same.

LD

 

[kamikat]

I think, but I could be wrong, that zipper is a trademarked name for a slide fastener. Back when I was sewing cloth diapers and covers for my kids, I would occasionally see patterns call for hook-and-loop tape and Velcro, even though they are the same thing. The assumption being, if you can't find one, the other is just as good.

 

[ColeV48]

Yep, Zipper is a trademark name, started in 1923 for a pair of boots!

 

[Miss 1929]

I think "hook and loop tape" is that fabric tape that has metal hooks and eyes attached to it at regular intervals, nott he same as Velcro.
Zipper was also considered a rather vulgar way to say slide fastener, but obviously was catchier.
Some slide fasteners are not like zippers, though - I have one 30s dress where there is a tab you pull up, and it pulls a tape up behind the opening, which has pretty rhinestone plaques on it every few inches, and look like buttons when it's closed. No metal teeth at all. I will take pics later and post, it's quite unique!

 

[Wire9Vintage]

Miss 1929, I do look forward to seeing the fastener you describe. I can't even imagine such a thing!

 

[palespider]

Sort of a wrappy sarong-style evening gown would be awesome in leopard charmeuse!

your right, that would be very nice, iv been looking for a pattern near my size, must keep the search up.

 

[BoPeep]

Nope, Kamikat is right, "hook and loop" today means Velcro. I used to work for Lands' End, and the catalog descriptions always had to say hook and loop to avoid the trademark.

Miss 1929 - I have a length of the hooks you're talking about. The stuff to close up corsets, right? Perhaps the meaning of "hook and loop" and changed over the decades! lol

 

[kamikat]

I think "hook and loop tape" is that fabric tape that has metal hooks and eyes attached to it at regular intervals, nott he same as Velcro.

No, you're talking about hook and eye tape.

 

[Lady Day]

I think, but I could be wrong, that zipper is a trademarked name for a slide fastener. Back when I was sewing cloth diapers and covers for my kids, I would occasionally see patterns call for hook-and-loop tape and Velcro, even though they are the same thing. The assumption being, if you can't find one, the other is just as good.

Ah! I see. Like a photo copy/Xerox, or tissue/Kleenex.

I get it, thanks!

LD

 

[MJrules]

Sleeve guide

Hi! There's a pattern that I'm eyeing but there's one piece missing: the sleeve guide. The seller describes it as a straight long strip that would be easy to draft. Can someone tell me what a sleeve guide is? Is it just the band that the sleeve gathers onto? Ok, thanks!

 

[MirandaFern]

Hi! There's a pattern that I'm eyeing but there's one piece missing: the sleeve guide. The seller describes it as a straight long strip that would be easy to draft. Can someone tell me what a sleeve guide is? Is it just the band that the sleeve gathers onto? Ok, thanks!

From what I've read, it is a strip of tissue that helped gauge how much your sleeve needs to be gathered in order to fit in the armscye.

 

[MJrules]

Wow, I've never heard of that. Is this unique to unprinted patterns? Do you think I can do without the sleeve guide, just guesstimate how much to gather the sleeve cap to fit the armscye?

 

[kymeratale]

big one-way print and circle skirts

Just got this vintage fabric at a huge garage sale. There is 8 meters of it, so I can make a full skirted dress, a shirt for hubby and maybe a top or a sarong skirt. Here is the full width of the print. It is big, the repeat is 30" wide and 24" long.

Here is a close up.

Okay, here is my issue. I want to make a 50s full-skirted summer dress and I am trying to decide on a pattern. Obviously something without insets or pleating, etc. as I want to show off the print and it is busy enough without adding details. I think I should keep the dress itself fairly simple and I want to keep the print as intact as possible. I would like to do this in Vintage Vogue 2902. My worry is the circle skirt. The fabric is 45" wide, which I think won't be enough to do the skirt with the pattern in the right direction. I am still a beginner to this sewing thing, so am I correct in this assumption? Can a circle skirt be pieced together if the pattern is for a half-circle pieces (which it is)?

My other option is Vintage Vogue 2267, but I prefer the one-piece bodice and the circle skirt on the 2902. This one would require some picky matching to keep the print intact. I know the darts on the 2902 will wreck the matching on the bodice, but the princess seams means more of that.

So, advice on making a full-skirted dress with this kind of print? Any other pattern suggestions? I have been sticking to repro patterns and I don't know if I am ready for an unprinted vintage pattern just yet. I looked at the Butterick walkaway, but I don't want the layers.

Thanks everyone!

 

[FraeuleinBerlin]

kymeratale, I don't know too much about sewing but I love that first Vogue print! So summery and lovely.

I had a question too though - how did you all learn to read patterns? I don't know how and google didn't seem to find me any clear instructions...!

 

[crwritt]

Just got this vintage fabric at a huge garage sale. There is 8 meters of it, so I can make a full skirted dress, a shirt for hubby and maybe a top or a sarong skirt. Here is the full width of the print. It is big, the repeat is 30" wide and 24" long.

Here is a close up.

Okay, here is my issue. I want to make a 50s full-skirted summer dress and I am trying to decide on a pattern. Obviously something without insets or pleating, etc. as I want to show off the print and it is busy enough without adding details. I think I should keep the dress itself fairly simple and I want to keep the print as intact as possible. I would like to do this in Vintage Vogue 2902. My worry is the circle skirt. The fabric is 45" wide, which I think won't be enough to do the skirt with the pattern in the right direction. I am still a beginner to this sewing thing, so am I correct in this assumption? Can a circle skirt be pieced together if the pattern is for a half-circle pieces (which it is)?

My other option is Vintage Vogue 2267, but I prefer the one-piece bodice and the circle skirt on the 2902. This one would require some picky matching to keep the print intact. I know the darts on the 2902 will wreck the matching on the bodice, but the princess seams means more of that.

So, advice on making a full-skirted dress with this kind of print? Any other pattern suggestions? I have been sticking to repro patterns and I don't know if I am ready for an unprinted vintage pattern just yet. I looked at the Butterick walkaway, but I don't want the layers.

Thanks everyone!

The second pattern is more suited to your fabric, as the fabric has a one way design.
Otherwise, a dirndl type skirt would work for this fabric (gathered at the waist)
You can piece any pattern, just decide where you want the seam line, trace the pattern pieces and
add seam allowance.

 

[kymeratale]

The second pattern is more suited to your fabric, as the fabric has a one way design.
Otherwise, a dirndl type skirt would work for this fabric (gathered at the waist)
You can piece any pattern, just decide where you want the seam line, trace the pattern pieces and
add seam allowance.

Thanks crwritt. Why would the second pattern be better for a one-way design? Because it is one piece from top to bottom?

 

[GoddessMama]

I am of the opposite opinion. I think the first pattern is better because it has less seams and you wouldn't have to worry about matching it up as much. All those princess seams in the second dress would look really weird if your didn't match up every seam just right. Then you wouldn't have the fabric you want to make the shirt and top.

 

[kymeratale]

I am of the opposite opinion. I think the first pattern is better because it has less seams and you wouldn't have to worry about matching it up as much. All those princess seams in the second dress would look really weird if your didn't match up every seam just right. Then you wouldn't have the fabric you want to make the shirt and top.

Well, no matter which one I choose, there will be some fussy matching if I want to keep the pattern intact. or possibly :rage: depending on how I manage that. I figure with a circle skirt, I can match up 2 uncut pieces of the fabric and seam it up to get the width I need. That might be easier than trying to match up all the princess seams.

Does that sound doable oh-all-ye-of-much-greater-experience-than-me?

I ordered the 2902 anyway, since it was on sale for $3.99 on the Vogue web page over the Memorial Day weekend. Even if I don't use it for this fabric, I will use it for something. The 2267 is OOP but available on the Vogue site for $25. I am hunting around to see if I can find it for less elsewhere.