Sewing Lessons & FAQ

[Lauren]

I agree, blue would be cute. But I see it as a sleeveless sun dress with white piping at the armscyes and neckline and white or poppy colored buttons

 

[Lady Day]

Ooh, sleeveless would be cute. Or a halter! That would be adorable.


LD

 

[I Adore Film Noir]

I vote pale blue sleeveless top with the poppy material banded around the armholes and neckline, with matching belt or bowtie waistband.

 

[Drappa]

Oooh, what great ideas! I was also thinking sleeveless, and the banding/piping idea sounds brilliant. I'll have to take the fabric in to a shop to find a matching blue. Now I'm finally really excited! Thank you!

 

[Drappa]

Ok ladies, I am about to rip all my hair out. I have been making a cotton dress and have had no problems so far whatsoever, but I am trying to make bias binding for the dress out of a thin cotton, and the tension (upper thread) is ridiculously tight, and NONE of the 11 settings changes that. I really don't know what else to do, from 0 to 10, to auto, the tension remains super tight. I have changed the needle, turned it on and off, nothing works.The manua isn't helping, and the only thing I have found online is to adjust the tension dial. Any ideas? The machine is a Janome QC6260, and has worked fine until now.

 

[crwritt]

Ok ladies, I am about to rip all my hair out. I have been making a cotton dress and have had no problems so far whatsoever, but I am trying to make bias binding for the dress out of a thin cotton, and the tension (upper thread) is ridiculously tight, and NONE of the 11 settings changes that. I really don't know what else to do, from 0 to 10, to auto, the tension remains super tight. I have changed the needle, turned it on and off, nothing works.The manua isn't helping, and the only thing I have found online is to adjust the tension dial. Any ideas? The machine is a Janome QC6260, and has worked fine until now.

I would totally un thread the machine, remove the bobbin, clean the bobbin case, dust the tension discs, rethread everything, check that the thread isn't catching on the spool somewhere. Make sure everything is threaded just so, and you haven't skipped any guides.Oil as necessary. Then test it.
Then sometimes you just need to take a break, take a walk, have a cup of tea, and come back later.

 

[crwritt]

Oooh, what great ideas! I was also thinking sleeveless, and the banding/piping idea sounds brilliant. I'll have to take the fabric in to a shop to find a matching blue. Now I'm finally really excited! Thank you!

If only you could find a blue with clouds

to match that print, it would be great. I recently saw a landscape
print I thought would make a nice dress, but it was not as pretty as this one.

 

[Drappa]

Thank you! I'll try that, but will wait until tomorrow. I actually have fabric with clouds in my watchlist on Ebay, but have been hesitant to buy it because it's hard to tell if the shades will be a close enough match.

 

[sheeplady]

So this may be a question that was asked before, but my searching did not result in anything. Can anyone point me to a good website (or several) that they know talks about pattern size changes over the years?

What I am looking for is a good website that looks at why and when the pattern sizes changed, and what influenced these changes. This is just a curiousity. Actually, I'm interested in any websites that cover the history of patterns (not so much the clothing design itself, but the history of pattern making & producers, selling, and use in the 20th century).

I'm in the US (I'm assuming there are differences between the US and other countries).

Just something I'd like to learn about.

 

[Tatum]

I love researching, so here's what I found for you. It is a fascinating subject!

Gotham patterns

Fashion Incubator

 

[sheeplady]

I love researching, so here's what I found for you. It is a fascinating subject!

Gotham patterns

Fashion Incubator

Thank you, those look fabulous!

 

[BoPeep]

SheepLady - I would recommend the Blueprints of Fashion books by Wade Laboissonniere. I have both the 1940s and 1950s copies. He goes into quite a lot of detail on the history of pattern companies and their marketing techniques. I reviewed the 1940s book here http://hometownvictorygirls.blogspot.com/2011/05/book-review-blueprints-of-fashion.html You may be able to find them at the library, but I love to just sit and page through the fashion plates!

 

[sheeplady]

SheepLady - I would recommend the Blueprints of Fashion books by Wade Laboissonniere. I have both the 1940s and 1950s copies. He goes into quite a lot of detail on the history of pattern companies and their marketing techniques. I reviewed the 1940s book here http://hometownvictorygirls.blogspot.com/2011/05/book-review-blueprints-of-fashion.html You may be able to find them at the library, but I love to just sit and page through the fashion plates!

Thanks BoPeep! Gots lots and lots of reading to keep me busy!

 

[Salsta]

OK with the recommendations of the Readers Digest book I've decided to buy it. Thanks very much to all who recommended it. I'm not a sewer but I'm sure I can learn. Cheers!

 

[Amie]

pattern companies and sizes

Do certain pattern companies tend to have sizes that run smaller or larger than usual? What are your experiences?

 

[Tatum]

Do certain pattern companies tend to have sizes that run smaller or larger than usual? What are your experiences?

Definitely, if we're talking modern. Most have different amounts of ease built in. I find New Look to be pretty close to sizing, and with Vogue, I always, without fail, make a muslin. Check the ease, if possible.

Vintage patterns, which I have limited experience with, seem to be more true to the sizing. Maybe it's a personal measurement thing though! Hopefully LD and Kamikat will chime in on this, they are very knowledgable with vintage patterns.

 

[Amie]

Thanks Tatum.

I'm waiting on the experts as well. I have limited experience with vintage... I've tried a few printed mccall patterns from 30s and 40s and now I want to try some other brands like Hollywood and DuBarry. More info on these would be great.

 

[Lady Day]

Do certain pattern companies tend to have sizes that run smaller or larger than usual? What are your experiences?

Pattern companies, have gone the way of vanity sizing via the amount of ease they build into their garments. The best way to gauge size on modern patterns is to look for the finished garment sizing which is listed in most modern patterns you can buy.

With vintage patterns, general sizing guides were pretty much adhered to. Most vintage patterns were laid out into three different sizing categories: Misses and ladies, women, and stout woman. Generally these would go from a 30 bust to 38/40, a 34 bust to 40/42, and 36/38 bust to 50/52. I've never seen a vintage pattern over a 52" bust.

Here I posted some sizing info on the different sizes for woman's vintage patterns.

Here is a basic sizing chart that can go from the 20s to about the mid 40s.



LD

 

[ShesSoVaVaVoom]

I wasn't sure if anyone here might know anything about knitting machines. My Grandmother (who recently passed) has a couple of them, though she mentioned they may need parts; however, she also has several attatchments, inclusding yarn winders for cone holders. Would anybody here happen to be familiar with these things? If so, I'd greatly appreciate any info you might have, I can take photos of the stuff too (all in original boxes, most with instructions). Even though over the years I watched her use the machines, and helped a bit, I don't know how to use them, nor do I have use for the attatchments, and I'd love for them to go to good homes rather than become scrap metal!

 

[kamikat]

I have found that pattern fit is much more standard than modern patterns and it's more about the decade than the brand. You'll need to see how each decade fits YOUR body. For example, 50's patterns are drafted for a more hourglass shape. I generally don't need any alterations for 50's patterns. However, 40's are drafted for a smaller bust and larger shoulder. I typically need to do a full bust adjustment and a small/sloping shoulder adjustment. For 30's patterns, I know I always need more room in the bum, but the shoulders fit better than 40's patterns. The key to making any pattern fit is to REALLY know your body and make a tester version in cheap fabric. Be honest with yourself. Your clothes will fit better if you learn to work around your lumps and bumps instead of pretending they don't exist.