Sewing Lessons & FAQ

[sheeplady]

Oh my, I'm so excited! I finally got around to taking my grandmother's machine to be serviced. It's an old New Home machine -- heavy as the day is long, but my mother's mother did all her sewing on it, including mum's wedding dress. I'm so honoured to be its owner now and I feel the need to put it to good use.

I am very happy that you were able to get your grandmother's machine serviced Zombi! That sounds like such a treasure to have- I bet you will be smiling ear to ear when you sew on it! And to imagine it sewed your mum's wedding dress! I bet the sound of it will bring back wonderful memories. Old machines have such a beautiful hum.

I am sure that your grandmother and mother are/ would be very proud of you learning how to sew.

Congratulations!!!

 

[BoPeep]

The most nerve-wracking thing is helping a 9-year old put buttons in a garment they have worked so hard on for 6 months.

lol I've had buttonholes ruin projects before! But this confirms my thought that my 7 year old is ready to start on the machine. She's made pillowcases before but I think we're ready to do an easy sundress - with no closure!

zombi - Congrats on your "new" machine! How great will it be to pound out a few more thousand miles of stitching! And beginner lessons are a perfect way to get to know the shop owners. They could be your new best friends! Have fun!

 

[Vintage Rose]

I think this would be the appropriate place to put this question, vs. starting a new thread. Any tips for a newbie on reading patterns and altering them? I have weird sizing (my waist is a modern sewing pattern 14 and my hips are a 10). I also have some vintage patterns that will need adjusting. Any tips, or web sites or books that will very simply walk you through this?

 

[sheeplady]

lol I've had buttonholes ruin projects before! But this confirms my thought that my 7 year old is ready to start on the machine. She's made pillowcases before but I think we're ready to do an easy sundress - with no closure!

I think that's the perfect age. Until age 10, we never let the children rip anything out, either (too expensive for a mistake!). Our rule was that if we ripped the same seam twice, either the leader or I would then sew it for the child while they watched, just to keep their frustration level down (but that rarely happened). We'd have them sit next to us quietly while we ripped out the stitches.

We always started with an elastic waistband skirt, sometimes to snaps or velcro, then went to a zipper, then to buttonholes (which we always helped them one-on-one with- buttonholes are hard!). We always did other projects in between- potholders, plastic bag keepers, etc- small things that kept their skills up and had a big payoff in a short time because a piece of clothing takes so much work. Some kids needed an extra year or two on one phase or another. Children develop their full manual dexterity around ages 7/8-10, which means that in about a few months, children go from absolutely struggling to do something (and getting very frustrated) to being able to be wizards at the machine. It's amazing.

The youngest girl we had in the program was 6, and she did elastic waistbands until age 9. I sat next to her for three years every time she sewed (age 6-8), and I'd help guide her fabric, sometimes push the pedal for her, whatever she needed. Then she showed up one day, when both I and the leader were distracted by another child, and she had completed the potholder project all by herself after watching me do it. She had developed her manual dexterity- she had long understood the concepts- but she finally got the ability to move her fingers at the rate her brain was going.

I think that's the most frustrating thing for a child, waiting for their hands to catch up to their brain. Until then they need some extra reassurance. I think it is a wonderful gift teaching your child to sew.

 

[Tatum]

I think this would be the appropriate place to put this question, vs. starting a new thread. Any tips for a newbie on reading patterns and altering them? I have weird sizing (my waist is a modern sewing pattern 14 and my hips are a 10). I also have some vintage patterns that will need adjusting. Any tips, or web sites or books that will very simply walk you through this?

Kamikat has a great blog post on this, I have used her method with success!
http://newvintage.wordpress.com/2009/05/13/how-to-grade-patterns/

 

[MarieAnne]

These colours don't run!!

I'm making a shirt for my husbands friend. It's a western style shirt in dark blue with yellow piping. I am preshrinking and I noticed that my dark blue is running. I don't want my yellow piping to turn vomit/chartreuse after the first wash. I've been soaking my fabric in hot water over and over again and it still runs just a little bit. Any tips to speed this up and make sure the colour stays put? I was thinking when the water ran clear, I would throw it in the machine with a piece of scarp white fabric, just to make sure.

 

[crwritt]

I'm making a shirt for my husbands friend. It's a western style shirt in dark blue with yellow piping. I am preshrinking and I noticed that my dark blue is running. I don't want my yellow piping to turn vomit/chartreuse after the first wash. I've been soaking my fabric in hot water over and over again and it still runs just a little bit. Any tips to speed this up and make sure the colour stays put? I was thinking when the water ran clear, I would throw it in the machine with a piece of scarp white fabric, just to make sure.

Add a cup of table salt and a cup of white vinegar, that should set the dye. After the shirt is made, wash in cold water only.

 

[MarieAnne]

Thank you so much...

crwitt - I've just drained the last hot water soak and the water was very clear. I'm doing the salt and vinegar soak now. When that's done I'll be throwing it in the wash with another white scrap to be sure. It would be a shame to put it together only to have it ruined in the first wash.

 

[Drappa]

Salt and vinegar doesn't work on modern dyes! There are a few products quilters use like Retayne or Synthrapol. http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/1981-AA.shtml
http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/FAQ/synthrapol.shtml, but I have never tried either. I know many people who swear by them though.

I have had really good results with colour catcher sheets. In the UK they are made by Dylon, but I know the US and Canada have them as well.
http://www.colourcatcher.co.uk/
They really work, even on red and white fabrics, which are sometimes a disaster. I don't know how it works, but you put one or two sheets in with the wash, and all the excess dye ends up on the sheet. I use them for normal laundry or sewing fabrics.

 

[MarieAnne]

omg omg omg omg

I'm so excited. A photographer in town has asked to make some pinup outfits for his studio. He would like 2-3 outfits (I'm thinking, a diner dress, a peasant blouse with gathered skirt, and a sailor dress (circle skirt). He wants everything to be an average size so he can pin it tighter on smaller models. What would be an average size? I want to make sure that as many girls as possible fit into my garments, but I also don't want smaller girls to looks ridiculous with all that excess pined out. I am thinking perharps, some corset style lacing at the center back, using a size (waist) 27.5?

 

[crwritt]

I'm so excited. A photographer in town has asked to make some pinup outfits for his studio. He would like 2-3 outfits (I'm thinking, a diner dress, a peasant blouse with gathered skirt, and a sailor dress (circle skirt). He wants everything to be an average size so he can pin it tighter on smaller models. What would be an average size? I want to make sure that as many girls as possible fit into my garments, but I also don't want smaller girls to looks ridiculous with all that excess pined out. I am thinking perharps, some corset style lacing at the center back, using a size (waist) 27.5?

That seems like a small waist size to me, not average.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/bodymeas.htm
http://shopping.aol.com/articles/2008/10/30/is-plus-size-the-average-clothing-size/

 

[poggleberry]

Instructions needed for Butterick 3012

Would any one be able to help me please.
I work in a haberdashery shop and have been helping a young customer (16-17), with a sewing project. She's now finished her dress and picked a 1960's dress pattern up at a vintage fair, I was getting her a zip and seam binding and noticed that the instructions were missing from her pattern. She was very disappointed, she'd just bought her fabric (we'll her dad did) and I felt that I wanted to help a budding seamstress.
I've looked through my stash of patterns and have found a pattern that could be used for the general skirt and bodice darts, but the raglan sleeves are inset into the bodice and neck so might be a challenge for a young sewer.
Doe's anyone have this pattern and would be willing to scan the instructions for me, fingers crossed.

 

[sheeplady]

I'm so excited. A photographer in town has asked to make some pinup outfits for his studio. He would like 2-3 outfits (I'm thinking, a diner dress, a peasant blouse with gathered skirt, and a sailor dress (circle skirt). He wants everything to be an average size so he can pin it tighter on smaller models. What would be an average size? I want to make sure that as many girls as possible fit into my garments, but I also don't want smaller girls to looks ridiculous with all that excess pined out. I am thinking perharps, some corset style lacing at the center back, using a size (waist) 27.5?

Could you ask the photographer the approximate size of his lady clientele?

I'd aim for at least a US size 12 (if not a size 14). I'm not sure what pattern size this would be- as pattern sizes tend to be smaller than clothing sizes in the store. I think the site that crwitt posted was refering to clothing sizes from the store and not pattern sizes.

I am not sure, however, how easily that large of a size could be pinned down to a woman who is say a size 6. You can take a size or two in at the waist, but not more than that without having to mess with the shoulders and under the arm. Believe me, I know this the hard way, having tried to alter things down more than one size without much luck (it becomes major work- you basically need to recut something for more than two sizes). The lacing could account for some of this, but you still are going to get the shoulder problem after 2-3 sizes down.

Perhaps you could talk to him about this, and propose doing a few medium-sized outfits, and if they are successful, do copies in smaller and larger sizes to accomodate everyone?

This sounds like a wonderful opportunity to have your work showcased... how exciting! You should get labels to put in your designs, in case the ladies like them and want yo buy some of your work! Business cards to leave with the photographer too!

 

[MarieAnne]

crwitt - that's why I'd have laces in the back. It would allow the dress to let out a few inches. And then if the model was smaller, it could be lace closed and then pinned smaller without looking a mess.

Sheeplady - He has two interested girls at the moment (small-medium sized ?). But he wants to make pin up photography a regular thing. So neither of us know what size girls to expect.

The peasant blouse and gathered dress will be easy. I might just make the gathered dress like a giant, almost all the way around apron. The peasant blouse will be approximately 52" around the bust, and 110" around the shoulders. It's just a peasant blouse so it will be easy to pin smaller.

I'm not sure what to do for the third garment anymore. I'm thinking a halter top dress, circle skirt. Again, laces at the back so the dress can be let out, or pinned smaller. Below the lacing, I will sew a placket the skirt, extending 9".

I've already talked to the photographer about petticoat/crinoline. I wouldn't be able to make for cheaper than what is online and if he wants nice full skirts he would have to get one or two.

 

[crwritt]

Could you ask the photographer the approximate size of his lady clientele?

I'd aim for at least a US size 12 (if not a size 14). I'm not sure what pattern size this would be- as pattern sizes tend to be smaller than clothing sizes in the store. I think the site that crwitt posted was refering to clothing sizes from the store and not pattern sizes.

I am not sure, however, how easily that large of a size could be pinned down to a woman who is say a size 6. You can take a size or two in at the waist, but not more than that without having to mess with the shoulders and under the arm. Believe me, I know this the hard way, having tried to alter things down more than one size without much luck (it becomes major work- you basically need to recut something for more than two sizes). The lacing could account for some of this, but you still are going to get the shoulder problem after 2-3 sizes down.

Perhaps you could talk to him about this, and propose doing a few medium-sized outfits, and if they are successful, do copies in smaller and larger sizes to accomodate everyone?

This sounds like a wonderful opportunity to have your work showcased... how exciting! You should get labels to put in your designs, in case the ladies like them and want yo buy some of your work! Business cards to leave with the photographer too!

They referred to a 34-36" waist size as average,so 12-14 in retail sizes. 20-22 in modern dress patterns.
I think you could make any type of full skirted dress in a back wrap style.Like a Swirl dress in the back. A halter top style dress would be pretty adjustable.

 

[sheeplady]

They referred to a 34-36" waist size as average,so 12-14 in retail sizes. 20-22 in modern dress patterns.
I think you could make any type of full skirted dress in a back wrap style.Like a Swirl dress in the back. A halter top style dress would be pretty adjustable.

Oh, I like that idea- totally removes the problems of the shoulders.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Do any of you ladies know how to dye polyester? I found a source of fabric that I need that is 1/3rd the cost of elsewhere, it is just the wrong colour.

Thanx!!!
Charlie

 

[crwritt]

Do any of you ladies know how to dye polyester? I found a source of fabric that I need that is 1/3rd the cost of elsewhere, it is just the wrong colour.

Thanx!!!
Charlie

Dyeing polyester is a difficult thing, since it is really a plastic and the pigment is a part of it.There is a dye called "I Dye Poly",
I tried it and couldn't get a very dark shade with it. Maybe it would work for a subtle color change. I have colored small amounts of polyester fabric with acrylic paint mixed with fabric medium...You may want to keep shopping.

 

[wahine]

I agree with crwitt, I wouldn't be too optimistic about dying poly. When I was young, I used to paint small pieces with a permanent marker. That took virtually forever and considering the cost of the marker, there wasn't much money saved. But, I was young...
btw, after washing it, the stuff changed it's color from (painted) black to violet.

If I have the choice, I always buy fabric in the color I want. Even natural fabrics can lose or change their color through sunlight or washing when having been dyed at home. Industrial dying is usually more reliable.

 

[kymeratale]

Help! I am suffering a severe bout of indecision here. I am going to make up the short sleeve version of Lauren's pattern. I am having great difficulty choosing the fabric colour. (sorry for the size, I am having trouble with photobucket and can't get it right.)

I have it narrowed down to 2 sets of fabrics and I seriously can't decide. All are cotton broadcloth. In both cases the print is for the bodice, the middle darker colour for the skirt and sleeves and the lighter colour is for the inset on the skirt and bodice and piping on the sleeves. With the green, I am also trying to decide between the navy or the dark green, but am inclined toward the navy right now. Colour wise, both would look good on me, a coppery redheaded autumn.

So, what say you, green or orange? Whichever print I don't use for the dress, I think I will still get some to make a blouse.

Oh, and the pattern calls for 3 5/8 yards in my size (excluding the trim). I'm not sure how much of each fabric I would need to do the 2-toned version. Two for skirt and sleeve and 1 1/2 for bodice? Suggestions?