Sewing Lessons & FAQ

[BettyValentine]

Does anyone have any suggestions for learning tailoring for men? I want to try my hand at making some suits (I'd love to do some lovely tailored 19th century menswear). I'd love suggestions for good books on the subject. (Ideally, books with copious illustrations!)

BV

 

[MissHuff]

Does anyone have any suggestions for learning tailoring for men? I want to try my hand at making some suits (I'd love to do some lovely tailored 19th century menswear). I'd love suggestions for good books on the subject. (Ideally, books with copious illustrations!)

BV

I've been wanting to do the same thing. I haven't research ed all that well but Ageless Patterns has some nice patterns for menswear. I've been thinking of making my S.O. some shirts and to take a crack at a smoking jacket for his birthday.

 

[Snookie]

Does anyone have any suggestions for learning tailoring for men? I want to try my hand at making some suits (I'd love to do some lovely tailored 19th century menswear). I'd love suggestions for good books on the subject. (Ideally, books with copious illustrations!)

BV

Classic Tailoring Techniques by Roberto Cabrera is the undisputed bible on tailoring - can't remember if there's a section on historical styles or not, though. See if your library has it (and other tailoring books!) so you can see if you want to buy it or not.

Janet Arnold books might be useful. Mostly women's styles, though.

http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Tailo...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200365176&sr=8-1

 

[Lady Day]

Opinions

Ladies, making this into an evening gown.

The center dress.
its for the Cicada event at the end of the month.

Now, Im not a sleeveless person, so Im making some for the gown. Here I am in the bodice mock up, what do you think of this sleeve?

The drape will be a bit looser as the fabric Im using for the mock up is a bit stiff. But I like the way it drapes. Is it too much?

Thoughts?

Thanks all,

LD

 

[~*Red*~]

LD your new sleeve is going to be lovely!! I think it drapes nicely! I can't wait to see the finished product! You always sew such lovely garments!

 

[Babydoll]

I think it looks lovely. What material will you be using for the final garment?

 

[Snookie]

Hi LD! Hope I make it to the Cicada this time, so I can see your creation in person!

I want to make sure I'm seeing your pictures right. Is there an underarm seam, or is it only attached at the top of the sleeve cap and loose under the arm (like a butterfly sleeve)? It looks to me like there's no underarm seam.

I love the gathering, but I think the lower part of the sleeve is a little long and wide. I think it should stop at the elbow, if you're comfortable shortening it. (or extend past the elbow only at the outer point, for an asymmetrical look, if that makes sense. Maybe with a tassel!)

I think there's a little too much fabric under the arm - shortening the sleeve might help it, but I don't think it's enough. Maybe just add an underarm seam, removing a good chunk from the front especially, or if you want it open, I'd still remove some from the front. What I'm looking at is the first picture, where your arm's away from your body - I feel that with your arm extended that far, the sleeve shouldn't still be pushing up against your body so much. It should just skim. That's the amount I'd remove. I think the nice curve of the sleeve should be visible in the negative space between your arm and body, but it's not able to hang far enough away.

Hope that makes any sense.

I like how your tattoo shows through the back v-neck!

 

[Lady Day]

I think there's a little too much fabric under the arm - shortening the sleeve might help it, but I don't think it's enough....I feel that with your arm extended that far, the sleeve shouldn't still be pushing up against your body so much. It should just skim. That's the amount I'd remove. I think the nice curve of the sleeve should be visible in the negative space between your arm and body, but it's not able to hang far enough away.

I was thinking that too! Okay, good. I just whipped it out of a piece of scrap fabric I had. So okay, I get what you are saying. No there is no underarm seam, and yeah, I could see it tapering to my elbow, and taking in the front some so it curves just at the side of the bust.

Thanks for the input ladies. Much appreciated.

LD

 

[Snookie]

Whew, glad that made sense! Hey! you didn't tell us what fabric you're using! (or is that a surprise? )

 

[Lady Day]

Here it is! Most of the dress will be hand sewn :eusa_doh: What was I thinking! lol

LD

 

[Babydoll]

Is it beaded?

 

[Fleur De Guerre]

I start my sewing course tonight - yippee! I have a long way to go before I will be making anything wearable I expect, but it's a start!

 

[PS]

I start my sewing course tonight - yippee! I have a long way to go before I will be making anything wearable I expect, but it's a start!

:eusa_clap

 

[AnnaMaria]

I start my sewing course tonight - yippee! I have a long way to go before I will be making anything wearable I expect, but it's a start!

How fun! Don't be to critical to what you create in the beginning. Look at the possibilities and at how your sewing improves. And have fun!

I can tell you that it feels quite nice when someone compliments you on your clothes and you can answer "Thank you, I've made it myself".

 

[Lady Day]

Does anyone here still pink?

I was working with a silk today and was worried my serger would tear it up, so I pinked the edges. It got me to wondering if any of you gals still do it. I had two pairs of pinking shears and both got tangled in the fabric all the time. :rage:

I remember the same thing happening to my Mom. Freshly sharpened or no, they always got bunshed up in whatever!

Im glad I got to serge the fabric, it worked out better.

LD

 

[BonnieJean]

LD,
I've recently re-discovered the joy of "pinking". Since I don't have a serger, this is my best method of finishing seams unless I use seam tape. I've had very good luck with my Fiskars pinking shears so far. I have an old heavy set of pinking shears that my grandmother used, but they seem to grab and bunch the fabric more than cut it. I came across a handmade outfit from the 1930s in an antique shop and I noticed that all the seams were pinked. I love "pinking". When I was a little girl I used to cut (pink) fabric scraps. There's just something neat about those "pinked" edges. Yep, I'm a little strange....

 

[anabolina]

Does anyone here still pink?

I was working with a silk today and was worried my serger would tear it up, so I pinked the edges. It got me to wondering if any of you gals still do it. I had two pairs of pinking shears and both got tangled in the fabric all the time. :rage:

I remember the same thing happening to my Mom. Freshly sharpened or no, they always got bunshed up in whatever!

Im glad I got to serge the fabric, it worked out better.

LD

I keep meaning to pick up some pinking shears at a major sale, but forget, bummer. Is it pinking that you do for the cuts into curved seams to make them lay flat, you know when you cut into them so the fabric doesn't bunch?

 

[Miss Crisplock]

My Mother had great German scissors; and Lord help you if you touched her sewing shears or pinking shears. Didn't remember any problems, but you couldn't get material too close to the join.

Pinking helps keep raw edges from raveling. Or rather from unraveling.

 

[Lady Day]

I keep meaning to pick up some pinking shears at a major sale, but forget, bummer. Is it pinking that you do for the cuts into curved seams to make them lay flat, you know when you cut into them so the fabric doesn't bunch?

Neither. Thats called 'notching' fabric, or so Ive heard it called.

Pinking cuts the edges of a fabric with a zig zag cut so the fabric will have less tendency to fray. Sergers, bias tape, fray check, even a good baste stitch have all but replaced those scissors in that respect.

LD

 

[Snookie]

Is it pinking that you do for the cuts into curved seams to make them lay flat, you know when you cut into them so the fabric doesn't bunch?

I've seen this suggested in sewing magazines, to take the work out of clipping curves, but that's just an alternate use someone came up with.

I seem to remember Lotus Leroux saying that she cuts out fabric with pinking shears sometimes. That seemed smart to me -- I'd probably cut it with scissors, then pink around each piece, making 3x more work for myself!