Show us what you've made!

[Lauren]

Darling blouse, KamiKat! Love the fabric!
Great pjs, Hell's Bells! Welcome to sewing. Your first project came out great!

I just finished this dress this weekend The pattern was Eva Dress' 1932 Street or Tea Frock. I posted more about it on my blog here.

 

[Elpinoine]

Thank you that was very helpful!
I would love to do this together, we definitely can inspire each other
I've heard a similar story about the paper patterns, so I think it's a must-learn basic.

I'm a newbie sewer too. Ages ago when I was back in grammer school, they made all of us take one semester of sewing. I distinctly remember being made to "sew" lines on pieces of paper before we finally sewed up pillows in the shapes of letters. I was really horrible, and couldn't wait for the class to end. I much prefered the sememster of drafting they made us take.

Over 20 years later and I got an urge to really learn how to sew. I bought a sewing machine before the holidays last year, and finally got around to starting out. I looked in to some local classes, but they were all fairly expensive and seemed to really focus on knitting things that I had no interest in sewing. I picked up the Readers Digest book, along with one of those "Sewing for Dummies" books and just started off on my own.

I started off with my first project being a knitting needle case (lots of straight lines!), and have done a few aprons. I was thrilled last night to sew my first button hole. My next project is going to be a skirt, so it will be my first zipper. Slightly scary!

This summer I'm going away to a fiber arts camp and just switched one of my classes to one where you draft and make your own blouse. I'm pretty excited about that one.

I'd love to share info and help get inspiration from you guys too! I'm enjoying sewing so much more now than when I was younger. I just try to take my time and test things out on scrap fabric before doing it on my projects. I'm really anxious to start sewing some real garments!

 

[Elpinoine]

I love the dress. That color is stunning!

 

[Elpinoine]

I made this dress from a very flowy cotton voile from Simplicity 2549. It's kind of like wearing pajamas. Super comfy, I plan on remaking this pattern, in fact going to cut it out tonight!

I had to add that pattern on to my wish list. I love how it came out. It looks wonderful on you.

 

[I Adore Film Noir]

Darling blouse, KamiKat! Love the fabric!
Great pjs, Hell's Bells! Welcome to sewing. Your first project came out great!

I just finished this dress this weekend The pattern was Eva Dress' 1932 Street or Tea Frock. I posted more about it on my blog here.

A++

 

[I Adore Film Noir]

Sorry for the crummy picture quality, but I'm dying to share what I have made as well. Let me say that I am a beginning sewist and this was my very first project. They are pajama bottoms made from an "Elvis in the 50s" cotton print.

As I gain more skills, confidence and experience, I hope to post something I've made that can even come CLOSE to the lovely things I have seen in this thread!

Nice work and I ♥ Elvis

 

[Romy Overdorp]

@ Lauren: stunning dress!
@Elpinoine: I am not going to think about sewing, but actually do it! This weekend I am going to look for a nice vintage Singer machine. I'll start with an apron just like you. Was that hard to do? Did you draw the pattern yourself?
edit: and purchase a book

 

[Isis]

Lauren, I just love your gown!

 

[kamikat]

Lauren, your dress is beautiful!

 

[Elpinoine]

@ Lauren: stunning dress!
@Elpinoine: I am not going to think about sewing, but actually do it! This weekend I am going to look for a nice vintage Singer machine. I'll start with an apron just like you. Was that hard to do? Did you draw the pattern yourself?
edit: and purchase a book

No, I picked up a McCalls vintage style pattern when my local fabric store had them on sale. I'm not quite daring enough yet to try my own pattern. I just need to take a few photos now that they are finished.

 

[Lady Day]

I made another Simplicity 2005 blouse, this time in flannel.

You're so cute

LD

 

[Lorelai99]

I'm a newbie sewer too. Ages ago when I was back in grammer school, they made all of us take one semester of sewing. I distinctly remember being made to "sew" lines on pieces of paper before we finally sewed up pillows in the shapes of letters. I was really horrible, and couldn't wait for the class to end. I much prefered the sememster of drafting they made us take.

Over 20 years later and I got an urge to really learn how to sew. I bought a sewing machine before the holidays last year, and finally got around to starting out. I looked in to some local classes, but they were all fairly expensive and seemed to really focus on knitting things that I had no interest in sewing. I picked up the Readers Digest book, along with one of those "Sewing for Dummies" books and just started off on my own.

I started off with my first project being a knitting needle case (lots of straight lines!), and have done a few aprons. I was thrilled last night to sew my first button hole. My next project is going to be a skirt, so it will be my first zipper. Slightly scary!

This summer I'm going away to a fiber arts camp and just switched one of my classes to one where you draft and make your own blouse. I'm pretty excited about that one.

I'd love to share info and help get inspiration from you guys too! I'm enjoying sewing so much more now than when I was younger. I just try to take my time and test things out on scrap fabric before doing it on my projects. I'm really anxious to start sewing some real garments!

That is exactly how I learned how to sew!! I also find the internet to be a helpful source because every once in a while I find a term the I have never heard of... I have to say that a few of my early items will NEVER see the light of day but I figure atleast I learned from my own mistakes. Now I would be happy to be able to finish my own projects instead of other peoples projects for me (but those pay... most of the time). My current project is the first one where I am basically making the dress from scratch (with the help of certain pieces of a pattern that I used to draft my own pieces) so if it turns out wearable I'll post pictures!! Good luck on your projects!!

 

[Lorelai99]

Darling blouse, KamiKat! Love the fabric!
Great pjs, Hell's Bells! Welcome to sewing. Your first project came out great!

I just finished this dress this weekend The pattern was Eva Dress' 1932 Street or Tea Frock. I posted more about it on my blog here.

Beautiful dress!! (and I love your hat!!)

 

[Elpinoine]

Do any of the sewers out there have a good way for getting a nice straight edge on their fabric before cutting?

After trying for ages last night, I finally gave up on trying to pin out the pieces for my first skirt last night. I'm using a thin fake suede fabric and couldn't get a straight edge to save my life. I checked out my Reader's Digest, but the ripping method didn't work, and I couldn't seem to loosen up a thread to do it that way. Very frustrating!

 

[crwritt]

Do any of the sewers out there have a good way for getting a nice straight edge on their fabric before cutting?

After trying for ages last night, I finally gave up on trying to pin out the pieces for my first skirt last night. I'm using a thin fake suede fabric and couldn't get a straight edge to save my life. I checked out my Reader's Digest, but the ripping method didn't work, and I couldn't seem to loosen up a thread to do it that way. Very frustrating!

If you have a drafting square, line it up with the selvage edge and draw a line across the fabric. Extend the line with a ruler.
If you don't have a square, you can use a fresh piece of white letter paper in the same way.
Be sure your scissors are good and sharp. That faux swede can be tricky to work with.

 

[Elpinoine]

Thanks. I'm pretty sure I have one of those someplace from when I use to do quilting. I'll have to hunt it down.

I was going crazy with it yesterday. It was so static clinging I couldn't do anything with it.

 

[Lauren]

Thanks so much for the comments on my dress

Do any of the sewers out there have a good way for getting a nice straight edge on their fabric before cutting?

Something I do when I try to get everything exactly on grain is use one of those big cardboard cutting mats you can get at fabric stores. They should have a 1 inch grid printed on the top. I'll line up my fabric and pin through it onto the cardboard so it's on grain and smooth it all out. You can also use the lines as guides for the crossgrain, or use an L square ruler and line it up with the selvage edge (just like Crwritt mentions about).
Some fabric are extra wiggly, so cutting on a hard surface helps I used to cut everything out on the floor but I rarely do that any more. Things are easier to get precise if you use a harder surface (not carpeting, like what I was using!), and those mat boards are great because of the grid.

You can cut fabric with a rotary wheel and clear ruler on a mat board (not cardboard) like for quilting, too

 

[BoPeep]

Lauren - Simply gorgeous. Love the contrast lining, and it's perfect with that hat!

For getting a straight edge, I usually rip it. Very therapeutic! Otherwise a rotary cutter and green mat work well. For very limp or stretchy fabrics, I've also used a light starch before cutting. But that obviously won't work with suede.

 

[Elpinoine]

I seem to be rip deficent. It starts okay and then I end up ruining a chunk of fabric. I don't know if I'm not ripping fast enough or what.

 

[Elpinoine]

I'm going to look for one of those. I've been using my dining room table, but it's a fairly small table. Normally if I'm cutting cottons it's fine, but this was a bit too big.