sew what!

Vogue 8561 Pattern Error

2009-02-17T09:14:00.005-05:00

The last time I found Vogue patterns on sale I bought a number of Marcie Tilton patterns. Really love her interesting designs. I decided to make up a skirt over the weekend using Vogue 8561.
I cut out the 11 pieces, thinking how a skirt could have just 2 or 3, but whatever, I was having fun.
Until things wouldn't fit together properly. I pondered and I puzzled. I second-guessed myself and re-checked. Thought maybe I had cut a couple pieces the wrong size, misunderstood directions, was just having a stupid day. Then I started piecing the tissue and the pattern simply was WRONG.
I contacted the designer through her website and received a lovely response with in hours.
Vogue DID make an error and will be reprinting the pattern.
She also sent me this photo and instructions on how to salvage my mess, which wasn't too difficult after I knew which parts were right and which wrong. The lower pieces are an inch too large. BTW, I hadn't gotten to the skirt back and she didn't send a photo, but the lower piece on the skirt back is an inch too big as well.
So I ended up with a lovely skirt, but it took 3 times longer than it would have.
GRRRRR VOGUE!!!!

Building Patterns

2009-01-25T09:21:00.004-05:00

FINALLY, my book arrived. I've only had about an hour to look through, but I'm pleased with what I see so far. This is a comprehensive instructional guide with exercises. It covers slopers, pattern making, fitting, skirts, moulage, collars, sleeves, pants, bodices, the whole shebang! There's a lot of math, but the explanations are simple and logical. I was afraid I'd regret spending the $55 for it sight unseen, but I think it was worth it. I can't wait to begin working through it.

Building Patterns,the Architecture of Women's Clothing
by Suzy Furrer

New threads for my little guy

2009-01-25T09:06:00.006-05:00

Fine wale corduroy shirt, khaki twill pants with the requested 6 pockets. This little guy grows so fast that I'm thankful he'll still wear elastic waist pants since they are such a cinch to put together. I made him four pair this weekend. I'm thinking that next year, when he's a first-grader, we're going to have to move to real fly fronts. I used a pajama shirt pattern so it doesn't have cuffs, but he doesn't miss them and it will make it easier to let down the hem and give him some more arm length next month when they're an inch longer. The pants have a 2 inch hem for the same reason. Right now they have a blind hem, but after I let them down, I'll do a jeans hem in contrasting black stitching like the pockets and felled seams.

red leather tote

2009-01-14T16:14:00.010-05:00

I looked at this gorgeous tooled red leather for a year before I had enough courage to cut it. I recycled 2 black leather skirts for the side panels and lined it with an upholstery scrap from my dining room.
It's large enough for my MacBook, wallet, makeup and a change of shoes plus!
If you haven't worked with leather, don't be afraid; it's very much like fabric when dealing with garment weights. See my earlier post for a few tips.

obsession

2009-01-13T11:50:00.005-05:00

Now that I'm figuring out the pants fit, I find myself constantly thinking about how my body is different from the standards, how I can alter things to fit even better and ultimately, if I should learn to make my own patterns rather than start with commercial ones. Or maybe just a sloper.
I did some research for pattern drafting and altering books, on-line courses, videos and such and ended up ordering Building Patterns the Architecture of Women's Clothing, by Suzy Furrer.
I'm anxiously awaiting its arrival.
I did browse through a number of others at Barnes & Noble on Sunday, but most of the tissue-fit pattern alteration things seemed to be geared for, er, larger, women and had a lot of extraneous stuff that I would never ( I hope) use.
In the mean time, the videos at this link were really helpful to me.
Don McCunn videos

Anybody out there have any experiences you could share?

making it fit

2009-01-02T09:09:00.010-05:00

I've always been a lazy seamstress. I'd shift a seam here and there rather than take the time to learn how to fit a pattern properly. Things always ended up fitting well enough. Certainly as good as off the rack mall buys. But I've been bitten by a new bug and need to learn to make it fit really right. I have a very full bust and no behind to speak of, a short waist and hourglass measurements. Obviously not standard fare. So I bought a learn-to-fit pattern for a princess seamed top and saw how to adjust for a full bust. Piece of cake once you step through the six or so steps. Then yesterday I attempted the pants. I never ever ever can find pants that fit properly and decided I'd make myself the perfect jeans. I checked out a few websites... threadsmagazine.com is great... and went at it. After lengthening the waist-to-crotch an inch, I decided to cut the back leg seam a size (ish) smaller rather than adjust the pattern to shorten the back crotch seam for my non-existent butt. The results are the same. Alas, I also had to cut a size larger for the waist (seems I've thickened up a bit recently). Ladies, it was worth the prep time. I have the perfect pair of jeans. My new machine, Helga the Viking, sewed six or seven layers of denim like it was butter. I picked up a video on a really simple way to manage a fly front. I'll never be afraid of them again. Here's the link: easy fly front
No gaps, no sags, no pulling or creasing.
I am a happy girl.
I'd be happier if my son would not have insisted on taking these pics from close and above so that my legs look so short. I'm really 5'6", not as squatty as I appear. Really. I mean it.

new and exciting!

2008-12-29T13:01:00.007-05:00

Ah, yes, it's been a while. I've been busy with other things. I've been sewing so much it borders on a compulsion. My bf bought me a beautiful shiny new Viking Husquvarna Sapphire 830 for Christmas. OOOhhhh, AAAhhhh. Lucky me! What a guy!
And since I got it two weeks before Christmas and JoAnn's had fleece on sale all of December, everyone got custom made jackets, hoodies, flannel pj's, and anything else I could make out of fleece.
We're all so cozy and warm!
Here are a couple jackets I've done. I made the green one for my sister.. doesn't fit me real well as you can see. And Honestly, the hem on the grey one is even, but my son was impatient taking pics and didn't wait for me to adjust things. grrr.

The Dark Brotherhood

2008-08-08T13:19:00.010-04:00

With one day's notice, my 22 year old son tells me he's going to some week long event where everyone dresses up in costume. And he needs a costume. I don't know if it's a role-play thing or what, but he asked if I could make him "dark brotherhood armor".
Whatever that is. I think it's from Oblivion, his favorite game, but I'm oblivious.
He showed me a pic on line to use as a starting point and we went from there.
I used an old leather jacket, recycled a few leather belts, bought a bit of suede cloth, found some woven cotton in the Pile O' Fabric (you have one of those, right?) and grabbed the wrong side of an upholstery remnant to come up with this awesome (he said so) outfit for him to wear for the weekend. I used a pajama pattern mostly for the sizing, so he's got a tunic, elastic waist pants, a cape-like cowl thing and a translucent mask.
Now his buddy wants one as well.
Fortunately, we're out of time.

hand painted leather sandals

2008-06-17T09:12:00.007-04:00

This is my favorite pair of summer sandals. They were originally plain ol' black and true to form, I couldn't let them go unadorned. I had had this goddess-of-the-night picture swirling around my head for a few weeks and decided to trial it on the shoes before making it into a painting (which I never did).
Painting on leather requires a bit of prep to take the finish off so the paint will adhere well. You can do this with a commercial preparation or acetone (nail polish remover). I've used both and they've worked equally as well. You can buy paint specifically made for leather work or just use plain old acrylic. Again, I've used both successfully, but I do prefer the Angelus leather paints. I can't go anywhere in these babies without having people comment on them. I've even gotten a couple commissions simply by walking around town in them!

zig zag bag: construction

2008-06-15T12:34:00.015-04:00

I had been thinking of making corded handles out of the lining fabric, but then decided to use bamboo handles instead. So I had to make loops to attach the handles to the bag. I cut 3/4" x 3" leather strips, folded them in half length-wise and used the handles to mark the placement on the main bag sections. I rubber cemented them in place , then stitched, being careful to lift the lining fabric out of the way while doing so. I used a triple row of stitching for strength.
When sewing leather, any holes you make with pins or the machine needle will stay there, so be very careful and think things through before putting holes in your leather. I use binder clips to hold layers together for stitching.

I decided to use a contrasting red thread for some visual interest.
First, I sewed the two larger rectangles together, wrong sides together with a narrow seam across both sides and the bottom. Then I did the same with the larger and smaller pocket. This helped to stabilize things so that when I placed the pockets on the main bag to sew them together, I only had 2 separate layers rather than 4.
Stitch around all 3 edges inside the first seams you did on the pockets and bag, then stitch again, close to the edge of the leather, then trim any excess. Make certain to backstitch at the beginning and end of seams for strength. You may want to reinforce the corners as well.
Attach the handles to the loops and you're done!

zig zag bag: prelude to sewing

2008-06-14T13:11:00.006-04:00

If you haven't done any sewing with leather, don't be put off by it. With a few simple tips, it's as easy as fabric. First, get a teflon presser foot for your machine. I ordered mine online. You can find 'em easily. The teflon helps the leather glide on the foot rather than sticking which it will do on metal or plastic. Secondly, sew with nylon or heavy duty thread and a needle specifically for leather. If you are using garment weight leather, your machine won't even know the difference. That's all I do differently for machine sewing leather.

zig zag bag : the cutting

2008-06-14T09:36:00.017-04:00

I've seen a really cool purse design in a few shops in SoHo (NYC, not London) that I used for inspiration on this bag. The ones I saw were leather on both sides, but I decided to use leather and fabric here. I generally use vintage and previously used leather because it's both less expensive and we have so much usable materials already out there in the world that there's no reason to kill another cow for my little handbag ventures.
So here's a step by step on how this one came about.
I cut up a patchworked leather skirt and cut two 10"x13" rectangles for the main part of the bag. Size and proportion are personal choices; I've seen this bag done both taller-than-wide and wider-than-tall and both looked great.
Then I cut two pieces for the outside pockets, the first is the same size as the 2 rectangles and the second is the same width, but half the height. I then cut the top edges at angles in opposite directions to get the zig and the zag (this will all make sense soon). Again, depending on the height to width ratio, the angle will differ. You'll know what looks pleasing; just hold a ruler across the top edge and see how steep an angle you like.

Next, use those pieces as patterns to cut another set in contrasting leather or fabric being mindful to have wrong sides together. I forgot this part and had to recut my fabric. Ugh!
I assembled the pieces by pairing contrasting ones. Next, trim an eighth of an inch to a quarter inch on the top edge of the fabric on the two main rectangles and the smallest pocket. Trim the same amount from the top edge of leather on the larger pocket. Fold the untrimmed leather edge over the trimmed fabric edge to get finished top edges. I like to keep these in place by using rubber cement on both surfaces, letting it dry, then folding over and sticking it together until I'm ready to sew.
At this point, you can insert interfacing or a stiffener between the front and back layers if you like a bag that holds its shape more, of if your materials are lighter weight.
Then I stacked them into position:the two rectangles with fabric sides together, the larger pocket, fabric side up, the smaller pocket, fabric side down.
I didn't like the very square look of things, so I angled the sides from top to bottom, just taking off about an inch and a half on each side of the top edge as shown in the last photo.

Now we're ready to start sewing. Tune in tomorrow for chapter 2!

slasher

2008-06-13T11:11:00.006-04:00

I seem to have had a lot of denim come my way lately. This again is a classic battle jacket style, but zips up the front. I wanted to feminize it a bit and had a scrap of my beloved rosebud fabric left from a previous project ( see hippie chic, below) that I wanted to use. I started by sewing pieces of it over the breast pockets, leaving them unhemmed so they'll get that nice soft fringe after washing. Then I cut 3 slashes down the center back and sewed the rosebud fabric behind the slashes. I sewed around the edges and vertically between each slash, then washed and dried it so the edges would soften and fray. I'm thinking of a ruffled cuff like this, or maybe some hand painted rose details , but not sure yet how I want to finish. It will tell me what it wants in its own time.

cabbage roses

2008-06-11T08:09:00.014-04:00

This has become one of my favorites. Another vintage apron (thank you Sheree) in gray with two big fluffy roses which are also pockets. I made a simple skirt out of some apple green fabric, removed the waistband and ties from the apron, then reattached the ties as a bottom band on the skirt. All that was left to do was add an elasticized waistband in a coordinating floral print and add some stripes from the same fabric as trim along the center front and pocket edges. Wish I had the time to do some garage sale shopping for more cool aprons. I'm running out of source material!

Vintage apron goes hippie chic

2008-06-10T17:18:00.010-04:00

My dear friend Sheree gave me a number of vintage aprons knowing I would have to do something with them. This skirt started life as a lovely handmade hostess apron; the kind Donna Reed and June Cleaver wore while serving their clean and shiny families in the dining room even on weeknights. Since it wouldn't get that kind of use in my house, I decided to tear it apart and start over. I used McCall's 5140 pattern as a starting point with some black cotton gauze and a tiny rosebud print that I just adore... reminds me of my childhood in some way.
I constructed the layered skirt from those two fabrics, then cut the apron ties and waistband off, cut it vertically down the center and used the two pieces as additional shorter layers; one on the front (with pocket intact) and the other on the back. It has a slit up the front between the rosebud and black. It's a great little summer skirt now, but likes going to restaurants better than serving at home.

Denim 'n Suede

2008-06-10T13:42:00.002-04:00

This started out as a classic battle jacket type denim that I wore very rarely and just took up space in my closet. I started to liven it up by adding strips of wine colored suede taken from a skirt that was really outdated and some coordinating brocade fabric. It looked a bit one-dimensional still, so I cut a stencil and painted some fleur-de-lis in black and white over the top. I removed the waistband and replaced it from front to back over the shoulder and fastened with buttons taken from the waist-adjustment thingees on the waistband. Lastly, I used an old pair of earrings and a chain to add some decorative interest. I haven't been a big fan of denim apart from jeans in recent years, but a jacket like this is making me give it a second look.

The Beginning

2008-06-10T13:29:00.001-04:00

My favorite phrase is "what if..." , well, that and "there's more than one right answer". So, in the early days of my sewing career, I could never just do what a pattern said to do. Maybe it's just a little bit or rebellion again coloring inside the lines, I dunno, but whether it was an unusual fabric choice or changing out a sleeve or collar, I had to mess with it. And it was fun. And nobody else would ever have anything like it. And I loved that.
So the first time I cut apart a favorite, but past-its-prime cowl-necked sweater and turned it into an asian-inspired kimono wrappy thing, I was on fire. Making something from almost nothing. Who'd a thunk it.
Anyway, I've been learning so much from other alter-ers that I thought I'd share some of my projects. Plus a record of them will help me remember what I've done after tomorrow, when I'm likely to have forgotten all about it. Hope you enjoy!