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Oh yay, a sewing thread  My machine just crapped out on me. I don't really have the money to get it looked at. The upper thread won't pull through at all, I guess I might need to try messing with the tension. My parents bought me the machine from Costco last Christmas despite my request for picking one out myself. I think the next one I get will be older and built to last. I've been sewing less than a year, but I've made some things I am pretty drat proud of which I will post at a later date. I also have a serger, which is a glorious piece of equipment to own. I loathe raw seams.
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Dec 3, 2007 21:41
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ElanoreMcMantis posted:I read a thread in Creative Convention about mixing textile medium and acrylic paint to do t-shirt stencils. I haven't tried it out yet, though. If you've got money to burn go for it, but it didn't work out so well for me. Next time I think I will stick to fabric paints. And as much as I love Craftster, it would be really nice to get proper feedback on things instead of just "ooooh so cute!" type of stuff. Compliments are nice, but they also don't really help you get better. Just don't be an rear end in a top hat about it. I will post some stuff soon, hopefully.
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Dec 19, 2007 05:09
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Relativistic posted:I decided to skip the burn test for now. That's probably good, especially considering that burn tests only work on 100%'s, not blends.
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Jun 23, 2008 07:38
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vstheworld posted:I'm getting ready to start on Vogue #2556 and it calls for 2-way stretch knit only. Nylon lycra, cotton lycra, or wool lycra. Now, I'm browsing around online and every bloody thing I find is 4-way stretch. Does anyone know where I could find this stuff? 4-way stretch has added lycra/spandex, and is mostly used in stuff like swimwear or maybe if you want to make a sweet catsuit. If it doesn't contain lycra/spandex (same thing), it is a 2-way stretch. http://www.sewzannesfabrics.com/ has a bunch of knits. Maybe you want to try interlock if you want a solid color, which is a type of knit that is a bit stronger than just regular ol' knit.
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Jul 18, 2008 10:31
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4R7 THi3F posted:We're required to take a lingerie class at my school. I hate lingerie, but I'm pretty pleased with my chemise. Gah, how can you hate lingerie! I can't wait to take that class at my school. It turned out really well. I love pleats As a side note, I would kill for an industrial machine. We use Juki's at my school but they all cost a pretty penny. Someone might notice if I try and walk out with one. I just hate my POS at home so much. For my advanced draping class, we have to research a designer and create a piece influenced by their designs. The guy I had made this:  also this:  I have big shoes to fill 
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Feb 19, 2009 10:14
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4R7 THi3F posted:Whoa, you have to do Charles James? Torture devices for women FTW! Thankfully it only has to be "influenced by," so it can be whatever interpretation. I have yet to dive into the wonderful world of tulle, so that will be an interesting experience. That butterfly dress is 18 pounds by the way. Also nearly impossible to walk (or sit) in. But I want one.
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Feb 20, 2009 22:37
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Axxonn. posted:Does anybody know of any classes that I could take to learn how to tailor my own jackets and make my own dress shirts? I guess like taking measurements and making patterns from the measurements? I live in NYC and I am not sure if there are like private lessons or anything for this kind of stuff. I don't want to have to take a million classes at FIT or anything as this is more of a hobby. I don't want a degree I just want to enjoy the art more than anything. Any info would be much appreciated. I'm not sure about classes, but you can always buy a pretty comprehensive patternmaking book like this one. It's a pretty big staple in design school.
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Mar 30, 2009 19:01
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seriouslywtf posted:Warning: big sewing project dump incoming. Do you wear the tulip skirt/dress? I always liked the look of them but I made myself one and it made my hips look ridiculous. Also that last dress is glorious. Pleating makes me tingle.
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May 20, 2009 19:33
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seriouslywtf posted:
Bamboo feels really awesome but I have heard it doesn't work out so well in the long run, as in it's not the most stable of fibers. I haven't actually sewn with it yet, though. Also the skirt looks great on you. I love people that know how to dress their figure.
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May 21, 2009 20:30
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Ashcans posted:
I have to make a tailcoat for my senior collection, which is slightly terrifying, but I did it to myself. Did you find pattern instructions for it? I'd like to know where to get some...
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Jun 19, 2009 03:01
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I love the look and feel of rayon, but the one major downside of the fabric is that over time, gravity takes its toll, so the hemline tends to sag in different places. I started noticing this in shirts I've bought, where the care label tells you to "hang to dry." Later the right side is a couple inches lower than the left. It's terribly unfair, and you would think the manufacturers would encourage people to keep it flat to increase the longevity of the garment. It would be such a great fabric if it weren't for this one horrible problem  . Anyone got any tricks?
vaginadeathgrip fucked around with this message at 23:56 on Aug 9, 2009 |
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Aug 7, 2009 11:01
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Ashcans posted:
I found a pattern in a men's patterning book from the 50's, and was unable to decipher the instructions. They gave you preset measurements. I tried to make a shirt sloper from the book, and it only used three measurements (center back length, chest width, and full length of the shirt...???) of course it came out ridiculous. Tailcoat patterns are hard to come by, so I basically made a jacket sloper, looked at a lot of pictures of tailcoats, and made my own pattern. Here's how it turned out:   Muslin prototypes for my senior project. It's for costume. Ignore the lack of pressing please  . Bonus fatsuit 
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Dec 6, 2009 12:35
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Ashcans posted:Wow, I think that came out really well. The collar and shoulders look good, which is what totally killed my attempt. The styling on the tail is interesting, any particular reason that you decided to go with an outward flare instead of the regular cut? The outside points are pretty neat. I'd love to see the final product when you get that done - what are you going to be making it from? I'm actually doing a weird 1930's sort-of-surreal version of Alice in Wonderland (designed it before I heard about Tim Burton's ) and he is my rabbit. He's gonna be really tall and long (he's kind of inspired by this guy right here). The nice thing is that I don't have to have any reasoning behind design details because everything is wacky in Wonderland . It will be made from a puke green wool (the pants and coat). The fatsuit I posted is for my Cheshire Cat.I think for you, the best thing would be to make your own patterns. Patternmaking is easy if you have a good book to follow, and will get you a much better fit than commercial patterns. I can't remember the last time I bought a pattern. edit: Here is my Alice  3 months and they'll all be in real fabric. Bonus: I might use a drag queen as my Queen of Hearts model. vaginadeathgrip fucked around with this message at 22:52 on Dec 6, 2009 |
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Dec 6, 2009 22:38
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Ashcans posted:I've never actually made my own patterns, at most I've modified existing ones or switched around bits between similar patterns. I did make a sleeveless tailcoat for my Halloween costume (which was sort of a grasshopper. I wish I had a decent picture of the whole getup) but I'd like to take another swing at the real thing. Do you have any recommendation on a good book for patternmaking? A lot of people in the thread seem to be actual professionals or seriously training, but I'm just a guy with an old sewing machine. I used this one which is pretty good. I just took a basic jacket pattern and modified the hell out of it. Although, their instructions for making a 2 piece sleeve made my eyes bleed so I just winged it. If you decide to venture into the ladies clothing for any reason, this one is pretty much a staple at any design school. Pattern books are pretty easy but if you have any questions, I'm sure plenty of ladies (or gentlemen!) here would be able to help with the technical stuff. If you decide to start making your own, be sure and have someone else take your measurements. You can't really do it all yourself and have it be accurate. Buy some muslin and make a prototype so you can check the fit before you cut it in real fabric. I was never fond of prototypes before, but once you buy expensive fabric, it's necessary. Cutting it out in nice fabric is terrifying enough without worrying if it fits or not. I'm having a love affair with wool right now. It really is great to work with, but so expensive .
vaginadeathgrip fucked around with this message at 09:36 on Dec 8, 2009 |
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Dec 8, 2009 09:30
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Denver Fabrics usually has a pretty good selection. It's hard to order online without looking at or feeling the fabric because it could be a completely different color, so get a swatch first if you can. I think with Denver you can order 1/8 of a yard since a lot of online places have a minimum of one yard. Spandex House gives out free swatches and is priced pretty cheap, if you want stretchy fabrics. I don't know if you all have heard of Britex in San Francisco, but you can send them a swatch or a detailed description of a fabric and they will try and match it for you. They have a huge inventory. This would have been a life saver for me had I not heard of it sooner.
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Mar 1, 2010 20:43
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kanteyluip posted:Does not compute? Haha. When you start sewing and do home projects, places like Wal-Mart and Joann's are good enough. When you really get into it and learn about fabrics, how they behave and how they are made, you will never shop at Joann's again if you can help it. Unfortunately sometimes it is the only place around. I'm turning into a fabric snob. I hate synthetic fabric, it just doesn't feel right. Also, in 2000 years, that polyester dress you wore at your funeral will still be intact.
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Jun 1, 2010 11:10
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Well, I spent the last year+ of my life working on my senior project (among other things) and the result here is 42% blood, 3% sweat, and 45% tears. I mentioned earlier in the thread that I did costume design for Alice in Wonderland (before I knew of that Tim Burton travesty ) with sort of a 1930's flair. Anyway here are shots from the fashion show: My Alice.  The Rabbit with a silly hat A shot of the tails  Cheshire (fat)cat wearing her hat backwards and possessing boobs that I requested not be present  The Queen with a bad wig Close up of the fur collar Queen from behind   Don't have any good detail shots unfortunately. I did a photoshoot for it but the pictures didn't turn out so hot. Plus we were outside and the rain drenched the queen's cape, making her fur all matted and gross .But it did bring this 
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Jun 23, 2010 05:27
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madlilnerd posted:
Baste it together before you sew it. It will slip around even if you pin it. I took a class on couture sewing, and now I always thread trace and baste any finer fabric. You can't always rely on seam allowances, but if you have your stitch lines clearly marked, sewing it is a breeze. That couture book listed is pretty good in explaining it. And yes, always put a new needle in. The sharper, the better.
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Jul 13, 2010 10:19
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amishsexpot posted:
Your draping stuff looks awesome! I haven't had much luck with adjustable dress forms. When I first got into sewing, my mom bought me one of those horrendous Singer forms with all of the adjustable dials. Needless to say, it now serves as a place to hang things or perhaps display something I've made. I guess I'd be curious to know the answer to this, as well. As far as the tulip skirt goes, my draping book says you start by aligning the grain to center back, but I really think it depends where you want your pleats to go. If you want more in the front, start at the back, and vice versa. You'll have to experiment if you want it asymmetrical. If you start from the back, draw in your hip line, and align your hip line to the center front waist. Where you align the hip line depends on how much or how little fabric you want to work with. After that, grab the excess fabric above the waist line and tie some twill tape around the waist. You can manipulate the pleats and gathers from there. Hope this wasn't confusing.
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Jul 18, 2010 10:30
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nolen posted:I'm considering opening a sewing/fabric store within the next year (because Austin is severely lacking in good ones) and I'm curious what everyone in this thread would like to see in a sewing/fabric store. If you want to set yourself apart from the old lady quilting brigade, I think you should carry more fashion fabrics. Silks, wool, things you can't buy at Joann's. There has to be a market for that sort of thing if the nearby fabric stores only carry kitschy cottons. Also, you'll probably make more money if you put the store near a fashion design school.
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Aug 13, 2010 10:06
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very posted:
Patternmaking isn't difficult itself, it just takes a little bit of math and some drawing of straight and curved lines. The hard part is doing the fitting and changing it from there, or manipulating an existing pattern. You can change a pattern 100 times before it will fit right. I think patterning is really easy, and the bigger challenge lies in draping. Anyway, I know you're just beginning, but this book is pretty comprehensive and good for people at all levels. A bit pricey, but it's worth the investment. I'd also recommend getting a book on sewing, such as this one that gives good detailed instructions on how to sew collars, pockets, hems, etc.
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Sep 10, 2010 06:48
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Are you opposed to getting a machine? You can find them used and cheap just about anywhere, probably for the price of any book. That said, this book is pretty helpful with hand sewing, as are most couture technique books, and it is relatively cheap. Has a lot of different types of useful hand stitches. If you attempted that first skirt without a machine, you'd be looking at 20+ hours of handwork with each panel, the waistband, skirt and hem, whereas with a machine will take you maybe 3 hours tops as a beginner. Hand sewing makes me want to die edit: ^^ and for the person above, mood fabrics carries a pretty good mix of fabrics. You'd probably looking for suiting fabric, though their website is a little difficult to navigate. He was likely wearing wool, but you can probably get away with a polyester for a costume if you don't want to spend that much. vaginadeathgrip fucked around with this message at 07:09 on Oct 8, 2010 |
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Oct 8, 2010 07:03
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Meat Recital posted:I'm looking at repairing holes in jeans, tshirts, and maybe the occasional sock. I have no intention of making clothes or quilts. What should I be looking for in a machine? Something used, preferably made before the 80's or whenever they started making plastic parts because you want something made of METAL  that can sew through anything. Some good brands: old Singers, Viking, Janome, Pfaff, Bernina. Go to a garage sale! But make sure it works. Also you want basic stitch functions like forward and back, zigzag and maybe some hem stitches if you are feeling saucy. Don't be an idiot like me and get a computerized machine that has 80 stitches because you will only ever use 2 of them.
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Oct 9, 2010 19:30
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This thread has made me realize that I have forgotten I am able to sew things and that I miss doing it for fun. I went to school for fashion design which beat all the desire to sew out of me, and sometimes I am forced to do it at work, but I haven't done it for myself in a really long time. Now I want to make a leather bomber jacket, because I am outrageously ambitious with projects. Also Goldaline is the coolest.
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Oct 6, 2016 05:39
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