Sew Classic

fuckyeahtattoos: Massive knitter and crocheter over here..Rohan...

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:39:07 -0400

Massive knitter and crocheter over here..

Rohan at Jackson Street Tattoo in Petone, New Zealand

DRESS REHEARSAL: muslin tutorial part one

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:55:43 -0400

I’m about halfway through the Burdastyle retro sheath dress wearable muslin, and so far I have learned a lot that will help me with the Daenerys version. As mentioned previously; I am making this muslin completely as directed to better see how to make my alterations and for a before/after pattern hack visual. I chose a quilting cotton as it is cheaper than fashion fabric. Generally you should try to use a fabric close in weight to the final fabric you intend to use, but for a dress using three different fabrics it is not an affordable option. Since quilting cotton is not stretchy it should not affect the fit.

Burdastyle patterns do not come with diagramed instructions or seam allowances. I used a seam allowance guide by Hollie which is a magnetic tool that sticks to the scissors allowing you to cut the fabric at the same distance (the seam allowance measurement which in this case is 5/8”) around the edge of the pattern piece. This saved a lot of time where I would usually trace the pattern and add on the seam allowance in pencil then cut out! I am using french seams as I do not have a serger/overlocker, so I will not be pressing my seam allowances open.

Step one: After printing out and sticking together your pattern to cut out your fabric pieces, you start by sewing in the bust darts on the “upper fronts” aka bodice peices. Right sides together, pin/press the fabric so the dart lines are on top of one another and sew along the line. I find it helps to trace the dart markings onto the wrong side of the fabric so you can see where to stitch. When coming to the end of dart, do not backstitch but sew off the edge and then tie in a knot. You will need to leave long enough tails when you cut the threads to do this. This stops the fabric bunching when you backstitch on a tight corner. Do this step for both sides of the “upper fronts” and press the darts towards the centre.

Step two: Sew the both shoulders by pinning right sides together and stitching along the shoulder edge.

Step three: sew the shoulder seams for the two complete neck facings. You can tell which ends and sides should meet to form the shoulder seam by the pattern markings, refer to the original paper pattern pieces and match up the number fives. Sew right sides together. Turn out and press seam towards the back.

Step four: match up and pin the neck facings and the upper fronts right side together and stitch. Turn out and press down.

Step five: as with the bust darts, trace the “lower front” dart markings onto the wrong side of the fabric so you can see where to stitch and pin then sew along the lines for both darts. Press towards the centre.

Step six: line up the darts for the “upper fronts” and “lower front” and pin. The neck edges should meet at the centre front and the sides should be a continuous edge. Sewing a convex curve to a concave curve is tricky, you will need to use a lot of pins and maybe baste first to check everything lines up when you turn it out. Press seam downwards.

COMING SOON: muslin tutorial part two

moniquill: lovelyaddict: You know what would be brilliant? An indicator light to tell you when...

Thu, 16 May 2013 11:48:24 -0400

moniquill:

lovelyaddict:

You know what would be brilliant?

An indicator light to tell you when your bobbin is running low. That would be fucking genius.

Photo

Mon, 13 May 2013 11:22:40 -0400

inspirations4yourlife: Make a cute treat box out of soda...

Wed, 08 May 2013 09:53:01 -0400

inspirations4yourlife:

Make a cute treat box out of soda bottles.

Knitting is a lot like wizardry.

Mon, 06 May 2013 11:00:46 -0400

thestreetsarepavedwithcheese:

You wave pointy sticks around, mumble to yourself and outsiders haven’t a clue how you did it.

Photo

Fri, 03 May 2013 10:00:50 -0400

I was nominated twice for the Liebster Award this year. Part of being nominated means you have to...

Thu, 02 May 2013 16:00:46 -0400

I was nominated twice for the Liebster Award this year. Part of being nominated means you have to nominated another group of bloggers and ask them a set of questions, and I thought I would ask you guys as well because I’m curious!

1. How old were you when you started sewing?

2. What compels you to create something?

3. What is your favorite medium to create? (e.g. sewing, knitting, painting, writing, etc)

4. What is your best memory of sewing?

5. Is there a time period or style that you create within?

6. Is there a time period or style you’re drawn to but never work within?

7. Do you have any insecurities regarding sewing/crafting/etc?

8. If you make vintage inspired or period clothing, how often do you wear it?

9. What’s your favorite thing you’ve made? (Not exclusive to sewing.)

10. If you could give any piece of advice to someone that you’ve learned about anything, what would it be?

11. What’s your favorite dessert to bake?

sick nasty siha: Write like a child

Thu, 02 May 2013 11:53:41 -0400

sick nasty siha: Write like a child:

referenceforwriters:

A while ago I reblogged a highly interesting article (here if you haven’t read it; really, go do it) regarding why children are better poets than adults. It can also apply to art in general, in my opinion. It’s a concept I had heard before, but the article truly shows what it is about in a way.

The way I see it, when we were kids and enjoyed drawing and writing, we didn’t care whether it was accurate or not. We didn’t see the way others did it, nor thought (or cared) if they were better than us. We purely created out of enjoyment; we created for the sake of creating.

At least, that was my experience with it. When I was young (from six to ten years old) and picked up a pencil and tried to write, or painted, I did it because I found it interesting, because I could make new things, or just enjoyed looking at the interesting colors, the interesting words.

Another thing happened while I was taking care of my little cousin not so long ago. She told me she was going to draw and color a house, which she did. She later showed me the finished product. She had trouble making straight lines, as well as coloring just inside said lines. Did she care? Not in the slightest. It was just a pretty house in her eyes.

When we grow up, not only we start to learn how “normal” people talk and express themselves, like the article said, but we start to read and we start to look at much more art; we start to learn about the “right” way to draw and the “right” way to write and so on. Granted it helps, but it also makes us see the things we read and the drawings and paintings and photography are better than the things you do and the things you make. We start to doubt in ourselves like the artists we are.

I’ll tell you something: you can spend years learning everything about grammar, new vocabulary, reading new books, learning how to write like the great writers you read about in some class. You can spend years learning how to draw realistically. But it’ll take you a lifetime not to care about it.

My advice to you today is to do art like a child would do it: carelessly, for the sake of doing it. Do it with the words you now know, the feelings you have, and forget how others do it. Your art will be good because you will make it with your own hands and your own thoughts, your own need to do it. Write for yourself, “write selfishly”, like others say. Write because you’re a writer, and the only thing that makes a good writer is that- writing. Write, and make it better later.

Make all kinds of art you want because you want to, and because you want to get better at it for yourself, not to be better than someone else.

Once you’re able to write like a child, or do art like a child, you’ll remember why you enjoy doing it.

“All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once they grow up.” - Pablo Picasso

I don’t know if this makes sense… nor I care.

-Alex

Photo

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:58:53 -0400

buzzfeeddiy: If you’re having a rough day, just remember that...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 14:30:19 -0400

buzzfeeddiy:

If you’re having a rough day, just remember that we live in a world where yarn-bombing exists.

Dress I made for the Mad Men Challenge 2

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:22:00 -0400

Dress I made for the Mad Men Challenge 2

My Pushing Daisies inspired dress

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:52:00 -0400

My Pushing Daisies inspired dress

Do you think anyone would mind if I brought my knitting to work?

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:07:14 -0400

Do you think anyone would mind if I brought my knitting to work?

ingridmatthews: ClydetheTurtle Clyde the Turtle4 Apr: How was...

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 10:07:55 -0400

ingridmatthews:

ClydetheTurtle Clyde the Turtle4 Apr: How was I keeping warm during the storm? One of these ‘o course! Mrs. Hudson can crochet like a boss

Awesome because a. Clyde in a tiny tortoise sweater and b. MS. HUDSON IS A CROCHETER. CANON! CANON! (Oh, and she crocheted Clyde a sweater.) THIS IS WIN ALL AROUND FOR ME.

from Clyde’s Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/ClydetheTurtle

DIY Tutorial: Silhouette Pillows

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 10:31:42 -0500

DIY Tutorial: Silhouette Pillows

Mod curtains

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 14:46:19 -0500

Mod curtains

We Can't All Be Perfect, Part 2

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:43:00 -0500

Secondly:
I’ve been working on this sweater for almost two months. It’s coming along quite nicely except I decided I don’t like it. It’s meant to be an oversized sweater, but it doesn’t even meet the top of my pants! Technically, if I pull it down, it goes to the length I’d prefer (about 5 inches lower), but when I let go it shrinks back up.

Furthermore, I hate the holes in it, which you can’t really see from the pictures, but because I knit it with giant needles, it has holes in it. It’s meant to be that way. It’s astyle. But I didn’t care for them going in, and I don’t know if I can get over them.

And lastly, it’s rather bulky. If it was oversized, it would have been fine. But it’s very fitted and cropped and so it just looks like I’m wearing a bulletproof vest.

Hmph.

I haven’t blocked it yet, and since I’m new to knitting, I don’t even know exactly what blocking does. Can this be fixed by blocking? Can it be saved at all?

I’m thinking I’ll have to unravel it and start with something else. Maybe a cape.

We Can't All Be Perfect, Part 1

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:31:00 -0500

As much as it pains me to say this, not everything I make is perfect. Or, perhaps more appropriately, not everything I make can be salvaged.

First Up:
My sewing has been stalled for the last few months because I wasn’t sure how to save a dress, and I couldn’t just MOVE ON when there was a crisis at hand. I thought I had a way to fix it, but because I rushed too much when I was originally making it (I was on a deadline!), I kept finding things that needed to be fixed. Finally, when my mother came to visit, I threw it on my dress form and decided to wait before finally perfecting my dress that I’ve been waiting months to wear.

Alas, while it was hanging on the dress form, I noticed more and more mistakes. Except this time I know I can’t fix them because I can’t take it apart. It’s jersey, and for some reason, I sewed it originally with a reinforced stitch. So not only would it take hours to take apart, but even if I managed it, it would leave gaping holes in the fabric. I could take it in everywhere, but then it would be a bit too tight. It’s jersey, so it would stretch, but I think even jersey has its limits.

Laziness in lining up the waist band:

Stretching of the waistband/darts don’t line up:

I don’t even know what happened with these sleeves…

I’m now trying to decide what, if any of it, I can salvage. Surely I can do something with the fabric left in the skirt. And maybe I could do something with the top? I hate discarding it as I’m in love with the fabric, and I’m also hesitant to discard it because it would be my first true garment failure… Lesson learned: no rushing!

ewi

Tips and Tricks on Sewing With Lace

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:35:00 -0500

Did I mention I’m hosting a Pushing Daisies Sew Along? Since I’ve never worked with lace before, this is a compilation of my research. Let me know if you have any additions!

Selecting Lace:
Heavy laces, such as Alencon or Cluny are best for fitted silhouettes.
Lightweight laces, such as Chantilly, are best for full skirts and sleeves, as well as ruffles.

Select amount of lace fabric with the pattern in mind or you may find you won’t have enough to do long sleeves with a scalloped edge, for example.

Fabric Care:
If the lace states it is washable, then you should pre-shrink it per normal. Most laces are dry clean only.

Lace is usually starched stiff when you purchase it, so a nice soak is usually needed before you begin working with it. Soak Wash is usually recommended and available at Amazon, but any mild detergent should work. Let it air dry flat.

After washing or soaking the lace, if you’re working with lace trims, you should spray starch on it to stiffen it back up and make it easier to work with and feed through your machine.

Cutting Fabric:
Lay the lace out fully before cutting to notice patterns. Match as best as possible, as you would with a large print pattern.

Use complete pattern pieces if possible instead of half pattern pieces to ensure the lace pattern matches.

Sewing Lace:
Sew with a narrow stitch or narrow zig-zag stitch.

Pressing:
Take great care when pressing lace. Using a press cloth to prevent the iron from snagging is recommended, as is a low temperature setting.

Finger pressing seams, darts, and other details is best. Finger press by pressing firmly while wearing a thimble. If more pressing is necessary, steam lightly before continuing to finger press.