The Train To Crazy

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6 posts categorized “Clothing Sew Along”

August 08, 2010

Daphne Dress Sew Along Day 1

Are you ready to make one of these?

Daphne dress 072 


 
I really LOVE how mine turned out. Just as cute as I thought it would be! But WOW I had a hard time getting a good picture of my completed dress. The first day I tried to capture it, my lens kept fogging up from the humidity. The next day I just didn't try hard enough I guess. But take my word for it. It's cute.

Let's get started! Make sure you've got these things before we start;

  • Daphne Dress Kit (you can order one here if you don't have one yet)
  • Scissors (fabric scissors work best)
  • Thread for your machine 
  • Pins
  • Optional: Pinking sheers (the zig zag scissors for fabric). 

New to sewing? You might want to take a look at my intro to sewing course I did last year.

Let's get started!! Jump on over here for the Day 1 instructions!

Day 2 Instructions

Day 3 Instructions

If you are sewing along, feel free to post some pictures in the Flickr group! Both progress pictures and completed pictures are welcome. 

August 08, 2010 in Clothing Sew Along, Sewing | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBack (0)

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February 24, 2010

Clothing Sew Along: Week 4

Better late than never!

Sew Along

Welcome to week 4! How is your sewing going so far? I know some of you already completed your project but some of you are waiting on me so I apologize for my lateness. If you are wanting to learn to sew, go ahead and check out our first lesson, second lesson and third lesson.

This week I was planning to do a tutorial on putting in zippers and hemming but I figured, why reinvent the wheel when there are some great tutorials out there already.

So, you want to put in a zipper? Each of the following tutorials has a different feel to it so check them out and chose one that makes the process easiest for you.

Tutorial with lots of pictures

Putting in a regular or invisible zipper with interfacing

Glue set a zipper tutorial from Sew Mama Sew

Invisible zipper tutorial with invisible zipper foot

Zippers are intimidating but they really aren't that difficult once you know how to put them in. 

Now to hem your garment, or whatever you sewed. Your pattern instructions will give you measurements for the hem. For example, many skirt or dress bottom hems will be an 1 1/4" or more. I am not a perfectionist when it comes to hems. I usually iron the bottom of the garment up to 1 1/4" (whatever the pattern calls for or I feel like) using a measuring tape in several spots on the dress. Then I eyeball the rest. Once I have that crease ironed I open it back up and turn the edge up 1/4" and iron. Then I fold both creases again and I have my hem ready to sew. 

It is usually a cleaner stitch if you stitch on the top of the garment but if you are just starting out, don't worry about stitching on the underside so that you can see the edge of your hem and make sure you are always in the right place. If you turned up your original crease at 1 1/4" and then opened it and pressed the edge up 1/4" then your hem is now actually 1". I would stitch 7/8" from the edge. Make sure your line is straight because this is one of the more noticeable stitches in your garment! If you've chosen contrasting thread this will matter more. If your thread blends then you shouldn't have too much to stress about. I am truly sorry about the lack of pictures here! 

Want to sew a blind hem? Try this tutorial. Make sure you practice on scraps before trying this on your project. It took me quite a few tries to get the blind hem right.

Any other loose ends that need to be finished? Anything stumping you? Well, what did you make? 

February 24, 2010 in Clothing Sew Along | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

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February 14, 2010

Clothing Sew Along: Week 3

Welcome to week three of the Sew Along

Well, we've learned how to sew a straight line. We've picked out patterns, fabric and cut them out, now it is time to start sewing them together! But first, will you check out my birthday wish?

This week I'll take you through my pattern instructions, hopefully this will be helpful to you in your pattern. I always make stupid mistakes while putting garments together. I just use my seam ripper to take out the seams I mess up. It is frustrating but no big deal. I was going to make a video about how to use the seam ripper but found a rather decent, if a little annoying You Tube video that will do the trick.

Now, onto my instructions! I decided that they were long enough to warrant a PDF so they didn't take up so much of my blog. So, go ahead and Download Clothing Sew Along Week 3 instructions.

What are you sewing? I started a Flickr group so you can post in progress pictures and final pictures if you'd like! I'll be posting pictures there hopefully later today. In the mean time, I posted some pictures last week.

Posting about the Clothing Sew Along on your blog? Please grab the button! 

sew along button

February 14, 2010 in Clothing Sew Along, Sewing | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

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February 08, 2010

Clothing Sew Along: Week 2

Welcome to week 2 of theSew Along 

If you missed week 1 go ahead and catch up!

I've decided to combine the original plan for week 2 and 3 so get ready to start cutting!

Selecting a pattern

There are many different brands of U.S. pattern makers. Some of the most used ones are Simplicity, McCalls, Butterick and Vogue. You can also buy Burda patterns and other smaller company patterns. For those of you who don't have a pattern yet, JoAnn Fabrics is having a sale on their Simplicity patterns this Friday through Sunday for $1. That's a good deal. 

A few tips for selecting a pattern:

Stay with your level of sewing. If you are new to sewing, pick an easier pattern. Some patterns will say "easy to sew" or something similar on them. 

Stay with your body shape (if this is for you). We won't be going into tailoring so you want this to fit you without alteration. You'll also want to measure yourself before buying a pattern. Pattern sizes differ a bit from clothes you buy in the store.

Do not buy a pattern for knit fabric unless you have experience sewing knit. Or read Sew U Home Stretch: The Built by Wendy Guide to Sewing Knit Fabrics.  

Collect your supplies

The back of the pattern will give you all the information you need about what type of fabric and notions to buy. Notions are the additional items like zippers, buttons, etc. 

IMG_4032
Choose which "view" you are going to make. Many patterns will have multiple options and each option requires different amounts of fabric and notions.  

So, take a look at your pattern.

Stick to the types of fabric it tells you to buy. Avoid any fabric that is stretchy. Avoid stripes and plaids if this is your first pattern because it can be difficult to get them to line up at the seams (unless you don't care). Read the end of the fabric bolt to see if it is washable! Buy the amount of fabric it tells you to buy. If it mentions lining fabric, buy cotton or lining fabric in the amount specified. Other things you might need are a water soluble fabric marker or tailor's chalk, pins, and a seam ripper. You'll want to get thread that matches with your fabric as well.

Prepare your fabric

Wash, dry and iron your fabric before cutting into it. Some people wash and dry cotton fabric several times but maybe I'm lazy, I just wash once. 

Most fabrics are woven in two directions. These lines in the weave are important. 

Fabric info
The selvage is the "finished" edge of the fabric.

Lengthwise grain is the up and down direction of the fabric. This is the strongest part of the weave. This runs parallel to the selvage edge.

The crosswise grain runs from selvage to selvage.

Find the crosswise grain by ripping. This works for most light and midweight fabrics. Lay the fabric flat. Clip a notch at the selvage edge and tear gently. This will rip across the crosswise grainline. 

IMG_4041
Once you've located the grain, fold the fabric with the selvage (finished) edges together. The edges should align, forming squared corners. If they don't, then the grain is off. Unfold the fabric and pull diagonally at the corners to fix it up. I don't find this necessary for children's clothes.

Prepare your pattern

Your pattern will come out of the envelope a bit wrinkled.

IMG_4034
I find it helpful to iron them on low. Then avoid this…

IMG_4045
Your pattern instructions will tell you which pieces you need.

IMG_4049
You have 2 options for using the pattern pieces. You can cut them all out in the size you need, or you can trace them onto another piece of paper in order to preserve the original pattern. I sometimes do so that I'll be able to use the pattern in different sizes in the future.

When I do this, I use freezer paper. You can find freezer paper next to the foil and wax paper in the grocery store. (you could also use tissue paper or pattern paper) The reason I use it is two fold. First, it irons onto fabric, eliminating the need to pin the pattern to the fabric. Second, it can be re-ironed on, making cutting multiple pieces easy peasy. 

IMG_4053
 I always put all original markings onto the paper I've traced the pattern onto. Now pin your pattern onto the fabric (or iron it on if you are using freezer paper) the way shown in the pattern.

IMG_4048
It can be confusing but if you follow the drawing in the instructions you'll fit the pattern on the fabric in the correct direction, saving headaches later. Of course, I rarely follow my own advice and often end up with headaches when I accidentally cut a piece out facing the wrong direction, etc.

One way fabrics (like the robot fabric I'm using) require that all pieces be put in the same direction. Pay attention so some of your robots don't end up upside down. Some fabrics are directional and you may have no idea. If a fabric has a "nap" then are directional. To find out if your fabric has a "nap" rub your hand in one direction on the fabric. If it changes the color slightly the fabric has a nap. Common fabric with naps are velvet, twill and corduroy. 

The grainline arrow on the pattern pieces should follow very closely to the actual grainline. Use a ruler if you need to. The grainline arrow on the pattern piece should be exactly parallel to the selvage.

Once you have all the pieces pinned/ironed to the fabric, cut them out slowly. Transfer all markings to the fabric using your water soluble fabric marker or tailor's chalk.  

Follow the same steps for cutting linings and interfacing, etc.

Commercial patterns mark notches with a V shape cut out on the seam allowances. Use scissors to clip a shallow notch through all layers of fabric.

You did it! You are now ready to sew it together! See you next week!

Are you joining along?

sew along button

Let me know and I'll add your blog to the blog list on my side bar! Questions? send me an email or leave a comment! Most importantly, have fun!

February 08, 2010 in Clothing Sew Along, Sewing | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBack (0)

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February 01, 2010

Clothing Sew Along: Week 1

Sew Along

Are you ready to get your machine doing this? (for more details about the Clothing Sew Along please read here)

ImagesLockstitch

Are you excited? Today I will be covering the very basics. You are in for a surprise. I'm doing this in video format because I can convey the most information that way. So bear with me! This is basics. Basics.

First thing is first. Do you have a machine? Do you know how to thread the bobbin and properly thread the machine and needle? If not, grab your manual (or visit uncle google) to learn how. Unfortunately, every machine is different so I can't tell you how to thread your machine.

Now make sure you have some basic supplies:

A spool of good thread. Dual duty cotton or polyester thread will work fine. Old thread tends to break easier and that will just cause you frustration.

Fabric scissors. 

Pins. I like the kind with the colored heads so I can see them better but any fabric straight pins will work.

Some scrap fabric. Woven cotton is preferable, stay away from knits and stretchy fabric when you are starting out. More on that next week.

A table and chair. It is important that your sewing machine is at a comfortable height for you. You'll be spending some time there shortly so make sure that when you are sitting at your machine you can comfortably put your foot on the foot peddle and use the machine without having your body in any awkward positions. 

A new needle for your sewing machine. New, sharp needles will make you a better sewer. A dull or slightly bent needle will cause you major pains.

Okay! Let's get started! In the video I will discuss the straight stitch, back stitch, thread tension, stitch length, sewing a straight line, sewing curves, and seam allowances. I can't believe I made a video. It started out at 27 minutes and you can thank me that I cut more than half off! Wow, did I ramble! Are you ready? If you already know how to do theses things, you can save yourself and skip to next week 🙂

(if you are reading in a blog reader you'll probably need to click here to see the video)

What do you think? I'm sorry I didn't get the camera zoomed in a bit more in a couple places so you could see better what I was talking about. 

Could you do this? The key is to practice. Any questions? Please let me know. You can leave a comment and I'll email you back or you can email me directly at thetraintocrazy (at) gmail.com. 

Interested in learning more? I have learned a lot from the Sew Everything Workshop. Highly recommended.

Are you going to be joining me for this sew along? Leave me a comment and let me know! This week is rather basic but we'll be picking up speed in the next few weeks.

Please help me spread the word by putting this button on your blog. sew along button

Please add your blog to the MckLinky here so we can all come visit you! Happy sewing! P.S. I'm linking to DIY Day, Talented Tuesday, Show & Tell, Works For Me Wednesday

 

February 01, 2010 in Clothing Sew Along, Sewing | Permalink | Comments (14) | TrackBack (0)

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January 28, 2010

Clothing Sew Along

UPDATE: Comments are finally working! I've received quite a few emails from people joining in and I'm so excited! 

Well, you've made it clear what you want, so get ready for the…

Sew alongThat's right! I've had at least a dozen people say they are interested so we'll be kicking this off next Monday, February 1st! This is the plan:

Week 1: Know your machine- This is for absolute beginners and for those who haven't sewed in a while. This will require that you have a machine (yours or borrowed), the manual, some scrap fabric, scissors, a seam ripper, and thread. 

Week 2: Gather your supplies- We'll discuss pattern selection, notions, fabric, and tools. I'll have suggestions for a few different patterns (adult and child) but you are free to use whatever pattern you want. Don't be afraid to make something for yourself! I'll be teaching using a basic dress pattern with a zipper.

Week 3: Cutting out your fabric- Learn about measuring and selecting the correct size as well as nap and grain and other fabric terms. You'll also learn what all the symbols on a pattern are, how to prep your fabric, and how to cut out the pattern. I have a few tricks up my sleeve to show you.

Week 4: Begin sewing! We'll take the plunge together and begin sewing. We'll discuss the seam ripper and how to follow the pattern directions. We'll learn about the different ways to finish seams as well as how to understitch, overstitch and other necessary garment sewing stitches.

Week 5: Finish it up! We'll talk about zippers, buttons and hemming. The fun stuff! That's right you'll have a finished garment by the first week of March!

I hope you can join me! I'll be answering questions along the way! Now is the time to get over your fear of "the machine" or to branch out and make something new! Both experienced sewers and newbies are welcome! I've created a flickr group so we can share photos and questions! Please join the group if you are going to be following the sew along!

Will you help me spread the word? You can put this button in your side bar. 

sew along button

and grab this code and link to this post Sew Along

Or link to facebook or tweet about it! The more the merrier!

So will you be joining us? Have any more questions? If you have a blog please link up here so we can follow along with your progress!


January 28, 2010 in Clothing Sew Along, Sewing | Permalink | Comments (12) | TrackBack (0)

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