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by Dave | Jun 24, 2016 | Beginner Tips, Blog, Experimentation, Fitting, Knit Tips, Lucy's Sewing Lab, Tools and Technique
I design a lot of my clothing, I’ve been dying to take my designing to the next level with a dress form! Constant trying on, next running to the mirror, next adjusting, next ripping seams, next sewing seams, next, next next, it takes for EVER! Then when you THINK your garment is ready you try it on…..NEXT what the is the fit? Do I want to portray this look? People see me everywhere I go. Do I feel good wearing clothing I should hide? See the problem? A dress form takes care of the guess and next work.
So, what’s really NEXT?
Learning the ebb and flow of threads combined to create the fabric chosen for the garment. It’s easier once on the dress form to define how the fabric reacts to movement, wrinkling, , and how it generally lays against a 3 D object, eventually your body.
A really cool part about a dress form is examining the look of the garment on something that is three dimensional. Hangers cannot make clothing look good. If they could, the body consciousness in America would not exist to the extent at present. I recommend shopping around before deciding on and purchasing a dress form. Also studying up on the dress form you purchase is a great idea. I went with brand name only. I should have visited this instead.
Singer does it for me again! I don’t like the color, but I’m creative, I can recover it to match my studio. I love that it’s so completely adjustable. I found this one at Amazon. The features are wonderful. All of the below information is excerpted from Amazon. I am not an affiliate.
13 key adjustments (bust, waist, hips, neck/back) provide a perfect fit
Height adjustment lets you customize the dress form to your height in a snap
Foam-Backed fabric exterior allows you to easily pin dresses, skirts, tops and patterns
Four leg metal base for extra durability and added stability
Pin cushion with key holder provides convenient storage for pins and adjustment key
In my own opinion, this dress form is pretty generous in range of size. I like that the dress forms size changes with the twist of a knob. The foam backing is a dream for any designer or seamstress. I’ll follow up with a real life experience as soon as I get the chance to enjoy it.
I’ve figured it out, I used a chop stick to adjust the size. Important tip that could change your life!
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by Dave | Apr 5, 2015 | Beginner Tips, Blog, Knit Tips, Lucy's Sewing Lab, Tools and Technique
Knits are very on trend currently. They are so popular one might say it’s a revolution of knits, they seem to be taking over the fashion industry. I really don’t think anyone minds either. They are comfortable, wear well, and require little maintenance. As a Fashion and Psychology Major, I have this need, desire, drive to know all there is to know about fashion. Textiles have always had me intrigued. How can cotton and poly blend together and create so many different fabrics? Why is double knit in 2015 completely different than the fabric of the same name in the 1970s? Why do fabrics behave so differently? The questions are endless.
I feel it’s the evolution of textiles. Think about when all clothing was made of cotton. I cannot imagine wearing clothing without at least a little stretch. That sounds horrible to me. I remember fashions trends resulting in new social rules. NO SHIRT NO SHOES NO SERVICE. As a child of the 70s this was devastating. I did not go topless, just to be clear haha. I did not like and still do not like shoes though.
Knit is a good example of a fabric with a personality that has evolved over the years. I started sewing my clothes in the 1980s. Knit was one of my favorite fabrics. I love the way it feels, or the hand of the fabric. I never considered it as a difficult fabric to work with. But, as I got back into sewing earlier this year, the internet is FULL of techniques for sewing with knit. Threads Magazine defines slinky knit, jersey knit, and stretch velvet as moderately difficult to sew with. Everything else is considered easy by this magazine.
When sewing, how do you choose which knit is the perfect match for your pattern? On the back of the pattern there is usually an area that says, “must stretch from here to here” To determine the amount of stretch use a single layer of the fabric on the crossgrain. I borrowed this info graphic from Threads Magazine to better explain the crossgrain of fabric. Simply place the fabric on the measuring device printed on the pattern envelope. Then pull to stretch the fabric comparing the stretch to the ruler. If it has enough stretch it is suitable for the pattern. If not, keep looking until you find a material that is suitable. If you really love the fabric, then by all means adjust the pattern to work with the fabric. How to adjust the pattern will be discussed in another blog.
