Sewing without Knowing (beginner)

by | Oct 6, 2015 | Beginner Tips, Blog, Experimentation, Inspiration, Lucy's Sewing Lab, Tools and Technique

There are so many things I wish I knew when I Started Sewing without knowing as a beginner.  I had sewn before, quite a lot.  But the brain forgets in 30 years all the things you once knew, or at least some of them. So, essentially, I was once again a beginner. At least I remembered a few things like pressing while sewing. I actually did a blog on this. Here are some more articles you may find helpful: This and this one, too! The following things I really did not know or did not believe were a factor for me.

  1. RELAX- sewing while rushing or tired makes things take longer.
  2. READ- reading the manual is more important than anyone wants to admit.  I didn’t read mine.  Then I was totally excited to find my second machine had a thread cutter on the side! Guess what, so did my first one, I just didn’t know about it. The manual has more information than the internet or someone else’s experience.  It’s about YOUR machine.  Invaluable.
  3. TOOLS- I promise, it’s not necessary to break both arms at the same time to buy a cutting mat and rotary cutter. I never would have tried this method until the broken arm incident.  I love the sound of the scissors and fabric together.  But, honestly, the mat and cutter make cutting patterns more professional.
  4. SEW- If you do not actually get in there and fight that beast of a machine, you’ll never learn anything.  So what if you mess up? That’s what the seam ripper is made for. The first dress I sewed after 30 years took me forever.  I was terrified.  Why?  I hadn’t tried it before and I only had three days to finish.  I was going to a funeral and owned not one single black dress! The compliments were worth the time.
  5. CONCENTRATE- this is the hardest part for me, I want to second guess the pattern instructions.  Please follow their instructions, it’s a huge time saver.  They are professional and know what to do to get the same results they did. I believe I spend more time thinking about the garment than I do sewing it.  I roll over and over in my head how I’m going to make it look. It’s helpful, but not productive.  Thinking doesn’t make it happen.  You have to actually do something to make it happen.
  6. KEEP TRYING- It’s okay to mess up. That’s what the seam ripper is for.  It’s okay if you sew something perfect and then it doesn’t fit.  I’ve done this.  It only makes the next one easier.

Most of all ENJOY!

 

 

 

A Bevy of Fashion Trends

A Bevy of Fashion Trends

by | Sep 2, 2015 | Beginner Tips, Blog, Fashion, Inspiration, Lucy's Sewing Lab

Seriously, I’ve never had such a difficult time making a list of textiles to purchase for 2015/16 fashion. A bevy of fashion trends make choosing styles, textures, and attitude difficult.
It’s because of this I’m glad I snagged up that leopard coat in June at my local thrift store for $15.  I can’t purchase the fabric for that amount. Oversized capes to animal prints and leather trucker jackets, the fashion runways have been busy showcasing the emerging trends. Colors are refreshing this season reds, browns, camel, chocolate, and if you are not hungry enough already, cranberry red is the featured lingerie color.
I’m thrilled, teal is back on the scene along with ice blue.  I have blue eyes and nothing makes me happier and enhancing them. More of my favorites, black, white and bright colors showed in clothing and footwear, for a retro-inspired look. Denim ensembles are a great new addition to mask some of the body flaws of mine with their structured fibers. The seasons choices become better for me as I researched! Charcoal and rich greys were found monochromatically mixed with textures and patterns for interest.

There seems to be something for everyone; pastels, smokey purples, dusty pinks, prints include animal prints.  This year’s choice faux fur overscaled herringbone, fox, leopard, giraffe, and oh my goodness butterfly prints. Color blocking (I hope I eventually master) and mixing of prints are stand outs.  Florals are huge as are black and white prints, I couldn’t be happier!  Take a look at the tribal and ethnic prints below. These hand block printed cottons are perfect for this folky, tribal trend.

printts

 

So much to share with you!  Here’s one of my favorite sites. So much to shop for and design!  I’m so excited for us all.  ENJOY!   More to follow, don’t think for a second this could be the end of the line. 🙂

Sew much to Learn

by | Aug 23, 2015 | Beginner Tips, Blog, Experimentation, Lucy's Sewing Lab

Sew much to learn, no matter how much I sew.  I learned this weekend children grow at amazing rates.  I measured my granddaughter less than a month ago.  I used those measurements to make her a very special dress.  She couldn’t get it over her head with a zipper!  I designed a top and skirt for her using the same measurements, it fit PERFECTLY!

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The Princess themed double peplum dress took me about 8 hours to make and about 10 seconds to try on then refashion.  The Van Gogh ensemble took less than 4 hours to design according to her measurements, cut out, and sew.  It, as you can see, fits perfectly!

I don’t know how to feel about this, do we design or use other’s designs? Even when I sew using a pattern, I do not go exactly by the pattern.  I always add some, glitz or glam.  For instance, the orange layer of the peplum, is covered in pink glitter!  When designing for myself or adult daughter we also have must haves in our clothing.  I’m a huge boho fan. So even simple tops end up with boho twist.  She has a nice booty, the things I design for her highlight her assets.  Most of my designs come from knowing the person.  As I’ve said a million times before, style is so much more than fashion.

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From this photo of me in my wedding dress I made pre sewing machine, you can tell I have a style!  No, I don’t don myself in tulle daily or sequins, at least not that much.  Whatever you sew or wear, ENJOY!

Birdnesting…my machine is making me MAD

by | Aug 9, 2015 | Beginner Tips, Blog, Lucy's Sewing Lab, Tools and Technique


Birdnesting, maybe you’ve never heard it called that but I bet it’s made you mad. You know, when you are sewing along and life is good, you cut the threads, turn it over and it’s a MESS. Horrific, mess, “I can’t wear this,” mess. That’s birdnesting! Why is my machine making me mad? For me, it’s mainly the result of laziness.

  1. I sometimes think it’s okay to use two different threads, one for the top and one for the bobbin.  If you do this, get ready for birdnesting.  Your machine is OCD and does not like to be messed with in this way.
  2. That metal plate, you know, the one under the presser foot and above the bobbin?  If that thing is not tightened, your machine will make clunking noises and as a result, birdnesting!  I guess, maybe I’ll check everything on my machine before sewing to prevent this.
  3. The “experts” say that the quality of thread really makes a difference.  I’m listening to them.  Because I hate having to use that seam ripper.  They suggest using the thread designed for the machine.
  4. Bargains are wonderful, but thread shouldn’t be one of the bargains. Thread should also be polyester, because it results in less lint.  No one likes cleaning lint out daily.  It takes away from our sewing time! Mercerized Cotton thread is also a good choice for the same reasons.
  5. Suggested brands are the tried and true Coats & Clark.  Lily, Star, and Gutermann are also good brands.
  6. Sometimes, I also get in a hurry and don’t make sure the feed dogs are down, which can cause all sorts of problems.
  7. Thread tails should be at least 2 inches long, I know we want to save money, but time is money and using too short thread tails will end up with a mess.  Plus, it takes more time than it should.
  8. Make sure your machine and bobbin are threaded correctly.
  9. Tension causes birdnesting also, make sure yours is tight enough.
  10. The spool cap is actually more important than I thought. It keeps your thread from getting out of control, hence, threading the machine properly.  🙂
  11. One thing I always do is hold onto the thread, both bobbin and machine thread, for a few stitches when I first start sewing.  This helps a great deal.

If none of the above help, you may need to take your baby to the local machine doctor.  Good Luck and ENJOY!

Sew Thrifty with Amazon

by | Aug 7, 2015 | Beginner Tips, Blog, Lucy's Sewing Lab

If you’ve been following my blog very long you know I love to sew thrifty! Amazon is one of my favorite places to shop. For various reasons, but mostly because if I spend $35 I get free shipping! I shop at fabric.com and pay through Amazon because, who cannot find $35 of fabric? Shipping is outrageous these days. I will always shop anywhere that will allow me to skip the shipping charges.

So, just now I filled my Amazon cart up with mostly add-on items. They get kinda picky if you try for $25 of just add on items. LOL….It took me a few minutes longer because of this. I had to find some regular price items to make them happy. It made me happy too, I saved $25 plus shipping.

In case you are wondering the good deals are as follows;
Clover Wonder Clips, Red, 50-Pack by Clover
COATS & CLARK Dual Duty Plus Denim Thread, 125-Yard
Wrights 881428 Flower Head Multicolor Pins, 75 pins
Singer Titanium Universal Reg and Ball Point Machine Needles Combo Pack, 8-Pack
Singer Denim Machine Needles, Size 100/16, 3-Pack
Dritz Ergonomic Design Large Seam Ripper

I think that’s pretty good, especially saving on shipping plus $25. Where do you shop for your good sewing deals?

ENJOY!

Pressing Matters

by | Jul 30, 2015 | Beginner Tips, Blog, Lucy's Sewing Lab, Tools and Technique

Press, press, press, then press some more.  It seems like sewing involves more use of the iron than the sewing machine, doesn’t it? I don’t know, some people love using the iron while others skip the pressing steps and wear the finished garment anyway. I remember as a child, my grandmother would set up an ironing board for me.  I don’t know if ironing boards still do this, but somehow it was short so I could iron easily.  She would set the iron on the lowest setting and I ironed my grandpa’s handkerchiefs all day long.  I loved it.  Then as I learned to sew she pressed the issue further.  “Skipping pressing makes clothes look homemade!”  Heaven forbid someone find out she made my clothing. lol

I am a firm believer in pressing as you go. It makes such a difference in how the finished product looks and wears. Seriously, I press so hard you cannot tell there is a seam.  My goal when pressing is to make it look like the dress just “happened” pressing is the trick. Megan Nielson is a fan of pressing too.  She actually presses her fabric before cutting.  I never thought of doing that.  But, guess who’s going to start doing it now.  Then there are the suggestions of never pressing over pins.  Great point!  They melt and then I cry!  But, I have learned buying pins with glass heads prevents this problem.[envira-gallery id=”1237″]

I learned that pressing is not the same as ironing.  Ironing is a method used when moving the iron back and forth over the cloth to remove wrinkles.  Pressing is entirely different.  to press you must, pick up the iron and then set it down on a different part of the cloth, applying heat to the cloth with pressure. If the fabric is delicate and may scorch, it’s best to use a pressing cloth. Really, any piece of light weight woven fabric will do for this.  Most of all, no matter how much you dislike pressing, ENJOY!