I remember when I wanted to start sewing again and purchased my first computerized machine. Oh, and while I’m here I better pick up a few things. Thrifty sewing was not a part of my vocabulary, yet. This nifty sewing kit (ended up being a huge waste of money), some needles (thank goodness they fit), oh and I need this pincushion (it didn’t matter that the little cheesy sewing kit already had a pincushion.) I was so excited! I couldn’t wait to make something.
Things took a slightly different turn once I got home and realized I didn’t have fabric. I ran into my room and snatched up the first castoff clothing I could find. I had to sew! I practiced making straight lines. Okay, this was fun for a few minutes. I wanted to MAKE something real! So, off I went to the local fabric store. I wish I knew then the things I’m going to tell you now.
1.Be THRIFTY! Shop the remnant pile. But, know your prices, just because it’s in the pile doesn’t mean it isn’t somewhere else in the store for a lower price. A sale doesn’t mean the fabric is fairly priced.
Set a price limit in your head and don’t pay over that amount for fabric unless you just cannot go home without it.
Buy fabrics at Walmart at the lowest price possible. Usually around $2 a yard
Use Walmart fabric to practice. Then move on to the fabric you are dying to use.
Do not skimp on quality thread. You will regret it.
Never, ever, pay full price for a pattern. Most patterns go on sale for around one to two dollars. Just wait and plan your shopping trips.
Shop your closet. YouTube has wonderful videos on refashioning.
Save coupons and stack as many as possible each shopping trip. Ask if they take competitors coupons.
Do not buy the magazines. You can read them online. If you search hard enough you can usually find the patterns or some close to the ones in the magazine for free online.
When notions go on sale, stock up! Buy more than you think you will ever use.
The expensive scissors, rotary blade, cutting boards are worth the extra money. But, do not pay full price! These things go on sale too.
Free patterns! You can find them online. Also, they are hanging in your closet. Your best fitting tee shirt is the perfect base for any other shirt you want to make.
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.
This, is the edge stitching foot! I have had this about a month and never used it until last night. You know, I get in a rush and don’t always want to stop and change feet.
It’s easy to master. Just put your fabric next to the “wall” and get moving. I don’t own a serger or plan on ever buying one. This is a lifesaver for me and my denim obsession! I use the stitch that looks like the over lock stitch. The needle position determines how close to the edge it sews. On the right you can see the stitches. Yay!!!!! No homemade looking jeans for me. It is perfect for top stitching also! Again, a must have for making jeans. I really like using the right needle position. I hope you enjoyed and learned something! Until next time sew, love, and happiness!
UPDATE!
I’ve been sewing denim again…but now I have more toys to play with. I purchased the Levi’s buttons from Amazon. At the same time I also purchased more denim needles, the top stitching thread, and stronger fusible facing. I’ve recently found some really strong elastic that even makes the waistband of stretch lightweight denim hold it’s own around your middle. Probably not a problem for some of you 😉 but, as I age things like this are pretty important.
I really hesitated about the Levis buttons, I thought a special tool was needed to attach them to the garment. As it turns out there are a few really good tutorials online about installing these into your garment. I think they are going to be pretty snazzy on a jean jacket. I am amazed at all the variety of sewing notions available online. We are so lucky to have them at our fingertips.
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. What is the evolution of knit fabric? 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 knit fabric is 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.
Really this jeans thing is crazy! I don’t even really like jeans, but now I have a jeans obsession. I love the jeans I make myself. But, there was this article I wanted to share with you. I never realized denim had trends. Did you? Well, they do. Evidently, there are some trends that never go out of style.
WHO, WHAT, WEAR has the best articles and photos, so I’m sharing this one.
Trends that never go out of Style
Cropped
Minimalist back pockets
Slouchy fit
Mid/High rise
Subtle distressing
Dark wash
So, this means, we can buy less fabric and make them cropped. Skip fancy back pocket decorations, fuss less about the closeness of the fit, and get rid of the muffin top! Best of all, the dark wash hides flaws. I’m planning my next pair already!
I think the next pair of jeans I make will be boyfriend jeans. They will have subtle distressing, which is pretty difficult to do to something you just finished working so hard to create. The high rise is my personal favorite at this point. They seem to be universally flattering jeans to wear. I love that this style has returned. It’s classy, and no unmentionables are revealed to unsuspecting strangers. An added plus is that the style perfectly covers and conceals the muffin top. Who could ask for anything more?
Who wouldn’t like to eat cheesecake and sew pants in the same size as before? Trial and error, I have found are the best tools in sewing. There are so many different ways to achieve the same end result. Or something as simple as cutting out a waistband the wrong way can make you hate your pants! That’s horrible, really. I’ve cut the waistband going the wrong way before on leggings. I couldn’t wait to get them off. I almost had to cut them off.
A week or so ago, I found this amazing website, it’s called Fabric-Incubator, the tagline is “lessons from the sustainable factory floor” sounds legit. The site has been around quite awhile too. You should check it out.
Okay so she was saying people lay out the waistband all wrong. Ready to wear waistbands are cut with the grain going around the body. The picture below is from that site, it’s a BAD example.
The manufacturer makes clothing like this because of their equipment. It just works faster. We sew our own things, we can take time and care to do the work properly. 🙂 In this fashion the legs are cut on the lengthwise grain, while the waistband is stitched in the opposite direction. This causes the waistband to shrink at a different rate than the rest of the garment. We hate this! We think we are getting fat and we aren’t actually because of the manufacturing the waistband is actually getting smaller! Go ahead, eat that cheesecake!
How do you cut the waistband properly?
Below is another picture from the website. It demonstrates the appropriate method for cutting waistbands. Nice, then you won’t have to cut your pants off after all that hard work. Learn from my mistakes. I have plenty!
I love that this has the waistband at the bottom of the pants. WOW, it makes cutting it out so much easier. Or am I the only one with short arms who cannot reach that spot it shows you to cut on?
I sew therefore I refuse to pay for ready to wear! So, I’ve been working on a few Anthropologie and Victoria’s Secret hacks. Anthro has some of the best fashion out there. They must, everyone is trying to hack it. Well, I jumped on the bandwagon too, why? The styles are really pretty straightforward and pretty easy to duplicate. Thank you again Anthropologie. 🙂 This is a perfect example! Let me break it down for you, it’s a yard of fabric, folded in half, with side seams and a v neck. There are several tutorials out there. It’s made out of rayon spandex jersey. Which can be found here for about $6 or $7 a yard.
Anthro seems to have a love affair with peplum tops. Just do a pinterest search. I found this one I love it! It’s too early here for tank tops so I’m working on a short sleeve version out of knit. I’ll hopeful finish it today and post the finished product and some hints on how to do it. For a little teaser….hint number one is find a bodice pattern you love and make it fit you perfectly! From there the options are endless!
One of the new trends for 2016 is a high cut bra. The lace shows through the top of your tank. Check it out. They are calling it the new eyelash lace collection. The bonus here is you can make your own tank to display this sexy bra. I found some free patterns at Sew City. They seem to be the Victoria’s Secret of the sewing world. I imagine these can be created for under $10. ENJOY!
Business owners have it all, you know? They have the goods we want. But, so does everyone else online. Gone are the days of exclusive online purchasing, thank you world-wide (shopping mall) web! I recently tried to purchase some black knit fabric for the warmer months. I cannot believe I live in a city with four major fabric stores, well, two of each, and no one had what I needed! I started shopping online a few months ago because the local retailers did not have the variety I wanted. I am glad I did! Except for the shipping charges, I love the fabric I’ve gotten online. I’ve only shopped at Girl Charlee so far. Their product is far superior to what I have purchased locally. The prices are even better! I love them. The problem is, they sell mostly knit. You know, a girl likes to experiment with other textiles, right? I began the search today for the best quality at the lowest prices, including shipping, online.
Amazon– an all-inclusive list is at the link 🙂 If you shop at certain vendors and spend 35 dollars, shipping is free. Or you can become a premium member and shipping is free.
Girl Charlee– Amazing product, mostly in the $6-$8 range. But, they sell bargain bins of flawed fabric for around $2 a yard. The shipping is free with $100 purchase, or $10 for anything less than that.
Fabric.com– is a great site with prices comparable to Girl Charlee. The shipping is free on this website if you spend $35!! Ding Ding, that’s easy enough right?
Michael Levine, Inc.– Is endorsed by the amazing Mimi G., for those fanatics of her work. This site is really pretty good, I spent a fair amount of time here filling up my basket. Their fabrics begin around the $6 range and you can spend as much as you want on fabric from there. I’m on the stingy side though, I stay at the bottom end. More fabric for my buck right? Their shipping is not a flat rate, it’s based on the true shipping cost. At $75 your shipping is free though. We love free shipping!!
Mood Fabrics– Has ah-maz-ing fashion fabrics! I love that site! Their prices start at around $2 and go up from there. Remember, it is fashion fabric, so the prices go way up there! But, I believe there is something for everyone. They also have a rewards program. Points earned for pinning the fabric, sharing it on social networks, and various other things.
Fashion Fabrics Club– The prices are comparable to everywhere else I’ve looked online. They have the largest selection of Denim I’ve ever seen, two hundred and nine varietieswithlycra! Shipping seems the best I’ve found so far.
up to $25.00 – $6.95
$25.01 to $50 – $8.95
$50.01 to $100 – $11.95
Seriously, look for part two to this blog. I’ve looked at so much fabric today I believe they are all looking the same to me. I’ve enjoyed this! Part Two coming soon. Besides, I have shopping carts to take care of 🙂
Jeans shopping is the worst experience. This pair fits perfect except for_____________. I love this pair but hate the ___________ on them. Usually they don’t fit well because they are made for an average body. What average really means these days is hard to figure out. But, if you’re having problems fitting some areas, this is the answer to all your problems. She has gone way beyond the call of duty and insisted her blog would be complete and all seamstresses everywhere would love her guides.
I’ve found the best way to find the best fitting pair of jeans is to make them yourself. Always remember to read the website discussed above for any problem areas you may have. The more you study the construction of pants the easier the daunting task becomes.
Seriously, once you find a great fitting pants pattern, jeans are really nothing more than great fitting pants with a bunch of topstitching. Go for it! You’ll be glad you did.
Look at those! I just want to spend the rest of the month sewing these. Her patterns are amazing and they look so much like off the rack. Each pattern has so many options. The skirt patterns have tops, the top patterns have pants, it’s amazing!
My last purchase was the yellow skirt, Simplicity 1366 is unexpectedly trendy. The skirt alone was the selling point. But, I opened it to realize the envelope also contains a pattern for a cami and a boatneck top. I believe there is nothing classier and more comfortable than a boatneck. This can be a really cute and casual tee for jeans or a silk blouse to accompany the skirt. Anyway, that’s how I plan to spend my afternoon. Any plans for yours?
******UPDATE******
I’ve sewn the boatneck top twice now. I love it! It’s a quick sew and the neckline is very easy to install. The only problem I had is I forgot to add length. So, that’s not really a problem, right? I just added a band at the bottom. I sewed it out of interlock knit so it is really comfy. You’ll be seeing a lot of this top on my blog this season. I made a peplum version as well. I promise to post those pictures!
