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The Second Measure: Sewing, Yarnwork, and other Needlework

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Re: The Second Measure: Sewing, Yarnwork, and other Needlework

Postby aileth » Jul 24, 2014 8:59 pm

Yeah, that's my usual type of mending, too. Mind you, I have a really nice stitch on my machine for those ghastly tears. There's not much worse in my books than patching a hole, and having it wear through just a little bit higher up within a few days.

The finest mending job I ever had to do involved the lace on a wedding dress. The bride must have stepped on the edge, and it began to unravel. When I got to it there were a bunch of loose threads that had pulled out. Each thread had to be woven back in and used to tie off the hole, and of course, the threads were quite short. Painstaking work, but I was able to repair it well enough that even I had trouble finding the spot; there was no fresh material introduced.
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Re: The Second Measure: Sewing, Yarnwork, and other Needlework

Postby fantasia » Aug 29, 2014 11:36 am

I must confess that I feel like a stranger in a strange land coming into this thread. I am not a sewer... not AT ALL. ;)) I think I took a home ec class in middle school and I made a pillow and a pair of boxer shorts, and that may be the extent of my sewing. :)) My mom and especially my grandma were/are fantastic sewers (my mom made all of my high school dance dresses and my wedding dress) and for whatever reason it's a trait I never picked up, just due to lack of interest.

Well I'm on bed rest until my daughter is born which could be anywhere from tonight to the end of October :P so I'm looking for things to do in the meantime, and I think I could probably get away with sitting at a sewing machine and putting an outfit or two together.

I ran across this one today...
http://butterick.mccall.com/b5625-produ ... age_id=378
... and I was wondering what you all thought? (Specifically pattern D and the shorts, MAYBE the hat as well.) Do you think it's something a novice could tackle and finish quickly? Knowing myself, if she arrives before I finish, I doubt I'll get it done at all, so I don't want too big of a time commitment.
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Re: The Second Measure: Sewing, Yarnwork, and other Needlework

Postby Meltintalle » Aug 29, 2014 2:59 pm

Cute pattern, fantasia!

I'd guess you're probably looking at six hours (based on my sewing and cutting speed but I do have a bad habit of sitting and staring at things before committing to the next step) to make the pinafore and shorts... Cutting should be the biggest single time commitment, everything else could be done a seam here and a seam there. :)

The hat shouldn't be hard, but my guess is it would probably take the most time.


EDIT: Oh, and of course, I'll be very interested in the results (and finding out how accurate of an estimate I made. ;)) )
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Re: The Second Measure: Sewing, Yarnwork, and other Needlework

Postby fantasia » Aug 30, 2014 12:55 pm

Thank you Mel. :) I will probably go ahead and double your estimated time to 12 hours because I anticipate moving at a snail's pace and I'd rather be safe than sorry. ;) ;)) Ironically the bits I remember is cutting out the pattern and then cutting out the fabric. I remember very little about the actual sewing so I'm hoping that part comes back quickly. I also have to relearn how to thread a sewing machine. :)) Yeah.... novice. ;))

ETA: Plan B! Nobody around here has that pattern in stores that I can find and I was too impatient to wait for it online. So, I found another one that i thought was pretty cute.
http://www.simplicity.com/p-11835-babie ... dband.aspx
Gonna start with the Romper and headband, and if that goes well, make a dress and shorts out of the same pattern. :) I got some fabric today that i love, it has bugs on it. ;)) And I will have to take a picture and post it when I get the chance.
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Re: The Second Measure: Sewing, Yarnwork, and other Needlework

Postby Pattertwigs Pal » Aug 31, 2014 12:19 pm

I can total relate fantasia_kitty. My mom is a good sewer (but not my grandma. My grandma always needed help from my mom for things). My mom has started to teach me numerous times and that usually results in one item and then a long time before we start up again. ;)) I would think a baby outfit wouldn't be too hard to start with. I know that was one of the many things I made. It is smaller so it won't take as much time as a larger project would. If I were you, I would start with view B - it looks the easiest. ;)) My mom is currently teaching me to sew once again. I'm making a robe. I couldn't find the pattern online; it is one we have had a while. I think it took me a couple of hours to put one pocket in and start on the other pocket. My seams aren't very straight and the top stitching on the pocket didn't curve very smoothly. If I had been able to cut straight, my seams would have been straighter. :P I am very bad at cutting. I even have trouble with paper cutting. :P
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Re: The Second Measure: Sewing, Yarnwork, and other Needlework

Postby fantasia » Sep 02, 2014 3:09 pm

Time for an update!

What I have done:
The bodice is pretty much done. I posted a few pics of it on FB, so if you're FB friends with me you can go check it out there.
The four parts of the pants are sewn together and I have to figure out how to bunch them. Never done that before, my mom tells me it's easy, I just need to try to do it. ;))
The shoulder straps are about 50% of the way there, but I need to sew some button holes into them (never done that before but found the instructions for the sewing machine), sew them onto the elastic, and then run the elastic through the neckline of the bodice.
I'm coming along nicely, but I got stuck on this one instruction in particular that I had to have my mom clarify for me. Well, she clarified it, even brought a dress over with an example for me to see, so I at least understand what they want me to do. But she admitted that the instructions didn't seem to match up between the picture they provided, so I'm still kind of stalled on that one particular spot. What do you all think?
Turn front facing to INSIDE, turning back along fold line, forming facing; press. Press under 5/8" on lower edge of facing; trim to 1/4".

Picture from the instructions
So my question is, do I fold and trim the piece that will eventually be on the inside of the bodice (which is what my mom thinks it is) or the outside of the bodice, which is what the picture looks like?

Twigs wrote:I would think a baby outfit wouldn't be too hard to start with.
I bet for most people it wouldn't be too hard, but there's definitely a lot of stuff I've never done before so I keep stopping and reading and rereading to figure out what's going on. ;))
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Re: The Second Measure: Sewing, Yarnwork, and other Needlework

Postby Pattertwigs Pal » Sep 02, 2014 3:46 pm

fantasia_kitty wrote:So my question is, do I fold and trim the piece that will eventually be on the inside of the bodice (which is what my mom thinks it is) or the outside of the bodice, which is what the picture looks like?
I can't make sense out of the direction or the picture but I know I'd bet on my mom over a picture. So I'd be inclined to trust your mom.

fantasia_kitty wrote:I bet for most people it wouldn't be too hard, but there's definitely a lot of stuff I've never done before so I keep stopping and reading and rereading to figure out what's going on. ;))
;)) Well, it easier than say something with darts and/or a zipper. If I were attempting myself, I'd be doing the same as you. ;))
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Re: The Second Measure: Sewing, Yarnwork, and other Needlework

Postby Meltintalle » Sep 02, 2014 4:57 pm

Okay... that took a lot longer than I expected to work out what was going on in the directions. ;)) The short answer is your mom has the right of it.

The long answer is that if I'm not totally imagining things, there should be a pattern in the screentone of the directions to indicate right-side-out lining vs. right-side-out fashion fabric, while inside-out of either one is plain white... As your mom probably explained, what you're doing is creating the neat edge that will go over the skirt-to-bodice seam (i.e. on that step you'll have open it up and not stitch the lining) to cover all the fraying fabric edges and whatnot and make it pretty on the inside.

*looks at the FB pictures* So cute! :D You used the same fabric for the right side and the lining, yes?
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Re: The Second Measure: Sewing, Yarnwork, and other Needlework

Postby fantasia » Sep 07, 2014 7:00 pm

@Twigs, well, I may not have a zipper, but I do have snaps which are about the same thing. ;))
@ Mel, yep, I just used the same fabric. :)

I made more progress today (hooray!) and realized just how close I am to finishing. :) Of course the last few steps are all doozies, but at least there aren't very many of them. ;))

With the exception of sewing on the buttons, the bodice is done. I finished that up yesterday. I think that was just sewing the shoulder straps to the elastic and the elastic to the bodice. Oh, and sewing buttons holes. That was an adventure. ;))

Today I worked on the pants. I didn't get quite as far as I had hoped, but I did get bunching stitches in, and I got the leg cuffs sewn on one side. (They're wrapped around and ready to be stitched on the backside, but I need my husband to iron them for me.)

The last steps include....
~Sew the snaps in at the crotch.
~Bunch and sew the legs to the bodice. (My mom promised to do the hand stitched seam that I was talking about above.)
~Sew on the buttons.

And that's it. :D I'll be sure to post pictures once I'm done.
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Re: The Second Measure: Sewing, Yarnwork, and other Needlework

Postby Meltintalle » Sep 08, 2014 9:18 am

Yay, Fantasia! Button holes are always fun. (Not.) :p


I've finally got pictures of my latest sewing project: a Jedi robe. :D

It's pretty much done, unless I decide to re-do the neck seam (one side is crooked) or add a pocket inside. Right now, I'm enjoying swaning around the house in it (and my siblings are enjoying pulling the hood over my eyes. =)) ).
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Re: The Second Measure: Sewing, Yarnwork, and other Needlework

Postby fantasia » Sep 14, 2014 6:30 pm

Haha Mel, that's funny. I don't suppose your robe is made out of wool is it? It'd make for an even worse pun. ;)

Well, I finished up my project tonight! :D (With the exception of hand stitching that interior hem that my mom promised she would do.) Here are some promised pictures. :)

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Re: The Second Measure: Sewing, Yarnwork, and other Needlework

Postby wild rose » Sep 18, 2014 6:07 am

Mel, that's an awesome cloak :) how long did it take you to make it?

Fk, the outfit is really cute. For a first time sewing project I'm really impressed, I'd have thought you've been sewing for a long time.

I've signed up for sewing classes, which will start from October. I'm really excited because learning how to properly read and understand pattern is something I've always wanted to learn how to do. I only know basic sewing so I'm happy to get more indepth knowledge.
For now I'm busy crocheting baby blankets because a couple of my friensd are having babies :) I'll almost finished with my first one, only I've run out of dark red yarn and must buy more. (I'm terribly at calculating how much yarn to buy when getting ready for a project and always end up running back to the store because I didn't get enough to start with ;)) )
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Re: The Second Measure: Sewing, Yarnwork, and other Needlework

Postby fantasia » Sep 21, 2014 9:09 am

wrose, are baby blankets what you're making with that crazy looking loom on your FB page? I have never seen one of those before in my life and was quite impressed just looking at it. ;))

Well, my mom was down on Thursday of last week and finished up the above outfit. It is now completely done. Yay! :D Yesterday I cut out the pattern and fabric for the headband to go with it so that's my project for later today. And that one looks simple enough that I'm hoping to finish it before tomorrow. :)

ETA, 24 hours later: I didn't quite get the headband done, but it's close. Basically what's left are some weird folds and hand stitching (short amount, I think I can handle it) and then a top stitch, which I'm not 100% sure what that is, but I'll get it figured out. ;)

It's really cute, but just like the outfit, it's HUGE. I think it could fit my son and he'll be two next week. ;))
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Re: The Second Measure: Sewing, Yarnwork, and other Needlework

Postby fantasia » Sep 28, 2014 11:28 am

The headband is done. I finished it up this morning. :D Even the part with the hand stitching! *pats self on the back*
It looks pretty much identical to the one on the front of the package, except solid pink instead of patterned. So yay! Kind of fun to accomplish something like this. :D It's rare enough for me to finish a project as it is.
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Re: The Second Measure: Sewing, Yarnwork, and other Needlework

Postby johobbit » Sep 28, 2014 1:38 pm

Woohoo, fantasia. I love the romper. What a feeling of accomplishment—way to go! Now, we can hardly wait to see Baby Boo in this adorable outfit. Just wish she could appreciate that Mommy made it. ;))

How great about your sewing classes, wrose! Let us know how you progress. :)
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Re: The Second Measure: Sewing, Yarnwork, and other Needlework

Postby SnowAngel » Sep 29, 2014 5:30 pm

Impressive cloak, Mel! :D

Cute outfit, fantasia! ;;) I miss when Mom and Scarlet made little outfits for my sisters. I can't believe how long it's been since they were little.

I am getting ready to start my Christmas present projects. I have several planned for this year including travel bags for younger siblings. I am trying to find materials that fit their personalities as of now. For my younger brothers I am definitely going with camo and either red or brown (my brothers are crazy about camouflage and wooden pistols). B-) The girls I am having a harder time deciding, it's a good thing I have a couple months to figure it out. :)

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