The pattern I'm using for my dress has large curvy princess seam "darts" that end up being trimmed down to regular seam allowance after stitching. Since I custom fit the pattern using the foundation I made first, mine are curvier than what was originally drafted.
The handbasting of the marked lining layer to the outer fabric layer makes it easier to sew them. (I did reinforce the handbasting with machine stitches inside the darts knowing I wanted a line of stitching to keep any possible fraying of the cut edges from getting too close to the actual seam.)
Since my altered pattern had been traced onto thicker paper with seam allowances removed, I cut the stitchlines of the darts on the paper to make tracing onto the fabric easier. I used a white Prismacolor pencil (chalk would never last long enough with handling).
I always sew darts by matching ends and any middle notches and then weaving pins through marks on both sides of the dart. Then I hold each pin in place as it gets close to the presser foot and allow the machine to pull the fabric off the pin. It allows for a lot of extra control and precision, and if I've pinned properly, I stitch perfectly through the lines on both sides.
Tomorrow when I have better lighting, I'll press everything open and cross-stitch the seam allowances to the inside layer of fabric to control the puffy tendency of this fabric.
#Butterick4731
I spent the day priming things for paint and then I remembered to shoot a quick video. #SewingStudioBuild
I started cutting all the edges while Janet was away yesterday morning. When she got back after lunch, she pulled out a roller and started filling in. I'll put a pic below in the comments. #SewingStudioBuild
We broke for lunch and then came back with a portal ac unit plugged in to an extention cord from the house. Can't wait until they finished hooking up all the electrical and we have the mini split cooling the room for us - it was stupid humid today! #SewingStudioBuild
Nice slow Saturday moving triangles from one pile to another after voting this morning. I have pumpkin pies to make later for tomorrow's church potluck (Octoberfest/Reformation day celebration).
#epp
Bernadette has a "tips for buying fabric online" vid (and a previous vid on fabric weights from last week) up. The excel sheet she's put up looks useful.
IME - you get what you pay for. Every time I've bought a "bargain" fabric online I have regretted it.
I went drooling online yday and now I feel a need to go to BBlacks&Son in person but I will need a bodyguard. -sigh- They have (or, at least they used to have) a lot of fabrics that don't get on their website. Yummy, historic store... anyway, I digress.
I’m trying to figure out if I should do something to jazz up this very grandpa-looking cardigan I’m currently sewing. Maybe this was the wrong fabric to do a tie front/shawl collar with! But since this fabric came from my last year’s birthday mystery bundle, I want to try to see this through. The options I’ve played with so far are some kind of embellishment from my huge vintage button stash (I think the white ones are too ivory-yellow tone to work, but the darker ones could be interesting if I can figure out a better configuration), or trim (picture 3), or some kind of embroidery or scrap denim flowers or something? (no sample). Or I could take the collar off entirely? I need to figure out the edge finishing either way, because I forgot to cut the facing pieces (thanks Big 4) and I’m piecing together scraps to see what I can come up with. I also had to piece the collar and back it with a piece of jersey because I really did not have enough yardage to make anything useful to ...
