Crafty Thread - what are you working on at the moment?

[RubyToogood]

This is a piece of Versace silk on ebay Venus of Botticelli 100% Silk Fabric, Made in Italy | eBay. I'd love to have it as a shirt but I can't see how to make it work. It's 140 cm square, so I suppose the central painting part is about 50 cm square. I've got a couple of Versace silk shirts which I'm very attached to.

You could put the centre panel on the back and use the borders round the bottom or edge of the sleeves - you'd need to find some similar silk of an appropriate colour to do the basic shirt in. Maybe.

You really should go and look at Simply Fabrics in Brixton as I think you're local. They get all sorts of deadstock/overruns, some of which is ex designer. I've had some fabulous fabric from there.

 

[David Clapson]

I thought about having the image on the back, but I'm not sure it would be much fun. I'd never see it. And I'd almost certainly waste the fabric...I'm a long way from sewing competently with ordinary fabrics.

 

[Boudicca]

This is a piece of Versace silk on ebay Venus of Botticelli 100% Silk Fabric, Made in Italy | eBay. I'd love to have it as a shirt but I can't see how to make it work. It's 140 cm square, so I suppose the central painting part is about 50 cm square. I've got a couple of Versace silk shirts which I'm very attached to.

I'd do a loose t-shirt/scrubs type of top, cut the front with the picture in the centre, and cut the back and sleeves in plain black.

But no, you are not buying this until you have been to Simply Fabrics, bought some cheap fabric and done some practising.

 

[David Clapson]

Progress report. I made a 2" longer waistband out of an old jacket. It looks pretty terrible, but it will be hidden by a belt. I'll also tart it up a bit by adding a layer of black from an old t-shirt.

I made some fillets for one leg from an old sheet so I could do a dummy run with the enlarged measurements. There's a 9" by 1" rectangle at the top, with a 9" triangle beneath it. The new measurements are a good fit. I've also attached the waistband half an inch higher than the original one, which makes for more comfort in the crotch.

I've got much more fabric than I need for the fillets - the waistband was snake inside and out - it yielded 4" x 38". So I'll lengthen the legs by 2 or 3 inches, and maybe keep the back pockets.

How do you sew the long seams on the side of the trouser legs? The first one is easy enough, but how do you get at the second one on the machine? After a while the fabric bunches up so much that it becomes impossible.

Eta: I suppose you don't finish one seam before starting the other! D'oh!

 

[ginger_syn]

A bit shonky but this is my first attempt at glass engraving.

 

[RubyToogood]

Progress report. I made a 2" longer waistband out of an old jacket. It looks pretty terrible, but it will be hidden by a belt. I'll also tart it up a bit by adding a layer of black from an old t-shirt.

I made some fillets for one leg from an old sheet so I could do a dummy run with the enlarged measurements. There's a 9" by 1" rectangle at the top, with a 9" triangle beneath it. The new measurements are a good fit. I've also attached the waistband half an inch higher than the original one, which makes for more comfort in the crotch.

I've got much more fabric than I need for the fillets - the waistband was snake inside and out - it yielded 4" x 38". So I'll lengthen the legs by 2 or 3 inches, and maybe keep the back pockets.

How do you sew the long seams on the side of the trouser legs? The first one is easy enough, but how do you get at the second one on the machine? After a while the fabric bunches up so much that it becomes impossible.

Eta: I suppose you don't finish one seam before starting the other! D'oh!

Inside out so you're sewing the two bits together flat. I think the outer seam is generally what's called a flat felled seam which has a particular technique. You do that first. Then the inner seam is just inside out.

Get a book or something!

 

[Boudicca]

David Clapson There's a sewing mantra 'right sides together', not obvious when you start out but this is how you make seams. I wouldn't worry about the flat fell seam

Just take your fillet of fabric and place it facing DOWN over the trousers facing UP, pin and sew your seam.

You are also sewing a piece which is cut across the fabric to one which is cut lengthways, so the pattern (and possibly the stretch) will be a bit odd.

Have a go and then consider a military style stripe down the length of the side seam. A bit of wide gross grain ribbon from Simply Fabrics should do it.

 

[Edie]

I kinda admire David Clapson ’s gung ho approach to tailoring

 

[David Clapson]

The thing is that I'm not having seams. I explained this upthread but not very clearly. By unpicking the original seams I've gained quite a bit of the snake fabric. The long leg seams had nearly an inch of fabric rolled up in them. I'm joining the edges together by sewing them on to some tape. The edges don't overlap. It's more like carpentry than sewing. It looks OK because of the irregular camo pattern. The pattern disguises everything.

 

[Boudicca]

The thing is that I'm not having seams. I explained this upthread but not very clearly. By unpicking the original seams I've gained quite a bit of the snake fabric. The long leg seams had nearly an inch of fabric rolled up in them. I'm joining the edges together by sewing them on to some tape. The edges don't overlap. It's more like carpentry than sewing. It looks OK because of the irregular camo pattern. The pattern disguises everything.

join = seam in my book. Different ways of doing it of course but it's still a seam.

 

[David Clapson]

OK. What's my method called?

 

[Boudicca]

OK. What's my method called?

It's called a bodged seam.

 

[Boudicca]

Nah, I'm not sure really, just waiting for the result in keen anticipation.

 

[David Clapson]

I'd do a loose t-shirt/scrubs type of top, cut the front with the picture in the centre, and cut the back and sleeves in plain black.

But no, you are not buying this until you have been to Simply Fabrics, bought some cheap fabric and done some practising.

I think it would look terrfic on a normal buttoned shirt if the buttons were behind a fly front. You'd have to cut right through Venus but you could probably just about avoid cutting her head. If her face was intact on the fly front...very nice I reckon. But you'd need to be perfectly precise to get it all to line up. I'm guessing there'd be enough silk for the front of the shirt and the sleeves and collar, and the back could be just a piece of plain silk. So I should buy it and frame it until I'm good enough to sew with it.

 

[RubyToogood]

I think it would look terrfic on a normal buttoned shirt if the buttons were behind a fly front. You'd have to cut right through Venus but you could probably just about avoid cutting her head. If her face was intact on the fly front...very nice I reckon. But you'd need to be perfectly precise to get it all to line up. I'm guessing there'd be enough silk for the front of the shirt and the sleeves and collar, and the back could be just a piece of plain silk. So I should buy it and frame it until I'm good enough to sew with it.

There's nothing in there for seam allowances.

What Is A Seam? A Critical Component Of Garments & Accessories

What is a seam and how do you work with it? Read up on different types and how to position them when working with fabric.

www.contrado.co.uk

 

[Boudicca]

I think it would look terrfic on a normal buttoned shirt if the buttons were behind a fly front. You'd have to cut right through Venus but you could probably just about avoid cutting her head. If her face was intact on the fly front...very nice I reckon. But you'd need to be perfectly precise to get it all to line up. I'm guessing there'd be enough silk for the front of the shirt and the sleeves and collar, and the back could be just a piece of plain silk. So I should buy it and frame it until I'm good enough to sew with it.

Yes you would lose some of the picture into the seams.

My suggestion is that I send you a mens shirt pattern ( I have checked, I have one) and you go to Simply Fabrics and buy some nice cotton to practise with. Or possibly a cheap chunk of African fabric from Top Gift, as the snakeskin suggests you are of a snazzy persuasion. The Crafty Thread may have to send one of its women on the ground RubyToogood or friendofdorothy to accompany you to prevent you from making unwise fabric choices, but if you tell them you are only allowed to buy cotton, you should be OK.

 

[Looby]

Sorry to barge in but I have zero advice to offer on the trousers. Good luck though!
My MIL gave me a load of old patterns and magazines from the 70s and 80s and I’ve only just gone through them. There are actually a few bits that I would have a go at but they’re all max size 16 and I am not.
Is anyone going to want these or shall I just pull out what I want and recycle them?
The fashion maker magazines actually have some handy tutorials on crochet etc

 

[RubyToogood]

Sorry to barge in but I have zero advice to offer on the trousers. Good luck though!
My MIL gave me a load of old patterns and magazines from the 70s and 80s and I’ve only just gone through them. There are actually a few bits that I would have a go at but they’re all max size 16 and I am not.
Is anyone going to want these or shall I just pull out what I want and recycle them?
The fashion maker magazines actually have some handy tutorials on crochet etc
View attachment 268598

These sort of things do sell on ebay and etsy, but it's whether you can be bothered to photograph and list them correctly. Charity shop maybe.

 

[campanula]

Made a T-shirt for sweetheart - all going rather well until I managed to melt some wundaweb on my iron, then put the iron on the t-shirt hem, leaving a nasty melted plastic blob. T-shirt is just going to have to be 2 inches shorter. On the plus side, I was back in my comfort zone of making shedloads of cotton jersey kids clothes. Did a lovely neckline. I don't wear t-shirts myself (shudder) but am going to knock up a few with grand-daughter this half-term.

 

[David Clapson]

Yes you would lose some of the picture into the seams.

My suggestion is that I send you a mens shirt pattern ( I have checked, I have one) and you go to Simply Fabrics and buy some nice cotton to practise with. Or possibly a cheap chunk of African fabric from Top Gift, as the snakeskin suggests you are of a snazzy persuasion. The Crafty Thread may have to send one of its women on the ground RubyToogood or friendofdorothy to accompany you to prevent you from making unwise fabric choices, but if you tell them you are only allowed to buy cotton, you should be OK.

Thank you, I would love a pattern! And I'd love a trip to Simply with someone from the local cadre. I'll treat them to a posh coffee. I was in Simply yesterday...saw lots of prints that I liked. And the Botticelli on ebay's been sold. So I'm under control for now. And still got lots to do on the trousers. I'm making them flared now. And I need to undo lots of my zigzag stitching because I used black thread and it shows. Should have used invisible thread. Just another of the mistakes I've made - I sewed one leg to the other, sewed the waistband to itself, pretty much sewed my thumb to the fabric, but missed my thumbnail thank God.

How about Klimt's Tree of Life on a shirt? Klimt fabric by Robert Kaufman

 

[campanula]

Nearly bought that for a jumpsuit for grand-daughter as well as some gorgeous, but spendy stuff from Spoonflower. She also picked this, from art gallery fabrics Art Gallery - Nightfall Moon Stories Spark Knit - Dragonfly Fabrics
How is the reversible jacket going, RubyToogood. I have been watching quite a lot of Asian sewing vids...suits my slightly slapdash methods and I like anarkali dresses and kurtis.

 

[Boudicca]

Sorry to barge in but I have zero advice to offer on the trousers. Good luck though!
My MIL gave me a load of old patterns and magazines from the 70s and 80s and I’ve only just gone through them. There are actually a few bits that I would have a go at but they’re all max size 16 and I am not.
Is anyone going to want these or shall I just pull out what I want and recycle them?
The fashion maker magazines actually have some handy tutorials on crochet etc
View attachment 268598

I'm waiting for all my 80s patterns to become vintage but it hasn't happened yet. The crochet looks a bit more interesting though. I'd drop them at Dorset Scrap Store.

 

[Looby]

I'm waiting for all my 80s patterns to become vintage but it hasn't happened yet. The crochet looks a bit more interesting though. I'd drop them at Dorset Scrap Store.

That’s a good idea, thanks.

 

[Looby]

These sort of things do sell on ebay and etsy, but it's whether you can be bothered to photograph and list them correctly. Charity shop maybe.

Yeah, I’m not sure I can be arsed. I did think of doing that but I already have two big bags of clothes to list on Depop so I think I need to admit it’s not going to happen.

Thanks both.

 

[RubyToogood]

Nearly bought that for a jumpsuit for grand-daughter as well as some gorgeous, but spendy stuff from Spoonflower. She also picked this, from art gallery fabrics Art Gallery - Nightfall Moon Stories Spark Knit - Dragonfly Fabrics
How is the reversible jacket going, RubyToogood. I have been watching quite a lot of Asian sewing vids...suits my slightly slapdash methods and I like anarkali dresses and kurtis.

I love Art Gallery fabrics. The jacket has been going at a snail's pace, mainly because there's been more pondering, researching and agonising than doing. I've still been having qualms about the fabric as the whole thing is going to be really light - both inner and outer are a very light block print cotton, and the wadding is the lightest cotton one you can get. Plus I'm not sure I'll really wear it with the B side out, but it's fabric that needs using. Then there was a whole phase of agonising about what quilting pattern to use, and before that basting all the layers together took forever.

I bought a walking foot for the quilting, and a bias binding foot for when I bind the edges. I've never really investigated the possibilities of extra feet and thought it was about time I had a go. I really want a ruffling or gathering foot and bid on one on ebay but lost it, should have put a snipe on it. Getting to the bottom of how the walking foot fits onto the machine and how the quilting guide works was a whole other chapter. Janome don't believe in putting instructions on packets apparently. Lots of searching through YouTube videos...

The quilting pattern is a square grid, then adding the diagonals to make a sort of starry pattern.

I'm always glad of an excuse to visit Simply Fabrics David Clapson and hopefully the Lounge will be open again shortly.

 

[campanula]

YES! Exactly so RubyToogood , All this researching, pondering and faffing is an absolute nightmare. Back last summer, I chopped up sheets with gay abandon, no patterns, and knocked up half a dozen perfectly wearable (if simple) frocks. Ignorance truly was bliss. But now, I am in that awful, horrible space of knowing enough to know I know nowt...and worse, have fallen under the sway of videos which are sniffy about my casual hems (for example) telling me how I need to be professional (or my garments will be rubbish) so I MUST have a twin needle and some fancy hemmer and interface...etc etc and so on. And making that first hack into material...how have I become even more timid than when I knew bugger all. Even the T.shirt involved faffing (which I absolutely do not recall back when I could whip up a tracksuit in an afternoon).
Yes, I am attempting different feet on my featherweight (I have a binder and a ruffler...which looks daunting as fuck (I usually just do that thing with huge stitches and pull the back thread for gathers). Invisible zips are also on the agenda.

 

[Boudicca]

I bought my big fancy machine because it had a built in walking foot. Except that it isn't really built in as you have to change the foot. Works well though and less noisy than the one you buy as an add on. I don't know why they insist on all those pointless fancy stitches which no-one ever uses, instead of concentrating on producing a machine which sews all kinds of fabrics without complaint.

(Technical note for David Clapson. When you sew two pieces of fabric together, the fabric is moved through by the feeddogs (pointy things under the foot). Howver on a long seam, the top and bottom pieces of fabric can slide through slightly differently. You probably can get away with it on a short seam, but if you sew two pieces of patterned fabric for curtains together, you end up with the pattern not matching at the bottom. The walking foot is like a feeddog on the top, so both top and bottom pieces slide through at the same pace.)

I'm struggling through cushion covers for my camper bootjump at the moment. They are made from some good quality turquoise curtains which were given to me for a project I was working on with a red, white and black theme. The fabric is prone to extreme fraying and I have turquoise threads everywhere in the house.

 

[campanula]

Have had a few machines over the years but curiously, my old featherweight is absolutely unmatched for long seams, Sews the most impeccable straight lines I have ever managed. I have promised it to my grand-daughter, as it is also an excellent machine for a beginner...but am having horribly ungenerous thoughts at the prospect of not owning it myself.
I am desperately torn between a new superlight chainsaw or an overlocker. Can only have one.

Arrrgh, fraying. I really hate this and find myself continually nipping off bits of thread, leaving my seams dangerously slender. Am also making seat covers (out of curtains) for daughters sailboat. The most bizarre shaped pieces of foam are testing my patience. And piping! Why O why did I get started on that! Have decided to only do this on visible seams but still finding it stressy.

 

[Boudicca]

Have had a few machines over the years but curiously, my old featherweight is absolutely unmatched for long seams, Sews the most impeccable straight lines I have ever managed. I have promised it to my grand-daughter, as it is also an excellent machine for a beginner...but am having horribly ungenerous thoughts at the prospect of not owning it myself.
I am desperately torn between a new superlight chainsaw or an overlocker. Can only have one.

Arrrgh, fraying. I really hate this and find myself continually nipping off bits of thread, leaving my seams dangerously slender. Am also making seat covers (out of curtains) for daughters sailboat. The most bizarre shaped pieces of foam are testing my patience. And piping! Why O why did I get started on that! Have decided to only do this on visible seams but still finding it stressy.

I abandoned piping very early on in the construction of my first set of camper cushions. All my precision cutting is of no avail as the large pieces of fabric seem to get bigger. With the current cushions, I have cut both the foam and the fabric to size, but have glued a layer of wadding/dacron around the foam and then covered with a chunk of upholstery stockinette. So they look good, but let's see if they fit once the boot jump arrives.

 

[19sixtysix]

Made a cushion to match the new curtains in my camper van. Took a bit longer to do than I thought it would. Piped edging and an invisible zip. Will do another.