ILX Sewing!

Oh, I picked up that Readers Digest book from the library, too, looks like it might be useful. I'll wait to see if I want to buy it.
Nice that there is so much info online!

I've been jonesing for a sewing machine for months now. it's just simmering away, making me put 1940s dress patterns into my Etsy favorites (I don't wear dresses as a rule wtf). I know when I get one I will start buying fabric and notions like the mad hoarder I am (hello all my yarn i love u my pretty pretty skeins). The only question is when.

http://i.imgur.com/wF1wkKd.jpg

my mom did this too

wth??

mine too, & the memory of it is weirdly tactile & fresh (maybe just cause it's still there, & used, kept in a cupboard full of videotapes), but: this doesn't seem so strange to me?, a solid biscuit-tin presumably seeming like some kind of natural endowment or double-edged gift to the frugal & resourceful. I think I would need a fuller awareness & context of receptacles of the time period in general before feeling too alarmed

I grew up with tins full of notions-instead-of-cookies, too! Especially buttons. But as a wee one I really liked going through all of the buttons and sorting them into different piles and choosing my favorites.

Anyhow, I'm reviving this thread because next week I'm taking an intro sewing class! My short-term goal is to be able to make some wrap skirts. Any ilxsewing gurus out there with a pattern recommendation?

I loved sorting through the button box!

I'm not an sewing guru, just more of a self-taught competent home sewer of things that are not too complicated. Like I can do my own simple alterations and sew home textiles. I've made garments a'plenty but I am out of practice and doubt I would have the patience for it right now.

I would really like to take a sewing class. There's one that looks fantastic in Chicago that focuses on getting you to the point of being able to do more complex alternations but it's far away from me.

Normally, I'm pretty happy to live several states away from my parents. They are awesome, but we get along better when I have some distance. I am, however, bummed that my mom will not be readily available to help me through my early sewing projects. She is a super amazing sewer and has been all her life.

I'm definitely concerned that I have poor spacial awareness and a lot of trouble thinking in 3-D. I'm hoping that just plowing through pattern instructions and not questioning them will work out OK.

I have a similar issue. My best advice is to double check everything. Twice. (So quadruple check?)

Carl whip out that sewing machine and make something for Ivy!!!

I have a wrap skirt pattern that I liked OK but I also made some alterations to it along the way. There's probably something better out there. (Also it calls for double row top-stitching which is really hard to do completely straight unless you have a double needle, which isn't beginner stuff imo).

Congrats, though, quincie!! Sewing is a great way to take back some control over fashun and to understand your body and how flat fabric ends up as 3-dimensional clothing items (if it's any good).

Sewing is a great way to take back some control over fashun and to understand your body

this is really true ime

i was almost done making this https://blog.spoonflower.com/2014/12/stitch-up-a-lined-and-reversible-tote-bag/
when i went to turn it inside out i realized i put the lining in backwards. womp womp.

I made a tote bag once and I totally put the lining in backwards as well!

Looking back at this thread... I did eventually get a dress form on cl that I never ever ended up using but I did make a large crafting table (one of those ikea hack things with cubbies and on wheels) that I like. Although it gets too heavy to be able to roll properly on rugs.

i ripped it out and put the lining in right. i need to add some stitches tacking the lining down in the bottom, perhaps by just laying it flat and stitching over the short side of the boxed corners. i still have trouble sewing straight. i stop and start again a lot and you can see jogs when i do that.

oh, here's how else i'm a dumb idiot: i flipped the dimensions so it's longer than it is wide. it's ok. it'll be a good library book bag.

I really hate pinning stuff which is why quilting is so much easier and pleasing to me (I very rarely pin). You can kind of get away with being a little sloppy. But it also taught me how to sew very straight and very fast.

pinning suuuuucks. and i stick myself all the time. and my cat is obsessed with pins and tries to steal them. i'd like to quilt, may try to make a lap quilt soon.

i'm making 100 bags and my sewing is actually improving. i made another one of those i linked above and put a nice pocket with multiple sub-pockets (one i-phone sized!) inside, and increased the depth of the corner-boxing. a great grocery bag. the next couple i make i will interface the lining. they will be indestructible. i am making this https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2015/11/27/favorite-totes-in-denim-with-colored-motes/ (the first one; i found the same fabric on fabric.com) and it's not perfect but not imperfect in a way anyone other than me will see it. yes i did rip one side of a handle out twice, but only because the second time i sewed it i twisted the handle. the first time it just looked a little wonky. also one of the small pieces of thread i produced when ripping the stitches out went in my wine glass and i accidentally drank it. amusing.

I love making bags as well. There's nothing like making the same kind of project over and over to increase your confidence and your general skills. You can tweak it each time, add something of your own, and all the time you're laying down experience. When I started sewing as an adult, I joined a group with a bunch of fairly experienced sewers, and I was amazed at how they could eyeball measurements, keep stuff together without pinning, guess at placement, all that stuff. Now I can do that stuff too, for certain projects. Next stop.... zips.

I've also taken up very simple embroidery, because I like to have something small to work on in my hand that doesn't interfere with a cat on my lap.

i'm about to be at home a lot more and can't gym due to MARSHALL LAW so i will sew. i cut fabric to make another denim tote bag. i also bought a pattern for another one with zippers and a magnetic snap.

I want a pattern for an easy short sleeve shift dress that I can make in a thousand fabrics.

since I can't go outside due to LobLaw.

I do not have such a pattern but if you come across a good one let me know, that sounds like a great project.

I am finally finishing up a quilt that I started making for my cousin's wedding ten years ago. Fortunately she's still married. I'll just have to wash it really well before I send it I guess.

i went to an ilxor's housewarming a couple of years ago and his spouse had such a cool shift dress that she made on. She just whipped up the pattern herself. I should just try to do that.

was looking at clothes patterns here before, they have a shift https://www.fancytigercrafts.com/collections/dresses-jumpsuits/products/wiksten-shift-dress-top-pattern

I want a pattern for an easy short sleeve shift dress that I can make in a thousand fabrics.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51qG6H5fLGL._AC_.jpg

McCall's 6102 (out of print but still available from resellers). I made this last year in a pink-and-green gingham.

I've started work on a nightgown...if I feel confident enough in my work I may post pictures.

xpost I have now gone down the fancy tiger crafts rabbit hole. It's been so long since I have looked at clothing patterns.

The McCall's one might work too. I am looking at google images of the dress on people.

I am now just remembering I have an old craftsy account which looks like it became bluprint at some point?

yeah, they have a lot of shit on there now too. i did a craftsy knitting class several years ago that improved my knitting so much i still don't really believe it.

It looks like I have "The Couture Dress" and "Fashion Draping" that I never watched. I don't know who I thought I was fooling getting these. (I did at least get a lot of use out of the breadmaking and knife skills free videos).

Slowly cutting out pieces while my table's clear. Got 2 pairs of jeans and 2 cossack shirts mostly cut.
Found out that fabric piece I have is a bit small for cowboy shirt I was going to use it for.
Want to cut a couple of jackets too.
Maybe in the morning since I won't have other things on.

wow. that is impressive. I want to see pics of any finished product. I wouldn't even dare trying to sew jeans.

I need to decide on my sewing project. I will post when done. I did one quilt last year but put it on the quilting thread i think.

There's a column in the NYtimes today saying that masks do actually help protect against coronavirus, that all the messaging about how they don't work was to keep people from hoarding, and that even homemade masks are a lot better than nothing. So I'm thinking I'll start sewing a lot of fabric masks and see who wants them.

I'll give this pattern a try first, I think:
https://www.craftpassion.com/face-mask-sewing-pattern/

The pattern seems pretty good. I don't have a lot of elastic and don't feel like buying new materials, so instead I think I'll just do fabric tapes that can tie behind the head.

hmmm, i almost was thinking of using batting in the middle but then realized...you have to breathe.

Do you really?

maybe I will just sew a bunch of condoms together for the extra protection and then quilt them.

I was thinking of trying interfacing in the middle, or just a third layer of cotton. It's tricky though because there's a seam going down the middle of it so that it curves over your face, so batting would be easier because you wouldn't have to sew it and make the seam bulkier. but yeah, breathing is a thing.

So the standard pattern with two layers of fabric is very quick to make but pretty thin. I just tried making it with three layers of fabric - just doubling up the lining, basically - and cutting one of them on the bias. That gives you a lot more of a barrier but does end up a bit bulky and lumpy-looking. Haven't tried wearing either of them out yet.

I need to find something to cut jeans pockets from cos its crucial for the sizing.
Got one pair's done but not the other.
Did do 2 jacket inside pockets but feeling a bit low energy.

stitched the jeans yokes to jeans backs on both pairs but may have damaged one side of one pair with too hot iron. May need to get a new iron. Cos that is a pain.
Well hope I get further along tomorrow.

sending this dispatch from jo-ann fabrics:

i decided to go around 3 thinking, it won't be crowded or anything. it's not close to my house but not a horrible drive and no one's on the road anyway. so, no signage other than a crude typed "HAND SANITIZER AVAILABLE AT CUTTING COUNTER" or something to that effect. as soon as i walked in i saw 4 staff talking to each other. one said "oh, i'm sorry, we're at capacity." i was confused. "we are following federal guidelines and only ten people are allowed in the store. we would ask that you come back another time." not like, wait in your car for someone to come out, just...leave. it was awkwardly handled. not that i blame them, no one knows how to handle this shit. after all those other corporate emails there was nothing from jo-ann about federal guidelines, just tons of DOORBUSTER coupons!

Were there 10 (6) people in the store?

i didn't make it far enough in to see how many people were in there. i'm guessing they meant 10 customers? but maybe that does seem somewhat crowded for jo-ann at that time of day! i'm taking my business to fabric.com.

yeah i have been using fabric.com for years. I just stocked up on a suitcase full of kona cotton last year in anticipation of making a lot of quilts.

There is this (from a medical center) for facemasks too . I skimmed the video and there seems to be some pleating. https://www.deaconess.com/SpecialPages/How-to-make-a-Face-Mask

I was going to try to work on this this weekend. I have some commercial masks but Iike the idea of a fabric one maybe over it so that I can wash it. I just looked through my sewing stash and I have about 15 yards of elastic 1/4 -1 inch width.

another hospital prefers this pattern (but four layers) https://buttoncounter.com/2018/01/14/facemask-a-picture-tutorial/ .

https://i.imgur.com/m7mev5U.jpg

On a more frivolous note, I finished that nightgown.

hey! it looks like a nightgown!