Thursday, December 20, 2012

Demystifying Knits


Bonjour,

I'm absolutely not an expert on knit fabrics and knits sewing, but I'm really good at being totally obcessed and researching a subject until my eyeballs bleeds... I'm thinking about joining the Sewing Cake Tiramisu Knit Dress Sewalong... So here are what I found out about knits fabrics and using them :

Note : I merged this content into my page (see links on the side bar) dedicated to Fibers and Fabrics knowledge...

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Simplicity 1882 - Muslin part.3

New Sewing Machine and "Progress" on S1882

I started resewing the dress from May to June.  In this post (journal entry!) I state the last steps I made on my dress... I'm a snailstress, really!

After June, camping season came and ended with my oldest child starting pre-kindergarden! I'm so proud of her! So after the frantic months of September and October, I wanted to start working on my dress again, but sadly the sewing machine my mother-in-law gave me stop working...

I now have a new machine (Clara, my Singer Quantum Stylist 9960) and I LOVE IT! I'm doing quite a few tiny projects and Christmas presents in the last month with it - I will obviously post about them after the Holidays!! My new machine offer a lots of stitches and I will need to revisit how I finish the seams of my dress...

Resewing the dress S1882

What I did :

  • Alteration - Hem: I removed 6 inches from the bottom
  • Alteration - Skirt: I removed from nothing (size 18) at the waist to 1/2 inch (size 16) from the notch to the hem.
  • Seam finishing: I chose to turn the seams allowances under, for a cleaner look inside and durability. I tested before on scraps to be sure it wouldn't show through when ironed. I used my blind hem foot to sew equidistant from the folded edge of the seam allowances.
  • I started with the midriff piece and had some trouble to align the piping edge at 5/8" since the store bought piping was only 1/4" ; so I used my grand-mother tape with a long metal end that is exactly 5/8" to align the piping as I machined basted it to the midriff piece.
  • I then sew the skirt pieces and finish the side seams with large double fold bias tape.
  • Attach skirt to midriff : TO DO
  • Alter bodice : TO DO
  • Sew bodice : TO DO
  • Attach bodice to midriff : TO DO
  • Zip : TO DO
  • Collar : TO DO
  • Sleeves : TO DO
  • Hem : TO DO

Next time I should

  • REVIEW HOW STRATEGY TO FINISH SEAMS...
  • Pin carefully the previously finished seams allowance when sewing the piping to avoid them being caught up.
  • Step 10 - Avoid raw edges for the bottom seam of the pockets
  • I need to alter the pattern pieces : TO DO
TIME :  6 h.
Wednesday May 2nd : maybe 1h, I don't remember
May 31rst : 1h alterations
Thursday June 14th :  4h midriff, piping, skirt
Friday June 15th:  ?h, skirt seams finishes not all done...