Confessions of a Seamstress in Training

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Within the last week, I've bought 14.5 yards of fabric. Yeah. Wow. Three yards are muslin, but the rest are destined to become wonderful skirts & tops.

And because I've bought so much fabric this week, and I like to pre-wash it all before it goes into the stash, I've managed to stay on top of the household laundry. It's amazing that I don't mind doing the laundry when it includes new yardage.

I've actually finished my a-line skirt, but haven't shared it yet because a matching top is in progress. I'll share more on that later--it's a long, emotionally draining tale of heartache. Hopefully it will have a happy ending. 

My serger class had it's first chat last night & it was really good! I've been having a lot of trouble with the tension on my serger for awhile now...the upper looper is too loose even on the tightest setting. Jen said to try moving my knife over so it was catching less fabric. And it worked! My upper looper is still on the highest tension, which bugs me, but my stitch is really nice looking. I'm going to have to take my serger in for servicing soon, and I'm trying to get used to the idea of being without it for weeks on end. :(  Honestly, I'd rather give up my sewing machine, since I've been sewing more knits than wovens.

Sewing Room Makeover: The Fabric Stash

My fabric stash isn't huge (yet) but I still find that it is typically disheveled.  Which is strange since, theoretically, it should be the least handled of all my sewing room.

I realized that it was the actual handling of my yardage that caused the disorganization. When setting out to plan my next (five) project(s), I'd take out some yardage, measure it, see that I do/do not have enough yardage for said project, and repeat throughout my stash. Of course, the measured yardage just got haphazardly thrown back in the pile.

So I decided I needed to to handle my fabrics less. I shouldn't need to measure them every time I thought about using them.

I already had a package of Avery postcards laying around the house (for recipe cards), so I designed “Swatch cards”. I've uploaded them to google documents as a way to share them. :) If your printer has the capabilities, you could certainly print these on regular 4x6" index cards.
To download the fabric stash cards, go here:
Left Page
Right Page

After testing this system, I decided that half the cards should hold the swatch on the left side & half on the right side. That way, the thickness of the fabric is more evenly distributed in the swatch book. I will also make them double sided from here on out, so that I can re-use the card even after I've sewed up my fabric (of course, if you use pencil when filling the cards out, then you could just erase). I also added a space to notate the purchase date & fabric price. 

To house my swatch cards,  I got a 99 cent photo album for 4x6” pictures. If your stash is larger, you could divide your swatch books up by fiber type or even color.

 

So now when I'm looking for fabric to use for a project, I can just grab my swatch book & flip through. Each card has all the information I need. And what's even better, if I need to buy coordinating notions (or fabric) I can just slip the index card in my purse & take it with me into the store. For that matter, I can easily carry my whole stash around with me, if I so had the desire.

Sewing with a Plan

I have a ton of patterns & a fair amount of fabric yardage stashed.  And yet, I find myself browsing (and ultimately, buying) more. So I decided to take a good long look at what I have. And, really, there weren't any patterns or fabric that I forgot I had. So, that's good. I will not consider my stash out of control just yet. :)

Very rarely do I buy fabric "just because". I always have a pattern or at the very least a garment in mind for it. But as new patterns come out, or I come across new fabrics, the others that I did have plans for drop down the list of things to sew.

And Spring is coming! A lot of the fabric I bought when I was just getting into sewing is back in season. Gauze, linen, light weight cottons. It seemed only natural that I make a Spring Sewing Plan. I came up with 4 tops & 3 skirts. Plus a dress (maybe two, if my Crepe turns out, but it's not lookin' real promising from here). Here's a  quick look (created on Polyvore, again.)

Spring Sewing by Seamstress In Training on Polyvore.com

And here are my actual fabrics:  

 

I'm not really sure about the pink & black plaid. I had bought the fabric to use for something for my daughter, and so now every time I see it, I have a hard time picturing it as a "grown up" straight skirt.

I've done a muslin for the Pendrell, and I've decided to do a couple alterations--I think I'll need to take the hips in a bit. I've also sewn the straight skirt (McCalls 3830) but it turned out too big, so I'll be adjusting that pattern a bit as well. 

That being said, I think I'm going to start with the knit Cardigan. It should be pretty quick project & it will give me a fresh start. We'll see where inspiration leads me from there.

My plan may be a bit ambitious, but if you aim for the moon, even if you miss you're bound to land amongst the stars, right?? And the important thing is that I get some of this yardage sewn up...so I can buy more. :)

A Bit of This & That

I'm almost ready to give the Pendrell another try. Tasia replied to my concerns very thoroughly & it seems that the neckline problem is likely due to construction. Which is a bit of a relief; I was concerned it might be a fitting issue of some sort. Tasia also suggested that I do a mock up of the neck & neckband to practice with, which I thought was brilliant. So once I do that, I'll be off and running with my fashion fabric.

I also received a package from Fashion Fabrics Club in the mail today! This was my first order with them & I didn't have very high hopes. They seem to have some pretty mixed reviews out there. But as for me-I'm very happy with the fabric I received (though I haven't washed it yet) and it arrived very fast. I ordered it less than a week ago! They also offer a thread matching service, so I got a spool of thread, too. I will definitely be ordering from them again.

This is the voile I bought (for my Crepe).

I love it! It's much more opaque than my original Crepe fabric, but I am still planning on doing an underlining. I think I'm going to try to find a dark purple for the sash. I think it will make a very pretty spring dress.

So, you're officially caught up. :) Can't wait to share my finished projects soon!

Harts Fabric: A Review

I ordered the fabric for my Pendrell (which I realize, you guys have yet to see) from Hart's Fabric. Their system is set up to buy fabric by the yard, so I e-mailed to see if it would be possible to order 2.5 yards instead of 3. They responded very quickly. I was more than welcome to order any quantity I'd prefer, but I wouldn't be able to return it. I was ok with that, so I ordered the fabric & the Sencha blouse pattern (to save on shipping, of course).

My order arrived a few days later & included an "I 'heart' Hart's Fabric.com" which I thought was cute. I'm a sucker for free gifts.

Hart's Fabric has a HUGE selection, including Home Decor, laminated cotton, table cloth & toweling fabric, patterns, and thread.  They will even match your thread to you fabric for you. I think that is just above & beyond fantastic! Swatches are only offered for their Home Decor fabric, but their fabric return policy is very straight forward.

All in all, I highly recommend them. I can't wait to order from them again.

Ramblings....

I'm really losing steam with the Crepe. I haven't even basted all the pieces of the fashion fabric & underlining together.

It isn't the design. Far from it. It's a fabulously versatile pattern with great instructions. It must be the fabric. Must be. It's very plain. And sheer. Very, very sheer. And fragile. It's just plain uninspiring. I'm determined to finish the dress, though. Even if I don't wear it.

Also not helping the Crepe are some fabulous projects I have in the que. For example, The Pendrell. Which, after HOURS of pondering & fabric shopping, I decided to go with a nice, solid black Silk/Cotton blend. I would have loved to do something with more of a 'wow' factor, but in the end, a nice black blouse is just so very versatile. And the ruffled version that I'm planning on doing will be great with a pair of jeans & heals or a high-waisted pencil skirt. And the fact that it is a silk/cotton blend combines the best of both worlds. The comfort & ease of cotton with the dressy look & feel of silk. Win, win. I'm certain it will fill a few holes in my wardrobe.


I'm also scouting out fabric options for the Sencha, which I ordered along with my Pendrell yardage (to save on shipping, of course).

Oh, also, I wanted to mention that I've been scouring the net for new places to buy fabric & I'm updating my "Fabric Shops" list on my sidebar, so if you're in need of some retail therapy, take a look!

Endless Combinations: The Fabrics

I received the fabrics I ordered on Thursday & they are all exactly what I had in mind. :) My contest plan has changed a bit. I decided to nix the dress-the fabric I want to use for it is just too slinky. I fully intend to use it, though, once I'm a little more comfortable with knits. So, instead I'm tentatively planning on sewing up another skirt (out of that gorgeous berry tweed) and/or another top. I'm playing that part by ear.

One of the fabrics I ordered is a crinkle gauze (the hot pink pictured above) & I was planning on using Simplicity 3750 but I've decided against it. The fabric is a bit see through & sometimes I have a hard time wearing a scoop neck cami under square necklines. Anyway, I think I'm going to pick up Simplicity 2892 instead.

Today I'm hoping to cut out my fabric for the straight skirt & cardigan. I considered attempting to do all my cutting before I started stitching, but I find the cutting part of sewing so tedious, I thought it better to do a bit at a time.

Newest additions to my stash...

The first 6 yards of my new "stash" have arrived. And, I must say, they are quite lovely. I heard on PR that Fashionista Fabrics had some great deals in their Clearance section & decided to check it out. I don't think I had ever even been to their site before, but I instantly found 3 fabrics that I needed wanted. Two knits & a fabulous Tweed. I quickly ordered 2 yards of each.

First up, we have a white knit with black flower designs. This print is actually very large. Quite possibly too large for a top. But, having nothing to lose, I think I will use it as a muslin & I'll be happy if it turns out wearable. :)

Next, a funky knit. Again, the scale of this print is larger than I expected, so it will probably become a dress rather than a top like I had originally thought. This is much busy-er (busier?? More busy? AH, my mommy brain can't handle it. You know what I mean.) than what I typically wear, but I like it. It's fun. And fresh. And different.

And now, for the finale. Gosh. I'm SO excited about this one. Ready? A beautiful Acrylic Tweed. Whatever that means. (Ha. I wish I were kidding) titled "French Mulberry". All I know is that the colors are awesome. Fun but not outrageous. And very versatile.

She's dreaming of someday becoming a skirt. Paired with a custom made coordinating top. Or two.

I must mention how great Fashionista Fabrics was to work with. I ordered my beauties Tuesday afternoon & received it on Thursday. I thought maybe they were located nearby in the Pacific Northwest. But no. The return address is Michigan. So shipping was lightning fast. They shipped via USPS priority mail in a flat rate box. I highly recommend them. And, in case you were wondering, it looks like all 3 of these fabrics are still in stock. In case you were wondering. ;)

I almost forgot. I also received my Swedish Tracing paper which I ordered Monday. Looks like great stuff. I'll keep you updated. :)

So that's what polyester is.

Last week I ordered some fabric from Hancock's Fabric & it arrived on Friday. They were having a huge sale on fleece & so I picked some up. I also grabbed some 2 yards of a floral polyester that was on sale.

The "Black & Ivory Flowers on Fabric" really threw me for a loop. I was expecting something different. Something not so fancy. You know, something sort of like cotton. But not. In fact, the reason I even ordered it was because it wasn't cotton. I wanted to make myself a skirt.

The fabric I got is shiny. Smooth. Fancy, even (this coming from someone who has only worked with cottons thus far). It's beautiful. And it will make a lovely skirt-just not the one I had in mind. And google tells me that polyester is great for garments. But I think sewing this is going to be a challenge. It's silky. Slithery. This thread at Pattern Review should prove helpful when I do decide to sew it up.

Anyway, I guess this means I have a lot more to learn about fabrics. Perhaps another book is in order. At least now I know what polyester is.