Simplicity 1589 A Learn to Sew

Hello again!
Don't be surprised that after a long time without new posts I am publishing two today! Well when it comes to sewing I've had my ups and downs but now that I have spent some time to create a nice space at home for all my sewing tools and materials, I am feeling very inspired lately to sit and get back to my favorite hobby.
So I have been working on Simplicity 1589 A pattern. It is a nice pattern for a beginner like me. I got to practice the seam finishes  for the square cutout which was nice.
I used a rayon fabric with black/ivory polka dots. The rayon fabric made kind of difficult handling the neckline and armholes sections. I added a black bias tape to the neckline because I accidentally did a hole on the fabric while using the seam ripper!! The hem was challenging too, but I am proud to say that is done! Anyways here are some pics.

Thanks for reading!

Simplicity 2226

Hello dear friends!
Yes I am back! So I finally finished the skirt on Simplicity 2226 pattern. It is very simple and easy to do. I ran into a problem with the zipper but to be fair this will be the first time I sew a zipper by myself without guidance. My advice will be to practice the technique that is explained in the instructions with scraps of fabric before you go ahead and do it in the actual skirt.
Another problem I had was that the skirt ended up being too big for me. To be honest I started this months ago and did it little by little...when I tried it sometime ago I thought it was going to fit. Anyways I still have a lot to learn and I am not getting discouraged. I know soon will be the day where I will get to wear the clothes that I make.
Anyways here is a picture of the skirt in my dress form. Since it was big I decided to not to do the fabric belt so I just added a belt I already have.
thanks for reading

TECHNIQUE: Gathering Fabric

Hello!

I have been working on the Simplicity 2226 pattern project and I found myself in a step that so far I have not done before: Gathering fabric. I want to share with you this tutorial I found that have help me to get this step done!!

http://www.danamadeit.com/2011/10/technique-gathering-fabric-the-proper-way-and-the-cheating-way.html

Do you have another technique? Feel free to share it here!

Double Sided Headband!

Hello again!!
I have been so busy with work lately that I have not been able to spend time sewing which I missed so much!! :-( ...but anyways to shake off some of the rust of my hands I found this great tutorial from www.happytogetherbyjess.com on making headbands. What I love about these is that they are double sided so you can get creative with the fabric combination.
www.happytogetherbyjess.com/2011/07/double-sided-fabric-headband-pattern.html
Here a picture of the ones I made... Enjoy!!

Two Great Seam Finishes

To continue with the topic of Seam Finishes, here are two awesome techniques bound edge and Hong Kong edge. Both are simple and very clean looking. This one is also from Threads Magazine.

Enjoy!!

How to Sew a Single-Fold Clean Finish Seam

Hello friends!!

I have been looking for the different finishing techniques and collecting all the information so I can have it all handy whenever I need to review the concept.

Here is the technique for sewing a single-fold clean finish seam. This video is from Threads Magazine.

Enjoy!

How to Sew a French Seam

Hello friends!!

I just wanted to share with you this great video tutorial I found in YouTube from Howcast about how to sew a french seam. It is simple and very easy to understand.

Enjoy!

Pre-Shrinking your fabric

It has happened to all of us, you buy a garment that fits perfectly then you wash it and it shrinks. Well that is why I am bringing this topic, to talk to you about the importance of pre-shrinking the fabric before you start working on your sewing project.

It is important to preshrink your fabric, especially when using natural fiber fabrics and blends because they tend to shrink when washed and dried regardless of the temperature used in the washer and dryer. This process will allow you to understand how the fabric behaves regarding shrinking, color running, wrinkling among other things.

What I have learned from multiple sources (books, websites) is that the guideline to pre-shrink your fabric is to use the same method you expect to use for washing and pressing the finished garment. In another words, if you expect to wash your garment in hot water, use the high heat in the dryer and use a medium temperature when pressing it, then you should do the same with or without detergent for the fabric. If it is dry cleaning then have the fabric dry cleaned before you start your project.

When drying, if you are not using a drier machine, lay the fabric flat when drying, this will prevent the fabric from stretching of its own weight when hanged.

Pre-washing woven fabric can cause your fabric to get frayed on the raw edges resulting in a messy mix of knots and strings. To avoid this you can sew a length rolled hem on the two raw edges or fold the fabric and put it in a lingerie bag as well.

Do you have any good tips on preshrinking fabric? Feel free to comment!

Understanding the Grainline

Before you start laying out your pattern on fabric, it is important to understand the concept of the grainline. The way you lay your pattern pieces on fabric will have a direct impact on the garment construction.

Grainline is a term used in the textile industry that refers to the position or the orientation of the yarns in woven fabric.

Selvages: These are the finished edges where the fabric comes off the looms; the selvages are parallel to the lengthwise grain.

Lengthwise grain or grain line: The grain line runs the length of the fabric, parallel to the selvages. The lengthwise grain is usually the most stable and less stretchy than the crosswise grain.

Crosswise grain: This grain runs across the width of the fabric, from selvage to selvage and perpendicular to the lengthwise. Usually the Crosswise grain has most of the stretch.

Bias: 45 degrees between the crosswise and lengthwise grains. The bias is very stretchy and malleable. This is used for trims and bias tape because it is easily shaped to follow a curved edge.

Now that you have an idea of how to identify the grainline, you need to know that when you are laying your pattern on fabric, the arrows in the patterns must be in parallel with the fabric grainline. This way you ensure the fabric is being used appropriately when constructing your garment.

Hello world!

Hello World!!

As a kid I always loved to do crafts. When I took my Home Economics class at junior high I loved when we covered the sewing topics. I was able to do my own tote bag and a dress that I personally designed. Then life continued to happen and I focused all my energies on my studies. Never considered arts as a career. Maybe because the message around me was that arts is for fun and hobbies and not for making a living. So I developed my career based on Sciences and Technology which I so much love to do. But always felt like a little part of me has been missing.

When I started dating my husband he gave me a sewing machine on my first birthday together as a couple. I was so touched I even cried. He told me that he remembered in one of our conversations that I wanted to learn how to sew. Is funny how as an adult I was still feeling that emptiness of having something creative to do in my daily life. After so many years I decided last year that I will learn how to sew my own clothes.

One thing I want you to know about myself, when it comes about learning something new, I need to understand why things are done and where are coming from. I need to understand the methodology, the “why are we doing this”, etc…I have tried to take sewing classes in a school and personalized ones,  but being myself an exempt employee  for an IT Consulting Company is challenging to not to miss some classes. After some time I had to stop taking them. Since then,  I have been trying to learn by myself. So I have been on and off and even though I am so passionate about this, due to different things on my "busy" life, I was not able to commit to stick to a discipline of spending the amount of time needed every week to be able to learn this the right way.

Now, here is this blog!! To share all information I am finding that will be helpful to become an official seamstress (or maybe more! let’s see how it goes). But more important, to help me to keep the commitment I have done with myself.  I hope you can share your experiences and any helpful tips you may have.

Thanks for stopping by!