Technicos: Show it Off and Be Proud!

Sometimes I'm really tempted to note in this journal all the stuff I'm not happy with in my sewing projects like.....
- The quality or composition of the photo (or both)
- How I stood or where I was, when wearing it for the photo!
- The fit of the garment - It's never perfect!
- My sewing technique
- The color just isn't me
- The fabric is cheesy, or not right for the style
- The style is not flattering for me, or maybe for anyone
- the list could go on and on

But I don't! The art of presentation is just one more technique I've picked up from sewing class.

In class we always have a presentation day at the end and/or middle of the semester. On that great day, we stand up in front of everybody and show off our creations. And of course, quite often, half or more of the class tells you everything that's wrong with their work ...
This makes me look fat! I should have increased the seam allowance by 1/4 inch.
Usually these $30 Vogue pattern ensembles are perfect for me, but I wish I'd chosen another pattern. 
This expensive, silk charmeuse fabric was really hard to sew with, and so I made a lot of mistakes. I mean look at this hem! Look at these seams! 
I spent so long on the pattern and it fit fine in the muslin, but when I cut it out in my fabric, it looks awful. And I didn't have time to do anything else but make this thing I'm never going to wear.

Then it's my turn to stand up. I think to myself .. Gee their fabric is much more luxurious than the budget stuff I used. They finished every seam on the inside and pick-stitched their zipper. Their figure is model-perfect and they can wear styles that fits like a glove! If they think that about their garment, they're just going to laugh at mine.

Then I remember what I practiced saying to myself, stand up straight and tall. No matter what I think of the garment at this point - and I'm often pretty sick of it (!) - I say something like this...

I bet we've all sewn the
Bee-Bop dress at one
time or another!

Wow, I just love this Bee-Bop dress. I thought the pattern looked great when I saw it on the freebie counter, and  knew it would be perfect for this yellow and virulent green polyester caterpillar print I've had in my fabric inventory since somebody gave it to me back in 1972! It's got such a vintage look and I'm really looking forward to wearing it to my next college reunion. 

And the funny thing is, that suddenly the Bee-Bop dress starts to look kind of cute and people are complimenting me on it.

Sometimes, it's putting on the right attitude that keeps me....

Enchanted by Sewing 

Take Five (Hiking Edgewood)

Aphelocoma californica - CA Scrub Jay

Did you get my good side?

This Edgewood local knows the girls are checking him out!

~ ~ ~
Resources
Aphelocoma californica - Western Scrub Jay (CA Western Scrub Jay)

Hiking Edgewood: Clean Skies! (haiku)

Clean view of the bay.

Sure do appreciate it!

Little rain goes far.

~ ~ ~
If you're hiking Edgewood - http://www.friendsofedgewood.org

Fantasy Quilt Blocks: Jen's Moved (haiku)

Jen has a new door 

With striped camellias.

Hooray, still close by!

Draping Holly: In Progress - Valentines Day Already!

Not too long ago, I posted about Holly, the tee shirt I quickly draped for the Holly-days.

For those who haven't yet been bitten by the draping bug, here's the way it feels for me, when I'm creating a work of fabric art. 

I had a lot of fun seeing how fast Holly went together, especially compared to Lucy. Lucy is a linen dress, my final project for draping class. I like her a lot, but she was quite a lot more involved than Holly.

In Lucy's case, I created a pattern I can reuse. Holly is a one-off. No other tee shirt will ever be quite like her! I draped the fabric directly on the form - just like the really fancy, schmansy couture customers get. Nobody else will ever have a tee just like Holly! :-)

With a change of necklace,
I'm already in a Valentines mood

So far I've worn Lucy once and Holly four times.  And, as you can see,  I've already swapped necklaces and turned her into the perfect Valentines tee. No, it's not too early!

Hummmmmmm. Yeah, both were worth the effort I put into them.

I can see that draping is another newly developing skill that's going to really keep me.....

Enchanted by Sewing!

~ ~ ~
Resources

Draping: But What is It?
http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/11/draping-but-what-is-it-pattern-altering.html

Terminado! Draping Holly - http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/12/draping-holly-squeezing-in-holiday-shirt.html

Terminado! Draping Lucy - http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/12/draping-lucy-terminado-new-dress-and.html

Highway Five (haiku)

Central Valley Way

Fruit, Nuts, Cotton, and Chavez.

Vital world food source.

 ~ ~ ~

Resources

Cesar Chavez Short Bio of an Important Labor Leader http://www.biography.com/people/cesar-chavez-9245781

History of CA Agriculture : http://harvest.mannlib.cornell.edu/node/11

Why is the Central Valley in California so Important?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Valley_(California)#National_Farmworkers_Association_.28NFWA.29

Major Languages Spoken: English, Spanish, Hmong, and 27 other languages as well

English-Spanish Dictionary Links for Agriculture: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/eesc/how-to/english-spanish-agricultural-dictionaries

National Hmong American Farmers http://www.nhaf.org

About Rich Language Mix in Central Valley http://scholarship.law.berkeley.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1104&context=bjalp

Technicos: Strip Strap Sewing With Ease (Spaghetti Straps - No Tube Turner Tool)

I have made spaghetti straps or fabric tubes using a standard tube turner tool. But I much prefer this technique. I may have learned about it originally, in a reader letter in Threads magazine, but I'm not sure. I just know I've made a lot of fabric tubes this way with very little fuss. However I don't hear about other sewists making them this way. 

Maybe you'll like doing them this way like I do. And you will never have to figure out where you last put your tube turner again:-)

Resources

Fabric - A strip somewhat longer than you actually need. It should be more than twice as wide as the tube/spaghetti strap you want. In fact, if X is the width of the desired strap and S is the amount of seam allowance you are going to use it should be 2X+S wide. 

For example - If I want a tube 1/2 and inch wide and I plan to sew a 5/8 inch seam allowance, then my fabric strip should be 1 and 5/8 inches wide, because (2 x 1/2) + 5/8 = 1 5/8

If I need a total of oh say, 72 inches of tubing, I would probably add another 5 inches just to be on the safe side. (That's very conservative). Because I will be cutting away some of the end of my tube. 

String or an old piece of bias tape, or cord or other stringy thing that won't break apart easily . I keep a roll of packaging string around, but even jute string works. Just make sure the string/cord doesn't get sewn over as you sew along the long edge.

Cut your string/cord longer than your fabric piece. Add five inches total to be really safe.

1) With RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER- Press the length of fabric  you are making into a tube or spaghetti strap, in half down the middle, going the long way.

2) Lay the string/cord down the middle, right up
against the fold and away from the raw edge.
Leave a tail of string/cord sticking out
on both ends
of your fabric.

3) Sew back and forth over one end of the folded piece
securing the string/cord really well. You are going to be
cutting away this end later on, so you don't care
what it looks like. Just make sure the cord can't come out down here.
Also, make sure you leave a little tail end of the cord
hanging out beyond this stitching line to be
absolutely sure the string/cord doesn't pull away.

4) Now, keeping the string/cord on the fold side,
 sew along the long end of your tube.
Don't catch the cord in your stitches!

Leave the second short end open when you finish this long line of stitching.

Make sure you have another tail end sticking out of the open end of your tube! That's the second short end, the one opposite the one you secured so well back in step 3.

5) Trim along in the seam allowance, close to your stitching line.
You don't want fabric in the way of next step.

6) Start pulling on the end of the string/cord tail that's sticking out of your open end.
As you pull the fabric will ruffle up.
That's good!

Push those ruffles back toward the secured end as you keep pulling. Just work them along. They'll be a little hesitant, but you be the boss!

At a certain point you will be able to push the first bit of ruffled up fabric
up and over the original
short end you secured.

7) Oh look what's coming through!
There is the nice little fabric tube you've been looking for.
The seam allowance is on the inside!!!!
Keep pulling until it's all out.

When you're done you'll have a long piece of string
hanging off the secured end. Cut that secured end off now.
You might be able to reuse the string/cord for another tube,
if that tube is a little shorter than this one :-)