Ench By Sew-020- Mind of the Maker

Hey! 

The latest Enchanted by Sewing Podcast has been published!

Listening Option I) You can listen to the show right on the web by clicking on this link 

~ OR ~

Listening Option II)  Click on this link to iTunes  to download this and other Enchanted by Sewing shows to your mobile device (iPhone, Android, etc.) free from iTunes

Did I miss any links mentioned in the show? If so, please post here and share them with everybody

Email- EnchantedBySewing@gmail.com

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- Pensamientos Primero  

Reflecting on Making

For some people, sewing is just practical . For another segment of society, and I’m one of them, sewing is an important creative outlet that helps us to stay healthy and happy.
- Entonces /Then

She B. Coole

Live talk from our local Makers Faire includes extempore  interview with professional embroideress (Tapistres?) Barbara Coole (B. Coole)
o B. Coole Shares
• Thoughts on the realities of garment sewers investing both time and money into modern machine embroidery equipment and know-how
• Her advice on choosing an embroidery machine

- Pensimentos Finales:  What I’m thinking now, when it comes to my dream embroidery machine

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Web Resources

This Steam Punk Sewist
is right at home at
Makers Faire

My Regular Sewing Blog Me Encanta Coser http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com

She B. Coole - Barbara is a professional embroideress and textile artist.  As Barbara (B. Coole) reminds us embroidery is “… an art form that’s been going on for thousands of years.” People have sent out their embroidery to be done by professionals,  for hundreds of years.  B.Coole  does detailed projects involving professional couture embroidery to order . She also sells a wide variety of embroidered bits and pieces, parasols and more along with embroidery motifs that sewists and non-sewists can add to their garments, bags, hats, etc.  http://www.bcoole.com
bc@bcoole.com
(707) 575-8924

You’ll find that under-pocket cat embroidery created by Hiroko Kubota, along with other embellishment ideas on this pinterest board. http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/embellishment-sewing/

The Steam Punk Esthetic http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/steampunk-era-or-state-of-mind/

I have several sewing inspired boards at pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/

Maker’s Faires are found in many different cities http://makerfaire.com

She’s Hep With Tech  

Mind of This Maker
http://www.hepwithtech.blogspot.com/2014/05/mind-of-this-maker.html

What Would Beethoven Print? (3D Printing)
http://www.hepwithtech.blogspot.com/2014/04/but-what-would-beethoven-print-3d.html

Poiret Draped for the New Woman

The Lines of Paul Poiret's Fashions
Helped Defined the New Woman of the Twentieth Century
Click on the Illustration above to really enjoy the details!

I've been recovering from a little light surgery lately. (Little for the surgeons point of view, I guess). Are you like me when your getting over stuff like that? Do you also  watch your Downton Abbey video collection all the way through? I spent a goodly part of my video viewing time watching for the corseted Edwardian styles to transition into the modern twentieth century era.

Of course it was folks like Paul Poiret and Madeleine Vionnet who inspired the kinds of clothes the Crawley gals, and their Mama, are wearing in those heady times. (Not so much Anna, Daisy and the other servants, unfortunately for them.) Both couturiers were also known for ushering modern, twentieth century women - the New Woman- into the beyond-corsets era of fashion.

Like Madeleine Vionnet, Paul Poiret is known for creating fashion through the process of draping. Nothing like laying in a cosy get-well-nest of videos, drinking plenty of fluids, working to pull together and feeling the comradeship of a fellow draper. 

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Web Resources

My Pinterest Draping Board

http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/draping-inspiration/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Poiret

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeleine_Vionnet

Field Trip: Bayside Sewing With Susan

I like the color and buttons on
Susan's new purple shirt.
It's a perfect color for her.

My sewing buddy Susan and I, haven't had a chance to get together since she moved from Half Moon Bay to Discovery Bay several months back. Yesterday I took the day off to go and visit her, and get in some buddy sewing time. I blogged a bit about the trip itself in my Windmills In My Head posting in my Postcard from CA blog, 

I'm embarrassed to tell you how much sewing goop I took along. No, I never did use my sewing machine or even shift the contents of three of the receptacles I dragged into Susan's wonderful sewing studio in her great big house. Not only does she have a wonderful big area to sew in, she also has a walk in closet where I observed a goodly fabric inventory hanging up along with her wardrobe. Though I don't think of myself as an envious person, I wouldn't turn down the opportunity for that kind of sewing space and storage if they came along!

And I love the cuff!
Hummmm where could I do this?

I'm not sure where six plus hours went. I know we talked non stop. I showed her my bustier and she showed me her numerous recent creations. I did some fix up sewing on my bustier and worked on a straight denim, elastic waist skirt. Susan pinned my hem in place and advised me on a couple of fit issues. In between helping me out she sewed on a new shirt project.

How many shirts had she finished? Six or more? Plus two pairs of cropped pants (those blue ones she's wearing above were one pair). And more than one darling little girl dress for granddaughters. What she's gotten done in the same amount of time as I spent sewing away at my bustier, really reinforced for me my desire to turn out as many shirts and pants as possible. Because it's fun looking in ur closets and being able to imediately pull out practical, attractive, well-fitting clothes that we really wear day in and day out.

I wish I'd thought to photograph all Susan's new shirts to show you.

Construction is great
But not a Susan garment

We also did a post-mortem on some of the projects we'd created for our classes at Cañada. What are we wearing and which not? Susan has decided she's not a big fan of knits, but I still am. While admiring her wardrobe space, we found a shirt she'd created for the "Designers Details" class Susan took while I was taking the "Intermediate Construction" class. The shirt turned out great, but she doesn't wear it. I think it's just not her style. 

I'm partial to the collar bits
Might be nice in linen...

Gotta love that collar detail, however. I think that would be nice executed in linen, with all the bits in the same fabric.

Visiting with a buddy who also loves to sew, and sewing together,  is the kind of field trip that keeps me...

Enchanted by Sewing.

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Web Resources

Windmills In My Head http://postcardfromcalifornia.blogspot.com/2014/05/i-early-moonrise-over-windmill-farm-i.html

My No 1 Ladies Detective Agency Shirt http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/03/no-1-ladys-detective-agency-shirt-b5526.html

CA Romance Dress 1 http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/06/sewing-up-california-romance-vogue-8810.html

CA Romance Dress 2 1http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2012/08/romancing-dress-part-3-dress-comes-to.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discovery_Bay,_California

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacramento–San_Joaquin_River_Delta

Altamont Pass http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altamont_Pass

Altamont Wind Farm Windmills are dangerous for local birdlife, but progress is being made http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Altamont-Pass-turbines-kill-fewer-birds-4230640.php

Ench By Sew-019 Boning Up on Bustiers: Part 2

I'm looking forward to airing a photo
of my actual denim bustier here!
Though I've enjoyed wearing it in public,
I haven't
gotten any cute photographs yet.
Bet you know how that is...

Hey! 
The latest Enchanted by Sewing Podcast has been published!

Two Ways to Listen
Option I)You can listen to the show right on the web by clicking on this link 

~ OR ~
Option ii)  Click on this link to iTunes  to download this and other Enchanted by Sewing shows to your mobile device (iPhone, Android, etc.) free from iTunes
Did I miss any links mentioned in the show? If so, please post here and let me know, or else email me EnchantedBySewing AT gmail DOT com
~ ~ ~

A bustier is an alluring garment, one many women would like to wear - if they dare. When I began to notice that women of all shapes, sizes and ages sewed and wore their bustiers with pleasure and pride, I decided to take a chance and learn to sew this very structured garment, that can be designed to flatter a wide variety of figure types.

- In last month show, I talked about what a buster is - a strapless garment that conforms to our figure, is  supported from the waistline , and can be worn by women of many figure types. 

- I also said that a bustier is not a corset, because a corset imposes a shape on our figure.  You can follow links in last months’ show notes to other related garments like corsolette, torsolette or basque.   

-       Last month I talked about Cut and Cloth

-       This month I focus on Construction

- FIRST  Pensamientos Primero A brief review of what I talked about last month to put this show into perspective,

- ENTONCES (THEN)  Constructing my Bustier. 

- Stepping through the process of creating my bustier from beginning to end, touching on   important techniques and other sewing stuff that I figured out along the way .

- FINALLY Pensimentos Finales:  Going Beyond this project 

Errata: I actually use ChacoPy marking paper. I said it wrong in the podcast 

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Web Resources

Part 1: Boning Up on Bustiers http://enchantedbysewing.blogspot.com/2014/03/ench-by-sew-018-boning-up-on-bustiers.html

The Bustier Sewing Class I talked about is from Lynda Maynard, an instructor at Cañada College, San Francisco City College and also an instructor at Craftsy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEb9bypLWqE

Lynda Maynard's “Fit” Class on Craftsy, which I plan to take.
http://www.craftsy.com/class/sew-the-perfect-fit/173

Bustier Technicos - Dem Bones Gonna Walk Around

Sewing Boning Channels and Inserting the Bones

http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/03/technicos-bustier-dem-bones.html

Seams to Fit Part 1 - A Little Less Laxity - Learning Precision

http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/04/seams-to-fit-little-less-laxity.html

Seams to Fit Part 2 - 

Figuring out how to eliminate using a tracing wheel, has me making a stronger mark that is also less likely to damage my pattern or fabric.

http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/04/seams-to-fit-part-2-making-my-mark.html

Seams to Fit Part 3: More Power to Interlining- Using  stitching marks on my interlining pieces to define the stitching lines on the fashion fabric it's backing. 

http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/04/seams-to-fit-part-3-more-power-to.html

Seams to Fit Part4: - Neat as a Pin - Using pin techniques to join sections of my bustier precisely.

http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/04/seams-to-fit-part-4-neat-as-pin.html

Seams to Fit Part5:  - Staying - When a Seam Knows it's Place 

http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/04/seams-to-fit-part-5-good-weft-stay-when.html

I did a lot of hand sewing towards the end of this project. Beeswax is my thread texturizer of choice, and it's a Green option too!

http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/04/minding-my-own-beeswax-hand-sewing.html

Refer back to Last Month's Show for More Links http://enchantedbysewing.blogspot.com/2014/03/ench-by-sew-018-boning-up-on-bustiers.html

Minding My Own Beeswax (Hand Sewing, Green Sewing)

You can buy beeswax with other sewing notions
But I like to use up the old ends from beeswax candles I buy at the Farmer's Market

In the final steps of finishing off my bustier project, I'm doing lots of hand sewing. I took this photo will waiting in the car, pick stitching away on the zipper, listening to NPR on the radio, and waiting for a family member who needed to be picked up after a medical procedure. (No, I was not driving!)

There's a traditional German saying "Langes Fädchen, faules Mädchen". That is about the extent of my knowledge in German. Anyway I disagree. A long thread may indeed make for a foolish girl (Girl? Are adult women and men never fools?) if she doesn't know enough to add some texturizer. I like a long thread that doesn't knot up as much as anybody. So I keep the old ends of my beeswax candles for just that purpose, running the thread through the stubs just after I rethread my needle, and also every so often while using the thread. 

Some people say you need to iron the thread once it's beeswaxed. But I never do. Also I imagine you might have some problem with beeswax piling up at the stitch entrance in glam fabric. But it works fine with denim, cotton, and linen for me.

You can, of course, buy hunks of beeswax for this purpose. You can also buy thread texturizer. I don't know what name that's sold under, as my old candle stubs work just fine. 

I love the smell and style of beeswax candles on the supper tableand I love to use the remains up to the last waxy morsel in my sewing.

With the scent of honey of honey in the air, as I pick stitch away on my bustier zipper, I'm  just that much more....

Enchanted by Sewing!

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If English isn't your first language....

"Mind your own beeswax" , also abbreviated as MYOB, is an old idiomatic phrase used by children to indicate that someone should not be listening in on a private conversation, or asking questions that are not their own business. It's a joking reference to the similarly somewhat rude phrase, "Mind your own business".

Seams To Fit Part 5: Staying - When a Seam Knows it's Place

Good Weft, Stay!
I stayed each section of my bustier by stitching
thin strips of silk organza just over the stay sticking lines. 

In the most recent Enchanted by Sewing Audio Podcast, Boning up on Bustiers Part 1, I chatted about warp and weft. I reminded fellow sewists that weft or horizontal threads are naturally a little stretchier than waft threads.

This knowledge is particularly important when draping and fitting patterns in muslin. If we want our garments to fit well, we need to make sure that fabric doesn't pull out of place once we've decided on what that place should be. 

A good seam needs to know it's place and stay there.

One way of keeping the weft threads stable is to stay stitch them, by stitching over, or just at tiny bit into the seam allowance from the stitching lines. I stay stitched every single top and bottom of the garment stitching lines in my bustier. Those included 16 pieces cut in 4 fabrics! 

I also stayed each section of my bustier at the top, where the garment would need to stay firmly in place and not display portions of my anatomy unexpectedly. Staying is an extra strengthening step for portions of garments that need to work really hard to keep the body in place. Waistbands are another place I might stay. The spiral steel bones I inserted into my inner shell to provide stand up support are also called stays.

I stayed the bustier sections using strips of silk organza cut 1.5 inch wide then folded lengthwise. Yes, real silk organza has different characteristics than polyester organza. It's strong, stable and adds very minimal bulk. People also stay with twill tape. 

I have also stayed the shoulder seams on tee shirts by sewing down my seam allowances on either side of the already sewn seam. That results in a very stable decoratively stitched look that discourages the front and back pieces from sliding down over the shoulder. You could also stitch in the ditch of a tee shirt shoulder seam using a strip of silk organza, twill tape or other very stable fabric.

Understanding how fabrics work in a garment, and working to increase the stability of my seams - really teaching them to know their place - is another thing that keeps me...

Enchanted by Sewing.

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Web Resources

Straight of Grain  - http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/10/patterns-haiku-straight-of-grain-runs.html

Enchanted By Sewing Audio Podcast: Bustiers Part 1
http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/03/ench-by-sew-018-boning-up-on-bustiers.html

Stay Stitching - http://sewing.about.com/od/sewingglossarypt/g/staystitching.htm

Seams to Fit Part 4: Neat as a Pin (Technicos)

Using pin techniques to join sections of my bustier precisely.

The outer shell of my Bustier is coming along
Too bad I can't just pin it to myself and head out the door

Seams To Fit Part 1: A Little Less Laxity 

Seams To Fit Part 2: Making My Mark 

Seams To Fit Part 3: More Power to Interlining!

Pinning seams becomes extra important when working on sewing narrow, curved, very fitted pieces together. I wanted a stitching line that runs precisely along the stitching line I created when fitting the test garment and creating the pattern. It went a bit against my casual, arty bent to be concerned with being as neat as a pin. It just wasn't a natural skill for me, and I had to think carefully about the process.

In my last "Seams To Fit" posting, I described how I used stitching marks on my interlining pieces to define the stitching lines on the fashion fabric it's backing. In both part 2 and part 3, I described how I made sure the fashion fabric was matched up properly.

Now that I was getting ready to sew each bodice piece together, I began to think of each piece as more of a section. That section is composed of one appropriately shaped piece of fashion fabric (the denim that shows on the outside of the bustier in my case) backed by an equivalently shaped interlining (a blue plaid cotton flannel). When it's prepped, one section is like one pattern piece.

At this point in the process, I needed a way to join the stitching lines of each section precisely to it's neighboring section. When working on doing the same operation on the inner fitting shell of the bustier (then I was joining the cutil/lining pieces together) I'd found this to be rather challenging. I was constantly turning the sections over and finding that the pins weren't going through into the stitching lines.

I marked the stitching lines all the way around each section
with pins, using the stitching lines marked on the interlining

I figured out the best way for me to get the sections joined together precisely, the second time around. In part 3, I describe how I'd marked each section (equivalent of one pattern piece) marked all the way around with pins. The pin heads show on the interlining side. Now, I could line up each section (one fashion fabric/interlining section for each pattern piece) with it's corresponding section. 

Working pins through from the stitching lines on one section
to find the stitching lines on the other side.
Here you can see a couple of pins I've already pinned through from the other side.
These are ever so slightly off!

When I laid, for example, piece 1a next to 1b, putting the fashion fabric (right sides) together, I now had pins on either seam line. I moved down the marked/pinned stitching lines pinning in the direction of the seam. As I moved, I worked another pin from one side of the stitching lines into the set on the other section. My fingers could feel that the pins were marrying up. I could, and did, still flip the sections back and forth, but it went a lot more easily than it had in the inner shell.

The only Photoshopping I did was to
change the fabric of my dress form, and
swap the real background for my little
gingham and scissors creation:-)

When I went to do the actual sewing, things just sewed up better. I only had to stop and unstitch a very short distance once. 

The proof is in the denim pudding. My bustier's outer shell is coming along and fitting snug and right.

The fitting shell that goes below will provide the support the garment needs to allow the garment to leave my dress form and head out into the world.

Figuring out techniques for sewing seams precisely is one of those thing that keeps me...
Enchanted by Sewing! 

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Web Resources

Boning Up On Bustiers: http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/03/ench-by-sew-018-boning-up-on-bustiers.html

My Pinterest  Bustiers Board