Notebooks past

Over the years, I've kept a number of project notebooks and sewing diaries.  This blog is one of them.  I'd mentioned in my last post, ever so briefly, that I was putting together a new notebook for my projects.  It has gone hand-in-hand with reorganizing my sewing space and getting a handle on what I want to do.  It is built in OneNote (because I'm a nerd) and is designed to scale as my work changes and grows.

Before I talk about it, though, I want to talk a bit about the prior notebooks I've maintained for sewing.  They range from an old spiral notebook filled with really terrible ball point pen sketches, to formal design line notes from school, to sprawling business management tools.

What now?

I was busy for a while.  I spent most of my energy for a good part of the last two years helping run someone else's business.  No regrets - I gained a lot of experience and knowledge there - but it meant that while I was creating content for their social media, and garments for shows, and doing other business-y stuff on their behalf, I didn't do much for myself.  Such is the cost of engagement in a project.

Lastwear was worthwhile.  I really did learn and grow there.  I was burnt out by the end, but I'm still sorry to see it go.  I wish my friends there the best in their next endeavors.

That said - I have time to do my own work again.  Including blogging about what goes on in my sewing room.  And I have some ideas about what I want to do next.

Cosplay Adventure!

So - I got asked to make a dress for cosplay.  In return, I got to go spend a weekend at Emerald City ComiCon with my friends from Times Past Entertainment.

The new group cosplay they were putting together was from Maleficent.  I was making Aurora's blue dress.  Since I don't own the images and... well... Disney.... I'll link you out to the better of the reference images here.

I was given a budget of $60.  I said to myself,  "I can make this for $60 and anything I already have in my sewing stash."  That turned out to be exactly right - my trip to Jo-Anns ran me $61 and change.  That included the pattern, which I'd bought on sale ages ago.  And then I paired that up a whole bunch of trim I'd gotten a while back, which would have been the expensive part.  Keeping the cost that low was hard for me - I am accustomed to spending many hundreds of dollars on projects.  It was good.

I'm pretty pleased with my results - see the finished product and further notes on its making behind the cut!

Sloper drape: One dart bodice front

I have started on draping a sloper for use with Marie (my size 12 dress form, if you missed the note about naming her in the previous post).  For the record, I'm using my own class notes from 2006 and the book we used in that same class.  I'm sure it's several editions out of date, but I don't really care; the techniques used are unlikely to have changed significantly.  Where I am going to be fairly detailed in my description, I am not going to repeat the minutia of each step; if you wish to do this, there are many books and online resources to use for the details.  I do, however, want to document my own work and give my gentle readers an idea of what goes into the undertaking.

There is some futzing about that happens before you begin throwing fabric at the body you're making a sloper for.  The form gets a little preparation.  (People do, too, but it's not quite the same; since I'm not draping on a human, I'm not going to get into it since I have no hands-on experience with it.)  I know I already described and posted photos of this, but here it is again, in context.

The form gets a line of tape parallel to the floor at the bust and the hip; at the bust, the drape goes over the stretched tape - called a bust bridge - to make sure the garment fits properly.  This bridge might not be used for things that fit tight (e.g. a bustier or a strapless ballgown), but for a fitting block we definitely want it.  It also gets pins to make it easy to locate key points by feel - the tips of the shoulders, at the level of the screwhole along the armscye, the armhole depth, just below the center neck, the bust points, and if you like the center front along the hipline.  At this point I also took a series of detailed measurements; I was pleased to find that Marie's manufacturer specs were right dead on the money.

Marie looks lovely in black.

Detail showing pins at neck,  bust point, and armhole.

Then the muslin also gets a little preparation.  (Continued behind the cut)

Slopers: What's that funny thing you've got?

Since I posted here and on Facebook about making a sloper to fit my dress form, I've been asked a couple of times, "what is a sloper?"

That's a good question, I'm glad you asked.  In a nutshell, it is a pattern for a basic fitting shell with no seam allowances, and is used to make other patterns.  They can be made by draping or drafting (followed up by fitting muslins to ensure that the pattern is accurate and correct), and once you have one that fits you can then alter it as needed to create other, more interesting styles.  There are variations based on taste and use on what goes into a full sloper set; some people only do a two dart bodice and a skirt, sometimes the two dart front has a shoulder dart instead of a bust dart, et cetera - but the idea is still the same, that you have a "master" pattern to then alter to your heart's desire.  There are many, many resources available on how to make one, including several commercial fitting shell patterns.

I made a dress size 8 sloper in school.  It looks like this:

Dress size 8 (or about a size 6 in today's off-the-rack sizes)

(more behind the cut)

Reviewing my draping skills

Well, it's been a while since I've seriously looked at my own sewing work - I've been caught up in some "real life" projects that took a bit of time and effort to get sorted out.  I've been doing more work with Lastwear as well, including helping out at a couple of fashion shows.  This is always a good time, and it really makes me feel like an industry insider.

I need to get back on track with building my own skills back up.  I feel out of practice and that some of the things I've learned need serious review.  So - I picked a project to work on that will move me forward.  I am going to prepare a sloper set that fits my dress form.  I will eventually both drape and draft the pieces for a set of base patterns, but I am going to drape first.  When I've done it both ways and made paper patterns, I'll compare how they came out and then make a set of tag patterns.  The set will have the same parts I have from school, except the ones I made then are "industry standard" size 8 and the ones I'll be making  now are size 12.  Down the road I'll do a set that fits ME as well.

(more behind the cut)

Living with working

Generally speaking, this is a technical blog.  I keep my personal baggage out of it.  Today I'm going to break that guideline a little bit.

I have a big project on the table with a "due date" of October 26th.  There are six to eight garments to be made, three of which are pretty complicated.  To get through it, I need to have a plan of attack.  It also needs to be a plan that is reasonable; I definitely think work is doable, but I've had issues with managing my time and getting things done.

At the end of last year, I was pretty bogged down; I decided to make a plan.  It was, for all intensive purposes, a self-curriculum to refresh and build my tailoring, patternmaking and design skills back to at minimum what they were when I left design school.  That plan was perhaps TOO structured.  I didn't follow through on it.  In fact, I didn't do much of anything for several months into the new year, including sewing.

I started seeing a therapist.  Five months later, I left treatment with her with a few really valuable takeaways. 

(More behind the cut!)

A Steampunk Orange: Laughing Moon California Pants (Part 2)

Okay, so I grossly underestimated this pattern.  I expected it to be doable in 15 hours of sewing time - and it might be the second time through the pattern, but I've been working on these evenings and weekends for five days and I haven't even gotten the inseam in yet.  I am not a particularly fast sewist, I admit, but still.  Including making a quick muslin and planning for a simple modification, it took me about ten workroom hours just to get the pattern tissues prepared and my fashion fabric cut out.

Commercially available patterns - the kind you buy at the fabric store - are rated  by how many pieces they have in the pattern compared to how many pieces are in a block for that type of garment.  A pants block has just two pieces; my favorite jeans pattern has eight pieces and is rated by the company as "easy".  Really, getting a good fit for jeans should make it more like an "average" pattern.  The Laughing Moon pants pattern has 22 pieces and includes a couple of kind of tricky things to construct.  Unlike most patterns, many of the interfacings have their own pattern pieces.

It has set-in pockets on the front (like jeans) and double welt pockets in the back; it also features a crotch gusset, an elaborate button fly, a fit gusset and split waistband at the back; the waistband has a separate lining and a curtain facing.  A lot of these are things that you only find on pretty high-end menswear these days.

Double welt pockets with bartacks at the end.  I know, hard to see because it's white on white.

More after the cut!

A Steampunk Orange: Laughing Moon California Pants (Part 1)

I've tabled my bustle skirt project for two weeks while I prep up something to take to GearCon.  I leave for the con in just nine days and have a shirt, a vest, and a pair of pants to make for it.

I am using a commercially available pattern for these pants - the Laughing Moon Mercantile California Pants pattern.  Because of this (paired with a need for expediency), I'm not going to take a lot of pictures or go through the step-by step; the goal is to complete the project and offer a fair review of the pattern.  There will definitely be some documentation of the modifications I am making.

The pant is a historically correct pattern, and the pattern comes with separate pieces for four different cuts including a ladies' fit.  That said, I'm not making the womens' pattern because I am a closer fit, measurement-wise, to one of the mens' fits.  The pattern's rather complicated, with 23 separate pieces, including facings and interfacings.  So far I'm pretty impressed with the pattern's quality, and the instructions are pretty good.

That's a big stack of tissue pieces.

Additionally, I will be altering the outseam to turn the plain pant leg into a jodpur.  This will be sewn in white duck and paired up with a shirt with detachable collar and Teasdale from Lastwear, also in white.  Spats, cane, black bowler.  Might we be up to a melanky bit of the old ultra-steampunkery, O my droogs?  Perhaps.

I made a muslin of the pant without going into all the details of the elaborate fly.  The fit is excellent.  The goal is to get the parts all cut out tonight so I can start sewing up tomorrow.

Bernina 830 Record

I am a terrible, terrible slacker.  Well okay, I'm not, but I've been involved in a bunch of other stuff and haven't worked on a lot of projects.  I've  been a bit scattered and haven't had a lot of focus on making stuff.

Well, now I'm down to the wire to get a project done and I've barely started.  That's the BEST way to get stuff done, right?

I do have some photos from what I got done earlier and will be taking more as I really get rolling.  There is a change in the photo quality mid-stream as my old, cheap camera gave up the ghost; I've replaced it with a new one.  It's nothing fancy, still just a point and shoot type thing, but it means I have no excuse for not working because I can't record what I'm doing.

Before I dive into a big project, I'm finishing up some little ones.  For both my small stuff and the large project ahead, I've set up my home machine.  I'll be needing zigzag stitching in a few places and will be making lots of buttonholes. My machine is old, simple and totally awesome.  I was gifted a Bernina 830 Record when I graduated from WWU in 2001; my aunt had purchased it new in 1977 and rarely used it, so passed it on to accompany the Pfaff Hobbylock 4842 that my parents had bought for me.  Both of these machines are still in great working condition and see regular use, although I've used the industrial for the vast majority of my sewing since I bought it.

This thing came with a jillion feet and a table (which I'm not using right now due to space constraints in my flat).

Bernina 830's are still in high demand; they are reliable, sturdy, and available for a long time so a lot of people had them and learned on them.  There are several on eBay and the local Craigslist right now for a minimum of $400.  I regularly thank my aunt for it, it's been a joy to have and it makes a pretty darned good buttonhole.  It's even better when I've got it's table set up, but I just don't have the room.

Field trip: Stitches Seattle

I really like supporting local business.  There aren't too many indie fabric stores any more; most of us have to buy our yardage at Jo-Ann's and the like.  There are a few places out there, though - Seattle hosts a couple of neat little independent stores, plus a local chain.  I went to visit one of them today.

I was planning on making a Pinkerton from beginning to end today, but was feeling a bit stir-crazy and decided to visit Stitches.  It's the closest fabric store to home; I walked.  It's a little less than a mile from my flat.

Right next to Babeland.

For a small, in-city storefront, they have a pretty well rounded inventory.  The selection of fabric is small, but most of it is very nice quality; not as nice as Nancy's, but a cut above the big chain stores' stuff.  I refrained from buying anything, but I was sorely tempted by a number of things.  They had some awesome quilting-weight cottons, and a small selection of organic cotton and bamboo.  They have a full selection of  notions, some of which you won't find at Jo-Ann's.

There are a few classes, starting with very basic sewing and progressing through more intermediate level projects.  They also have knitting classes; the gal at the counter said their class space is small and the classes are limited to about four people.  I consider that a good thing as teaching craft skills really takes a decent amount of one-on-one attention, which is difficult in larger groups.

If you're near Broadway, stop by.  Shop local, Seattle!

Pinkertons: Assembling the parts

The final part of making these vests is joining together all the parts. I got through most of that tonight, though I will have to wrap up tomorrow.  I underestimated how much gold topstitch thread I had and need to get another spool or I'd have at least finished the armscye bindings tonight.  I got enough done to show how I'm doing it, though.  I'll also have to do the buttonholes and buttons later; it's a little late to be pulling out the other machine and especially late to  be hammering on stud buttons.

All the parts sewn together, and the armhole bound.

First I put the lining, shell, and collar together.  The curved neckline edge is one of the few places I routinely use pins - it's pretty curvy and there are a lot of layers to get together.  There is a notch in the collar at points where it should line up with the center back seam and the shoulder seam; additionally there is a notch on the body pieces  where the edge of the collar aligns.

(Pictures and more beyond the cut!)

Pinkertons: Lining

I just spent the last two hours assembling the lining for the Pinkerton vest.  It shouldn't take quite that long, but taking the time to photograph each step takes up a certain amount of time.  I have to move the table towards the machines and drag the chair to the west side of the room for each photograph of the full tabletop.

The lining parts all laid out, including the Lastwear tags.

 The process is pretty much exactly like sewing the shell, except that you also have to stitch all those little fiddly bits of facing onto the lining pieces.  And instead of welt pockets, I had tags to sew in.  (That's one of the nice things about sewing for a company - Lastwear provided everything including their very nice ribbon tags.)

(More behind the cut!)

Pets and Pinkertons

I got started on the Pinkerton vest this week.  I've had a few other obligations (day job, settling in, et cetera) so it's taken me a while to get rolling and then a little longer to get a post up.  I will note that I had a big, big distraction come along - I now have a couple of helpers around the sewing room:

Hello kitty!

Hello other kitty!

The pictures don't do these little guys any justice.  Black cats are tough to photograph, and Chichi (up top there) is particularly difficult to photograph as he just plain doesn't like it.  He is also totally obsessed with eating thread, so I now have to be pretty careful around the sewing room - I can't leave the machines threaded, or leave trimmings laying about, and need to keep spools and bobbins stored away.  Chi's the only cat I know who isn't terrified of the vacuum cleaner.  He's not scared of the Mercury, either.

I promise I won't talk about my cats too much, although you might see them again - they DO like to hang out with me as I work, and I'll  be making some kitty beds for them eventually here.

And back to the Lastwear project - Pinkertons!  I've assembled the shell of one of the vests, and have new workroom photos to share from the process.

(More below the cut...)

Equipment fail!

I scheduled time to work on the Pinkerton vest on Tuesday evening.  I realized that I'd need to practice making welt pockets (it's been years since I've done them) and cut a piece of canvas drill to match the welt pieces and pocket  bags.  That was also to serve as a test sew for the straight stitch machine.  The Mercury failed the test.  I burnt up most of my scheduled time trying to get it to form a stitch.

I'm not terribly mechanically minded, so when I stopped by the Lastwear house yesterday I asked Thom if he could help or recommend a repairman.  He's supposed to be by later.  If he can't help get the machine going, I'll a) get the contact number for his repair guy and b) set up my Bernina.

I've rescheduled the time I had set aside for today to tomorrow and also have some time on Sunday afternoon blocked out to keep the project timeline at least close to on track.

Pinkertons: Preview

I am so excited to finally get rolling on this project that I just couldn't wait.  I pulled the parts to assemble a vest and laid them out.

Not pictured:  me laughing giddily in the sewing room at 10 PM.

The parts are laid out in columns.  They are:  collar, welt, pocket bag; side front, side front lining, side front hem facing; center fronts; center back, center back lining, center back hem facing; side back, side back lining, side back hem facing; tags.  There is one additional part - the armhole bindings.  They're just long, skinny strips that get folded around the raw edges of the armhole, so not having them on the table isn't going to put my gentle readers at a loss.

I haven't ordered the heavyweight thread they use at the factory yet, so I'll be piecing with regular sewing thread and topstitching with gold jeans thread.  I thought it would look snappy on the green canvas and help with visibility, since all the vest cuts I got were dark colors.  (The others are black and chocolate brown.)

Depending on how much I get done at a sitting, I will post the work on this vest in several posts over the next week.  Next up - sewing the shell.  I have time set aside for this on Tuesday evening and I can hardly wait.

New space

I've just moved to a new apartment and my goal was to have my workspace set up and ready to work by the first of November.  I'm on target for that, with just a little bit of work left to do.

I know y'all are dying to see the new place.  Here you go:

There is enough space to walk around the cutting table.  It's a little close there in the back corner, but c'est la vie.

More behind the cut....

Interlude: White Bird (Part 2)

Well, I wrapped up the wings tonight.  I should have done them on Sunday, but I got distracted - plus I wanted a little input from an observer.  I invited my mother over to snap pictures and consult on how to finish the edges.

One thing to note here... the scale is maybe a little hard to determine in these pictures.  I'm a big girl, both in dress size and height; it may not be really clear, but the wingspan is about nine feet.  Here they are, before we trimmed the edges:

Red Bull did not give me these wings.

(See them trimmed behind the cut!)

Interlude: White Bird

Between larger projects, I am taking time to make a quick costume at the request of my cousin.  She has asked me to make a bird costume to be used at one of her band's performances.

I drew up a quick sketch for her, which she signed off on:

(continued behind the cut)

Upcoming project: Pinkerton vests

In the midst of several other errands, I stopped off to pick up the final parts to assemble some sample vests.  I'll be working on samples and one-offs for Lastwear, starting with the men's vest.  Thom and Lyssa have provided cut parts for several vests to give the pattern a go, and gave the green light to document the process of making the vests.  This works out nicely both for me and for them, as part of the concept for the company is that their clothing is open-source.  In theory this means anyone can download their patterns and make their own - or use it as a launching point for something new.  The patterns aren't actually available yet, but I expect someone truly interested in obtaining a copy could get one if they asked nicely enough.

I'll be putting together one Pinkerton vest on its own, and then assembly-lining a couple more; expect the same kind of photo documentation you saw on the jacket and ticking-stripe corset.  A certain amount of sewing know-how is expected, and I won't be slowing down much to explain the differences between production and commercially available patterns, or on the sort of thing a production sewer would be expected to know.  I will try to recognize those things and provide links to outside tutorials, but if you are following along and don't understand something I encourage you to comment so that I can make sure the instructions I'm providing are adequate.