The Sewing Place

The Emporia => The Show Must Go On => Topic started by: Catllar on April 16, 2017, 14:16:51 PM

Title: Starting new set of dresses.
Post by: Catllar on April 16, 2017, 14:16:51 PM

Suffice to say I have 3 girls who are about 82-85 bust, one at 90, me at 95, one at 120  and one who is 136.  Heights very from  150 to 200.

How to make something that fits with the choreographer's idea but looks good on all these shapes? Not judging -just a bit scared! ( Oh and  they are all in lycra!) I may be gone some time! :gin:

Title: Re: Starting new set of dresses.
Post by: DementedFairy on April 16, 2017, 14:21:12 PM

duvet covers with neck holes in?

Title: Re: Starting new set of dresses.
Post by: UttaRetch on April 16, 2017, 15:37:57 PM

 0_0 Bad Fairy, you're not helping.

Title: Re: Starting new set of dresses.
Post by: DementedFairy on April 16, 2017, 15:42:36 PM

I think my 'duvet covers with holes in' collection has a LOT of mileage... :devil: :loveit:

Title: Re: Starting new set of dresses.
Post by: Catllar on April 16, 2017, 23:04:34 PM

No, no DF I can see where  you are coming from on this one - defy worth thinking about! Just off to have another brandy! Helps the pinking throcess!!! :gin: :gin: :S

Title: Re: Starting new set of dresses.
Post by: Catllar on April 20, 2017, 23:11:49 PM

So I've made  the skirts - or rather 6 skirts and one small marquee! Made one top completely for me - rather a lot of cleavage on show but it will draw attention from the flailing feet!

 Had a fitting day today with  3 classes of kids , small people,  medium sized one, and teenagers and then my group. Have had just a couple of alterations, so not a bad job I'm thinking. Happy with me.  0_0Time for gin!  :gin:cheers.

Title: Re: Starting new set of dresses.
Post by: Catllar on April 21, 2017, 23:17:21 PM

Next time we decide to have 60 bloody centimetre long fringe on dresses please pass me the gun. Grrrrrrrrr!!!!!

Title: Re: Starting new set of dresses.
Post by: Catllar on April 22, 2017, 18:55:17 PM

Oh how I am fed up with this all this year!

 Fine tuned 14 dresses this week, - the fringe, the fringe......!!!! :angry: :angry: :angry: plus the ones for our group  7 skirts and 7 tops ( including the marquee)

Got just 36 more dresses to fine tune on Monday - not many if you say it quick! Should all be over by the end of next week!  Gin in the chiller!

Title: Re: Starting new set of dresses.
Post by: sewing in oz on April 29, 2017, 00:27:54 AM

Catllar your post is very timely indeed.  Should I pass you the gun after I've used it?  I need to make a batch of flapper-style dresses using layers of 30cm fringe with the bottom row made of 60cm fringe...  what has been the problem you encountered so I can try to steer around it?  (Or talk them out of using fringe, but honestly no chance of that.)

Here's some gin to help you think.  :gin:
Also wine  :toast:

Title: Re: Starting new set of dresses.
Post by: Catllar on April 29, 2017, 13:11:58 PM

Thanks for the gin!  Dresses almost done. Problems with sewing fringe:

 It is like sewing a bag of octopuses - it slips around and wants to get under the needle and stitched into the base. First row isn't too bad but then it just gets worse. Also the mere fact of the angle you are at whilst sewing it on means its a constant fight to keep thready bits under control and out the way. Gravity plays huge part here! and the longer the fringe the more it plays!!

Fringe - 60cm is very heavy. It will remove any stretch from your base dress so needs to be pinned on whilst worn - problem - it is slippy and heavy. I got round this by stretching the bases out over the ironing board.



 My best advice? If you can't talk them out of fringe - and I hope it's a bit cheaper in your than it is here then if you can get hold of fringe that has a stabilised edge that you cut off once it's in place,  this will reduce the  problems as will elasticated fringe. My dresses have a white skirt so the longest fringe only shows when they move ( begs the question - why use it on a stage - too far away to see, but do they ever listen to me? Guess!)

For some real great fringe movement ( why does that read as really weird??) have a look at Sara Baras - scroll down to the 4th photo:http://www.dance-enthusiast.com/features/view/Sara-Baras-Generations-Gypsy-Flamenco.  This is what our choreographer wanted  but as we don't have the funds to pay for the heavy silk dense fringe used here that went out the window .

Title: Re: Starting new set of dresses.
Post by: Catllar on May 04, 2017, 12:55:20 PM

Mojo gone - totally disappeared with 2 more costume sets to do. I am making the one for our largest girl and have to draft from scratch and am cutting from odds and ends of fabric as I'm fast running out. ( After that's finished I have another skirt and one more top) I am going slower and slower - you'd think it'd be the opposite, but no - so hard to motivate myself now - I'm prevaricating again! -<

Title: Re: Starting new set of dresses.
Post by: b15erk on May 04, 2017, 13:00:52 PM

No more Gin Cat!  Pull up your big girl pants and get to it!   We need more pics of your fab frox :)

Mojo? Who needs mojo when you have us!  :flower:

Off you go, chop chop!

:thread: :sew: :pin: :snip:

Jessie

Title: Re: Starting new set of dresses.
Post by: Catllar on May 04, 2017, 13:03:19 PM

Gin? Me? how very dare you J.  Ok, Ok I'm on it already!  Come on Jan, you can do this!

Title: Re: Starting new set of dresses.
Post by: Catllar on May 04, 2017, 23:16:36 PM

Done  the big girl one and fitted perfectly!  So so so nearly all finished. :vintage:
Thanks for kick!

Title: Re: Starting new set of dresses.
Post by: Lilian on May 04, 2017, 23:57:32 PM

Good work Catlar  :angel:  :vintage:

Title: Re: Starting new set of dresses.
Post by: sewing in oz on May 05, 2017, 12:43:33 PM

 Look what's waiting for you once you've done the last little bit, catllar ...  :angel:

:gin:  :toast:  :cake:

Title: Re: Starting new set of dresses.
Post by: Catllar on May 05, 2017, 13:07:43 PM

Aha - the old carrot and stick motivation!

I took 16 dresses in last night and came back with just 3 to alter - I think I'm winning! Get the lemons sliced!

Title: Re: Starting new set of dresses.
Post by: Catllar on May 06, 2017, 20:31:10 PM

Finished this today.

Title: Re: Starting new set of dresses.
Post by: Lilian on May 06, 2017, 21:01:12 PM

I "Like" that Catlar  :)

Title: Re: Starting new set of dresses.
Post by: Catllar on May 06, 2017, 23:06:43 PM

Thanks Lilian. I'm pleased with it, the piping in the seams looks really good if I do say so myself! :)

Title: Re: Starting new set of dresses.
Post by: Catllar on May 12, 2017, 12:20:43 PM

OK so I went in to do final tweaks yesterday. One of my adolescent group - the brown suede stuff with white skirts was too short. Don't worry said all, it's only on for a few minutes. I've said the same thing myself but there for some reason it worried me - do you know what went through my head?  Someone sitting in the audience, handy with a machine sees all these girlies with correct length skirts and one short one is going to think - Whoever made those wasn't paying much attention to detail.

So today I spent 2 hours unpicking the skirt and the 2 layers of fringe and moving it all down 3cms.

Also I had little one ( well, in age at least) who has put on 9cms round her waist, 5 on her hips and 4 on her bust since christmas - unpick, unpick, unpick. Sigh.

Thirdly  need to turn a halter neck backless lycra dress into a high necked long sleeve job with no material apart from cutting up another dress to use the fabric, oh and dye a bit more fringe with my special builders' brew dye.

Lastly one more dress for our adult advanced group - a returner after illness, but can I put a zipper in the back of her top as she has a shoulder problem and can't lift her arm.

AND THEN IT IS ALL DONE.

Title: Re: Starting new set of dresses.
Post by: Acorn on May 12, 2017, 12:42:04 PM

I think you are a magician.   :)  :drink:

Title: Re: Starting new set of dresses.
Post by: Sewsuzie on May 12, 2017, 13:21:17 PM

Phew, sounds like you've had your work cut out there! The mere mention of that brown suede fabric has set my teeth on edge again, let alone you unpicking it all and resewing the fringe. I'm with you on wanting to make it look like the rest though. I'd have done the same. Shows pride in your work, even if nobody else would have noticed. You can't take the risk, knowing its niggling, can you?
Hope the rest of it goes smoothly and they don't find you any more last minute tweaks to do.

Suzie  :vintage:

Title: Re: Starting new set of dresses.
Post by: b15erk on May 12, 2017, 15:37:45 PM

I think you have amazing patience. I hope your fellow dancers realise how lucky they are!  :flower:

Jessie

Title: Re: Starting new set of dresses.
Post by: Catllar on May 12, 2017, 16:32:50 PM

It's nice to get some encouragement on here and to let off steam to people who understand.  :flower: <3 :flower:


 So three out of four done - have got some fringe in the tea dye to finish off the halter to high neck and then that's finished.  The alteration was interesting but not as problematic as I'd thought it might be. I made up a quick simple stretch bodice block and grafted it onto the main dress just below the bust then cut away the original top.  Longest part was fighting with the overlocker and the really  shoddy material.

 Just the last dress - well it's a top and skirt - to  do but that can wait till tomorrow.  Out for  :toast: :toast: :toast: in a mo with girlfriends - Friday night ritual.

Title: Re: Starting new set of dresses.
Post by: Catllar on May 12, 2017, 16:34:50 PM

Quote from: Sewsuzie on May 12, 2017, 13:21:17 PM

Phew, sounds like you've had your work cut out there! The mere mention of that brown suede fabric has set my teeth on edge again, let alone you unpicking it all and resewing the fringe..

Suzie  :vintage:

I know,  it's not got any better but it had to be done. Just wished I hadn't used matching thread to sew it all on in the first place - I usually use a contrast bobbin so I can see it more easily but not this time.

Title: Re: Starting new set of dresses.
Post by: Catllar on May 15, 2017, 13:22:42 PM

Just one more skirt to make - I am going to do it  NOW. This very moment. Go on, off you go.......

F  I  N  I  S  H  E  D  :toast: :toast: :toast:

Title: Re: Starting new set of dresses.
Post by: sewing in oz on May 17, 2017, 06:47:49 AM

 :gin:   :toast:  :gin:  :toast:   :gin:  :toast: and for good measure  :cake:  :drink:
Woohoo!

Title: Re: Starting new set of dresses.
Post by: Vegegrow on May 17, 2017, 07:19:35 AM

Well-done Catlar..party time  0_0 :gin: :cake:

Title: Re: Starting new set of dresses.
Post by: b15erk on May 17, 2017, 09:00:20 AM

Well done Cat!   <3 :flower:  I've only got one costume to make and I'm making a real meal of it  :|

(and it's not even difficult fabric!)

Jessie

Title: Re: Starting new set of dresses.
Post by: Catllar on June 16, 2017, 12:50:21 PM

Arghhhhhhhh! The brown suede is bloody haunting me - One of the girls already stick thin has lost more weight and I've got to take the bugger in again -  so that means touching it and teeth on edge and fingers all glerp   >< ><- bleurgh.

Got another skirt to take in  and a dress to turn into a skirt and let out and move zipper - that won't take long. So three more  and I've got till Sunday - no sweat.

Title: Re: Starting new set of dresses.
Post by: sewing in oz on June 17, 2017, 10:27:25 AM

Quote from: Catllar on June 16, 2017, 12:50:21 PM

Got another skirt to take in and a dress to turn into a skirt and let out and move zipper - that won't take long. So three more  and I've got till Sunday - no sweat.

Gotta love your insouciance catllar - I saw your post in the other thread that the dress to turn into a skirt is actually:

"And the best one - could I just - turn this size 12 dress into a size 18 skirt - with no extra fabric?"

Pretty sure you'll need this  :gin: :toast: :gin: :toast: :gin: so I'll go pour to get you started :D

Title: Re: Starting new set of dresses.
Post by: Catllar on June 17, 2017, 20:54:02 PM

 <3 :gin: SIO!!