The Sewing Place
The Emporia => In the wardrobe => Topic started by: Silver Rose on March 03, 2019, 09:04:44 AM
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The plan is to make a summer jacket and skirt from this [ You are not allowed to view attachments ] heavy cotton fabric - I know, it looks curtain material but it is bold and I need cheering up. I have yet to get some suitable lining for it, I have made the jacket once (unlined) and was very relieved and pleased with the result. Hope to make a start today as the weather is awful.
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@Silver Rose - Calico Laine have a good range of lining fabrics
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Thanks @sewingj , what a great website, I'm lucky that I have a few good shops to visit locally for all my sewing needs.
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I've made a start with the jacket, I am using New Look K6035 View A, it is unlined but I am going to try to line it - haven't worked out the best way to do it yet. The pieces for the back and front are sewn together but I need the fusible interfacing before I continue with the collar and front facings so I'm off to town shortly to get that.
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The under collar is on after a bit of huffing and puffing, the upper collar is pinned to the facings. Just got to put it all together - tomorrow.
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Good progress, Silver Rose. I have that pattern, so I'm following with interest.
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I've just googled the pattern, looks very nice. I'm looking forward to seeing yours :)
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I made this version [ You are not allowed to view attachments ] with that pattern 3 years ago, this is the only pic I could find. I call it my jazzy jacket.
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Not really sure if I should tell you this @Silver Rose but I had a tablecloth in that fabric.
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Comes in handy on a picnic ;) @Ellabella
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I couldn't sit for long today but I've managed to sew the upper collar on and after a lot of pinning and re-pinning and more huffing and puffing it is now tacked ready for the sewing machine if my back is OK tomorrow. There are lapels of a sort emerging.
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Oh dear, I have made a pig's ear of the collar, I am so cross with myself as I made a really good job of it the first time I made this pattern. There is puckering in the notched part of the collar, I tried really serious pressing to see if that would make a difference - it didn't :( at the moment I can't face unpicking etc... so I will leave it until I feel I can face it. I'm sure it can be remedied but I just feel so stupid at the moment. I hope to be more positive soon.
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Keep going SR, I'm looking forward to seeing it finished! I'm sure you can fix it, just take a deep breath, and put your 'I will fix this' head on!
Jessie
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Thank you Jessie, I will do my best to find my "I will fix this" head and put it on the right way round ;)
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Yesterday I turned my attention to the lining to take my mind of the disaster of the collar, the pattern is for an unlined jacket so I thought I'd figure out how to line it. I cut the required pieces and altered the centre back panel so it could be attached to the back facing, I tacked it all together then got the first jacket I made out of the wardrobe and pinned the lining to it and it worked well 0_0 that raised my spirits so I then unpicked the grotty collar ready to fix another day.
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Well, I bit the bullet and hand sewed the collar again then pressed the hell out of it, it looks much better and is OK. It wasn't without a few breath holding moments though, I pricked my finger and bled a bit but on the interfacing and then somehow managed to pick up a speck of dust or something and transfer it to the point of the lapel - it came off with a gentle sponging - phew. I took pics but am having difficulty in uploading from my Google account, I am using the Institute PC before going to the cinema.
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ] Sorry about the blurry photo.
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Silver Rose your jacket is looking good I notice that you mentioned you were having problems pressing this. Now do you have a wooden clapper or point presser? If not do you have a wooden rolling pin, or somewhere where you can buy a cheap wooden rolling pin. When pressing, if you use one of these wooden tools, apply them and hold down for a bit and the wood absorbs the moisture and the pressure from the wood should leave a nice crisp edge. You can also use these wooden tools to bang the daylights out of a stubborn item that refuses to oblige. In fact these wonderful wooden tools can be used on any item that needs help in getting it to lay flat, try it and see for yourself just how good they are.
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It looks really nice. I love the fabric. You should feel proud of it.
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Thank you Elnnina and Greybird, I can now carry on with more confidence and I have a lining sorted out. I want to find a special button next.
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Made progress today, sewn the side seams, fit is OK , sleeves and facings (cuffs) done, I hope to get sleeves in tomorrow. I have decided to make a pencil skirt to go with the jacket.
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The sleeves are pinned in, I've got to make a few small adjustments to get rid of any gathers on the sleeve head, the lovely sapphire blue lining I tacked together goes really well with the paler blue of the jacket. I shall need some more lining fabric for the skirt, I have two exam jobs next week but I hope to go off to Norwich on Thursday to get lining and buttons, I must check my bag of zips for a suitable colour one for the skirt.
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The more I see of this blue lining the more I like it.
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Oh yes! That looks lovely!
Jessie
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The sleeves are in and pucker free, I gave the jacket another good press so now ready for the lining. Today I'll give my machine a clean and change the needle and put the darker blue thread in ready to sew the lining together and put it in the jacket - if I've got time ;)
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That is very nice indeed. I do love a good lining!
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It's looking good - the lining is a perfect colour
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I'm on the last lap, the lining is in after some huffing and puffing :S and I plan to hand finish it today,I've just got to sew the gap I used to turn the jacket and finish securing the sleeves linings to the facing/cuff. I'll wait to do the sleeves until I have pressed the jacket again and see how the lining looks in the main body of the jacket, I might need to loosen the sleeve linings a bit. I've got enough of the fabric for a pencil skirt and a waistcoat. Hmm, we'll see.
I feel the need to make something easy ;)
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It is finished apart from button and buttonhole.
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I'm on the last lap, the lining is in after some huffing and puffing :S
Well done for persevering. After a nightmare struggle with trying to bag a lining I don't even attempt it now. I find it much quicker to sew a lining in by hand and it fits better.
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As I haven't used my buttonhole foot a lot on my machine I've had a few practice goes and found out that it struggles with many layers of fabric. I made up a piece using 2 layers of fabric and one layer interfacing just like the jacket front but as soon as you get too near the thickness of the seam allowance (duly trimmed), the machine just sews on the spot :S and won't continue. Anyway, when I sewed a few buttonholes keeping well clear of the edge of the jacket front it was fine. I haven't had a go on the jacket yet - too stressed, I'll move the buttonhole over a tad sometime. I've cut out the matching pencil skirt and then went out into the garden deadheading pansies and picked a few grape hyacinths for a little vase, my late Mum loved those little blue beauties.
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If it's one of those long buttonhole feet @Silver Rose someone (Morgan I think) suggested using a hump jumper or equivalent at the back of the foot to keep the foot level.
It is one of the great disadvantages of a one step buttonhole.
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It has a long foot and it is a 4 step buttonhole - I've never heard of a hump jumper (snigger, snigger) but I was wondering about the way the foot seemed to drop at the front and of course that would impede its progress across the fabric. Thanks for the tip @Ploshkin, another day tomorrow, I've had enough for today.
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Hi Silver Rose, sorry to hear about the trouble you are having with your buttonholes. One other way you can do these is by making bound buttonholes, they really are easy to sew and look superb. I first learnt how to do these when I was still at school.
In addition to what Ploshkin has mentioned, i.e. the Humper Jumper, there is also another similar gadget called Jean-a-ma-jig which does the same sort of thing. Not knowing what your machine is why not pop into Franklin's and see what they have, you never know there may be a special accessory for your particular make of machine. If by chance you have a Bernina, Bernina do a tool that is specifically for doing buttonholes on thicker than normal fabrics, especially when you have the facing seam, so it might be worth exploring what Franklin's have. It is a very long time since I was in that shop - in fact my mother bought her Bernina from there way back in 1975 - I now have this machine.
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It sews on the spot because the foot tilts when you hit the thick part. Use a bit of card under the other end to level it. If you try on a sample with a seam you should see the improvement.
Oh,.didn't see others have already covered this. Sorry.
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A hump jumper was new to me too @Silver Rose and I read the thread and dismissed it as something I was unlikely to need.
Roll on a couple of weeks/months and lo and behold I'm piecing a fiddly piece of patchwork and run up against lumpy seams. A folded piece of card (cereal box type weight) popped in behind the foot and away she went. Give it a try and see if it helps. I've never used it on a buttonhole foot but it works a treat on my normal feet! :)
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Thanks for the tips everyone. I got my machine from Franklins in Ipswich about 7 years ago, it is an Alfa next30, not expensive but I like it, it works well for me.
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Hump jumper new to me too. So glad I read this fred.
Thank you :)
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More info here (https://thesewingplace.org.uk/index.php/topic,1248.msg100748.html#msg100748) @FloBear
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Yes, it's that thing you always get in the accessory box of a sewing machine and have no idea what it's supposed to do.
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Thank you @wrenkins
@Ploshkin , I will look and see if I have one.
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Ta-da!!
(https://i.postimg.cc/wM535LCS/Ta-da.jpg)
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For how long have you had that @FloBear ?
I presume you were aware it had a hole in it for holding a needle when you change it.
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@Ploshkin It came with my Pfaff so at least 4 years, possibly 5 :|
I had no idea about the needle holding hole. You mentioned not long ago that I should have a needle holding thing but, although I looked, I couldn't see one in my kit. It's quite hard to see a lone hole, I din't know it would be surrounded by grey plastic 0_0
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I've been practising a few more button holes now I know what the problem was. Now I have a silly question - which is best, to sew the buttonhole towards the edge of the jacket from the middle or to start from the edge and sew towards the middle? Sorry if that seems a pathetic question.
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I would sew away from the jacket edge, but I'm not a professional...
Jessie
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Perfectly good question, @Silver Rose . For me it would depend on which feels more comfortable. My Pfaff and my old Bernina do buttonholes differently so it would depend which machine I was using. Generally I would want the weight of the garment on the table behind the machine.
I'm sure someone more helpful will be along soon, though!
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If you start at the edge, all the rest of the fabric will be at the back of the machine, out of the way. If the buttonhole has shaping, think where the rounded part should be.
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What a difference the correct thickness of card makes, I've made a few more practise buttonholes so I'm confident it will go well on the jacket. More later.
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Buttonhole and button done, it went a bit bumpy but I can hand finish the dodgy bit. Getting on with the skirt now. [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
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Pretty buttons :loveit:
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On the last lap, the lining and hems to do today then I'm going to cut out the pink bamboo for a skirt and thin out my wardrobe for more new clothes :)
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All done and waiting for me sort out my wardrobe so there is more room.
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Just a footnote to this make, I was wearing the jacket yesterday and whilst waiting to cross the road a woman came up to me and said "where did you get that jacket from?" I modestly said "I made it" and she said how nice it looked but thank goodness she didn't ask me to make her one, she was just disappointed that she couldn't buy it from somewhere
Amended 16th May. Apologies @snoozi soozi this should be posted under my thread Summer Jacket and Skirt. OOPps not paying attention. Maybe it could be moved - so sorry folks.
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Well, I seem to have moved this post to the right place! Now to go and check that it has gone from the other place...
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Thanks @Acorn , had another senior moment ;)