The Sewing Place
The Emporia => Embroidery and Embellishment => Topic started by: Aunty Stitches on January 16, 2021, 18:41:11 PM
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Back in 2013 I bought Natalie Chanin’s on-line Craftsy Course “Hand-Embellishing Knit Fabric: Stenciling, Appliqué, Beading and Embroidery”. I watched it and looked at the Vogue pattern that came in the post, and decided it was all too much. Apart from anything else the jacket would require 6 metres of fabric to make!
Then in lockdown I watched her new video (as it was free at the time) and got re-enthused! I bought her book “Alabama Studio Sewing Patterns” as it has ALL her previous patterns in, plus some new ones AND a couple of stencils all on a cd, and I started my hand sewn wardrobe. (P.S. I have cut my own stencils before, and if you want to try it message me for the best equipment!)
I have made knit clothes before, the best being the Baby Doll dress from the “Sew-U Home Stretch” book by Wendy Mullein, but I have to say I found the hand sewn version very relaxing. I have now made the A line tunic, the Classic Cardigan, the Swing Skirt and the Bolero, all between July and October 2020.
I have now gone on and used one of my self-drafted patterns (from another Craftsy Course, “Pattern drafting from ready-to-wear”) and sewn a tunic top by hand. I just find it more enjoyable that using my machines, and quite strong and stable enough to withstand being pulled on and off over my head!
And it looks fab!
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Wow... hand sewn. That’s quite a project.
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These are all beautiful - if you ever tire of it, you can send that gorgeous tunic and bolero to me!
I also love hand sewing, but having never made an entire garment by hand (well, except doll's clothes when I was very young!), I am in awe.
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These are all beautiful - if you ever tire of it, you can send that gorgeous tunic and bolero to me!
I also love hand sewing, but having never made an entire garment by hand (well, except doll's clothes when I was very young!), I am in awe.
I could send it to you, but it might not fit! :facepalm:
I found the whole process soothing, and it did seem to come together a lot quicker than I expected. I dare not wear any of it until the puppy is a bit more mature.
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I love the reverse applique. Its on my 'might get round to it one day' list.
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The items are wonderful. I applaud your ability.
I can't hand sew at all as it hurts too much. I have a hard time even writing for more than a few minutes. Weak wrist from too many years of the mouse. I have the Studio book and was thinking doing it by machine but haven't gotten around to it.
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Love the skirt, how long does it take to make a garment?
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Love the skirt, how long does it take to make a garment?
According to my Instagram feed I started on 28th August and finished on 15th September. Remember I am at home full time, no kids, and keen. That said, we don’t get up very early!
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Two substantial books arrived yesterday; the first one with techniques and the pattern book with the CDs.
Whilst I love the look of the reverse applique and beading I'm not sure about the unfinished look of hems just cut and left raw, nor am I keen on the knots on the outside.
I have plans brewing (and :fabric: ordered 0_0 ) for something with all the hand embellishing but constructed with the overlocker.
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I think we had a member from Ireland some time ago who did a lot of Alabama Chenin (?) techniques.
Yours looks absolutely fab @Aunty Stitches - by hand too! Such patience!
Jessie
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Two substantial books arrived yesterday; the first one with techniques and the pattern book with the CDs.
Whilst I love the look of the reverse applique and beading I'm not sure about the unfinished look of hems just cut and left raw, nor am I keen on the knots on the outside.
I have plans brewing (and :fabric: ordered 0_0 ) for something with all the hand embellishing but constructed with the overlocker.
Me too! I do all mine with the knots inside, and I add binding to all my hems.
.... I have added more pics in the gallery
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@Aunty Stitches your work looks great. I hope I can get mine to look half as good.
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Just to say, many of the models in the book wear some truly appalling outfits (especially footwear!) and I can’t understand how anyone can like the messy look of the knots on the outside, or unfinished edges.
My choices are always for the knots inside, the seams inside AND felled, and I add the neckline binding to all the hems. If anything sticks out where I don’t like it I bury it!
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I also couldn’t bear to use fold-over elastic as there was no way to get a colour match. So on my Swing skirt I hand sewed a length of clear elastic on instead, zig-zagging a running stitch to hold it in place. Then I bound the edge to match the hem binding I had added. It seems to be working just fine!
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To ensure good stitches when sewing the binding on, I used the templates from Natalie Chanin’s book “The Geometry of Hand Sewing” and a very fine chalk pen (the Prym extra fine cartridge pencil) to mark the stitches. If you look carefully you can see dots I didn’t need for my choice of stitch round the Cardigan neckline.
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Hand sewing them together is actually quite fast, they are simple constructions and I use a running stitch. Felling the seams strengthens them as well as looking good.
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Beautiful work, very impressive. It's way beyond my capabilities.
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I really, really love that - and I'm absolutely with you both ( @Aunty Stitches and @BrendaP ) on needing to have a good quality finish.
Now I'm wondering whether I have enough time to try and fit in another set of projects... :thinking:
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Just to say, many of the models in the book wear some truly appalling outfits (especially footwear!) and I can’t understand how anyone can like the messy look of the knots on the outside, or unfinished edges.
I agree, one of the books is about fit and some of the garments are an appalling fit on the wearers. Also sleevless summer tops worn with heavy winter boots, and ankle socks where one is falling down and the other isn't ....
The outside knots, IMO, goes along with ripped jeans. Why on earth would anyone deliberately rip new jeans?
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I would just love to re-produce some of the embellishments (and I think @Aunty Stitches has done some lovely stitching), but I don't know which book to buy.
I don't need all the patterns as I've got things that I have self drafted and/or tweaked for years. But I would like the outlines for the reverse appliques, and the grids for the stitches.
Can anyone who has the books suggest which one (not ones hopefully) I need?
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I would just love to re-produce some of the embellishments (and I think @Aunty Stitches has done some lovely stitching), but I don't know which book to buy.
I don't need all the patterns as I've got things that I have self drafted and/or tweaked for years. But I would like the outlines for the reverse appliques, and the grids for the stitches.
Can anyone who has the books suggest which one (not ones hopefully) I need?
The grids are in “The geometry of hand sewing” by Natalie Chanin (£12.95 from the book depository with free shipping). It has two clear Mylar sheets with multiple grids.
The A line tunic and bolero are the Magdalena stencil, the Swing skirt and Classic Cardigan were done with New Leaves, both included in the book you don’t need!
You can buy the stencils direct from Alabama Studio online, then download, print, assemble and trace them onto A1 or XL Mylar (from the stencil studio) then cut them out with a heat pen. I have bought two more from them.
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I have cut stencils before, so I already had a heat pen and heatproof cutting board! If you try this with a knife it is very hard work and very hard to get good curves.
Then you need to buy fabric paint, which I water down up to 50% to make one 2oz bottle do a whole garment.! I used an old kitchen scourer sponge for the tunic, then treated myself to a foam roller.
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I didn’t say it a was quick or simple process to prepare.... then there is the embellishment and hand sewn construction.... this is why the finished garments fetch such high prices in the states.
As I said, I was overwhelmed when I watched the Craftsy course, but you just have to take it one step at a time!
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Wow. Lovely!
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I have the first book 'Alabama Stitch Book' which has one card stencil and several printed images to be enlarged. It also has info about how to work reverse applique and the different stitches. This is probably the one you want. Making stencil designs isn't really that difficult, I'm sure you can find lots of similar things online.
I also have 'Alabama Studio Sewing Patterns' which includes the patterns and five stencils as images on CD (three of them are just polka dots. It's also the one which shows so many things which are badly fitting and poorly finished, but with lots of potential.