Q & A session!

How does one effectively work with very ravelly materials (brocade, etc) without going completely batty? :) And this may go along with the tote bag post, but....straps. How can we attach them that they'll stay attached and not rip out when the bag is actually USED?

-KMay

KMay-

First let me say that I do NOT suggest using brocades or satins for projects if you are just starting out. These fabrics require a lot of care, energy and patience.

If you do decide to tackle this ravelly beast, however, it's best to use a SHARP size 10/70 needle or smaller, and satin pins. Brocade and satin scar very easily, so if you mess up your stitch and use a seam ripper to start again, you'll still have the holes where the needle first went in. Be very patient, you may have to trim away the frayed edges frequently, and use a larger seam allowance.

Where the edges fray, you have a few options. You can try using a special product made to reduce fraying, like No-Fray or Fray-Check. Trim away the frays and then run it along the edges and let it dry.

If you have one of the cheap brocades, like the ones they sell at JoAnns or Wal-Mart, and it's made of polyester or nylon, you can also try (MY HUSBAND IS A LAWYER) burning it. You can run a lighter along the edges until the frays curl up and melt. I assume no responsibility if you damage your fabric, burn yourself, or burn your house or anything else down.

Most of the cheap brocades can also be machine washed. Use the delicate cycle with cold water, and then hang it up to dry. You can iron them on cool, and I've even successfully used fusible interfacing on one.

Fray-checking it and burning it will make the edges feel "crunchy." In my opinion, the best way to work with it is to press and hem the edges. It keeps the edges soft and flexible.

If somehow you got your hands on a REAL silk brocade, dry clean only all the way.

As for the totebag straps, I make an X in a box where I attatch the handles. The totebag tutorial is coming along, but I'm new to using a video camera and all the movie making technology, and my husband keeps forgetting to teach me how to use it. I am, however, a MASTER when it comes to MS Paint! BEHOLD!




Love your blog so far - really helpful to an avid sewer but a bit of a newbie. I find fabric shops simultaneously candy-shop-exciting and overwhelming! What's your opinion on the best choice of fabrics to have in your stash? I mainly work with freebies and old clothes (currently too skint to buy much new) so it's usually a mix of jersey, stretchy knit, linen and denim, all seamed together (obviously, as they're old clothes!) leaving me with small pieces of fabric which I usually turn into children's clothes. I'm trying to build up a stash (at the moment it consists of some brown corduroy and some black jersey!) but go blank when I walk in a shop as to what I'm planning on making and what I need.... Wow, big ramble.

-Skippedydoodah

Skippedy-

I never thought I would be asked to give advice on which kind of fabric to hoarde. How about all of it?

It really depends on what kinds of projects you like to do. If you make a lot of crafts, like quilts, toys or home accessories (i.e. potholders) any kind of plain woven cotton is good to keep around. I myself am a sucker for cutesy prints, and if you're like me, it might be wise to buy a solid color that corresponds at the same time, so when you're ready to make that adorable apron or that convenient casserole cover, you dont get stuck looking for something that you could use for the accents. Cotton also is great for baby clothes, which you mentioned that you make already. Kids can pull off alot of those cute motifs.

If you make a lot of street clothes, I think it's good to stock up on the jersey/ interlock and bottomweight fabrics (denim, twill, anything that feels like pants). again, I think its good to have a stash of basic colors (black, white, tan, red and navy) So when you find a fabric you can't live without, you have something to accent it.

If you make a lot of suits or work clothes, again go for the plain cotton for shirts, but look for one with a higher quality or thread count. Most stores have a section specifically for suit fabric (jacket, skirt, dress pants, whatev). Charmeuse and chiffons make for great blouses, if you feel confident enough to sew with those fabrics. They are pretty tricky for the newbie seamstress.

If you make dresses, like cocktail dresses or fancy stuff, satins, taffetas, velvets, chiffons, and sheers are all good to have around. These ones are a little too intimidating to me though. I only get them if they are on sale or I have a project in mind.

If your bag is in home decor, don't keep a stash. That fabric is too expensive to just have lying around.

Regardless, I think it's always a good idea to keep a stash of muslin, different kinds and weights of interfacing, basic colors of lining, and elastic. Notions usually end up being more useful to have around than extra fabric, even though buying fabric is the most fun. :)

I hope this helps. Whenever I buy fabric, I get a cart and fill it up with stuff I like, and then when I get to the cutting counter, I weed out the ones that I can live without and just get the ones that I NEED. Everyone is different though.


My totebag tutorial should be up in about a week. Still trying to figure out how to use the camcorder.

Still Alive

I feel like it's been a long time since I've posted anything (OMG 13 days!), but I want to assure the five people who actually read this blog (including my dad.) that I am still here. I'm working two jobs and helping my husband survive law school, so I don't get much spare time, and in that time I'm practicing sewing and trying to get better so I can help anyone who needs it. So don't fret my ducklings, I'm coming up with something.

You could help me help you by asking me questions! I was planning on having an entry on how to make a quick totebag, and then one to explain interfacing a little better. But if there are other questions in your noggin about things like buttons, zippers, how much fabric you need to cover a dining room chair, please ask and I will answer!

P.S. you can cover two chairs with three-quarters of a yard of 45" or bigger.

Drowning in a Sea of Polyester.

I always think it’s hilarious when people walk into the store and ask “Where is your polyester?”

I extend my arms in a grandiose way and proclaim, “YOU ARE SURROUNDED!”

Polyester has come a long way since the 70’s (I assume). Its not just a psychedelic stretchy fabric to make disco suits. It, like many other fibers, is a chameleon.

It’s difficult for many people to distinguish fiber from fabric. Especially when a good portion of the fabric store identifies itself as just “plain cotton.” Most clothing tags will tell you what sort of fiber your clothes are made of, but every once in a while they’ll mix it up by saying “100% cotton sateen” or “cotton poplin.” How is anyone supposed to figure out anything?

Even Wikipedia is sparse when it comes to fabric/ fiber identification. I wanted to find a list of synthetic fibers… not there. If you already know the name of the fabric, you might be able to find some information on it, but you’re probably setting your self up for some sort of goose chase. Most likely the wild kind.

So, with my general knowledge, and what I could scrape together from the internet, I present a basic understanding of fibers and fabrics.

First off, there are three basic categories of fibers: Natural, Artificial and Synthetic.

Natural fibers can be further categorized into animal or vegetable fibers.
Animal fibers include:
Wool (fleece or hair from animals, primarily sheep)
Silk (produced by the silk worm)

Vegetable fibers are usually from plants of the same name. Like:
Cotton
Bamboo
Hemp
Jute
Linen (flax)
Natural fibers are usually the most prized, though most cotton is pretty cheap, I guess cause its so easy to cultivate. They have great breathability, drape well, and look classier than other fibers. When set on fire they burn to ash. They are biodegradable, and can be organically made. The drawbacks to them are that they shrink, wrinkle easily, and generally require a bit more attention and care. (A.k.a. dry cleaning).


Artificial Fibers are chemically altered versions of natural fibers. (At work I call them Frankenstein fibers.) They usually imitate the look and feel of natural fibers, but aren’t as durable. The first artificial fiber was created in the late 1800s. The list includes:
Viscose
Rayon
Acetate
Modal
Tencel

There are a lot more, but these are the only ones I’ve seen in abundance. These fabrics breathe well, drape well, but like I said before, aren’t as strong or elastic as naturals. They don’t retain heat, so they’re nice here in sunny Fla, but I’ve had some customers complain that they “cling” to their bodies (Showing off unwanted panty lines.)

Synthetic fibers are probably the most versatile and inexpensive fibers on the market. Nylon was the first ever synthetic fiber manufactured. It was born in the United States in the 1930s (U-S-A! U-S-A!) Followers include, but are not limited to:
Polyester
Nylon
Acrylic
Olefin
Spandex

Synthetics are all manufactured to behave differently, so there aren’t really many set characteristics. However they typically don’t shrink, they are wrinkle and wear resistant, they retain heat and don’t breathe well, and they either melt when burned, or don’t burn at all. The ones that melt can be handy sometimes, because, you can run a lighter along the edge to keep the fabric from fraying. (Disclaimer: my husband is a lawyer, so if you burn yourself doing that, don’t sue me!) But burn at your own risk! Like an anonymous poster mentioned to one of my earlier posts, synthetic fabrics can cause severe burns if you get caught on fire while wearing them, because they melt onto your skin and trap heat until they are surgically removed. This just reinforces one of my strong beliefs that you should BE CAREFUL AROUND FIRE!

To make things even more confusing, these fibers can be woven, knitted, or compressed into different types of cloths. This is what determines how fabrics are sorted in the stores.

The most popular type of fabric is woven. this is when the fibers are spun into “yarns” and are woven over and under each other, like a basket. The warp and the weft are the two main directions the yarns go.


The warp goes lengthwise, (and determines how many yards you’re getting). it also decides the grain line. The weft goes widthwise, and usually has more stretch than the warp. It also creates the selvege of the fabric.

There are three types of woven fabrics: plain weave, twill weave, and satin weave.

Plain weave is just that. over under over under. common fabrics include taffeta, plain cotton, chiffon, organza, poplin, lame, seersucker, batiste, chambray, flannel, corduroy, etc. If the fabric makes little crosses, it’s a plain weave.

Twill weave is made from skipping a few warp/weft fibers. The yarns make a diagonal pattern. Fabrics with twill weave include denim, twill, chino, drill cloth, tweed and gabardine.

(Fun fact: gabardine was invented by the guy who founded Burberry)

Satin weaves make a shiny looking fabric, by putting more warp fibers over more weft fibers. The only satin weave fabrics I’m really familiar with are satin and charmeuse. If a cotton fabric has a satin weave, for some reason it’s called sateen.

There are some special weaves that make fabrics like brocades and jacquards, something about shuttle weaving, where they weave the fabric and then create a secondary design. Then there are special techniques used to make velvet and tapestry, but I’m not too familiar with them. The important thing to know about these special fabrics is that in most situations they are VERY delicate, and need special care when working with them.

Knits are another very common fabric, mostly used to make sportswear and street wear. Knits have stretch without needing spandex. I think knits are good for beginners because even if you mess up a little bit, they will stretch over your body and disguise most flaws. There are several different techniques. I know some, but if you want to get a better idea of different kinds, ask someone who knits or crochets.

Interlock is most commonly used for t-shirts. Ribbed knit is what most t-shirts have on the collar and the cuffs.

Double knit fabrics, like ponte, aren’t as stretchy, but they are durable. I think this is the fabric most polo shirts are made of.

Tricot (tree-co) is an interesting knit, because it uses three strands of yarn to create a triangular shaped knit. I’ve only seen it as cheap Halloween knits. they’re hella stretchy, but will break whatever screen print is on it.

Non-woven fabrics are made by compressing and heating a tangled mess of fibers until they fuse. Fleece and felt are the two primary forms of non-woven fabric, but it does appear in many forms. Like American currency! Dollars are made from a blend of cotton and linen, which is why they last so long, even after getting crumpled and soaked.

Hopefully this is helpful, even with my limited formal education on fabric. The best way to learn more about it is to touch it. Feel it, move it, wrap it around your arm to test it’s breathability. Get acquainted. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions about it. Most of the people who work at the store would love to help you. If they don’t, find someone else. Fabric is a niche market. Most people who work in the store work there because they are interested in it and would love to show you just how smart they are.

Go forth and sew!