In continuing my pledge to learn new things in sewing this year, I started a new online class through PatternReview on tax day. Its Shannon Gifford's Beginner Sewing Lab 102; and today was Lesson Three.
I took Lab 101 in February and loved it. Because I'd had experience sewing, I hemmed and hawed about taking it. In the end, the price ($36.00 for 10 lessons to PR members) won me over; and I figured that at $36 it wouldn't hurt to see if the classes were worth it.
Online classes are very convenient. You sign in on your schedule, not the teacher's or organization's. You may print the material or save the files to disk. Of course I'm doing both! There's also a message board where students can post questions about stuff they don't understand in the written material or ask about projects they're working on. Its very educational to read the problem and the teacher's answer. PLUS, you get the bonus of being permanently subscribed to the message board and can go back again and again. There's also a homework gallery where you can take photos of your projects and upload them to the gallery.
I actually DID learn quite a few things in Lab 101 and picked up a lot of information on how to organize one's sewing space, fabrics, and projects.
Soooo, I'm now in Lab 102 which is called Cut, Mark and Fuse; and loving it. I never knew you should preshrink your notions, such as zippers, bias tape and interfacing. Picking up lots of good stuff in 102 already! Will be taking 103 and 104 later in the year.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Monday, April 14, 2008
Workout Wear (including swimwear)
Not too long ago, I posted a query on the PatternReview.com message boards about workout wear and sources for Spandex. I want to make sure I remember some of the answers, so I'm posting to the blog:
Some sources for workout wear (including swimwear):
EmmaOneSock
Spandex House
Spandex World
Lucy's Fabrics
I also found this thread on the message boards. Some recommended fabrics for workout wear from the experts on PR include:
ottoman knit (examples: http://www.lucysfabrics.com/Bottom-Weight-Fabrics/Ottoman-Rib-4-way-stretch-BROWN/
http://www.fashionfabricsclub.com/catalog_itemdetail.aspx?ItmID=A796)
doubleknit rayon (example: http://www.emmaonesock.com/fabrics/rayonblenddk.asp )
rayon blends (60% rayon, 30% nylon and 6% spandex)
Knits with cotton were discouraged as these tend to stretch out within an hour or two of wear.
I bought several fabrics from Spandex World last month. I'm in the process of making some workout pants from one of the fabrics. They're a blue cotton lycra that I got from Spandex World (90% cotton, 10% lycra) for $6.00/yd. (bought 1 yard) and have 4-way stretch. Loved sewing them, but the fabric is not as heavy as I would have liked and clings in areas where I'd like a little more padding. Next time, I may need to underline, if I use the same type of fabric. Will see if these stretch way out of shape after I begin using them.
Some sources for workout wear (including swimwear):
EmmaOneSock
Spandex House
Spandex World
Lucy's Fabrics
I also found this thread on the message boards. Some recommended fabrics for workout wear from the experts on PR include:
ottoman knit (examples: http://www.lucysfabrics.com/Bottom-Weight-Fabrics/Ottoman-Rib-4-way-stretch-BROWN/
http://www.fashionfabricsclub.com/catalog_itemdetail.aspx?ItmID=A796)
doubleknit rayon (example: http://www.emmaonesock.com/fabrics/rayonblenddk.asp )
rayon blends (60% rayon, 30% nylon and 6% spandex)
Knits with cotton were discouraged as these tend to stretch out within an hour or two of wear.
I bought several fabrics from Spandex World last month. I'm in the process of making some workout pants from one of the fabrics. They're a blue cotton lycra that I got from Spandex World (90% cotton, 10% lycra) for $6.00/yd. (bought 1 yard) and have 4-way stretch. Loved sewing them, but the fabric is not as heavy as I would have liked and clings in areas where I'd like a little more padding. Next time, I may need to underline, if I use the same type of fabric. Will see if these stretch way out of shape after I begin using them.
Fabric Fast 2008
There is a very amusing thread on the PatternReview.com message boards that I stumbled across about a month ago. It is called "Fabric Fast: 2008, Can I last the whole year?". On April 2, 2008, I added it to my Topic Tracker and have been a lurker every since, reading all postings and thinking about the concept really hard. Joining this thread requires a commitment to buy no more fabric until such time as certain goals have been achieved!
Today, I made the big move. I posted to the site that I'd be joining. Its important to me to reduce my fabric stash because I have so many nice fabrics that I really had forgotten I had until I started inventorying my stash. I also won a lot of fabric from the 2008 Finish Your UFO Contest that I am committed to making for Elliott this year. So with joining, I've come up with some rules:
--inventory entire stash and keep strict inventory on what comes in and goes out thereafter
--sew all the garments from Sewzanne's that are intended for Elliott's summer wardrobe
--reduce stash by one-third in 2008
--continue to see each project as a learning new sewing techniques project, so I'll be faster at finishing projects
So far, I've inventoried about two-thirds of my stash. I think I have about 50 yards still needing inventorying.
I haven't bought fabric since March!
I've managed to reduce my stash by 2 yards since March. I know this is pathetic, but children's clothes don't require much fabric.
Here's all my statistics so far:
Old Stash: 48.875 yds
2008 Stash In: 33.25 yds
Total Fabric Out: 2.0 yds
Total Items Made: 2 (again since March)
Total Items in Progress: 3 (pullover, apron, boxers all for Elliott)
Total Items Planned: ?? Too many to know, but here's some initial plans:
shorts for Elliott: DONE (only 1 yard)
workout shorts (me): DONE (only 1 yard)
shirts for Elliott: 4
robe for Elliott: 1
sweatsuit for me: 1 (2 pieces accounting for 3 yds.)
swimsuits for me: 2
swimsuit coverup: 1
skirts for me: 2
sew. machine cover: 1
tops for me: 2
This ought to keep me busy at least through the summer!
Today, I made the big move. I posted to the site that I'd be joining. Its important to me to reduce my fabric stash because I have so many nice fabrics that I really had forgotten I had until I started inventorying my stash. I also won a lot of fabric from the 2008 Finish Your UFO Contest that I am committed to making for Elliott this year. So with joining, I've come up with some rules:
--inventory entire stash and keep strict inventory on what comes in and goes out thereafter
--sew all the garments from Sewzanne's that are intended for Elliott's summer wardrobe
--reduce stash by one-third in 2008
--continue to see each project as a learning new sewing techniques project, so I'll be faster at finishing projects
So far, I've inventoried about two-thirds of my stash. I think I have about 50 yards still needing inventorying.
I haven't bought fabric since March!
I've managed to reduce my stash by 2 yards since March. I know this is pathetic, but children's clothes don't require much fabric.
Here's all my statistics so far:
Old Stash: 48.875 yds
2008 Stash In: 33.25 yds
Total Fabric Out: 2.0 yds
Total Items Made: 2 (again since March)
Total Items in Progress: 3 (pullover, apron, boxers all for Elliott)
Total Items Planned: ?? Too many to know, but here's some initial plans:
shorts for Elliott: DONE (only 1 yard)
workout shorts (me): DONE (only 1 yard)
shirts for Elliott: 4
robe for Elliott: 1
sweatsuit for me: 1 (2 pieces accounting for 3 yds.)
swimsuits for me: 2
swimsuit coverup: 1
skirts for me: 2
sew. machine cover: 1
tops for me: 2
This ought to keep me busy at least through the summer!
New Class
Tomorrow my new class starts: Beginner's Sewing Lab 102. This is the second in a 4 class series taught by Shannon Gifford on PatternReview.com. I took 101 and liked it so, or should I say sew, I have decided to take the whole series.
In 101, I got ideas about how to organize one's stash and keep up with fiber content, pricing, whether it had been prewashed, what I wanted to do with it, and what notions I had for it or would need for it. Some of my fabrics are impulse buys, but surprisingly enough, I do buy some with a pattern and garment idea in mind. By the time I get to making it, I've often forgotten all this.
Other ideas I got were:
--doing an inventory of presser feet (as I accumulate more, this is more attractive),
--how to figure out how many inches to add to pattern pieces when altering was necessary,
to name a few.
AND, I not only printed all lessons, but saved all files to my flashdrive in case I need to reprint something some day. I am "sew" looking forward to 102 and with all I learned in 101, I can't afford not to take the other 2 classes afterwards!
In 101, I got ideas about how to organize one's stash and keep up with fiber content, pricing, whether it had been prewashed, what I wanted to do with it, and what notions I had for it or would need for it. Some of my fabrics are impulse buys, but surprisingly enough, I do buy some with a pattern and garment idea in mind. By the time I get to making it, I've often forgotten all this.
Other ideas I got were:
--doing an inventory of presser feet (as I accumulate more, this is more attractive),
--how to figure out how many inches to add to pattern pieces when altering was necessary,
to name a few.
AND, I not only printed all lessons, but saved all files to my flashdrive in case I need to reprint something some day. I am "sew" looking forward to 102 and with all I learned in 101, I can't afford not to take the other 2 classes afterwards!
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