First day of sewing!

Hello,
So today I went up to my Grandma's house to have her help me with getting my dress started. Seeing as how she is a professional seamstress it would be best if she taught me how. :)

So here are they steps that I took:

Part 1: Cutting
1. Press (aka iron) fabric and pattern to get out all wrinkles.

2. Cut out chunks of the pattern so that they aren't all on one or two pages.

3. Mark the size on the patterns to be easily read while cutting.

4. Cut out pattern (on markings)

5. Layout pattern and measure from the center of pattern to the salvage edge on the fabric and pin in place.

6. Cut fabric following the pattern.

7. Cut all notches and mark all little bubble things before unpinning.

 

8. Take out all pins and remove pattern.

9. Pin pattern pieces that require interfacing to interfacing fabric.

 

10. Cut interfacing fabric following pattern.

11. Iron interfacing fabric to dress fabric that calls for interfacing (put fabric wrong side up, interfacing rough side down, and then light cloth over to prevent adhesion to iron)

For interfacing place fabric wrong side up, then place rough side of interfacing down. now place a sheer light cloth over them and iron lightly, counting to 10 seconds. check to see if interfacing is glued to the fabric but don't pull to hard. interfacing is only to be used as a stiffener for fabric, you later sew the interfacing into the fabric to permanently connect the two.

 

Part 2: Sewing
(the pattern was missing the following steps:)
1.pin bodice interfacing to right side of bodice front

2. sew a stay stitching- at 1/2" from edge to prevent fabric from moving (creeping)
3. smaller seam stitch: 5/8" from edge to seal both pieces

(picture shows #2 and #3)



4. tailored seam: trimming fused layer right on stay stitching edge, trimming remaining edge a little further out(minimizes the bulk inside the seam and allows garment to lay flat)

 

5. clip and notch curved edges

6. fold interfacing to back side of bodice and press (for nice finished seams)

 

7. draw chalk lines for darts, pin, sew, press towards center

8. repeat steps 1-7 for bodice back

The next steps would be to sew the shoulders together, etc. so I will going back up there again to finish sewing the bodice and then the skirt and then see the tie and then it's done!

updates yo...

Hello,
So I got an email back from spoon flower and they said that it's my responsibility if I use a copyrighted image. So I've drawn my own images and made sure the are different from references I used. go me! and I've ordered them! Here are the final designs of the two dresses I shall make!
 

And here are the drawings i made and then ordered from spoonflower:

 


All of these will be printed on a 8"x8" square except the last one, that will be printed on a 21"x18" square (or rectangle lol)

Here's the order screen!!!! YAY!

These are two new concepts.
Yellow is based off of Totoro and the light blue one is based off of Nausicaa. :)









Later in this week (maybe tomorrow?) I will start pinning my fabric to the pattern and then cut it. I will take progress photo too!

New Findings!

hello,

So today I've been thinking a lot today about how I will but on these images.

here are my options:
1. pay someone to make an embroidered patch.
2. make my own patch (without a embroider machine) with fabric, thread, and fusible interfacing.
3. make it out of just fabric and thread (sewing it straight on)
4. buy towels/handkerchiefs that have them on and cut them out.
5. draw my own design and send it to spoonflower.com ad have them print it out for me by the yard.

I feel like I really want to go with number five. spoonflower seems so cool. Though I want to make sure that there are no copy right issues, so I've sent them an email asking.

If I can't get my own fabric printed then I think I'll try #2, and then #3 if that doesn't work out. that case scenario will be #4.

The cool thing about spoonflower is that you can buy your design in yards or quilt quarters! they are expensive but I think it's well worth it. I've seen a lot of Miyazaki designs on there so I think I won't have an issue with copy rights also because I don't intend to sell to anyone and I'm drawing it myself.

So while I wait for an answer I shall draw my designs out.

I'll post my designs when I'm done with it and hopefully an update on the email.

bye!

First store run

Hello,

So today I drove up to my Grandma's house to see her and my mother and did a quick 30 min Jo Ann's fabric run.

I got fabric for version #2 dress and interfacing and thread. I will be attempting a Laputa themed dress.

I think I will either get someone to embroider a patch that I sew on or do silk screening of Laputa images on to the dress.

                                                           Images on the dress will be:

Here is a picture of the fabric after I have pressed it.

Till next time!

The Beginning

Hello,

This blog is for my GAT399 class. It is about my own personal project.

My project will be creating a bound book of design concepts for dresses and at the very least two sewn dresses from those concepts.

So far I've done a lot research of Craftsters.org, cosplay.com, and pintrest.

I've only drawn a few designs.

<-- this is the pattern I got. I comes with two dresses.








So on Sunday I will be going to Jo ann's to buy the fabric, but before that I will choose which Miyazaki element will be for the dress then I'll buy the fabric. or buy a bunch in bulk and be happy... lol.

See you soon!