The Wedding Dress -- Sewing Day #1

I actually started the dress today.

Sewing it together, I mean.

Well, the lining at any rate.
I should be getting this started
after all
the wedding is
only
1 month from today!!!

The lining is 100% polyester,

very soft and drapy.

A perfect lining fabric.

Light as a feather.

Great to wear.

Not so great to sew with.

It slips, snags, shifts, puckers easily.

Generally a pain in the you-know-what.

But all is not lost.

It can be handled beautifully with soft, smooth seams

that hang just right.

Here are a few tips to help anyone working with this type of fabric.

As with any large project, save yourself some major irritation

and wind several bobbins of the fashion color, in this case white.

It

NEVER

happens at the end

of the

seam.

Never.

If your machine has a walking foot attachment,

use it.

"Load the elephant"

as my former clothing & textile professor

used to say.

The idea with a walking foot is to feed

both layers of fabric

through the stitching process

at the same time

minimizing puckering.

In lightweight fabrics,

puckering is a major problem.

When you have puckering,

the seams aren't flat

and they will hang funny.

Make sure your needle is of the right

size and weight

for the fabric.

I started with a size 10

but I immediately saw that it was

snaging the fabric.

So, I switched to a size 9 and

had a much better result.

Tissue paper.

If you don't know the

wonders of

tissue paper,

then you, my dears, have

truly been missing out.

With this lightweight, soft fabric,

I found the combo of a walking foot

and using tissue paper as a third layer

while stitching

helps to produce

perfect stitches with not a pucker in sight.

This is a sample stitch I did with the tissue paper underneath.

Even along the selvage, I got a very smooth seam.

This will go a long way in the overall look of the dress.

Just cut or tear several 2" strips of tissue paper.

While pinning the seams together, just include

the tissue paper

and sew right through all the layers.

Tear the paper away afterwards.

Try it.

Keep things clean!

I am especially mindful of this with a white fabric and

with this dress being such an important project.

1)  Clean your machine well but be careful with oiling.  Sew with scrap fabric until you are absolutely sure that no residual oil is dripping anywhere.

2)  Keep you hands clean.  Wash, wash, wash.  Stay away from lotions and creams, too.  They can leave oils on the fabrics.

3) Wipe down the table, machine, chair, etc., before each sewing session.

4)  Food, drinks and ink pens have NO place around fabrics.

5)  Have a lint roller handly.  It's so nice to take care of the stray threads, lint, dog hair, etc.  Just a quick swipe and their gone.

After a long day of sewing,

I now have a lining

ready for pin fitting,

seam finishing and pressing.

Coming soon:

Seam finishing

Pressing

Boning application

Bra cup application

Sew Happy,

I'm sharing my wedding dress experience
with some of the linky parties
found on my linky page.

Taking That First Cut -- The Wedding Dress Saga

You know how it feels.

Taking that first
cut

into

beautiful,

to-die-for,

expensive fabric

meant for a

beautiful,

to-die-for,

once-in-a-lifetime

dress.

One slip,

one miscut

can

bring a

grown

woman

to tears.

Lots of tears.

And then there would

be the bride

to

deal

with.

and then her

mother.

But I did it today.

or at least,

I cut out the lining.

I always work with the lining first,

adding the boning

and

doing the fine tuning

of the fit before I

tackle the

expensive

satin and lace.

But it's still enough to drive

a girl to chocolate.

Sew Happy,

I'm sharing my wedding dress experience with some of

the linky parties listed on my

Linky Page.

Rock-A-Bye Baby

Santa takes credit for a lot of

 really

wonderful

deliveries,

but he can't take credit for this one!

On Christmas morning,

Aaron and Rochelle
(my second son and his wife)

announced

that they are

expecting a new little

bundle

of

joy

sometime

in August 2011.

YAY!!

Can a Grandma get a better present than that?

I think not.

Sew Happy,



Silent Night, Holy Night -- Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Sew Happy,

He'll Carry You by Hillary Weeks

Sew happy,

Come to Jesus by Kenneth Cope

Sew Happy,

Mary Did You Know?

Sew Happy,

O Holy Night

I may not be able to spend much time this week on blogging,

But I wanted to share a special video as my

special
Christmas Gift
to all of you.

May there be peace and happiness in your Christmas Season this year.

God Bless!

Sew Happy,

Enjoy a Serious Sugar Rush

Good Morning, Blog Land!

My posts have been kind of

few and far between these past few days.

Busy, busy, busy.

Who isn't?

We are in the

home stretch

and

here is a bit of

sweet inspiration

and some great recipes

for those last-minute

gifts/goodies

of the season.

Have a wonderful day!

Candy Cane Marshmellows.

Need I say more?

I've always been facinated by the whole

idea of homemade marshmellow.

Light, fluffy, gooey, sweet.

Perfection.

Looking for something a little different to give this year?

Over at Skip To My Lou

there is a great recipe for

gummy candy.

Who doesn't love gummies?

What a great tutorial, too!

Nothing says Christmas like

homemade candy canes

Aren't these great?

I may actually

give these a try.

For the ultimate

in

do-it-yourself

sweet treats

this season,

try

these

homemade candy bars.

I mean, come on.

Homemade Snickers.

The freshest ingredients.

Made with love.

Heaven.

And last, but not least,

my fudge recipe.

Now, this is not a picture of the fudge I make.

No.

It never lasts long enough

to get a good picture of it.

Nor have I made any

yet this season

because,

well,

having this stuff laying

around the house

causes me

to loose all self-control

and

I

will

eat the

whole

pan

all

by

myself.

Seriously.

So, I'm waiting until just

before Christmas

when the house is

full of people

to eat it

and leave me

just

enough

to feed

my serious

fudge

addiction.

Seriously.

Five-Minute Fudge

3(6 oz) pkgs of chocolate chips

1(14 oz) Eagle Brand Sweet Condensed Milk

1-1/2 t. vanilla

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Melt morsels and condensed milk in microwave

1 minute on high.

Stir.

Melt 1 more minute on high.

Mix vanilla and nuts.

Pour into a buttered 8" square pan.

Chill 2 hours.

Cut into squares.

Cover and store at room temp.

This only takes about 5 minutes to make.

It is by far the easiest, best fudge

EVER!

Sew Happy,

What I've Been Up To...Stocking My Etsy Shop

Today has gotten off to a rocky start, sorry to say.

My other job just isn't going too smoothly.

My fault really.

Too much going on in my real world.

Sigh.

However,

I always

take delight in

coming to by blog and posting fun stuff

and reading great comments.

It lightens my mood.

Brings a smile.

Thanks to all of you and your wonderful comments.

Here are some

Etsy Highlights

that I have, or will be, posting.

Have a great day!!

Sew Happy,

SPECIAL ON JOURNALS -- 2/$18.00

I'm running a little

Holiday Special

in my Etsy Shop in time for those

last

minute

gifts.

All Journals

are 2/$18.00

with special Priority Shipping rates.

Check them out!

Here is a sampling

of some

of my

newer

ones.

I'm listing more every day between

now and the 15th.

Come

back often

to see what's new!

All in my

ETSY SHOP.

Fabric Friday -- Satin

It seems odd

for it to be the Christmas season and

about the only thing on my

mind right now is

a wedding dress.

I have to keep reminding myself

that I still have a major

holiday event to

plan and prepare for

but this dress is

what is taking

up most of my brain processes these days.

But can you blame me?  

I am so EXCITED

to do this dress!  

It's the sewing challenge

I have been craving

and waiting for

for a long time.

So, 

amid all the 

long lines,

decorating, 

baking, 

wrapping, 

plotting

and

planning of the season,

I'm studying up

on all the finer points

of gown design and construction.

I thought I would share with you

a bit of knowledge about satin and some of the
beautiful dresses
available

 today

for Fabric Friday this week.  

Great Things About Satin 

*Satin can be made from silk, rayon, acetate, polyester or even cotton. 

*It is the staple for the wedding gown industry. 

*It is considered one of the most luxurious fabrics in the world,

especially if made with silk.

*Satin is used in apparel, draperies, lingerie, linings, upholstery

and even shoes.

*Satin derives its shine or luster from the way it is woven.  

*Light reflects off of the warp yarns (lengthwise yarns)

that float over the weft yarns (horizontal yarns).

*It's soft. 

*It has a special luster. 

*It's elegant. 

*It's perfect for a princess! 

Types of Satin 

*Crepeback Satin - Highly twisted yarns are used as the weft or filling yarns while low-twisted yarns are used in the warp.  This produces a very soft, drapy, clingy version with a high amount of shine depending on fiber content. 

The back of the fabric will remind you of the texture of crepe paper.

This is commonly used in evening wear and lingerie.

*Antique Satin -  Uses slub yarn (thick & thin, a natural spun look) in the weft giving the fabric a look of fabric that is hand produced. 

Most common in wedding gowns, costumes or interior fabrics. 

*Duchesse Satin - High yarn count of a finer yarn both in warp and weft.  Crisp, heavier body than most silks.  Luster dependent on fiber content but usually a lower luster. 

Most common bridal satin available on the market today.

*Slipper Satin -  Heavy, stiff satin used in the shoe industry.  Typically, this is not available in your local fabric store.  

Sewing with Satin 

Laying out Pattern & Cutting 

1.  Scissors and pins should be very sharp.  Dull equipment will snag satin.  Once it's snagged, there's no fixing the problem. 

2.  All satin has a nap, or a directional shade difference, caused by the weave.  All pattern pieces need to be layed out and cut according to the nap instruction of the pattern.  Don't ignore this.  

3.  Pin fabric to an old sheet or sheets of tissue paper to keep it from shifting during the cutting process.  No shifting means accurate cutting and accurate seaming.  

4.  Speaking of pins, make sure they are nice and sharp AND pin only in the seam allowances of the pattern.  Pins break the "floating" fibers and once broken and cause pin marks that just do not go away.  Try "silk" pins. 

That being said, pins are so important in helping control satin as it has a mind of its own.  Use pins to keep control,

just be mindful where you put them.

5.  Avoid "ripping" out seams.  Make all the proper fit adjustments prior to sewing and sew carefully.  Too much ripping out leaves unsightly marks. Again, these just can't be fixed.   

Stitching

1.  Use a new sewing machine needle.  With a large project like a wedding dress, I try and have half a dozen or more of the size I'm using on hand and change every so often, especially if I've hit a pin or sewn for many hours with the same needle.  

2.  Make sure the needle size and thread size are compatible with the fabric.  I tend to use a finer needle, 7 or a 9, with a lingerie thread

for most of my gown sewing. 

3.  For finer satins, use a base of tissue paper under your two layers of fabric that you are sewing to keep it from drawing down into the bobbin area and cazing a nasty jam.  Been there, done that.  Sigh.  This also can help to keep the layers from slipping around on the machine bed. 

4.  Try a walking foot, if you have one, when sewing.  This will keep the layers together and not slipping against one another.  A real lifesaver. 

Pressing

1.  Keep in mind the fiber content on this one.  Polester will take a bit more heat than silk.  Always test iron temperatures on scrap pieces prior to pressing.  Start low and increase temp as needed.  

2.  Use a PRESSING motion (up and down) not a side-to-side ironing motion.  You can easily over press satin as well as iron in creases or even flatten the weave and dull the shine.  Go easy.  Press just enough to acheive flat seams, crisp point, etc., but don't over do.  

3.  Never use steam.  Water stains satin.  Fabric ruined.  Enough said.  

4.  Use a pressing cloth.  Even tissue paper can be used in a pinch on low heat.  

5.  Prior to pressing, make sure iron is free of dirt, grim, scum and is smooth.  Same with the ironing board.  A new ironing board cover is a good investment at the start of a big project. 

Sew Happy!  

  

Sugar Overload or What to Leave Santa With That Milk

These just scream

LEAVE ME FOR SANTA,

don't they? 

Recipe @ Blissfully Domestic 

Cupcakes being all the rage,

it's natural to expect them to

show up at some point in cookie form. 

Aren't these pretty? 

Inspiration found at the The Cupcake Blog. 

Here's a friendly little guy. 

What's Christmas without Gingerbread Men (and women)? 

AllChristmasCookies.Com

Has tons of great gingerbread recipes! 

The Food Network is a great source

for some fabulous holiday treats like

these Swedish Christmas Cookies

3-D Christmas Cookies! 

Wow!

I love ways to get more cookie

into a cookie!

That means more cookie in the mouth! 

Yes!

 Obsessed With Baking

brings us some buttery, light

Spritz cookies,

aways a Christmas favorite! 

And last but certainly not the least,

my mom's
best,
ultimate,
totally awesome

Combination cookies. 

Christmas NEVER happened without

dozens made well in advance,

stashed in the freezer, then

carefully packaged and

handed out to neighbors and friends. 

Try them with red and green M&Ms!

No matter what comes out of your

ovens this Holiday Season,

may there be many

loved ones around you to share! 

Sew Happy,

The Wedding Dress - The Saga Begins

As I mentioned in another post,

my son, Sam, and his girlfriend, Bobbie,

have decided to tie the knot for eternity.

She has done me the honor of

turning a pile of white satin and lace

into

a

fairytale

creation

for her special day.

No small task.

She has chosen this as the basis of your dream dress.



It is beautiful, to say the least.

The style and cut are perfect for her.

She will look like a princess, for sure.

Now the journey begins.

I'd like to share this journey if I may.

Perhaps along the way

I can share what I learn

and

perhaps

inspire.

The first dilemma with a dress like this is

the pattern.

It doesn't exist.

At all.

No where.

So, that leaves me with a couple of options.

1. Take two or more patterns (bodice, sleeve and skirt) and combine them.

I've tried this method before.  This has worked okay for me in the past.

or

2.  Draft the pattern from scratch.

Not for the faint hearted and certainly a challenge.

I'm flip-flopping between the two methods and am leaning towards

drafting it from scratch.

Why?

I'm a glutton for punishment?

Crazy?

Have nothing else to do with my life?

No.
(okay, crazy probably apples here)

Intuitively, as a seamstress,

I'm thinking this is the best method for this dress
and this girl.

It's not that I don't have any experience with this method, mind you.

I was a clothing and textile major in college
and have some pattern drafting experience.

But it has been years.

I've researched a few sites online for helps.

I finally ordered a book at Amazon to guide me.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0932538002/ref=oss_product

It's due to arrive this Friday.

Darn, if I'm not excited!

Sew Happy,