Sewing: Skirts, Shirts, Menswear, Pillow Cases, & Quilts

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Maria
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Sewing: Skirts, Shirts, Menswear, Pillow Cases, & Quilts

Post by Maria »

The new Joann's in Glendale just opened up this Veteran's Day weekend. They bought the Albertson's old store and did a wonderful remodelling job. It is at least four times the La Canada store space, and it has a huge parking lot with plenty of room. My husband was delighted. They have much prettier fabrics and a much wider selection of merchandize as the La Canada store does not have much in the way of arts and crafts. Also the cutting table is longer, so the lines move faster.

I bought a new autumn print corduroy fabric to make a long multi-gored skirt as the weather here is getting cold and I do not have many warm skirts. Although last year was cold, this current autumn weather has been much colder. The temperatures during the day and night are below average (5 to 10 degrees below average), so much for global warming!

Has anyone here sewn a multi-gored skirt? I use flat feld seams as they are more durable. Those are the same seams one finds in slacks and jeans where one part of the seam is cut shorter (1/4 inch) than the other. The other part of the seam (5/8") is folded over and then tucked under the shorter seam. Next both pieces of the seam are secured with top stitching. This prevents unraveling and makes a very durable seam.

Finished French seams are commonly found in pillow cases or where a very durable seam is not needed. However, this seam does help prevent the material from unraveling as the raw edges are concealed. A narrow seam (about 4 mm or a scant 1/4")* is first sewn with wrong sides of the fabric together. Then the seam is carefully pressed so that the right sides are together, and then another seam is sewn (about 8 mm or a scant 3/8")*. I use this hem when sewing seams on a circular flounce (ruffled edge) for a skirt.

* a scant 1/4" or 3/8" seam is one that is sewn less than 1/4" or 3/8" with an allowance made for the seam and thread. Thus a quilter's scant 1/4" seam would measure less than 1/4" (about 4 mm) when sewn, but when the seam is pressed after being sewn, the total seam width would be about 1/4 inch. The turned fabric and thread take about 1 to 2 mm. This knowledge is critical because exact stitching pieces are needed by quilters to match corners, otherwise their work becomes sloppy.

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.

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Maria
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Re: Sewing: Skirts, Shirts, Menswear, Pillow Cases, & Quilts

Post by Maria »

Here is a nice scrappy tote for shopping.

See the link below for free instructional download.

http://www.nancysnotions.com/category/v ... 41137-5700

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Barbara
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Re: Sewing: Skirts, Shirts, Menswear, Pillow Cases, & Quilts

Post by Barbara »

Oh ! I read this at the time and was never able to add a post. I was going to hunt for this thread to
refresh my memory about what Maria had said, when it reappeared at the top of the list ! Great, that was easy.

Well Maria how DID the multi-gored skirt turn out in corduroy ?
That's really the most flattering style of skirt for any age of woman, all the way from James R's future wife upwards
to some of us !!

By the way, are there a lot of empty Albertsons around ? I wonder why they left California.
I remember one woman south of San Francisco was so attached to it that she wailed, "I can't move away from California because of Albertsons!"
She had no idea the grocery chain is in other states as well...

Maria, you are really expert. I don't know anything about the different hems, though I took a real live Singer sewing class.
But I was only 10 at the time.

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Maria
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Re: Sewing: Skirts, Shirts, Menswear, Pillow Cases, & Quilts

Post by Maria »

Here are two videos that might interest someone, especially if a handmade wedding or housewarming gift might be appropriate.

Making coiled cotton fabric coasters and placemats:
http://www.nancysnotions.com/category/v ... sortType=1

Making 60 minute pocket pot holders:
http://www.nancysnotions.com/category/v ... +holder.do

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Maria
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Re: Sewing: Skirts, Shirts, Menswear, Pillow Cases, & Quilts

Post by Maria »

Has anyone purchased or read this book on menswear?

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Barbara
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Re: Sewing: Skirts, Shirts, Menswear, Pillow Cases, & Quilts

Post by Barbara »

No, can't say I have - [!]
It looks VERY advanced if it is teaching readers how to make patterns.
But it is SUCH a good idea to make clothes if one can rather than buy the tacky, cheap quality, poorly designed
stuff marketed at high prices. This book could inspire some of the men out there to consider this option.
Hopefully, their wives will be agreeable.

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Maria
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Re: Sewing: Skirts, Shirts, Menswear, Pillow Cases, & Quilts

Post by Maria »

I did not make the gore skirt for myself, as my husband had a greater need for well-fitted shirts.

The ready-made shirts that I have bought him from the store fit horribly. He needs a tailored shirt.

In one of the McCalls patterns, it gives detailed instructions on how to make shirts properly fit. Then two years ago, I took a course at the local community college on tailoring and it has paid off well. Even though I did not get all the tips I needed, I learned enough so that when I make a shirt for my husband:

(1) It fits him comfortably so that he does not feel like he is choking;
(2) The yoke hangs properly on his back (accommodating his scoliosis) with the yoke being straight instead of curved.
(3) The shirt sleeves are the same length (one is not longer than the other), and most importantly;
(4) The shirt fits at his shoulders and does not hang over his shoulders.

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.

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