Fleece of Many Colors

Remember this?Well I washed it (something I will never do again as it took hours, countless gallons of water, and a toll on my knees....and I can have it done at a fiber mill for $5/pound!) and it came out like this:
Then I spent over a week picking out hay and seeds and such. (Well, I've still got about a pound to go!) Here are a few picked locks:
Teased, you can see the nice crimp:By the way, this stuff feels like a cross b/w bunny fur and baby hair. It's very pleasant to work with.

Next step, dye the locks different colors:So far I have dyed the purple you see above, red, blue, green and yellow locks. To dye, I place the locks in mesh lingerie bags and immerse in my crockpots, just as when I dye roving and top.

So now what? Here's the really fun part....I've been combing the different colors together! Here is how it works....

First, combs are spiky, sharp things. If you note some small holes in my thumb and fingers, this is why. Combs work in sets of two. I'm using small combs I have borrowed from the spinning guild. One comb is clamped to the table (that's our kitchen table, which now serves as dye workbench, combing station, and, soon, carding station!) The free comb is used in a motion first perpendicular to the stationary comb, then parallel to it. In the process the fiber is transferred from the stationary comb, to the moving comb, and back again, as many times as necessary to blend the fibers sufficiently.

There is an excellent tutorial on combing here at Red Stone Yarns, and I couldn't explain it any better than that! But, just in case that's not enough for you, there are some pdf tutorials here on the Majacraft site. Oh, and I'll say one more time...combs are sharp things.

First the locks are "loaded" onto the stationary comb: (I doubt this is the origin of "locked and loaded" but it could be!)Combing purple locks:Comb is moving left to right. Note fiber beginning to accumulate on moving comb.

Once all fiber has transferred to moving comb, it is combed vertically (though the moving comb remains held with tines to the side), transferring all fiber back to the stationary comb. Below, see the nice, fluffy, combed purple fiber.
Now I repeated with yellow locks:And ended up with two fluffy piles....one purple, and one yellow:
They are both loaded together onto the stationary comb:
And repeat the combing process. Remember trolls?
With the fiber back on the stationary comb, it's time to pull it off into a sliver (sly-ver). The fiber is pulled through a diz, or, in my case, a button with large holes.Here's the nice, blended purple and yellow combed top, ready to spin:
Rolled into a nice ball of fluff:Now, I will note here that combing produces more waste than carding. What's left are short fibers that are picked off the combs after each step...here's my pile:My husband would like to save this to make a dog bed for Her Royal Majesty Seven of Nine. He's welcome to it. Some people use it for felting, or in their gardens as mulch. Who needs irises if the mulch is purple and yellow?

Anyway, here.....drum roll please....is the resulting 2-ply sport weight yarn created after spindling the above troll's hair:This is about 6 grams of yarn, 1/4 ounce, or, enough for a large sweater for a small rat.
One final note: Had I continued combing the yellow and purple together, eventually I would've had brown. Purple and yellow are complements. Complements make wonderful visual partners, but you have to be careful to keep them from blending too thoroughly! You will note that the finished yarn is much more subtle in color than the starting locks. The complementary colors have blended just enough to give it an overall more earthy look while still retaining some of the individual purple and yellow detail. That is the beauty of combining colors "dyed in the wool."

Bound Buttonholes with the Dritz Tool

I was lucky enough to find one of these vintage Dritz bound buttonhole tools at a flea market about 6 months ago. If you ever see one, grab it up! It makes quick, easy, neat buttonholes. Of course, mine came without instructions and I would've never figured it out were it not for Cidell!

Here is the process of using the tool:

First measure your button and add at least 1/8" to the diameter. I added about 3/32" to this button measurement b/c it's thick.
Mark the finished buttonhole measurement right on the tool starting at the triangular marks. I have marked with some tape. From the triangles to the beginning of the tape is 1 1/4", my desired finished buttonhole length.

Interface the area behind the buttonholes.
Mark the fabric. You only need three marks...two for the start and end of the buttonholes (blue lines here), and one for each buttonhole placement (green lines here). I have added a center front line, the red line. Note the buttonholes extend 1/8" past the CF line, making room for the shank to set, so the center of the button will be right on the CF. You can use chalk or thread tracing. I've used sharpie....not recommended for your garment!

Prepare as many 2 1/2" squares as you will need, one for each buttonhole. (These squares will become the lips of the buttonhole.) I have interfaced these. If the fabric were a bit beefier I wouldn't.
(I made a lot b/c I was doing a demo for ASG)

Load the tool with a prepared square -
from the back of the tool, release posts from clips (like a safety pin)

wrap the square around both posts, edges facing towards the slot in the tool. then stick the square through the slot, back to front, as shown below
Pull the ends up tight and re-secure the post tips in the clips, being careful that they are not crossed within the fabric. This, below, is what it looks like from the bottom of the tool:
(See next picture for how it looks from the top.)

Now you are ready to place the tool onto the garment fabric. Line up the triangles with the beginning of the buttonhole mark (closest the opening edge) and the top of the tape with the end of the buttonhole mark (second blue line). The green buttonhole placement line should be going straight from the pointed tip of the tool at the top, straight through the middle of the posts at the bottom. I like to use some scotch tape to tape the tool right on there.Moving to the sewing machine, you are going to stitch down one side of the slot, then the other. Yes, place the metal tool, over the fabric, right under the presser foot.

Push both ends of the fabric square to the left of the work. Start at the triangle/first blue line, and stitch carefully, "in the ditch" along the edge of the metal slot, to the tape marking. Use a small stitch length, 2.0 or a bit less. Don't back stitch.end at second blue line:Move fabric square ends to right side and repeat process down left side of tool:Remove work from machine, flip over, pull threads to back and tie off.Now, from the right side again, undo the clips releasing the tool's posts and pull the tool out.Spread the ends of the square fabric apart and carefully cut down the center of the square b/w the stitching, from end to end. Cut only the fabric square and not the garment fabric at this point.Now flip to the back of the work again and cut the garment fabric. All cutting remains inside of the stitching "window." Slit the middle, longitudinally, stopping 1/4" from each end and making diagonal cuts to the end end of each row of stitching. This is very similar to how you would cut a traditional bound buttonhole window.Carefully push the fabric square pieces from the front through to the back. Straighten out and press.Now you will secure the little cut triangles on the sides, just like with a traditional bound buttonhole. Working from the right side of the piece, fold the garment fabric back exposing the triangle and the "lips" underneath. Sew back and forth through the triangle, up against the folded back edge.Do this on both sides.

Now your button hole is done! What I have done in the past is to "assembly line" my bound buttonholes by using the tool to attach the lips to each buttonhole in turn. Then tying all the threads, then cutting all the tops, cutting all the bottoms, etc....

Out Damn Spot!

Here is something I learned the hard way...never try to remove a stain with a paper product! You are likely to succeed only in creating a lightened bullseye, with the dark spot smack dab in the middle. Like a spotlight...."look here, I'm a spot!"

The reason, I read somewhere, is that paper products have been bleached somewhere in the manufacturing process. So rubbing that napkin or paper towel on your garment is probably not a good idea.

Instead, use two clean washcloths or towels, a dry one under the spot, and a damp one to work the stain with. Also, rather than using a rubbing or circular motion, use a dabbing motion. Wrap the cloth on your index finger and repeatedly "poke" the stain.

For stubborn stains, incidentally, I like the Carbona series of removers. You can get these, in small yellow plastic bottles, at your fabric store, drug store, grocery or mega-mart. Note: Consult the back of the bottles, under the label, to see which specific stains can be removed with which number bottle.

I have even used these, very cautiously, on dry cleanable garments. Test first (yada, yada, yada), then use a wooden toothpick to apply tiny amounts to the stain. Be sure to have an absorbent cloth under the stain to suck the liquid right through.

Narrow Hemming Foot

If I could keep only one specialty presser foot it would be my narrow hemming foot. I have many actually...they are quite easy to find amongst the paraphernalia you find with vintage sewing machines and we have well over a dozen of those.

Traditionally, to make a narrow hem, you would:

1. Fold up 1/4" of the raw edge
2. Stitch very close to the fold
3. Trim off the raw edge, very close to the stitching (a duck-billed appliqué scissors is superb for this)
4. Fold up again and stitch this time close to the inner fold, right over the previous stitching.
   

There is nothing wrong with this method and sometimes it is preferable. It can produce a hem narrower than you can get with a 1/8" hemming foot, and it is also sometimes easier to do with difficult fabrics such as bias, springy, stretchy, or textured fabrics.

However, for most applications, the narrow hemming foot is like a little miracle of efficiency...once you get the hang of it. In other words...it does take a bit of practice and patience at first. Rip strips of muslin or calico and go for it.

The two I use most of course fit my modern Pfaff. One makes an 1/8th inch hem and the other 1/4 inch. I've been trying for weeks to take some photos while using them but it seems everything I hem lately is black. So today, given a slight break in the action, and since we are "sewing with our feet" at our ASG meeting this week, I thought I'd hem some muslin strips to photograph. However, I found that plenty of good tutorials already exist online so I am instead going to point you to those then offer my own tips for success and suggest some fun variations.

Here are some good tutorials:
Threads Magazine
Jan Andrea at home
Sew News

Basically, I became good friends with my hemmer foot when I used to make dog bandannas by the dozen. When you are getting paid $2 for a thing, and you have 60 of those things to make, you learn to do it efficiently. The bandannas were triangular so I got practice using the hemmer on both cross grain, lengthwise grain, and bias. And, because I was in "production mode," I also taught myself how to start the edges without pins. (I'm not even sure I can do that anymore!)

Here are some of my tips:

• When you must hem past a seam, it is always easier to hem with the seam laying in the direction of the hemming. In other words, so the seam is folded towards you. It feeds into the hemmer much more easily this way. I almost always fold the seams this way at the hem, even if they are pressed in the other direction above.
• Trim diagonal corners off seams before sending them through the hemmer. Less bulk makes it easier to pass through
• Use an awl to help "push" the bulk of a seam through the hemmer. It also helps to give it a bit of a pull from behind the foot. (Note I'm putting the point of the awl right into the top groove of the foot's curl.)

(Let's ignore the imbalanced serger stitch for now, shall we?)

• When hemming bias edges the edges will likely curl. Some of this can be steam pressed out. But if you want to avoid it as much as possible try stabilizing the edge with starch (press two or three light mists of starch at a time into the fabric) or other stabilizer.
  
• You can also somewhat stabilize an edge by first running a straight stitch around.

For fun and interesting ways to use a hemmer try these:

• Use a decorative stitch instead of a straight stitch over the hem.
• Purposefully stretch a bias edge to get a floaty, curly edge.
• Use a narrow hem to seam two lightweight fabrics together in lieu of a French seam
• Insert lace or other trim into the roll of a narrow hem for a one-pass application and finish.

Tailor Board Available?

I got a comment indicating the June Tailor tailor board, that I showed in this post, might still be available at Nancy's Notions. Nancy2001, the commenter, suggested calling and speaking with a customer service person as they may have the board even though it doesn't show in the catalog.

Thanks much, Nancy!

Happy hunting!

Quick Tip - Doubled Thread

A common misconception among casual sewers is that hand-stitching is best done with doubled thread. Often I will see hand-sewn repairs and hems done this way. There is no need to double thread, and in many cases, to do so is counter productive.

Repaired linings is one area where I often see double-thread stitching. Besides being more conspicuous than single thread stitching, it is likely to do further damage to the lining. Lining materials weaken over time. The fabric actually starts to come apart at the stitching. If you try to repair those areas with doubled thread, the holes you are making in the fabric (and the stress you're putting in them) are twice as big as if there were only one strand of thread. (Hint: If you are going to be making repairs in a lining, back the area to be stitched with fusible interfacing first.)

Hems are also often done with doubled thread. Again, the stitching is more conspicuous this way. I believe that people think the added strand of thread makes the hem stronger, but I have never seen a hem, done with a single strand of modern thread come apart. Yes, threads in hems that are 20 or more years old may degrade and require re-stitching. But threads have changed. And besides...you can worry about it in 20 years.

Stitching with a double strand of thread is not only less attractive, it's more difficult. A double strand of thread is more likely to tangle and buckle during the sewing process. Rather, try this:

• Cut a piece of thread about 18" long and immediately knot the end you have cut off the spool. Threads have direction, and they are meant to be sewn head first, off the spool. So that is how you want to thread your needle.

• Run the thread through a conditioner like Thread Heaven© several times. Then, run it through your fingers several times to work the conditioner into the strand. Thread conditioner helps prevent tangling and makes thread slide more easily through fabric.

• Alternatively, and especially if you will be doing a lot of hand sewing, use a cake of beeswax to condition the thread. To do this, run the thread deeply through the beeswax, then use an iron to actually press the wax into the thread. The thread will be supremely pleasant to stitch with. I promise. To be even more efficient, cut and knot several lengths of thread at a time, and condition them all with the beeswax at once (just pull them all under the iron.) lay them out or roll back onto a spool. That way when your first strand runs out, the next is ready, and you need not get up and iron another.

OK, so there are a few instances when you might want to sew with a doubled thread. Sewing on a button, perhaps. With a doubled thread, it takes half as long. Or making a thread chain - doubled thread makes it twice as thick. Perhaps making a hand-stitched buttonhole, though I'd rather use a thicker thread in the first place for that.

Future post: Why not to hem your pants with staples and/or fusible web.

CLEAN is a 5 Letter Word

Inspired by Summerset's recent cleaning binge, I decided to give my sewing room/office thorough attention this Friday. As a rule, I clean this space on Fridays anyway, but the past couple weeks have been so busy that I've been negligent. Piles of fabrics and papers (the bane of my existence, papers) have been accumulating everywhere and it'd become rather unpleasant in here.









I clean the sewing room on Fridays for several reasons.

For one, it serves to "wrap up" my work week. I empty waste baskets and clear surfaces. Threads are re-united with bobbins and put back in color coordinated order. Pins are placed back on the appropriate magnets according to type. The floor is freed from scraps and threads. Machines are dusted and ready-to-go.

It's a kind of cathartic process really. Clients' projects are stashed int he closet or dressing room. Papers are filed. Deposits are made and recorded. Quickbooks is backed up. With work things literally out of site, I'm free to have a weekend.










So, two hours later, I have this seemingly huge, open, free space. It's pleasant in here again, inviting - someplace I'd like to be creative in. What's more, the process of putting things away has reminded me of what I have, fabrics and trims and patterns and tools, and had wanted to use. I might just do some sewing this weekend. And if not, at least I'll have a pleasant workplace come Monday morning, when it can be very difficult to get into the swing of things when you work at home.

Note the top pictures of my machine area? Dad extended my L-shaped Koala Outback table all the way to the wall. (I got this table free with my Pfaff machine and otherwise would not have chose this particular model as I think it's rather poorly designed.)

I used to be constantly dropping things (threads, bobbins, rippers, snips, small pattern pieces) down b/w the wall and table (which b/c of moldings won't meet up with the wall at the floor) and having to fish them out with a yard stick - a regular occurrence that caused me endless annoyance. So he added a piece behind the table that would meet up with the wall (both walls, around the corner, actually) about 5" wide and including a "lip" climbing 2" up the wall.

That 5" or so of extra width really adds an amazing amount of work space, much more than I'd anticipated. He also extended the length of the serger side so I could keep two sergers set up at all times. I keep the simpler machine set up for regular 3-thread overlocking for finishing seams and hems and use the new machine for everything else. Thanks, Dad!!

Tag-Saleing for the Sewer

So, it's a beautiful early fall weekend and you and your hubby are going to make the rounds of garage and yard sales, maybe a junk shop or two. What should you look for?

~Sewing machines - Most anything 40 years or more old. Especially featherweights (Singer 221), Singer 201, Necchi Supernova, Kenmore 1040, Kenmore Mini-Ultra, Pfaff 1222, or anything else that strikes your fancy. (If I don' t know about a machine I'll only buy a well known brand name or a lesser known name made before the 70s or after the 80s!)

~Sewing machine feet. Know your machine...especially if you have a low-shank machine, you can find many older feet, such as binding feet and rufflers, that will fit your modern machine.

~A Dritz bound buttonhole maker. For these you have to dig in those shoeboxes full of old rickrack and bra extenders. The seller will have no idea what it is and you can get it for nothing.

~Cotton laces suitable for heirloom sewing.

~Old threads? No, these are often rotting and not worth risking your project for. Although, sometimes the silk threads are nice for basting.

~leather for purse handles, collars, welts

~Garments that can be re-styled or used for fabric (i.e. real sequined fabric)

~Vintage patterns or fashion magazines that you might want to frame for your studio.

~Thread racks

~Print drawers, which are NOT good for storing threads (the pockets are not deep enough) but might look nice hanging in your sewing space with thimbles here and there.

~apothecary chests for notions

~wine racks for rolled fabrics, stabilizers

~dress forms

~sergers (many people buy them and never use them)

~ironing boards (the older ones are sturdier)

~sleeve boards

~textiles - be careful of quality, especially with anything silk or wool. If you see holes or tears, the piece will probably be very fragile and you wont' want to use it.

Any other ideas?

We went to a huge flea market this weekend. I didn't find any Dritz buttonholers (I have one but I'd like to find some to give away). We also missed a nice modern Kenmore sewing machine b/c it was on the first table as we walked in and decided to leave it until we left. It was brand new and marked $55. (In general, I like Kenmore sewing machines.) Husband did get a child sized chain stitch machine that is fairly rusty. But for $15 he will have some fun trying to get it to work. And my daughter got a beautiful wool coat with mink collar. (I didn't find any sewing stuff...but I did get a metal bucket jack-o-lantern so I can quit carving pumpkins at the last minute every Halloween.)

Zipper Source

I'd like to share my favorite zipper source with you, zipperstop.com, otherwise known as A. Feibusch Corporation. I have to say the website is not the best design, but just call and tell them what you want and you'll do fine.

Zipper selection, in my area anyway, is extremely limited, especially when it comes to jacket zippers. So I call Feibusch and order, and it arrives within a couple days. Of course this involves a small shipping charge, but I think it's worth it for the right zipper.

I have a YKK Master Color Card which must have a hundred zipper tape samples in it. I think I paid about $10 for this, but it was well worth it, as I can exactly match just about any color.

Feibusch carries a great selection of specialty zippers as well. For example the dual seperating brass zipper pictured in my profile pic above. (I think that one was about $20, a lot for a zipper, but not a lot considering the investment in a timeless suit.) They also have rhinestone zips and the relatively new Riri zips.

YKK zippers are great quality and preferred by many dressmakers.

You can also get zippers in dozens. For example, I just bought a dozen black 9" invisible zippers. They are only $0.45/each when you buy them this way.

Happy zipping!

Sewing with a Shish-ka-bob

You can buy special stiletto type awls to aid in sewing. Most of these metal awls will also punch leather or fabric (for eyelets.)

I've also seen bamboo awls, and plastic awls in conjunction with a hera marker. But I like the humble shish-ka-bob.
I have used both the long and the short (6") skewers in my sewing. Perhaps the short ones are candy sticks...I bought them so long ago that I don't remember! They are cheap and come in packages of maybe a hundred. So you can place them in various places around your workspace and never have to interrupt your sewing to search one out. I have them by the serger, sewing machine, and cutting table.

You could also use knitting double pointed needles. A package of 5 is usually around $7. Choose from plastic, bamboo, metal, or hardwood.
A benefit of wooden awls is that they're less likely to do real damage if you hit them with the machine needle. You can get right up close to the stitching without fear. They also won't scratch the presser foot, needle plate, or feed dogs.

Use awls to aid fabric feeding, keeping it even as it goes under the foot. Use an awl to ease the top layer of fabric, much as a walking foot would but in front of the foot rather than behind. Use them to slide pins out of the work when you need to sew right up to each pin as might be the case with velvet or plaid. Use one to keep the point of a placket in place as you sew by it at a thread's width. Use the longer sticks to turn small tubes. I also use the small sticks to apply glue and seam sealant in a controlled way. The glue ruins them but since they are so cheap (and natural), I don't feel too bad about tossing them after.

I also use shish-ka-bob awls frequently at the serger. I use it to scoot threads from under the presser foot, freeing the needle threads from the loopers before stitching when necessary. And, I use an awl to free the needle threads for cutting and removal when ending a coverstitch. (Thank you Debbie, for this amazingly useful set of tutorials!!)

If you've never sewn with an awl I highly recommend it. There are myriad uses for it. And it truly becomes like an extension of your fingers.

Don't Step on This

When you're too tired to sew or knit you can always needle felt a cozy home for your pins and needles. Lanolin in the wool naturally conditions the needles. When you take a needle out of the wool cushion you can actually feel the smooth slickness of it on your hand.

This one is for my hand-sewing needles.
And this little one provides a temporary home for unused serger needles. Size 80s on the top and 90s on the bottom:Much quicker than taking them in and out of the needle boxes every time I re-set the serger stitch.

I'd like someday to make a long rectangular pin cushion. Then at night in front of the TV I can sit and just thread a couple dozen milliner's needles with basting cotton and line them all up. When I need them they'll be all ready and I won't have to re-thread for a week!

How to needle felt? Here's an excellent tutorial:
Needle Felted Ladybug Directions

You can get wool roving at most knitting shops. It's not expensive. And the "lines" similar to the line I made on my little serger needle cushion to seperate needle sizes are easily put on by using small scraps of wool yarn.

But as I said...you don't want to step on these things! A good idea would be to glue the cushion to a fabric-covered piece of cardboard. I think I'll make the ladybug and do just that and use it for my more delicate hemming needles.

The other advantage of having a solid base is that, provided that the needles are longer than the depth of the cushion, they will not get "lost" inside the cushion...something that drives my crazy with traditional tomato cushions.

Pfaff 4874 Serger

After a couple months of agonizing over a new serger purchase, which I've been putting off for about 2 years, I settled on the Pfaff 4874.

It's their top-of-the-line serger and has all kinds of fancy decorative stitches that I will probably rarely, if ever, use. But I wanted the three variaties of coverstitches this machine offers, 2.5mm, 5mm, and a triple needle. I had also had the opportunity to try this machine for a good long time at a friend's house and I was amazed at how nice it sounded, sturdy it was, and how consistently it made perfect stitches on a variety of fabrics using the default settings.

Having now had a couple weeks using the machine I feel I can offer this somewhat limited review, keeping in mind that I have yet to even try any of the decorative, so-called "top cover" stitches.


Overall
I love this serger! It's my 3rd, 4th if you count the mini 3 thread Singer serger I first had many moons ago. It's attractive. It's sturdy and quiet. Speed control is infinitely variable. Controls are in easily accessible positions.

Tensions
In 2 weeks the only time I've had to vary from the pre-set tensions was when I was working with monofilament nylon and metallic thread for a 3-thread rolled hem. In every other application I've encountered, stitch formation has been perfect without adjustment.

A note on tensions with this machine: Raising the presser foot only partially releases tensions. In order to completely release them you must press and hold a button down. As soon as you release the button, the tensions engage again. This is annoying at times, especially when ending a coverstitch.

Memory
In the one case that I've had to fiddle with tensions, I was able to save the settings in memory so that next time I use that combination of threads I can call it up. Each stitch has 3 available memories.


Electronic Screen
The computer screen does a great job of letting one know how to set the needles, knife, stitch finger, and upper looper. It also displays the default tension, stitch length, and differential feed settings. One must scroll through the stitch numbers though, and if you under or over-shoot it is a bit tedious to get to the right number as the machine changes settings at each individual number.

Knife
The knife is a bit awkward to dis- or re-engage because the side door does not open far enough to get good leverage.

Threading
Threading the loopers, including the chainstitch looper, is a breeze. Threading the needles is not difficult, but there are variations on how to thread any of the 5 needles, as they may pass through upper or lower guides before reaching the needle bar. I am still referring to the manual constantly to reference needle thread paths for each stitch.


Presser Foot
The presser foot has two settings itself, A and B, which are easily changed and indicated on the electronic screen. It would be nice if the foot lifted higher at times though I find that I can manually lift up the "toe" of it with my finger when necessary (i.e. when ending a coverstitch, see above.)

Addendum (10/4/07): My friend Jan just told me to try again pushing the presser foot lifter higher, and low and behold, it does lift higher after all! I guess I just wasn't pushing strongly enough. Thanks Jan!

Overall, again
Would I spend $2000 on this machine knowing what I know now? Yes. It does have its imperfections, but I expect any machine would, and they don't affect performance, or efficiency enough to be serious disadvantages.

Vogue Jacket Buttonholes

Vogue 7467...

I suppose I should've photographed the entire process of making the bound buttonholes, especially with the Dritz tool. But I was feeling selfish and just wanted to lose myself in the process when I did them. So, next time I'll be better about that.What I liked most about using the tool is that there is minimum marking required. And it is fairly quick, though I'm not sure it's any quicker than doing them traditionally. A HUGE Thank You to Cidell for sending me the directions for the tool's use. I'd have never in a million years figured it out on my own. By the way, I got this tool for free at an estate sale. I've seen them on ebay as well.
I can say that the most difficult part of the buttonholes was the backings. The buttonhole themselves were easy. The problem had to do with how prone my fabric is to fraying, especially with the cuff buttonhole backings. They are so small, and I just slit and turned the backing. The triangles were so miniscule that it was not neat at all.
You can see on the one on the right (above) that I tried to neaten it with a buttonhole stitch.

I really like how the larger, front buttonhole came out:
For this buttonhole I made a window pane opening by stitching woven fusible interfacing RST (right sides together) on the facing, cutting, turning, and fusing. This worked much better though I think it was partly due to the much larger size of the buttonhole and the little triangles at the end not being so hard to handle.

Oh, and by the way, I couldn't resist trying to stitch the collar again. I didn't dissemble it, just re-attached it to the inside neck, easing the fullness down and center-ward. I like how it turned out. Which just goes to show you...

When in doubt, Rip it out!

Last night I also topstitched the collar and lapels, and stitched up the hem. On to the sleeves and lining.

Vogue Jacket and Pressing Board

This is a June Tailor Board that I purchased quite a few years ago with the pads. Unfortunately, these are not available anymore. (Though there is one currently on ebay for over $50!)


***edited 11/19/07 to add - see comment below by Nancy2001....Tailor Board may still be available at Nancy's Notions...suggests calling and speaking to a customer service rep.

However, you can use a point presser for straight, tight seams, and a sleeve board (standing on it's end) for very rounded seams. Here is how I used my board today as I worked on the collar and lapel of my plaid Vogue jacket ~
I first used a steamer to slightly shape the lapel facing over the jacket front in the correct position.

Then I basted the facing to the jacket front, easing the facing where it would curl outward, and sewing it taut under the break point, where it should be hidden. Claire Shaeffer gives very detailed instructions on just how to do this in the pattern.

At this point I have to mention that I was very surprised at how efficiently the easing and steam shaping techniques worked. I had expected to understitch the front edge, on the body under the lapel, and on the facing below the break point....but the easing and pressing worked so well it's unnecessary. Also, the hand stitching that is done to secure the seam allowances inside works wonders to keep everything in line.

The tailor board is indispensable for pressing collars and lapels.

Here, left, I am using the curved point to press the upper lapel.

Remember, you can use the currently available point presser/clapper for any of these tight spots.

Incidentally, for a clapper, I use a scrap of wood salvaged years ago from the basement. Hitting the freshly pressed, steamed, seam with the flat of the wood helps to flatten it, and also causes it to dry much faster.



Right, I am pressing the "gorge line" with a straight portion of the board.












To press the lower front opening edge of the front/facing seam, I have turned the board on end and placed the curved seam over it. This is where you could use the end of a sleeve board for the same purpose.











The collar has a straight portion, towards the sides, which I'm pressing over a straight edge. Note how easy it is to press right into the corner! This makes for an easily turned, neat, collar point. (Just as with the lapel point)







The collar is more rounded in the middle back, so I pressed that over the curved portion of the board, though I think the straight edge of the point presser would work well enough.





So now the lapels are finished and the collar is ready to be placed. Just give me another few months for that....sigh....





Did I ever tell you how my husband, clever guy that he is, once put my ham in the fridge? Never a dull moment around here, folks.

OK, is it just me, or does my ham, adorned with the collar, look kinda like Patrick Star?

Straight Stitch Foot

A little used but supremely useful foot is the straight stitch foot. This foot has a single hole through which the needle passes, rather than the usual 4-9mm wide slot, which is intended to accommodate the width of a zigzag.

If your machine did not come with one, and especially if your machine is a low shank, check out some old Singers. They are likely to have come with a straight stitch foot. (Of course, to use the older foot you will have to unscrew the ankle as old feet will not "snap on.")

The beauty of a straight stitch foot is that the small opening provides very little room for the fabric to travel up and down with the needle. In other words, the fabric is held more securely beneath the foot. This means there is much less chance of a lightweight fabric, like chiffon, being "sucked" down into the needle plate, creating a big bunchy mess. It also means more accurate seaming, and straighter topstitching.

For even more control, try a straight stitch needle plate as well. My Necchi Supernova has a circular needle plate that rotates between 3 distinct settings. The straight stitch hole is at 5:00 -
You can purchase a straight stitch needle plate for your modern machine.

Did you notice that the hole in my straight stitch presser foot, in the top photo, is not quite circular anymore? That's what happens when you forget to change the foot and switch to a zigzag stitch!

Gathering Foot

I'm making gathered yoked jumpers again this week and it (finally) occurred to me to get out my gathering foot.

I rarely use the gathering foot as it's not good for making very dense gathers, or gathering medium to heavy fabrics. Also, it is not generally ideal for gathering material to a specific length, i.e., when gathering a 20" skirt to a 10" yoke.

However, in this case, I was working with a lightweight material, silk noil, which only had to be lightly gathered, and the foot worked like a charm. I did not simultaneously gather and attach the skirt to the yoke, which would've been much trickier (because both fabrics would have to come to an end at the same time, which can be difficult to exact.) Rather, I gathered the skirt in one layer, then pinned and sewed to the yoke. That gave me the option to adjust the amount of gathering slightly if need be, by pulling up the threads in the traditional manner, before I attach it to the yoke.

The first time I ran the skirt through I did not get enough gathering. I removed that stitching and set the stitch length longer.

Note: An easy way to remove the gathering stitching is to just pull the fabric flat along the stitching/gathering line. The stress will cause the thread break in many places and you just need to pick it off the surface of the fabric.

I also used my finger to "scrunch" or "crowd" the fabric behind the foot to encourage gathering.
I was able to sew the gathered skirts onto the yokes with only 3 pins, one at each end, and one in the center, keeping the bottom layer (yoke) taut as I sewed.I found that I was able to obtain more even gathers using this method than I had been when running gathering threads and pulling them up manually. And of course, it's fast and efficient.

Vintage Sewing

Quick Tip: Check out Grandma's (or Mom's, or Auntie's) vintage sewing cabinet for attachments. Many of them fit modern machines. You may find a ruffler, binder, straight stitch foot, cording foot, and hemmer to name a few. Treasure!

I recently came upon a great blog featuring vintage sewing machines. Check out The Rusty Bobbin for really fantastic tips on purchasing, collecting, and caring for vintage machines. Rusty has a number of photos of pressor feet here.

My husband and I have collected about 15 vintage machines ourselves and when I can find some time to go around and photograph them all, I'll share them with you. Perhaps in the next couple weeks...

Erosion

The word conjures images of water, wind, and sand, flowing for millennia, carving gorges through earth and rock.

But what about thread - flowing for years - over plastic?

I was having a lot of trouble with the tension on my Pfaff 7570, purchased just this past millennium, in 1999. Must be something really stuck in the tension disks, I thought. Finally had to break down and bring it to the dealer.

She has a thorough eye and what she found really surprised me. Over the years of sewing almost daily, often for hours at a time, the threads had gouged a path into the plastic. See where, above, the thread would come off the spool pin and curve around the back of the square piece, to the left and frontwards (following the large arrow?) The problem was right below the left corner of that arrow, underneath, where I may have never seen it (unless I was hanging upside down from the ceiling behind the machine...like a vampire...I've cut down on that.)

Here I'm holding up the old part in front of the repaired machine, so you can see where it fits in -

I had to wait two weeks f