Skirt lemonade
Jun. 12th, 2003 07:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
magidOne of my favorite older black skirts died yesterday, ripping where the fabric had gotten incredibly thin. I hadn't realized just how worn out it had gotten. It's a cool fabric, a black-on-black little pattern in the weave. The orker who is incredibly fabric-knowledgeable suggested I throw it away, but I decided that this might just be the impetus to make something.
Amazingly, rather than toss it on the ever-growing pile of things that had been my clothes until they wore out (ie, another project for "someday"), I actually did something with (part of) the skirt last night. [Am I particularly hard on clothes? Why do some things last forever and other things just give up the ghost? (I don't include T-shirts in this, either.)]
I still don't have a sewing machine, but I thought that making something small and relatively uncomplicated by hand would be doable, and perhaps give me the impetus to get one (Er, right after getting sandals. And a new skirt.).
So I pulled out my sewing box (discovering yet again that I'm some kind of cloth ribbon addict, stockpiling found ribbons for some as-yet-unknown purpose), chose a needle (guessing at size) and black thread, got my scissors handy. Amazingly, I was able to thread the needle every time I needed it without any difficulties.
It felt extremely strange to just cut into the skirt, but I managed that, choosing a piece that seemed strong, and was along two edges. Since the fabric has a rather open weave, the orker had suggested I needed to do French seams (folded down twice, so no open edges), so I had twice as much work on each cut edge, hence the attempt to minimize extra effort.
I pinned and sewed each cut side twice, then folded the hemmed piece in half, and sewed around three sides, twice again, for strength. Two different stitches, but I'm not sure what the names are.
I turned it right-side-out, and now have a bag big enough to put my hand in. The stitching isn't incredibly even, and there's no closure or handle(s), but it still feels like an accomplishment: the first sewing I remember doing since junior high (if I discount buttons restored to original locations, and an evening with a serger making a scarf, which was edging one piece of fabric, rather than joining multiple pieces together).
Amazingly, rather than toss it on the ever-growing pile of things that had been my clothes until they wore out (ie, another project for "someday"), I actually did something with (part of) the skirt last night. [Am I particularly hard on clothes? Why do some things last forever and other things just give up the ghost? (I don't include T-shirts in this, either.)]
I still don't have a sewing machine, but I thought that making something small and relatively uncomplicated by hand would be doable, and perhaps give me the impetus to get one (Er, right after getting sandals. And a new skirt.).
So I pulled out my sewing box (discovering yet again that I'm some kind of cloth ribbon addict, stockpiling found ribbons for some as-yet-unknown purpose), chose a needle (guessing at size) and black thread, got my scissors handy. Amazingly, I was able to thread the needle every time I needed it without any difficulties.
It felt extremely strange to just cut into the skirt, but I managed that, choosing a piece that seemed strong, and was along two edges. Since the fabric has a rather open weave, the orker had suggested I needed to do French seams (folded down twice, so no open edges), so I had twice as much work on each cut edge, hence the attempt to minimize extra effort.
I pinned and sewed each cut side twice, then folded the hemmed piece in half, and sewed around three sides, twice again, for strength. Two different stitches, but I'm not sure what the names are.
I turned it right-side-out, and now have a bag big enough to put my hand in. The stitching isn't incredibly even, and there's no closure or handle(s), but it still feels like an accomplishment: the first sewing I remember doing since junior high (if I discount buttons restored to original locations, and an evening with a serger making a scarf, which was edging one piece of fabric, rather than joining multiple pieces together).
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no subject
Date: 2003-06-12 05:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-06-12 06:38 am (UTC)Yay, congratulations! :)
And now that you have a proper place to put it, you'll always know where your hand is.
no subject
Date: 2003-06-12 06:52 am (UTC)Funny, I never had problems finding my hand before....
;-)
no subject
Date: 2003-06-12 06:56 am (UTC)What things do you think completely necessary?
I have thoughts of quilting or making clothing, but I don't know if either falls into the category of something I'll actually do, or something I'll think about off and on for years but never quite manage to start...
no subject
Date: 2003-06-13 05:53 am (UTC)too cute!
no subject
Date: 2003-06-13 06:31 am (UTC)Though you know I never avoid good lemonade, given the chance :-)
no subject
Date: 2003-06-13 06:34 am (UTC)heh (just got that feeling in my jaw again!!!)
heh heh
no subject
Date: 2003-06-13 06:46 am (UTC)I still find that so bizarre...
no subject
Date: 2003-06-17 09:40 am (UTC)If you want a nice simple basic machine you can keep in a corner and pull out every once in a while when the need strikes, you want something that does basic stitches - at least straight and zigzag, backwards (this should be all standard). A machine that does buttonholes is *really* useful. A machine that comes with a variety of feet is good - have at least a zipper foot as an extra - it comes in handy for things other than zippers, too, and if you need to put one in, it's much easier.
For what sounds like your needs - make sure whatever machine you get is a simple threader - that completely varies, so just make sure you're comfortable with its threading path before you get something.
If you don't need fancy stitches or fancy embroidery stitches, or programmable stitches/designs, then don't get them.
Oh, and unrelated to the sewing machine itself, if you're going to be doing any sewing, get a seam ripper.
I think I'm done now...hope this is at all useful. I use my machine a reasonable amount, and I've never needed anything extra that my machine doesn't do, and it's simple enough that it doesn't break, unlike my housemate's more complex computerized thing.
no subject
Date: 2003-06-17 02:45 pm (UTC)I keep on finding myself looking at fabrics with an eye to making something, and I know I'll never get around to doing anything if I have to borrow a friend's machine, so a basic machine would likely be right for me. This gives me some direction.
Now to actually go and check out machines...
(I have an orker friend who makes amazing quilts and has a machine that doesn't even go backward...)