Just Sew It

I went shopping for fabric today and found these two … who ya!! … found them at Macphee Workshop (she’s online) too.

On Saturday, I went to the local Husqvarna/Viking dealer to specifically test drive the Husqvarna/Viking Interlude 445. I have read many rave reviews on this line and on this machine particularly. I was a bit unsure if I liked this machine because of some of the features. What I liked about this machine was the quality is excellent. It feels like a solid machine. It has a top loading bobbin with a clear cover. It has the up/down needle feature that I like.

What I did NOT like about this machine. I don’t like the flat buttons on the Vikings. It does not have extra high lifting presser foot.
I don’t like the features such as sewing advisor. I really don’t think this is a want for me. Vikings are very good quality machines but I don’t like them.

I tried the Brother NX-600. It has a lot of great features but overall the sewing quality is fine. I don’t want a machine that sews fine.
In the end, the most important thing to me in a great sewing machine is the quality of sewing it does. It must purr like a kitten. I am going to try the Janomes but I will probably end up buying a Pfaff again. I love Pfaff and want a machine with the IDT. That IDT is worth a lot especially because I like to sew light fabrics that can be slippery.

But I like to play around with other machines just to be sure. $1,200.00 is a lot of money and I want to be sure that I am making the right choice for me.

So it was back to the drawing board for me. I took the advice of a fellow PR member and decided to do a different method for adding room to my pants pattern.

I received a Threads magazine issue and lo and behold there is an article on pants fitting. It is written by Joyce Murphy and she states that you must concentrate on the “body space” in the torso area of the pants. She also said that the old ways of altering don’t work. Such as the “slash and spread method” of making room for a larger tummy. Also, she said the adding to the crotch point does not work either. They throw the grain off and add too much room to the lower front crotch area which I had trouble with in my first muslin. She writes that you should make your muslin right from the package and then alter later. You can pinch fabric to decrease or increase. If you need to add more room, do so by adding to the side seams or center seams instead. I think this sounds much better.

Well, I followed her instructions and made size 38 in the Burda pants that I want to make. They fit! Although I do feel the waistband is a little to low for my liking. I like the waistband to sit just under my belly button. As of now, it sits about 2 inches from my belly button. So I will add to the height to the pants so the waistband sits higher. My pants look much better:

I am currently working on muslin for a Burda WOF magazine pattern that I want to sew. I am working on a muslin because I want to perfect the fit before I cut out expensive fabric.

My first attempt has not gone well. I thought because I had a bit of a tummy that I would need to do an alteration. The following photo is the alteration I made to the center front:

Here are photos of my results:

I made a size 38 with a large 44 waist. I had to take the pants in by 5/8″. They still are big. It is hard to tell but because of my alteration in the front I have too much room by the front crotch. This alteration has thrown the grain off too. I thought I would need a longer crotch seam because my tummy protudes a bit. I measured the crotch and compared it to my crotch length. What I did not consider was that the waistband is part of the measurement. I now think that I am not as big as I think I am.

A fellow PR member suggested that I just add to the side seam allowance and adjust as needed. I will do that method instead. First I will flat measure the pattern at a number points of my lower body. I find flat measuring is the way to go when fitting a pattern. I also have to remember to include ease.

So now its back to the drawing board. As Anna Zapp would say, “Measure twice, cut once”.

Muslin #2 coming soon.

Yesterday, I took a 3 hour class on making three types of pockets. The three types of pockets were patch, welt, and zippered welt. The class was held at a high school and the sewing machine were Elna 2004. I have tried two type of Elnas and the 2004 is NOT a good machine. It is very clunky and does not sew nice at all. My Pfaff is an entry level machine and it is still much better that the Elna 2004. Anyways, the following are instructions to make the types of pockets I learned to construct. The photos are not the best. I found out the next day that my lense were dirty:

Patch Pockets

1. On the pocket, iron on a fusible interfacing to the wrong side.

2. With the pocket lining, fold it in half lengthwise and trim the sides by 1/8″.

3. Fold the lining at a diagonal and cut a slit about 1 inch (which will be 2 inches once unfolded). This will be the opening for turning the pocket to the right side.

4. Using a 1/4″ seam allowance stitch the lining to the pocket with right sides together. When stitching, the top of the pocket lining and fabric have to match. The sides have to match too. Use pins to hold lining to pocket.

5. Turn pocket inside out through the slit cut.

6. Press. The top of the pocket will come down about 1/4″ to form a hem so to speak.

7. To cover the slit, iron on a piece of fusible interfacing.

8. Before placing pocket on garment, apply 3 strips of wonder tape or glue stick to the back side of the pocket. This will keep the pocket in place while sewing it in place.

9. Markings should be made on garment so the pocket can be placed correctly.

10. To sew pocket on, you can topstitch or blindsstitch the pocket on. Topstitching is easier. Topstitch close to edge on the corners. Sew a triangle.

Welt Pocket

1. Cut a piece of 2 inch fusible interfacing to the wrong side of fabric. Cut out your welts on the bias at 1″ wide.

2. Mark the placement line by drawing a 5″ line.

3. Mark the end lines.

4. With two pins, put pin at end line to mark placement for the right side.

5. Flip fabric over to right side. mark placement lines on the right side. Place welts that have been folded
in half and pressed. Raw edges of each welt should be placed on the placement line.

6. Pin welts on and mark the welt end lines.

7. Tape welts at each end. Stitch down the center of each welt from one end placement line to the other. Be exact.

8. On the interfaciing side of jacket put a few drops of sealant at each of the four ends.

9. Using scissors cut on the center line. Stop about 1″ from end and cut on an angle to each corner. Get very close to corner.
Do not cut into the welts.

10. From inside of the jacket place the right side of top pocket lining next to the top welt. Use glue stick/wonder tape to adhere lining to fabric.

11 On right side, stitch on welt lines again.

12. To finish welts and pocket lining pull triangles so flat and straight next to welts.

13. Now stitch pocket lining together. Move fabric out of the way. Stitch a curved pocket so lint does not collect in the corners.

Zipper Welt Pocket

The construction is very similar but no welt strip is sewn on.

1. First a placement line is drawn with the end lines added at each end.

2. Then about 1/2 cm on each side the placement line add another line.

3. With the fabric and lining together stitch in one direction from center to center. Then turn the fabric around and stitch center to center in the other direction.

4. Cut the placement line in the same manner as the other welt pocket.

5. Turn the lining in.

6. The welt opening should look like this:

7. Place the opening on top of the zipper. Topstitch the zipper in place. You can also stitch the zipper to the fabrics seam allowance.

8. Stitch the pocket as shown in the photo.