Disboutiquers Part 28 Kids Disney Boutique / Customs Clothes psst..we sew ;-)

[Taja]

Wow! So many wonderful things! I can hardly wait for late May/early June so I can begin working on school clothes for Miss Abigail! *LOL*

I finally broke down and bought an 18" doll for her--for her fifth birthday in October. American Girl was out of my budget--and she isn't all that careful with many of her toys yet. I would cringe every time she left a $100+ doll on the floor. I need to get busy and drape a sloper for the doll so I can satisfy my creative urges making doll clothes! *LOL*

Oh my! So many lovely things posted. I have to figure out how to quotes multiple pictures. But, I loved EVERYTHING! The figment bad is amazing and I really loved the plaid pooh outfit. The car organizer was a fab idea and the scooby shirt is super cute.

THanks for all the support! I used the same fabric to make 2 additional snack bags (in different sizes) and a cloth napkin. I want to attempt some type of pattern tomorrow. I'm going to look at some of the links I discovered (from the dis) and see what looks not so hard. I'm off all week on spring break, so I have time to play around. I bought a bunch of clearance fabric at wal-mart, so I feel like I can mess it up and not stress (too much )

Ok, on to dumb sewing questions...

1) how do you cut out the fabric straight? Is that what I need a rotarty cutter for? I already have the self-healing mat. THe rotary citter was on my list, but I kind of left the list home and had to wing my supplies

2) When sewing, is there anything I can do to ensure that I am sewing in a straight line?? It is just a matter of practice and patience? My little snack bags are ok, but it looks like a drunk person sewed the seams on the napkin!!!

I learned old-school sewing techniques and never used a rotary cutter, mat and quilting ruler until about 25 years ago! I still don't use them a lot, except when cutting very straight lines for quilts, bags, table cloths and napkins, bias or straight binding, etc. I believe many people use them for cutting out garments, but I cling to my humongous, super-sharp tailor shears. Use what works best for you.

Remember, be sure to launder your washable fabric prior to cutting. If it's going to shrink, you want it to do so before you cut, rather than afterwards!

Fabric, particularly woven fabric, is similar to wood in that it has grain lines. In the case of fabric, it has the lengthwise ("straight") grain (which usually is very stable), crosswise grain (may have a bit more give than lengthwise grain) and bias. Bias typically is a 45-degree angle from the lengthwise grain (although it can be specified at different degrees on patterns) and has more give than the crosswise or lengthwise grains. You'll need to know this as you work with patterns.

Your snack bags are good practice for sewing straight lines. As your projects create "scraps" (be sure to save decent sized pieces to incorporate into other projects), you may find that you have some long pieces along the selvedge (that's the woven edge running the length of the fabric that doesn't ravel) that you can use to practice long, straight stitching. They also make nice handles on bags--make tubes so you can use them later! *LOL*

If you were trying to make a narrow hem on the cloth napkin, you probably did not have enough fabric to the right of your presser foot to cover the feed dogs (those funny, toothy things that move up-and-down in the throat plate), which caused the fabric to feed unevenly, resulting in a wavey hem. Also, check your machine to see if you have more than one throat plate. Many come with two throat plates: one with a wide hole (for zigzag and decorative stitches) and the other with a very small hole for straight stitching. Believe it or not, that can make a significant difference. The other thing to check on your machine is if it has multiple needle positions. This can allow you to position the fabric to cover the feed dogs better, while moving the needle to the right of center to maintain a narrow seam or hem. You would need to use the zigzag throat plate for this operation.

Apart from the seam allowance markings on the throat plate of your machine, you can purchase (or it may be included in the accessories that came with your machine) a seam guide. It usually screws into a tiny hole an inch or so to the right of the throat plate and is adjustable. Works well for straight stitching and most curves (definitely not 11.5" doll clothing, though!).

You are doing great! Experiment with your machine on scrap fabric to learn how the various attachments and stitches work. You'll be sewing like a pro in no time!

Edited to add:

Just had another thought on your napkin. It may not have been cut on the straight grain of the fabric, causing the seams/hems to wave. So many possibilities to explore! *LOL*

 

[RMAMom]

Here is DD's dress she wore for Easter....I have posted pics of the dress before (couple of threads ago), but not this picture....it was done over the holidays for her 3rd birthday. The dress will be one of the few I save for her. This and her blessing gown. Sorry about the quality of the pic....its a pic by my camera of the portrait on the wall...so not the highest pixel count.

BTW we finally went public....DD is going to be a middle child! I'm due in October, DH has his position until Jan 1st....so thanks everyone for your prayers that something opens up for him!

This is why I have not been as productive at the sewing machine as I have in the past....but the fatigue is getting better now.

It would be great if we could take the new LO to WDW after the big reopen at MK in 2013

Just stopped by to lurk and catch up before I burried myself in my sewing room again but I had to comment and say congratulations to you!!!

D~ I agree with everyone else please, please, please, draft your bag pattern and release it for us! I will be in the world in October with my Mom, Aunt and 2 daughters. I would love, love, love to make the bag for the 5 of us! Of course I have no hope of embellishing it with amazing hand applique but I love the design of the bag!

 

[tricia]

I know someone will remember WHERE it is, but there is a tutorial someplace for how to make the bowling shirt without the lining . . . I would know where it was, except the bowling shirts were one of the things my mom ended up sewing for me for our trip when I was running out of time. From what I hear though, the tutorial is FABULOUS!

OMG, I am feeling totally sheepish now. I'm the one who wrote up the quick tutorial. I had completely forgotten about that. here is a link. http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=41263798&postcount=1350

 

[mphalens]

OMG, I am feeling totally sheepish now. I'm the one who wrote up the quick tutorial. I had completely forgotten about that. here is a link. http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=41263798&postcount=1350

Yay! I have now pinned it Thanks for reposting!!!!

 

[PurpleEars]

THanks for all the support! I used the same fabric to make 2 additional snack bags (in different sizes) and a cloth napkin. I want to attempt some type of pattern tomorrow. I'm going to look at some of the links I discovered (from the dis) and see what looks not so hard. I'm off all week on spring break, so I have time to play around. I bought a bunch of clearance fabric at wal-mart, so I feel like I can mess it up and not stress (too much )

Ok, on to dumb sewing questions...

1) how do you cut out the fabric straight? Is that what I need a rotarty cutter for? I already have the self-healing mat. THe rotary citter was on my list, but I kind of left the list home and had to wing my supplies

2) When sewing, is there anything I can do to ensure that I am sewing in a straight line?? It is just a matter of practice and patience? My little snack bags are ok, but it looks like a drunk person sewed the seams on the napkin!!!

There are NO dumb questions on here (well unless if you asked someone what their weight is ). For cutting fabric stright, one more trick I really ENJOY using is the snip and rip method. I cut a snip along the edge and rip across the material. It should give you a nice stright edge (but frayed like crazy). I then use the rotary cutter to trim up the stray thread.

I just use the edge of the presser foot for a nice 1/4" seam. I have been sewing for years now and I still think straight lines are optional when it comes to sewing from time to time.

Hey everyone. Well, I started making my first custom disney clothes this past weekend. So far, so good. I have two dresses made for DD and I'm now working on bowling shirts for the boys and a matching top for DD. (I'll post pics once I'm done these last three, I promise). I swear though, these bowlings shirts are going to kill me. It took me hours last night just to cut the fabric and I thought I'd have several hours to sew today and I ended up spending most of it working on the stripes on the front LOL. They're coming together nicely but I'm SLOW! Anyway, I have a question... I'm using CarlaC's bowling shirt pattern... how important is the lining? I plan to use it for the sleeves but I'd like to skip it for the body. The bowlings shirts that were made for the boys for DD's wish trip a few years ago didn't have a lining but the fabric was much sturdier than the very light fabric I'm using. Do most of you use a lining? Should I with very light weight fabric? (Before this weekend I've only ever made furry costumes so I get very nervous right now with cutting and making sure my seams are even... when making a big furry dog or eeyore costume it never really mattered....)

I find lining the shirts are a pain. I have only lined a few shirts because the material was quite thin. I usually just serge or zigzag the hem, fold it up by 1/4", and sew the hem in place. The same thing applies to the sleeves.

So inspired by all of you, I have been reading through the pages of this thread for the past several days and have been truly enjoying every moment of it. I am more of a quilter than a seamstress but recently we began planning a trip to Disney and I have been so inspired to make Disney clothes for my three daughters! I made a few pillowcase dresses and then one dress from my own pattern that I just sort of made up...I will post pictures once I'm able...I still haven't commented enough to be able to! I do have a blog though, I will add it to my signature and you can see what I've been making.

I wanted to ask, for those of you who have embroidery machines, do any of you have any thoughts or feelings on a Brother? I am interested in just a basic embroidery machine, I cannot really afford to get a top of the line right now, but I know if I had even something basic I would do a lot with it!

Congrats on your upcoming Disney trip. I have an older Brother embroidery machine (only does 4x4) and it is very user friendly. I paid $299 for it approximately 5 years ago. Please post pictures of your quilt. A few of us quilt in addition to making clothes.

I still haven't done much Disney related stuff... I've had a wedding shower to make gifts for and so forth. I used Walmart brand pillowcase 2/$5.00 for the pillowcases and I really don't like the way it turned out. I think they would look much nicer on some better pillowcases. I always buy my pillowcases in a sheet set and didn't realize how expensive it is to just buy pillowcases. :/

I also did them a set of towels. I really love this design. It's called embossing. So the letter in the middle is the towel and all the lilac around is thread. Everyone seems to like them so I'll probably do this again.

I'm sick of winding bobbin!!!!!!!! But I'm so worried about buying all those pre-wound and my machine not liking them. I did learn something really important about my machine while making these...Hopefully it'll be helpful to someone else... When winding my bobbins if I don't have the bobbin thread tight enough around the third step (through the little metal part with the round "button") then my bobbin will be wonky and not wound tight. I also figured out a lot of the sulky thread has little pieces of plastic sticking out from the top and bottom of the spool of thread and it was catching my thread and causing it to shred and break a lot so I filed them down with a metal nail file and that seems to have fixed the problem.

Hope everyone had a Happy Easter! I loved seeing everyone's kiddos all dressed up!

Great items for the shower! I hope the recipent will like them!

Oh thank you! I will go and look that one up - I am torn between an embroidery machine and a serger. I found a Brother serger as well for a very reasonable price and though I so badly want to be able to do embroidery now I'm wondering if the serger is more the "necessity".

Depends on what you do, since you are a quilter, you may get more use out of an embroidery machine. An alternative for a serger you can consider is a side cutter. I call it a "poor person's serger." Some people hate them but my side cutter served me very very well for a number of years before I could afford a serger.

Here is DD's dress she wore for Easter....I have posted pics of the dress before (couple of threads ago), but not this picture....it was done over the holidays for her 3rd birthday. The dress will be one of the few I save for her. This and her blessing gown. Sorry about the quality of the pic....its a pic by my camera of the portrait on the wall...so not the highest pixel count.

BTW we finally went public....DD is going to be a middle child! I'm due in October, DH has his position until Jan 1st....so thanks everyone for your prayers that something opens up for him!

This is why I have not been as productive at the sewing machine as I have in the past....but the fatigue is getting better now.

It would be great if we could take the new LO to WDW after the big reopen at MK in 2013

Isn't she adorable?! Thanks for sharing the picture. Congrats on your pregnancy! I hope you will have a healthy and smooth pregnancy. I also hope your DH will find something suitable.

 

[teacher1717]

Oh my goodness! SO much information! I am going to have to read this a few times to understand everything you said, Thanks sSOOOOOOO much for the help.

Wow! So many wonderful things! I can hardly wait for late May/early June so I can begin working on school clothes for Miss Abigail! *LOL*

I finally broke down and bought an 18" doll for her--for her fifth birthday in October. American Girl was out of my budget--and she isn't all that careful with many of her toys yet. I would cringe every time she left a $100+ doll on the floor. I need to get busy and drape a sloper for the doll so I can satisfy my creative urges making doll clothes! *LOL*



I learned old-school sewing techniques and never used a rotary cutter, mat and quilting ruler until about 25 years ago! I still don't use them a lot, except when cutting very straight lines for quilts, bags, table cloths and napkins, bias or straight binding, etc. I believe many people use them for cutting out garments, but I cling to my humongous, super-sharp tailor shears. Use what works best for you.

Remember, be sure to launder your washable fabric prior to cutting. If it's going to shrink, you want it to do so before you cut, rather than afterwards!

Fabric, particularly woven fabric, is similar to wood in that it has grain lines. In the case of fabric, it has the lengthwise ("straight") grain (which usually is very stable), crosswise grain (may have a bit more give than lengthwise grain) and bias. Bias typically is a 45-degree angle from the lengthwise grain (although it can be specified at different degrees on patterns) and has more give than the crosswise or lengthwise grains. You'll need to know this as you work with patterns.

Your snack bags are good practice for sewing straight lines. As your projects create "scraps" (be sure to save decent sized pieces to incorporate into other projects), you may find that you have some long pieces along the selvedge (that's the woven edge running the length of the fabric that doesn't ravel) that you can use to practice long, straight stitching. They also make nice handles on bags--make tubes so you can use them later! *LOL*

If you were trying to make a narrow hem on the cloth napkin, you probably did not have enough fabric to the right of your presser foot to cover the feed dogs (those funny, toothy things that move up-and-down in the throat plate), which caused the fabric to feed unevenly, resulting in a wavey hem. Also, check your machine to see if you have more than one throat plate. Many come with two throat plates: one with a wide hole (for zigzag and decorative stitches) and the other with a very small hole for straight stitching. Believe it or not, that can make a significant difference. The other thing to check on your machine is if it has multiple needle positions. This can allow you to position the fabric to cover the feed dogs better, while moving the needle to the right of center to maintain a narrow seam or hem. You would need to use the zigzag throat plate for this operation.

Apart from the seam allowance markings on the throat plate of your machine, you can purchase (or it may be included in the accessories that came with your machine) a seam guide. It usually screws into a tiny hole an inch or so to the right of the throat plate and is adjustable. Works well for straight stitching and most curves (definitely not 11.5" doll clothing, though!).

You are doing great! Experiment with your machine on scrap fabric to learn how the various attachments and stitches work. You'll be sewing like a pro in no time!

Edited to add:

Just had another thought on your napkin. It may not have been cut on the straight grain of the fabric, causing the seams/hems to wave. So many possibilities to explore! *LOL*

 

[pyrxtc]

I have been hanging around since the last thread halfway through (I did go back & read about 60 pgs of that one too!) & I love everything everyone does! I got my first machine a few weeks ago for my bday & I have finished my first project! It's for my youngest daughter (3) whom wants to be minnie mouse when asked what she wants to be when she grows up!

sorry that is so big! I will have to read over the photo posting guidelines up front again! I learned that bias tape is NOT my best friend while making this!

Very cute Minnie dress. Can I ask where you used the bias tape in the dress, I can't tell.

Here are pictures of what I have been working on recently - the pioneer dress and pinafore. I used the Carla C portrait peasant dress pattern and it was a dream to use! For the pinafore, I used vintage instructions as to how to do it.

I am very happy how they turned out and I will definitely be using the Carla C pattern again!

Very nice ! I am trying to find a colonial outfit for a boy for my DS for school next year but have had no luck at all. I have seen men's civil war uniforms but nothing for my DS.

 

[pyrxtc]

Here's what I've been working on lately. First youngest DS requested a Scooby Doo shirt. He's not too much into the bowling shirt anymore, says he doesn't like buttons, so I let him pick them out.

Then I made a car organizer. This one is for older DS's side of the car. I will make a similar one for younger DS. I took one pic inside so you can see it better and one from inside the car.

Love the shirt !

 

[pumpkinpatchquilter]

I didn't have much time yesterday to come back and answer all the the kind and helpful comments everyone left...but thank you! I'm so thrilled I found this thread!

Blyssful - your sheet sets are gorgeous! I know you said you didn't like how they turned out, and I can be a perfectionist about my creations as well, but I just have to say I really love what you did even if they weren't the way you wanted them! You have given me great ideas for wedding gifts...we have a wedding coming up in May and now my gears are turning!

dianemom2 - thank you for the welcome! I cannot wait to show what I've been making too! It's so fun to see what you all are making and get inspired! I'm happy to hear so many are fans of the Brother embroidery machine...I looked up the 770 and I'm going to keep my eyes out for a deal. I don't know much about Brother machines but I wanted to be sure it was a brand that others have been happy with.

VBAndrea and SallyfromDE - I am now sort of leaning towards the serger. In the past I didn't make a lot of clothing, but I do make a lot of totes, purses, and household items...and recently I've been brave and am delving into making dresses and other clothing for my children. I know if I had a serger I would definitely use it.

miprender - hahahaha, I currently have 13 sewing machines...I don't know WHAT I would do if there were a fire!!! LOL*

PurpleEars - that is very encouraging, the embroidery machine I'm interested in runs about $300. That is more fitting of my current budget and good to know you are pleased with yours! I will definitely post pictures as soon as DISboard lets me!

 

[PrincessMom4]

How did you make that Star Wars car organizer??

 

[smile5sunshine]

I have been sewing for years now and I still think straight lines are optional when it comes to sewing from time to time.

HA HA HA, I think I'm going to make this my new sewing philosophy!

Wow! So many wonderful things! I can hardly wait for late May/early June so I can begin working on school clothes for Miss Abigail! *LOL*

I finally broke down and bought an 18" doll for her--for her fifth birthday in October. American Girl was out of my budget--and she isn't all that careful with many of her toys yet. I would cringe every time she left a $100+ doll on the floor. I need to get busy and drape a sloper for the doll so I can satisfy my creative urges making doll clothes! *LOL*



I learned old-school sewing techniques and never used a rotary cutter, mat and quilting ruler until about 25 years ago! I still don't use them a lot, except when cutting very straight lines for quilts, bags, table cloths and napkins, bias or straight binding, etc. I believe many people use them for cutting out garments, but I cling to my humongous, super-sharp tailor shears. Use what works best for you.

Remember, be sure to launder your washable fabric prior to cutting. If it's going to shrink, you want it to do so before you cut, rather than afterwards!

Fabric, particularly woven fabric, is similar to wood in that it has grain lines. In the case of fabric, it has the lengthwise ("straight") grain (which usually is very stable), crosswise grain (may have a bit more give than lengthwise grain) and bias. Bias typically is a 45-degree angle from the lengthwise grain (although it can be specified at different degrees on patterns) and has more give than the crosswise or lengthwise grains. You'll need to know this as you work with patterns.

Your snack bags are good practice for sewing straight lines. As your projects create "scraps" (be sure to save decent sized pieces to incorporate into other projects), you may find that you have some long pieces along the selvedge (that's the woven edge running the length of the fabric that doesn't ravel) that you can use to practice long, straight stitching. They also make nice handles on bags--make tubes so you can use them later! *LOL*

If you were trying to make a narrow hem on the cloth napkin, you probably did not have enough fabric to the right of your presser foot to cover the feed dogs (those funny, toothy things that move up-and-down in the throat plate), which caused the fabric to feed unevenly, resulting in a wavey hem. Also, check your machine to see if you have more than one throat plate. Many come with two throat plates: one with a wide hole (for zigzag and decorative stitches) and the other with a very small hole for straight stitching. Believe it or not, that can make a significant difference. The other thing to check on your machine is if it has multiple needle positions. This can allow you to position the fabric to cover the feed dogs better, while moving the needle to the right of center to maintain a narrow seam or hem. You would need to use the zigzag throat plate for this operation.

Apart from the seam allowance markings on the throat plate of your machine, you can purchase (or it may be included in the accessories that came with your machine) a seam guide. It usually screws into a tiny hole an inch or so to the right of the throat plate and is adjustable. Works well for straight stitching and most curves (definitely not 11.5" doll clothing, though!).

You are doing great! Experiment with your machine on scrap fabric to learn how the various attachments and stitches work. You'll be sewing like a pro in no time!

Edited to add:

Just had another thought on your napkin. It may not have been cut on the straight grain of the fabric, causing the seams/hems to wave. So many possibilities to explore! *LOL*

UM WOW! Thanks for all the info! I wasn't the one who you were answering, but as a new(er) sewer, I found it VERY helpful! Thank you!

Oh thank you! I will go and look that one up - I am torn between an embroidery machine and a serger. I found a Brother serger as well for a very reasonable price and though I so badly want to be able to do embroidery now I'm wondering if the serger is more the "necessity".

I just ordered the Brother 1034D Serger off of Amazon (supposed to arrive TODAY YIPPPEEE!!!!) and paid $200 with free shipping. I don't know how much you were thinking you had to spend on one, but maybe it would be possible for you to still get both.

.... but sewing is on the back burner for me. With spring here yard work consumes too much of my time. Apparently eating does too -- I've gained 9 pounds. DH got me a new tv for our bedroom though (an early Mother's Day present) so I did do a workout today

YAY on the new TV. And I sure do wish you'd finish up with your yardwork already. I love all the things you sew and I want to see more!

Here is DD's dress she wore for Easter....I have posted pics of the dress before (couple of threads ago), but not this picture....it was done over the holidays for her 3rd birthday. The dress will be one of the few I save for her. This and her blessing gown. Sorry about the quality of the pic....its a pic by my camera of the portrait on the wall...so not the highest pixel count.

BTW we finally went public....DD is going to be a middle child! I'm due in October, DH has his position until Jan 1st....so thanks everyone for your prayers that something opens up for him!

This is why I have not been as productive at the sewing machine as I have in the past....but the fatigue is getting better now.

It would be great if we could take the new LO to WDW after the big reopen at MK in 2013

WOW, that dress is stunning! A keepsake for sure! And CONGRATULATIONS on your new pregnancy!

Like everyone else I have a PE770 and love it and I also have a Brother serger but if I had to save one in a fire it would be my embroidery machine

Guess we all now know where YOUR loyalty lies! HA!

I still haven't done much Disney related stuff... I've had a wedding shower to make gifts for and so forth. I used Walmart brand pillowcase 2/$5.00 for the pillowcases and I really don't like the way it turned out. I think they would look much nicer on some better pillowcases. I always buy my pillowcases in a sheet set and didn't realize how expensive it is to just buy pillowcases. :/

I also did them a set of towels. I really love this design. It's called embossing. So the letter in the middle is the towel and all the lilac around is thread. Everyone seems to like them so I'll probably do this again.

LOVE the towels and pillowcases. What a great wedding gift!




As I mentioned above, my serger is supposed to be delivered TODAY! I'm about to pee my pants I'm so excited! (Darn 4 kids really took a toll on this poor body! ) AND my DH is out of town on an overnight class trip so as soon as it arrives (and the kids go to bed) I can play guilt free with it to my little heart's content.

Sunshine

 

[DMGeurts]

Here is DD's dress she wore for Easter....I have posted pics of the dress before (couple of threads ago), but not this picture....it was done over the holidays for her 3rd birthday. The dress will be one of the few I save for her. This and her blessing gown. Sorry about the quality of the pic....its a pic by my camera of the portrait on the wall...so not the highest pixel count.

BTW we finally went public....DD is going to be a middle child! I'm due in October, DH has his position until Jan 1st....so thanks everyone for your prayers that something opens up for him!

This is why I have not been as productive at the sewing machine as I have in the past....but the fatigue is getting better now.

It would be great if we could take the new LO to WDW after the big reopen at MK in 2013

Just a simply stunning dress!

And congrats on baby #3!!!

D--- love seeing MM

Thanks Michelle!

Wow! So many wonderful things! I can hardly wait for late May/early June so I can begin working on school clothes for Miss Abigail! *LOL*

I finally broke down and bought an 18" doll for her--for her fifth birthday in October. American Girl was out of my budget--and she isn't all that careful with many of her toys yet. I would cringe every time she left a $100+ doll on the floor. I need to get busy and drape a sloper for the doll so I can satisfy my creative urges making doll clothes! *LOL*



I learned old-school sewing techniques and never used a rotary cutter, mat and quilting ruler until about 25 years ago! I still don't use them a lot, except when cutting very straight lines for quilts, bags, table cloths and napkins, bias or straight binding, etc. I believe many people use them for cutting out garments, but I cling to my humongous, super-sharp tailor shears. Use what works best for you.

Remember, be sure to launder your washable fabric prior to cutting. If it's going to shrink, you want it to do so before you cut, rather than afterwards!

Fabric, particularly woven fabric, is similar to wood in that it has grain lines. In the case of fabric, it has the lengthwise ("straight") grain (which usually is very stable), crosswise grain (may have a bit more give than lengthwise grain) and bias. Bias typically is a 45-degree angle from the lengthwise grain (although it can be specified at different degrees on patterns) and has more give than the crosswise or lengthwise grains. You'll need to know this as you work with patterns.

Your snack bags are good practice for sewing straight lines. As your projects create "scraps" (be sure to save decent sized pieces to incorporate into other projects), you may find that you have some long pieces along the selvedge (that's the woven edge running the length of the fabric that doesn't ravel) that you can use to practice long, straight stitching. They also make nice handles on bags--make tubes so you can use them later! *LOL*

If you were trying to make a narrow hem on the cloth napkin, you probably did not have enough fabric to the right of your presser foot to cover the feed dogs (those funny, toothy things that move up-and-down in the throat plate), which caused the fabric to feed unevenly, resulting in a wavey hem. Also, check your machine to see if you have more than one throat plate. Many come with two throat plates: one with a wide hole (for zigzag and decorative stitches) and the other with a very small hole for straight stitching. Believe it or not, that can make a significant difference. The other thing to check on your machine is if it has multiple needle positions. This can allow you to position the fabric to cover the feed dogs better, while moving the needle to the right of center to maintain a narrow seam or hem. You would need to use the zigzag throat plate for this operation.

Apart from the seam allowance markings on the throat plate of your machine, you can purchase (or it may be included in the accessories that came with your machine) a seam guide. It usually screws into a tiny hole an inch or so to the right of the throat plate and is adjustable. Works well for straight stitching and most curves (definitely not 11.5" doll clothing, though!).

You are doing great! Experiment with your machine on scrap fabric to learn how the various attachments and stitches work. You'll be sewing like a pro in no time!

Edited to add:

Just had another thought on your napkin. It may not have been cut on the straight grain of the fabric, causing the seams/hems to wave. So many possibilities to explore! *LOL*

Excellent, excellent advice!!!

D~ I agree with everyone else please, please, please, draft your bag pattern and release it for us! I will be in the world in October with my Mom, Aunt and 2 daughters. I would love, love, love to make the bag for the 5 of us! Of course I have no hope of embellishing it with amazing hand applique but I love the design of the bag!

I will try to get it done in my spare time... You know, I have lots of it - LOL

miprender - hahahaha, I currently have 13 sewing machines...I don't know WHAT I would do if there were a fire!!! LOL*

A girl after my own heart - I only have 5... But I would love more. LOL If I was to save one, and only one from a fire - it would be Patience - but to be honest with you, she'd probably survive a fire - except for her bobbin winder tire, and I can order a new one. LOL

I would go with a serger, as well... There are other methods of appliqueing with out an embroidering machine - I still want one, but I've made do for a year now - so I am not in a huge rush. A serger will give your items a nice finished look - and many people will appriciate that! Oh, and welcome!

D~

 

[PrincessMickey]

Love the dress, you did a great job on it!! And congrats on the baby!!!

How did you make that Star Wars car organizer??

Here's the tutorial I used, if you go back a page I gave a few more details on what I did different. If you have more questions let me know.
http://sew4home.com/projects/storage-solutions/894-kick-off-to-summer-travels-car-caddy

 

[VBAndrea]

Here is DD's dress she wore for Easter....I have posted pics of the dress before (couple of threads ago), but not this picture....it was done over the holidays for her 3rd birthday. The dress will be one of the few I save for her. This and her blessing gown. Sorry about the quality of the pic....its a pic by my camera of the portrait on the wall...so not the highest pixel count.

BTW we finally went public....DD is going to be a middle child! I'm due in October, DH has his position until Jan 1st....so thanks everyone for your prayers that something opens up for him!

This is why I have not been as productive at the sewing machine as I have in the past....but the fatigue is getting better now.

It would be great if we could take the new LO to WDW after the big reopen at MK in 2013

Beautiful photo of your dd!!!! And Congrats on your pregnancy

YAY on the new TV. And I sure do wish you'd finish up with your yardwork already. I love all the things you sew and I want to see more!

Sunshine

I wish I'd finish my yardwork too! truth be told I've taking a break this week -- my mom had surgery and the kids are off school. I am hoping to make something tomorrow -- not sure what to make though. I want to try to make a pattern for a knit dress based off my Olivia pattern with a different style skirt to it (I'm too cheap right now to buy the actual pattern -- it's another Farbenmix so would be $15) but I also need to do dd's Dorothy dress for her play in May and I want to make a purse for myself and some totes -- I guess it just depends on what I have the fabric for. I want to make myself two skirts too but I just gained 9 pounds and really want to make sure I can lose it so I size my skirts right. So much to do....

 

[Sandi S]

Here is DD's dress she wore for Easter....I have posted pics of the dress before (couple of threads ago), but not this picture....it was done over the holidays for her 3rd birthday. The dress will be one of the few I save for her. This and her blessing gown. Sorry about the quality of the pic....its a pic by my camera of the portrait on the wall...so not the highest pixel count.

BTW we finally went public....DD is going to be a middle child! I'm due in October, DH has his position until Jan 1st....so thanks everyone for your prayers that something opens up for him!

This is why I have not been as productive at the sewing machine as I have in the past....but the fatigue is getting better now.

It would be great if we could take the new LO to WDW after the big reopen at MK in 2013

LOVE that dress - beautiful heirloom piece!

 

[DMGeurts]

Andrea... I wish you would have posted about your mom's surgery in your TR... Sometimes I don't venture much further than that on The Dis - and I totally missed it. I hope your mom is doing OK. (((Hugs)))

D~

 

[VBAndrea]

Andrea... I wish you would have posted about your mom's surgery in your TR... Sometimes I don't venture much further than that on The Dis - and I totally missed it. I hope your mom is doing OK. (((Hugs)))

D~

Sorry D -- I really haven't been tending to my TR lately -- someone keeps posting pics of things like being in a parade at AK over there

She had surgery for uterine prolapse (she's 81 so it's about time she had it fixed!) -- just an overnight hospital stay and she is doing really well at home. She was supposed to have 24 hour care upon coming home and when it was my shift all I did was watch tv and sudoku -- my sister and I made it about 8 hours of "care" instead of 24 hours. My mom was offering to make me dinner while I was there So I think she's doing more than OK.

Me <------ who has a dog snoozing on my lap which is preventing me from cleaning, doing my daily workout (I started yesterday but if I say it's daily it should force me to do it everyday) and sewing.

 

[Queen of Cumberland]

Wow - I miss a day and suddenly there are pages to catch up on!

Here is DD's dress she wore for Easter....I have posted pics of the dress before (couple of threads ago), but not this picture....it was done over the holidays for her 3rd birthday. The dress will be one of the few I save for her. This and her blessing gown. Sorry about the quality of the pic....its a pic by my camera of the portrait on the wall...so not the highest pixel count.

BTW we finally went public....DD is going to be a middle child! I'm due in October, DH has his position until Jan 1st....so thanks everyone for your prayers that something opens up for him!

What a beautiful heirloom dress and congratulations on your pregnancy!

I still haven't done much Disney related stuff... I've had a wedding shower to make gifts for and so forth. I used Walmart brand pillowcase 2/$5.00 for the pillowcases and I really don't like the way it turned out. I think they would look much nicer on some better pillowcases. I always buy my pillowcases in a sheet set and didn't realize how expensive it is to just buy pillowcases. :/

I also did them a set of towels. I really love this design. It's called embossing. So the letter in the middle is the towel and all the lilac around is thread. Everyone seems to like them so I'll probably do this again.

That is a lovely gift.

OMG, I am feeling totally sheepish now. I'm the one who wrote up the quick tutorial. I had completely forgotten about that. here is a link. http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=41263798&postcount=1350

Thanks for posting this - I have feeling it will come in handy.

PurpleEars: My dd went to the pioneer village yesterday and had a fantastic time! It was cute to see all the kids at school dressed up like they were from the turn of the century.

 

[NiniMorris]

Seems like I only manage to do drive by posts on here lately. I believe most of you now about my Grand Princess' recent surgery and very rocky road to recovery. She is only 4 and doesn't understand all that is happening.

This is the latest update from my DIL on her FB page.
"Update on Alyssa: Hi everyone. Another visit to the Dr today means good and bad news. The good news is her foot looks great as far as correcting the clubfoot. Also, in just a few short weeks she will be able to put pressure on her foot. This means that she will be able to walk again. The bad news is has gotten some pressure sores on her heel and back of her leg. Also we will go back into the surgery next Friday. The doctor wants to surgically remove all the dead skin. At this time, she will be put to sleep for about 30 mins so the Dr can get the skin removed. She will then be put into another splint for a week and we will return to the Dr the following week for a cast. She is finally eating better and sleeping more and more each night. When you see her, she has these awful black circles under eyes. She went to class last night a church but Shawn stayed with her. Please keep praying! She is still trying to heal. What a ride this has been,.."

Please keep us in your prayers..

Nini

 

[Sandi S]

I had a very productive day - finished up a bunch of stuff!

The top 2 shirts are for our trip - the bottom two outfits are for a joint birthday party tomorrow for the youngest two. I still have to do up DS's shorts to match that t-shirt, but I already have them cut out of a fun lizard print twill I picked up at Joann's last week.