Sooo angry. I haven't been able to make a garment since the Ren Dress.
I took a step back and a deep breath, and decided to reorganize. I have several projects started that I need to finish - a faux leather belt, a vinyl purse, and a re-purposed flannel shirt dress. I've been meaning to teach myself how to make cloth flowers. I hate working with pattern tissue! I wanted to make wrist bands!
The flowers have been fun, I've been mixing at matching little bundles of fabric, and I am going to use some of them to make wrist bands.
I'm using the wrist cuffs off the afore-mentioned flannels, they are just the right size, and they have a built in button-hole, which is plus.
Also as I mentioned, I hate working with tissue paper, so I decided to affix some of my patterns. I used watered down white glue, craft paper and a large brush. You only have to coat the top of the tissue, as it soaks through to the craft paper. Be careful and watch for bubbles, and when it dries it is AWESOME. Just cut around the lines and you're done. I mark the pattern number and what it is on the outside of the roll, and tie a clip onto the tying cord to hold the smaller pattern pieces.
I'm getting pretty good at the rosettes, too. More complicated flowers to follow soon!
So I am not quite sure where to go next - jump into a project, do some of this smaller prep-work, or what. Any ideas?
As I intimated in my comment to you on the previous post, about the sweater knit...jersey is waaaaay tricky. I hardly ever use it (prefer cottons, wovens and silk) just because its inherent stretch has a way of getting bogged down in a machine's innards if the tension isn't kept Just So.
ReplyDeleteThat's also a tricky pattern in the fabric itself, cool as it is. It almost begs for a neutral black "break" between bodice and skirt to work well...
Don't get discouraged, though! All of us have a trove of "oops" projects we can point to. It's a bit like photography, especially in the early days - you need to make about 10 items for every superstar project that emerges from the pack, just as only one in a dozen shots may be a real keeper.
As for the tissue patterns, may I suggest, iron them! It makes them much easier to handle and also more precise. Another thing I do when I am done with a pattern is that I stack the pieces, iron them, fold them, and continue until they're the size of the pattern envelope for storage. It not only makes them tidy/organized but also reduces your storage space. I also tend to cut out a pattern on the largest lines available and then press it down to the cutting lines for the desired size. That way, if I want to make something for someone else at a larger size later on, from that pattern, I have my options open.
I'd encourage you to try a new project ASAP and not get bogged down in prep. You need to recapture your mojo!
As for me, once the Georgian Manor is off the cutting table - and that moment is in sight, ladies and gents! - my next project is one of the dresses from a pattern I'll post tomorrow, from an autumn-gold woven rayon.