Crafters, costumers and cosplayers

[GoddessGood]

I'm looking for some advice. As an avid crafter I can never have to many outlets for creativity. Thus far, I can crochet, knit and cross-stitch as well as attempt some pretty disappointing drawing, painting and sculpting. I was given a sewing machine last Christmas and have yet to make use of it. To be blunt, it intimidates me. It sits there in all it's gleaming white glory and mocks me with it's "easy to use" features and cryptic button technology. Curse you, demon Janome! I could read the manual ... but that's too much like common sense, and we simply can't have that

So I'm asking everyone out there that sews or maybe makes their own costumes for advice. What tips would you give a humble newb like me for her first time on a new machine (oh my gawd, the double entendre!)? What tricks of the trade have you learned that you'd care to pass on? In return, I can promise lots of pics of my goofy attempts

[mrken]

hey Goddess Good, my wife has this real nice sewing machine and does very little with it. For years I have offered to use it to create costumes on it if she would at least teach me how to turn it on and make it sew. I am fairly good at seeing abstract things in 3D and think sewing might be way easier than it looks. I will be watching this thread with more than a little interest.

[GoddessGood]

Well, for you then, I will share one of the tips I learned from a friend of mine who was sewing at (of all places) the new years party I went to. She showed me how to make the simplest skirt I could ever imagine making.

You start with a rectangular panel as long as the perimeter of the bottom of the skirt.

You cut this in half in the middle, fold it in half and sew it back up on side (this is one of the side hems).

Next, you open it up again so that you can see the cut edges of the panel (this is the "wrong" side of the panel). Take a cord (rope, ribbon or whathaveyou) that is at least two feet longer than the original panel and lay it across the top of the skirt panel close to the top. You might want to pin it into place.

Then you fold the top of the panel down over the cord and sew it to the rest of the panel, making a tube of fabric that the cord can slide through. This is the waistband.

Finally, fold the panel in half so that the cut edge of the side seam and the waistband are on the outside and the neat edges are on the inside. This is "right sides together" or "wrong side out". Sew up the open side almost all the way to the top, but leave the waistband tube open so the cord can dangle out. This is the other side seam.

Now turn it inside out and you got yourself a skirt. It doesn't look like one yet, but ask your lady to try it on so you can fit it to her by cinching the cord to fit her waist. You can tie this in a knot or fasten it some other way. Alternately, you could have used an elastic cord so it'd be stretchy and more comfortable. To finish it up, fold the bottom cut edge up and sew it into place at a comfortable height (depends on how short you want the skirt). This is the bottom hem, and now the skirt's done.

[mrken]

Oh goodie, now I will finally have a skirt to wear. ;D Actually my wife was going to make a kilt for me to wear for when we were going to the SCA events, but we haven't been there in years so I think I am safe.

[GoddessGood]

Yup, that was part of the reason for my interest in sewing in the first place. The tartan alone is ungodly expensive, but if you have an uncommon tartan and want to buy a piece of clothing in it ... it's just not worth it. My sister and I are planning on making ourselves "bonnie lassie" type costumes with our great-grandfather's tartan, but neither of us know how to sew. I'd like to know the basics before I go messing up fabric that costs $60 a yard.

[MortonStromgal]

My kilt with my crazy tarten was around $400 for just the skirt part. Its ALOT of fabric though.

[mrken]

My wife got me a buckle and the whole nine yards of material. It isn't "my" Tarten, but I'm not Scottish, just have nice legs. lol Hey, not my words, my wife's, I was a runner since I was ten. That'll happen to ya if you run ten miles a day for twenty years. But then, so will cartilage degeneration.

[GoddessGood]

Heh, I'll post up instructions for making wrap pants once I figure them out. It seems like they'd be another easy construction. It's basically a cloth diaper with legs, if you think about it.

Or, you can use these ... they come complete with mystic symbols!
Wrap Pants pattern (.pdf)

[nijineko]

you don't want my advice. i passed basic boy scout sewing of objects stuff... but that's pretty much what it looks like. a ten-year old's attempt at sewing. it'll hold together, but that's the only guarantee. ^^ my wife is more in your situation. she's gotten to the point of getting the machine to sew straight lines, but steer clear of her when she's doing it... otherwise you might get into the line of fire, while she fights with it.

[Valdar]

I'd say go with commercial patterns. The clothes you make are much more comfortable than if you go with simple rectangles.

I just finished a tunic with this pattern, and it looks good and was easy to do:

http://www.habithat.co.uk/product_in...oducts_id/7127

[GoddessGood]

Ooh! Can we see a picture?

I have amassed a collection of patterns, mostly Simplicity and McCall's. What I'm really looking for is tricks of the trade. For example, what does Nijineko's wife get really stuck on and how does she fix it? What are some easy traps to fall into and how do I climb back out of them, etc. Heh, I figured sewing in straight lines was a good place to start, but apparently even that can be tricksy . I plan to make the epic first step of turning the machine on tonight

[nijineko]

make sure you have both lines threaded. ^^

[mrken]

Hey, what I really need is for someone to tell me how to make the thread go all the placed it has to go to not turn into a giant knot. Then I need to learn how to turn it on. Once the darn thing is rolling I think I can make it from there. The way I see it is I can sew a straight line, I think, and all lines are straight, more or less. A curve is just a straight line that leans to one side or the other. lol

[Grimwell]

This woman is awesome.
She is also friendly. Check her work out for inspiration at the very least!

[tesral]

R.T.F.M.

Best advice that can be given. My wife sews, but isn't on the forum. She even did one professional job that almost paid for the surger.