Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Christmas Chiffons
I finally finished 3 of the 4 chiffon jackets that I was working on in late October. Life interruptions.... partys, visiting relatives , throwing a party for 50, holiday events, and other diversions such as the gala outfit that I made myself. If you love fabric, and fit, and have the patience of Job, DO make yourself a spaghetti strapped princess seamed cocktail dress from heavy black charmeuse, lined with hand dyed habotai, belted and topped with a simple black chiffon jacket. Note the hint of sarcasm? Honestly, a 7 section dress challenged my math abilities, and when I finished working with all that slippery silk I would have slit my wrists had it not been for the fact that the dress was an absolute dream to wear.
The first jacket and charmeuse tank were delivered on time on Nov 7th. See the picture of Sugar in the Sapphire chiffon with black floral detailing on sleeve and front over the black charmeuse tank. The photography is bad. The beautiful Sapphire color is Dharma's fiber reactive Sapphire. The black detailing was acid dye.
The second construction was the pretty black and blue jacket that I have named Night Dive. I discharged the selected areas on Dharma pre-dyed black chiffon. Dharma discharge paste was used and the discharged areas were over dyed with Colorhue dyes. The title of the piece was chosen because the design and coloration reminded me of snorkeling one day in the Caribbean surrounded by thousands of iridescent juvenile squid and other little sea creatures.
The third construction was the navy discharge jacket. I have posted a pic of it with the accompanying navy stretch charmeuse pinned to the form to make the jacket detailing more evident. No over dye was used on this piece. Jacquard's deep navy acid dye was used for the base color of the jacket and the charmeuse. The discharge agent was thiox. As silk dyers/painters know, photographing silk is tricky. In reality the base color of the jacket and the charmeuse are identical. The flash caused the difference you see in the photo. I am claiming this piece for myself. It is still a bit of a work in process as I need to decide what I am going to do with the navy charmeuse and I am tempted to embellish the discharged areas a little more...
There is fourth copy of this jacket that has yet to be sewn. It is also a discharged black with an olive green over dye. This piece was made with hand dyed black chiffon using a Jacquard acid dye. When I sew it next week I will post a pic and detail the host of horrors that befell me as I worked to discharge the hand dyed black chiffon.
The first jacket and charmeuse tank were delivered on time on Nov 7th. See the picture of Sugar in the Sapphire chiffon with black floral detailing on sleeve and front over the black charmeuse tank. The photography is bad. The beautiful Sapphire color is Dharma's fiber reactive Sapphire. The black detailing was acid dye.
The second construction was the pretty black and blue jacket that I have named Night Dive. I discharged the selected areas on Dharma pre-dyed black chiffon. Dharma discharge paste was used and the discharged areas were over dyed with Colorhue dyes. The title of the piece was chosen because the design and coloration reminded me of snorkeling one day in the Caribbean surrounded by thousands of iridescent juvenile squid and other little sea creatures.
The third construction was the navy discharge jacket. I have posted a pic of it with the accompanying navy stretch charmeuse pinned to the form to make the jacket detailing more evident. No over dye was used on this piece. Jacquard's deep navy acid dye was used for the base color of the jacket and the charmeuse. The discharge agent was thiox. As silk dyers/painters know, photographing silk is tricky. In reality the base color of the jacket and the charmeuse are identical. The flash caused the difference you see in the photo. I am claiming this piece for myself. It is still a bit of a work in process as I need to decide what I am going to do with the navy charmeuse and I am tempted to embellish the discharged areas a little more...
There is fourth copy of this jacket that has yet to be sewn. It is also a discharged black with an olive green over dye. This piece was made with hand dyed black chiffon using a Jacquard acid dye. When I sew it next week I will post a pic and detail the host of horrors that befell me as I worked to discharge the hand dyed black chiffon.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
What's on my table now
Oy. I am up to my ears in chiffon and promises. My dear friend is celebrating her 50th in 2 weeks. She admired a new design of mine and so... here I go again... making something for someone that I pray they will like. Then, my dear sister-in-law saw the design and made her request... Then, there is another special someone that is going to get a surprise... You know the punch line. None of us are the same size. Agh. I drafted my pattern for my shape. Adjustments are a bit of a shot in the dark.
Shall we make it a little more difficult? The jacket demands a smooth front top underneath, and my prototype top was made from charmeuse. Yes, you are getting the picture now, I also have to make more slippery charmeuse tops for my gal pals - AND- modify my pattern for their various shapes. That might be a simple feat for some sewers... but I am not great at adjusting for all these middle aged bust lines and back sizes. Ever notice the presence of the dreaded "back fat" that we seem to accumulate in later years? How about those gaping arm holes in sleeveless tops? When I finish this round of projects I SWEAR I will never attempt this again.
This time last year I was working on a series of stoles for the wedding party of a friend's daughter. They were hand painted, and fairly identical. No stencils or screens used, just a complex drawing and a ton of gutta. I thought that was the most difficult thing that I would ever do. NOT.
Right now I am letting some discharge printing set up on one of the jackets. Pray for me :-) Pics will be posted later....
Shall we make it a little more difficult? The jacket demands a smooth front top underneath, and my prototype top was made from charmeuse. Yes, you are getting the picture now, I also have to make more slippery charmeuse tops for my gal pals - AND- modify my pattern for their various shapes. That might be a simple feat for some sewers... but I am not great at adjusting for all these middle aged bust lines and back sizes. Ever notice the presence of the dreaded "back fat" that we seem to accumulate in later years? How about those gaping arm holes in sleeveless tops? When I finish this round of projects I SWEAR I will never attempt this again.
This time last year I was working on a series of stoles for the wedding party of a friend's daughter. They were hand painted, and fairly identical. No stencils or screens used, just a complex drawing and a ton of gutta. I thought that was the most difficult thing that I would ever do. NOT.
Right now I am letting some discharge printing set up on one of the jackets. Pray for me :-) Pics will be posted later....
Serendipity and the Steamer
I am so happy today. I have searched in vain for a used jacquard upright steamer for over a year. Yesterday I received an email from Surfacing ( a Yahoo group for surface design) that someone needed to part with her steamer. We connected, and as the Universe would have it, we made the deal. She is happy; I am happy. I saved some money; she is getting some money to use for her current needs. Ain't life great!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Color and geography
My DH and I travel frequently. One of the things that I enjoy most about our travels is looking at the colors in other parts of the country. We live in the subtropics - sunsets are mango, watermelon, and sky blue. Everything is a rich pure green except for the palm trunks which are light grey and brown. Flowers range from rich oranges to brilliant pinks and magentas; the ocean is aqua. With all of this beauty I still relish the colors of other parts of the country. The palate expands with neutrals so warm and rich, and skies of more dilute blues and greys...
This weekend we are off to Apalachicola, Florida for a visit with my favorite uncle. I look forward to the pines and darker rivers of north Florida. Moss and sage greens rule the landscape, and texture is everywhere! I will be collecting some things this weekend to bring back for texture in my deconstructed printing. Hopefully I can snag a big piece of Spanish Moss.
It will also be wonderful to be in cooler weather for a change. We just got out of the 90's this week. It is in the 50's at night where we are going. Yippee!
Color, temperature, and geography are such powerful artistic influences. Are you taking advantage of everything around you?
This weekend we are off to Apalachicola, Florida for a visit with my favorite uncle. I look forward to the pines and darker rivers of north Florida. Moss and sage greens rule the landscape, and texture is everywhere! I will be collecting some things this weekend to bring back for texture in my deconstructed printing. Hopefully I can snag a big piece of Spanish Moss.
It will also be wonderful to be in cooler weather for a change. We just got out of the 90's this week. It is in the 50's at night where we are going. Yippee!
Color, temperature, and geography are such powerful artistic influences. Are you taking advantage of everything around you?
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
My experience with Colorhue dyes
I stumbled on Colorhue dyes this spring as I searched for ultralight silk thread. My source is http://www.silkthings.com/ . I was fascinated by these dyes due to their ease of use. You apply the dye to dry or wet silk, the strike is instant, and there is no after fix or wait required. They discharge well and clean up is easy. I bought the sampler pack for trial and later ordered full size bottles of the primaries . The instructions that accompany the product are adequate.
The downside to Colorhue for me is that you can not paint with it and it is virtually impossible to mix it sufficiently to avoid an occasional fleck or speckle. You can, however, mix it with shaving cream and sponge or screen it on without any difficulty. The picture above is a test swatch that I made screening over stencils with Colorhue. Mind you, this was a scrap that I did for play. It is so liberating to try color and ideas without delay or hassle.
This orange chiffon capelet and tank were done solely with Colorhue. http://picasaweb.google.com/pam.hebding/20080412?authkey=tDRWDtb2MGI#5246360908903674194 You can not see the ombre in the capelet photo for some reason. It is subtle but obvious in person. I sewed the capelet (did I say how much fun it is to make chiffon flounces?) scruch dyed the curved neck portion and ties and dip dyed the ombre flounces before attaching them to the neck and tie peices. The top is scrunch died stretch crepe. Like so much of my work this piece had to be changed because of a dyeing problem. This time is was the flecks in the flounce. In order to disguise the flecks I had to repeat the ombre dip dyeing. That resulted in a much deeper color than I originally planned.
There is a bonus in working with Colorhue. You work quickly with the product and there is a lot of dye water wrung out from your work that is still useful. I test the color in the waste water bucket, and if the color is pleasing, throw a yard or two of fabric in the bucket. That gives me a background dye for another project later on.
The downside to Colorhue for me is that you can not paint with it and it is virtually impossible to mix it sufficiently to avoid an occasional fleck or speckle. You can, however, mix it with shaving cream and sponge or screen it on without any difficulty. The picture above is a test swatch that I made screening over stencils with Colorhue. Mind you, this was a scrap that I did for play. It is so liberating to try color and ideas without delay or hassle.
This orange chiffon capelet and tank were done solely with Colorhue. http://picasaweb.google.com/pam.hebding/20080412?authkey=tDRWDtb2MGI#5246360908903674194 You can not see the ombre in the capelet photo for some reason. It is subtle but obvious in person. I sewed the capelet (did I say how much fun it is to make chiffon flounces?) scruch dyed the curved neck portion and ties and dip dyed the ombre flounces before attaching them to the neck and tie peices. The top is scrunch died stretch crepe. Like so much of my work this piece had to be changed because of a dyeing problem. This time is was the flecks in the flounce. In order to disguise the flecks I had to repeat the ombre dip dyeing. That resulted in a much deeper color than I originally planned.
There is a bonus in working with Colorhue. You work quickly with the product and there is a lot of dye water wrung out from your work that is still useful. I test the color in the waste water bucket, and if the color is pleasing, throw a yard or two of fabric in the bucket. That gives me a background dye for another project later on.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Final Note on Making Your Own Dress Form
My form was finished off with a muslin cover that I made without much thought other than fit. The cover allows me to pin to the form with no problem and makes Eve (the name of my form) less of a biological display in my Florida room where she is usually standing.
I inserted some poly fil between the form and cover in places to correct a couple of problems that I created by handling the form too much while it was still damp. The back shoulders needed to be fluffed out and one boob was out of synch.
As she stands now Eve measures as an exact duplicate of my odd body. She has a 17" back waist measurement, a 14" shoulder measurement, a 38" bust measurement, and a 27" waist measurement. I am 5'3" tall so although my narrow shoulder measurement is not unusual for my height, my back waist and bust measurements are not standard in ready made forms that would have worked with my narrow shoulders.
If you can use a standard form, do it. This project was long and tedious because I wanted the form to be exact for me so I could get a good idea about how a particular design would look on me. I also wanted to be able to avoid any personal fitting during a sewing project. Eve fits my needs although I wish I had taken better care to mark the form properly so draping would be easier.
I inserted some poly fil between the form and cover in places to correct a couple of problems that I created by handling the form too much while it was still damp. The back shoulders needed to be fluffed out and one boob was out of synch.
As she stands now Eve measures as an exact duplicate of my odd body. She has a 17" back waist measurement, a 14" shoulder measurement, a 38" bust measurement, and a 27" waist measurement. I am 5'3" tall so although my narrow shoulder measurement is not unusual for my height, my back waist and bust measurements are not standard in ready made forms that would have worked with my narrow shoulders.
If you can use a standard form, do it. This project was long and tedious because I wanted the form to be exact for me so I could get a good idea about how a particular design would look on me. I also wanted to be able to avoid any personal fitting during a sewing project. Eve fits my needs although I wish I had taken better care to mark the form properly so draping would be easier.
Making your own dress form
From time to time I will post pics of things displayed on my home made dress form. I built my own dress form after comparing my detailed body measurements to the ready made forms. It was obvious to me that the only way I was going to be able to use a form to serve as a proper fit dummy for my odd body was to either spend a couple of thousand dollars on a custom form - or build it myself. So, I decided to try building my own using some instructions I found on the Net.
I have reprinted below my email to Sister and Niece in August '07 about the project. You can see
pics of my project at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/pam.hebding/DressForm#
"OK creative girls- Here's the progress on my latest quest to build the perfect dress form. I used the instructions on these links:
http://sewnews.com/resources/library/0806form/index.html
http://www.sewnews.com/resources/library/0806stand/index.html
I let Bill wrap me in water activated tape until I could not take it anymore, then I made him cut me out. There are a lot of finishing touches to do, but I thought you might want some proof that a man, who cares very little about accuracy in anything other than a spreadsheet, can actually wrap you up and get you out alive. The only casualty was my underwear. Big slash in left butt cheek. No skin involved!!!
There are some things I would add to the great instructions in Sew News:
If you are going to use water activated tape pre cut a ton of it in advance. (I could not find self stick kraft tape, so I used high quality water activated kraft tape) The other thing is that I think water activated tape will more closely act like paper mache (stronger than any self stick tape). Since the best forms are paper mache, I thought it was worth the extra aggravation of wetting the tape. Of course, I could be totally wrong.
Put two sponges in a pyrex shallow dish with lots of water to moisten the tape.
Get the tape really wet.
You will need lots of strips equal to ½ of your hip measurement plus 4 inches.
Also, precut a bunch of 1 inch wide strips for the bust area. Round boobs can not be wrapped by 2" tape!
Do not do this project after eating a big Mexican food meal like I did. Actually, that's probably a plus so you can wear your designs after a Mexican meal, but the body form will look bloated.
Sarah- The bandage scissors are a real MUST. Getting cut out of this thing was not easy, and the transition from waist to hips and underneath your butt will require careful cutting!
Put on super comfortable shoes if you are going to get wrapped because standing still really takes a toll on your feet.
It is best to get wrapped by someone that is neat and cheerful.
When you cut the form off immediately use some duct tape to the inside of the cut shoulder to reconnect it. The paper tape doesn't really like to stick to the plastic bag liner.
This is not a 1 hour project.
Sarah- the tape requirement estimate is about right. If you decide to do this write down the amount of tape you need in feet and yards so the in-store math is not too hard. My total cost of materials for the stand and form is about $45.
I suspect that using this form will accommodate ½ of the design ease in all measurements. I can't wait to get her to the point that I can put something on her that really fits me well to find out if I am right! "
I have reprinted below my email to Sister and Niece in August '07 about the project. You can see
pics of my project at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/pam.hebding/DressForm#
"OK creative girls- Here's the progress on my latest quest to build the perfect dress form. I used the instructions on these links:
http://sewnews.com/resources/library/0806form/index.html
http://www.sewnews.com/resources/library/0806stand/index.html
I let Bill wrap me in water activated tape until I could not take it anymore, then I made him cut me out. There are a lot of finishing touches to do, but I thought you might want some proof that a man, who cares very little about accuracy in anything other than a spreadsheet, can actually wrap you up and get you out alive. The only casualty was my underwear. Big slash in left butt cheek. No skin involved!!!
There are some things I would add to the great instructions in Sew News:
If you are going to use water activated tape pre cut a ton of it in advance. (I could not find self stick kraft tape, so I used high quality water activated kraft tape) The other thing is that I think water activated tape will more closely act like paper mache (stronger than any self stick tape). Since the best forms are paper mache, I thought it was worth the extra aggravation of wetting the tape. Of course, I could be totally wrong.
Put two sponges in a pyrex shallow dish with lots of water to moisten the tape.
Get the tape really wet.
You will need lots of strips equal to ½ of your hip measurement plus 4 inches.
Also, precut a bunch of 1 inch wide strips for the bust area. Round boobs can not be wrapped by 2" tape!
Do not do this project after eating a big Mexican food meal like I did. Actually, that's probably a plus so you can wear your designs after a Mexican meal, but the body form will look bloated.
Sarah- The bandage scissors are a real MUST. Getting cut out of this thing was not easy, and the transition from waist to hips and underneath your butt will require careful cutting!
Put on super comfortable shoes if you are going to get wrapped because standing still really takes a toll on your feet.
It is best to get wrapped by someone that is neat and cheerful.
When you cut the form off immediately use some duct tape to the inside of the cut shoulder to reconnect it. The paper tape doesn't really like to stick to the plastic bag liner.
This is not a 1 hour project.
Sarah- the tape requirement estimate is about right. If you decide to do this write down the amount of tape you need in feet and yards so the in-store math is not too hard. My total cost of materials for the stand and form is about $45.
I suspect that using this form will accommodate ½ of the design ease in all measurements. I can't wait to get her to the point that I can put something on her that really fits me well to find out if I am right! "
Thursday, July 17, 2008
A Politergeist is in My Sewing Room!
I am constantly amazed at how I can loose something without ever leaving my seat. Today's items include the top to my razor knife and my very most favorite sewing tweezers. I have turned the world upside down and they have surely been taken to another dimension.
I suspect my distracted condition may be contributing to the recent activities of my poltergeist. Yesterday I spent an hour searching my house for a piece of fabric that I had labored over with my Rowenta to prepare for installation on the soon to be infamous paisley top. I ultimately located my fabric in the garbage covered in fresh coffee grounds.... AGHHHHHHH.
Well, I suppose every sewer has these kinds of days. Don't you?
I suspect my distracted condition may be contributing to the recent activities of my poltergeist. Yesterday I spent an hour searching my house for a piece of fabric that I had labored over with my Rowenta to prepare for installation on the soon to be infamous paisley top. I ultimately located my fabric in the garbage covered in fresh coffee grounds.... AGHHHHHHH.
Well, I suppose every sewer has these kinds of days. Don't you?
The Blindstitcher Machine Saga
I have had the time to work with my Tacsew over the past week so I am posting this comment to help others learn the machine more quickly. This is an excerpt from an email I wrote on the subject:
Me: "I am working with my blind stitcher. I changed the needle! Tra La. That wasn’t hard. No more broken threads. I am also stopping my stitch like I saw on a You Tube film. I pull a bunch of thread through the tension disk, remove the thread from the upper arm, and pull the fabric from behind to cut the thread. I am just afraid of the yanking method. Every time I have done it I have broken the thread.
The hard part was that I went to a little needle (2 ½ because my thread was too thick for the 2) and the thread hole was soooo freaking small that I had to remove the needle from the machine to thread it. Tricky. The next tricky part is using it on this stretch crepe. I will master it, but have to tell you that it ain’t easy. I folded up the hems (sleeves and bottom), ironed it in, and lightly basted it by hand. The whole issue is alignment, and maintaining alignment."
Sister:
" The news on your developing relationship with the blindstitcher is encouraging. (I think I'm going to give mine a name... like "Ray" (Charles), so I don't have to keep typing "the blindstitcher"...) "
Me:
"I like your idea of naming your blindstitcher. I will call mine Rat. Rat and I have come to peace for now. I just finished my paisley top. This is another one of those “if it can go wrong it will go wrong” deals. Listen- do not ever cut out your pattern pieces then dye them. Never, not once, shall you do that. I will explain at a later time if you are interested. Here’s what I learned about Rat today: you MUST check your thread on a scrap of the fabric that you are sewing to determine if you have to increase or decrease the depth of the needle penetration. John at AllBrands told me to test Rat on a double thickness of my fabric. That’s great for checking thread tension, but you need to do a real hemming sample to check the penetration. Next, ignore the dial to adjust the penetration- just turn it until the look is right from the right side of the fabric. For example, my initial setting was dead center between light and heavy fabric and it created an absolutely invisible hem on habotai, but made a visible stitch on the stretch crepe. In order to get an invisible ” of a serged edge to the left of the hump to catch the whole edge AND to hold the fabric a little firmer in my right hand than what I was previously doing. Now I am holding the finishstitch I turned the dial toward “lighter” instead of “heavier” . Next, Rat taught me to put about 1/16" fabric in my left hand and the unfinished hem in my left hand. Get it? FINALLY I mastered the RIP IT OUT method of finishing a seam. The trick is to get your needle in the fully retracted position (as if you were threading it). It works."
Me:
I should have said, “Jerk it out” instead of RIP IT OUT. When you thread the needle the eye is just to the left of the needle plate apparatus. By turning the wheel to the threading position the tip of the needle is secured by the groove in the needle plate. When you have the needle turned that far the upper stitch hand is a little to the left of the center of the sewing channel. It is my guess that the upper hand or something behind it that I can not see is the surface that is cutting the thread.
Me: "I am working with my blind stitcher. I changed the needle! Tra La. That wasn’t hard. No more broken threads. I am also stopping my stitch like I saw on a You Tube film. I pull a bunch of thread through the tension disk, remove the thread from the upper arm, and pull the fabric from behind to cut the thread. I am just afraid of the yanking method. Every time I have done it I have broken the thread.
The hard part was that I went to a little needle (2 ½ because my thread was too thick for the 2) and the thread hole was soooo freaking small that I had to remove the needle from the machine to thread it. Tricky. The next tricky part is using it on this stretch crepe. I will master it, but have to tell you that it ain’t easy. I folded up the hems (sleeves and bottom), ironed it in, and lightly basted it by hand. The whole issue is alignment, and maintaining alignment."
Sister:
" The news on your developing relationship with the blindstitcher is encouraging. (I think I'm going to give mine a name... like "Ray" (Charles), so I don't have to keep typing "the blindstitcher"...) "
Me:
"I like your idea of naming your blindstitcher. I will call mine Rat. Rat and I have come to peace for now. I just finished my paisley top. This is another one of those “if it can go wrong it will go wrong” deals. Listen- do not ever cut out your pattern pieces then dye them. Never, not once, shall you do that. I will explain at a later time if you are interested. Here’s what I learned about Rat today: you MUST check your thread on a scrap of the fabric that you are sewing to determine if you have to increase or decrease the depth of the needle penetration. John at AllBrands told me to test Rat on a double thickness of my fabric. That’s great for checking thread tension, but you need to do a real hemming sample to check the penetration. Next, ignore the dial to adjust the penetration- just turn it until the look is right from the right side of the fabric. For example, my initial setting was dead center between light and heavy fabric and it created an absolutely invisible hem on habotai, but made a visible stitch on the stretch crepe. In order to get an invisible ” of a serged edge to the left of the hump to catch the whole edge AND to hold the fabric a little firmer in my right hand than what I was previously doing. Now I am holding the finishstitch I turned the dial toward “lighter” instead of “heavier” . Next, Rat taught me to put about 1/16" fabric in my left hand and the unfinished hem in my left hand. Get it? FINALLY I mastered the RIP IT OUT method of finishing a seam. The trick is to get your needle in the fully retracted position (as if you were threading it). It works."
Me:
I should have said, “Jerk it out” instead of RIP IT OUT. When you thread the needle the eye is just to the left of the needle plate apparatus. By turning the wheel to the threading position the tip of the needle is secured by the groove in the needle plate. When you have the needle turned that far the upper stitch hand is a little to the left of the center of the sewing channel. It is my guess that the upper hand or something behind it that I can not see is the surface that is cutting the thread.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
The Photos on this Blog
Here's a link to photos of some of my creations http://picasaweb.google.com/pam.hebding/PamSWork#
As you can see, the photos were taken at my home in South Florida where it is HOT HOT HOT! The habotai silk that I am using is 8mm, which is what you would normally use as a lining. I decided to use it for jackets and tanks as a stand alone fabric. That limits me to unstructured jackets and the like and requires VERY careful sewing. There are lots of french seams and tons of hand stitching. Before I tried to beat this fabric into becoming a stand alone fabric I wondered if it would withstand use and laundering. I am happy to report that the fabric, properly constructed, works well on its own. And, fulfilling my goal of covering my over 50 body without dieing of heat stroke was accomplished. These garments are unbelievably light and cool to wear.
As you can see, the photos were taken at my home in South Florida where it is HOT HOT HOT! The habotai silk that I am using is 8mm, which is what you would normally use as a lining. I decided to use it for jackets and tanks as a stand alone fabric. That limits me to unstructured jackets and the like and requires VERY careful sewing. There are lots of french seams and tons of hand stitching. Before I tried to beat this fabric into becoming a stand alone fabric I wondered if it would withstand use and laundering. I am happy to report that the fabric, properly constructed, works well on its own. And, fulfilling my goal of covering my over 50 body without dieing of heat stroke was accomplished. These garments are unbelievably light and cool to wear.
Threading the Blind stitch machine
John at Allbrands told me to place the thread behind the needle after threading. Do not place it across the upper stitch arm!
Blind stitch machine - Allbrands Customer Service
I had a couple of issues with my new blind stitcher. First, I did not know where to place the thread; second, I did not know where the 6th oil hole was located; third, my thread broke from time to time. I called Allbrands and asked to speak with someone knowledgeable about the machine. They gave me the direct dial number of their guru. I called, reached the guru's voicemail, and left a message. To my delight, he returned my call within 5 minutes! I wish all my suppliers had customer service like Allbrands! The current blind stitch machine guru is John (phone 225.802.7886).
Blind stitch machine - purchasing
My worsening arthritis convinced me that I have to give up all of the hand finishing that I have been doing. I will still do the important details by hand, but I am now the proud new owner of a blind stitch machine. I recommend the price and service of Allbrands. They packaged a deal on the Tacsew BLST-2 that can not be beat. A copy of my order confirmation is below.
Most important to me was the ability of this machine to work on ultra light silks. As a test I took my brand new out of the box BLST-2, loaded it with white thread, and made an absolutely beautiful blind hem on a dark blue and black 8 mm habotai scarf. Yahoo!!!!
ORDER SUMMARY:
SHIPPING METHOD: Ground
Name Code Qty Each Options
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tacsew BLST-2 All Metal Portable Blind blst1tacsew 1 $ 269
Hem Stitch Hemmer Sewing Machine BLST2
Curved Needle, Skip Stitch, Knee Lifter
, FREE 50 Organ Asst Size Needles
Organ Box of 50 LWx6T Curved, Assorted LWx6T-ASSORT 1 FREE!
Size Needles for Portable Blind Stitch
Machines: Tacsew, Reliable, US Stitch,
Yamata, Gemsy, Rex, Tony, Hu Wang
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal $269
Shipping $0.00
Tax $0.00
Total $269.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Most important to me was the ability of this machine to work on ultra light silks. As a test I took my brand new out of the box BLST-2, loaded it with white thread, and made an absolutely beautiful blind hem on a dark blue and black 8 mm habotai scarf. Yahoo!!!!
ORDER SUMMARY:
SHIPPING METHOD: Ground
Name Code Qty Each Options
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tacsew BLST-2 All Metal Portable Blind blst1tacsew 1 $ 269
Hem Stitch Hemmer Sewing Machine BLST2
Curved Needle, Skip Stitch, Knee Lifter
, FREE 50 Organ Asst Size Needles
Organ Box of 50 LWx6T Curved, Assorted LWx6T-ASSORT 1 FREE!
Size Needles for Portable Blind Stitch
Machines: Tacsew, Reliable, US Stitch,
Yamata, Gemsy, Rex, Tony, Hu Wang
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Subtotal $269
Shipping $0.00
Tax $0.00
Total $269.00
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Wooly Nylon Thread
The best prices and color selection for wooly nylon thread is ThreadArt of Cypress, Texas. Use this thread in your serger loopers for lightweight and stretch fabrics. http://threadart.com/shop/
Friday, July 11, 2008
Shaving Cream for silk screening with acid dyes
I like to share my discoveries that I believe are observations that could help others. This one is short and sweet: For all screen printing except deconstructed you can throw out your alginate if you are screen printing. You can create a silk screened fabric that is much more interesting and controllable by mixing your dyes with shaving cream. You can get your desired intensity of color- or a pastel very easily, and this method will not effect your ability to set acid dyes in any way you like- steaming or chemical setting. It also works equally well with Procion MX.
The shaving cream stays put and is light on the screen. That makes things so much easier for me. I am not fighting a giant load of heavy alginate on my 24 x 30 screen (my biggest screen).
Screen through monofiliament screen or a screen set up using curtain sheers. Either is fine.
Do not be afraid to use a hard edged object in lieu of a squeegee. Some people use credit cards, I am currently using a plastic french curve. I think the curve is good for me right now because of my arthritis, but it does show that just about anything can be used to push the dyes through the screen. I have also used an el-cheapo plastic putty knife with a 6 inch blade that works beautifully.
The ultimate easiest thing is to screen print with Color Hue dyes. I LOVE INSTANT GRATIFICATION!
The shaving cream stays put and is light on the screen. That makes things so much easier for me. I am not fighting a giant load of heavy alginate on my 24 x 30 screen (my biggest screen).
Screen through monofiliament screen or a screen set up using curtain sheers. Either is fine.
Do not be afraid to use a hard edged object in lieu of a squeegee. Some people use credit cards, I am currently using a plastic french curve. I think the curve is good for me right now because of my arthritis, but it does show that just about anything can be used to push the dyes through the screen. I have also used an el-cheapo plastic putty knife with a 6 inch blade that works beautifully.
The ultimate easiest thing is to screen print with Color Hue dyes. I LOVE INSTANT GRATIFICATION!
Murphy's Law - Arthritis and Art
One year into my obsession with surface design, silk painting and sewing the unthinkable happened - Murphy showed up. What had been a very mild case of osteoarthritis in my hands blossomed into something awfully painful. It happened overnight, literally. I awoke one morning 8 weeks ago with excruciating pain in both hands. Every joint from the wrist to the tip of each finger was screaming. All I know now is that it is not my long standing osteoarthritis that is to blame. Tests performed by the rheumatologist have shown that I am ANA positive (first level of autoimmune disease testing). More tests have been done and I am taking a NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory) drug while I await what will be the results of 3 rounds of testing. The NSAID has helped a little, but lots of stuff (like typing) is still really painful.
Give up my obsession? No! Just doing a little less these days. I work slower and with some difficulty, but I am still at it!
Give up my obsession? No! Just doing a little less these days. I work slower and with some difficulty, but I am still at it!
Monday, July 7, 2008
In the Beginning Woman Created Scarves
My first Dharma order included 4 yds of 5mm Habotai, lots of Habotai scarves and a a few ready to paint pillow covers. The fabric was set aside as I concentrated on painting scarves using various techniques that I had seen on the net and in books. I tried wet on wet, salt, line building, serti technique using water based and solvent based guttas. All of my art was freehand. Some of it was really pleasing. Colors were made on purpose and by the wonderful accident of transparent colors merging and layering in a way that can only be made by dye on silk. Every success was chronicled by digital photos and the concept formed about making 'heritage' scarves for all of my female relatives and friends. I called them heritage scarves because all of the women on the maternal side of my family are crafty and creative. Grandma made quilts for each of her children and grandchildren before she died. Mom crocheted intricate afghans for each of her children before she died. No, I was not having a premonition of death, but the idea consumed me that I could get a jump start on something I HAD to do to maintain a lovely tradition. I painted scarves like there was no t0morrow.
Some of the scarves took a day or more to paint, others were finished in a half day. Motifs varied from impressionist designed subtle tones to wildly colored abstracts. The thread that ran through the heritage line was love and thought of each person for whom the scarf was designed. As silly as it seems, I cried at times during my painting - quiet middle aged weeping over the love I felt for the intended recipient. sn't that a lovely reaction to one's creativity?
All of the scarves were painted and delivered in 2007 - including a 4 stole sized series of semi-identical scarves that were painted for the wedding party of a friend's daughter. Nearly 80 scarves were delivered in the heritage series. I am proud.
Some of the scarves took a day or more to paint, others were finished in a half day. Motifs varied from impressionist designed subtle tones to wildly colored abstracts. The thread that ran through the heritage line was love and thought of each person for whom the scarf was designed. As silly as it seems, I cried at times during my painting - quiet middle aged weeping over the love I felt for the intended recipient. sn't that a lovely reaction to one's creativity?
All of the scarves were painted and delivered in 2007 - including a 4 stole sized series of semi-identical scarves that were painted for the wedding party of a friend's daughter. Nearly 80 scarves were delivered in the heritage series. I am proud.
Hot Flashes and Fashion
When my body decided to turn on itself and torture me with frequent hot flashes and an inability to sleep past 3 a.m. I had to make some life and wardrobe changes. Nudity was not an option, and the fabrics and fashions available in the hot house of South Florida were unappealing and TOO HOT. Although I enjoyed sewing and designing for most of my life, my machines and supplies had been packed away for ten years. They were abandoned when I gave up on finding fabrics that were attractive and wearable in a hot climate. My wardrobe was a study in apathy. Core holdings had dwindled to boring black pants, ugly suits, jeans and Old Navy tees for lounging. I longed for something pretty that fit and was cool to wear. I was HOT and Homely. Something had to change.
At 3 am in the early spring of 2007 it hit me - I could make my own fabrics and colors! Tra la! Thanks to Google I quickly located a good supplier of silk fabrics and dyes - Dharma Trading. I quickly placed an order and started reading everything I could find so I would be ready to create as soon as the goods arrived. I was a kid in a candy store again! Loaded to the gills with dyes, brushes, newly constructed frames, resists, discharge paste, and an electric turkey fryer purchased to steam my creations, I was off and running. I could and would create my own fabric!
At 3 am in the early spring of 2007 it hit me - I could make my own fabrics and colors! Tra la! Thanks to Google I quickly located a good supplier of silk fabrics and dyes - Dharma Trading. I quickly placed an order and started reading everything I could find so I would be ready to create as soon as the goods arrived. I was a kid in a candy store again! Loaded to the gills with dyes, brushes, newly constructed frames, resists, discharge paste, and an electric turkey fryer purchased to steam my creations, I was off and running. I could and would create my own fabric!
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