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Shockingly small acquisition

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You’ll have to excuse me for a while. I just came back from Taiwan and I’m terribly jet lagged. On top of that a laptop upgrade means countless hours setting up again & learning where everything is. I would never understand why companies insist on changing what’s not broken & chasing after the ever new. (In this case Windows 8. In a word: Don’t. Unless you only ever use a tablet rather than traditional PC/laptop.)

Anyway, this time around, I did manage to check out Taipei’s fabric district. I only discovered where it was by chance on my last visit there. I didn’t have time to check it out last time, so this time I made sure it’s first on the agenda.

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Shockingly I only came back with one piece of fabric.

2013-10-silk-print This is from one of the stalls on the second floor of Yongle Fabric Market (永樂市場) that specializes in silks from China. There’s a few of these. Others specialize in quilting fabrics, or at least I assume that’s what they are judging by the sizes of the pieces. There are also a few home furnishing fabric stalls, fake fur or leather stalls. And probably others.

It’s a bit of a maze. And I find I’m not good with choosing from lots of small selections. I get overwhelmed. Give me one of the big organized stores of NYC and I’ll spend a fortune. Drop me in the midst of these bustling markets and I walk away (almost) empty handed! Therein lies the secret to curbing my fabric addiction!

Third floors seem to be loads of small dressmaking stalls. I guess it’s not so much of a home sewer scene (though there seem to be a burgeoning craft scene – cutie bag-making etc) as much as leftover from a time when RTW weren’t so readily available and dressmakers still quite affordable. I remember my mother & aunts mentioning buying fabrics to get dresses made. (A few unused pieces eventually found their way to my stash!)

Apart from Yongle Fabric Market there are also a bunch of small fabric shops in the neighboring streets. A few of these specialize in imports. And boy were the prices sky high! I suppose Taiwan is further from Europe than London or even NYC. So shipping alone would jack up the prices. And perhaps you’re meant to haggle over prices, judging by how my Mom shops (or used to shop) and the fact that most fabrics weren’t labeled with the prices. That, for me, is a terrible turn off. I’m more of a self-service type of gal. What you see on the label is what you pay for. In & out. So no purchases from these shops then.

No idea what I’ll make with this lovely silk print. It reminds me a bit of traditional Chinese paintings. Love peonies! Will have to pay a visit to the blog of the ultimate mistress of prints, the lovely Oonaballoona for inspirations!

And meanwhile on the other side of the earth…

My OH was visiting LA and was tasked with bringing back that rare beast called Lambswool Interlining. This one is from Bergen Tailors & Cleaners Supply Corp.

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Not having worked with this before I’m not sure if this is the same thing that sewing books and more experienced sewers refer to. This one seems to be a knit – there’s quite a bit of stretch crosswise. The fiber content is lambswool & rayon. I can’t find any information on how to work with this – whether you need to pre-shrink it, can it take heat & steam, do you treat it like a knit or woven, etc.

A visit to Artisan Square is in order me thinks. Hopefully one of those experienced sewers who’ve worked with this before can shed some light. And of course if you’ve got the answers to these pressing questions, do share!

Kiddy Tiered Skirt Yeehaw…Gathering Hell

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Excuse #4: Verdict on the Instruction, continued

OMG, how could I have forgotten about this other very important key make-my-life-harder feature…

You may gather (haha) from my previous projects that I’m not much of a gatherer. But this project has miles of gathering to do.

tiered-skirt_1-3I do own one of those weird contraption called a ruffler foot. But given the type of garments I tend to sew I’ve never used it on a project before.

I thought I’d try it out. Unfortunately, it eats fabric for breakfast, lunch & dinner. I’m not sure if I got a defective unit or not – it was a cheap eBay model – but even at the least-gathering setting, 18″ of test fabric was promptly reduced to 5″ at best. What with the calculation hell I was already in with this project, I had to abandon this route. It does make some lovely gathers though…(see bottom sample in the photo below).

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The other route I’ve read about is using overlocker’s differential feed to gather & sew at the same time. Way too advanced for me – the second part that is. I tried the first part on a sample. The result wasn’t spectacular (see top sample in the photo above). Maybe 2-thread overlock isn’t the right stitch to do overlocker gathering – the instruction did specify 4-thread overlock stitch. But I was worried about having too much thread built up as I was going to gather, attach, then overlock again.

In the end it was back to good old fashion route of pulled basting stitch. Which of course took ages. Urgh.

So here’s a question for all you Master Gatherers: What’s your secrets for expert gathering? Is this one for Patience or am I missing out on some Fast Track Insider Tips?

BTW, a couple more styling ideas for this skirt if I had one in my size… Biker Chic with a leather jacket … Or Senorita style like this clipping…

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Lucky for my niece this skirt doesn’t fit me. Otherwise she might not be getting this in the post!

Sewing for Tweens?

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OK, so what’s up with sewing for Tweens? How come there’s hardly any sewing patterns for Tweens & Teens?

I haven’t got kids of my own. But my niece has just turned 11. And as I have been such a neglectful aunty in so many other ways I thought it’s about time I make her something. But it’s such a nightmare! Not least because she lives in Ohio. Is it possible to sew long distance? Especially for fast growing kids? Or should I give up before I even start?

While I visited recently, I took her shopping at Jo-Ann‘s. She was so indecisive. Her parents have been buying all her clothing so far. Judging from the few times I tagged along, it seems like the stuff that she likes get vetoed. Poor girl – I think it affected her interest in clothing and/or her confidence in choosing clothing.

Anyway, here are the patterns I picked with some input from her…

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But she much prefers the adult patterns, like this one from Project Runway collections.

I thought this one might look too old on her. I tried looking for teen fashion magazines to get a bearing on what’s fashionable but still age appropriate. Not much luck.

Choosing fabrics was just as difficult. We ended up with these:

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The black floral netting she chose. She wanted a transparent jacket in this. I’m not so sure it’d be age appropriate. I’m thinking maybe an underlined top or dress using one of the McCall patterns we bought.

She also chose the sparkly foil faux suede – oh how kids love their sparkly stuff! Maybe the Burda jacket pattern would work well for this with a red or bright contrasting lining.

The faux suede cut lace I chose. I thought this might look cute with a bright underlining as a dress, top, and/or skirt.

What do you think?

Do you have daughters of similar age whom you sew for? Where do you find patterns for them? Any other advice on sewing for Tweens much appreciated!

I think these will have to be my next few sewing projects. I’m afraid that if I wait her measurements would change and nothing will fit! }:-)

Sewing Bits & Bobs

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While in NYC I also stock up on some useful supplies. Some because they’re hard to find in London. Others because I’m curious or the price is right.

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  1. Extra large sheet of wax carbon paper. I’ve tried the usual carbon paper sold to home sewers but kept going back to a couple I picked up from Steinlauf & Stoller over 2 decades ago. The home sewer version were just too small and don’t last as long or mark as clearly.OK, sometimes these waxy version don’t disappear completely. But honestly, I’m only sewing for myself and it’s not like people I know offline is going to come lift up my hem and examine the inside of my garment! And believe me I’m naughty – I mark the stitching lines with this rather than the cutting line. My reasoning being I rather have more accurate stitching which affects what people can see – the fit & shape of garment – than fuss over what most people won’t see – like the leftover markings.Anyway, this time around I couldn’t see any on display in Steinlauf & Stoller. So I picked these up in a few other shops (Sil Thread, Pacific Trimming, NY Elegant Fabrics, Fashion Design Books). Most were $5.50 per sheet.  The bookstore near FIT has it at $3.75, but I haven’t checked if it’s exactly the same quality as the others.
  2. Clover Chaco Liner & Clover Hera Marker from Sil Thread. Because I’m constantly looking for a better marking tool. The Hera Marker is a curious looking thing. I got it more for transferring fabric painting design than standard marking. I was using an plastic needle for sewing hand knits for a recent project and it did my hand in – blister and all. BTW Sil Thread have quite a few more tools from Clover and other East Asian brands that I haven’t seen elsewhere in NYC.
  3. Gridded plastic rulers. I have a few of these already and I can’t live without them. So useful for pattern alteration & adding seam allowance – if you use inches instead of cm. I can’t handle metric – mm is just too fussy for me. I don’t cut & sew accurately enough for such fiddly accuracy to make any difference. 1/16″ – 1/8″ is as accurate as I can handle. OK if you’re following pattern drafting instructions the decimal system of metric may come in handy for calculation. I just use a calculator. I can convert 1/8″ unit to decimal by heart now so it’s no big deal for me.These are thinner and more bendy the acrylic ones used by quilters. I find it easier to see the marking more accurately. The thick acrylic ones were casting confusing shadows. You can get these in many different places, including art stores like Pearl Paint.
  4. Seam Greats, Stitch Witchery, Stay Tape. Mentioned by a few bloggers, so I’m curious. Let’s see if they get used or just gather dust along with other gadgets I’ve collected over the decades!
  5. 2013-sewing-bits-2Metal Zippers from Sil Thread for the biker jackets + matching skirts that I’ve planned for these newly acquired fabrics.
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    These slide so easily but only come in two lengths. But Sil Thread will cut them to size for a small fee ($1 per cut + $1 per additional pull).

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  1. Lace from Daytona Trimmings. This was one of only two purchases on the day of the Meet Up! I’m not a big fan of lace – because it’s hard to find ones that I don’t think look streetwalkerish! But this one ticked the box for me. Not sure what I’ll use it for yet. It’s obviously not considered cheap. The guy cutting it was like “It’s $5.99/yd OK? Are you sure you really want 3 yards?” Hell yeah. Cheaper than an one-way London Underground cash ticket. And it’s not like I can get more easily whenever I need to.
  2. bag-repairFaux (?) Suede Trim from one of the numerous trim stores…Most of the stuff in the store look a bit cheap (she says snobbishly). But this will be my best chance of repairing a cheap (!) but well-loved and well-used leather handbag. I’ve been searching for a replacement trim for years!
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    Various Ribbons & Trims from Tinsel Trading Co. I love the feel of this store even though it’s not cheap, especially when it comes to the the vintage trims. There are some lovely bits for the scrapbook crafters too.
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    gold-trim-inspirationTwo of the gold trims I got are vintage. I love the antique gold. I’m thinking of using these to trim jacket like in one of my inspiration photo.

Finally, some obligatory pattern purchases:

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These were ordered during the last online sale and sent to my brother’s. I usually find only 1 or 2 that really interest me. But being a cheap skate, I always try to get max value for my shipping dollars. Which means padding out my order with other half-hearted purchases. I really should just stop buying yet another bog standard pencil skirt or drapy dress pattern and start making things. I must have only used 5% of my pattern collection at best.

So that’s it for my own sewing pleasure. Tomorrow: the sacrifices I made for others! The Selfish Seamstress would have been shaking her head!

Yippie! More Fabrics for Me!

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So, while no fabric was bought during the NYC Meet Up, my suitcase was already half full with fabrics: I had ordered some from B&J Fabrics online a while back and had them sent to my brother’s in Ohio.

It was ostensibly for more of that fabulous turquoise leopard print knit, which I had thought was extinct, but in fact is still lurking in the aisles at B&J. Since shipping was free, I also ordered some Bouclés & Tweed. I have to say though I was a bit disappointed when I finally saw these fabrics. The colors weren’t as vibrant as the online pictures…

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I guess that’s the peril of internet shopping, and one should at least get samples first before ordering anything expensive. It remains to be seen whether I’ll learn this lesson!

The yellow one I might use for Burdastyle 2013-03-102 Boucle Jacket. I’ve wanted the outfit since I bought the magazine. I also tried to look for similar floral fabric for the pants during this trip – but no luck.

Not sure yellow would look as good on me as on the model given my complexion. Maybe I’ll get away with it if I add trims or wear something underneath that’s in a more flattering color.

NYC proper…

With limited baggage allowance I couldn’t shop freely. Hence the indecision during the meet up. And spending the whole of Monday on reconnaissance mission. What could earn a space in my preciously rationed haul?

My main criteria was that it has to be something difficult to find in London. So while there are lots of great shops with affordable fabrics in the Garment District, I ended up in my old favorites: B&J, Mood, and NY Elegant Fabrics. All huge stores (compared with London offerings). All a bit on the pricier side I’m afraid. What can I say, I got an expensive habit! 😉 Limited time and torrential rain on Monday also put me off checking out the other stores.

Unchartered Territory of Print Galore

I’m a print-phobe. But I’m trying to change. And my stash is full of plain fabrics already. So I forced myself to look at prints. First off, a couple of classic prints…

2013-us-fabrics-7Silk Charmeuse & Wool Challis from B&J. These were expensive! So I’ve didn’t buy much.

I’m thinking a simple kimono sleeve top or dress for the charmeuse.

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For the challis maybe a back-pleated skirt like my Heidi skirt, or a more deconstructed version à la Vivienne Westwood.

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Next some au courant crazy pot-luck mix of snake print & everything else …

2013-us-fabrics-8Silk Charmeuse from Mood. This reminded me a bit of Burdastyle 2013-02-113 Dress which I love.

I thought I was being generous with 3 yards. But that’s still not enough for this dress. Then again a shorter dress might get more wear. So I may still use this pattern yet.

2013-us-fabrics-9Wool Blend Jersey from NY Elegant. No clear ideas yet. It feels vaguely Vivienne Westwoodish with a whiff of Christopher Columbus – all that damask type prints in faded cartography colors and a flash of jungle snake!

Probably a dress and maybe even a top with a bit of cowl here and there.

So what do you think? Brave enough for first forays into prints?

These were meant to be sweater knits…

I was quite chaffed to get so much wear out of my cowl neck sweater and wrap cardi (write up coming soon) in NYC. So I decided to get more sweater knits despite it being summer in NYC. Luckily fashion people work months ahead and therefore stores that supply them too. Both NY Elegant Fabrics & Mood have a wide range in stock. But in the end, none of the proper sweater knits appeal to me as much as these pseudo knits.

2013-us-fabrics-3Wool Acrylic Print Novelty Knit from Mood & Mohair Blend Novelty Knit from NY Elegant.

Clio would recognize the teal one from Mood. It feels a bit like sweatshirt knit. I was on the fence with this one as I don’t wear boxy sweatshirt type garments at all. Is it too sporty for me? Can I carry it off? The other one feels so lush but is also a bit spongy. So again on the fence.

In the end, what convinced me was recent examples of biker style jackets in non-traditional fabrics.

00250mLike Burdastyle 2013-03-135 Biker Jacket. Or even the pastel croc of Louis Vuitton S/S 2012.

I think I’ll use the Burda pattern for the teal fabric, as it has seaming details that can showcase both sides of the fabric. I’ll have to search around for a pattern for the orange fabric. I’d like a version with more traditional overlapping front and off-center zip, but probably in a cinched waist silhouette again. I don’t think I’m tall enough to carry off a short and boxy style.

I’m hoping to make matching pencil skirts with exposed zipper details in darts and/or walking vents.

This next one looks like a sweater knit, but isn’t.

2013-us-fabrics-4Mohair Gauze from Mood. I’m calling this gauze because of the loose open weave. I have no idea what the professionals call it. Anyway it’s a real shame it’s not a knit, for it would have made a great sweater top. Maybe another cowl neck like the one I just made? I don’t think I can have enough of that slightly 60ish mod looking sweater.

Cotton Lace from NY Elegant which is reserved for a skirt just like this Burdastyle 2013-03-109 Lace Skirt.

I was telling Clio how I find lace a hard fabric to carry off. It’s too easy to look like a Streetwalker, a Mother of the Bride, or a Granny Doily in lace. Then I go buying an expensive cut! This one is definitely in the Doily camp. All for the love of this outfit.

If there’s any leftover I might use it for either this Burdastyle 2012-05-109 Top or this designer dress (sorry, forgot who it’s by)…

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And the rest…

2013-us-fabrics-6Sunback Lining from B&J for some coat that I will eventually make. Because being a tropical baby even cashmere won’t keep me warm in the bone-chilling damp British winters. And I can’t find these flannel-backed lining anywhere else. BTW it’s also known as Kasha Lining by some.

Ultrasuede from NY Elegant because this one is buttery soft! I love the feel of suede and soft leather. But I can’t handle any fabric requiring expensive specialist cleaning. This you can throw into the washing machine. Most ultrasuede aren’t this soft though. So I just have to have this one. I’m hoping it’s soft & drapy enough for a pants, or dress, or top.

2013-us-fabrics-5And two TNT old friends: Bamboo Spandex Striped Jersey & Micro-Spandex Leopard Print Jersey from B&J.

I wear my marinière tops so much that I just have to have more. It’s my slob out outfit of choice. Although I did get some red stripe knit from Tissu Fabrics in London, it’s not as soft as this bamboo one. Yummmm.

And I got more of the turquoise leopard jersey so I can finally make a wrap dress, probably Burdastyle Magazine Blumarine 2011-06-139 Wrap Dress (like Assorted Notions’ version). Leftover might be sacrificed to my niece, who’s just at the age to start yearning for crazy fashion, but isn’t allowed to own any yet.

Speaking of whom…there’s actually 3 more cuts of fabric from Jo-Ann bought just for her. But that will have to be another post. Because sewing for Tweens opens up a whole can of worms!

Finally, a bit of Fabric Store Gossip

I was chatting to the guy helping me with the fabrics at Mood about how active Mood is in the online sewing community compared to other fabric stores. He told me that’s because the owner’s son took over a few years ago and really gets modern marketing. Supposedly another store had been approached by Project Runway first, but turned them down. So now the tour buses stop at Mood instead and business is booming.

So much so that they are considering opening a branch in London! (Also because a daughter of the owner lives in London or have some good friend in London – can’t remember which.) That will be great news (for me!) – IF they keep similar format to the US stores that is. I’ve always been a bit miffed that Whole Foods Market in London doesn’t sell half the stuff you’d get in the US. What’s the point of shopping at an American store if it sells the same stuff as British stores. File this one under #homesick!