First Ever DS Sew-Along!

[Aeilia]

Everyone's ideas and projects are coming along great! I, however, am very slow getting on with it. I have started sewing, so hope that soon there will something to show.

Don't worry, I'm slow too

My project is so slow and protracted I haven't even posted the proposal yet.

Well, I'm glad that some others are also slow. I'm usually the last, and it makes me feel so inadequate, so that I just give up and never finish. I really appreciate the no pressure! After sewing for many years for other people, I just can't be bothered with deadlines!

[MitisFeles]

Well, the project "coat for Uliat" is officially started! I must have the Penelope's syndrome, I always start to sew compulsively when hubby is away because of his job ^^'

Anyway, that's the source of the fabric I wanted to use: I scored it for peanuts in a flea market some years ago, I think it was part of a LARP outfit or some stage costume.


I carefully unstitched one of the front part. Then, gathered a bunch of towels and started to make some drafts until having a pattern that fitted Uliat... no photos for this step (he looked ridiculous with the towels and he didn't wanted photos XD)


Tracing the pattern pieces on the fabric and then, trying them on Uliat:



All the red imitation suede pieces:


I stopped the work for this night. I need to be fresh in order to figure how to cut and sew the neck and the black contrasting parts, because I'll surely have to sew them on before putting the coat together...and the concept of adding decorations before finishing a piece of clothing is still new for me ^^'

[Jobee]

Mitis, that's awesome! Good work!

[ShortNCuddlyAm]

That's great work so far, Mitis

I need to rethink fabrics. My initial choice for the corset is... impractical to say the least! It frays into nothing if you so much as look at it wrong. Fraycheck might work, but only if I ran over the lines with it before I cut the pattern out as just light handling causes the small pieces to basically disintegrate. The metallic embroidered bits at the end (the fabric is a scarf, basically) seems a lot more stable, so may end up as an overly decorated sari for another of my crew. I have a peach coloured cotton backed satin that's supposedly OK for lightweight single layer human corsets (and reminds me of ballet shoes, for no reason I can think of as I don't think I've ever handled any), which I thought I'd try as it's not too stiff or bulky. It too frays quite badly, but not so badly I couldn't do a first draft. From this I've learnt that I have larger seam allowances that I think when I'm pinning (the test is too big by at least a third ) and that peach satin doesn't contrast well with caramel resin - in fact it becomes almost invisible Fortunately I have a selection of other fabrics to try!

[MitisFeles]

@ShortNCuddlyAm: At first I feared it was the parsley fabric to fray like hell (and I was like "noo, I was looking forward to see all that stylish patterns together!") then I re-read your post and got it right ^^ Maybe you'll find something even more fitting in your fabric stash, sometimes these accidents brings to totally unexpected cool results

Talking about accidents... after putting together Uliat's outfit, I realized it desperately needed to have not only two slit on the front, but one on the back too. So I cut them.



After doing so, I realized in horror that 1)the slits were crooked 2) Considering my actual sewing skills, I had no way to refine them 3) I needed to divide the pattern in 4 panels and not only 3.

So, I took off the coat, salvaged the sleeves, cut the coat and used it to draft a new pattern and cut 4 new panels. I basted them and it fits a loooooot better! Now I have to take out again the sewing machine and doing the definitive sewing.

That's the coat with the new pattern (but only basted and with no decorations):

[Iwa_Hoshi]

So, I took off the coat, salvaged the sleeves, cut the coat and used it to draft a new pattern and cut 4 new panels. I basted them and it fits a loooooot better! Now I have to take out again the sewing machine and doing the definitive sewing.

I like the slits. your outfit looks lovely with the side slits
I had been trying to do slits for my Chinese style outfits (qipao, Chun Li's outfit) with varying degree of success You have pics of the ribboned enclosed edges? I wondering how you do the corners.

[Aeilia]

MitisFeles, that's looking very nice!

ShortNCuddlyAm, I'm not sure if this would work for you. When a fabric frays to hell, I've sometimes used a light weight interfacing as a backing -- as light a one as you can find. If you cut your pattern pieces from the interfacing, and adhere it to the back of the fabric, it stabilizes the fabric and stops the fraying. Then you can cut the pieces of the pattern out with no problem.

[ShortNCuddlyAm]

Mitis - looks good with the extra slit in that last pic - the pattern definitely seems to hang better.

Aeila - that's a good idea (especially as I just found some light weight interfacing I'd forgotten I'd got - I'd managed to neatly fold it up in a sheet of batting - I have no idea why)

As for the top - I've found a square of pink/gold shot silk that I think will be perfect - I need to to check it against the skirt fabrics and the doll in daylight though. It looks like it will work in good artificial light.

[MitisFeles]

I like the slits. your outfit looks lovely with the side slits
I had been trying to do slits for my Chinese style outfits (qipao, Chun Li's outfit) with varying degree of success You have pics of the ribboned enclosed edges? I wondering how you do the corners.

I finally had again some free time to resume my battle with Uliat's outfit and take some (awful...) shots!
For the corners, I simply sewn a side of the ribbon to the edge, then pleated the ribbon on the fabric, and did a pleat were the corner was in order to have the ribbon lay flat:



There is surely a neater and simpler way to do this but actually I don't know what it... I'll have to search for some tutorial (or making my mind about taking some sewing lessons...)
I hate the sewing machine, especially when it comes to sew faux leather, but I also want to overcome my mistrust in to, so I forced myself to use it.
Here's the outfit ready for the sewing machine:



I had to use tissues to prevent the faux leather sticking to the machine foot and doing a mess... did a mess anyway, but luckily it's not really noticeable. Uliat's coat starts to look like a coat... and looks cool left opened, too! (I don't have a photo, so just trust me XD)



I still have to refine the bottom hems and add a faux leather obi, not talking about the undergarments...but it's taking shape!

[oniakki]

{...}
I hate the sewing machine, especially when it comes to sew faux leather, but I also want to overcome my mistrust in to, so I forced myself to use it.
{...}
I had to use tissues to prevent the faux leather sticking to the machine foot and doing a mess... did a mess anyway, but luckily it's not really noticeable.{...}

I have scotch tape on the underside of my sewing machine's presser foot when I'm working with the faux leather, which works surprisingly well at avoiding sticking problems. I think a proper non-stick foot works better, but my machine doesn't have one.