Semi-Failed Airbrush Experiment

Now that my airbrush is functional again, I had an idea for a new mini hat.  I started with the basic outline of the crown, to which my wonderful boyfriend MasterLegion drew a flame outline for me onto freezer paper.  Something that would take me hours to do, he does in 5 minutes.

After making a copy of the original onto another piece of freezer paper and cutting it out, I realized It needed to be just a little longer in the center back.  I added 2 small sections on either end, overlapping the edges slightly, and glued them in place with just an elmersglue stick.  Then ironed the whole thing to a piece of satin.  If you have never used freezer paper as a stencil before, this is a great technique.  Just search Google, and you will find lots of tutorials.

So onto the fun part…or so I thought.  I was trying to use the airbrush paint I already had on hand.  Unfortunately, nail art airbrush paint does not work on fabric, or at least black fabric. It certainly stained my light grey shirt at work.  I’m thinking it’s too transparent for this use.  I need to order an adapter part for my master airbrush from  Chicago Airbrush Supply anyway, might as well order some Createx opaque colors while I’m at it. 

This was a little disappointing.  I had realy wanted to finish this hat up.   

I did have some purple Createx opaque paint on hand, and figured I might as well try it out while I was experimenting.  I also added a light mist of white pearl over the purple.

Even though it didnt turn out the way I originally intended, It’s still kind of a neat looking piece.  I will probably be turning this into a hat sometime soon.

On another note…My perfect pencil skirt is finished.  I just need to take some final photos before I post the results.

Attack of the Craft

I recently joined a new message board with the intentions of just advertising and promoting my shop.  I figured I would just pop in ever once in a while, post an item, and that would be it.  I thought it was going to be just another crafting board.  Instead I found a group of humorous, down to earth, and extremely talented crafters and artists. 

They have been running a Simon Says contest lately.  Today's task is Share the Love.  We are supposed to post to one of our social networking sites about the shop of our favorite member of the AOTC board.  So here are just a few of my favorites, because I found it way too difficult to choose just one.

 

Dismantled Fashions  Custom made Rockabilly and Pin Up clothing.  I am in love with her Cherry Print Pencil Dress

Poisoned Creations   Rockabilly and Burlesque clothing…currently on vacation

Fabulously Fierce  Punk Rockabilly and Gothic home furnishings. Her corseted lamp shades are to die for.

  Angry Girl Gear Alternative style custom clothing.  I have been drooling over the kitty ear shrug for ages.

Pet Zombie Creations Bold images on resin and polymer clay jewelry.   Love the vintage anatomy necklace

Sisters of the Moon   A mother and daughter team that create unique tutu’s and hair falls.  I ordered a custom set of pony falls from them for Legion Studios short film Master’s Devils.  It was kind of last minute, but they got them to me in record time.

Tape Bubba Duct tape wallets.  I realy need to order one for my “duct tape fixes everything” cousin.

Poppy’s Wicked Garden One of a kind and limited edition Custom Band, Movie, genre, Vintage, Geek and Character Tutus, clothing and fashion accessories.  I actually own a Thing 1 and Thing 2 top of hers.

Perfect Pencil Skirt Part 2

It’s been a couple weeks.  I had a 3 orders to complete, a couple coats to finish(I sew patches on letterman’s jackets), and 2 hat ideas came to mind.  So I’m back to working on something for me. 
I finished my muslin, and took the brave step of trying it on.
My hips are not as curvy as the pattern, which created these weard sunk in dimples on the sides.  And the back darts didn’t seem to be long enough, which caused a weird bubble over my butt.  Being that I’m only 5’ tall, it’s obviously too long.

I decided to tackle one issue at a time and started with the back darts, figuring that might also remove some of the excess in the hip area too.  I turned the skirt inside out and pinned out the ease in the darts and lengthened  them. 

After taking the skirt off, I then marked the end points of the darts, and redrew  new darts in red so I could distinguish the new lines from the old.  Then basted the darts with black thread and put the skirt back on to deal with the hips.

I to be honest, I think part of the hip issue was my underwear.  I marked the adjustment seam the same way I did the darts.


The hips didn’t need much of an adjustment, but they look much better now.  I shortened the skirt 3 inches.  I thought the bottom of the skirt was too wide for me, so I narrowed it by 1/2 on both sides.

I rethread traced the new seam lines.

I decided to use the original cutting lines, and just trace the new seamlines onto the fashion fabric.

I moved the slit up 3 inches and redrew the front slit directly onto the fabric using tailor's chalk.

I bought some stretch bengaline from Joann’s.  When I got it home I reakized the stretch went with the lengthwise grain.  Since I didn’t want my skirt to grow in length as I wore it, I decided to try a usual no-no.  I cut the pieces out on the crosswise grain of the fabric.  We shall see how this works out.

My Perfect Pencil Skirt Project

  I’ve been sewing for over 30 years, and in that time I have developed some really lazy habits.  Around the age of 16, sewing became a way for me to build a trendy wardrobe on a very small budget.   It was also the beginning of my worst habit.  I would start a blouse on a Friday night and work all weekend so I would have a new blouse to wear on Monday morning for school.  They were big, oversized, men’s wear  shirts, that were worn with a tank, unbuttoned, belted, with the sleeves rolled up.  Most of the time my cuffs were never finished, but who knew anyway right?  The sleeves were rolled up.  So you would think an unfinished garment, put together half assed, would be my worst habit, but it’s not, it did however contribute to it. 
Large oversized shirts didn’t need fitting.  So I never learned how to fit myself properly.  I slowed down my construction process and honed my construction skills.  I never took the time to make sure  the garment would fit right.  It was always a big surprise at the end. 
So this is my back to basics project.  To teach myself the skills I should have learned long ago.  Because if the project at the end doesn’t fit perfectly, then I’ve missed the entire point of sewing my own clothes.
I’m starting my perfect pencil skirt off with a muslin.  My entire knowledge of muslin making came from this Oct/Nov issue 151 article in Threads Magazine “Muslin Refined” .
This is the basic pieces traced and cut out on my muslin.  I has been many, many years since I used transfer paper and a tracing wheel.  Didn’t the paper used to be more waxy?  This stuff was chalky and the slightest touched transferred rub marks.  At least this is just the muslin.

Close up of the dart markings.  In the past I’ve just used tailors tacks.

This is after I thread traced all the seam lines.  I also discovered something about my machine.

My guide is about 1/16” – 1/8” off.  Which doesn’t sound like much, but could lead to the skirts entire finished measurements being off by 1/2” – 1”.

I got as far as inserting the zipper last night.  I took the time to practice inserting it properly.  Zippers have always been the bane of my existence.  But basting it into place with 2 separate top stitching lines instead of trying to do the whole thing in 1 made a HUGE difference.  I think zippers can now be my friend.


Side seams tonight.then….The Fitting.

Project Updates and A New One In the Works

It’s been a while since I’ve posted.  I have good intentions, but one thing leads to another, (like chasing after a 14 month old) and my good intentions go right out the window. 
So here are the final pictures and thoughts about the Angel Devil costume.  Since his father and I have decided we didn’t want to post our son’s pictures all over the internet,  I used one where you can’t really see his face  .

This was pretty simple to assemble.  It was also the first time I did 90% of the construction  on my 4 thread serger.

This is the front …I stitched the 2 front sections together, then the 2 heart sections, then appliqued the heart to the front.  This was really stretchy fabric and a little tricky to applique with and onto.  Stabilizing it with Stitch and Tear made it a lot easier.


My next projects were father son matching  bowling shirts with tattoo flash fabric from Fresh Cut Fabrics.  For the baby’s shirt I bought this pattern from The Scientific Seamstress.  I think the photo of the little blonde boy on the front is what sold me.  This pattern is very well put together and gives the sewer a lot of options.  The construction technique for the contrast panels on the front  is simple, yet brilliant.

You strip piece the sections together, then cut your fronts out separately, aligning vertical markers on the pattern pieces with the seam lines.  I liked this technique so much I used it to construct daddy’s. 

I couldn’t find buttons I liked that would compliment the tattoo flash.  So I made covered buttons using the star pattern from the fabric.

Unfortunately I do not have a picture of father and son wearing them.
The next two projects will be for me.  A pencil skirt using Simplicity 5259 and a Dress from a vintage  1950’s Sundress pattern from McCall's.