Pressing Matters

 Pressing matters.

If I press what I am sewing while I sew it (to open a seam, to close a seam, to set a row of stitches), I don't have to iron it when I wear it. That, and constructing the item on grain, really makes the difference.

This pile of junk is my arsenal of pressing. Most of it is homemade from scrap.

I do keep most of the tools/toys in one rack adjacent to the ironing board.

No, the Barbie sewing toys are not part of the pressing set.

Because I have a room and I have space enough and haven't had to move, I can keep all the things I've ironed with at hand.

No, the foam isn't for pressing either.

Or the Captain Marvel lunchbox (that's my work sewing box)

I don't remember where I learned this (probably a Kenneth King book) but that pressing is more effective if you keep the heat evenly distributed (don't move the iron around, keep it on the place you want to make the crease/remove the crease). And that there are fabrics you want to trap the heat on to set the crease/no crease, and fabrics that you want to move the heat/moisture though.

I find myself hemming a lot of poly blends that would burn if I kept the iron on them, but they react better if I can steam them up and then put something on them to trap that heat. This way, they won't burn but they will do what I want.

Generally, I use the iron and my overly padded ironing board. It's got two layers of wool blanket under that dodgy grid cover (good for general eyeballing a measurement but totally warped and stretched). If I am doing work for someone else, or am using rayon or a blend, I add a silk organza pressing cloth (I can see through it and it won't burn unless I'm a total dope)

It was an extravagance 20 years ago. I haven't needed a second one, so it's paid off.

I made a pressing board from a hunk of clean (no paint) plywood and covered it with muslin. I only use it to cover what I've pressed to retain heat; it's got glues in it I don't need to cook with a hot iron and it can stand the heat (unlike plastic) and draw it off slowly.

To the right of the iron is a rounded stand made from pine board that I made to expedite making masks at home. It's screwed to another piece of scrap and I probably use it more than my fancy tailoring board.

It's nice for isolating a seam and not ironing the whole area.

I really wanted a ham and I didn't need a whole one, so I slapped together an acorn from upholstery and oven mitt fabric scraps (this is a toy ball pattern, with one repeating quarter rounded panel, like in a baseball cap). It has a lot of squish to it, and it's full of scraps and wool bits so it won't hold heat on the other side. It's really useful for short curves; I can get all the curve pressed and not burn myself holding it.

I am working on a new pair of polka dot jeans, and I have a short dart at the high hip area. I have it shown on the 'acorn'. I got the rest of the long crease out on the next pass.

Here's the toy list.

I made the silk mohair upholstery velvet sleeve/seam tool for a season of prom and wedding alterations. That fabric is indestructible, also expensive unless you find an old couch pillow. Like the silk pressing cloth, it's been a perfect tool (won't crush a nap, won't burn) and paid for itself over time.

Better not mess this up; sweater alteration

You know; there's a couple of them waiting in your WIP stack.

It's an alteration to a precious jacket.

Yardage from a special trip that cost a lot (money or time or family effort)

 The unfinished family quilt

https://erniekdesigns.blogspot.com/2016/02/quilting-someone-elses-family-treasure.html

It turned out great; I get to see it every week on the friend group zoom call as it hangs behind her couch. It's just abstract and friendly enough for work calls (she's a therapist and a doctor now!)

Today however, I cut into a knit shirt that is four inches too long. I

I gave a lot of thought to giving it away, or selling it.

It's from Sleepy Peach, and I love all their things but to get a wide enough thing I end up with a thing that is too long. Most of the time this is fine.

This one, no.

https://sleepypeach.clothing/products/the-celestial-knit-button-up

So I tortured myself for a few months and did the deed this evening.

 I pinned it up the whole way around. I fiddled with it. I stitched it with a zig zag. 

I cut it

I went over the cut edges with a fat long zig zag (it's a perfect two color knit, so I don't think it will unravel)

Lots of blocking it back into place. I may catch stitch the edge to the body.  Still have some work to do on the placket binding.

This is hanging up where I can see it in my bedroom. I am debating shortening the sleeves for my arms. It's not an expensive western shirt, but I try to subscribe to the idea that when you alter something, you try to leave the extra fabric in it. And to get the cuffs to work, I would have to either undo some snaps or cut the fabric.

Inside it would be an easy redo except for the snaps.

I'm still just staring at this one, but I really want to wear it to work this winter to show off in front of the bolo tie crew.

Halloween Sewing 2024 - Beetlejuice yes, Wicked no?

I don't put links in my posts anymore unless it's necessary, because I don't want/need the trackbacks.

You can highlight the link and right click for the dialog box, and choose that.

Oh yes, it's time to go there.

Musical Comedy Beetlejuice Lydia Dietz is back again this year.

McCalls always had the Halloween market, but now the One Company to Rule Them All (McVoguerickity)

has snazzed up the website a tad for this year. Certainly made them easier to find, and more PDF for emergency costumes and more sizes.

https://simplicity.com/halloween-patterns

The website has lots of 'here's the pattern to make the look' ideas this year

And a lot of Beetlejuice, both movie and musical.

It's really a nematode, but it really wants to be a scary netherworld snake

Categories!

https://simplicity.com/featured-shops/regency-patterns/

I am loving how older patterns get pulled back in to create 'new' looks, but I'm not going to go back over the records to see if one of these is that damned regency dress pattern that gave me serious 'why don't these pieces match up?' problems.

The lads have more coats to choose from. This has been around for awhile and it still gives me Willy Wonka vibes

Sadly, this pattern only comes in adult sizes

WitchiPoo lives

There really isn't a pattern that apes anything in the Wicked costumes. The trad Glinda is not Galinda (but this WOZ crown is really more of an attempt to be screen accurate than her dress), and how many months has that trailer been playing for the movie with the AMAZING costumes?

Maybe next year?

In the meantime, some serious Judy Jetson vibes. With bootcovers.

While I was poking around under general costumes I saw this one.

https://simplicity.com/simplicity/s9834

The Vogue vintage hat pattern that was missing directions is now a Simplicity title.  They are all one company now, so it's no surprise but now I gotta get a copy to see if the instructions have been redone.

As for me, I'm going with my red jumpsuit with the Gizmonics applique and am working on a yellow hardhat made from cheap plastic hardhats (two, to make it slightly larger) to wear to work.

Mostly what I am doing is hemming

Measure polyester knit item for hem. Pin. Sew. Iron on a steamy setting and slap that board on it to set.

Repeat.

Redrafter - just can't leave that pattern alone

Man, that sleeve sticks out more than I like. This is a camp shirt, but it doesn't need wings for sleeves.

 

I can bring it in a little at the seams but it won't hang as well. I will have to leave this be and remedy the pattern for the next use.

My goal is to take the surplus width from the hem but keep the cap fat; it would take a little FBA (full bicep adjustment) thinking.

Essentially I slice it open to the seam line and wiggle it around until it's the right dimensions and doesn't look distorted.

This would be fine but the right side seam is an inch lower than the other.

This is better (yardstick to check the level)

The great thing about the cardboard grid board is I can push pin stuff to line it up or swing it from and it maintains that distance or level. Pretty handy for this work; and I use a tape measure to check the measurements cause that board isn't numerically accurate (the folds eat up space).

I used a wide angle shot to get it all, so it's distorted in the photo.

Of course we're past short sleeved button up season now, but it's ready for next time.

Good Morning Paynter Field Jacket! Link Love Edition

https://merchantandmills.com/us/the-paynter

You can still buy one. A pattern, that is.

I woke up to my emails all about the MerchantxMills release of a pattern they created with the Paynter Jacket company. I fell in love with their marketing last year; they release one product every quarter, people sign up for their size (and color if that's an option), and then they manufacture a run of that item to those preorder quantities and sell only through their website. It's an efficient and effective way of manufacturing clothing. In addition to Paynter, Sleepy Peach clothes in California and Viapiana Denim in Toronto have moved to this model exclusively.

Less waste, less outlay for unneeded materials. Custom orders open you up to so much held stock inhouse and switching from one unrelated project to another is exhausting. If I were going to make things for sale again, this is the direction to go. One item at a time, multiple sizes, preordered. 

Paynter is a mood. They are a UK company that does ape American classic styles from LC King and Ralph Lauren. A little fancier than Levi's. A lot fancier than my Old Navy chore coat, but even that one has lined patch pockets.

Yes, this is my Old Navy Chore Coat. I found it on the deep sale rack

You can buy the pattern and pdf on Merchant and Mills.

https://merchantandmills.com/us/the-paynter

You can buy both on Paynter's website

https://paynter.co.uk/collections/paynter-x-merchant-mills-field-jacket-pattern

I bought the PDF, mostly to read the directions, but I am considering making a chore jacket in black for work. It's that or a chef coat, but this will give me more pockets, and the covered placket is speaking to my heart this week.

There is a video on the bellows pocket construction on the Merchant Mills youtube channel

https://youtu.be/2sBUoPvbZD4?si=VjMufD1p8YqETrkb

The Paynter website has much pretty photography of chore jackets

https://paynter.co.uk/collections/womens-batch-no-18-the-five-year-chore-jacket

Famous for a Day: State of the Blog

 https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/12/books/ebook-robert-caro-the-power-broker.html

Famous for a day

I was reading this article on my lunch hour, clicked on the embedded link about people cutting up their copy of the book to make it more manageable (cause I am interested) and screamed. It's a quiet office, so that was noteworthy, but frankly, sewing blogs are really not very impressive in my office.

I clipped this pretty tight because it's my work computer and all the tabs were open.

And for the eighteen to twenty regulars here who are wondering what kind of stats a ten year old sewing blog has when it's only published once a month

It knocked Needle Girl from the top spot. It and One Hour Dress battle it out for world domination

How much does a Grecian shirt earn?

 

Okay, I was an art history major, so my puns are lower than my wages in non profit work.

But I did sew up a shirt from fabric I've been trying to suss out the purpose of.

I do buy fabric because it's pretty. Not because it's useful. Or that it might go with something.

Everything gets a project box, so all the pieces stay together. The keen eyed will note the Thin Mints on the table as well. Coffee is on a side table; gravity is unkind.

Usually I take a layout photo, but apparently I just swam right in and here we are at sleeve insertion.

I keep editing this pattern. I need to balance the collar to the spread. I went down a long rabbit hole on this topic, but here's my new favorite website:

https://www.bondsuits.com/the-difference-between-bonds-british-and-italian-spread-collars

The front facing is a fold over and is very wide. Hem should be wider, too, but not enough fabric available on this yardage (just over a yard). 

This is pleasing to me. Also kinda accidental.

These buttons are from France, brought to me as part of a huge button haul by my old boss BT and his lovely bride (who I alter jeans for). Orange would have popped, but these pick up the weird green in the blue urns. I have to be careful about color choice on large buttons; I like to be colorful but I don't want to look like a toddler. Play clothes at work must be done carefully.

Mmmmm

Post it note employed to mark seam line on machine bed

This is where the train comes off the rails. I can make a billion (actually four) sample button holes on the same fabric with the interfacing ironed in, and they just turn out like very naughty buttonholes. The rounded end setting is slightly better, but .....it's just me. I have the same problem on all the machines in the entire world.

I picked all those suckers out and did them over and over again. I cut them open,  and filled them in by hand. Still look crummy.

I am really not very attentive to finishing on my own clothing.

I made welted button holes for my sister's birthday shirt (brussels washer in apple green that my camera is not interested in photographing very well; home made mens shirting bias strip for welts) This is just the halfway point; they are so hand picked it hurts my eyes to remember. I can level up my game. I just need to choose to do so for myself.

The internet will provide the yardage photo I did not take. Thank you Internet. 

This is about the correct color. The Bob pants are Kobe cotton twill in terracotta, and it's a very happy accident that they work with this shirt. The setting is work, at the corner of Taupe on Toast (not my joke but it's very true)

I am knocking out work pants in black twill and khaki poplin twill. Because at some point I will need to be color neutral without having to plan an outfit a week in advance. 

I have that kind of job now, which is why I am down to blogging once a month. I crawl home, sew for five minutes, and go to bed.

I did spend some time altering the sleeve for this based on a wearing of it. We'll get to that next. Maybe even this month.