So I am writing my first post after the first session of the course, exciting! I arrived early to class because of buses and when I got there, there were two other people enrolled on to the course who appeared to have done it already.
In my head I go into panic mode, am I on the right course, this course is for beginners isn't it? Luckily as more arrived I discovered it was a mixture on new people and a few who had done it before. So we were split up into two groups which was a relief as although I can sew, when it comes to dressmaking/pattern making...I am a fish out of water!
I found the session very interesting, with the teaching being very understanding to all levels and knowledge. There were several things that I picked up yesterday to do with fabrics, tailor tacks and 'stitch in a ditch'.
I'll admit, when it comes to fabrics my knowledge is lacking. I learnt two new words about fabrics yesterday: Weft and Warp, which perhaps I should have known already!
The warp are the threads that go length ways down the loom with the weft threads weaving over and under the warp threads width ways. It is best to cut your pattern out with the warp going vertically down your pattern unless cutting on the bias. To work out which way the warp is, the selvedge (will have pinholes in it as well) runs parallel to the warp and isthe non-frayable woven edge.
Tailor tacks are not something I have heard of or seen before so that was a useful quick skill to learn! These allow you to mark areas of the pattern before lifting the pattern off the fabric. In class this was used in darts, allowing us to match up the dart evenly.
To do tailor's tacks, double thread a needle, and sew through the tissue paper into the fabric at one edge of the circle marker on the dart and loop back through the opposite edge on the circle marker. You must leave a tail of thread at either end and do this for all markers on the dart.
Once markers all in place, carefully lift the paper off with the tacks remaining looped in the fabric. You then use these tacks to match up to its adjacent marker on the other side of the dart and pin the fabric in place. Using tailors chalk, draw a line down the dart connecting the markers, giving you a line to sew along.
Hey presto, one neat dart!
The last thing I learnt yesterday, was 'a stitch in a ditch' and at first thought a sense of dread came over me! A stitch a ditch involves sewing a stitch in the 'ditch' between to seams on the right side of the fabric. If done correctly, the stitch will appear invisible as it sits in the seam.
The machines at the class are non-computerised and therefore the speed control relies solely on my foot.....which has difficulty in controlling the peddle. (I am use to controlling the speed with a button!) I had to just go for it and try, and if I made a mistake accept it. Like I teacher had said at the beginning of the class, the best way to learn is through mistakes. However I surprised myself! I tried to go as slowly as I could trying to be light footed on the peddle and made sure I pulled the seam apart as much as I could so I could stitch in the ditch. I slipped out a little, but for a first attempt I was chuffed!
So by the end of the class we hard cut out a very small basic skirt pattern, put two darts in and attached a waistband with a 'stitch in a ditch', as you can see in my picture below:
The finished product -
The darts -
The 'stitch in a ditch'
I am looking forward to next week to see what new skills I pick up!
Talk soon, xxx
(Two diagrams are hyper-linked to source)
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