Thursday, May 5, 2011

The novelty of a finished product...or three!

Over the past couple of years, I have come back to 'garment construction'. I am now sewing clothes, hats, bags etc. after basically exclusively patchwork and quilting  for years before that. 


I am still getting used to the fact that, with abit of care, effort and attention I can 'whip up' a complete project in a few hours. Huh, who knew? 
This is my third project for my Tanya and Nicole/ Julie and Julia challenge.
A quick, snappy kids belt which was met with a pleasing amount of happiness from a newly 9 year old birthday girl this morning (my 8 year olds 'bestie').
Interestingly, because I am now using my fabric stash and regularly delving into 'the riches', I have realised that as well as my 'out and proud' total adoration for any fabric with apples on it, I seem to be a closet (unknown even to me!) mushroom collector. 
I realise that I have just admitted that my fabric collection is in total disarray with bits and pieces everywhere...


You know the other thing I am still getting my head around- Nikki talking about mm all the time, anyone would think inches weren't our unit of measurement. 
What's that? Oh, they aren't in Australia, are they...
I am a 1/4 inch seam girl (for patchwork) so I am getting used to wider seam allowances (why are the seam allowances wider in garment making?) and using the 'conversion' page in the book regularly. I am glad that page is there!


Project number for is for me! Hooray.

12 comments:

  1. I imagine that the extra seam allowance is to 1)prevent fraying and stretching, since garments get more of the kind of thing than quilts and 2) to allow for people who are weird shapes rather than nice neat quilt squares, and also letting out etc. And, I suppose, it goes the other way, with quilts having smaller allowances to reduce bulk.

    I am a metric all the way, but sometimes i use inches. I mean, if it's a case of 1 inch or 2.5cm, 1 inch is easier for my brain. Then again, this 5/8 of an inch business? No, thanks.

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  2. The belt is a really good little project - instant gratification! One reason for wider seam allowances is so we can let things out.

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  3. Ok I want to join you on the Julie/Julis challenge but you are too darn fast woman!!
    Mushies are cute though - I love that fabric, great belt.

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  4. Looks gorgeous in that fabric Tan.

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  5. Given the amount of times I gain and lose weight, I always thought the seam allowances were larger so that they could be let out a bit?

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  6. Don't be fooled. Bigger seam allowances are a ploy by the fabric manufacturers to get you to stash build! Bwahahahaha!

    trash

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  7. 3 projects? Already?!! And I'm still waiting for the postie to bring me my copy! I agree with Karen - you're too fast by half!

    I'm another metric girl - can't fathom those inches out at all!

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  8. Yes Karen and Fiona, she is very quick off the mark!
    I'm hoping my copy of Nikki's book will arrive on Sunday (Mothers Day) but by then I could be 5 projects behind at this rate!

    Cheers
    Jenny from Ohjoh
    (not logged in properly and PC being a right pain in the backside and I should be getting kids ready for school rather than stuffing around on blogs .....oops)

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  9. I've had the book sitting here since mid school holidays and I'm still at the savouring stage working which one I want to start with. Hopefully I'll start before you finish lol.

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  10. Gosh - you ARE fast!! But really, so are those belts to make. THe others will catch up in no time!

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  11. I read that in couture sewing, where the fit is critical and they can afford plenty of fabric, the seam allowance is generally an inch or more, but for mass production, where an inch seam allowance on every garment would soon start to add up to extra metres/yards of fabric cost, the seam allowance is kept as narrow as possible.

    Great work! I have my book but haven't even started.

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