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Dressforms from China?

19 Feb
So, through work I happen to know a guy who imports from China. A few weeks ago, we got to talking and I asked him if he could get a 1/2 size dressform. My thinking was the half scale forms are $130 or so online for one. There are three schools in Baltimore with fashion design programs — maybe he could start selling them here. So, he emails me the next day and says that he can get half size dress forms, sell them for $75 and still turn a good profit.  Dude. Later, he sent me an email with photos of the full-size dress forms and said they were going to send him a sample of that too. He wanted my opinion on the full size.  Clearly, I said get a full size sample of the dressform with the skirt.  When it arrives, if it’s a six through 10, I’m all over it. Trust.
So much for my ‘buy local’ new year’s resolution.
 
The supplier says all their forms are for tailors and sewers in fitting and pinning — not for display.
 
The one below is called ‘women’s form with skirt’
 
 
women-with-dress
 
This one is called ‘women’s typical style’
Women's Usual Style
Women’s Usual Style

And this one is ‘woman’s whole body’, which I guess you would use for pants. 

'women's whole body'
‘women’s whole body’

Most interestingly, they call the chart below ‘American Woman Measurements’. I would LOVE to know what other countries they have and what those measurements are! Or maybe these are ‘American’ because they are in inches….

position\规格 4 6 7 8 9 10 12 14 16 18 20
颈　围 neck 121/2 13 121/2 131/2 13 14 141/2 15 151/2 161/2 17
胸　围 chest 331/2 341/2 341/2 351/2 351/2 361/2 38 391/2 41 431/2 47
腰　围 waist 25 251/2 25 261/2 26 271/2 29 301/2 32 341/2 401/2
臀　围 hip 35 351/2 36 361/2 37 371/2 39 401/2 42 45 48
肩宽(单) shoulder(single) 47/16 5 413/16 5 1/8 5 5 1/4 57/16 510/16 513/16 6 6 1/4
前长front 14 141/4 133/4 141/2 14 143/4 15 151/4 151/2 153/4 16
后长back 16 161/4 153/4 161/2 16 163/4 17 171/4 171/2 173/4 18
乳距 bust 6 3/4 6 7/8 7 7 7 1/8 7 1/8 7 1/4 7 1/2 8 8 1/2 9 1/2
背宽back width 133/4 14 135/8 141/4 14 141/2 147/8 151/8 151/2 16 161/4
档全长archives 241/2 25 251/2 251/2 26 26 261/2 27 271/2 28 28
大腿围leg 191/2 20 201/8 203/4 203/4 211/2 221/2 231/2 241/2 281/2 29
膝盖围knee 13 131/4 13 135/8 131/2 14 141/2 15 151/2 19 191/2
小腿围leg 111/2 121/4 12 125/8 121/2 13 131/2 14 141/2 18 181/2
内侧长inside length 291/2 295/8 293/4 293/4 30 30 301/8 301/4 305/8 31 31
                       

Today in class we did dart manipulation using the pivot and slide method and how to add seam allowances. Both, interesting. I’ll try and post about it over the weekend.

The Same Resolutions

4 Jan

I’m sticking with the same resolutions from last year when it comes to sewing. But, I’ll add this: No more orphans.

My personal resolutions are about the same every year, one is the same one since middle school. I’m also going to try and keep track of them here, which means to scope of my blog is changing. I was going to start a new blog related to resolutions, but, I am too lazy. And laziness, is what’s caused most of the resolutions below:

  1. Keep my nails manicured myself (unless I’m in Panama where it’s only $3 for a manicure)
  2. Stop eating out for lunch and cook more. Each year I do a tally and it makes me nauseous how much money I spend eating out. Especially for lunch.
  3. Spend money like I’m broke. I’m too old to still be admiring people who have fat savings accounts and wondering how they do it.
  4. Buy more local food. In Panama it was all local and so much better tasting and better for me. I think new jobs really come from small businesses that create jobs. So, I need to support the little man and think more about my food.

Yep. That’s it for this year and, I’m off to a good start.


I did my own mani for New Year’s Eve using an old OPI whose label has since worn off and a $1 polish from one of the many beauty supply / wig stores available in parts of the City called ‘Mardi Gras’. You can see it in the photo of the RED CLOVER SEAM RIPPER!!!! YES! I love my blog readers. Ginerva totally came through and they showed up this week! I have offered to name my first born Ginerva or Clover but she said that was not needed.

So, I have a dozen cookbooks. Half are Cooks Illustrated. I never fail with Cooks, so most of the recipes are from there. I’m not going to publish the recipes here because it’s in violation of the copyright. But, many many other people have done so. A quick online search and you should be able to find the recipe.

Food, Week 1:


Friday night. Butternut squash pasta from Cooks Illustrated, January 2009. It’s ok. I had to add a lot more pepper, salt, olive oil and parmesean to get the flavor where I wanted it. I also used whole grain pasta and penne from the shelf.


Saturday morning, cinnamon rolls (Baking Illustrated). I accidentally put in an obscene amount of butter. Still good. But, obscene.

Saturday night, peanut butter chocolate chip cookies to take to a ‘knit and knosh’. I am a terrible knitter. More on that later.

I’m making chicken tonight because I started to defrost it before I realized that the pasta was enough to eat twice a day for a week. And I think you can’t refreeze once defrosted, right?

I might have a skirt finished this week. Maybe even today. Very exciting

I think I love my Serger Part 2: The Elasticator

19 Feb

Here’s what I’ve been ironing on the last three months. Yeah, just the thin poly batting on the ironing board. How did I get to this point? What happened to my cover? Well, let me tell you.


Last year I bought the European Ironing board (like the link but for way less and with a gift card ) from Target. I thought it would be great to have the increased pressing space, iron rest and the pull out sleeve board. European readers, are your ironing boards actually this big or have I fallen for an American marketing ploy? This one is about 18 inches wide and 55 inches long.

After a few months the ironing board cover was sticky with interfacing resin and yellow with waxy tailor’s chalk. I washed it and it promptly shrank in half — in addition to shredding. When I went online to look for a new cover, I saw they cost over $30. Pshaw.

I read in one of the Singer Sewing Reference Library books that wool batting was a great pressing surface because it retains heat and steam well. A quick search for wool batting took me to Stitcher’s Guild where I read this interesting post. One poster said an old wives’s trick was to use old Army or wool blankets as the padding for a pressing surface. (Ooooh!! The entire lot of Singer books on eBay right now and here.)


I first asked my mom The Colonel for her old blanket and she told me she had to turn it in at retirement or get charged for it. My dad still works on an Army post and he picked up a US Army blanket for me (new). 65 percent new wool, 35 percent reprocessed wool, olive green and made in Rhode Island for about $35 dollars. You can also get them at hunting and camping stores too or find them used.

I used the original thin poly batting as a guide and added about a one inch seam allowance. You’ll be shocked to know that even the batting had shrunk since the original purchase.

I then used the blanket to cut the cover, adding another inch, from some $1 a yard twill cotton from Joann.


Why do I think I love my serger? I used this foot called an elasticator. This foot applies pressure to the elastic — stretching it as it stitches.

So I was able to stitch the elastic to the cover and have a neat edge when I was done. This was my first time using it. I think I like it! Seems like this is what I would want for sewing up a swimsuit or lingerie.


Here it is on. It’s much thicker than my previous cover and quite frankly a lot prettier. Those Europeans really are on to something.


And here’s how it looks underneath.


I’m pretty pleased! I will be making another one eventually. The fabric I used isn’t the greatest quality. I’d like to use a sturdier canvas. But, this was perfectly fine for a test run.

All told, it took me about 30 mins. The wool is great. It’s already washed and kind of felted to it’s washing machine safe. Plus, I have enough wool left over for two more ironing board pads should the need arise.

I Think I Love My Serger Part I: Piping Foot

Hams

30 Jan

Before I begin, let me say I am by no means a construction expert. I learn about sewing every day and devour sewing books like Mrs. PacMan. But, I thought it might be kind of interesting to show you my pressing hams. If you find this interesting, might I suggest you listen to the Sew Forth Now Podcast with Ann of Gorgeous Things? Seriously… listening to it made me want to iron.


Just this week I completed my pressing ham collection. Yes. Completed. I’ve had a seam roll and 6×9 Dritz pressing ham for about four years now– bought on one of those “50 percent off the notion wall” weekends at Joanns.

But, I never really knew there were more hams until a post by Els at the Sewing Divas (I am still obsessed with that press buck!). A few months later I picked up the Dritz Guide to Modern Sewing and read about the difference between a dressmaker’s ham and a tailor’s ham.

The author suggests you ask for them at the notions counter of your favorite department store. Mmmmhhhhhmmm. Nordstrom will get right on that. Those must have been the days!

Dressmaker ham on the left, tailor ham on the right

Some of the oldest professional pressing supplies were only recently available to home sewers. These are the tailor’s cushions or pressing hams. A medium dressmaker’s ham for dressmaking details, such as pressing the proper curve under a bust dart, or shrinking the top of a set-in sleeve cap; and a larger tailor’s ham (‘professional size’) for tailoring details, such as pressing the proper roll in a collar or label. — Dritz Guide to Modern Sewing

 I think both hams can serve your purpose, just the larger size of the tailor’s ham let’s you accomodate a larger collar, bigger darts, larger seams…..


Seam roll is shaped more like a sausage than a ham and is useful for pressing inside sleeves, pant legs, elbow darts, zipper plackets and long narrow curved seams. –Dritz Guide to Modern Sewing

June Tailor Ham Holder (which holds all these hams very well)

Els’ post got me hooked on getting a ham holder. I found myself needing a hand to hold my ham in the right position. And when your iron weighs five pounds, you need both hands to work with the iron. Happily, my June Tailor Contoured Dressmaker’s ham and ham holder came together.

Contoured dressmaker’s ham is used for pressing/shaping shaped areas e.g. darts, and shoulder areas — June Tailor Method of Custom Detail Pressing

Back in September Dawn posted about making a collar. She had it pinned to a contoured ham and until then, I’d never seen one in my life.

These hams are packed with dry, hardwood dust and covered with wool so the steam penetrates the fabric more readily. Also, wool against wool helps avoid unwanted shine. — Dritz Guide to Modern Sewing

Now for beginner sewers. Please don’t think you need to have all these hams in order to sew. I just started using a ham in the last few years and only recently acquired the remainder off of eBay. That being said, I looked for new hams as my sewing skill increased and I recognized the need for more versatility. I also love vintage items and things like these are fairly cheap on eBay. I might have spent $25 not including S&H for the contoured, large ham, ham holder and larger seam roll.

BTW, there are several Traum tracing wheels on eBay right now.

Finally, I owe some back pedaling on yesterday’s Knip Mode post. I said that American patterns do not have the level of detail as the European magazines. That’s not entirely true. There are patterns that have that kind of detail (especially Vogue as they have RTW designers) and they certainly walk you through the construction process better :) .

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