|  | | |   Seamless in Seattle Seamless has a lessonfor us about prewashing: I was working on a theatreproduction in college. One of the scenes required six 'gang' jackets. Imade them out of crepe-back satin flat-lined with muslin...unwashed muslin,figuring it would give it more body and they were going to be dry-cleanedanyway. At least that's what I told myself to justify not pre-washing themuslin. I was lazy. I was in a hurry. I couldn't be bothered with haulingthe muslin to the washer. The table was all clean and ready for cutting. It was a mistake. The actors loved the jacketsand wanted to keep them after the run of the show--no problem, they wereinexpensive and not very useful as stock costume items. Halfway through the run ofthe show, the jackets were starting to smell pretty ripe. So I tossed theminto the wash along with everything else. When the jackets came out ofthe dryer...well, take a wild guess what had happened. The muslin shrunk, as unwashedmuslin is wont to do when it is first washed and dried. All the jacketshad gone from about a size 12 to about a size 6. The sleeves were almostup to the actors' elbows. The waistband was up to their belly buttons.They were barely able to get into the jackets. We camouflaged the shrinkingby pushing the cuffs up to their elbows and having all the jackets hangopen. It was horrible. Needless to say, none ofthe jackets were claimed at the end of the run. Never, ever, ever againwill I not prewash. I feel so much better now.Thank you. SewGeeky Says: Thank you for sharing yourpain. I recently had to wash some window shades whose fabric I hadn't prewashed;that was an anxious time, especially since one of the fabrics was <gulp>blue denim. It came out ok, surprisingly enough. Oh, and the grosgrainribbon trim on them is put on with Heat n Bond, so this project alone shouldbe enough to send me to SewingHell.However, I have to say thatthe narrow Heat n Bond ROCKS for attaching ribbon. Actually, Ms. Seamless is one of my sewing pals...so, babe, have you finished making that vest yet, or do I have to get out the PINS again? Look for her upcoming confession under Unfinished Projects. Germany HOtelsDeborah from Arlington Deborah has a problemwith pins: I sew over pins. Lots ofpins. The one thing I hate about my (very expensive) Bernina is that itwon't tolerate sewing over pins. I pine for my old Kenmore,which happily sewed over tons of pins. SewGeeky Says: My favorite thing aboutmy el cheapo Bernette is that it runs over pins without hesitation. Myold Singer had to be coaxed over pins, and would go on little Pin Snitswhere it would jam itself in very creative ways. Not a fun time at all. Gwen of Los Angeles Gwen deals with her serger:< I've serged the seams ofgarments with the colors the serger was already threaded with --even though they were the wrong colors, because I was lazy!! SewGeeky Says: After I got my serger (andthis was in the late 80's, before them newfangled quick thread machinescame out - we had to walk uphill in blinding snow to thread ourmachines) I resolved only to sew black clothes. Threading thatthing requires an engineering degree! Lee, who isn't about to tell us whereshe lives Cologne cheap hotelsLee has finally admittedthat she is powerless over an unfinished project: Twenty years ago,one of my daughter's Christmas gifts was an elegant cream satin blouse.Well, it was only half-done, but it was going to be gorgeous! SewGeeky Says: Lee, your hope for the futureis touching. When I moved out of my parent's house (and my lovelycustom sewing studio) I had to finally admit that I was never going tofinish all of those projects I started in the 80's. I still believethat those purple velvet walking shorts would have been wonderful, if onlyI had gotten around to finishing them! Linda of Montana Linda has a creative way to deal with fabric addiction: Hi. My name is Linda, and I'm a fabriholic. It started pretty innocently, I was in Germany for many years with the US Air Force. On leaves home to the US, I bought fabric because it was less expensive. When I moved back to the U.S., the moving guys cursed my boxes of fabric. I sold off some of the older pieces (better to make room for newer ones) and now I've gotten a job at what SewGeeky calls Fabrichell--Joann's! I thought if I were surrounded by fabric I would get over my addiction. WRONG! I always see just one more piece I have to have. I'm now resorting to sneaking in a piece here and there in unmarked bags to not arouse my husband's suspicions.. I'm a BAAAD girl! SewGeeky Says: Sorry, Linda...it doesn't work that way. I did 2 years in FabricHell (oh, those high school years!) and I bought so much fabric! I have a knack for finding enabling retail jobs, from FabricHell, to my time at Barnes & Noble, to my current gig @ a home accessories store, which is feeding my addiction to Bridgewater pottery from England. |
