Zipper feet, sewing and B5

Feeling much better today, probably because I slept most of yesterday.

Since Ginny gave me my first sewing lesson last weekend, I've been spending most evenings sewing. Obsessed? Not me. Last night I dreamed about interfacing.

As I mentioned before, one of the ways I've been learning sewing is to pick a simple pattern (summer tank top) and sewing it over and over, with different fabrics. Fabricland had a mega-sale recently, so I picked up a bunch of material to experiment with. I'm glad I'm working with inexpensive fabric right now; I made so many mistakes with my first top that I ended up scrapping it.

Attempt #2 is the orange one at the right in the photo above. It doesn't fit all that well, mainly because of the darts. I'll wear this one out in the garden or while painting, I think.

Attempt #3 is the red one on the left. It fits perfectly, but I cut the fabric out upside down (note the upside-down skulls). The skulls are subtle enough that I'll still wear this top in public. Maybe people will think I'm making a statement of some kind. :-) And as Allison's husband pointed out, the skulls look right to ME, at least, when I'm wearing the top.

Attempt #4 is the blue floral one in the middle. The fabric is my favourite, but the fit is too small. :-( I'm giving it to my sister in hopes that it fits her.

I'm currently working on Tank Top Attempts #5 and #6; they're finished except for the bottom hem, and fit well. The hem is a challenge, though, because the material I chose is so thin that the hem keeps bunching up whenever I try sewing it, argh.



In the process of making all those tops this past week, however, I've been learning a lot, plus finetuning the pattern. I've nixed the darts and found I prefer the neckline on the back piece to that of the front piece -- so I've made a new pattern based on the back piece, and use that for the front AND the back. No darts, plus I've modified the shape. It's a much simpler pattern than the original, and fits me way better.



Also made my first skirt! The pattern (Butterick B4136) has a deceptive "Fast and Easy" description, but I discovered (after I bought it) that the skirt needed a zipper. Augh, zippers! I briefly considered leaving it until sometime in the future but then thought hey, why not give it a shot.

After I cut out the pieces, I used some of the leftover material to practice making zippers. The skirt required a hidden zipper, the kind where one flap of material covers the zipper itself.

I also had to teach myself how to change the regular sewing foot on my machine to a zipper foot, as well as figure out what a zipper foot was, and how to use it. The machine instruction booklet came in very handy, and everything worked out okay. I'm growing more and more comfortable with my new sewing machine. I'm even able to take apart some of the metals bits down in the gear-thingy section (my terminology sucks, I know) when thread gets tangled in there, AND put it all back together again.

Go, me! :-)



Anyway, I actually did manage to install the zipper okay, though I ended up improvising the finishing part (how it looks from the outside) since that bit wasn't in the pattern directions -- I guess it's assumed that the person making the skirt would already know how to properly finish putting in a zipper. I didn't, so my zipper section's pretty nasty-looking; I'll work on improving that in future skirts.

But hey, the skirt fits! Well enough that I'd wear this in public, even; unless someone bends over to inspect my butt, chances are low that the nasty zipper will be noticed much. Meanwhile, I'm going to find more fabric and keep practising this pattern; hopefully in the process, I'll get better with zippers and whatnot. I'm finding that actual act of sewing is relatively easy compared to the whatnot. :-)

Babylon Five Virgin Update:

SPOILER WARNING: The blog posts below focuses on my reports while watching Babylon Five for the first time. An LJ feed is also available. If you haven't seen B5 yet and don't want spoilers, please DO NOT click the links below.

Season 3, Episode 49: Voices of Authority
Season 3, Episode 50: Dust to Dust
Season 3, Episode 51: Exogenesis



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