SajaEgo's blog

Design Studio rearranged!

I just wanted to drop some pics of my rearranged Design sewing dungeon which will be changing once again when I hopefully soon move to a Brand New Crap Apartment!!! :)

Cutting Table& Coffee brain storming

 

My Machines!!

 

Fabric storage

 

 

Storage for everything else

I'm A Digital Girl!!! YAY!!!

I have finally had it with the ancient pattern drafting method of paper, pencil and rulers. I've gone digital!! and it feels so good. Right now I'm working on scanning my already created patterns so I can grade them into different sizes or make different styles using Adobe illustrator as my CAD program. My next project will be to draft my basic blocks using Adobe Illustrator. I have to admit that going paperless is truly time consuming and I now understand why many corporate companies take forever to change over to a paperless system. It's a pain to get everything converted but I know once I am 100% digital it's going to be a much faster process and the trees will be free to grow on. 

 

I combined these two tutorials to turn my paper patterns digital: 

Burdastyle Convert Pattern to PDF

Burdastyle Create print at home pattern

Click on the Pictures to see them enlarged

 

 

Ohh Just sitting around going insane trying to Perfect the art of Pattern Making is all...

I've been hermiting lately and haven't posted in such a long time, but I have definitely NOT been Idle. Pattern making is NOT simple folks. I soooo take my hat off to those who have this skill mastered.

I think I'm gonna need more coffee please...

Wine, Kid Cudi, Sketchpad, More wine...

My Creator up above woke up today to paint us a beautiful Rainbow and then human nature smeared it.  

Let rest be with those that were gunned down nearby today, to the one who decided to take their own life today, to an Innovator and Creator. Tonight I'm thankful to have this night and my sketchpad. Goodnight Moon Goodmorning Sun. 

 

Sorry She is a tad bit crooked...I'm Blaming it on the wine :)

One Hot Mini Skirt Coming Right up!!!

My Top of the Line Free Camera phone is a Piece of Crap so the pics are the most horrible quality existent, but check out the oh so sexay mini! Super easy to make and added a little lace peekaboo just to give it a lil extra sexy. :)  Sorry the instructions flip flop from present to past tense. I was dog tired trying to create those captions. :) Goodnight All!

 

 

Always My goto TIPS!:

• Iron the seams for a clean look 
• Ballpoint machine needles and pins are a must! 
• Copying patterns from clothes that already fit perfect make the perfect fitting pattern!
• Rotary Cutter is your bestfriend!!
• Using a serger/overlock to sew knits. Makes my life easier and allows the seams to stretch.
• Using the 3-thread narrow overlock stitch gives me a nice narrow seam.
• Using the same color thread. It gives it a much more professional look
• I like to use wax paper or tear away stabalizer paper underneath my stitching when I use my regular sewing machine for knits. the paper helps it feed smoothly since knit fabric likes to bunch itself into the feed dog. Then I just tear away the paper.
• Take into account the "Butt Lift" effect that the hem will have for dresses and skirts. Make the hem a little longer in the back to make it even with the hem in the front when the butt lifts the back of the garment up a little. :)

 

Y-Back Cami

Trial and Error this Cami was! The Straps were a B*%^&!! :) I do need a LOT more practice dealing with knit fabrics and Binding. But Not bad for the the first time. I've added my tips below. :) 

 

My Trial and Error TIPS: 

Okay so I'm terrible at giving step by step instructions but as always I've got my trail and error to share. 

• Used a 1/4 inch Seam Allowance
• Used 1/2 inch Hem Allowance
• Cut out with my trusty rotary cutters :) 
• Used a 3-thread narrow overlock stitch to sew up the side seams
• Fabric used is a Rayon silky Jersey

Binder Foot attachment Attempt:

• I used a Binder foot attachment on my serger. (They have them for regular sewing machines also) It took me a week to figure this thing out. It takes some serious practice. I almost lost my mind a few times. BUT in the end I can see how this foot can make binding a breeze once you get past cursing it out a few times. :)
• I cut binding strips 1+1/8 inches wide 
• I cut the strip lengths based on my armhole and neckline  measurements plus extra to make the binding also form the straps for the Y and then reduced the measurements by about 10%.
• I didn't realize I was going to need some extra binding to Screw all the way up! 
•  SOOOo I recut the binding SupEr long to give myself enough 'screw up' room. :)  I'm sure the more I practice I will not need to waste binding :) 
• I used this product I read about called  Sulky Tender Touch Stabalizer  I think it's basically like a fusible stretchy tricot interfacing. 
• My fabric is so silky and moves all over the place and I needed it to be a little more firm to get it to have a nice neat binding without all the wobbling. So I fused this stuff to my binding strips being careful not to stretch them out. 
• The stabalizer worked great. It stretches with the fabric and adds just enough firm to support the stitching but still soft and stretchy.
• I also used it on my hem to give it a little more stability. 
• I used the Sewing Divas Binding Tutorial  
• This attempt worked well. The stitches were consistently straight for the most part but it got tricky binding the triangle part at the shoulder and then having the binding go into a spaghetti strap.  I will work on figuring out a No Fail solution to this for the next attempt.  

Always My goto TIPS!:

• Iron the seams for a clean look 
• Ballpoint machine needles and pins are a must! 
• Copying patterns from clothes that already fit perfect make the perfect fitting pattern!
• Rotary Cutter is your bestfriend!!
• Using a serger/overlock to sew knits. Makes my life easier and allows the seams to stretch.
• Using the 3-thread narrow overlock stitch gives me a nice narrow seam.
• Using the same color thread. It gives it a much more professional look
• I like to use wax paper or tear away stabalizer paper underneath my stitching when I use my regular sewing machine for knits. the paper helps it feed smoothly since knit fabric likes to bunch itself into the feed dog. Then I just tear away the paper.
• Take into account the "Butt Lift" effect that the hem will have for dresses and skirts. Make the hem a little longer in the back to make it even with the hem in the front when the butt lifts the back of the garment up a little. :)

 

 

Goodmorning Sun Watercolor Finished :0

I put some color to the sketch I did last night, but I'm not that pleased with how it came out. I like it better in pencil that way I can allow my imagination to see the dress in different colors. I'm thinking I should have went with some neutrals like bronzes and peaches. The joy of sketching is being able to change anything you want anytime with the stroke of an eraser. :)

 

 

Late Night Sketching....Goodnight Moon & Goodmorning Sun :)

Up late sketching..the best hours for good meditation and epiphanies. :) Watercolor in the morning. Goodnight Moon & Goodmorning Sun. :)

 

 

 
 

 

Got a tip for us ancient Paper Pattern Drafters :)

So I'm a designer on a budget and can't afford all that fancy expensive pattern drafting paper. I am one of the last few that still drafts on paper, but I'm working on teaching myself how to do it using Illustrator. Not Easy!! Till then, I'm still using the ancient method of pencil, paper and rulers. :) 

Anyway, About a week after Christmas I head straight to Biglots, Target, & Walmart and stock up on those tall massive rolls of Christmas wrapping paper because they mark it down 50% to 70% off!! Baller on a budget!!!!

The back side of the paper is perfecto for pattern drafting and makes a perfect straight fold when you absolutely need 90 degree straight lines.

Also you can screw up as much as you want and not have to try to save and tape together every little scrap of that fancy expensive drafting paper anymore!! :)

 

Tank Gone Wrong!! :(

It's been a long time. I'm back with a new project that unfortunately went terribly wrong. I attempted to make for the first time a V-neck tank top tunic. Simple right?...No Way. First of all the fact that the shirt has 4 names in the title should have stopped me right there, but nooo the super sewer that I like to call myself thought "Ohhhh no problemo! the fitted Bamboo tee project was a breeze so I must be a knit pro now." HA! No! The tank turned out looking like sh#@! (for lack of a better word) :)

So below I've posted a collage of pics of some of the process and results. I've provided some tips on how NOT to sew a V-neck tank top tunic.

So here are the results of the tank and all the adjustments that I need to make. GRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!

 

TIPS:

• DO use a serger/overlock to sew knits. Makes life easier and allows the seams to stretch.
• DO knotch the pattern pieces at the armhole midpoint and neckline midpoint to match the binding strips. Fold the binding strips in half and knotch then fold again and knotch again (knotch only on one side of the strips).
• DO NOT use the 4-thread overlock stitch to sew the seams
• DO use the 3-thread narrow overlock stitch.
• DO NOT use black thread for dark fabrics and white thread for light fabrics
• DO use the same color thread. It gives it a much more professional look ( my wide thread, white seams look hideous!)
• DO NOT assume that because the mannequin has your same measurements the piece will automatically fit.
• DO try the piece on yourself and not just the mannequin before sewing up the entire thing. Better yet sew a practice (muslin) version!
• DO sew a practive V-neck and practice topstitching before just attempting it on your final piece and praying it will turn out right.
• DO NOT assume your binding strips will fit with a universal measurement.
• DO measure your armhole and neckline and then cut your binding strips about 10%-15% less than the measurement depending on how stretchy your fabric is. If it's less stretchy use a smaller percentage, if it's super stretchy like ribbed knit, go with a higher %, but Do test the strips first. 
• DO take into account the "Butt Lift" effect that the hem will have for dresses and skirts. Make the hem a little longer in the back to make it even with the hem in the front when the butt lifts the back of the garment up a little. (My mannequin doesn't even have a butt and the hem is completely off and I swear that on paper the hems are perfectly even!!)
• DO use stabalizing tape at the shoulder seams to keep it from eventually stretching out.

I will be attempting this again. I will not be defeated! Next time it's going to come out sweet and oh so sexay!