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Sewing - #2
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Nymphaea
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Does anyone know how MJ created those puffed sleeves?
Because the fabric on top is smooth and not gathered like a normal puffed sleeve. Maybe shoulder pads?
style.com
Another question:
I want to pleat velvet in a non-labor-intensive way. I have a pleading board, but it isn't handy working with velvets. Velvet is also difficult to get straight. Anyone suggestions? TIA!
Because the fabric on top is smooth and not gathered like a normal puffed sleeve. Maybe shoulder pads?
style.com
Another question:
I want to pleat velvet in a non-labor-intensive way. I have a pleading board, but it isn't handy working with velvets. Velvet is also difficult to get straight. Anyone suggestions? TIA!
Crying Diamonds
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I'd say it was certainly a sort of shoulder pad. Just that little detail of the sleevehead being raised a centimetre above the natural shoulder would mean having to add excess fabric onto the top of the sleeve to go over a pad.
The sleevehead would then be eased into the armhole (the gathering of the ease can be seen in the left detail above and is less apparent in the right picture where the fabric possibly has some stretch in it)
Though it's a subtle detail it requires quite a substantial amount of work, this in itself is reminiscent of couture.
In fact, the whole collection is reminiscent of a vintage couture collection, and not only with the prints and the mini-dresses; the perfect matching of the prints over pockets, seams, ingeniously across the body and continuing over the sleeves, and even over self-covered buttons, is an expensive and time-consuming detail, the cutter having to waste fabric trying to match the pattern instead of trying to be economic.
The deliberate use of metal semi-concealed zips harks back to any vintage garment, before the plastic zip was invented and became popular all couturiers were using these silver-teeth zips.
Though it's a very graphic and simple-looking collection, looking at the detail really brings the concept and the garments to life. And when experiencing Louis Vuitton garments they are the most exquisite quality. This was one of Marc Jacobs best, I think.
I wouldn't have looked into this collection in such detail if it hadn't have been for your post Nymphaea
photos: details of details of the collection from style.com
Nymphaea
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^At first I did think it would be easy, but when I began to look at it in detail I also discovered it wasn't that easy, a pity! 
I'm not wary to do a bit of work to achieve this look, but I'm unfortunately not that experienced and at the moment I don't have experienced people (on couture level) around me who can help me with this kind of things. But I'm working on that! :-)
I'm also working on the Jil Sander coat in my avatar. Just like above, at first glance it seems so easy, but when I looked at the details I went
. But I keep on going, because I am very picky on the details and the results are so nice! 
I'm not wary to do a bit of work to achieve this look, but I'm unfortunately not that experienced and at the moment I don't have experienced people (on couture level) around me who can help me with this kind of things. But I'm working on that! :-) I'm also working on the Jil Sander coat in my avatar. Just like above, at first glance it seems so easy, but when I looked at the details I went
. But I keep on going, because I am very picky on the details and the results are so nice! 
maybe try drafting the sleeve in a similar style as a leg o' mutton sleeve without all the gathering ease? i would try opening it up at the middle when you slash and spread/pivot, since thats where it looks like all the extra volume went.
i would still try to add in as much ease as you can in the sleeve cap, but keeping it minimal enough to still be able to sew it in like a set in sleeve. it looks like its only at the top of the sleeve cap, so i would only increase the measurement of the top up until the front and back armhole notches.
and i would go for some wool fabric, because it looks like theres a lot of easing going on there and wool is much easier to ease than other fabrics. and from that little indent, it does look like theres some kind of shoulder padding you would probably have to shape yourself.
i would still try to add in as much ease as you can in the sleeve cap, but keeping it minimal enough to still be able to sew it in like a set in sleeve. it looks like its only at the top of the sleeve cap, so i would only increase the measurement of the top up until the front and back armhole notches.
and i would go for some wool fabric, because it looks like theres a lot of easing going on there and wool is much easier to ease than other fabrics. and from that little indent, it does look like theres some kind of shoulder padding you would probably have to shape yourself.
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Nymphaea
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I'm also sewing a 100% silk blouse (the silk is thin/lightweight and flowy like water) and I have a couple of questions regarding silk sewing:
- I want to strengthen the cuffs, but fusible interfacing doesn't give a nice result, it's a bit lumpy. I read on the internet silk organza or self backing as interfacing. Anyone suggestions? How many layers?
- Do I have to strengthen the seams, or isn't that necessary?
TIA!
- I want to strengthen the cuffs, but fusible interfacing doesn't give a nice result, it's a bit lumpy. I read on the internet silk organza or self backing as interfacing. Anyone suggestions? How many layers?
- Do I have to strengthen the seams, or isn't that necessary?
TIA!
Crying Diamonds
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^ A very light fusible interfacing would be alright I'm sure, extremely light or it will become like cardboard and look cheap. Otherwise yes you could try out the organza, the best thing to do is to sample - get a variety of fusible interfacings and fuse them to samples of the fabrics and judge which is the best for what you want. Then you can keep the samples in a folder for future reference, if you liked
The seams depend on whether the blouse has to be pulled overhead or is particularly tight, if so it would be advisable to use French seams which are very strong and recommended for a lightweight silk which will inevitably tear under strain. Though French seams essentially require sewing each seam twice, it is worth it as they are strong and finish the garment off beautifully on the inside without additional finishing needed.
The seams depend on whether the blouse has to be pulled overhead or is particularly tight, if so it would be advisable to use French seams which are very strong and recommended for a lightweight silk which will inevitably tear under strain. Though French seams essentially require sewing each seam twice, it is worth it as they are strong and finish the garment off beautifully on the inside without additional finishing needed.
Nymphaea
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^Wow, wonderful Jila! You're very talented! Do you have more projects running at the moment?
I'm working on a leather skirt, my first leather project! It's a cowskin, but I find it a bit too thick, so next time it's definitely going to be lambskin. But it's almost finished! I also have almost finished a boucle black fitted dress.
I'm working on a leather skirt, my first leather project! It's a cowskin, but I find it a bit too thick, so next time it's definitely going to be lambskin. But it's almost finished! I also have almost finished a boucle black fitted dress.
thank you! and yeah, im actually attending a portfolio night on the 11th, so i want to get as much stuff done as i can. i had a couple draped dresses from a year ago that i need to sew together/fix.
i was actually planning on making a dress with a bronze chainmail neckpiece (and attach little bronze roses i found) that have lobster clasps to attach to a draped chiffon dress. i wanted to dye it in a 2 tone ombre, but ive never really dyed before, so im kind of nervous i might mess it up.
and have you tried using a thinner cow leather? i actually took a leather class a year ago and for my final project i made this underbust cutout corset
a girl in my class made a flounce dress out of cow leather, and i just bought the rest of the leather she had left from her and used it for my project. it was actually quite thin for what i wanted. i later found out a friend of mine bought really thick cow leather for her project (a vest) that was way too thick for what she wanted to. i really wish we switched, because i think it would have turned out much nicer if i used something thicker. you can tell in the picture it was starting to stretch a lot by the time i was top stitching the edges closed (i actually used her thicker leather for the belt straps if you can tell the difference). not quite sure why i didnt put an extra layer of canvas either. but yeah, if you can find something thinner, it would probably be much cheaper than lambskin, because youll probably have to buy 2 or 3 skins depending on the skirt length/width. if i had enough left over for a skirt, i would have made one, because the thickness would have been perfect for it. i actually did want to make a high waisted miniskirt, but it would have equaled to 2 lambskins, which i thought was way too pricey for a miniskirt lol
i was actually planning on making a dress with a bronze chainmail neckpiece (and attach little bronze roses i found) that have lobster clasps to attach to a draped chiffon dress. i wanted to dye it in a 2 tone ombre, but ive never really dyed before, so im kind of nervous i might mess it up.
and have you tried using a thinner cow leather? i actually took a leather class a year ago and for my final project i made this underbust cutout corset
a girl in my class made a flounce dress out of cow leather, and i just bought the rest of the leather she had left from her and used it for my project. it was actually quite thin for what i wanted. i later found out a friend of mine bought really thick cow leather for her project (a vest) that was way too thick for what she wanted to. i really wish we switched, because i think it would have turned out much nicer if i used something thicker. you can tell in the picture it was starting to stretch a lot by the time i was top stitching the edges closed (i actually used her thicker leather for the belt straps if you can tell the difference). not quite sure why i didnt put an extra layer of canvas either. but yeah, if you can find something thinner, it would probably be much cheaper than lambskin, because youll probably have to buy 2 or 3 skins depending on the skirt length/width. if i had enough left over for a skirt, i would have made one, because the thickness would have been perfect for it. i actually did want to make a high waisted miniskirt, but it would have equaled to 2 lambskins, which i thought was way too pricey for a miniskirt lol
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Nymphaea
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^Wonderful Jila! A corset! 
Someday, I hope, I can sew that!
Yes, dyeing fabrics is a nerve wracking process in the beginning I think. I haven't done it myself. I guess it takes a lot of practise (like most things
) and try it first on a sample!
My leather skirt is made from leather from a 'outlet' store, so it was rather cheap, I can make some mistakes, but my conscience won't let me! I have a bit of an obsession for details, it has to be perfect. When I'm finished I want to buy some quality leather. I like lambskin more than cow, it looks more expensive. I would like to make a top, a fitted dress and shorts in leather. I was wondering do you tape something on the inner side of the leather?
I'm planning to take some courses on leather and a Chanel jacket. Maybe I'm gonna do a parttime course of a year. In 2 weeks there will be a open house where they have these courses, after that I will decide which course I want to take, because I want to be sure to learn a lot!
I was working on my Jil Sander coat from my avatar, but it's a lot more difficult than it looks. The difficult part is the shoulder/armpit area, because there is no seam on the shoulder and the armpit consists of a square piece of fabric. An acquaintance of mine with more coat making experience will look into it, I hope she can solve my problem!
And I have to finish a silk blouse, tricky fabric!
In between I'm crocheting and knitting and sewing cute but chic pillows.
A corset! Someday, I hope, I can sew that!Yes, dyeing fabrics is a nerve wracking process in the beginning I think. I haven't done it myself. I guess it takes a lot of practise (like most things
) and try it first on a sample! My leather skirt is made from leather from a 'outlet' store, so it was rather cheap, I can make some mistakes, but my conscience won't let me! I have a bit of an obsession for details, it has to be perfect. When I'm finished I want to buy some quality leather. I like lambskin more than cow, it looks more expensive. I would like to make a top, a fitted dress and shorts in leather. I was wondering do you tape something on the inner side of the leather?
I'm planning to take some courses on leather and a Chanel jacket. Maybe I'm gonna do a parttime course of a year. In 2 weeks there will be a open house where they have these courses, after that I will decide which course I want to take, because I want to be sure to learn a lot!
I was working on my Jil Sander coat from my avatar, but it's a lot more difficult than it looks. The difficult part is the shoulder/armpit area, because there is no seam on the shoulder and the armpit consists of a square piece of fabric. An acquaintance of mine with more coat making experience will look into it, I hope she can solve my problem!
And I have to finish a silk blouse, tricky fabric!
In between I'm crocheting and knitting and sewing cute but chic pillows.
yes! theres double sided leather tape you can buy to tape seams down (either taping them open or taping them to one side. even when i topstitch, i like taping down the seams to keep them in place
this is the type of tape i use, either in 3/8" or 1/4". if you see some in a different color roll, it doesnt matter. theyre all clear, just the paper its encased in are various colors
http://bergentailorsupply.com/scotch34inchleathertape.aspx
some other tools are important too. not sure if youre using a domestic or industrial sewing machine, but getting a teflon foot is really imperative to get the leather to not stick to your presser foot. a rubber (or poly) mallet and/or a leather roller is nice too for pressing down seams.
make sure when you sew, you dont backtack. you dont want to put more holes in the leather than necessary. instead, to close seams, pull one of the last outer threads toward the inside of the fabric and tie a double not to secure the seam. also, when youre fusing (and you should be fusing all of your leather unless its something really meant to stretch, because leather is practically all on the bias) make sure you use a completely dry iron and a pressing cloth on top. no steam!
and do you have any bigger pictures of the coat?
this is the type of tape i use, either in 3/8" or 1/4". if you see some in a different color roll, it doesnt matter. theyre all clear, just the paper its encased in are various colors
http://bergentailorsupply.com/scotch34inchleathertape.aspx
some other tools are important too. not sure if youre using a domestic or industrial sewing machine, but getting a teflon foot is really imperative to get the leather to not stick to your presser foot. a rubber (or poly) mallet and/or a leather roller is nice too for pressing down seams.
make sure when you sew, you dont backtack. you dont want to put more holes in the leather than necessary. instead, to close seams, pull one of the last outer threads toward the inside of the fabric and tie a double not to secure the seam. also, when youre fusing (and you should be fusing all of your leather unless its something really meant to stretch, because leather is practically all on the bias) make sure you use a completely dry iron and a pressing cloth on top. no steam!
and do you have any bigger pictures of the coat?
Nymphaea
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I've taped my seams down with some kind of special glue for leather/textile/etc. It works quite nice! I also have heard of the double sided tape. Thanks for the link!
I'm using a domestic machine and I use a special foot with 2 tiny rollers in it, but when I was sewing 4 layers (2 seams on each other) it didn't transport it at all, so I used my standard foot and it worked!
I also don't use a standard stitch but a stretch stitch. With the standard stitch I saw the thread very clearly when I stretched the leather, with the stretch stitch I don't see any, it looks much more professional! I didn't fuse my leather because I wanted to have the stretch. What kind of fusible do you use?
I've attached some pics, I had the actual coat for a short time, but unfortunately after that I realised how difficult the shoulder/arm pit area was.
I'm using a domestic machine and I use a special foot with 2 tiny rollers in it, but when I was sewing 4 layers (2 seams on each other) it didn't transport it at all, so I used my standard foot and it worked!
I also don't use a standard stitch but a stretch stitch. With the standard stitch I saw the thread very clearly when I stretched the leather, with the stretch stitch I don't see any, it looks much more professional! I didn't fuse my leather because I wanted to have the stretch. What kind of fusible do you use?
I've attached some pics, I had the actual coat for a short time, but unfortunately after that I realised how difficult the shoulder/arm pit area was.
Attachments
ah okay, the little bit in the armpit area is called a gusset. its added into sleeves that fit really close to the arm. if you dont have it in styles like these, youre not going to be able to move your arms as easily and/orr it would result in your entire garment shifting up whenever you lift your arms, which is not pretty.
heres a pretty decent looking blog post of someone drafting a gusset.
http://sewingforlife.wordpress.com/2012/01/21/the-jamcat-fleece-project-designing-the-gusset-for-the-sleeve/
if you google how to sew one in, it looks like there are a lot of examples as well
and as for fusing, im not absolutely sure if theres a specific type of fusing for leather. i got mine at an actual leather supply store and just asked them for fusing and they gave me this grey nonwoven fusing.
and if you dont want to fuse, try to make sure all your pieces are on the sturdier parts of the hide (if youre using an actual hide). the thing about using leather is that some parts of the animal are stretchier than others. like the center back of the hide (where the spine would be) is the least stretchy and the strongest, and closest to the edges where the stomach would be (most animals generally get cut down the center) is the most stretchy. so if you do use a hide and end up having to use parts close to the edge, i would still probably fuse it (even with a lightweight fuse at least). tbh, the only time i wouldnt fuse are for things like gloves where you actually need to prestretch it before sewing.
heres a pretty decent looking blog post of someone drafting a gusset.
http://sewingforlife.wordpress.com/2012/01/21/the-jamcat-fleece-project-designing-the-gusset-for-the-sleeve/
if you google how to sew one in, it looks like there are a lot of examples as well
and as for fusing, im not absolutely sure if theres a specific type of fusing for leather. i got mine at an actual leather supply store and just asked them for fusing and they gave me this grey nonwoven fusing.
and if you dont want to fuse, try to make sure all your pieces are on the sturdier parts of the hide (if youre using an actual hide). the thing about using leather is that some parts of the animal are stretchier than others. like the center back of the hide (where the spine would be) is the least stretchy and the strongest, and closest to the edges where the stomach would be (most animals generally get cut down the center) is the most stretchy. so if you do use a hide and end up having to use parts close to the edge, i would still probably fuse it (even with a lightweight fuse at least). tbh, the only time i wouldnt fuse are for things like gloves where you actually need to prestretch it before sewing.
