Lousy day, need to brag
Maukingbird
something *happy* I recently accomplished and have yet to share about,
and realized that you would be the only people I know that might
appreciate this kind of victory.
This weekend, for the first time ever, I top-stitched synthetic (ick,
I know) leather OVER sew-thru boning. I've never used sew-thru
boning, and I've never sewn synthetic OR real leather, and it was pain-
stakingly difficult. I had to do this very slowly, and in the end I
had a deceptively neat top-stitching.
(Not that it is my recommended route. If I ever had to replicate the
look, I would top stitch the leather first, and then sew "ribbons"
into the lining fabric to slide in stronger stays.)
Alas, it was a challenge that I met head-on, and I crushed it! I was
very happy about this, and I'm very happy to share it with you. It is
possible, my friends!
xoxCelena
Koko
That is fantastic! I have never been able to sew leather, or at
least, not yet. What did you sew? And do you have pictures?
Koko
Maukingbird
>
> That is fantastic! I have never been able to sew leather, or at
> least, not yet. What did you sew? And do you have pictures?
>
Oh, thank you!
Leather is just one of those fabrics you've got to measure thrice and
cut once, sew SLOWLY and don't use pins! The perk about sewing it was
that it was an easy hand to work with, heavy and smooth, neat and easy
to cut.
I'm making a waist cincher but won't be able to finish it until the
weekend. Work, school, and still recovering from surgery are about
all I can do during the week, and this weekend we will be still
potentially be dealing with this horrible in-law crisis. The lining
fabric is a gold and black brocade. I'm not crazy about it, but my DH
chose the lining and he wants me to make the cincher reversible. I'm
debating whether it would be a waste of time or not to make the thing
reversible. I don't foresee myself wearing it with the brocade out,
but what if I change my mind later? Or what if I waste the few good
hours I have to finish it making it reversible when I'll probably
never wear it? I am happily making a mountain over a molehill because
sometimes it's nice to pretend I don't have bigger problems looming.
Any advice or opinions before I start at it again?
Love,
Celena
Dark Phoenix
"Maukingbird" <celen...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:e481e4e3-1c73-4cfc...@l13g2000yqb.googlegroups.com...
Holy cow, that is an accomplishment! You're a braver woman than I am, that's
for sure.
Pictures?
--
Laurie Brown, Dark Phoenix
dark_p...@netw.com
http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/103910/laurie_brown.html
"To destroy the Western tradition of independent thought, it is not
necessary to burn books. All we have to do is leave them unread for a couple
of generations."
--Robert Maynard Hutchens.
firefey
> On Sep 30, 4:41 pm, Maukingbird <celenam...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > I'm having a lousy, crazy, in-law day. So I wanted to talk about
> > something *happy* I recently accomplished and have yet to share about,
> > and realized that you would be the only people I know that might
> > appreciate this kind of victory.
>
> > This weekend, for the first time ever, I top-stitched synthetic (ick,
> > I know) leather OVER sew-thru boning. I've never used sew-thru
> > boning, and I've never sewn synthetic OR real leather, and it was pain-
> > stakingly difficult. I had to do this very slowly, and in the end I
> > had a deceptively neat top-stitching.
> > (Not that it is my recommended route. If I ever had to replicate the
> > look, I would top stitch the leather first, and then sew "ribbons"
> > into the lining fabric to slide in stronger stays.)
> > Alas, it was a challenge that I met head-on, and I crushed it! I was
> > very happy about this, and I'm very happy to share it with you. It is
> > possible, my friends!
>
> > xoxCelena
>
So... leather requires some special tools i know. not so sure about
the synthetics, since i don't tend to work with this. but you need
leather specific needles, and Teflon foots help keep down the
stretching. it's also a right PITA to deal with the grain of the
leather, since it has a nasty habit of going in different directions
depending on where it comes from on the animal. have you worked with
leather before? and did you find the synthetic easier on the curved
seams?
and honestly, it's not too many added steps to make a cincher
reversible so long as you're binding the edges as opposed to "bagging"
it. what if you did a single front panel in the brocade and the rest
in black? i happen to be a big fan of single patterned panels or
alternating pattern and solid, but i think that's due to my ren faire
habit.
Maukingbird
> So... leather requires some special tools i know.
I have the leather needles and a variety of feet from sewing classes I
took almost a decade ago, but my regular needle and foot worked fine
on the test strip so I kept them (although it might have been a good
idea to change the needle for the sew-thru boning...dang it).
> it's also a right PITA to deal with the grain of the
> leather, since it has a nasty habit of going in different directions
> depending on where it comes from on the animal.
I've never worked with real or synthetic leather before, so this was
definitely new territory to me! I had no issues with grain since it
was synthetic, and it was very easy to work. But since it was
altogether unfamiliar for me, I took it slowly to ensure not having to
undo anything--holes are not easily disguised! And based on what
you've said (which I had not previously considered), I might stay away
from the real stuff. Thank you for the warning!
> and honestly, it's not too many added steps to make a cincher
> reversible
As far as making it reversible, my issue is that I HATE working with
this brocade; it's quite slippery and easily shreds, and I don't want
to bother with top stitching it to make it look more finished. But if
it doesn't have that "finished" look, I wouldn't wear it on the
outside regardless of whether I liked the brocade or not. I'm
thinking about just scrapping the brocade lining and digging through
my other fabrics to find something more durable. In the future, I'll
take DH's suggestions on fabric with a grain of salt, and stick with
my gut instinct. He can stick to writing music--what he does best,
and a gift I can only appreciate.
xoxCelena
Maukingbird
not *quite* as strong as the canvas/duck cloth I've used on corsets,
but nice and sturdy compared to the brocade. Additionally, I actually
like blue so I might even wear this one both ways.
Celena
firefey
Ahh see... when you said brocade i was thinking of the heavy stuff you
use for couches and corsets, not the flimsy stuff. stuff that shreds
makes me want to scream. most as i hate having to put no fray on
everything.
marika
"firefey" <twig...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:d44af20b-4926-468c...@b3g2000pre.googlegroups.com...
=================
east carolina bbq (like lloyd's eg) must give you apoplexy, as also alot of
burritos and other Mexican foods