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Fabric question (Moderated by EleanorSews)
Posted on: 8/26/06 11:40 PM ET
Hello all,
I am having trouble finding fabric that is in between "bottomweight" and "shirting" - I want to make pants that are made of fabric like most of the RTW pants I own. Granted my RTW's are pretty cheap poly/rayon/spandex blends, but I LIKE that - and try finding that at a fabric store.
So, I had an idea - I would buy a simple pair of pants off a clearance rack somewhere that is SEVERAL sizes larger than what I wear.
Then, I would crease the pants to mark the grain line. Then, I would rip all the seams and lay my pattern on the fabric so that all edges are well inside any old seam lines and just start from there.
Does this sound crazy? Has anyone done this or have any advice?
Thank you!!
I am having trouble finding fabric that is in between "bottomweight" and "shirting" - I want to make pants that are made of fabric like most of the RTW pants I own. Granted my RTW's are pretty cheap poly/rayon/spandex blends, but I LIKE that - and try finding that at a fabric store.
So, I had an idea - I would buy a simple pair of pants off a clearance rack somewhere that is SEVERAL sizes larger than what I wear.
Then, I would crease the pants to mark the grain line. Then, I would rip all the seams and lay my pattern on the fabric so that all edges are well inside any old seam lines and just start from there.
Does this sound crazy? Has anyone done this or have any advice?
Thank you!!
Posted on: 8/27/06 0:25 AM ET
You could do that, but I would suggest getting help from PR members to identify the fabric you like and then just buying it online, maybe getting swatches first so you are sure it's what you want. I think that would be cheaper and easier in the long run and give you more flexibility and take less time. You could do it the other way, but it would be more hassle.
Maybe you can post the question under fabrics to find the fabric you want.
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Maybe you can post the question under fabrics to find the fabric you want.
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"puhPOjhu"--a river that sinks into a mountain with fury and winds around underground for miles before emerging in calm down the road...
Posted on: 8/27/06 0:25 AM ET
Haven't done it but my standard piece of advice for almost anything is to go to a thrift store and try it out on something cheap and disposable. Even better: find out when they have 1/2 price day and get REALLY cheap and disposable oversized pants to try it out on. Measure them in all the crucial places before you cut and write it down, with a sketch is best--make copies of the sketch so you can do it a couple of times if you need to without having to reinvent the wheel) so you can buy whatever you really want to use by measurements instead of size. You want to be able to duplicate what you did if it works. So keep scrupulous notes of your processes.
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I am going for a level of perfection that is only mine... Most of the pleasure is in getting that last little piece perfect...Inspiration is for amateurs. The rest of us just keep showing up and doing the work.
Chuck Close, painter, printmaker, photographer
Hope has two lovely daughters: Anger and Courage
St. Augustine
Chuck Close, painter, printmaker, photographer
Hope has two lovely daughters: Anger and Courage
St. Augustine
Posted on: 8/27/06 2:33 AM ET
In reply to Stacy1
Hi Stacy1,
When I visit a thrift store, like Goodwill or Salvation Army, I always cruise through the clothes. A couple of times I have bought a dress, and later made a skirt from it, plus used the leftover bodice fabric to trim a blouse to go with it. IF the fabric appeals to me, and IF it is a natural fiber (or rayon) then I will buy it, especially if it has a half-price tag on it! If nothing else, I can always make piping with it to trim a coordinating material.
Regards,
Sophiecat
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When I visit a thrift store, like Goodwill or Salvation Army, I always cruise through the clothes. A couple of times I have bought a dress, and later made a skirt from it, plus used the leftover bodice fabric to trim a blouse to go with it. IF the fabric appeals to me, and IF it is a natural fiber (or rayon) then I will buy it, especially if it has a half-price tag on it! If nothing else, I can always make piping with it to trim a coordinating material.
Regards,
Sophiecat
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Well-behaved women rarely make history.
Laurel Ulrich
Laurel Ulrich
Posted on: 8/27/06 9:08 AM ET
In reply to Sophiecat
Great advice! I will try it. Thank you!
Posted on: 8/27/06 9:09 AM ET
In reply to popoagiesmiles
Popoagiesmiles,
I will definitely post a question about fabric - who knows, maybe there is a really nice fabric out there similar in weight and feel to what I want, and I just don't know about it yet.
I will definitely post a question about fabric - who knows, maybe there is a really nice fabric out there similar in weight and feel to what I want, and I just don't know about it yet.
Posted on: 8/27/06 9:12 AM ET
In reply to tlmck3
Yes, cheap is always a goal. And I actually just yesterday pulled out a notebook so I could start writing down things that I learn, so I'll use that to take notes when I try this. Thank you very much!
Posted on: 8/27/06 9:15 AM ET
In reply to Stacy1
Yes, of course you can! It's fabric isn't it? Just sewn into a shape. You might need something many sizes larger rather than just several since you will need seam allowance for sewing.
Older sewing books often had a chapter on how to do things like cut down a man's suit to make a lady's suit showing clever ways to place the pattern pieces to take advantage of or avoid details like pockets. My mom used to cut up her FIL's old fine cotton shirts in ingenious ways to make children's clothes for my brother and me.
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Older sewing books often had a chapter on how to do things like cut down a man's suit to make a lady's suit showing clever ways to place the pattern pieces to take advantage of or avoid details like pockets. My mom used to cut up her FIL's old fine cotton shirts in ingenious ways to make children's clothes for my brother and me.
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Liz
thefittinglife.blogspot.com
thefittinglife.blogspot.com
Posted on: 8/27/06 9:22 AM ET
Part of my stash is men's super-large tee shirts from Target and Walmart. Hanes has much better access to reliable cotton knit than I do, and when I see a color I like, I buy several shirts so I can "harvest" the fabric from them. Using RTW pants for the same purpose seems perfectly okay to me; just think of it as "altering" the RTW pants to fit.
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“Never try to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and it annoys the pig.” -Robert Heinlein and Ann's father. Thanks for the reminder, Ann.
Where are we going, and what am I doing in this handbasket?
Matthew 25:40 (New International Version)
The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Where are we going, and what am I doing in this handbasket?
Matthew 25:40 (New International Version)
The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Posted on: 8/27/06 9:41 AM ET
I suggest that you take your pattern pieces with you, so that you end up with enough fabric. How will you "harvest" fabric for the waistband?
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Elizabeth
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