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Loves Vintage

Ideal_Rock
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Date: 7/21/2008 12:31:14 AM
Author: Anastasia
I have a custom window treatment business, and have been sewing window treatments for about 15 years. I learned to sew as a kid, and made clothes in my teens. When I got married and we were decorating our first house, I decided to make my own window treatments. My mother thought I was crazy. The first thing I made was traditional swags and jabots. They turned out beautifully. My mother was very impressed!!

My recommendations:

Go for it! Window Treatments are much easier to make than clothing (no zippers or sleeves!).

Take some lessons to learn the basics. Once you learn to follow a pattern, you can figure almost anything out.

Sheers can be pretty challenging to work with, so I wouldn''t start out with them.

Buy home decorating fabric rather than garment fabric. It is wider, and of a much nicer weight to work with. There are lots of great websites that sell home dec fabrics at great prices.

I line everything. Good quality lining makes a huge difference in how your finished product turns out. I interline everything with flannel interlining also. It adds some weight to the treatments.

I would recommend buying a good used machine rather than one of the $100.00 machines. They are really cheaply made. I have a Bernina 930 that I bought off of Ebay. It is a solid machine. The $100.00 machines are completely made of plastic, including all of the ''guts'' of the machine. You might even want to borrow a machine if anyone you know could lend you one in order to learn to sew, and see if it is something you want to invest in.

I''ll post again later if I can think of anything else!

Good Luck!

Thanks for all the tips. What are some of your favorite websites for quality fabric at lower prices? I''d love to start scoping out fabric ideas as I''m waiting to close on this house . . . .


Speaking of which, I just have to post a pic of what I think will be my most challenging windows. I think I''d just go with regular drapes, all the same color. Any better ideas out there for me, keeping in mind, must be easy to make?



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vintagecushion

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Galateia that sounds so cool! Can you tell me what the brand of the tape is? I''d love to find it.
 

galeteia

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Date: 7/22/2008 3:23:24 PM
Author: vintagecushion
Galateia that sounds so cool! Can you tell me what the brand of the tape is? I'd love to find it.

It was the only brand of wet-activated paper tape at Staples. It says specifically on the label that it is used with water, so it shouldn't be hard to find.


So, after emerging from our bedroom after a good cry, I have a few pointers for those trying out the paper tape dressform method I linked on the last page.

1. Do NOT ask your hubby to be your assistant, unless your hubby is a whiz at sewing and understands how much the shape of a dressform impacts the shape of the fabric draped on it.

2. Do NOT ask your hubby to be your assistant, unless your hubby is a whiz at paper-mache-ing curved forms and knows how to shape the long strips of paper around curves, placing cuts along the edge for convex or concave curves.

3. Don't wear a ribbed shirt, as it will halve the grip surface for the tape. I wrapped cheap muslin around my lower half, as you'll want to have a form that goes over your rear.

4. Use the rules of paper-mache: don't try to have super long strips, or you will get weird lumps and bulges as it tries to curve around, and CUT THE TAPE INTO NARROW STRIPS!!!!! (EXTRA EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!!) Wide strips of tape will have ruffled edges and smush you, distorting your shape.

5. Keep the strips over the squishy parts of your body, i.e. bosoms, rear, relaxed enough that your are NOT COMPRESSING them, or you will wind up with a lopsided, smushed uniboob and one hip that curves out and one that curves in. Did I mention, "DO NOT ASK YOUR HUBBY TO HELP YOU"? Aim for separate bosoms.

6. Keep the strips around your waist loose enough to breathe, but tighter than on the rest of your body, as they will help keep nmthe strips running down your spine flush along the small of your back. If you've ever had shirts that had extra bulk at the small of your back, you'll know what I mean.

7. Wet the strip with a sponge, but let it sit for a moment to become 'tacky' as it will start sticking right away when you place it on, instead of the inhabitant having to hold down multiple slipping strips.

8. Think you've put on enough layers? Twice as much as you think you should have is half enough. This form needs to become a hard shell, so that means lots and lots of layers.

9. After the body is covered in the first layer, (NOTE: Be careful with this first layer, as if you goof it up, you'll compound it with each following layer, and a wonky-shaped dressform = wonky shaped clothes) whip out your trusty hairdryer and dry it out before you add more soggy layers.

10. If there are edges curling, etc, don't despair; provided that you've got enough layers and it's hardened properly between layers, the shell should be robust enough that you can tinker with gluing edges down once you're out of the form.

11. Do NOT ask your hubby to be your assistant, unless you want to waste 45 minutes of his time making him do something outside of his expertise only to break down in tears when you view his handiwork and sob out "Do I actually look like that?!" and leave him bewildered and frustrated as you throw it out and escape to your bed to cry.
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I hope that helps people avoid disaster. Please learn from my mistakes.
 

fatafelice

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Galateia: ROTFLMAO! I think we need pictures!

I love to sew and I just wanted to agree with those who have mentioned that an older (metal) mechanical machine ia a solid investment. I love old Singers, like my mom''s from the late 60s, but I also really like the Berninas. That is what we used most often in the costume shops where I worked. You can get used ones on ebay and sometimes you get lucky at garage sales. If you are in a budget pinch, then a cheap Singer will definitely work, but be prepared that if it breaks, the repair bill might be more than its original cost! I have had that happen.

I don''t have any curtain-specific advice, but good luck! I can''t wait to see what you make!
 

galeteia

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Date: 7/22/2008 7:02:45 PM
Author: fatafelice
Galateia: ROTFLMAO! I think we need pictures!

All that can be photographed now is the wad of papertape packed down into the trash, but alas, no camera.

I''ve emailed a new friend down here who also sews and begged her to help me. We''ll see if she agrees. I''m ansty to get going on sewing, but I need that dressform.
 

fatafelice

Brilliant_Rock
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Check Ebay. They have all kinds of forms. Also check local vintage and antique stores, even craigslist. Even if it isn''t your size, you can layer it with batting and strips of muslin until it matches your measurements. The form I have is a real Wolf form (industry standard) that I bought on ebay, but it is a 6 petite. The petite I need, but I am way bigger than a six, so I pad it out. I also humor myself by imagining that if I ever lose a ton of weight, I will still be able to use it! lol.
 

galeteia

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Update:

Today I made a muslin mock-up of This Skirt just to reunite with my machine.

I doubled the waistband from 2" to 4" as I wanted a wide waistband. It fits really nicely, thanks to only having to worry about the waist measurement.

Pressing with an iron is my friend. I''m so used to working with materials that cannot be heated that I''ve never done much pressing of seams before sewing, but OH MY GOD the difference!

Now I have plans to modify the design into more of a circle-skirt pattern as I don''t like the way the gathers make the skirt poof out. It works on the girl who created this pattern as she''s quite slim, but I''m not feelin'' the poof.

But I recommend it for anyone who is thinking of dipping a toe into sewing.
 

KCCutie

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Oh Galateia! I''m so sorry you had such a hard time with the dress form. Although I did have a good giggle thinking about my SO trying to help me with that. If I lived nearby I''d certainly help you I hope your new friend will be able to help you try again soon!

This got me thinking about how much I would LOVE to have my own dress form. I''ve wanted one for a while but didn''t really have the room but when we finally get to move into our house I''ll have room for sure! YAY! I''m off to e-bay now to look!
 

galeteia

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Date: 7/24/2008 11:33:49 AM
Author: KCCutie
Oh Galateia! I''m so sorry you had such a hard time with the dress form. Although I did have a good giggle thinking about my SO trying to help me with that. If I lived nearby I''d certainly help you I hope your new friend will be able to help you try again soon!


This got me thinking about how much I would LOVE to have my own dress form. I''ve wanted one for a while but didn''t really have the room but when we finally get to move into our house I''ll have room for sure! YAY! I''m off to e-bay now to look!

Heh, I hope she emails me back soon, I''m raring to start dresses.

After recovering from the sticker shock of the dressforms, I had an idea: see how there are display dressforms on there? Why not get the paper tape dressform made, and then slip it over the display dressform and then stuff between the two for stability? That would give you the base and provide a more resilient ''core'' so the paper tape form has something to a) hang on at the right height, and b) prevent cave-ins?

Plus, should you change shape, all you need to do is make a new paper tape shell.

Whadda think?
 

KCCutie

Brilliant_Rock
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Date: 7/24/2008 1:49:22 PM
Author: Galateia

After recovering from the sticker shock of the dressforms, I had an idea: see how there are display dressforms on there? Why not get the paper tape dressform made, and then slip it over the display dressform and then stuff between the two for stability? That would give you the base and provide a more resilient ''core'' so the paper tape form has something to a) hang on at the right height, and b) prevent cave-ins?


Plus, should you change shape, all you need to do is make a new paper tape shell.


Whadda think?

That sounds like it could work! Although finding a skilled person to help make the paper tape form could be difficult in my case.

My problem is I''m very petite...I mean even petite stuff doesn''t fit right sometimes and I even have to hem my petite pants. I''m 5''1" on a good day and very short waisted. I think this is why I sew so much, b/c I always have to alter my own clothes.
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For me I was thinking about buying one of those adjustable ones that have the up and down adjustable waist. Then I would definitely have to add a little to the hips since I''m just a "hippy" gal. So I figure after I do that I should make a muslin cover that zips in the back....I saw an older dress form on e-bay that they described that way and it sounded great and one done to my measurements would be fabulous! Plus if I needed to change the measurements I could just adjust the cover.
 

galeteia

Brilliant_Rock
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Well, I''ve got a few muslins under my belt, and I''ve just made a skirt from the pattern I linked to a few posts back, in black cotton.

I angled the sides for less poof, added an invisible zipper, french seamed everything, interfaced both layers of the waistband for added stability, and am now adding a large fish accent in fabric paint.

How are everyone''s projects coming along?
 

galeteia

Brilliant_Rock
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WOOP!

I MADE A REPLICA OF MY FANNY!
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I did it between the hours of 4 and 8 a.m. after giving up on sleeping. I did my lower half from high waist to lower keister, everything I'd need for a fitted skirt. I am SO PROUD of myself! It looks amazing! If any of you ladies are near Lubbock Texas and want to make the trip for a fitted dressform of yourselves, you provide the paper tape, I'll provide the labour free of charge.
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My form is currently stuffed with plastic bags and nestled in front of our fan. I stood in front of said fan for an hour as I chatted with my mother on the phone, it made standing completely still less boring.

Huzzah!
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I am so thrilled after the self-esteem crushing disaster the last paper tape form was. Did I mention I'm super pleased with the results?
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