mid-month check-in

[yhlee]

(You should know that I am distracted/busy/random, so if someone with a better sense of time feels like making check-in posts at various points of the month, please go ahead.)

What have y'all been up to sewing-wise?

Today I attempted a janky curved seam for practice! This mainly consisted of me chanting, "Parallel to the tangent to the curve...parallel to the tangent to the curve..." to dubious effect. XD (Photographic evidence in comment to this post.)

Comments

janky curved seam and other beginner sewing machine adventures

[yhlee]

Janky curved seam evidence! I went over it twice; the second attempt was a little better?? I know the fabric isn't supposed to pucker like that, but one thing at a time. XD

Also, as my instructor told me would happen, I sewed over my first pin. :facepalm:

Me: "Why is the machine making a funny grinding noise?"
Also me: "Oh, I just sewed over part of the pin..."
Fortunately, reverse-stitching out of the way and then removing the pin was easy, and I caught it before I broke the machine needle or the pin...

Re: janky curved seam and other beginner sewing machine adventures

[nou]

This looks like a fine seam for someone who’s still learning!

TBH with complicated seams I often draw in the sewing line as an extra piece of guidance, since I’ll be doing it from the wrong side anyway, so my drawn line won’t show even if I do have to do it in something that won’t wash out. My collar corners got a lot better after I started doing this, and they aren’t even curved.

Re: janky curved seam and other beginner sewing machine adventures

[yhlee]

Thank you! I will keep practicing. :D

Yes, that's such a good suggestion, thank you! I did pick up some starter sewing notions but, uh, completely failed to commit tailor's chalk or anything!

OTOH, I have an...embarrassing number of fountain pens and fountain pen inks (including the sort of ink that gives up the ghost if there's ANY water near it), so I might take some scrap fabric and test the "drawing with fountain pen ink" tip that via_ostiense gave! (Probably one should not, for example, do this with Platinum Carbon or Rohrer & Klingner Salix unless one wants to enhance the fabric with random chromotography...?)

Re: janky curved seam and other beginner sewing machine adventures

[nou]

For a practice piece like that one, on plain light-coloured fabric, you could just use an ordinary pencil. That’s what I use for my muslins (which I make from white cotton poplin) and for my shirt collars (which are interfaced with white cotton interfacing).

Re: janky curved seam and other beginner sewing machine adventures

[via_ostiense]

Your seam looks pretty good!

Re: janky curved seam and other beginner sewing machine adventures

[yhlee]

Thank you! :D