I love the library - usually

When I got on board to sew this wedding dress, I was naturally a little apprehensive. I've never taken on a project this big and this significant before. So, I did what I always do when I feel unprepared - I hit the library. Now, I nearly always pick up a sewing book when the kids and I take our weekly trips to the library, but this time, I brought home a haul.

I checked out every book they had on bridal sewing. Both of them.How awesome is that hat?!? Dates this book, hey?

Then I got a couple of old friends. I knew they would help me out, and they both already have.
These two were just for fun.
I picked up this one because while I've heard of her methods, I have never seen them in use.
And I think this may be why...
She has 43 separate measurements that you are supposed to take before you ever even put scissors to pattern. Pul-lease!! I will say, though, the book has an excellent easier way for assembling a welt pocket. Worth checking out of the library for that, at least. She also goes through her method for making what she calls a "couture" shirt, pant and jacket. The instructions are spotty and don't always make sense. I'm also a bit at a loss as to what is so "couture" about them. All in all, useful for welt pockets, but otherwise - not so much.

Something new I learned...

I've been reading this book. I grabbed it the last time I was at the library, not really sure that I was going to get anything out of it, since I don't have an embroidery machine. And it is mostly techniques that you need a more advanced machine than mine to use, but I did learn something that has really helped me, and I wanted to share it with you.I'm sure that you have noticed that different brands of thread are wound differently. This one (A Coats & Clark Dual Duty) is parallel-wound - that is, the threads are wound parallel to each other.
This one, (a Mettler Metrosene) is cross-wound - that is, the threads cross over each other.
I never realized that this made a difference in the way that you should treat them, but I learned from this book that a parallel wound spool of thread can kink and twist (and break!!) when used on a horizontal spool. And look - Janome has a horizontal spool...
No wonder I was having such trouble with satin stitching with C&C!! I thought it was just cheap thread, but it turns out that I was doing it all wrong!!

Well, I learned my lesson!!
Since I've been spooling my parallel-wound threads on the vertical pin, I have had so much more success.

Homemade?

The Temple Public Library has a surprisingly decent sewing section, and last week when I went to reload Logan's bookshelf, I picked up a few. This is the one I am working on right now.
How much do you love that title?? Power Sewing! Sweet! It really is an awesome book, full of wonderful techniques. Sandra Betzina is amazing, and while I don't really like her personal style of dressing, her methods are unbelievably good. She spends a lot of time talking about how to make your clothing look like RTW. Interesting? It got me thinking about how we (as a society) think of clothing that is home-sewn. I once fixed a horribly botched formal-to-semiformal conversion for a friend. The bad job had been done by a professional tailor, but her biggest concern about my fix (and a concern which I understand completely!) was that it not look "homemade". I've been thinking a lot about that word since then. We love homemade cookies, but a dress? No way! I think that the word homemade, in the context of textile arts, has come to mean sloppy and poorly finished. My work is neither of those things. But I also don't want my clothing to look like RTW; if I did I wouldn't sew! I think I prefer the term "handmade". When someone (who doesn't know I sew) sees something that I've made, I want them to ask, "Where did you get that?", but not be thinking JCPenny, Gymboree or Charlotte Russe. I want them to think high-end boutique or fabulous Etsy craftsperson. I make things that are handmade!

And in case you are wondering how my first Ottobre attempt is coming along, here is a little peek at the absolutely cutest shorts in the world.
I LOVE this magazine!!

The birthday haul

Despite all my forebodings I really had a great birthday. Here is the (sewing related) haul! I am really excited about Sew What! Skirts! I have seen so many pretty things made from this book out there in blogland, and now that I have it, I can see why. I doesn't come with pattern pieces. What? Nope, you draft your own from your measurements and based on their very simple method. I can't wait to get started. There are some awesome designs in there and I couldn't decide what to do first, so with my Hobby Lobby gift card (Thank you, Donna, for feeding my fabric frenzy), I got fabric for two different ones.

I also got two new feet for Janome from my Mom. One is a binding foot. I LOVE binding and I am so happy to have this one. The other is a ditch stitching foot. Stitching in the ditch is my favorite way to avoid handsewing without topstitching, so I am really excited about this one, too.

Thank you, everyone!