rostitchery

dead fabric: a post from the past

*this post was the second i ever published on this blog--way back in june, 2004.  i'm republishing it because today is ella's birthday!--so there is no actual sewing going on here today--but since this is about fabric, technically it is still sewing.

 

that's what i always think of when someone writes to ask me about "dying fabrics" instead of "dyEing fabrics".

"poor fabrics, what happened? this is so sudden. they seemed fine just yesterday."

i became obsessed with dyEing fabrics several years ago, when i spent two whole days trying to find quilt fabric that wasn't calico/kitty/country feedsack. i turned in desperation to dyEing my own muslin, and after just one session i was HOOKED.

the key was using the right ingredients. RIT is notorious for bleeding and fading--turns out, it isn't the right class of dye for the things most of us are trying to work on. it was the good people at dharma trading company who showed me the light. they set me up with two systems for professional fabric dyEing: one is fiber reactive dyE, and the other was "pigment dyE", a.k.a. paint.

i made several test runs to learn how the products worked, and then i spent a weekend playing. i ended up with enough cool fabrics to finish the quilt i was working on and to make another one too.

most people are intimidated by professional dyes, and i can understand that--there are a few variables that can make things seem sort of complicated. but if you'd like to try your hand at fabric design (known to those who do it as "surface design") you don't need any fancy ingredients or equipment. you can start with just some ordinary paints and any fabric or clothing you have. some examples of the cool effects you can create with just paint are in my fabrics album.

if you use non-fabric paint, you need to add some fabric medium to it so that it won't wash off--you can get fabric medium at most craft and fabric stores. you usually need to heat set paint--you can iron it, which only takes a few minutes, but if you have a big piece to set then throwing it into the dryer is easier. if you use your home dryer, run it on hot for at least an hour (if you use a commercial dryer, you can usually get away with 35-40 minutes).

don't judge your piece until after you've heat set and then rinsed it--the fabric tends to feel stiff until you remove the excess paint.

now, go make a mess!

 

luncheon set, part one

in which i narrowly avert a major disappointment.

the book "encyclopedia of modern sewing" has been one of my favorites for many years.  when published, it was in fact a comprehensive book on how to sew just about anything that could be sewn.  (it still is--but that's a thought for another post).

from time to time i pull this book off the shelf just to browse, and as so often happens, something will catch my eye that i had previously not been at all interested in.  this time, it was luncheon sets. 

 

and i had just the fabric for it--a piece of adorable apron-themed cotton that my sweet friend mamafitz had sent me some years ago and that had risen to the top of the stash in my ongoing war against clutter. 

 

it was exactly the right size for this project, so there would be no waste!

 

whenever you say to yourself, "this piece of fabric is exactly the right size for this project, so there will be no waste!", just do yourself a favor and take a moment to collect your thoughts so you can begin planning how you will proceed when you discover you have cut the first piece along the wrong edge and have thus ruined any possibility of cutting the rest of the set out of the remainder of the fabric.

so--after collecting my thoughts, i cut the rest of the fabric into napkins--there was enough fabric left to cut 6 luncheon-size napkins, so i went with that in the belief that somehow i'd figure out what to do to make things right.  i started rolling the edges on my serger, silently berating myself for not having paid closer attention to what i was doing when i had started cutting the fabric.

and suddenly, this came into view:

 

and i knew exactly how i was going to fix my mistake.

so tomorrow, i will cut out one table runner and four placemats from this fabric:

 

i'll trim them with the "scraps" left from making the napkins:

 

and by the end of the day, i will have my luncheon set.

SRC:  a little more than one yard of fabric (so far) that i've had for about 7 years--that's 7 points, plus a 2-point deduction for messing up, plus a 5-point bonus for figuring out a solution.  10 points and i'm not even done with the set yet.  :)

*what was your most recent mistake? how did you fix it?

attack of the muu-muu

last week, ella and i found some cute sheets at the thrift store that i knew would be perfect for spring dresses.  ella is in a yellow phase right now, so i started with the one that was like a watercolor garden.

 

and she knew exactly what kind of dress she wanted--a pillowcase dress (her favorite type—i’ve made at least a dozen for her over the years).  i cut one panel full width of the sheet, split it into a front and back piece, and proceeded as usual. it is kind of big right now, but that just leaves growing room.

 

then i cut my dress.  i started by taking measurements from this very cute dress which i found for a very cute price at one of the cutest stores i know, cato, which we finally have in nashville.

 

and i cut the remainder of the sheet to the exact size of the dress, but i didn't put in the waist elastic because i wanted it lower than empire--i wanted to try it on first then place the waist where my true waist is. 

 

worn like this, it is very comfy but completely unflattering for my "motherly" figure. as i described it to some friends, worn with a pair of flip-flops it makes me look like every female filipino i know.

howevah, it was so comfy like this that i decided i didn't want a permanent waistline in it after all.  so i pieced together the last scraps from the sheet to make a sash and now i love it.

 

this is the best part--the sash is long enough to make a bow in back.

 

if you’d like to make your own cute muu-muu, just follow the steps in my post about the 2-in-1 nursing top—just make the top part long enough for a dress.  if i ever find myself in need of a nursing outfit again, i might even cut this dress in two and make a 2-in-1 out of it.  ;)

 

*originally this dress felt like a big FAIL, but i'm glad i didn't give up on it.  what projects do you have that might be salvaged or have been salvaged?  if you'll share a link in a comment or send me a picture with a little description, i'll feature you in a post later this week!

meet the dorkingtons

last summer, ella saw this fabric at walmart:

 

which she wanted me to buy to make a hawaiian shirt for rudi. and while the woman was measuring the fabric, ella said, " and we need a little more, for me," so i had her measure out another yard, and then ella said, "and some for mama". and thus were born these:

 

and i kid you not, people literally stopped their cars as they passed us on the street to ask were we got the family outfits. and then when they got close enough to see it was "cars", i could have sold the whole set off our backs.

and best of all, ella's dress and my shirt are the exact same pattern and size--the only difference is that ella's sleeves are a little longer and there is some elastic for a waist (inside the red casing)--so she could conceivable wear this until she is an adult, if she so chooses.  i kind of hope she'll do that--it would be so sweet to think she still loves her baby things.

you made a what out of fabric?

tamar mogendorff makes dolls and other objects from found and vintage fabrics.  i love the things that i think are avocados taking root in a glass, and the pinecone stopped me in my tracks.

fabric postcards that you can actually mail at art2mail, with new postcards in the gallery all the time.   (my own christmas postcards from 2004 are here.)

fujitsu has developed a fully functional fabric laptop computer.  they say it is soft, pliable, and can comfortably be carried like a portfolio of paper.

researchers at georgia tech say they have developed fabrics that can generate electricity.

and last, but hardly least, researchers at MIT have published a paper describing some of the techniques used to build computer circuitry from commercially available fabrics, yarns, fasteners, and components.

wow.  when i went on a search for something interesting to post about fabric, i had no idea i'd find this kind of stuff.  it makes me realize i need to get out more.

no fabric, no peace--know fabric, know peace

sorry, that was kind of silly.

random things you might or might not have wanted to know about fabric:

269 names of kinds of fabric and cloth, from the phrontistery.  i have no idea what or who or where a phrontistery might be, but isn't it a cool word?

fabric definitions and pronunciations, from fabrics.net.  find out if you have been saying the word "challis" correctly.

fiber identification burn test, also from fabrics.net.  for the pyro in you.

fiber identification burn test, in chart format, from ditzy prints.  for those who prefer a visual.

fabric care symbols, from the soap and detergent association.  yeah, i know, i didn't know they had an association either.

oh, i checked the dictionary:

phrontistery:  noun.  an establishment for study and learning (sometimes including modern universities)

dang.  i should have known that.

 

10 questions, but far more answers

1:  what are your three favorite fabrics?

• 100% cotton.  it is cheap, easy to come by, and is very cooperative.  it is easy to care for--takes color readily--comes from a renewable resource.  you can find it in all kinds of designs, weights, and weaves, something to suit just about any project.
• 100% wool.  it is a fabric that likes to be made into things.  and contrary to popular belief, most people are not allergic to it--it is usually something else, like the lanolin in the wool, that causes the reaction.  you can get wool in everything from thick felt suitable for a winter coat, all the way down to tropical weight wool gauze that is light as a feather.  and just like cotton, it is not very demanding.
• found fabrics.  this would be anything that is not sold on a bolt specifically for sewing.  things like old bed linens found at thrift stores and yard sales--dish towels and vinyl table cloths from the dollar tree--tyvek envelopes that swap partners occasionally use to mail things to me. 

2:  what are your three least favorite fabrics?

• liquid sequins.  that stuff is hateful.  it actually resists being sewn.  (i cannot find a link for this fabric--that's how obstinate it is).
• most synthetics (by which i mean true synthetics, not artificial fibers).  they don't ease, they don't breathe (although the newer ones are better), they can't be dyed, and they feel icky on my skin.  YMMV.  :)
• lame'.  it doesn't want to be fabric, it wants to be shreds of fibers laying in a pile on your sewing table.

3:  what is the most unusual fabric you've ever sewn?

• sparkly automotive vinyl.

yes.  naugahyde.  when i worked in the costume shop at the tennessee repertory theatre, the designer had us quilt about a dozen yards of the stuff, from which we made doublets and codpieces for "macbeth".  it really wasn't that hard to work with, but pressing it was a PITA.

4:  what is the most unusual thing you've made out of regular fabric?

it's a tie:

• a corset made out of polyester chiffon, for the same designer, for the same show.
• shoes for ella that i made by cutting up several leather handbags that i bought at a thrift store.

5:  if you could sew with just one fabric for the rest of your life, what would it be?

• probably raw silk.  it behaves as well as cotton or wool, takes dye as well, is a natural fiber so it feels good against the skin, but it doesn't require as much ironing as cotton and it is easier to care for than wool. 

6:  what is the most special piece of fabric you've ever bought and used?

• two yards of silk chiffon that i bought in 1981, which i used to make my own costume for "spring waters".  i remember exactly how much it cost:  $8.00 a yard.  i dyed it myself to just the right shade of "spring water" blue.  i was so afraid of ruining that fabric with my then-amateur sewing skills that i sewed the entire thing by hand.  i used every inch of that two yards, i made the costume using rectangles and triangles, and it wore like iron.  i danced that piece for almost 5 years, wearing the same costume, traveling all over western europe, scandanavia, and the soviet union, and it was the only costume at the end that was still in as good a condition as when i made it.

7:  where do you get most of your fabrics?

• here in nashville we have limited sources:  joanns, wal-mart, and one locally-owned upscale fabric shop that is always out of my budget.  for my own things (as opposed to stuff i need for the costume shop) i rarely order fabric online, simply because i can almost always make something nice with what i can find here.   the most notable exception was when i needed PUL for making diapers, i always bought that thru an online fabric co-op.

8:  what are the last three fabrics you used?

• "quilting" cotton--several aprons
• "quilting" cotton--a set of family clothes (matching hawaiian shirt for rudi/skirt for me/dress for ella)
• "quilting" cotton--a tote bag for my sister.

i love the stuff.  it is my favorite to wear, fabric for crafts, and i sometimes even use it to makes quilts.  but i DETEST the term "quilting" cotton.  it is just cotton--if you use it to make a quilt it is "quilting" cotton but if you use it to make a dress, it is "dressing" cotton.  :)

9:  if you could buy any fabric you wish, what would you buy and what would you do with it?

• i would buy some flat silk with this stripe design and make an exact duplicate of this dress for myself:

10:  what advice do you have for seamstresses about buying fabric?

• go to the best fabric stores you can and touch all the fabric.  read the end labels on the bolts to learn what it is, how to care for it, and the price range it comes in.  get swatches if you can, and put them in a binder with notes about each one.  then when you shop for you own projects, you will have some real hands-on knowledge that helps you decide if the fabric is a good choice for what you're making and is within a reasonable price range.

did i forget anything?  oh yes--don't buy any fabric you don't really like.  not even if it is cheap.  not even if they have only one yard left and there will never be anymore of it.   not even if whatever.  it is not worth the emotional investment of trying to make yourself use a fabric that you just don't like.

if you'd like to answer these questions yourself, leave a comment with the link to your blog post so we can all visit!

my "stash"

about twice a month i'm asked about my personal fabric stash, and since this is fabric week i figured now would be as good a time as any to show it to you but i'm afraid it will be something of a disappointment. 

yes, that's it.  one shelf.  plus a basket above to hold some cutting scraps.

there was a time when i had much more--way too much in fact--but eventually i came to a point where having all that fabric seemed like such a waste.

not of money.  a waste of opportunity.

i don't buy into the motto, "she who dies with the most fabric, wins."  quite the opposite--i believe she who has fabric at the end didn't get to enjoy it.

some people don't use their fabric because they are afraid of "ruining" it.  well, that is what making muslins is for--you get to try out your pattern on fabric that is not so precious, make sure you get things right, then when you use the good stuff you don't have to worry about whether or not the thing will fit, or whether you know how to make the fancy hand-rolled hem.

other people are afraid to use the fabric they have, just in case they need it in some unknown future.  but the truth is that there will always be more fabric--they are making more of it at this very minute--much of it is beautiful and you will love it just as much as the stuff you have right now.

however, my fear is that i will have a piece of pretty fabric that i never get to wear, or that my child or husband or other loved one won't get to enjoy.  to me, that would be the ultimate loss.

so now i use up my fabric as soon as i can.  i cut it with (almost) wild abandon, and if whatever i'm making doesn't turn out "right", i know there is someone in the world who will like it, who it will fit, and who would be grateful to have something so well made (ok, so i flatter myself).

so this week, along with my intention to try using both sides of the fabric, i'm going to also try to make that piece of fabric something that i've been holding onto--something that i have been "saving".   but i'll save a small scrap of it too--just in case.  ;)

the right side

(oops!  i didn't get anything posted for you yesterday so i owe you two today.)

have you ever wondered, "which side of this fabric is the right side?" 

my rule is that whichever side i like best is the right side. 

but what if you like both sides?

then use both of them.  :D

this is not my idea--it is actually an idea that is used all over the world, wherever there are seamstresses with not much fabric but a lot of inspiration.  like the women documented by ann at she wears shwe shwe.  ann lives in "joburg" (johannesburg?) south africa and documents the women she meets wearing clothing  made out of traditional shwe shwe fabrics.

these fabrics are pretty but what interests me the most is that the women treat each face of the fabric as usable yardage.  they use the "right" side for the main fabric in a piece, and then use the reverse side as contrast--brilliant--it will automatically coordinate and most contrast pieces can be cut from the scraps.

this is yet another example of how the rest of the world is able to "have" more than we do, while having so much less--if both sides of the fabric are "right", then every yard of fabric offers two yards of options!  double your stash without having to hide twice as much from the people who think you are too involved with your fabric.

at she wears shwe shwe ann is careful to make sure the women know that she is respectful of them and their traditions, and not just some tourist gawking at their clothing.  she gets permission from each woman before photographing her--takes the time to get to know each her, to find out more about what she is wearing (who made it?  what design decisions were involved?  what would you like us to know about you or your clothing?), she even makes sure to get contact information from them so she can send them copies of her pictures.

this is lizzie, and she had her dress made "in town".  while the style of dress might not be popular here in the states, it shows several examples of how the reverse side could be used to good effect, and even how the facings themselves can be turned to the outside and made into design details.

i'm going to challenge myself to use this idea this week--to make one small thing using both sides of the same fabric.  i can't seem to locate any authentic shwe shwe fabric here in nashville  :)  so i guess i'll just have to make do with some authentic joanns fabric instead.  who's in?  leave me a comment and a link and let's see what we can insprie each other to do.

global mamas

when i started looking at the entrepreneurs at KIVA, the ones who caught my eye, naturally, were the ones who were in the broad category "clothing".   that is how i found Zulhumor, who is a fabric seller.  what makes her special to me is that she sells the kind of fabrics used to make the national dresses of her country, tajikistan.  here in america, we don't even have a national dress, much less specific fabrics for them.

it made me wonder about other places, other customs, other costumes--and it brought to mind a group that my dear friend brenda told me about:  global mamas.  this is an organization whose mission is to assist women of africa in attaining economic independence.  sales of global mamas’ products provide dignity to african women who are now able to earn an honest living through the production of handmade batik products.

the fabrics are gorgeous, and they even generously share their expertise on their website, giving detailed instructions (including videos!) on how to make your own batiks and tie dyes.

but for me the best part is that each item of clothing has a link that takes you to a page about the fabric artist(s) and the seamstress who made that particular garment.  for example, the fabric for this sweet little romper was batiked by best friends elizabeth ampah and emma myers--if you visit their page you can see a slide show of them at work.

and then you can meet alice korsah, the talented seamstress who sews these cute rompers.  while you're at her page, please consider sending her an encouraging message (there's a link right there, to make it easy)--after all, what seamstress doesn't like to get an admiring email from time to time?

if nothing else, please take a moment to watch the videos (admittedly low-quality) of some of these women talking about their work and their lives.  hearing their actual voices, seeing their faces, made their work mean so much more to me than just fabric--it turned them into works of art, labors of love, and hopes for a better future.  the world needs a lot more of those things right now.