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From: drlmull
Date: 04-05-2004, 01:12 PM (1 of 13)
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here it is ladies, this is my first dress by myself, please look at the stitching and see what you can do to help me out, the stitches look ugly. Did i use the right thread, why do they look so ugly. if you notice one sleeve is different because i tried a different stitch, which i like but , I can't stay in line http://www.ofoto.com/BrowsePhotos.jsp?&collid=388852611105&page=1&sort_order=0 |
User: drlmull
Member since: 04-03-2004 Total posts: 28 |
From: Chrysantha
Date: 04-05-2004, 02:01 PM (2 of 13)
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Were you trying to embroider ??? It looks ugly if you were, because the tension looks way off to me...and when you embroider you need some sort of stabilizer under the fabric. If you weren't trying to embroider, the it STILL looks to me like the tension is way off..I can't tell what kind of stitch it's supposed to be....usually when you hem something a straight stitch is used. Unless you were trying a blindhem stitch..then you have it all wrong... my 2 cents.....::shrugging shoulders:: Chrys
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User: Chrysantha
Member since: 09-06-2002 Total posts: 2414 
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From: drlmull
Date: 04-05-2004, 02:19 PM (3 of 13)
| no embroidery, just hemming,, how should i do it, do you know.. what is blind hem |
User: drlmull
Member since: 04-03-2004 Total posts: 28 |
From: paroper
Date: 04-05-2004, 04:03 PM (4 of 13)
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The fabric is very pretty and the pattern is cute. Now, let's see if we can do something about the hem problem. Your dress can be "saved"! You need to carefully remove all the top stitches that you can see. The safest way to do this is with a pin...but that is a long and hard way to do it too. There are inexpensive seam rippers on the market, but you have to be patient with taking our your stitches with these because they have a knife in them....so very carefully pick your stitches out. After you have the old stitches out, the first thing you need to do is go to the ironing board and press the hems on your garment. Use the recommeded hem allowances on the bottom and sleeve according to your pattern. The amount on your pattern will probably be between 1 and 1/4 and 2 and 1/4 inches...it may say something else, but check both allowances because the sleeves are frequently less than the dress hem. If you do not have a serger to finish the edge, press 1/4 inch under the top of your hem (on the inside) so that the raw edge, when attached, will be enclosed in your hem. Go to you sewing machine and use your presser foot as a guide and stitch the 1/4 inch down against the hem....not to the dress, just fold it and stitch it down. The easiest way to handle the hem now is to hand or machine baste the hem into place, leaving room to sew...this will keep your hem from puckering or moving on you. When you finish, the basting stitches should be very easy to take out, esp. if it is done by hand (it is just a very long running stitch (in and out) at the bottom of your dress.) Now you are ready to hem your dress or sleeves for real. The easiest way to hem them is by hand: Run a single threaded (don't knot both threads at the bottom, just knot one with a "tail) needle along the inside fold of your hem (at the top, where you turned and stitched your edge). About every half inch or so you just take a small "bite" out of the dress with your needle and then run the needle (again) along the fold of the hem. When you finish, you should not be able to see anything but a small prick on the dress where the thread went through. After you have gone around the hem completely, just pull the basting stitches out and you are finished. I don't really think of a blind stitch as a beginners stitch, but it can be done, so if you are game, here we go. A blind stitch is basically the same stitch on the machine and the hem we just did by hand. This may be hard to explain and if you can pictures on line, I would recommend that you look at them. You finish the dress the same way as before...even basting. Now, this is what you do. You are going to put your stitches BETWEEN the DRESS and the HEM. So, you will fold the dress back so that you are looking at the INSIDE TOP edge of the hem and the lower portion of the dress that the hem will cover. The dress lays back to your left with the top inside of your hem laying flat on your machine with the top inside edge of the hem to your right. (It is very important that you have pre-basted you hem in this operation to keep everything right.) Now, using the basting stitch on your machine, you are going to sew three or four straight stitches on the INSIDE top of the hem and then, the machine will zig zag over and take a "bite" out of the dress. You need to be very careful that the "bite" is very small or the stitches will show and the dress may pucker. The zig zag stitch can usually be adjusted in the machine with the same dial that controls your machine's zig zag. You just proceed around the dress to the end, then lightly pull at the bottom of the dress to straighten out the stitching (it may tend to fold at the bottom). When you are satisfied with your hem, remove your basting. pam
Bernina 200e, Artista V5 Designer Plus, Explorations, Magic Box, Bernina 2000DE & 335 Bernette Serger, Bernina 1530 Sewing Machine, Bernina 1300 DC Overlock (with coverstitch) |
User: paroper
Member since: 02-03-2004 Total posts: 3775 |
From: drlmull
Date: 04-05-2004, 04:35 PM (5 of 13)
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Ok, I am not ready to blind hem, as you say, it seems difficult at first. So I will redo the dress, since its for practice, oh and i just bought these books The Complete Photo Guide to Sewing (Singer Sewing Reference Library) Complete Idiot's Guide to Sewing I hope i did good if not I can change my order, i bought them at amazon |
User: drlmull
Member since: 04-03-2004 Total posts: 28 |
From: stitchmd
Date: 04-05-2004, 04:39 PM (6 of 13)
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Was that one of the decorative stitches on your machine? I think a problem you are having as a new sewist is wanting to make things that are beyond your abilities, this is a common thing to do. In the long run you'd be less frustrated if you slowed down some and worked on basics first to gradually build up your skills. Try the sewing lessons on this site. Practice using different stitches on scraps before you apply them to your projects. Your dress looks pretty good otherwise, nice curved seams, well done set in sleeves. You can take out the hem stitches and do a blind stitch if your machine has one and you practice it. Or, you can hand hem, or do one with a straight stitch at the edge of the sleeve. |
User: stitchmd
Member since: 02-25-2003 Total posts: 226 |
From: drlmull
Date: 04-05-2004, 04:46 PM (7 of 13)
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yes it was on my machine, the stitches look ugly on the outside don't they, i can't stay in line especially back stitching, did you check out the books i got let me know if these are good The Complete Photo Guide to Sewing (Singer Sewing Reference Library) Complete Idiot's Guide to Sewing |
User: drlmull
Member since: 04-03-2004 Total posts: 28 |
From: paroper
Date: 04-05-2004, 10:03 PM (8 of 13)
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I wouldn't throw the dress away. It's cute! I'd just redo the hems. Those books should be helpful for you! You'll really enjoy sewing and you'll progress really quick if you stay with it. Just don't let yourself get discouraged. If you are tired of this dress, put it away and work on it later after a few more successful "runs".
pam
Bernina 200e, Artista V5 Designer Plus, Explorations, Magic Box, Bernina 2000DE & 335 Bernette Serger, Bernina 1530 Sewing Machine, Bernina 1300 DC Overlock (with coverstitch) |
User: paroper
Member since: 02-03-2004 Total posts: 3775 |
From: MartySews
Date: 04-06-2004, 09:02 AM (9 of 13)
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Hi! Your dress is cute and just needs a bit of fine tuning. To learn to sew straight lines, remove the thread from your machine and practice sewing lines on notebook paper. I would recommend using a minimum of 10 sheets of notebook paper initially and sew each line. It will take some time. Then you can hold the sheets to the light and see how much your stitching has improved. Using a seam ripper, remove your stitches being careful not to cut the fabric. Your stitching looked like you were pushing your fabric under the needle instead of letting it flow. Also, you could have been using the wrong type of thread for your decorative stitches. Practice your decorative stitch on a piece of white fabric with a colored thread so you can see more clearly what seems to be the problem. You did good for your first garment. Your skills will improve over time with lots of practice and patience. The books that you have chosen should help you a lot. Am not that familiar with the "Idiots Guide to Sewing" but I'll look at it the next time I go by the bookstore. Happy Stitching! Marty It takes one moment to change a life.
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User: MartySews
Member since: 02-23-2003 Total posts: 504 
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From: drlmull
Date: 04-06-2004, 10:01 AM (10 of 13)
| i will try that, thank you |
User: drlmull
Member since: 04-03-2004 Total posts: 28 |
From: Dede
Date: 04-06-2004, 12:28 PM (11 of 13)
| The stitch you used looks like a serger stitch. I have that one on my machine too but hardly never use it. This stitch can be used instead of a zig zag on the inside of your dress to keep the fabric from raveling. |
User: Dede
Member since: 03-23-2001 Total posts: 469 |
From: MaryW
Date: 04-06-2004, 01:23 PM (12 of 13)
drlmull, your dress is cute. You tried and are learning all the time, keep up the good work. I like your attitude. 
MaryW
owner/editor of Sew Whats New |
User: MaryW
Member since: 06-23-2005 Total posts: 2542 
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From: Sharie
Date: 04-12-2004, 01:43 AM (13 of 13)
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Here is a web site that has videos that teach step by step. If you are interested...? I could not view the dress,this is a FUN learning process right? http://www.youcanmakeit.com/sevenlevels.asp 
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User: Sharie
Member since: 03-01-2004 Total posts: 39 
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