During Quilt Canada, I stumbled across some demos from The Sewing Room in Calgary. I really liked the teachers and what they were demoing and just their entire setup. I found out that they had a T-shirt class in August and well, I want to learn how to use my serger better. So I enrolled. I believe we are 15 in the class - that's crazy!!! And they have a perfect set-up for multiple cameras. Very well done, but then they have a techie person who works for them.
The first day we chatted about sizing and drafting the pattern, which of course, I didn't do until yesterday! No, wait -- I did all the sizing stuff, and at least my fabric was washed. I just had not drafted out the pattern.
I was able to draft out the pattern - I mean -- there are three pieces - a front, a back, and a sleeve. I didn't get too scientific about the sizing. According to the calculation, I'm three different sizes - one for the top, one for the waist, and one for the hips - so I fudged that together to get my size.
Then I laid out my fabric, but not before I had to remove EVERYTHING from the cutting table. It's all on the floor. As a matter of fact, the studio looks like a tornado went through.
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A huge mess |
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Stuff on the floor - but it's only temporary |
I needed to find some clear elastic or twill tape. So boxes of supplies got pulled from shelves and are still sitting on the floor.
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Looking for clear elastic |
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And twill tape |
I didn't find clear elastic, although I'm sure I have some. I did find a couple of yards of white narrow twill tape. Who knew that I had that? I might need a couple of extra containers to properly put all this stuff away. I think it all needs to be resorted and perhaps expand a box or two.
I mentioned that I bought a striped fabric. Do you know how much "fun" it is to work with a striped fabric? Oh darn -- the pattern weights were upstairs, and then I finally got myself organized, and yes - I cut the whole thing out with the rotary cutter.
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Cutting the T-shirt |
It was a total hands-on sewing class. This is how it looks -- your teacher on the computer in Calgary, and I'm sitting in front of the serger, in Ontario. The format works just fine. Although everyone was muted - I'm not sure why. The teacher didn't mute us - everyone muted themselves. Then they would ask questions in the chatbox. I asked in person -- good grief -- we don't need to be silent about the entire process.
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Following the instructions while serging |
And people -- we have to ask questions! I asked questions about stuff that I didn't know. That's why I signed up for the class.
I made out not bad. I learned how to properly rip out serged seams, and yes - I screwed up the neckband and had to rip part of it out. But it was super easy!
And then this happened. I knew that the upper looper thread was getting low but totally forgot to keep an eye on it. I had to go back and redo a wee bit of the neckband - yet again!
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The upper looper thread ran out |
I had a couple of ends of spools of serger thread, and being too cheap to throw them out, I ended another spool. This time, I caught the thread and tied it off to the new spool.
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Another spool of serger thread bites the dust |
Things were going well until I went to put the sleeves in. The first one went in like a charm. When I went to pin the second one, I realized that I had cut TWO left sleeves. Normally I could cut a pair of sleeves, but I cut them one at a time and forgot to flip the pattern for the second one.
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Two left sleeves |
This fabric is super wide - well, 54" or something like that, and I cut the front, the back, and the two sleeves from that width. This is why I cut the sleeves one at a time.
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Trying to cut the second sleeve |
And here's my new T-shirt. Next week, we'll be doing the hemming, so the neck still needs some stitching, as do the sleeves and the bottom. I think I'll cut the bottom off. I didn't measure it against some of my other T-shirts, and this is a bit too long. But that's what this T-shirt was all about - checking to see if the pattern worked.
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The T-shirt FITS |
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The back of the T-shirt |
I LOVE it. It actually fits pretty well, and I would wear this in public. But since I'm making the T-shirt, I can make changes. So for the next one, and there will be a next one - I'll make the sleeves a little longer, a narrow neckband, slightly longer shoulders, and definitely shorter in length. I may consider making it slightly larger in the bust area. I'll try it on later and have a critical look in the mirror. But I was super excited!!! And the material I bought is so soft - I got it on sale at Fabricland. I LOVE it. I wonder what other fabric might work?
It's not like I need a T-shirt - I sure don't. But perhaps it's time to retire some of my current T-shirts and make a couple of "grown-up" shirts without a bike on them. Just because!
I didn't get out for a walk until after dinner. And, of course, I had to find another geocache. Can you see it in the tree?
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The geocache in the tree |
How about now?
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Ah - there's the geocache |
What I love about this hobby is that you can do it solo or with others. You can do it anywhere; it doesn't require special equipment - just your phone and a pen clipped to the collar of your T-shirt. Simple stuff and not expensive. Low key, and that suits me just fine.
I almost died in the spin class. I'm taking my own pace, and I need to learn to eat better. I ate a helping of almonds before class when I should have remembered that I can't eat the entire helping at once. It didn't sit well, but I have to relearn all those habits! Half before and half after! There were only 14 of us in the class. There was room for more - are people away on vacation? Afraid to go to the gym? I say - get on with life and take precautions!
I have another quilt loaded for later today. I have a couple of road trips to make and debating if today is the day. I need batting as I've pretty much completely run out, so I may make that road trip today. Plus, I need to drop some work off for my MIL before she goes stir crazy. Good grief - she's in her mid-80s but still needs to sew something every day!!! That's actually good news - she is binding my community project quilts, and I hope that I can be like her when I'm that age.
So what exciting thing will you do today??? I have enough of that striped fabric left that I can probably make TWO more T-shirts. One for me and one for M. We can be matching - mother/daughter!!! How cute would that be? I say one for M because she could get away with a cropped shirt, while I would not.
And I have to say that it was super fun to do something totally different - no quilts, no sewing quilts!
Anyway -- I'm off!
Have a super day!!!!
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