Crafts
PhillyGal34
member
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sewers... advice wanted!
in Crafts
I love sewing... I'm still new to it but so far I've been pretty good at it. Problem is, there are SO many things I want to do but I can never get myself to do them because of all the prep work. I hate cutting the patterns and cutting each piece out... it takes forever! does that part of it ever get better or quicker??? I've bought so many patterns and there is so much I want to learn to do but I can never get myself started on a new project!
Thanks in advance and thanks for letting me vent!
Our little hippo was as impatient as mom!
Hoping for a full 40 weeks!!
Re: sewers... advice wanted!
see this shows my newness. Do you trace through the pattern on to the fabric without cutting out the pattern?
This is what I do.
Cut out the pattern (or trace it on to freezer paper and cut that out if it is a pattern with sizes that I want to make again... this adds another step of course)
then pin the pattern to the fabric (or iron the freezer paper on to the fabric)
cut out fabric (this takes forever since it is always shifting and moving.
then add any of the markings (circles) dart lines, etc
am I doing it wrong??
You aren't doing it wrong. It just takes time. Honestly, the prep work is my least favorite part of sewing as well. Get me on the machine already!
One thing that will help speed up your cutting is to use a large rotary mat and cutter. MUCH faster than scissors. I have a 45mm cutter and a smaller one (cannot remember the size) that I use for small curves.
After a while, you will find that you don't need to add many of the markings. However, as you learn, it is a good habit to start!
My Valentine Bookends (2~13~13, 2~15~09)
I hate cutting fabric. My favorite thing to do is talk a friend into helping me out. When I was cutting hearts for this quilt, we had friends visiting. I traced, she cut, and we gossiped. It was a lot more enjoyable than talking to myself or the dogs as I cut. haha.
I must be tired. When I saw the title I read sewer... as in storm sewer... not sewer as in seamstress. Time to clean the kitchen and go to bed.
Click me, click me!
We use a ton of transparent dividers at work and often have a lot of extra ones. They are different colors but always very see through and paper sized. I trace patterns on those and cut them out and label the pieces. I also punch a hole in it if it is multiple pieces so I can keep them together. Works great since you can see through it and line up your fabric and its sturdier than the paper the actual pattern is made out of.
This is the divider I'm using http://www.staples.com/Wilson-Jones-5-Tab-Multi-Color-Set-Round-Tab/product_451532
I just started a quilt using charm packs instead of bulk fabric. It really decreased the time that I spent cutting. I have enjoyed working on this quilt much more since cutting is my least favorite part.
Other times I turn on mindless shows on Hulu on my laptop while I cut. Listening to the Bachelorette doesn't require much attention.
watching the bachelorette doesn't either ;-)
I have to laugh because I'm the exact opposite. I love cutting stuff out and then never get around to actually sew anything.
I don't trace any patterns since I learned to sew from my mom and she never did it either. I just use the pattern and if I plan to use it again for another size I simply cut under the pattern the size that I want to keep the integrity of the pattern; fold it back up and put it back in the envelope. If you have a pattern you use very often then I cut them out of stiff paper to use over and and label them.
The more you cut and sew, the more you get better at it.
My method to reduce cutting time (warning, you have to not need the markings and be able to work with not perfect edges, always hidden in the seam allowance):
1) Iron pattern
2) Lay it out on the cutting mat
3) Use the rotary cutter to rough cut the needed pieces (i.e. just cut straight lines down the center of the blank space between pieces
4) Lay out fabric
5) Place pattern pieces on fabric
6) Use decroative rocks as pattern weights (I only pin tiny pattern peices)
7) Cut through the pattern and the fabric. Usually I use a roatary cutter for that, but for small pieces or tight corners, I pull out the scissors.
I just find it a waste of time and effort to cut the pattern piece out perfectly, then cat the fabric perfectly, when you are going to have to cut around the pattern anyway. So my trimming of the pattern is the same step where I cut my fabric.
HPickle... how about I send the fabric and patterns to you, you cut them out and I'll sew... we can split the projects 50/50 haha
RubyTue... I like that idea. Maybe I'll try it for my next project!