Gadgetmania: a round-up of guest posts! Thank you!

Readers, this week was very busy with birthday celebrations, school visits, and, of course, sewing. I will post updates on the projects I managed to finish and new techniques I tried. But today, I want to get back to my traditional Friday Gadgetmania posts.

First of all, many thanks to these fabulous ladies who invested their time researching sewing tools and shared the results with you here:

 Astrid of Frøken Hanghøj, blogging about award-winning Needle Twister

Gwen of Gwynhug.com, who offered The Original "How much Fabric?" cards as a giveaway to Frabjous Couture readers

Maris Olsen of Sew Maris, giving an overview of her favourite KAI Scissors

Rachel of House of Pinheiro, who blogged about her favourite marking and tracing tools.

Carmen of CarmencitaB, revealing  unconventional use of glue in sewing.

Vicki of VickiKateMakes, who explained to use the importance of the thread twist.

Ruth of SewRuth, sharing with us her adventures in finding a new dress form

Laura Bolčina of My Little Nook, who contributed not one, but two posts on rulers! The first covered straight rulers, and the second dealt with curves.

 
Thank you, ladies! I was so flattered that you chose Frabjous Couture to write about sewing tools and notions!

We heard so much about useful tools, so I want to ask you what were some of the most useless sewing tools you came across??? All your nominations will be featured in a separate post! 

Gadgetmania: Rulers Part II by Laura Bolcina

Friends, did you think you knew enough about rulers? Well, today, Laura - who covered almost everything straight last week - guides us through curves... Ahem...

Hello! I'm back with Part II of my research. I will introduce you into the world of curves and present you one very useful tool.

24 in/60 cm hip curve helps you draw numerous contours of the human form. It's commonly used to draw hipline, trouser contour, sleeves, lapels, hemlines, skirt seams, and more. You can also use it to true different style lines (e.g. princess style line), establish curved shape of godets, and establish flares on gored garment panels.

Source

 

Source

Source

French curves are used to draw a wide range of smooth curves. There are many, but Fairgate or Lance 12 in/32 cm and 24 in/60 cm French curves are said to be able to replace an entire set of French curves. Use them to draw more defined curves, such as armholes, necklines, sleeve caps, pocket contours, cuffs, collar designs, and so on. You can even use them to adjust waist and crotch fit of garments, and to true curved parts of darts. Curve #17 (Dietzgen, Lance FC-1, Pacific Arc F-17) is also a very common French curve – it's my favourite for drawing necklines and armholes.

The main difference between hip curve and French curve is in the shape of the curve. Hip curve is not as pronouncedly curved; it has a lesser curve than French curves. Hip and French curves are available at Lance and Fairgate. They're made of aluminium and are known for its high quality. The curves are also available in plastic for a little less cost.

Source

Flexible or adjustable curve is a substitute for all of the curves above. You can shape it in any curve you want and use it for practically anything. Flexible curves come in various lengths. Alvin Truflex flexible curves look like a good choice.

Source

Folding measure or expanding sewing gauge (SimFlex) is used for spacing buttons/button holes, hooks/eyes, pleats, tucks, and more. It's a very handy tool, because it gives quick and accurate measurements compared to a regular ruler.

That's it, thank you for reading; I hope you learned something new! And thank you, Marina, for having me here. :)

Laura

http://my-little-nook.blogspot.com

Thank you, Laura! This is an amazing review of rulers! My question this week is how many curved or straight things are too many? But I have to admit, I love them all! 

Gadgetmania: Rulers by Laura Bolčina (Part 1)

Dear Readers! Meet Laura Bolčina of My Little Nook. I first saw Laura, a cultural studies graduate with passion for sewing and design,  featured on Burdastyle and then in the new Burdastyle book...  Her studio projects reflect her optimistic spirit and the one below is one of my favourites! Laura is someone who takes sewing tool sand notions seriously (check out her blog) and it comes as no surprise that she suggested not a one but two posts on rulers, readers. So, today we are treated to the Part 1 - enjoy it!

Hi! My name is Laura Bolčina and I am a self-taught seamstress from Slovenia, Europe. When Marina searched for guest bloggers, I was in the middle of the rulers “investigation”. I decided to contact her and she let me write about my subject. This post is all about the most useful rulers for patternmakers and seamstresses – and it is only Part I.



Wide 24 in/60 cm (or longer) clear ruler is used to draw longer parallel or perpendicular pattern marks and to locate grain lines and design details with regard to front closure, collar or lapel position of a pattern. It is indispensable for those of you, who make a lot of trouser patterns – for its length. If angle lines are marked on your ruler, you can use it to locate diagonal lines and establish or mark true bias (45°). Due to its length and transparency it is also very convenient to establish (bias) strips, basic waistbands, cuffs, and pockets. This ruler is available in various widths. Mine is 6 in/15 cm wide.

 Wide 12 in/30 cm or 14 in/35 cm clear ruler is used to mark and measure straight lines, mark parallel lines, pleats, tucks, and style lines. Transparency also helps you with establishing seam allowances on pattern pieces and marking the position of bound buttonholes and welt pockets. It is available in various widths as well. I think 4 in/10 cm wide is the most versatile.
As for clear rulers, Olfa Frosted Advantage line is my favourite. The rulers are made from durable acrylic plastic, are non-slip and the back side is frosted for clarity on both light and dark materials. Although I don't own any, Omnigrid rulers look like a good choice as well. Just make sure you check whether you're buying imperial or metric model.

Tailor's square – L square is an L shaped 90° angle ruler. Usually it is used to square off corners of pattern sections and draw perpendicular lines, levels (bust, waist, hip …), and reference points when patternmaking. It is also made to measure crotch depth on a model and to mark it on a pattern. Fairgate  and Lance produce quality rulers for designers if you're looking for one. I don't have a tailor's square yet and for some of the tasks a 6 in/15 cm wide clear ruler is a great substitute.



Regular 6 in/15 cm ruler comes in handy especially when larger rulers would be too big and clumsy. Use it to place grain lines or style lines on small pattern pieces and to mark and measure small garment pieces such as collars, pockets, cuffs etc.

Centre-finding ruler is a ruler with zero point at the centre and numbers increasing towards both ends of the ruler. Use it to find centres of pleats and darts, and to determine the placement of buttonholes and buttons or fasteners on double breasted garments. This ruler also helps you with measuring from the centre out to either edge.

Fairgate combines a regular ruler and centre-finding ruler, so you can buy one 6 in/15 cm centre-finding ruler instead of having to buy two separate.

I hope this helps you decide which straight ruler(s) you really need. Come back next Friday to read about curves!

Laura
http://my-little-nook.blogspot.com

Have discovered new rulers, readers? From the ones featured in Laura's post, I own 20x2 inch transparent ruler, and the L-ruler. Center finding ruler was a discovery for me, it can be a very practical tool, I can imagine. What rulers do you use in your sewing most frequently? 

Gadgetmania: Dress Forms and Mannequins by Sew Ruth

Dear readers, this week in Gadgetmania it's all about dress forms. We all (?) know that a good dress form makes the process of fitting and sewing easier and faster! Ruth, our guest blogger this week, is in the process of choosing a new dress form for herself. She has made some research and now needs your help choosing one of the many options. Some of them are completely insane - see yourself!

I used to stand on the kitchen table in my half-made skirts and turn slowly while my husband pinned up the hem. With complete confidence in his decision I’d cut, trim and sew; try on and never wear the skirt in public.

Customers of the haute couture houses will have an exact body double made – I need one of those.

When the Fashion Department at work were having a clear out, there, lying drunkenly and partly obscured behind fraying embroidery projects and garish costumes was Doris. Brown with age, watermarked, frayed around her neck and arms and tattooed about the chest area with a red felt-tip pen, she was indeed a sorry sight. This girl needed clothes and I could give them to her. With permission of a long-term loan, I took Doris home, patched up the frayed areas, put a T-shirt on her and installed her in the sewing room and all of a sudden I was transformed into an atelier at 31 Rue Cambon.

There are still problems. Doris is from the early 1960s but maybe earlier and is 38”, 26”, 36” - real hourglass and sexy – not like me at all. Made by Yugin and Sons, London, I actually think she was really intended for display purposes, not fitting. Below is the Vogue Patterns measurement chart and Doris fits across three sizes (as do I but not the same three as Doris).

SIZE	Small		Medium		Large
	10	12	14	16		18
Bust	32 1/2	34	36	38		40
Waist	25	26 1/2	28	30		32
Hip	34 1/2	36	38	40		42
	DORIS	DORIS	ME	DORIS / ME		ME

I have been thinking of replacing her. I should have a dress-form that resembles me but which one? I’ve done some research and need your guidance on the best choice.

Top of the Range

Seigel & Stockman make for the French Haute-Couture industry. Their forms can be made to an individual's exact body measurements.

These artist designed models retail at €2.200 and they’re all sold!

The Italian MD Studio produce a range called Manicini – they can provide a snake skin covered version if you want, but I don’t think you can stick pins in it.

If you think Doris’s shape is 50 years old of date, what about a 1895 dress form for those of you who have a 16” waist. This genuine Stockman mannequin is available from http://www.vintagestylemannequins.co.uk/

Kennett & Lindsell, UK, use high tech electronic scans of real people to produce an average dress form for women of the 21st century – including my favourite – the oversized version →

Mid Range Options

This is a Chil-Daw mannequin, made in England. It’s adjustable and a wonderful colour but I’m not sure about pin stickability. She doesn’t have any hips either. You have to buy vintage as Chil-Daw are no longer in business.

Modern and adjustable: this model is PerfectFit from Adjustoform – she even comes with a hem marker too. No more standing on the kitchen table then…

And finally……..

Source

The duct tape dress form – nothing left to say really.

http://sewruth.blogspot.com/

Thank you, Ruth, for this amazing research!

Readers, which dress form do you vote for? I am all for the snake-skin Manicini! as a second choice after the professional dress form, of course! The problem that I see with Doris, is that the bust is fuller than Ruth's. Otherwise, I would have padded the form where it is "skinnier" and continue using it! Your opinions?!

Gadgetmania - Vicki shares interesting facts about thread!

Dear readers! Today's Gadgetmania post is submitted by Vicki of VickiKateMakes - an accomplished sewer who makes beautiful clothes and accessories! In this post she shares some tips on thread.  While it doesn't cover any specific type of thread, it does reveal some facts that I, personally, didn't know about before. So, here we go:

Thread is a tightly twisted strand of two or more ply’s of yarn that are circular when cut in cross-section.  Yarn is produced when you twist together short fibers or continuous filaments.  The length of the fibers used, or the staple lengths, have an important effect on the quality, strength and performance of the thread produced. 

The importance of the twist

Source: Encyclopedia Britannica

Generally, the longer the staple or fiber, the better the quality of thread will be.  When two or more yarns are combined to make the thread a reverse twist is applied to add balance so that the thread can be controlled whilst sewing and so that the yarns don’t separate.  When a thread passes through a sewing machine some additional twist may be added as it passes through and around the guides and tension discs.  For this reason the direction in which the thread twists becomes important – a thread with a Z twist, or left twist, is engineered specifically for use with a sewing machine as the process tends to increase the twist, rather than loosening or undoing completely an S, or right twist.

Content

General purpose or all purpose sewing thread is often polyester, such as Gütermann’s Sew-All thread (a three ply polyester thread) or a poly cotton blend which has a continuous polyester core that is covered in cotton.  These threads provide strength, flexibility and durability and are suitable for use in both the machine and in hand sewing and are available in the greatest array of colours. The material the thread is made from as well as the length of thread is printed on the spool.

Buying thread

When considering a sewing thread we look for good sew-ability, good seam performance and aesthetics.  These characteristics are often a result of its elongation (how far it will stretch before it breaks), uniformity, ply security and twist (the thread’s ability to stay together during the sewing process), it’s frictional characteristics, and strength.  Some often consider the amount of lint the thread may produce in their machine as well.

Thank you Vicki! It was a very interesting post!

And you readers, what types of thread are using? Any tips or sources for thread?

Gadgetmania - and Carmen is here to talk about (oh, horror! :-)...

But before I fully reveal the topic of the day, I wanted to say I really enjoy Carmen's blog. She has great sense of humor, and blogs in two languages, French and English! Living 60km away from the next sewing heaven, Carmen is a very inventive and experienced sewer.  In her most recent post, she blogged about making her own shoulder pads, and I did spot a very cute ring pin cushion on the picture. Carmen, we are awaiting a blog post on it (!) 

Ok, now to the actual topic. When Carmen proposed it to me, I thought, oh horror, I could never use this in couture sewing, even if it saves time. I would have plenty of reasons to say that this can't be a good way... BUT! then I thought about it, and, wait! I don't have to use it with delicate fabrics. Think of making muslins - it's a great solution!.. So, you see, I am not a couture snob, but how can I not challenge it! :-) 

Thanks, Carmen, I've just learned a new thing! Well, readers, here is this week's Gadgetmania treat:



Hello to you all, thank you Marina for having me! I am Carmen Bouchard, wife of one, mother of one, I was born in Quebec, and I am living in France. I blog about sewing at carmencitab.com and I'm here to talk about glue. 

 
When sewing, I aim for high-end RTW : I try to get the best possible results doing as little hand sewing as I can, using whatever's on hand which will suit the project. A stick of washable glue fits right in that category, alongside my son's washable markers, my stapler, my canned goods, my freezer paper, waxed paper, scotch tape, trombones, clothes pins and so on...

I know that talking about glue here, home of Hand Sewing and Haute Couture techniques is verging on sacrilegious, kudos to Marina for being open-minded about it. (Marina: 'ahem')


I have tried several sticks. My favorites are the coloured ones which fade when dry but if not available, I'll steal my son's as long as the package says washable. For precision work, I use the fancy, more expensive, Japanese one.

The idea is very simple : glue instead of pinning or basting, position, let it dry completely to avoid needle gunk and then sew. Besides this method being really quick, I really like it because you can reposition for a little while before the glue dries.

I use this trick most when crafting, making handbags and working leather. Sewing newbies will love it as it takes all the fidgeting out of inserting zippers. I also use it on bias tape, it keeps it from shifting when you are sewing a curve.

I hope it helps some of you get the results you want, in the meantime, sew on!

C

PS . I would like to thank Yoshimi The Flying Squirrel for the giving me the tip when she posted her beautiful Leia dress.


Did she say STAPLER, readers?! Canned goods?! Ok, I know canned goods are popular as pattern weights, but stapler? Carmencita, please tell me you are not using it for basting!!!

Ok, I am sending you to check out Carmencita's links! In fact, I insist on it! She also added a few social buttons on her page and will be happy if you stalk her, at least that is what she says on her blog ;-)


Carmen's Blog
and her Etsy Shop

Gadgetmania: Rachel's favourite marking and tracing tools

Dear Readers, I am happy to introduce you Rachel of House of Pinheiro. As a Gadgetmani guest blogger, she wanted to share with you her favorite marking and tracing tools and explain briefly how she uses them. I thought it would be a great overview post on marking tools and would be happy to hear your comments or questions! Thank you, Rachel!

Marking your garments correctly is one of most important sewing steps, only second to pressing. There are many types of products available that suits different varieties of fabrics but there aren’t many differences in terms of quality by brands. It’s a matter of personal taste and need. I suggest you hold a selection and use them accordingly to specific projects. 

The following marking tools will help you transfer symbols and pattern guidelines for accurate construction.

Chalks or Tailor’s Chalk:  

There are two main formulations available (Talc-based and wax based) numerous formats and 4 main colours (white, yellow, blue, red).

The composition should be indicated on the box. If not, you can tell it by touch, as the wax-based chalk feels less smooth and break in chunks (don’t worry, they will not leave waxy residue and can be removed by heat) and talc-based is more powdery when using. The classic format is a thin wedge, which also can be found as a chalk wheel, which makes a finer line. The same principle applies to lipstick shape.

There is new fusion between chalk and pen branded as a Chaco pen and a Slim Chaco Pen (pens filled with chalk instead of inks with available refills)

Liquid markers or water-soluble pens:

Liquid markers and water soluble pens look like felt tips pen, where ink is erased in cold water. It is important to highlight that steam (HEAT) can actually make the marking permanent, so always check by testing your fabric first. These markers are also unsuitable for fabrics that show water marks, for obvious reasons. They can be found in blue, red and purple colour. An eraser pen is also available for removing markings made by any water-soluble marker.

Air-erasable pens:

According to the manufacture the marks disappear within 24 to 48 hours.

Pencils: 

They can be removed either by brushing, erasing with a fabric eraser or by soaking in water.

Hot-iron transfer pencils: 

This pencil is used to trace a design and transfer it to the fabric using heat.

Dressmaking Carbon:  

Used with a tracing wheel, dressmaking carbon allows to trace quickly and accurately, as both layers can be marked at the same time. There are many types and colors available on the market. 

Two main dressmaking carbons types are wax-based and wax-free. Wax-free is becoming more available as many suppliers realise the demand for this type of product because some customers complained of the issue of residue left by wax-based products.

Most brands have a pack with 5 varieties of colour sheets same size (23x28cm), and the larger sheet size I found was  Burda (83 cm x 57 cm) but only provided 2 sheets.

Tracing wheels: 

The most common are the serrated and the smooth-edge tracing wheels. The serrated tracing wheel makes a distinguished doted line and is suitable for most fabrics except for delicate ones, while the smooth edge tracing wheel transfers a continuous line, more suitable for delicate fabrics or delicate paper patterns. 

There is also double tracing wheel that enables you to trace seam line and cutting edges at the same time and has an adjustable range of 10 to 30mm.

Tailor's Tacker: 

It is a small gadget that substitute the tailors tack process. It contains two pieces of chalk and a little pin through the middle that will marks both sides of fabric at the same time when twisted. This item is not very easily found.

Thread & needle: 

Mostly used to mark darts by using so-called tailor tucks. Sometimes, especially in couture, all stitching lines are thread-traced using fine thread and needle that don't leave marks on delicate fabrics.

Pins: 

They can be used to help mark darts in conjunction with a marker or on their own. There are not advised to be used in leather, fine fabrics or very loose knits

Scissors:

Best way to mark pattern notches that will allow the junction of the pattern pieces. Just nick the fabric slightly. Do the same for double and triple notches, making only once.

Iron (Pressing) 

you can use the iron to press tucks and other design features into shape. I advice you to refrain from marking with an iron as a pressing mistake can be difficult to correct.

My personal favourites are 

• the wax chalk 
• a Japanese white pencil for quilting  
• Wax-free grey (non-coloured) dressmaker carbon. (sorry, I don’t know the brand as I buy then per loose sheet)
• I also own both types of tracing wheels. 

I dislike any marking tools in colour (except my lipstick chalk yellow marker) because they tend to be very hard to remove. I personally don’t use pens because I press my garments a lot and I don’t like soaking (even if it’s by hand) at every little step and they have a tendency to reappear once dried. I also notice that the colour blue is the worst offender to get off the fabric. If you have a carbon wax emergency, I found out that some people melt the wax using the iron and use paper towers to dry it. You need to fold the item in paper and carefully heat it. It takes a while.

My final advice is take careful consideration when choosing the correct marking tool as they have the potential to ruin your project and always make a test patch.

Where to find most items:

US: http://www.joann.com/joann/home/home.jsp

http://www.hancockfabrics.com/index.htm

UK: www.jaycotts.co.uk/

http://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/

I hope this post helped you make an informed decision on marking tools.

Image sourcing: All the products images were taken from Joann and Hancock sites and free copyright sewing database.

Great tips, Rachel! What about you, readers? What are YOUR favourite marking tools and techniques? Do you want to learn more about some specific tool or technique? If you had a post or tutorial, leave a link here and I will add it to our Gadgetmania collection.