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?

Couture Dress Class by Susan Khalje: Great offer to my readers!

Hours of streaming video content packed with couture tips and techniques - the new course by Susan Khalje, one of the true couture experts and sought-after teachers, is truly addictive! Hosted by Craftsy.com, the course guides you through the process of making of a couture dress with the help  of step-by-step video lessons and Q&A interaction with the teacher.

I am taking the course,  and what I have seen so far is almost as good as a face-to-face class with Susan. Not only the video, but also the message board contains a wealth of information for couture learners. I won't be going into detail, as I will be posting a sneak peek of the dress-in-progress and the final review later.

But here is the exciting news: Craftsy.com offered a generous 50% off the regular class fee to Frabjous Couture readers! All you need to do is click the badge below and sign up for the class:

I hope you will enjoy the class as much as I do, readers! 

Oh, and more! Susan has kindly agreed to an interview, and so, I want you to be able to ask her questions as well - just post them as a comment below!

In Detail: Versace at Paris Haute Couture Week

Only sixteen outfits, but va-va-voom, readers! Ms. Donatella Versace celebrated her comeback to Haute Couture Week serving the viewers sixteen sci-fy glamazons overlooking standing audience from a golden plynth!

A collection fit for girls like Kim Kardashian and Lady Gaga.

Super tight dresses and rompers, corseted bodices, leather, lace, a cornucopia of sequence, beads, golden aluminum bands... But never mind the glitter and sparks extravaganza! The designer's attention to detail is truly amazing! Let's have a look:

You won't disagree, readers, that the craftsmanship that went into making these garments is extraordinary. What's  amazing is that those golden aluminum bands are fitted to each model's body, so they must be special order pieces that have been made after the model were meticulously fitted! And I would love to see how those bands are attached! Any ideas? What do you think about the collection?

Countdown to the Paris Haute Couture week...

Readers, I am so excited! On Monday we can see the first reports from the Paris Haute Couture week. Three days of pure excitement, oohs and aahs, and, and, and....

This is the craftsmanship to look up to and I will try to cover my favorite shows over the next few weeks, looking into details of each couture house and, with your help, trying to uncover techniques and materials used in the construction.

Are you with me on it? Then follow along!

Here is the schedule of the shows:

January 23rd:

• Versace
• Christophe Josse
• Bouchra Jarrar
• Alexis Mabille
• Christian Dior
• Maurizio Galante
• Giambattista Valli
• Iris Van Herpen

January 24th:

• Chanel
• Worth
• Giorgio Armani Privè
• Atelier Gustavolins
• Stéphane Rolland
• Givenchy
• Alexandre Vauthier
• Julien Fourniè

January 25th:

• Maison Martin Margiela Artisanal
• On Aura Tout Vu
• Franck Sorbier
• Elie Saab
• Jean Paul Gaultier
• Maxime Simoens
• Valentino

I love Chanel, of course, although the past few seasons didn't feature very flattering styles. Love Giambatista Valli and Valentino, and Armani is another house I always look at too.

So, will you watch the shows? What shows are you most looking forward to? Who are your favorites? Any designers you haven't heard much about?

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