3 Steps To Better DIY Fashion

[scafleet]

You've just gone to the fabric store, and purchased the most beautiful fabric ever made by man. It's machine washable, colorful, and in your budget.

Now what?

1.) Wash the fabric first. Use the hottest setting it might be exposed to afterwards (hot wash, cold rinse if you can), and the highest dryer setting, too. Stuff like cotton or linen WILL shrink on you, so be sure to buy a little more then what you think you'll need. If you're dealing with something that frays or unravels quickly, run a line of glue (the clear-drying kind) down the cut edges, wait until it's completely and utterly dry, then wash & dry as before.

2.) Iron the fabric. Yes, it's a pain, I know: but it makes all the difference. If someone posts a request, I'll explain all the stuff ironing actually does to fabric. But, for now, just trust me...you should. Your iron should have lots of settings for different types of fabric - always use the right one, or a wee tiny bit hotter if the wrinkles don't come out.

3.) Hang large cut pieces before sewing. If you end up with pieces of fabric that are more then two feet long before you start sewing pieces together (skirt panels, pants, dresses), get one of those hanger thingys that has lots of clips on it. I think they sell them for pants or skirts or ties or something. Anyway, get one of those, clip the pieces to it, and let it hang there overnight. That way, the fabric has a chance to relax and fall the way it will when you're wearing it or keeping it neatly hung in your closet. Skip this, and the fabric might have tiny gathers (wrinkles) around all of your seams.

[scafleet]

My family has a long military tradition (we're all nuts), and in my grandfather's day: the uniforms were made of cotton. My grandmother, being the dutiful 50's housewife, took it upon herself to keep those uniforms perfectly pressed every time they were washed.

Depressing, but she passed on a method of flattening out cotton that I still use. For myself.

Step one: unfold the cotton item and smooth it as flat as possible. If it's, say, a work shirt...this should be easy. If it's 20 yards of continuous upholstery weight corduroy in 100% cotton: welcome to my world. Work it out as best you can, but try to have 1 layer of cotton to work with.

Step two: get a spritzer bottle (dollar store) that works (not the dollar store), and fill with water. JUST WATER. You do not want to add starch for this application...do it after you finish these steps, if you think you still need to.

Step three: spray a fine layer of mist over the entire (single-layer!) surface of the fabric. Try to get it as even as possible, but don't worry if it looks like all of it is sitting on the surface.

Step four: roll baby roll. Carefully roll your fabric into itself (so that the underside of the dry layer shows) until you have a nice, neat, sausage of fabric. Spritz the outer most layer, and into both ends.

Step five: get a plastic bag (clean is good), and shove the roll into it. Press out all the air you can, then wind the bag shut. Put it somewhere cool and dark. If you don't want to look at it for a few days, put it in your freezer.

Step six: if you froze it, take it out and thaw it. If you were standing by the closet you stored it for at least an hour, you can take it out now. Unroll the fabric, smoothing it out if possible.

Step seven: iron it. Use the cotton setting, or a linen setting if you're impatient. Turn off your steam function before you start. When the fabric is dry where you ironed it, move on to the next section. When it's all dry, hang it up for a while, and have a drink. I recommend an Irish coffee.



I know this entire post is anally retentive: but hey, that's part of the fun. I know some other seamstresses and tailors that just take it out of the dryer before it's done: but if you're working with new fabric, it won't give it a chance to shrink completely. Also, if you forget about the load of laundry you put into dry and discover all of your stuff now sucks the life out of aquatic alien parasites....it's nice to have another method in your belt.

[azmoonchick]

... *blinks*....
Okay. I've read it twice. I'm completely overwhelmed yet utterly thankful.
This will be good to know in the future... I think.

Unrelated - My family has a short military history. From my Grandpa unlisted in the Army, to my daddy at the top of his career as an Air Force Officer. My mother, used to make my dad iron his own BDU's between dry cleanings. She hates to iron! Lol.

Cool post! Thanks for sharing!

[OutsaPop]

My three tips for better DIY (clothes reconstruction):

1. Buy seconshad clothes that are made from natural and animal fibres like cotton and wool. They are mostly machine washable, ironing and sewing is easy, you can machine color them, fabric print them... and they don´t feel so sweatty on as polyester...

2. Get a fitting dummy that is close to your size. Reconstructions are so much easier to make on a dummy when you can work on them 360 degrees. It is also a very good tool for practising odd shapes and forms.

3. Buy a looooot of pins and safetypins and a sharp pair of scissors :)