Posted by Mista on 2006-03-19 16:02:29
Post Subject: Seamstress anyone?
Looking for a NYC seamstress!
I'm an independent designer looking for someone in New York City to sew personalized baby blankets. I can and do sew, but I know my limits! I want to offer the below style of a personalized baby blanket in the "Baby Friendly" section of my new online store - www.katie-james.com
I love working with others and sharing ideas. For example, the aspects I'm debating about this blanket are: unfinished raw edges, washable (but the below blanket is in wool and a cashmire/wool...too pretty and too easy to work with, that I couldn't not use it), could be hung on wall or actually used.
Email Katie if you're interested at kjhellmuth @ katie-james.com
Posted by Rosanna Nevius on 2005-04-10 18:55:37
Post Subject: Lady of the Lake Apparel and Accessories
Just introducing myself and inviting you to take a look at my site www.ladyofthelakeapparel.com . This is a brand new venture for me. Although I've been a professional seamstress for over 22 years, I've always dealt directly with clients and never tried an online shop until 3 months ago.
Posted by creativecat on 2006-03-12 09:20:39
Post Subject:
I don't know where all the bridemaids live, but if possible, your friend should choose one seamstress and talk with her to get exactly what she wants. Bring photos, fabric samples, etc. I don't think she'll need to buy a pattern as the seamstress will likely already have something similar that would work.
The dress itself looks very simple to make, but elegant and flattering to most figures. It also doesn't look like it will need to be lined. My guess is somewhere between $100-200 for a seamstress to make it. The dress my sister wore for my wedding was very similar, but hers had a chiffon overlay. I think she paid about $100 for it.
Also, a seamstress may be able to get better prices on fabrics and notions, so your friend should talk to the seamstress before buying anything besides samples. And the time to start talking to a seamstress is NOW!
Posted by tinstarmerchant on 2005-02-18 23:39:29
Post Subject: Fabric question
I am not a seamstress at all but once in a while I like to try. I favor that all-cotton calico fabric from Walmart. Are you supposed to wash the fabric before cutting out the pattern or do you just sew it as is? I ask because of shrinkage but then again, when I have washed it, it comes out a wrinkled mess with loose threads hanging off it. Do you iron it? Do you just make the pattern pieces bigger counting for shrinkage?
Posted by Rosanna Nevius on 2005-05-06 21:18:19
Post Subject:
Not to be rude....really....but as an experienced seamstress, red flags always went up when a potential customer came into my shop and said they had something "simple" for me to do....it ususally meant they wanted alot done for cheap. Even the most simple projects requires skill, otherwise, you could do it yourself. There are unforeseen costs in equipment....time to make sure everything is straight and true and professional. Even if you hire a student, which I personally think is a great idea, you should expect to pay at least $20/hr. I'm not sure about NY but Pa has Cooperative Extensions that may be able to steer you to the right person, also. Good Luck.....and beware of someone working too cheap....you may get what you pay for.
Posted by Astrid on 2007-02-13 13:00:23
Post Subject:
If you're an experienced seamstress or looking for a more 'dressed-up' model this may not be the solution, but the quickest little skirt I ever made was from an old T-shirt. It was a model that fitted nicely around the hips and I just cut off the complete upper part with te sleeves, put an elastic in and voila! Actually I'm planning to make some more of these.
Posted by LulaBelle Designs on 2005-05-08 02:01:31
Post Subject:
I am assuming you are looking for contract sewing (like, you need 15 skirts sewn or whatever). If you are interested in hiring sewers I would check out a book like "manufacturing for the apparel industry". It helps you chart out exactly how to plan out a project and negotiate pricing with contractors. For example: I have a line of simple skirts. I planned out my payment plan so that a good sewer could make $8.00/hr, and once they ramped up could make more like $12.00/hr. sewing my projects. I wrote up "style sheets" that included 1. brief description of garment 2. number of pieces 3. seam styles and hem finishes 4. closures 5. step-by-step instructions for assembling garment. I pay 8.00 for a basic pencil skirt (I provide the pieces already cut out, as well as all notions and thread). My sewers are fine with this because they are very fast and adept at factory sewing practices (which are quite different than both home sewing and seamstress/tailor sewing). I found a number of sewers through Craigslist actually, many of them are factory sewers and take on the work in their off-time.
I would think if you put a craigslist or similiar ad out asking for contract sewers you would get a ton of responses. Have them sew a sample for you so you can judge quality. Hope this helps!
Posted by textile_fetish on 2004-12-07 10:19:20
Post Subject:
That's a tough project for someone new at sewing. You might want to hone your chops on something simple like a pillow. That's something they start you on in intro sewing classes.
It is hard, and can be a spirit-killer when you don't have the basics down. Even just getting the nuances of the machine. Things like "right sides together" and "clip the round edges/corners" are second nature to seasoned sewers but there was a time when our seam rippers did double-overtime and our stupid mistakes made us cry.
Can you sit down with someone, a veteren seamstress, to help you get through this project? I would hate for you to get turned off by a bad experience.
ETA: Think projects that involve embellishment and creativity over technical.
Posted by stella on 2006-07-20 14:11:38
Post Subject:
i guess the technique instructions are what get to me. they will tell you how to put in a zipper or sew down a facing in the most difficult and annoying fashion conceivable.
i learned to sew from my mom, who was a production seamstress for years, so i learned the easiest and fastest ways to do things and end up with a professional finish.
Posted by freelancemama on 2004-07-23 03:20:53
Post Subject: Making necklaces with nylon thread
I've been beading for a while, but I've always used wire or stretch cord. I recently discovered the cool possibilities of nylon thread, with all the different colors available. I got the little cards of it that have a beading needle already attached. After making one necklace, I ran into a few problems. First, I obviously had to cut off the needle. If I want to use the rest of the cord, do I just thread it on a regular sewing needle? It seems like it would be really hard to thread it b/c it unravels so much. Any tips? (Can you tell I'm not a seamstress??) Also, I need to learn different ways of making closures on these necklaces. How can I affix findings? For the one I made, I did an adjustable knotted-thing that the lady at the bead store showed me. However, after I put my necklace on, the ends of the cord hung down in the front in a weird way. (I hope this makes sense!) Any ideas? Any links to a site with good pics and step-by-step instructions?
Posted by lizzymahoney on 2007-08-25 11:46:11
Post Subject:
Biscornu is a French adjective that means "that which has an irregular form, with projections" or "complicated and bizarre."
To a seamstress or an embroiderer, a biscornu is a tiny eight-sided embroidered pillow that can be used as a pincushion, an ornament, a scissor fob, filled with flower petals to make a sachet... They're great for anything that you can think to do with a tiny cushion half the size of your hand. Biscornus can be cross-stitched, embroidered, hardangered (is that even a word?), anything so long as the final product is square.
Posted by cathoholic3 on 2004-07-05 20:29:16
Post Subject: sewing a zipper
Hi all. I was wondering if anyone could help me understand how to put in a zipper. I'm making covers for some old (ugly) 26" floor pillows and I'd like a zipper so I can take them off and wash them. But I don't know how to get the zipper in---the one I have didn't come with instructions. :( I'm a pretty novice seamstress (obviously!), and I'm still pretty much clueless about the basic sewing terms. The top cover is patchwork, denim and other random fabrics that I've been hoarding for years. And the back is just plain chambray. I don't know if that will affect how the zipper goes in or not. Sigh...
Posted by lauriepb on 2005-02-13 18:43:56
Post Subject: The lust of an older man
I'm almost 36 and am in the midst (hopefully the beginning!) of coming into my own sexual power and expression. I am a cooking, sewing, gardening, creative special education teacher and mama of a newly-9 year -old boy, live independently in my own little cottage in the boonies of NE California, and am currently involved in a passionate long distance relationship.
HE is....almost 60(!). When I met him, I truly guessed he was in his early 40s. He lives far away, though, in Santa Barbara, and is a painter by art and trade and also surfs almost every day. We met at a party up here in October, where we as soon as we introduced ourselves, we moved to a sofa and talked for 3 hours non stop. What began as a passionate, crazy fling during one of his painting trips has turned into something unique and interesting and real. I visited him 2 months later in December and next weekend we will meet in the Bay Area for a long weekend. We talk on the phone several times a week and share our lives that way. I don't know where we are creating our future to lead us, but it's so interesting! I cried the last time we were together in bed, because for the first time in like 10 years, I found true holistic intimacy with someone - in such an unlikely circumstance. I have questions for us to deal with during this upcoming visit, like....what are we doing? What are the expectations and boundaries we want to have with one another?
Anyone else out there dating an older man?
By the crafty way, I'm bringing my sewing machine next weekend to the coast! I am reclaiming my seamstress skills as true art. I have some ReVisions and Christine Jonson patterns to work on. I am just beginning to sew clothes for myself again after 9 years since my son's birth...about time!!!!! So my painter LOVAH (as Carrie from Sex in the City would say) will be making paintings of the rocks and ocean and hills and I will be making clothes. And lots of other things!
Thanks for raising this issue, bessiemae! I haven't posted before, but you really opened the door for me.
Posted by belleamelie on 2005-02-25 12:37:37
Post Subject:
I called them yesterday and they said that was the only zipper in that length they were able to carry. The coat is about mid-shin-length. They also said that they were the best quality zippers out there. I asked if I could find a replacement zipper in black would they replace it for me and they said yes but they didn't know if the seamstress would charge me again.
Posted by sunshine_fix on 2005-09-16 15:22:50
Post Subject:
I'm not really sure if your highschool/college dresses up in floor-length gowns or what for homecoming but mine certainly never did. I always bought really cute shorter dresses with cute heels in colors nobody else was wearing. Everyone will probably wearing metallicy silky pastels or silver or black, why not get a cheapo dress from someplace like Dillard's (which always has a good dress department) and get a funky ribbon to tie around your waste or a really cool pin or something. That way it would be economical and still you'd have a dress you can wear out when you want and always stand out (in a good way.) Unless you have the mulah, then go to a seamstress. Have fun at homecoming!
Posted by EclecticAnnie on 2006-02-27 23:22:36
Post Subject:
I would think it would be easier to lap seam it and let the denim fray. Otherwise, I think you'd have to double stitch the seam to get it to lay flat. JMO. Maybe some more experienced seamstress would know better than I. Worst case is you try it one way and rip it out and try it another. BTDT.
Posted by nataxia on 2006-05-03 14:03:17
Post Subject:
i had a dream a couple weeks ago that i was going to prom (i'm 25 mind you) and i found this great dress made from patchworked silk and took it to the seamstress to get it tailored 'cause it was bad luck to do that myself and she blew it up from a size 6 to a size 26 and i was devastated... so i had to find a new dress & a new prom date for some reason & ended up winning a contest to go to prom with Billy Idol...80's, young hot Billy Idol..he wore a tight leather tux and drove a champagne colored trans am with t-tops to match my dress...we had a great time & i never ever wanted to wake up....
Posted by shetalksinstereo on 2007-03-15 00:37:41
Post Subject: desperately needing ideas for altering a too small dress!!!
My neice is in the musical My Fair Lady and needed a \"ball gown\". I put an ad on our local freecycle and picked up a dress for her today. It is taffeta, the traditional style bridesmaid dress, basque waist, zipper back, etc. It has absolutely NO give... she can zip the dress to almost the back of the waist, but then she''s too wide on top. The dress is jr. 13-14. We measured the gap (which is at it''s widest at the center of her chest) and it''s about 6.50 inches.
I am no seamstress and neither is my sister in law. We don''t have time to send it out anywhere. Any ideas on a semi easy cheat. It doesn''t have to be perfect as she does not have a lead role, but she needs to be able to get in and out of it relatively quickly and it can''t be toooooo much of a cob job, well a noticeable one anyway...
I know that normally, you would add the gussets, but i don''t think I can handle that task, nor could we find a current fabric to match the robin''s egg blue of this dress.
Any ideas, comments or suggestions greatly appreciated, and asap..we have to finish this tomorrow evening.
Posted by amaryllis on 2006-04-19 11:43:55
Post Subject:
Thanks, ladies!
Ok, I found this pattern: http://www.mccallpattern.com/item/M3584.htm?tab=dresses&page=4 And I think w/ adding extra length and the ruffle it would be pretty darn close.
Do you think this pattern would be hard for a beginning-ish seamstress? I would leave the lining out.
Posted by Jenii on 2008-03-19 02:11:20
Post Subject:
Well, hello there! I''m new, too.
Not new to sewing, but let''s say I haven''t met my potential yet. My mother''s a fantastic seamstress, but was always a bit paranoid about me getting hurt, so she didn''t teach me much. I''m 27, and only at a basic level. :(
I just got a book called The Sew Everything Workshop, by Diana Rupp. It''s really very good! It teaches you all the basic skills you need to do a project, and includes 10 patterns. There''s also little practice \"assignments\" at the end of chapters.
If you can''t find someone to sit you down and teach you, this book will suffice, I think.
Also, look on Youtube for sewing tutorials. There''s a bunch on there. I usually look there when there is a specific stitch I want to learn.
I love this dress and am a novice seamstress (pillows, circle skirts, pjs). Thought I would check in with the experts and see a.) how hard it would be to duplicate this dress and b.) where I could maybe find a similar pattern.
I'm not paying $150 for a cotton sundress!
Thanks in advance!
Posted by atomic on 2004-07-02 11:18:32
Post Subject: things your mother never taught you
Hi ladies,
As a beginning seamstress with little-to-no formal training, I'm learning all these little tricks to make things easier & avoid hassles. And I got to wondering what other folks had picked up along the way.
For instance: last night at around 1am, I figured out that hand-sewing hooks & eyes is much easier with an extra short needle.
So what are your tricks of the trade? I'm interested to hear...
Posted by mrs maraschino on 2005-05-25 00:33:16
Post Subject:
my grangran (grandma) is a seamstress and she does a lot of curtain type things. if im remembering correctly, she has a separate plastic-type sheet with a grid that is on top of her table. could you paint a grid on? i dont know about these things!
we made a big table for my art room from 2 big dressers put back to back and then a big peice of plywood on top. its nice cause there are drawers on the sides and a slot in between the dressers for large canvases or rollsof fabric maybe in this case. i dont know how much cheaper this would be if you didnt already have 2 extra dressers of the same highth; there might be some for cheap at the thrift store, though.
Posted by danielepea on 2006-03-09 19:22:03
Post Subject:
I am with creativecat on this one. Find a style you like, maybe even find a fabric you like and have it made by a seamstress. Perfect dress for you, and another customer for a local crafty business. Everyone wins!
Posted by Miss E on 2006-03-09 14:17:03
Post Subject:
I know you said that she doesn't want to do David's Bridal, but they have darker greens and emeralds right now. Another fairly easy to find (and cheaper) designer is jessica mcclintock (she goes up to 20).
I was an size 18 in two weddings last year. We got one dress from David's, a black strapless tea length. The other was made by a seamstress, which was a total disaster because they fell apart through out the day. Just make sure that you go to someone that you trust or have heard good things about.
Posted by Sewlittletime on 2006-03-09 10:17:12
Post Subject:
I'm so sorry your friend is having trouble finding what she needs for her bridesmaid! When my sister got married in 2000, my mom and I sewed my matron-of-honor dress (size 18/20). I just happened to own a formal dress pattern that was a similar style to my sister's bridal gown...but not exactly the same, of course. (My sister is about 5'2" and weighs maybe 110 soaking wet, and I'm 5'7" and weighed in at about 180 at the time!!)
Does your friend know a good seamstress?? It might be worth it to have someone make a dress form the pattern and fabric of her choice. But I have no idea how much that would actually cost.
Posted by brdgt on 2006-10-02 22:16:49
Post Subject:
My dad: Never really taught me anything directly, but he worked in construction so I grew up around everything that entailed. Carpentry, car repair, plumbing, electrical work, etc. - none of that intimidates me and if I have to call in a professional I can handle myself around them. My husband on the other hand? Terrified of mechanics :)
My Mom: Family vacations were craft fairs when I was growing up. She did leatherwork and was trained as a professional seamstress. Again, she never was inclined to teach me these things directly, but you pick things up and you grow up around that ethos. She is also an amazing gardener and while I have a black thumb with houseplants, I do very well with anything grown outdoors.
My biggest crafty influence as far someone who actually took the time to teach me specific things was definitely my grandmother. My parents sent me to stay with her for a week every year when they went deer hunting. She taught me knitting, needlepoint, cooking, etc. It felt like a new craft every year. A lot of things I forgot as I got older, but luckily she is one determined woman and is still alive and alert at 97 so I was able to go back to her when I wanted to relearn how to knit at 27.
Posted by smudgy_cat on 2006-07-25 19:09:41
Post Subject:
fauxchina, have you ever thought of going to a seamstress and getting things tailored to your body? I've been reading a book on making pattern adjustments to handle all sorts of body issues, and it's amazing.
Posted by wild.sproket on 2006-02-21 09:57:07
Post Subject:
i've started collecting articles, websites and a book list on crafting and tradition. I'm planning on putting together a resouce and history, collecting stories and documenting a crafting group some friends of mine have started. I think it might play a roll in possible doctoral thesis work. i'm also really interested in how technology is bringing people together as well (like this site!).
i'm so excited to see everyone's responses! i myself learned various crafts from my grandmother who was an expert seamstress and made custom dresses for women in argentina. my uncle was also a tailor and even made my dad's tuxedo for my parents wedding (complete with stain black strip and bell bottoms!).
i also feel like any kind of DIY project, for men or women is a part of the history of crafting. although it is interesting to see that some people feel the reclaimation of crafting as a feminist practice and how some don't feel that it is at all.
Posted by Athos on 2004-10-01 14:36:09
Post Subject:
*so* interesting.
i think it's the same as finding a dress pattern and fabric you like, and paying a seamstress to make it for you. nothing wrong with it, but you didn't make the dress yourself.
the quilting example - well, i think it's okay. esp for older people who might not be able to do the same things they once could, why shouldn't they keep crafting however they can? and if you are so busy that you know you'd never finish the quilt, why not pay someone to do the tedious part? though i wouldn't lie about it, and i wouldn't claim to have "made" it. only designed. ; )
i think with crafting, as many things, there's an unfortunate all-or-nothing tendency (as espoused by the martha aesthetic! though i do love her...). like unless you also make the crust yourself, you shouldn't bake a pie. well, that might keep tons of people who lack the time, tools, or talent to make the dough themselves from ever baking. so if it gets more people expressing themselves in a postive way, i'm all for it. hell, maybe being a crafter for hire should be my new career!
"Have more grandchildren than you can knit for? Have you grown tired of making new Christmas stockings every year? Now you can have the fun of designing with someone else's labor to make it happen! Athos, crafter for hire, will assist you in making gifts that no one needs to know weren't soley your own creations."
Posted by Becky65301 on 2004-06-04 11:22:28
Post Subject:
Just to clarify my previous post- and to agree with everyone else too- my pure-math approach is a good guideline just for the practical aspect of duplicating a product. No, it doesn't take into consideration the more spiritual aspect of crafting. I guess I was thinking more of making necessities.
Mostly what I do is sew. But there are some things I would never bother sewing myself, just because they are the more practical boring things and I have no desire to "waste" my time trying to make them. But that's just how I see it. I have also "wasted" a ton of hours sewing things for myself that were original even though I could have bought something similar (but not as cool) for cheap enough. The other thing with sewing is, I have before worked as a seamstress, still do custom sewing and alterations, so I probably view sewing more as a business, even when just doing fun stuff for myself.
I seldom sew for my kids unless I need something very specific. Why? Because #1 neither of them are picky dressers, they will wear anything put on them, so I can bargain shop. #2 they are growing so fast, that the time I would invest in making clothes, unlike an adult where you can wear clothes forever, they will outgrow something in 6 months. I make their Halloween costumes, though, just out of sentiment and trying to be June Cleaver. And I need to make DS4 some elastic-waist pants, because his fine motor skill is delayed and he can't maneuver snaps and zippers, and I am having trouble finding nice elastic-waist pants in his size. So it is a purely practical reason why I'm making them.
A good example of what I mean is t-shirts. Yeah I can sew a t-shirt, a basic one. But I won't bother cause I can buy one cheaper than I can buy the fabric. However, I will without hesitation buy two t-shirts and spend 5 or 6 hours hacking them up attempting to duplicate something I saw in Athropologie for $48, because I like the shirt and there is no way in hell I would pay $48 for a funky t-shirt.
Posted by xuli on 2004-10-01 20:09:00
Post Subject:
Thanks for your thoughts, Craftistas! These are all good points being brought up, and I especially like this analogy from Athos:
i think it's the same as finding a dress pattern and fabric you like, and paying a seamstress to make it for you. nothing wrong with it, but you didn't make the dress yourself.
I totally understand people who are dedicated to a craft, but don't necessarily have the ability to finish all aspects of the craft. And I understand people who have crafty businesses -- especially people who sell quilts -- because it's just so much more efficient time-wise to have someone else doing the "grunt" work when what you're marketing are your own crafty designs and ideas. (And Shawneemonkey's example of the Amish women doing it is really good, too, because my understanding of quilting businesses that have Amish ladies do the quilting and pay them fairly for it is that they are investing in a really high-quality product, because Amish women have been passing down this knowledge for such a long long long time and have lots of knowledge and experience that your average hobby quilter just wouldn't have.)
But -- for hand-made things made for personal use ... I dunno. My friend's mom as example: I'd always admired my friend's quilts, and she always told me with such pride that her mom makes them. Then as I started getting really interested in quilts and really looking at the work on them, my friend was like, "Well .... actually .... she didn't do that part. She designed and pieced it though." It just seemed weird, even though my friend's mom wasn't the one claiming to do it herself.
And I guess another thing is that I get *such* a feeling of satisfaction out of a knitted garment after I've done all the blocking and seaming and tedious finishing stuff. I'm just not sure if I'd get that really satisfied feeling if I didn't do it all myself. I mean, yarn can be so expensive, and a knitted garment (even when made with relatively inexpensive yarn) is such an investment of my personal money, energy, time and work. But it's worth it in the end to me because I feel like I've really put myself into it. And I love being able to say, "I made that." It just seems like it would change the relationship between me and the things I make if I were to say, "I sorta made that."
Posted by Karla on 2004-06-25 22:06:56
Post Subject:
Whitey. That's short for "White Dove". My sister and I liked some folk song on a 45 that belonged to my parents about these Native American lovers, Running Bear and White Dove. One Christmas, my aunt sent me and my sister two stuffed bears, one brown and one white. My sister, being the super snoop †hat she is, found them before gift time so my mother let us have them early. For some reason, I was devastated that our surprise was ruined and I held my new teddy bear and cried. We've been bonded ever since.
It was my mom's suggestion to name them after the song. I didn't realize at the time, I was like 6 or 7, that a dove is a bird. I also didn't realize how embarassing a name Whitey would become.
I still have her. She barely survived a run-in with a Los Feliz pit bull and now needs a trip to the seamstress. I can't wait to get her a shiny new nose and a pair of gorgeous green eyes! Btw, when she was shredded, I found an old t-shirt that I had used to replace her stuffing when I was a kid...it was the coolest discovery....like a little time capsule...a 1980's design "the boy watchers club".
Posted by Snufkin on 2004-05-18 14:27:14
Post Subject:
The reason I wanted to learn how to sew is that my sister was supposed to be making me a shirt with this cool retro flannel from Repro Depot. That was 3 years ago and she's still working on it! And despite the two attempts I've made at a class, I'm a sewing moron who has serious problems with remembering how to thread a bobbin or make a stitch without clogging up the needle. So the 'project' I had for that class, ended up going to a seamstress. Maybe someday I'll get a patient sewing teacher and finally learn how to use a machine.
Posted by mrs_stroozi on 2006-02-13 12:18:56
Post Subject:
If sewing is a true passion and craft for you, then hoard away -- I agree with everyone's advice here. If you are, like me, an occasional seamstress, a growing pile of clothes "just in case" will make you feel like a failure, and just be another pile of clutter in your home. If this is you, yet you absolutely love the fabric, by all means, save. If not, send it down the river of stuff to bless someone else who will love it.
Posted by chpico on 2007-03-17 14:58:37
Post Subject:
Hi, I'm new & in my search on here so far, I don't see any advertisements. Are you talking about the links at the bottom of some post? BTW: I checkec out the recycled bags by Cindy. I love the idea of using cassette tapes & what products are easier on the hands. I've been a crafter/seamstress for many years and sometimes due to hand stress, I have to pick & choose my projects carefully & then pace myself. Most of all, I've had to learn to be good to my body & in return I can continue to do all those things I love to do. :-)
Posted by brdgt on 2007-03-17 15:15:30
Post Subject:
Hi, I'm new & in my search on here so far, I don't see any advertisements. Are you talking about the links at the bottom of some post? BTW: I checkec out the recycled bags by Cindy. I love the idea of using cassette tapes & what products are easier on the hands. I've been a crafter/seamstress for many years and sometimes due to hand stress, I have to pick & choose my projects carefully & then pace myself. Most of all, I've had to learn to be good to my body & in return I can continue to do all those things I love to do. :-)
~Christine
Go to the forum "Girls Gone Crafty." Most posts there are simply advertisements for craft businesses.
Posted by girlsavage on 2005-04-11 21:39:07
Post Subject:
Congratulations! Try department store sale racks. I found my dress at J.C.Penny for $20.! Granted I got married in Vegas so I could get away with a sale prom dress. Anyway.. look at Sears and stuff too, you may be suprised what you may find. Do you have any seamstress skills ? Know anyone who does? Most things can be altered to make them what you want.
Posted by sarahelizabeth on 2005-08-11 18:17:07
Post Subject:
i know. my comments were kind of a hijack--not related to the whether or not the fabric is licensed. i'm just saying that a formula where materials + labor = selling price...that formula doesn't include any profit. labor and profit are not the same thing. like i said, though, i might just be misunderstanding the nature of your business--i guess i'm just picturing it as you selling bags/clothes/other goods. but if you're a seamstress (i.e. selling your labor) then it's not an issue.
Posted by rmeb on 2005-01-03 14:37:30
Post Subject: Re: Bridezilla... help!
brdgt- I appreciate your response, even if it wasn't quite what I'd expected. I guess I just have vastly different expereince having been in several other wedding parties and being involved in a few other ceremonies as well. They've all been situations where the people planning them were willing to take input and not so completely concerned with every minute detail (which may not seem minute to the people involved, I know).
As far as the dresses, even if it's cutting it close, as I said, money is an issue, and I had the experience of having to order a dress almost a year in advance and then pay $150 to have it altered because it was 3 sizes too big! I don't want to take that chance again, even if I found a cheaper seamstress. (I know that people are "asked" to give them an opportunity to decline, but given the sitaution, I wouldn't have been able to graciously decline, even due to money concerns). Since she ordered the ones for her sister already, the dye lot could still present a problem. (I told her the dye lot thing when we talked before she ordered the dress and she said she didn't care).
Also, maybe I wasn't clear about the bachelorette party. I wasn't thinking the whole, "we're kidnapping you and not letting you make any decisions" kind of route, but just rather something that was a little more everyone else's speed, and also trying to be sensitive to be able to include all of her sisters (the going to Windsor plan excludes her two youngest sisters who are 16 and 12, one of whom she is really close to). The other weddings I was in, the party was pretty much in the hands of the bridesmaids, giving them an opportunity to treat their friend to something they think she'll enjoy.
Anyway, thanks for your input. It's interesting to get a completely different perspective.
Posted by somnambulicious on 2005-02-14 15:01:02
Post Subject: High School Home Ec
I've been tossing around the idea of teaching a high school-level home ec course for a while now, and I just found out that the private school my husband went to doesn't offer home ec. I personally know a few of the major funders behind the school, and I'm considering proposing the idea to them. The problem is, while I consider myself a very crafty diva, I never took a home ec course myself. I do collect old home ec textbooks, but I want to aim for something less traditional, something that would actually appeal to teenagers (boys and girls alike.)
Any ideas about what a relevant home ec course should teach these days? I have a few ideas:
1. Sew a button on. Most people have no idea how to do that.
2. Sew a simple garment with a sewing machine. A-line skirts would be easy for the girls to do, but what about for the guys?
3. Embroidery by hand. Of course, that would involve buying lots of iron-on patterns from SublimeStitching!
4. Food safety and simple preparation.
5. Care of a home, including making your own inexpensive, environmentally safe cleansers.
6. A short section on simple gardening, perhaps with the students tending to a few potted herbs (of course, I could teach a whole COURSE on organic gardening...)
7. Devising a home cleaning schedule.
8. Maybe a field trip to the local Goodwill or another thrift shop.
9. I'd love to do something on refinishing old furniture, but that might be a little too much.
10. Perhaps a short section in which students can choose from a variety of crafts, like knitting, tatting, sewing something more complicated, etc.
Any other ideas? Thoughts? What should a modern home ec course encompass? What kinds of projects could I include that would draw in male students as well as female? This is definitely going to be a long-term project, since I'll need to secure funding and brush up on my seamstress skills a bit, but I'd like to get started thinking about this and putting my plan into motion. Thanks in advance for any help!
Posted by chromegrrrl on 2006-04-11 05:23:55
Post Subject:
Although, I can sorta understand his reticence, given that he is thinking about things like having enough money to retire on. Running your won business IS extremely risky and difficult.
Its not hard to start a business with little or no money, she has the skills and equipment in her possession and only needs the dedicated space in which to work. His sticking points are the loan-- if she can be resourceful then she can operate without a loan and the practicality of her career (nursing vs. seamstress) which frankly loses stickiness when the money starts flowing. If he hasn't looked at the business plan, I find it really unlikely that he'll ever look at it (too often the no vote wins just out of sheer stubbornness.)
And I don't know where people get the idea that running a successful business is difficult, I do it (in a very difficult and extremely competative market) and I'm hardly the brightest crayon in the box. It doesn't take each waking hour (I homeschool my son and chase my toddler daughter around all day too) nor does it take an excessive amount of my attention.
I didn't take any business classes in college (I focused on endlessly useless yet moderately entertaining courses) and I didn't finish highschool, yet I've become convinced that a bachelors in business is all about telling people how hard it is to run a business. Given enough time I could probably assemble a pretty good conspiracy theory as to how
this is deliberate on the part of anti-middle class subversives.
Posted by Schmatta on 2005-04-13 16:43:05
Post Subject: how did you all get started?
My grandmother was a true folk artist, esp. with quilts. Mom expert seamstress, but wound a little tight. I sewed, made quilts and clothes, then took up with a jazz musician who was also painter, woodworker, sculptor. He taught me collage and trained my eye and ear. Then took up spinning and weaving. Then got a job as editor of a national craft magazine. I still feel a little awkward doing many crafts; I'm not very well-coordinated.
Posted by Anonymous on 2006-02-23 16:35:04
Post Subject:
I need support :( I feel like all the progress I made over the past few weeks just curled up and died.
Well, I just looked at your website for the first time, and you are seriously talented. On top of sheer artistic talent, you have vision and you are able to articulate that. I can't imagine you not being successful! Your presence on this forum is such an encouragement to me.
I am about to take my "art" in a new direction. The Artist's Way has made me realize that I completely lack focus. I want to do everything...and end up doing nothing well. SO, I have nailed down 2 areas of art to focus on - one at a time - and we'll see how it goes. There's always room for general craftiness, but I can't be a painter AND a writer AND a seamstress AND a home dec designer AND a master at all things glass...and still stay sane. So, glass is getting my focus right now.
Posted by Miepshe11 on 2006-07-07 02:20:32
Post Subject:
I hate conversate! It makes me think that you've sated your appetite for conversing. I've mentioned before that I also hate the loss of the er sound as in, "It's more shiny!" I think it's because people are so afraid of using er on a word which is an exception. So they are all exceptions and all get the word more. I've used spendy, but I guess I used it incorrectly. I said that I was in a spendy mood, as in I wanted to spend money. I didn't know it meant expensive. Huh. It also bothers me that a male deity is a god but a female deity is a goddess. It makes me think of hostess. On that line, was there ever a seamster to get seamstress?
Posted by sun bear on 2005-04-13 10:42:02
Post Subject:
my mom is a super crafter, she is an artist, a quilter, a woodworker, a knitter, a seamstress, etc. she was an interior designer when she worked and she also designed a line of pillows that never got manufactured, but still has them, i always thought people had funky stuff like that around. She built most of the furniture that's wood in our house. she also has a comost heap and a garden. She has always encouraged me with arts and crafts and i'm often more gung ho than she is, i.e. she taught me to knit, but i'm taking it steps farther with spinning and learning how to process raw wool. I never understood why everyone else didn't love arts and crafts, but I guess it's just b/c not everyone's mom had nurtured it in them since childhood. I never thought of my sister as crafty when I was young, but now I go to her house and she'll show me all this great stuff that she made :)
I'm so lucky to have discovered this community of crafters b/c i've made quite a few friends from it and it's just natural for us to get together and craft, those occasions were rare before get crafty, i had one crafty friend and we were friends all throughout middle school but then we kind of drifted in hs and i have no idea what happened to her
Posted by gg05 on 2005-10-05 09:12:43
Post Subject:
nucular - I did the dead prom queen thing one year. Got an awesome 50's style dress from the salvation army.
I've got a closet full of costumes. I was Arwen one year. I was Sally from Nightmare before Christmas last year. I am going to be Velma from Scooby this year. Already had the orange turtleneck and my son's orange soccer socks! LOL My mom is making me the red skirt. Now I just need the glasses.
My son really gets into halloween too. My mom (our seamstress) makes all his costumes. He has been a monkey, a hobo, the tin man, buzz lightyear, woody, and Indian chief and this year he is going to be Luigi from super mario bros.
Posted by Craftasaurus Rex on 2006-08-07 16:01:06
Post Subject:
my grammom is an incredible seamstress, and when she dies I want to get a tattoo that somehow incorporates something sewing-related, and a banner that says something in Polish, in memory of my Poppop who died last year.
I got the idea from my roomate, who has a banner carried by swallows that says "I love you" in Lithuanian on her chest, in memory of her grandmother.
I already have an "I love you" sign language symbol on my wrist, which is something that my mom writes on all of her notes to my sister and I. My sister has one on her wrist as well, and we're trying to convince my parents that they should get one too; I think we're about 70% there.
I'll go a-searchin' for that other tattoo thread. meanwhile, that doesn't mean that people can't talk about their tattoos here some more :)
Posted by appleseeds on 2006-02-27 08:28:03
Post Subject:
This helps me....A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING AND EVERYTHING IN IT'S PLACE.
Another thing that helps me, is cleaning as I go so, that I don't feel like I've wasted time cleaning...does that make sense? And with the dishes, if for some horrid reason they were left overnight, I do them as the coffee brews....this is something that a few of my friends have picked up on and they tell me it really works for them.
One more thing that helps is to pretend that tons of people who you would not want to see any mess or clutter in your home is coming over to stay! I do this and I clean like there's no tomorrow. ....I come from a Southern family and it's typical for Southern families to clean once a week...my bf can't believe it when I tell him that my Granny used to move all the furniture once a week (except for the china cabinet) to vacuum!! It's true. And one of my chores growing up was to wax/dust all the wood furniture. I also HAD to make my bed everyday and nothing was allowed to pile up...if something did pile up during the week, you better bet your hiney I was cleaning it/organizing it etc on Saturday!
Growing up I hated it all...I loathed my mom for making me do such evil things but, now as an adult (ahha) I appreciate it to no end. I couldn't be happier to know that I'm a great housekeeper, cook, seamstress, gardener and more because I was taught how to be all of that by the women in my family. There's a lot to be said about teaching your kids to make their own bed and simple household chores and tasks.....maybe they'll choose to be a slob when they are older and that's fine but, atleast it will then be a choice. I have so many friends that don't know how to keep a house and all I can think in horror is...your mom didn't teach you how? I really enjoy sharing household keeping stuff with my friends.
Posted by xuli on 2005-12-21 11:14:31
Post Subject:
*Back to the question twilight brought up of having a discussion of the day-to-day of being childfree with other childfree people ....*
I'm curious if other childfree people would like to discuss how they have approached the issue of not having children with their partners. Was it a decision you came to together? Was it something you had each decided on your own before getting together? Did it cause any conflict?
In my own situation, when I met my partner I was in my early 20s and still assumed I'd have kids one day. (It's really amazing, despite Riot Grrrl and being a radical young feminist and all that, how tightly the belief that I would be a mother someday gripped onto my mind.) He was adamant that he didn't want any, ever. To me this was like a whole new world of possibility had opened before me and while it felt extremely threatening at first, it felt really exciting too. Over several years of thinking through the idea and discusing things with my partner, I came to a shift in my thinking and began to not want kids at all.
Now in his 30s, my partner has started reconsidering his childfree stance and slowly bringing it up with me. I'm not sure what to make of it. We've agreed that we're not in a position to think seriously about even planning to plan a child -- and won't be for another 5-10 years or so -- so we've tabled the discussion. But I do have to admit that it now frightens me that he is even admitting he'd want to consider having kids. I really don't think I could go back to wanting kids. He knows how I feel, and isn't even sure that he really wants them either, but even just the hint of it at this point does make me uncomfortable.
Other random tidbits of note:
My favorite thing about being childfree? No one takes my food! I grew up in a large family without a lot of money, and as a result am viciously territorial about what's on my plate. I don't think I'd do well at all with a kid who interfered with that. (Not saying all do, but many that I know like to help themselves from mommy's plate when they're toddlers.)
My least favorite comment from people with children who want me to have kids? "Oh, but you and Mr. Xuli would make such good parents!" Of course we would. (Well, Mr. Xuli more than me, he's definitely more patient than I am, as well as more into food-sharing.) What's funny is that everyone who says that to me would have been good at doing something other than what they currently do -- would have been a good seamstress, or a good electrician, or a good administrative assistant, or a good surgeon. Doesn't mean they'd have enjoyed it, or that it would have been the best choice for them. Hopefully we're all good at lots of things -- doesn't mean we have to devote our lives to every one of them.
