Miss L had a stage rehearsal at Ballarat. All items got the tick of approval, except Harry Potter. The grey velvet looks drab and the sequins on it are over the top. So the tie and collar are gone but the rest stays. With the collar the girls necks just looked like a mess if sparkle with no direction. Once removed it looked much cleaner. Just goes to show that what looks lovely up close can look gastly from the audience. So Miss L is done and first competition is in 3 weeks.
Now I'm onto Miss M. Must bigger costumes, definately more intricate and way more time consuming. I am starting with a velvet sailor unitard, sounds interesting!! The Colour us actually beautiful and with all the inters team together it is striking. So it's made and I have started the sequins. Here is a sneak peak.
I hope you are intrigued. In 5 weeks I can show a little more. Being velvet I thought I would share a few tips and tricks for working with this luxuriously smooth fabric that can be so very frustrating.1. The biggest thing for me when working with velvet is to clear my workspace (including my head) and slow down.
2. A bonus with velvet is that you can get 2 different looks. When the pile is up, it is smooth, so it feels soft when I run my hands up the fabric from waist to sholder This makes my velvet look dark.
If the pile runs down, it is prickly to run my hand up the fabric, then it will look lighter. This can be a great effect and used to your advantage.
Always check the pile before cutting. Is it running in the correct direction on all pattern pieces! I double check, sometimes even triple check. I like the pile running up. That's smooth to run my hands up the fabric and prickly to run my hands down the fabric.
3. I always cut eat pattern piece individually, ie not right sides together. With the pile facing down I use sharp scissors or rotary blade to cut the fabric. And I move my hand around the curves rather than moving the fabric. I am being careful not to move or change the direction of the pile as I cut.
4. Like I said early, clear your workspace. Velvet is very short hair fibers. So when you cut they go everywhere. The even get stuck in your rotary cutting board if you use one. I always wear old clothes and get changed after I am done (nothing worse than going down the street or to school pickup with light fibers on your dark pants or top. After I am done I also clean my work area with a damp cloth. Even after you've cleaned they can magically appear like fairy dust.
5. And lastly, when sewing, I thread my machine with a silk thread. I lower the tension and I reduce the foot pressure.
I hope that helps a little! Bertie also has done great tips to share. Follow her link; www.blogforbettersrwing.com.2014/01/tips-for-sewing-with-velvet.html
Have fun sewing, love Meagan xx
Ps. I hope the link worked!
