Here are some questions I've received lately and their answers:
1. Of Large print green shift Carolyn asked:
This is a cute dress on you and as you say be fantastic come summer! Can I ask a question - Do you own a serger? I was a little confused by the raw edges? Thanks!
No, I do not own a serger. I have a very small place set up to sew and nowhere to put one.
2. Of Black and orange floral dress w/ side gathers Lisa asked:
Amanda you sew really fast ! I love the lines of that dress . Tell me when doing the lining did you simply cut an extra front and back and make it up the same ? I am yet to attempt a lining.
Yes, for this dress I did simply cut an extra front and back for the lining. I cut the facing pieces out of interfacing and fused them to the lining pieces. That way I get the stability of the interfacing without the added bulk of a facing.
3.Of Red fitted blouse Cennetta asked:
Cute blouse. Where do you buy your shoes? Love them!
Believe it or not I buy 95% of my shoes online. I use to buy from Endless.com when they were first starting out and would mark things really low. But now I find the same shoes for super low prices at Amazon.com. I browse around Endless because you can search by certain parameters, like shoe size or specific color. Then I put them in a wishlist on Amazon and wait for them to be marked down. I don't get too attached to anything because I already have too many at home. If a shoe starts out at around $80, I usually don't buy it unless it gets marked down to around $20.
For example, I just bought these shoes:
Paris Hilton Women's Glitzy Pump in pink
They started off at $79.95, and I just snagged them for $15.81! There are some really good deals to be had online, you just have to be patient. Oops, am I giving away all my secrets? Enough about shoes...
4. Of Side ruched animal print dress EmilyA asked:
I recently made a similar knit dress and was frustrated by the way the bottom hem turned out. The 5/8 inch looked very rounded in the end since it was a synthetic knit and didn't press that well. How do you do your hemlines on knits so neatly? Any tips? I am actually about to make the dress from this post next.
I usually do an invisible hem on knits, actually. My only advice is to press it as best as possible and pin it to death. If the iron doesn't get it, try squirting some water on it and then pressing it some more. Sometimes that works better then steam.
Now, I have a question for you! What the heck does RTW mean?!!! I figured out LBD (little black dress), FBA (full bust adjustment), TNT (tried and true), but never RTW! Is is ReTail World? I have no idea. Clue me in, please.
Ready To Wear - lol - I just got TNT the other day. With all the of alphabet soup, it's no wonder we sound like a different language. lol.
ReplyDeleteRTW is Ready To Wear, as in clothing you buy from a store. I love the clothes you make! You have no need for RTW!!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for answering all the questions! It's very appreciated that you take the time for your readers comments and questions :-)
ReplyDeleteyou're inspiring me again... but i'm scared. i want to sew but am so scared i'll waste time, money, fabric on something that turns out sour. i have several new patterns and some fabric in a stack... i need to find the throw-away fabric i don't care about (like an old sheet) to make muslins so that i can get on the road to making pretties... won't be like yours... but i need to make myself proud AND useful. :)
ReplyDeleteYou are so funny! RTW--you probably know by now is Ready to Wear. Store bought clothing. I was the same about SWAP I had no clue! I first thought you made clothes for someone else! Enjoy your week! It sends so peaceful.
ReplyDeleteI swore I would not support Paris Hilton by buying her shoes, but now I am going to have to cave it if I can find those pink ones :) Do you mind sharing where you got them?
ReplyDeleteHi Rachel - Amazon.com. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteYou make some beautiful pieces - I look forward to seeing each new one as you finish them :-)
ReplyDeleteMine was TNT - it was months before someone actually wrote 'tried 'n true' and the lightbulb clicked for me. Susan has it right, it sure is alphabet soup !
The one for me was "ISO". It means "In Search Of".
ReplyDeletehaha!! It took me a LONG time to figure out all the acronyms in sewing blogs. There was one the other day that I never did figure out. But now I've forgotten it!! :P
ReplyDeleteGreat shoe tip!
I only got TNT recently too Susan. And what is "SWAP" Cindy? That's a new one for me!
ReplyDeleteI don't think you need a serger Amanda. Binding the seams as a finish or using french seams looks so much better. I'm actually considering getting rid of mine because I hardly use it anymore!
Not only to do make fantastic clothes, but you've given up your shoe secret, which is very kind of you. May I also suggest keeping an eye on Dillards.com? When you go to the site, it doesn't have a sale or clearance section. You have to type "sale" in the search function and viola -- shoes at great prices. Like you, I generally wait for them to get to around $20 before buying them.
ReplyDeleteSWAP - is Sew With A Plan! I found out about this via SPR (Sewing Pattern Review = www.sewing.patternreview.com).
ReplyDeleteGreat blog, Great shoes Amanda!!! :)
Amanada -- I just have to say that ever since I read this post, I've been on Amazon. Talk about great bargains. My box of shoes is due to arrive tomorrow, with another one on Tuesday (I was really shoe deprived). I think I may need another closet. One thing for sure, I'm going to have to plan my wardrobe around my fabulous shoes! Thanks for the tip.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a serger either, and I love to read your reviews because you show what is possible without one. This year it is my goal to get better at finishing the interiors of my garments!
ReplyDelete