Help With DIY Project + Taking A Poll.

Mar 17, 2014

Caitriona H.

Thank you! :)

Mar 17, 2014

Allessandra R.

1st

Mar 17, 2014

Lela B.

How much have you sewn before? :)

Mar 17, 2014

Caitriona H.

Thanks! @Allessandra
@Lela Nope! I can sew (not amazingly but I can sew) and I've never used the machine before so this will be a fun new adventure lol

Mar 17, 2014

Lela B.

Oh thats awesome! Fitting a dress to yourself is pretty difficult, especially for a sweetheart neckline, but it absolutely can be done! Lol. Make sure you practice with the machine quite a bit with whatever material you choose, as certain ones can be super tricky. You won't be working off of an existing pattern will you? I'm not good a patterns, and work most of the time from something I've done myself, but for more structured top parts of things, using an exisiting pattern and altering it to fit your needs may be easier. :) You may need help from a second person to help you pin the dress to get it to fit the way you want it to, or use a dressform if you have access to it! What kinds of fabric do you want to work with? Silks, jersey knits, and laces can be a bit difficult to run through a machine without quite a bit of practice. I suggest starting with a fabric that doesn't have much stretch to it to start, which means you'd need to be very precise with your measurements, but it means less funky spots where the fabric could get bunched up or stretched out by the machine when you don't want it to. What kind of machine are you planning on using?

haha sorry for all the extra questions!! I just love sewing!

Mar 17, 2014

Caitriona H.

I may attack your profile with questions when I start this if thats ok haha. I have no idea what type of fabric, I'll take some pictures of clothes I have as reference but I won't know what they're called :( I have no idea what type of machine it is (I'm such a beginner :S) I'm just borrowing one from a friend and praying for the best. For the neckline I was going to cheat and rip the top half of a dress I have off and use that.. and for the sheer skirts I was just going to wing it haha (you're probably dying inside at my lack of prep..) Which out of the 4 dresses do you think would be easier to make?
How I was going to piece together the dress:
For attaching the lace part:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqCgxefIexs&index=3&list=PLVYraQVocpjQV2fboP-YTLwCyB35CAci9
For the circle skirt:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkIhKWmbnfc&index=2&list=PLVYraQVocpjQV2fboP-YTLwCyB35CAci9

Mar 17, 2014

Magaly E.

I think I like the lace on top it will make is different :)

Mar 17, 2014

Caitriona H.

@Magaly Thanks! The more I look at number 3 the more I like it, just not sure if I could wear it anywhere :/

Mar 17, 2014

Lela B.

Oh of course! I don't mind at all.
Haha I don't call that cheating! I do it all the time!
A circle skirt will be the most basic and easy thing to start with, but they are fairly easy to modify, so you can start with a circle, and go from there. I think the simplest one to do would be the first one, at least for the bottom. The lace top on that could be difficult, and I suggest when you do to get fabric looking through their book of patterns to see if there is anything with a top like that that you could use. I've always found tops to be the hardest part, because of the sleeves.

But that tutorial seems pretty simple, and it should work well! Just make sure to practice sewing the two materials together before you go to try the top. It will be much much easier if you use premade tops, rather than using fabric from the fabric store for the top, because of the way you have to fit it onto yourself.


See if you can get the manual for the machine when you borrow it, you may need it! Figuring out how to thread some machines is difficult, and they all have their little tricks to them!

Those fabrics look workable. The tricky part will be lining the underside of the mostly see through skirt, as well as hemming the edges of the sheer lighter fabric. What is nice about those type of fabrics is that they shouldn't have much stretch so the measurements you take should be close to what you get out of them!

You should be able to fairly easily stitch the sheer fabric to the heavier fabric, except if the fabric has too much stretch to it. Then it could get tricky, but I think it is still doable!

Mar 17, 2014

Caitriona H.

Circle skirt it is haha.
Definitely going to practice and get someone to at least show me how to use the machine. Actually, would it be easier to use that fabric glue instead or will that end up messy and ugly?
Fingers crossed it will turn out ok, I'm not too bothered if it doesn't work out though, I'll just try something else :P :) If I make the tube thing she was talking about in the circle skirt video and use that to cover up the sheer fabric lining would that help?
Sorry if I'm driving you nuts with the questions hehe

Mar 17, 2014

Lela B.

I've never used fabric glue for anything. I don't know how well it washes, but I know if you do a good job with the machine,everything should stay nice, without fraying, and there will be no stiff or itchy spots on it. I can't say the same for fabric glue.

it will give you a point to have them connected that is not on the top directly,, so yes, that may help, and it will give you a bit of fabric to work with. Its an idea worth trying for the second dress you have posted.

oh don't worry! You aren't!

Mar 17, 2014

Caitriona H.

Got it, no fabric glue :) I'm very excited to start this now haha I will post on your wall when I buy all the fabric and stuff ;)

Mar 17, 2014

Stephanie S.

I really like the 1st ine its simple and casual

Mar 17, 2014

Z M.

Omg the first one please!!

Mar 17, 2014

Faith F.

Number 1 (red dress, black lace, white belt)

Mar 17, 2014

Samira S.

Try them! I love it. don't forget to post it though (:

Mar 18, 2014

Nymeria S.

1

Mar 18, 2014

Shrika E.

The second one!

Mar 18, 2014

Caitriona H.

Thank you girls :D if its not an epic fail I will post.

Mar 18, 2014

Shaye M.

I like number 1, looks like a skater dress :)

Mar 18, 2014

Stephanie S.

I think you should do that one that you would wear the most. What's the point of making it if you arnt going to wear it and show it off?