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fabric savvy
Mar. 31st, 2011 10:25 pmI'm moving along at a steady pace on the Donna Karan, especially considering that I'm being extra careful: pinning everything twice or more, taking care not to pull or push under the machine foot, using longer stitches. It's been a good while since I worked with knits so much of this project is remembering what I've learned over the near 20(!) years I've been making clothes as a hobby.
It's a good quality knit, especially for a synthetic: good weight and drape without being a stiff double knit, soft but not slippery, and incredibly not plasticy or prone to pill like seemingly every other poly knit on the planet. All of which is good because if I've learned nothing else from playing with clothes and patterns it's that the wrong fabric will torpedo my project before it even gets off the ground. Those "suggested fabrics" are on the pattern envelope for a reason, dammit!
I stole this post title from the name of a book that has been invaluable, saving me from my damn-fool self and providing extra tips such as ideal thread and needle weights, stitch length, possible interfacings and fabric care. Turns out there's a revised edition; perhaps I'll upgrade.
It's a good quality knit, especially for a synthetic: good weight and drape without being a stiff double knit, soft but not slippery, and incredibly not plasticy or prone to pill like seemingly every other poly knit on the planet. All of which is good because if I've learned nothing else from playing with clothes and patterns it's that the wrong fabric will torpedo my project before it even gets off the ground. Those "suggested fabrics" are on the pattern envelope for a reason, dammit!
I stole this post title from the name of a book that has been invaluable, saving me from my damn-fool self and providing extra tips such as ideal thread and needle weights, stitch length, possible interfacings and fabric care. Turns out there's a revised edition; perhaps I'll upgrade.
