Disboutiquers Part 29 Kids Disney Boutique / Customs Clothes psst..we sew ;-)

[sewmess]

I'm in the process of making my first tiered twirly skirt. 3 tiers plus a ruffle. The first tier is one width of fabric, 2nd tier is 2 wof, 3rd is 4 wof, and the double ruffle is 6 wof! I've finished the first 3 tiers, I just have to do the ruffle. My question is are these skirts always such a pain in the tush?? It's not they're hard exactly, just rectangles sew together and gathered to the tier above it. I've found several tutorials for one online. But trying to do the gathering, then distributing the gathers and fabric evenly makes me nuts. And trying to handle such large quantities of fabric, the ruffle should be a lulu I'm just looking for some tips for making these skirts. I know you folks make them all the time, I see gorgeous ones posted regularly. So any help would be appreciated.
Mary

A pattern I used that had ruffled something (can't remember the pattern, just remember the tip) actually had the gathering broken into quarters. I'd think you'd could probably take that a step further and do 8ths.
Anyway...Good Luck!!

 

[DisneyMom5]

I'm in the process of making my first tiered twirly skirt. 3 tiers plus a ruffle. The first tier is one width of fabric, 2nd tier is 2 wof, 3rd is 4 wof, and the double ruffle is 6 wof! I've finished the first 3 tiers, I just have to do the ruffle. My question is are these skirts always such a pain in the tush?? It's not they're hard exactly, just rectangles sew together and gathered to the tier above it. I've found several tutorials for one online. But trying to do the gathering, then distributing the gathers and fabric evenly makes me nuts. And trying to handle such large quantities of fabric, the ruffle should be a lulu I'm just looking for some tips for making these skirts. I know you folks make them all the time, I see gorgeous ones posted regularly. So any help would be appreciated.
Mary

I've done several. I do 1st. tier 1 width, 2nd. tier 2 width, 3rd. tier 3 width, and that tier is the ruffle. I just make each tier longer. I like to make the middle tier the longest and show off my favorite fabric there.
I follow the formula of dividing my total desired length by three, and adding seam allowances and hem and waistband allowances.
I only run the gathering stitches from seam to seam, which helps.
I hem the last tier...I try to remember to do it before gathering, which I think is easier, and I also try to do the waistband before adding the next tier to it.
Hope that helps!

Here is my latest ones (sorry for the blurry pic!)...made them to match their new purses (also by me.) Wish I had made them a bit longer, but I was using their fall measurements...and I think they grew.

 

[pyrxtc]

$30!! That is a HUGE bargain, especially for a Centennial model! Be sure to check out all her internal wiring, though. Unless it's been redone already, there is a good likelihood you'll want to re-wire her for safety. Not sure if this is among D's links, but this blog post, http://vssmb.blogspot.com/2012/01/complete-how-to-re-wire-potted-motor.html?m=1, and lots of others on his site were a huge help to me with my 15-91.

Regards,
C.

I will have to do it tomorrow. Have to be up at 5:30 am to get the kids off to school. This is all I could see tonight. The wire wrap looks brand new......

 

[Ahrizel]

I've done several. I do 1st. tier 1 width, 2nd. tier 2 width, 3rd. tier 3 width, and that tier is the ruffle. I just make each tier longer. I like to make the middle tier the longest and show off my favorite fabric there.
I follow the formula of dividing my total desired length by three, and adding seam allowances and hem and waistband allowances.
I only run the gathering stitches from seam to seam, which helps.
I hem the last tier...I try to remember to do it before gathering, which I think is easier, and I also try to do the waistband before adding the next tier to it.
Hope that helps!

Here is my latest ones (sorry for the blurry pic!)...made them to match their new purses (also by me.) Wish I had made them a bit longer, but I was using their fall measurements...and I think they grew.

Your girls are adorable! The skirts are cute too. I ran the gathering stitches all the way around the tiers and on the bottom ruffle that was alot. I got the measurements from an online tutorial, but basically it results in 3 even tiers. I didn't have to worry about hemming because of the double ruffle on bottom. They're a pain, but look good. I have a ruffler I need to return, it doesn't stay snapped on my machine. I need a different one. The skirt got finished, but it was an experience. Trying to distribute the gathering even was very difficult. I pinned in quarters, then divided them again and kept pinning that way. Still never works out even, despite my best efforts. It looks nice, but not quite as good as I had hoped. If I could get the gathering even both for the pinning and keep it that way while it's sewn on I'd be much happier. That's what I could really use help on, I'm hoping there are some tips that could help.
Mary

 

[dianemom2]

If I could get the gathering even both for the pinning and keep it that way while it's sewn on I'd be much happier. That's what I could really use help on, I'm hoping there are some tips that could help.
Mary

There is a gathering foot available for most machines too. Here is one on Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/Brother-SA120...903940&sr=8-1&keywords=brother+gathering+foot

The generic (not made by Brother) ones work just as well and usually cost much less. Maybe I will dig my gathering foot out and play around with it a bit too. I have one but haven't used it much since I used my ruffler a lot. Getting a ruffler that stays attached will definitely help.

There is also a technique for gathering using clear elastic. I did that for a while and it worked pretty well if you aren't trying to gather a ton of fabric but it doesn't sound like it would have worked on the very full skirts you were making.

 

[DisneyMom5]

Your girls are adorable! The skirts are cute too. I ran the gathering stitches all the way around the tiers and on the bottom ruffle that was alot. I got the measurements from an online tutorial, but basically it results in 3 even tiers. I didn't have to worry about hemming because of the double ruffle on bottom. They're a pain, but look good. I have a ruffler I need to return, it doesn't stay snapped on my machine. I need a different one. The skirt got finished, but it was an experience. Trying to distribute the gathering even was very difficult. I pinned in quarters, then divided them again and kept pinning that way. Still never works out even, despite my best efforts. It looks nice, but not quite as good as I had hoped. If I could get the gathering even both for the pinning and keep it that way while it's sewn on I'd be much happier. That's what I could really use help on, I'm hoping there are some tips that could help.
Mary

I used to run the gathering stitches all the way around too. Dividing them up at each seam was a liberating experience. LOL
I highly suggest doing that.

 

[disneychic2]

It came. My sewing machine is here. I got it set up sort of and was able to sew a straight line. I have my getting to know your sewing machine class scheduled and then my next in the series of sewing classes.

Once I get it to stop bunching up, I will be happy.

So happy to come home to it after my crappy day at work.

I already went over board on patterns that I found at Joanne's for $1.

Yay that you got your machine!! It's always nice to come home to a surprise. sorry you had a bad day at work. Once you take your class, you'll be sewing up a storm. Patterns for a dollar are always good. I'm buying way too much fabric, but it's just so hard to resist. What sort of things do you hope to make?

Have a fun time with your new machine. And Flora will be by soon to tell you to name your new baby.

I can only find out it is from 1951 but I want to download the manual and need the actual model number for that. I am on hold with Singer for over 30 minutes now.

After an hour on hold with Singer, They told me it was born on July 26, 1951 and is a model 15 something. I think it's 15-91. I downloaded the manual and maybe I can figure out how to clean it ???

That is a beautiful machine! You seem to find the best deals ever! Your table and chairs and now this machine. Did you ever get all the parts from your aunt's machine (I think it was your aunt)? Anyway, happy sewing on this new to you machine. And let us know what you name her/him!

I'm in the process of making my first tiered twirly skirt. 3 tiers plus a ruffle. The first tier is one width of fabric, 2nd tier is 2 wof, 3rd is 4 wof, and the double ruffle is 6 wof! I've finished the first 3 tiers, I just have to do the ruffle. My question is are these skirts always such a pain in the tush?? It's not they're hard exactly, just rectangles sew together and gathered to the tier above it. I've found several tutorials for one online. But trying to do the gathering, then distributing the gathers and fabric evenly makes me nuts. And trying to handle such large quantities of fabric, the ruffle should be a lulu I'm just looking for some tips for making these skirts. I know you folks make them all the time, I see gorgeous ones posted regularly. So any help would be appreciated.
Mary

I see you got several tips. I have to second the gather from seam to seam or divide it into fourths rather than doing one gathering stitch for the entire thing. That really helps to distribute things evenly. Having said that, I just ordered a ruffler for my machine last night! I have 4 granddaughters who love ruffles. What can I say? Oh, and I also remember someone on here who uses dental floss and a zig zag stitch for the gathers that makes it easier to slide. I think that's how it went. I've never tried it personally. I hope you post pictures of your skirts. We'd love to see them!

I used to run the gathering stitches all the way around too. Dividing them up at each seam was a liberating experience. LOL
I highly suggest doing that.

 

[sewdisney]

There is a gathering foot available for most machines too. Here is one on Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/Brother-SA120...903940&sr=8-1&keywords=brother+gathering+foot

The generic (not made by Brother) ones work just as well and usually cost much less. Maybe I will dig my gathering foot out and play around with it a bit too. I have one but haven't used it much since I used my ruffler a lot. Getting a ruffler that stays attached will definitely help.

There is also a technique for gathering using clear elastic. I did that for a while and it worked pretty well if you aren't trying to gather a ton of fabric but it doesn't sound like it would have worked on the very full skirts you were making.

Personally, I was NEVER able to get my gathering foot to work. However, I absolutely lOVE my ruffler! It cost a bundle but it is worth every cent! It took a little bit of time to learn how to use it. There is a great tutorial on YCMT on the ruffler and I highly recommend it.

 

[pyrxtc]

That is a beautiful machine! You seem to find the best deals ever! Your table and chairs and now this machine. Did you ever get all the parts from your aunt's machine (I think it was your aunt)? Anyway, happy sewing on this new to you machine. And let us know what you name her/him!

I see you got several tips. I have to second the gather from seam to seam or divide it into fourths rather than doing one gathering stitch for the entire thing. That really helps to distribute things evenly. Having said that, I just ordered a ruffler for my machine last night! I have 4 granddaughters who love ruffles. What can I say? Oh, and I also remember someone on here who uses dental floss and a zig zag stitch for the gathers that makes it easier to slide. I think that's how it went. I've never tried it personally. I hope you post pictures of your skirts. We'd love to see them!

Hopefully that luck runs into selling my house too and not just me spending money. teehee. I never did get the pieces from my Aunt and I saw her this weekend and her ex-SIL claims that she lost everything else so now I need to see what my Aunt wants to do with the machine because she has 5 machines at work and doesn't sew outside of work. It has some nice stitches and they are larger than what my machine does. I guess I have to name her since I keep calling it a "she". I haven't named my first one yet.

I gather center to center and prefer straight stitch hand gathering. I have a ruffler but haven't figured out how to make the ruffle the exact length I need it to be.

 

[jiminykrikkit]

Here is my latest ones (sorry for the blurry pic!)...made them to match their new purses (also by me.) Wish I had made them a bit longer, but I was using their fall measurements...and I think they grew.

So cute!

 

[ColonelHathi]

Here it is, sorry for the pic overload.....

Just wanted to say hi and it's SO pretty! It reminds me of my new Singer 160 (so not vintage, but it has the black with the gold scroll work). Love my old 1950's Wards machine though, at times more than the 160, it's a workhorse! Enjoy!!!

 

[Ahrizel]

Thanks for all the help with gathering. I used a cording foot over perle cotton, which worked well. I will try gathering in sections next time, hopefully it will make getting the gathers even more easily. I have the wrong ruffler foot, which I'm going to return and get the correct one. I really want to learn to use one of those. I did finish the skirt which turned out pretty good. The evenness of the gathers could be better to my eyes, but overall it looks nice. With 3 tiers and a ruffle it is full! I'll post a picture later, can't do pictures for a week or so, it is a give project It was a learning experience, which so much of my sewing is in the past year.
Mary

 

[PurpleEars]

Thank you for those links. I will be checking them out thoroughly. The 91 manual looks more like mine. It doesn't have any fancy scroll work on the silver metal but it still has original shine and not one speck of rust on the whole machine. It honestly looks like it was never used before or cleaned to perfection . I just tried it out and it runs beautifully and makes a perfectly straight stitch, I just have to play with a tension a bit and only slightly but I think I am going to love it !

My DH saw it on the floor when I was Gchatting him and asked me how many machines I need. This is only my second, the green one is my son's. She doesn't even make hardly a sound when I run her, it is so nice. I can't believe it only cost $30 and it came with a buttonholer, the green one that looks like it came out of the Jetsons TV show. I can't wait to use it for my next project. It even came with Singer machine oil in a can, cost 30 cents on it. My only wish is that it had a removable arm so i could do sleeves easier.

Wow! What a fantastic deal! I can't wait to see what you make with the machine!

Here is my latest ones (sorry for the blurry pic!)...made them to match their new purses (also by me.) Wish I had made them a bit longer, but I was using their fall measurements...and I think they grew.

Great job on the skirts and the purses! I am sure they really liked the set!

There is a gathering foot available for most machines too. Here is one on Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/Brother-SA120...903940&sr=8-1&keywords=brother+gathering+foot

The generic (not made by Brother) ones work just as well and usually cost much less. Maybe I will dig my gathering foot out and play around with it a bit too. I have one but haven't used it much since I used my ruffler a lot. Getting a ruffler that stays attached will definitely help.

There is also a technique for gathering using clear elastic. I did that for a while and it worked pretty well if you aren't trying to gather a ton of fabric but it doesn't sound like it would have worked on the very full skirts you were making.

I have a gathering foot and a ruffling foot. I prefer my ruffling foot once I had it set up following Carla's tutoral. I found the Brother ruffling foot worked WAY better than a generic one I bought earlier.

Yay that you got your machine!! It's always nice to come home to a surprise. sorry you had a bad day at work. Once you take your class, you'll be sewing up a storm. Patterns for a dollar are always good. I'm buying way too much fabric, but it's just so hard to resist. What sort of things do you hope to make?

Have a fun time with your new machine. And Flora will be by soon to tell you to name your new baby.

I didn't realize I am the one who encourages people to name their machines! I actually don't have a name for my 270D nor my serger. However, I do have Genie (embroidery machine), Figment (Kitchenaid stand mixer), and Mr. R (Roomba vacuum).

Hopefully that luck runs into selling my house too and not just me spending money. teehee.

I hope you will be very successful in selling your house!

Thanks for all the help with gathering. I used a cording foot over perle cotton, which worked well. I will try gathering in sections next time, hopefully it will make getting the gathers even more easily. I have the wrong ruffler foot, which I'm going to return and get the correct one. I really want to learn to use one of those. I did finish the skirt which turned out pretty good. The evenness of the gathers could be better to my eyes, but overall it looks nice. With 3 tiers and a ruffle it is full! I'll post a picture later, can't do pictures for a week or so, it is a give project It was a learning experience, which so much of my sewing is in the past year.
Mary

I am glad to hear that you were able to complete the skirt. I hope things will work better once you get the correct ruffler foot! I can't wait to see pictures of this skirt!

 

[disneychic2]

Haha Flora. Do I have you mixed up with someone else? Someone encouraged me to name my new machine and I thought it was a fun idea.

Couldn't sleep last night at all, so was looking things up and came across this item on ebay if anyone is interested.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Brother-PE-...434?pt=BI_Sewing_Machines&hash=item257c420912

Its a Brother 770 embroidery machine that was traded in for an upgrade. It has been serviced and is ready to go. No idea of the stitch count, but thought I'd pass the info along. Sorry if I'm enabling someone, but it's at $475 right now, which is a pretty good deal for a used one I think.

 

[dianemom2]

It was a learning experience, which so much of my sewing is in the past year.
Mary

Sewing continues to be a learning experience for me and I've been sewing for years. There is always something new to learn or some different technique to try. That's part of what makes it fun for me.

Haha Flora. Do I have you mixed up with someone else? Someone encouraged me to name my new machine and I thought it was a fun idea.

Couldn't sleep last night at all, so was looking things up and came across this item on ebay if anyone is interested.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Brother-PE-...434?pt=BI_Sewing_Machines&hash=item257c420912

Its a Brother 770 embroidery machine that was traded in for an upgrade. It has been serviced and is ready to go. No idea of the stitch count, but thought I'd pass the info along. Sorry if I'm enabling someone, but it's at $475 right now, which is a pretty good deal for a used one I think.

I think it was probably Carrie that encouraged you to name your machine. She has all of her machines named. I think after the characters in Little Women???

I always look at the machines on ebay too. It is fun to see what they have and how much it is selling for. Last week I was watching a Pfaff machine that was going for a very low amount. But I restrained myself. I don't really want another machine right now.

 

[cogero]

Sewing continues to be a learning experience for me and I've been sewing for years. There is always something new to learn or some different technique to try. That's part of what makes it fun for me.


I think it was probably Carrie that encouraged you to name your machine. She has all of her machines named. I think after the characters in Little Women???

I always look at the machines on ebay too. It is fun to see what they have and how much it is selling for. Last week I was watching a Pfaff machine that was going for a very low amount. But I restrained myself. I don't really want another machine right now.

I do this all the time. I love ebay but I always forget to check my bids and wind up loosing a lot of things

 

[dianemom2]

I do this all the time. I love ebay but I always forget to check my bids and wind up loosing a lot of things

Oh Chiara, you should get AuctionSniper! I love it. You just put in your max bid and it will bid for you automatically. The best part is that you can't get carried away and bid more than you should too.

 

[bunny213]

My DGD's class is putting on "The Lion King" play....and she got the part as Timon......I need to make her a costume. I've searched and found costumes for up to 36 mos.....and then found the real expensive ones for adults. Can anyone give me any ideas how to put this together? I can sew (SIMPLE THINGS)....since it's a singing show....she won't be able to wear a mask....I thought maybe I could make one like they show on the baby costumes. I have no ideas...I found some brown capri pants at old navy and a brown hoodie on the jiffy or hanes site. This is turning into nightmare......thank you very much - barb

 

[hey_jude]

I would make a standard animal head 'hat' (like this pattern http://www.simplicity.com/p-1773-costumes.aspx) revising the ears to be long and floppy and adding the orange tuft of hair on top. I'd do the rest with face paint.

Judy

 

[goteamwood]

Dropping by today to solicit some ideas. I have received a long list of requests from an acquaintance of a friend who saw the shirts I made for the friend's kids and now wants me to MAKE. HER. EVERYTHING. She is willing to pay, though I haven't given her any price point yet so this may all be moot since she might think buying custom clothes is cheaper than store-bought or something. So, among the list of bowling shirts and t-shirts and a custom preschool backpack (saying no to that one.) she has a request for a complete birthday outfit for her 3-year-old, which is "Heffalump inspired". And while I could check the movie(s) out of the library I figured I would ask the Disney experts. She says she wants a safari vest, a t-shirt and matching pants with Pooh and Heffalump to go with the party theme of "Help (kid) hunt for his Heffalump."

So, what the heck does that look like in your minds? I did make safari vests for my kids for AK, they were sort of a wing-it project and they were a pain with all the pockets and such. (I think I spent about 4-5 hours on each one by the time they were done.)



These were a Carla C bowling shirt, minus the sleeves, collar and plackets, canvas lined with plain cotton. That part was easy. The not-as-easy part was I added 3 cargo pockets w/ little flaps and button close, plus a little tab/hook thing for the compass and some freehand embroidery (pre-embroidery machine.) to the pocket and the back. The shirts I made were plain white w/ HeatherSue's Safari Donald and Mickey, and shorts I bought on clearance at Kohls... So yeah, a complete outfit, but I guess I cheated.

So I am wondering a few things:
1. Does anyone have any ideas for easier/less time consuming pockets that look safari-like? I sorta don't even care if they are functional or just for show. I do have a PES file for adding pockets to t-shirts ITH but I haven't actually done it yet.

2. What the heck is heffalump-inspired supposed to look like for a little boy? I googled it and it was a sea of pale purple and seemed sort of girly and juvenile to me, not something I would want to make for my 3 year old boys. Might make a cute dress... But what fabric, colors, etc?

3. Any other thoughts on this debacle? I don't want it to turn into NannyE's make-a-dress situation last month. This lady has the potential to be a good customer or a complete nightmare.

4. It is totally OK to tell me to watch the movie and leave you all alone.

Thanks, Jen