Kids Disney Boutique / Customs Clothes Part 2

[design_mom]

Newbie question here......

Do I have to wash the fabric before I start to sew? I am liking the stiffness of some of the fabrics I bought and hate to wash it away. It seems like it would be easier to work with before sewing.

If I do have to wash it, can I throw it all in the washer together, or do I follow the same laundry principal, lights and darks separately?

TIA!
Lisa

I'm a pretty novice sewer myself, but my mom said you should always wash the fabric first. (If it's going to shrink, it'd be better if it shrinks before you cut out your pieces!)

If you want it stiff for sewing, you could probably starch it when you iron it (after washing)... couldn't you?

I've always thrown all mine in the washer together, but I've never done anything that had a ton of contrast. If I had a mainly red piece of fabric and a mainly white piece of fabric, I think I'd do them separately. If the color is going to bleed, that first time through the washer would probably be when it happens.

 

[xyzabc33]

I have a question. For those who have already taken a trip with your children, especially daughters, decked out in customs... what do you wear? Do you dress up at all?

Oh, I don't mean customs or costumes... I mean do you wear nicer clothes or just jeans/shorts and tees?

Whenever we go to any type theme/amusement park or other outdoor event, her dad and dress for comfort and the weather. Who wants to be more worried about their clothes getting spots or wrinkled then having fun? Tho I did fuss a bit as a teen, I outgrew that. Now I just want to have fun while I am there and I could care less what others think. Well, I wouldnt go into the park in curlers and jammies, I do have SOME standards This time I want to have a bit more fun so we are doing the custom clothes too. Hers are still comfortable and casual enuf that if she gets stains, no big, they didnt cost much anyway. But I AM having fun making them.

Just thought of something. Ever see the pics of WDW in the early 70's, WOW those ladies were dressed to the nines. And some of the guys(and teen boys) were even wearing ties. Talk about uncomfy.

 

[Becky2005]

Newbie question here......

Do I have to wash the fabric before I start to sew? I am liking the stiffness of some of the fabrics I bought and hate to wash it away. It seems like it would be easier to work with before sewing.

If I do have to wash it, can I throw it all in the washer together, or do I follow the same laundry principal, lights and darks separately?

TIA!
Lisa

I think you are supposed to wash it to get the shrinkage out of it, etc... but I almost never do. So far, so good.

 

[TravelinGal]

Newbie question here......

Do I have to wash the fabric before I start to sew? I am liking the stiffness of some of the fabrics I bought and hate to wash it away. It seems like it would be easier to work with before sewing.

If I do have to wash it, can I throw it all in the washer together, or do I follow the same laundry principal, lights and darks separately?

TIA!
Lisa

You want to wash any fabric (that is machine washable) first for a couple of reasons. Fabric will shrink when washed, so you need to do that before cutting or your outfit may end up too small. Also, pre-shrinking and washing fabric before sewing removes chemical treatments leftover from manufacturing as well as excess dyes.

You do want to treat them like any other color - whites/lights/darks - don't mix them or you'll likely ruin your fabric! (Especially if you have red fabric. I don't even wash reds with other darks! They get their own wash!)

Another tip (although I've never done it) is to serge or zigzag the cut edges of a fabric before washing to prevent raveling. (I'd consider this if it was really HTF fabric or really expensive fabric)

ETA - it's a good idea to wash your trim too - it would be terrible to put all that time and effort into an outfit and then have the ribbon make the fabric pucker!

 

[Becky2005]

Another tip (although I've never done it) is to serge or zigzag the cut edges of a fabric before washing to prevent raveling. (I'd consider this if it was really HTF fabric or really expensive fabric)!

That's what happened to me one time I washed the fabric first, the cut edges started raveling....so I didn't want to try that again.

 

[TravelinGal]

I have a question. For those who have already taken a trip with your children, especially daughters, decked out in customs... what do you wear? Do you dress up at all?

Oh, I don't mean customs or costumes... I mean do you wear nicer clothes or just jeans/shorts and tees?

Mom of a boy here... Last year we all wore matching t-shirts that I designed. (designed the image, printed on transfer paper and then ironed on) We had fun dressing alike.

This year I am making coordinating shirts for us - they will always have a similar element, but they will be different somehow. I think it's fun to dress in a similar style/something that ties our family together. That said, IF I had a daughter and made her those big frilly/twirly dresses, I certainly wouldn't put something like that on myself. But I'd still make a top that coordinated with it.

At the end of the day though, it's all about what YOU want to do and how comfortable you are matching!

As an example, here are the 4 shirts I'm planning... (DH and DS are very similar - just a different shade of blue)

 

[LadyRob]

Mom of a boy here... Last year we all wore matching t-shirts that I designed. (designed the image, printed on transfer paper and then ironed on) We had fun dressing alike.

This year I am making coordinating shirts for us - they will always have a similar element, but they will be different somehow. I think it's fun to dress in a similar style/something that ties our family together. That said, IF I had a daughter and made her those big frilly/twirly dresses, I certainly wouldn't put something like that on myself. But I'd still make a top that coordinated with it.

At the end of the day though, it's all about what YOU want to do and how comfortable you are matching!

As an example, here are the 4 shirts I'm planning... (DH and DS are very similar - just a different shade of blue)

I like this! The halter top is just my style.

 

[Tink561]

Mom of a boy here... Last year we all wore matching t-shirts that I designed. (designed the image, printed on transfer paper and then ironed on) We had fun dressing alike.

This year I am making coordinating shirts for us - they will always have a similar element, but they will be different somehow. I think it's fun to dress in a similar style/something that ties our family together. That said, IF I had a daughter and made her those big frilly/twirly dresses, I certainly wouldn't put something like that on myself. But I'd still make a top that coordinated with it.

At the end of the day though, it's all about what YOU want to do and how comfortable you are matching!

As an example, here are the 4 shirts I'm planning... (DH and DS are very similar - just a different shade of blue)

Oh I definitely don't want to match and I won't be wearing a twirly dress! I may coordinate colors a day or so. I may get a Snow White tee to wear to the Halloween party since my dd is wearing her Snow White custom. We're not really a matching group but I don't want her to be dolled up and me looking like I just came from working in the garden.

I will probably wear nice shorts & tops. Maybe a summery dress.

 

[Tink561]

Mom of a boy here... Last year we all wore matching t-shirts that I designed. (designed the image, printed on transfer paper and then ironed on) We had fun dressing alike.

This year I am making coordinating shirts for us - they will always have a similar element, but they will be different somehow. I think it's fun to dress in a similar style/something that ties our family together. That said, IF I had a daughter and made her those big frilly/twirly dresses, I certainly wouldn't put something like that on myself. But I'd still make a top that coordinated with it.

At the end of the day though, it's all about what YOU want to do and how comfortable you are matching!

As an example, here are the 4 shirts I'm planning... (DH and DS are very similar - just a different shade of blue)

I love the halter! Anyone want to make one for me?!

 

[Carrie772]

I pulled out some fabric that I bought the other day to cut some ruffles, and when the employee cut my yard, she cut it all crooked! I had to use my rotary cutter to square it up, and I had to take off about 6 inches total because it was such a mess!

The fabric was $9 yard, and I only bought one yard. That is more than I pay for alot of my fabrics, and to have so much of it wasted because the cutter was careless just really hacks me off! From now on, I will watch the fabric being cut, and if it is hacked up, I will refuse to buy it.

OK, vent over. I just needed to get that out to other people who will understand my frustration. Deep breath. . . deep breath. . . deep breath. . .

Somebody may have already responded, but, what if you asked the cutter-lady to just rip the fabric along the grain instead of cutting it? That way, you know it will be a straight line? I have done that at Hancock's when a person is cutting that I don't trust.

 

[Mono~rail]

I have a question. For those who have already taken a trip with your children, especially daughters, decked out in customs... what do you wear? Do you dress up at all?

Oh, I don't mean customs or costumes... I mean do you wear nicer clothes or just jeans/shorts and tees?

On our last trip, my twins wore their Snow White dresses, and I also dressed like Snow White - yellow pants with a blue tank layered over a red tank top. I only wore that on our MK days though. I just wore regular clothes on our other park days.

I'll have to find a picture and post it. Right now I'm on our new computer, and I haven't had time to transfer files.

 

[mia01]

Someone posted many, many, many pages ago about making ruffles using dental floss .... I think:confused 3 I have looked and searched and cannot find it. Does anyone remember this?

Thanks!

Mia01

 

[jessica52877]

Someone posted many, many, many pages ago about making ruffles using dental floss .... I think:confused 3 I have looked and searched and cannot find it. Does anyone remember this?

Thanks!

Mia01

I do the ruffles using dental floss. I finish off the bottom edge of ruffle (or sometimes I make it so both sides are nice, sew wrong sides together, then turn), either way, then I go to the top of the ruffle, lay dental floss the length of the ruffle and then sew a BIG zigzag over it, leaving the floss in the middle, you DO NOT want to catch the floss, not the end of the world if you do but try not to. When you are done, then get each end of the floss and pull. It will ruffle it nicely. I usually pin it when I have it where I want it, just wrap around a pin a few times, pin to pants or whatever and sew. At the end you can pull it out if you want or you can just leave it in. Hope that makes sense. Next time I do one I'll take a picture. It is super easy. I use waxed so it pulls super duper easy.

 

[traci]

For anyone looking for a Minnie twirl dress, ******** has hers on sale with a great BIN. It also comes with pants. I have one on order, just haven't received it yet. Here are a couple of pics posted earlier on this thread by this little girl's mother. I hope she doesn't mind.

Hi LadyRob
Is is okay to pm the seller? I am interested in one of these dresses.
Thanks~

 

[Tink561]

On our last trip, my twins wore their Snow White dresses, and I also dressed like Snow White - yellow pants with a blue tank layered over a red tank top. I only wore that on our MK days though. I just wore regular clothes on our other park days.

I'll have to find a picture and post it. Right now I'm on our new computer, and I haven't had time to transfer files.

That sounds cute! I'd love to see it. I definitely don't want to match dd every day. I can't picture myself in a Jojo outfit!

 

[Mono~rail]

My mom made the girls' SW dresses, and I picked up my outfit from Old Navy.

 

[Jajone]

OK, here's the reslults of my sewing weekend so far. No models, they are too tired from camping. First one is for my DD7. She loves Jack! It needs straps yet and the shorts need elastic in them too. We're not going until March, so I want to wait until closer to put in the elastic. Notice the iron on bling on the shorts?


These are for my DS who will be almost 2 at the time. Again, I'm waiting on the elastic. The shirts are not finished because I need to buy a bigger size. The Incredibles one will have an appliqued "i" on it yet.

 

[Jajone]

Here's some more. I'm also making a couple outfits for my nieces who are going with us. I made this pillowcase dress today, but need ribbon and was hoping to find some trim for the hem. Any ideas?

I then made my daughter a pillowcase "shirt" for AK. Again, it needs ribbon and trim. I will probably pair it with a black or green pair of shorts (the color of the grass in the fabric). I hope to find a matching giraffe print ribbon for it.

 

[teresajoy]

Mom of a boy here... Last year we all wore matching t-shirts that I designed. (designed the image, printed on transfer paper and then ironed on) We had fun dressing alike.

This year I am making coordinating shirts for us - they will always have a similar element, but they will be different somehow. I think it's fun to dress in a similar style/something that ties our family together. That said, IF I had a daughter and made her those big frilly/twirly dresses, I certainly wouldn't put something like that on myself. But I'd still make a top that coordinated with it.

At the end of the day though, it's all about what YOU want to do and how comfortable you are matching!

As an example, here are the 4 shirts I'm planning... (DH and DS are very similar - just a different shade of blue)

I really like the wrap blouse you have there!

And, how are you doing this???? It is SO cool! Do you scan the fabric, or are you drawing it yourself???? Please tell me!

 

[teresajoy]

Somebody may have already responded, but, what if you asked the cutter-lady to just rip the fabric along the grain instead of cutting it? That way, you know it will be a straight line? I have done that at Hancock's when a person is cutting that I don't trust.

How do they do that? Can you tell me what I should tell the cutters at Walmart so they will know what I'm talking about?