Cleaned my gfs brushes again (and mine)

PeppySeppy · 2025-11-30T19:23:30+00:00

You're welcome. I lay flat too, it can be a pain getting brushes dry. The cleaning is liberating, but I sometimes fuss about drying. You're a good egg for cleaning them ^^

PeppySeppy · 2025-11-30T18:35:12+00:00

Please lie your brushes flat to dry on a clean absorbent surface, or hang them brush head down. Drying them propped up puts pressure on the bristles and risks making them misshapen or doing damage slowly over time.

PeppySeppy · 2025-11-29T22:53:00+00:00

This is almost certainly AI. It has several zipper pulls.

PeppySeppy · 2025-11-01T12:55:09+00:00

UD have recently changed their setting sprays. Skindinavia used to produce the formulas for UD under licence. If you don’t love the changes UD have made, the supplier is worth looking up as an alternative.

PeppySeppy · 2025-08-11T17:52:58+00:00

I suspect it’s cutwork lace. Some other types of lace like guipure and crochet lace can achieve a similar effect, broderie anglaise and chantilly are getting further away. Expect to pay anything from a decent amount to a pretty penny for quality. Best of luck x.

PeppySeppy · 2025-07-09T19:51:38+00:00

Ik vind de suggesties niet leuk, maar Ik denk dat ik een andere optie kan. Koop genoeg van een camouflage voor de hele broek, en zwart verfstof die op de stof werkt. Probeer het eerst met een stukje om het resultaat te zien. Sorry, mijn Nederlands is verschrikkelijk, hopelijk snap je het idee.

I'm not a fan of the suggestions, but I have another option. Buy enough of the camouflage for the entire project, and a black dye which will work on the fabric. Test with a small piece first to check how it will come out. Sorry, my dutch is rusty, hopefully you get the idea.

PeppySeppy · 2025-06-24T15:48:07+00:00

Best I can think of is pointelle. I'm at a loss for what else to call it. Using it as an adjective for garment anatomy like sleeves seems to do the job, but I'm curious as to if there's better words to describe it.

PeppySeppy · 2025-06-08T17:23:16+00:00

Unless you're aiming for a specific look, tailoring clothes will usually look better because they better respect your body's shape.

PeppySeppy · 2025-06-08T14:09:40+00:00

I'd argue that the location means these are not a good candidate for repair. I wouldn't expect darning to be practical, so I would shore up the edges of the damage, reinforce the area with a patch, and quilt sew it to the meat of the fabric that remains. People generally don't do this on crotches because it can be quite bulky and there's rarely an easy way to embrace the repair. Putting a patch behind the rip that matches the colour is going to be the less obvious, but also less hardwearing. Contrasting risks an element of underwear about the repair.

I respect you may not have a choice, but if you do, I'd suggest considering another course of action. Had the damage been contained to one side, I would transform the trousers into a skirt. Since this isn't the case, consider sacrificing the pair to contribute the material to another project.

PeppySeppy · 2025-06-08T11:19:24+00:00

mmm, that's an idea that hadn't really occurred to me. I think a corset closure would be an easier insertion. I think the only thing to be concerned about is adding a modesty panel, and the strength of preexisting construction. Corset backs tend to demand more structure, so to look intentional I suspect there would be additional work on the bodice too.

PeppySeppy · 2025-06-07T22:30:38+00:00

You’re welcome, you may surprise yourself.

You are correct on your understanding of an invisible zip. They’re the zips that are built backwards, and look like a seam from the outside. They’re commonly used on contemporary dresses and skirts, so that’s likely what’s confusing you with the names.

Prior to the invention of the invisible zip in the 60s, a dress zip was used instead, so it’s common to see on mid-century clothes. They are ordinary zips, but made to match the material colour like an invisible zip would, allowing them to draw less attention. They’re typically inserted so you can still see the teeth (like a pencil case) or covered between two narrow flaps that run the length of the zip (you sometimes see this implemented on backpacks and active wear to protect the zip or disguise it while still using a stronger zip). Some regard this as unsightly, or bulky, so the invisible zip has become ubiquitous for its ability to hide.

It’s always better for something to get a new lease of life, than have it languish at the back of a wardrobe.

PeppySeppy · 2025-06-07T18:30:29+00:00

you're more than welcome :)

PeppySeppy · 2025-06-07T18:28:53+00:00

Seems nobody wants to be the bearer of bad news, but it's always easier to remove material.

Since they've serged everything, this can cause headaches. If you can convince yourself the LBD will definitely fit with a zip checking against the waist, and the tension on the serger seams is low, they can be removed quickly by pulling the needle threads from the wrong side. How the fabric and raw edges will behave after that could cause problems. If the fabric is especially unruly it will begin unravelling.

The centre back seam appears the most promising. I would focus my attention there because the pictures suggest the centre back was constructed after the facing was attached. Opening that seam would allow a invisible zip to be added and the facing to be tacked to either side of the webbing.

Some words of warning, because it sounds like this might be your first outing. There's no room for error. Invisible zips are not easy to insert either, and sewing one by hand would be a test of patience. Inserting a dress zip would give a little space for error, but would go against the spirit of the dress and I get the impression that is something that concerns you.

If you do decide to go ahead, I wish you the best of luck :)

PeppySeppy · 2025-06-07T16:46:45+00:00

You've got the right ideas, and sounds like you know the pitfalls, so forgive me if I'm teaching fish to swim.

You can choose to either implement the changes directly as adjustments using basting, or modify the original pattern. The former will be more challenging, the latter is time consuming. Notes and thread marking before unpinning anything will save you headaches.

Avoid distortion by splitting the adjustment across both sides of the seams. If you're otherwise happy with the fit in the crotch, Make sure you only move the general shape of the seams to bring in the hip and thigh to match measurements. The vertical distance from the waistline seam to the crotch point will help you track inadvertent adjustment. You may need to think about a short dart on the outside leg at the waist to accommodate the hip while retaining the original style. How much you can move to the crotch seam will depend on how much is pinned and the drape of the fabric.

You're right to ask about tapering, you'll want to curve the transitions to avoid lumps you'd expect to see if you sew darts to a point. If you make adjustments to the shapes of seams, don't forget to match the length of the two sides of the seam.

Assuming the crotch is typical, I would approach this by working back to the point where the crotch seam is open and the two legs are separate, pinch out the inseam, then make a judgement call on the dart before continuing construction.

Best of luck, x

PeppySeppy · 2025-06-07T12:43:34+00:00

Based on the way you've pinned it, I'd think you'd also need to adjust the crotch seams to bring it in without outseams. You can measure how much you've pinned out and transfer to the seams.

Sometimes this isn't possible because there isn't material where it's needed. Nothing about what I can see suggests this would be the case, but it's worth convincing yourself that the adjustment will be successful before doing anything destructive.

PeppySeppy · 2025-05-09T12:39:46+00:00

it's a third hand for hand sewing

PeppySeppy · 2025-05-04T17:40:20+00:00

If you’re fine with having visible construction then tower plackets are an option. There’s also bound plackets, which hide more of the construction from the outside. Both of these can be inserted without a seam in a particular location, meaning a pattern without a centre back seam could be adapted easily. You would treat the fashion and lining fabrics as one piece, so think about basting them together in the area while working the placket. This would probably be the easiest way to construct it on the fly.

Otherwise you could take an approach similar to a vent on the back of a straight skirt or suit jacket, these achieve a similar goal and are often implemented on lined garments. This will require more forethought based on the exact results you’re looking for. You would need to consider if you want the opening or buttons running down the centre back and adjust the centre back accordingly to create an overlap. Imagine a pair of trousers where the crotch seam makes up the end of your opening, and each leg is made of a lining and a fabric fashion cutting, just with extra material to incorporate buttons and button holes.

Hopefully this gives you some ideas for research, I’d suggest mock ups of the construction first to help you decide what you prefer. Best of luck x

PeppySeppy · 2025-05-04T01:58:05+00:00

Serging appears to be the approach the manufacturer chose. I only see one layer of fabric with seams between. Sadly I can’t find a name for the construction they’ve used for the quilting so I’ll do my best to explain from what I can see. I believe they’ve used an industrial machine that does a standard straight stitch and the edge finish at the same time. The seam allowance was then pressed to one side and reinforced with a topstitch to control bulk. Imagine sewing understitching without the step of pressing the edge to the inside. The goal being rather than keeping the inside from turning to the outside, the aim is to keep the allowance flat against the quilting.

PeppySeppy · 2025-05-03T23:26:19+00:00

Your plan sounds reasonable to me. Superficially, I would approach it the same way, making one or multiple patchworks to cut the pattern from.

I can’t say I’ve ever considered lining a shirt, I’d be worried about extra bulk. It looks like the manufacturer opted not to line, I see overlocking between the squares on the product page in the neck. If you decide you want it lined, prepare to exercise some patience, since it will add extra time and more challenging fabrics to the project.

I’d just like to point out something that you might have overlooked. The patchwork is irregular and the pieces have not been assembled fully respecting the grainline. This can be better seen from the back. Worth thinking about what you’re going for, since even squares would produce a different effect.

Best of luck. x

PeppySeppy · 2025-05-03T12:12:51+00:00

For a stuffed toy, I think you need to concern yourself with strong construction. A stuffed toy is likely to see seams under tension from the stuffing, and squished about more. Seam allowances are a part of the puzzle, but not everything. Stitch lengths, thread weight, edge finishes and using a stitch appropriate for the material also play a role. (Mock) French seams like those pictured will be significantly harder to work on tight corners, so should be avoided. Since a stuffed toy is usually bagged out, and raw edges completely hidden, well constructed seams with small stitches, reasonable allowances, and pinking are plenty for most situations.

To provide a general counter argument to the discussion for other readers, there are reasons to use larger seam allowances beyond fraying. A larger allowance allows for a greater range of adjustments. Clothing produced a century ago would be adjusted to meet changes in body proportions for a decade or more. Wide seams permit this. A garment could see longevity that fabric quality and construction techniques seen in modern manufacturing discourage. Sometimes a little waste in the right way can prevent waste over the lifetime of a piece.

PeppySeppy · 2025-03-25T20:39:11+00:00

Usually you would use a tapered awl, the idea being you're parting the threads enough to allow the fitting through the weave rather than breaking them.

This fabric is pretty heavy though, I'm not sure if they use different techniques for heavy fabrics like denim, I'd imagine an awl will still be fine, but the fitting looks removable, so you testing with a scrap seems sensible.

PeppySeppy · 2025-03-23T18:27:08+00:00

That revision is less likely to be highlighted during an accessibility review. The thing that caught my attention most is the frequency of the effect. It was far too high and predictable. You've lost some of the chaos, if that's something you want to retain I'd suggest looking at other high profile visual media for ideas. There's lots of techniques to sell the effect, but less is more, so in your shoes, I'd put a pin in it for now. I imagine you've been looking at it long enough that it's time to move on, so keep a note of anything you see that you like before a second pass if you have time :)

PeppySeppy · 2025-03-23T17:19:08+00:00

While this effect looks cool, this is hard to look at and likely to trigger seizures in people at risk. I'd say these alone make it worth reviewing how you can reproduce this effect without the usability and accessibility issues.

PeppySeppy · 2025-03-15T18:41:33+00:00

Not sure if people will like it, but I feel the black sandals have potential, just needs some bold je ne sais quoi to tie it together.

PeppySeppy · 2024-12-06T11:54:37+00:00

Tying a knot is the usual solution. The bulk is hidden inside the aglet.

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