HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: szakhour@next.com (Sharon Zakhour)
Newsgroups: alt.sewing,rec.crafts.textiles
Subject: Re: Sandwashed Rayon
Date: 21 Aug 92 21:09:28 GMT
Reply-To: szakhour@next.com (Sharon Zakhour)
Followup-To: alt.sewing

I can't keep silent any more!

Like Victoria, I like rayon and consider it to be an honorary natural fiber  
since it is made from cellulose instead of petroleum.  In fact, I LOVE rayon  
EXCEPT for that horrible nasty terrible sandwashed rayon garbage.

I hate it.  I really really hate it.  And I've used it for two garments now so  
I have some definite experience.  (OK, when I first saw it, I didn't hate it.)

If you do decide to use this stuff, be sure to pre-wash it as it has a nasty  
chemical finish on it.  If you try to use it unwashed, you will have trouble  
with needle holes.  They will create little pulls every time the sewing machine  
needle punctures the fabric.  Even if you change your needle and use a brand  
new and very fine ballpoint needle. [I made many many tests with different  
needles.]  If you pre-wash the fabric, this is not such a problem.

Forget making buttonholes in this stuff.

Never iron it on the right side.

It ravels badly.

It wrinkles like CRAZY.  I hate wearing it for this reason -- since I've made  
dresses I feel like I have to stand up all day or risk looking like a mess.  I  
also dislike the way it feels.  It has a nice drape, but not a nice "hand".  

I would use a good quality sandwashed silk ANY day over this stuff.  Now THAT'S  
luscious!  (Or a double-ply silk crepe.  Yummmmmmmm!)

Just my opinion.  YMMV.

Sharon



In article <1992Aug21.135712.26517@terminator.cc.umich.edu> vln@icpsr.umich.edu  
(Victoria Neff) writes:
> 
> Actually, rayon IS a nice soft fabric, and it is on the borderline between
> synthetic and natural.  It is manufactured from cellulose by humans.  It
> is NOT a petroleum product.  I find that clothing made from rayon is as
> comfortable as "natural" natural fibers (and I won't wear plastic clothes).
> It IS irritating when you can't find what you're looking for (be it silk or
> yellow), but please don't lump rayon in with polyester!
> 
> (Can you tell that I, too, have fondled the sand-washed rayon in my Minnesota
> Fab??  I haven't actually purchased any.  Yet.)
Xref: sparky alt.sewing:2533 rec.arts.startrek.misc:8695
From: lcornell@milton.u.washington.edu (Linda Cornell)
Newsgroups: alt.sewing,rec.arts.startrek.misc
Subject: Re: StarTrek Costume Patterns
Date: 31 Aug 92 19:14:49 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Aug31.191449.24554
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle

Linda
From: tbachman@hamline.edu (Toni Bachman)
Newsgroups: alt.sewing
Subject: Re: Pattern sizes--where do they come from???
Date: 3 Sep 92 12:43:12 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Hamline University, St. Paul, MN.

In article <jimpt.715471918@bucket> jimpt@bucket.rain.com (Jim Peterson) writes:
>nola@cats.ucsc.edu (Nola Van Vugt) writes:
>
>
> 
>How are other people selecting pattern sizes for children's outfits? 
> 

Hi:

When I recently completed several projects for my kids I found out that
Butterick patterns were very large (I purchased the patterns based upon
ready-to-wear sizes)  What I ended up doing was having 1" seam allowances
all around, and since I was trimming the seams down it didn't provide any
bulk.  The reason I did this was because I am so new (refreshed) to 
sewing that I didn't want to attempt cutting down the pattern.  I did have
multi sized patterns so, for the two oldest I just used a size smaller after
I realized the sizes were so big.  But for the youngest I used the size 7
which was the smallest on the pattern and used 1" Seam allowances and
everything I sewed for him fit perfectly. 

Yeah, I know, its cheating.  But it was easy, since I had to trim anyway!


Toni
From: psburns@lims01.lerc.nasa.gov (MAUREEN BURNS)
Newsgroups: alt.sewing
Subject: Re: Fabriholics Anonymous
Date: 3 Sep 92 16:24:00 GMT
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <65146@cup.portal.com>, ctopp@cup.portal.com (Carol F Topp) writes...


I mean, it's on sale for 40% off, and the price is cheaper if you buy every 
inch on the bolt, and I'm sure I can find just the right dress pattern, and 
it would be really cute with this contrasting fabric around the collar, and 
if I have too much fabric, then I can use the rest for a pair of shorts, or 
maybe piece it together for a quilt, and I just know that THIS time the 
zipper will go in perfectly, and I've been wanting to try that new ruffler 
foot and this fabric would be great as a ruffled pillow sham, and if I just 
cut that top a little narrower in the shoulders it would REALLY fit great, 
and I know I could make that dress a lot cheaper than buying it, and and 
and and and...

Do I sound like any of you?  Does anyone sound like me?  

Maureen

:)
From: cfeem@ux1.cts.eiu.edu (Eleanor Midkiff)
Newsgroups: alt.sewing
Subject: Re: Making puffed sleeves puff....
Summary: Sleeve inserts
Keywords: Inserts
Date: 4 Sep 92 19:35:47 GMT
Expires: ?
Followup-To: net
Organization: Eastern Illinois University

In article <1992Sep4.134833.13794@mlb.semi.harris.com> svr@gumbee.mlb.semi.harris.com (Susan Richmond) writes:
>  I am having a problem getting puffed sleeves to puff.  I've
>  used the heavier weight interfacing cut just like the pattern
>  calls for but my sleeves droop.  The fabric is lightweight cotton
>  so I didn't think that would be a problem to keep puffed...
>
>  Does anyone know of a remedy or an alternative that would keep my
>  sleeves puffed?
>
>  Thanks
>  susan r.
>
>  You could try gathering a semicircle of stiffish fabric and inserting
it into the sleeve top, facing (i.e. poking into) the puff of the 
sleeve.  This is sometimes recommended on heavy fabrics.

Eleanor


-- 
Eleanor Midkiff
(cfeem@eiu.edu)
From: Marina.Salume@Corp.Sun.COM (Marina Salume)
Newsgroups: alt.sewing
Subject: How to sew with metallic thread
Date: 4 Sep 92 20:13:25 GMT

I decided to wind some DMC metallic thread onto a bobbin
and try one of my sewing machine's fancy embroidery stitches
on a crazy quilting project last night. Luckily I tried the
stitches out on a scrap of fabric, because it turned out that
there was no way I could get that thread to work! I used regular
sewing thread in the needle, so the right side of my work was
down. The tangles that resulted didn't even look like a sewing
machine had done them! I tried every combination of thread and 
bobbin tension I could think of, then gave up and used regular thread
in the bobbin (the machine worked fine then).

So, has anyone managed to do machine embroidery with metallic thread
successfully? How? Should I have threaded it through the needle instead
of the bobbin? Was the thread I used too heavy (it seems about like button-
hole twist)? I was using four layers of fabric, so I didn't try any
stabilizer, would that help? It seemed as if the bobbin thread didn't
even interlock with the top thread most of the time. I tried a less
complicated pattern, and the effect was slightly better, but the top thread
still showed on the right side. So it seems like a tension problem, 
perhaps the metallic thread is a lot less stretchy than regular thread,
but how do I deal with that? 

Discouraged,

--marina
Newsgroups: alt.sewing
From: anne@dolores.Stanford.EDU (Anne Paulson)
Subject: Fitting problems:  an update
Organization: Stanford University
Distribution: na
Date: 30 Aug 92 15:07:11

A few weeks ago I posted some questions about fitting.  I have always
had trouble finding ready-to-wear clothes that fit because I have
broad, square shoulders.  I asked about how I could adjust patterns so
they would fit me.

I decided to try to make a "sloper" for myself.  I bought Vogue
pattern 1000, a basic fitted dress sloper (fitted bodice and fitted
skirt).  I'm sorry to report that the pattern is a real loser.  I'm
sure that it does represent Vogue's (and Butterick's) genuine sloper,
so it will fit you if Vogue or Butterick patterns usually fit you--
but if Vogue patterns fit you, you don't need to make a sloper.  The
directions on how to alter it are seriously lacking.  You are
instructed to measure yourself extensively, and alter the pattern for
length before you cut out, but the pattern & the instructions don't
allow for other alterations before you cut.  If you find, for
instance, that you need some more room in the shoulder, you get to
take your already put-together fitting shell, cut it up and sew in
some more fabric.  Great.

Also, it tells nothing or almost nothing about how to adjust certain
areas.  There are two back darts (a shoulder dart and a waist dart)
and no instruction about how to tell if they are the right length and
correctly placed, or what to do if they aren't.  Same with the sleeve.
If you adjust the armhole, you'll have to adjust the sleeve too, but
there is little instruction in how to do it.

I've been fiddling around with this pattern for a couple of weeks now
with no success.  The front fit right away (after I added an inch in
shoulder width and squared up the shoulder, before I cut, since I knew
I needed these alterations) but the back is a disaster and so is the
sleeve.  I've temporarily given up.  

I may try the McCall's version
(pattern 2718).   I made the McCalls Palmer-Pletsch fitting pattern
for pants;  following the directions, I ended up with about seven
substantial alterations, and I now have a pattern for pants that fit.
Maybe I'd have similar luck with the blouse pattern.

Meanwhile, I've signed up for a class at the local community college,
and we'll be making a dress and a jacket.  The instructor is helping
us get them to fit, so I guess I'll end up with at least two patterns
that fit me.  

Several netters suggested that I just make patterns that call for
shoulder pads, and not put shoulder pads in, since I already have more
than adequate padding.  This would be a step in the right direction,
but not far enough.  When I went in to sign up for the class, the instructor
did a quick pass at pin-fitting the pattern for the back of the dress
I've selected.  She had me use a size bigger in the back, and the
pattern calls for 1/2" shoulder pads, which I won't use, and the shoulders
were STILL 3/4" too sloping and 3/8" too short.  No wonder RTW doesn't
fit me!

Thanks to all the netters who sent suggestions.  Further suggestions
are very welcome.  

-- Anne
From: tigger@satyr.Sylvan.COM (Grace Sylvan)
Newsgroups: alt.sewing
Subject: How is fabric weight determined?
Date: 28 Aug 92 03:27:23 GMT
Distribution: alt
Organization: Sylvan Associates

I know this is probably a stupid question, but how much fabric is
weighed to give its weight?  (say, 5 oz ribknit, 10 oz denim)
-- 

Tigger (Grace Sylvan)                Mom of Katherine Yelena, 8/8/89 &
tigger@satyr.sylvan.com              Robin Gregory born 2/28/92

 "It seems to me that our large goal is to find the ways to help our
 children become humane and strong."
 
              - Dr Haim Ginott quoted by Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish
From: karen@hp-ptp.ptp.hp.com (Karen Joanne Hall)
Newsgroups: alt.sewing
Subject: Pfaff 1473
Date: 1 Sep 92 20:01:51 GMT
Organization: HP Pacific Technology Park - Sunnyvale, Ca.

I just went crazy and bought a Pfaff 1473 with CD...

What do you all think of Pfaff's in general?  Any problems?
Any good tips and tricks, or sources of good tips and tricks -
books, newsletters, etc...  Seems like this machine can
just about sew all by itself....                             

Later -

Karen
Newsgroups: alt.sewing
From: xxmills@alliant1.lerc.nasa.gov (Christine Mills)
Subject: Re: sandwashed rayon
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 13:51:56 GMT

In article <9208262017.AA04678@marny.Corp.Sun.COM> Marina.Salume@Corp.Sun.COM (Marina Salume) writes:
>>But what caught my eye about this posting was the little pulls that show up
> >as I am sewing.  I thought 
>>it was the needle
>
>Has anyone who has tried sewing on sandwashed rayon tried putting
>some type of stabilizer under the seam as you sew? (like a strip
>of paper or something). My machine instruction book says that some
>fine fabrics will actually get pushed down into the hole by the
>needle and that could cause those little "pulls". So I'm wondering if using a
>stabilizer would help. Or maybe spray starch and press the seam allowance
>area before sewing--then you'll have to wash it out of course. 

Not stabilizer, or starch.  Go out and buy yourself some tissue paper.  Craft
stores often sell it by the roll, or in packages.  cut strips of tissue paper
and put them under the fabric.  This will not only prevent the fabric from
being pushed down into the hole, but will also help the material feed properly
along the teeth at the bottom.  I use this technique on all slippery 
materials, including real silk.  Once you've sewn the seam, you just tear
the tissue paper away.  Any tissue paper left washes away.

Christine Mills
From: Marina.Salume@Corp.Sun.COM (Marina Salume)
Newsgroups: alt.sewing
Subject: Re: sewing addiction
Date: 3 Sep 92 19:47:54 GMT

>Can I be saved?  Or will my condition worsen, leading to ... it's almost
>too awful to admit ... quilting?

How else will you ever use up all those leftover scraps from
all your sewing projects? (that's how I became a quilter) :-)

--marina
From: nmrdb@vms.macc.wisc.edu (BEVERLY SEAVEY)
Newsgroups: alt.sewing
Subject: Re: Fitting problems:  an update
Date: 31 Aug 92 16:26:37 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: University of Wisconsin Academic Computing Center

In article <ANNE.92Aug30150711@dolores.Stanford.EDU>, anne@dolores.Stanford.EDU (Anne Paulson) writes...

>A few weeks ago I posted some questions about fitting.  I have always
>had trouble finding ready-to-wear clothes that fit because I have
>broad, square shoulders.  I asked about how I could adjust patterns so
>they would fit me.
> 
>I decided to try to make a "sloper" for myself.  I bought Vogue
>pattern 1000, a basic fitted dress sloper (fitted bodice and fitted
>skirt).  I'm sorry to report that the pattern is a real loser.  I'm
>sure that it does represent Vogue's (and Butterick's) genuine sloper,
>so it will fit you if Vogue or Butterick patterns usually fit you--
>but if Vogue patterns fit you, you don't need to make a sloper.  The
>directions on how to alter it are seriously lacking.  You are
>-- Anne
> 
> 
 I have a similar figure ( broad shoulders) and I also tried the Vogue sloper.
I also found the instructions lacking, but the sloper in conjunction with
the SInger REference Library book on fitting worked out. The book tells
you in what order to do adjustments - i.e. shoulders first, because that will
have an effect on everything else.  The book covers *many* more parameters for
each body part than the sloper instructions and has a lot of photos. It's not
very long - you can read it through in an evening and decide what the most
relevant parts are for you.
.
From: nola@cats.ucsc.edu (Nola Van Vugt)
Newsgroups: alt.sewing
Subject: Pattern sizes--where do they come from???
Date: 1 Sep 92 23:29:45 GMT
Organization: University of California; Santa Cruz
NNTP-Posting-Host: am.ucsc.edu


I just finished making a "back-to-school" dress for my 7 YO and it has
left me utterly frustrated.  Granted, I should have measured her
before I started (and then I would have abandoned the project
immediately) but I had no idea it would be *this* bad!

I'm an experienced but sporadic sewer.  I have an ancient Singer
machine that works when it wants to but I'm more frustrated with the
lack of choices in fabrics, poor quality notions, and patterns that
seem guaranteed to scream "home-made!" when made up.  Plus I value my
time and that shoots up the cost of a home-made garment.  But I enjoy
sewing and, when one of my kids needs/wants something that I can't
buy, I'll make it.  So it was with the dress.  Actually, it was a
dress-up dress that my daughter wanted, a replacement for one my
sister gave her a couple of years ago that she adored (amazing how
cute a 5 YO can look in a black velveteen dress!).  Not wanting to
commit to $12/yd velveteen before knowing how the dress would fit, we
picked out a pattern and some cotton print material for a test run.  I
measured her height and back-waist length in the store before buying
the pattern --both suggested a size 10, no surprise since she's a
growth spurt away from being a 10 in ready-made clothes.  And fitting
her in ready made clothes has never been a problem.  She's tall for
her age and on the slender side, but with quite developed shoulders
from swimming.  So I was shocked at how awful this dress fit her when
she tried it on.  I measured her more completely and, according to the
body measurements chart on the back of the pattern envelope (which is
not quite the same as I remembered from the back of the pattern book)
my child is a size 5, 4, 7, 10, or 12, depending on whether I go by
her breast, waist, hip, height, or back-waist measurement.  Now there
is no way I am going to try to alter this, or any other size pattern,
to fit her.  I'm willing to make length adjustments, but that's all.

Clearly McCalls designs for the short stocky figure.  My question is,
does any other pattern company have sizing that might be more
compatible?  I used to buy Burda patterns and never had a problem with
them (though I never tried to make anything this fitted) but no one in
Santa Cruz carries that brand.
From: e_splett@trofs.enet.dec.com (Evan Splett)
Newsgroups: alt.sewing
Subject: Re: Fabric following you home...
Date: 27 Aug 92 18:40:48 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Organisation: Digital Equipment of Canada - Ottawa


In article <1992Aug26.121537.22696@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>, banderso@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Betty Lise Anderson) writes...
>Anyhow, I remember in particular one of the other costume people and I would
>be walking through the fabric store, and she would actually call "Jump out!
>Jump out!" to the fabric. (We would get pretty silly.) 

This reminds me of when I worked in Theatre. We went out to a restaurant
after a rehearsal. The costume person dropped a zipper into her bowl of soup,
then started yelling 'waiter, there's a fly in my soup !'.

    Evan.
Newsgroups: alt.sewing
From: dseaman@world.std.com (David Seaman)
Subject: embroidery machines
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Distribution: alt.sewing
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1992 15:24:30 GMT


A friend of mine want to set up a small embroidery business. She has some
literature from a company called Meistergram that sells a system that consists
of a PC, a digitizer, and a pretty fancy sewing machine, along with all
kinds of jigs to hold the garment being embroidered (you know, with YOUR
LOGO HERE). You buy the whole setup, including a ridiculously over-priced
COMPAQ 386, at one price. Their literature caused lots of questions to pop
into my mind, most of which follow. Advice, anecdotes, names and phone
numbers gratefully received at dseaman@world.std.com. Since I have never
been here (alt.sewing) before and don't expect to be here again, please
email. Thanks.

Anyone ever do business with Meistergram? 

Who else makes these machines? 

Is there an organization, or a trade rag, for this sort of thing? My friend's
operation will basically be a one-person shop doing small runs and some
occasional custom work.

Any idea what the costs and profits are like?


The system they sell seems to be just some software that runs under DOS and
drives the sewing machine through the serial port. I am not positive about
this, and their lit. was very vague. Their price for the COMPAQ 386 came to
something like $5500, which is laughable, IMHO. They will sell you a system
without a computer, but you have to ship the computer down to them and they
set it up. Hmmm. I intend to ask them more about this setup, but I thought
querying the collective wisdom of the net would be interesting. 

My friend has also been thinking about buying a Mac. (I confess, I have been
pushing her in that direction). Anyone know of an embroidery system that
could be driven my a Mac? It seems to me that if the sw runs under DOS and
out the serial port (i.e. no special hw) then you might be able to run the
whole thing off a Mac.

Thanks for the help. Any useful information will be appreciated.

Dave Seaman
dseaman@world.std.com

Newsgroups: alt.sewing,rec.arts.startrek.misc
From: cokus@icase.edu (Cindy Cokus)
Subject: StarTrek Costume Patterns
Organization: ICASE/NASA Langley
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 17:55:45 GMT


Hello, all!

My name is Cindy Cokus, and I want to make a Star Trek costume for my husband.  However,
I'm having problems locating a pattern.  Does anybody know where I can get one?  Or who
I should contact to find one?

Please e-mail me, since I don't often get a chance to read news.

Thanks in advance!
Cindy Cokus
cokus@icase.edu
From: ted.jensen@spacebbs.com (Ted Jensen)
Newsgroups: alt.sewing
Subject: Quilt Programs (IBM-PC)
Date: 28 Aug 92 14:36:00 GMT
Reply-To: ted.jensen@spacebbs.com (Ted Jensen)
Distribution: usa
Organization: SPACE BBS - Menlo Park, CA - 10 Lines + 4gB - 415-323-4193

Yesterday my wife informed me that one of the fabric stores she
frequents was having a sale (I thought all fabric stores always
had a sale!) and she was going to take a couple of hours to
browse there.  She also pointed out that they were advertising
that they had a new product called "The Electric Quilt" (not on
sale).  This is a program for designing quilts using
IBM/PC/clones.  The ad implied that the program was being
demonstrated so I decided to go with her.  Unfortunately there
was no one there that could demo the program, but I was given the
opportunity to browse the manual for a 1/2 hour or so.

The program was priced at $99.00 and the disk supplied was a
3-1/2" type, which my old machine cannot handle.  I am going to
assume that the publisher can supply this on 5-1/4 floppies if
need be.

Anyway, to my questions:

    1)  Has anyone here ever used this progam and if so could you
    describe your experiences with it?  It appears to be
    relatively new (copyright 1992).

    2)  Has anyone here ever used a similar program?  If so,
    which one, where available, what price, and what were your
    experiences with it?

I am currently running a 10 MHz 286 AT with a 40 MByte hard drive
but will be upgrading to a 386 or 486 in the near future, and
would like to get a program like this for her use.  However, I am
unfamiliar with what is available or where to look for
advertisements for same.
---
 * SLMR 2.0 * 
                                                                                                 
Newsgroups: alt.sewing