Sewing Tools to Think About: Tapemeasures

Hello A-Team:  Welcome to the Spring 2019 Semester!

Check out the following photo.  It is worth a thousand words!  

These 2 tapemeasures are supposedly the same. But are they??????  The white one seams dead on when compared to the cutting mat.  The yellow one, seams to have shrunk.  Amazing.  Sometimes tapemeasures stretch; sometimes they shrink; when they are getting old.  Maybe the cutting mat was printed off.  Always check and replace your tapemeasure because you always need accurate measurements.  This tip was given to me, by Maureen.  Thank you, Maureen!!!  The picture is worth a thousand words !!!!

For my spring 2019 courses, the syllabi are under their respective pictures in the right hand column.  Just click on the picture to get an idea of the amount of learning I packed into each course.  Go to the menu and check the Downloads page.  There are useful things you can download and print from there.  Check your syllabus for needs.  The Links page has many links that you will find useful to buy texts at a better price or to look for your first fashion career position or internship. 

Come to class for a learning experience you will be using for the rest of your life!!!!!

Be Safe!

Joan McKenna

Improving the Performance of the Industrial Yamata Overlocks in WCC room 209

Words of Wisdom for All Sewing Machines by John of Central Sewing 

Using poor quality thread with the industrial Yamata Overlock Sewing Machines is one of the primary causes for frequent thread breaks. Many other industrial and domestic sewing machines will experience the same problem with low quality thread. John from Central Sewing offers his advice for choosing high quality thread and avoiding some common serger problems.

What Constitutes Good Thread?  

Not thread that cost 2 for a $1.00. Not thread from a swap meet. Not Talon thread. Not Sure-Lock thread. Not thread that has been exposed to sunlight for any length of time. (This breaks down the thread.)   

John: Cheap threads are not smooth threads and get hung up in the threading and cause skipped stitches. 

Here are some good brand names to look for: Gutermann, Maxi Lock, Coats & Clark Commercial Overlock Thread, Mettler, Superior Threads (Sergin’ General).

You can find most of these brands in the stores or buy these from www.wawak.com. Other brands you may need to Google. 

John: Do not buy threads that are 6000 yards on a spool. This is a school, not a factory. Buy thread that does not have over 3000 yards wound on it. The weight of the thread on the cone can cause a problem. They are too big and get old before they are used up. 

When you go and look at these threads, look at how the thread is wound on the cone. Does the top layer of thread sometimes get caught on the layer below when you unwind the thread?  Or does it get caught in the tension settings as it passes through the thread tension? It is not the tension settings that are causing these problems. Can you see any rough slub spots in the thread? Are they wound on the cone with a smooth even tension that easily lets them unwind? 

Is there a space at the bottom of the cone with no thread? You need about ½ inch of just space at the bottom of the cone. Without this space, problems are sure to develop as the threads gets wrapped underneath the spool.  

Here is what an overlock thread display looks like at Central Sewing. The thread is not inexpensive, however, you will never regret spending the money.

John: The threads wrap around the bases of the cones and cause the threads to break.

Here is what we will do to use up the industrial threads we have before we buy new good thread. Insert an empty cone inside the middle of the thread spool. This will help the thread unwind and not get hung up under the weight of the spool of thread.

Buy great brand name threads and the Yamata and Juki Overlocks will work for many years to come.  

Thank you, John, for all your insight!

Excuse Me, While I Kiss the Sky – Jimi Hendrix

Hello Summer 2018!

This summer, we will be learning some more Sewing Operations for your Portfolio. We will also be making a long sleeve shirt.

Check out the syllabus in the right hand column. Download and read it. Enjoy the learning journey.

This spring, I demo’d draping for high school students.  If I would have known this was happening, I could not have done the following.  See me in action.

 

 


Be Safe.

Joanie

 

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Spring 2018 Semester Courses

Hello A-Team:   Welcome to Spring 2018!!!!

I am in the process of editing the blog’s right hand column with the new spring 2018 syllabi.  What is there now, is just place holders.  Just before class at the end of January, I will do the final updates.  Taking class with me, means that you are starting a journey to gain knowledge to better yourself, or to update your workforce skills for either a career or to start a new business.  This semester, I am teaching Computer Patternmaking with a very student friendly program:  Patternmaker.  Check them out!!!!!  Press on the link.  The Professional Studio uses CAD tools, just like the big boys in the Apparel Industry.  My other course will be Sew Like a Pro.  In this course, we will be exploring textiles and sewing a garment with fabric that is difficult to handle.

The learning will be NON-stop this semester.

Come for the ride!

Sincerely,

Joanie

 

Welcome to Fall 2017: You Just Gotta Laugh !!!!

Hello Fall Semester A-Team Students:

Apparently, I can not add anything to the website.  There seems to be a major glitch.  You can still get into the Downloads menu and print your Sewing Fundamentals 1 Patterns.  Remembers to do this without scaling or shrink to fit.  You can also print:  Toubleshooting your Sewing Machine.  I will be prepared to give you a syllabus tomorrow in the Sewing Fundamentals 1 class.   Wednesday, the Drafting syllabus will be given out. 

Enjoy the rest of your holiday.

Sincerely,  

Joan McKenna

Fashion Designer Creates a Dress in a Few Minutes

View the video/article to see how Ugandan fashion designer Latif Madoi creates a dress in a few minutes!

http://www.pulse.ng/fashion/latif-madoi-meet-fashion-designer-who-creates-dresses-in-a-few-minutes-id7058854.html

The raved designer already dubbed “Afro-Fashion Magician” by the BBC is one of Uganda’s most revered designer known to have designed for the top late Reggae singer Lucky Dube, Latif Madoi shows his skill at his periodic “fast fashion” shows where he demonstrates live sewing, taking a piece of fabric and creating dresses out of them in a matter of minutes.

Fabric Basket Made from Jeans Leg

Joan told me that some of you wanted the instructions for creating a fabric basket using a leg from jeans (like the one I made for her). The instructions can be found at the Threading My Way blog. The fabric basket is very easy to make. I recommend using a new denim needle and turning the crank by hand when going over the thick seams.

Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. –George Bernard Shaw

                          Hello A-Team:

Summer will be all about Fundamentals of Patternmaking:  Draping.  Pad out an old dress form to be an exact duplicate of you with a little ease.  Use any edition of Connie Amaden- Crawford’s The Art of Fashion Draping, and learn to create using industry standard draping techniques.

Syllabus is in the right hand column.

Be Safe,

Joanie