AUTHOR: Erin TITLE: Instant Dress! DATE: 6:39 AM ----- BODY:

I haven't seen this pattern (sent by Theresa, thanks!) before, have you? It's advertised as an "instant dress", with a ONE-PIECE pattern that you lay down and cut out all at once.

Looking at the back, I think I see two pieces, but no matter. What's interesting to me is that this pattern (available at RustyZipper) is still uncut. Even instant takes too long for some people ...

I think there are two kinds of sewists: the ones who want to get to the finished product as fast as possible, and the ones for whom the getting there is (more than) half the fun. I used to be absolutely one of the "cut it out and run" folks; as I get older I move more towards the "enjoying the process" people (although that may just be because I am trying to enjoy the doing of everything as much as I enjoy the ends -- except for teeth cleaning at the dentist's, that may be forever beyond my reach).

The "process" people should not be confused with the perfectionists who never finish projects because they are always unhappy with their work and want to rip it out and do it over (again), and the "make it today, wear it tonight" should not all be accused of being slaphappy people who use fusible everything, although sometimes I see that happening. (Luckily, not here!)

Which are you? Have you always been a "I gotta wear it now, where's my stapler?" or a "here let me finish these seams by hand in tiny stitches with silk thread" person, or did you switch camps?

Labels: McCalls_4152, quick_and_easy

----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Lydia DATE:Aug 27, 2009 8:50:00 AM About the only corner I ever cut is I occasionally, when using fabric that will forgive me, leave my seams unfinished. So I suppose I'm more in the Process camp.

But I also stick with basic, simple patterns because I like to wear the garment within a reasonable amount of time after starting.

Someday I would like to try making a tailored men's suit jacket. But that day is not today. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

peanut DATE:Aug 27, 2009 9:09:00 AM I think I tend to change camps half way through. I usually start out with something simple with the intention of wearing it tonight or tomorrow and then discover that I want to tweak the fit or finish the seams properly or do the hems by hand. Do other people do this? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Becky O. DATE:Aug 27, 2009 9:24:00 AM It's "instant" :)

I buy patterns to read. I think you get in another persons head better if you go through their process.
I learn so much... if only I could learn Japanese and buy their patterns untranslated! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Wendy DATE:Aug 27, 2009 9:34:00 AM The beauty of the "instant" pattern for me is that it appears I don't have to carefully place each pattern piece on the fabric just so, lined up with the grain, etc. Just do it once for the sheet, and it's done. Now THAT part I don't enjoy lingering on.

It's unusual in my experience to find an "instant" pattern that's uncut. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Jennylou's Projects DATE:Aug 27, 2009 9:39:00 AM I like finishing quickly, but I only use fusible interfacing when making purses/bags, because I think long term it stays in place better. For garments, the only time I've used anything that was fusible was for a quick hem job while in Hawaii for my sister's wedding. It seemed easier to use it for a hem. At home, I put in my hems by hand if I think it warrants it - ie, a nice dress, skirt, pants, shirt. If they're casual, they get machine stitches...no matter the instructions. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

jenna! DATE:Aug 27, 2009 10:04:00 AM I like to finish projects. Oh, don't get me wrong, I love spending hours & hours sewing. But, at the end of the day (or night) when the garment is done, all that time spent just makes sense.

I get fustrated in the "process" since I've only been sewing for 8 months. Although I have several books and have taken several classes, so many terms are not yet in my vocabulary so I end up getting fustrated. So, the finished product makes it all worth while.

Does that make sense? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

the_lazymilliner DATE:Aug 27, 2009 10:21:00 AM I'm somewhere in between, but then again look at all my unfinished project slumped like murder victims in various positions all over my apartment....Give me a stapler already! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Joni DATE:Aug 27, 2009 10:27:00 AM Yep, I've seen those 'instant' patterns before! I helped my sister sew one over the summer. Of course they're only instant the FIRST time you use the pattern, but still.

I cut as many corners as possible when sewing - I'm such an instant gratification person. Although this may also be due to my analytical mind saying, "How can I do this better/faster/cheaper?" I've never regarded pattern instructions as being particularly set in stone, and I intensely dislike anything fussy - especially hand stitching! yuk!

I even got a serger recently so that I could finish seams faster. worth. every. penny. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

mickey DATE:Aug 27, 2009 10:27:00 AM I'm in a different category, I think. I'm a start a bunch of things all at once, procrastinate, then finish the one I need soonest at the last minute sewer. In real life, that is. In my head I like to tell myself I'm prioritizing. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Andrea DATE:Aug 27, 2009 10:35:00 AM I sew because I want the garments, not because I like to sew. I prefer very simple garments and let the fabrics do the talking. I'll take lots of time fitting my muslins, but once that's done, I want to wear it tomorrow. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Mandi DATE:Aug 27, 2009 10:51:00 AM I used to be all about instant. But after seeing those things finished on...I changed my mind. And after sewing for 23 years, my joy is in taking time to do it and do it right. I do use fusible interfacing, but do not fuse hems (anymore!). I will do a quicky garment once in a while (last week it was a 3 gore knit skirt flatlocked...quick and perfect to wear around the house!). ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Lauriana DATE:Aug 27, 2009 11:17:00 AM I guess I tend to switch camps... I make a lot of my own patterns, which sounds, and is, timeconsuming. However it saves me loads of time when it comes to fitting. My own personal patterns fit. Any time. I realised recently that I've lost the appatite for 'fiddling about' which I had when I started sewing. When I've done all the work, I want to have a wearable, and preferably nice, garment to show for it. I recently bought a serger and I noticed a tendency to rush more when I'm using that. However, I still like using french seams and I usually hem by hand but I'm not against fusibles. In some cases they work best. I've made tailored jackets using fusible interfacing throughout to keep the fabric in shape (a special kind of fusible interfacing of course, this stuff is very thin and light and made out of slightly fuzzy woven threads. it's ment specifically to reinforce wool fabrics) and I've been known to use fuse hems on lined wool garments. I want my things to look their best, but I'm not willing to spend half a lifetime on a single garment. So no basting if I can avoid it and using the technology avaible if the alternative is just to much painstaking work. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

The Hillbilly Banjo Queen: DATE:Aug 27, 2009 12:31:00 PM I live firmly in the middle. Sometimes I want to take my time on a piece and add embellishments and really make it nice. Other times I just want to get it done so I can wear it right now. I'd say I'm a 50/50 person. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Becky DATE:Aug 27, 2009 12:39:00 PM I'm definitely a 'get it done as fast as possible' person, but i think it's because I have very little workspace (i.e. the kitchen table). So I can't leave work out and unfinished or I'll never find all the pieces again. If i ever get an extra room in a house (gasp! i'm a city dweller, extra rooms come at a premium), i'd be happy to draw the process out a bit and enjoy it more. until then, all in one sitting is the way to go. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

motorharp DATE:Aug 27, 2009 12:51:00 PM Huh, weird, the other vintage "instant" patterns, or one-piece patterns, I've seen have the front and back pattern pieces joined at the shoulder. I wonder why they consider the 4-piece thing to be instant.

I sadly don't have as much time to sew anymore as I'd like, but I'm making a neck tie, which I've never done before, and am looking forward to taking my time with it to get it just right. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Leigh DATE:Aug 27, 2009 1:36:00 PM I wish I liked either the process or could get things done instantly. Lately I've been carefully measuring, cutting out, measuring again, and then running into a wall where I can't make any sense of the vintage instructions, only to file the project away. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Sydnie DATE:Aug 27, 2009 1:43:00 PM I like to finish projects and wear them, but I think I tend to be quick to drop a project if it's not coming out as I would like. That said, I love the sewing part of the process, and will take quite a bit of time with that (although I'm also far from being a perfectionist)! I really really really don't like the cutting part of the process though! I'll cut (cut, ha-ha) whatever corners I can during that part. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

j.b. DATE:Aug 27, 2009 1:47:00 PM I'm a little bit of both. Started with the "finish as fast a possible" mode and now as I get older, and more experienced in the sewing realm, I lean more toward the "process" way of sewing. I love the whole process, from picking out fabric and pattern, to hand or machine sewing the hems and facings. :)

au revoir,
~j.b. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Anonymous DATE:Aug 27, 2009 1:47:00 PM I used to sew professionally, so I know a bunch of quality short-cuts--that is to say, shortcuts that do not diminish the quality. Things like flat construction. I love the fiddly details like welt pockets, but have learned how to do them quickly and well because I really have no patience and want to do it well the first time. Not sure what camp that puts me in. --Karen ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Latter-Day Flapper DATE:Aug 27, 2009 2:24:00 PM I'm a middle-of-the-roader: I want to finish in a reasonable amount of time, but I don't like fusible stuff (except for occasionally lining collars or as a base for buttons) and unfinished seams make me hysterical. Clean, finished, seams that lie totally flat and will never fray in the wash are a big part of the fun for me, as dorky as that sounds. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Marjie DATE:Aug 27, 2009 2:39:00 PM I finish my seam edges with the serger, and make sure it's sewn right. I also refuse to do hand finishing; that's why sewing machines have blind hemming stitches. When I start something, I won't stop until it's finished - even if it takes 20 hours - so I never start anything later than Saturday afternoon. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Anonymous DATE:Aug 27, 2009 2:42:00 PM When I take my time and follow instructions carefully, things turn out well. If I try to sew in a hurry, it's a mess. For some reason I've become more tense and picky about sewing and as a result have the same "murder victims" problem that lazy milliner does. UFOs abound in my sewing room! Really, I do enjoy the process, though, and love seeing a lovely, neat, finished seam. So, why don't I make more of them and get finished already? Hey, this is like Sewing Psychotherapy, Erin - add that to your resume!

Dawn ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Jen DATE:Aug 27, 2009 3:33:00 PM I started sewing in the olden days when everyone could sew. In junior high my best friend and I would walk home from school, cut and sew a dress to wear the next day, we called them "twinnies" 'cause they were the same dress. We sewed the zippered seam shut and pulled them on over our head. I didn't figure out facings for a few years either.
Now? I enjoy a real Olympic level project to sink my teeth into.

BTW: did anyone else note that on this sewing pattern the center front line is NOT on a center fold--it flares out from the waistline to create the 1957 skirt silhouette (the entire dress would have been flat in front if cut on a fold, something we put up with in current fashion). ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

SAC DATE:Aug 27, 2009 3:44:00 PM I'm with Peanut-- I usually end up starting out wanting to go fast, and then realizing that what I REALLY want is to go slow. Plus, I've had a pretty fraught relationship with sewing machines (though, come to think of it, not so much staplers...) so the hand-sewing bits always seem like they're going to actually get done. The machine-sewn parts make me fear until they've been finished without the sewing machine breaking down. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

San Antonio Sue DATE:Aug 27, 2009 4:21:00 PM I took a class from Cynthia Guffey once (BTW, if you ever get a chance to, don't miss it!). She asked how many of us sew for a living. How many sew for fit, feel, comfort, style? In the latter case, why do you rush it? Take the time to do it right. I've lived by those words since. After all, what do I care how long it takes to make a pair of pants (or a dress)that fits great? Just start it soon enough to be ready. And if it's not, there's some other wonderful garment hanging in my closet that I took the time to make "right." ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Theresa DATE:Aug 27, 2009 5:55:00 PM I confess... only pink my seams and only hand sew when absolutely required to do so. I never hand stitch my hems...but them again, I have carpal tunnel syndrome and hands sewing is torture. I also "can't wait" to wear my new creation now! but I do like most of the process -- i hate the cutting of the peices. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Ivy DATE:Aug 27, 2009 6:31:00 PM I remember this pattern. It is one pattern piece that you cut four times -- pretty cool, actually. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Christy Sews DATE:Aug 27, 2009 7:53:00 PM Of late, I have become an enjoy the process person. I've actually surprised myself sometimes by finishing rather quickly. No problems there though -- I'm a marathon cutter-outer because I can't stand cutting. I spend a week just cutting and then I'm free to go from project to project. I do confess, however, I am formerly from the make it today wear it tomorrow camp. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Susannah DATE:Aug 27, 2009 8:48:00 PM Sometimes an emergency short cut develops a life of its own. I have a skirt that was part of an outfit that I made to wear to a friend's wedding. She has now been married ten years, but on the waistband at the top of the skirt zipp, (hidden by the top, I hasten to add) I can still find my trusty safety pin. At least as functional as a button and buttonhole, and so much quicker when one is finishing the hem only just before departing for the church. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

kagitsune DATE:Aug 27, 2009 9:08:00 PM I'm the "if no-one's going to see it, it's okay" person... The insides of my dresses and costumesare rarely pretty. Not good for someone who wants to own couture design studio some day!! o_o;; Lately, though, I've realized that imperfections can affect comfort, so I've trying to be more careful. :3 ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Lavon DATE:Aug 27, 2009 11:26:00 PM I like to take my time.

Part of the reason I take my time is that my eyesight is starting to fail. I have a hard time seeing black or dark fabric so I have to take my time to make sure I am not missing anything.

On brighter fabric I am a faster but I still finish everything in detail.
lLove it ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Elle DATE:Aug 28, 2009 1:52:00 AM I'm a perfectionist who, at the same time, has Sewing Attention Deficit Disorder. My huge Rubbermaid under the bed storage container is full of really well made, half finished garments that would have been hanging in my closet if I had managed to work faster. Sigh. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

sewducky DATE:Aug 28, 2009 2:49:00 AM I, too, sew because I want the clothes. I actually don't care to sew at all, and if I could have a magic elf that would make the clothing I want, I'd be happy.

But don't confuse this with quick and easy. I'm a third kind of sewer. I have things I can whip out quickly, but I'm as likely to make something requiring loads and loads of time. I am a "garment" sewer, and I sew to have clothing I could otherwise not afford/can't find. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

sewducky DATE:Aug 28, 2009 2:49:00 AM I forgot: I don't take shortcuts. I do the little heinous stitches, the seam finishes, the ironing, the right interfacing...etc. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Jenaveve DATE:Aug 28, 2009 3:27:00 AM Nice topic to ponder. And wow - looking forward to reading all the comments here too.

I'm enjoying being a "process" person which is kind of essential for the tailoring techniques I'm trying to learn. I used to think that instant gratification was the way to go, but the reality is that speed does not help during the learning process.

Oh, and I've moved on a bit from trying to be the "perfectionist" too. I'm really enjoying all the mistakes I've made recently... oddly satisfying. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Knitwit DATE:Aug 28, 2009 4:06:00 AM I started out as an instant person... but then I started making costumes for the Jane Austen festival this Sept. I'm now definately a process person!! I started just wanting to make a coat/trousers/waistcoat for my hubby quickly and then got caught up in choosing period correct fabrics, threads, patterns (which I've had to make up as I go along, working from a picture?! Where did this talent come from? I have no idea) and now I don't have much time left and no dress, hat, jacket for me yet. I'm going to have to make an effort to speed up! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Birgit DATE:Aug 28, 2009 4:58:00 AM What a nice response this one provoked!

I love instant gratification but have to admit that I often belong in the perfectionist category - about my own work, not others' - which is probably why I own two bookshelves stuffed with vintage and new sewing books, and only have two finished garments (one of which was really a muslin I decided to finish). I learned to sew by hand as a child and enjoy it, but my mom's often malfunctioning sewing machine frustrated me to no end, and I am only learning again now. When I do cut corners, it is usually because I am running out of time to complete something, or because of inexperience. In the end, and with more practice, I hope to relax a little and enjoy the process as well as learn how to cut the appropriate corners... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Leslie DATE:Aug 28, 2009 6:48:00 AM 25 years ago I sewed from necessity and just got things thrown together so that I could get out the door.
I started sewing again earlier this year and I find that I enjoy the process: I'll wash the fabric & iron it first, make sure I get the grain going the right way, etc. I'm still a pretty fast sewer but my hems are straight now! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

JustGail DATE:Aug 28, 2009 8:09:00 AM I think the "one piece" or "instant" in this case refers to the the pattern itself. You don't need to cut out the pieces and arrange them on the fabric, just unfold, place on the fabric and cut. That is if your are one of the lucy few who can use patterns directly out of the envelope.
As far as process vs. product - put me down as a "yes" vote. It depends on the project. On simple items, or something I've made before - I just want to get it done. On a new project (or a complicated one), I take my time, at least until I'm tired of looking at it, then it's back to just get it done, or throw it into the closet for a while.

Gail ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

emmy jay DATE:Aug 28, 2009 10:08:00 AM As a teenager, I routinely made a skirt at night to wear to school the next day; sometimes I even stopped to buy the fabric on the way home (just a *small* detour) as well. I've become much more of a process person over the years, and much more so lately, but the end of the process, a finished garment that I love to wear, is still the prime motivator. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

fabricgirl DATE:Aug 28, 2009 10:42:00 AM The comments have been great reading.
I've been a member of both camps. I used to absolutely hate cutting out, but once the rotary cutter and pattern weights came out things changed there. And I despised hand sewing.
I was a kitchen table sewer for years which meant that everything needed to be finished in one sitting. I recall making my husband a suit once in under 24 hours ( 70's polyester tailored jacket and pants! which I was sooo proud of). I was great at cutting out in the morning and wearing that night. It helped that I was an easy pattern fit; I even thought it was 'bad luck' to try it on until it was completely finished. That mindset is gone now as well.
Now, I go slower, press well ( best thing I ever learned ) and like the finishing process - including hand sewing.
But every now and then, there is still the "gotta wear it now" garment that sails across the machine and table. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

India DATE:Aug 28, 2009 3:46:00 PM I definitely enjoy the process, which is good because I so rarely (a) finish a project, or (b) sew something I end up actually liking to wear.

The reasons for (a) are too manifold to list. The main reasons for (b) are that (1) I tend to do weird stuff—for example, using inappropriately textured or exceptionally loud fabrics—and such experiments don't always work out, (2) I get impatient with fitting, and (3) I don't like to wear things that have that could-come-apart-at-any-moment homemade feel. So focusing on the process helps with items (b2) and (b3), though it tends to exacerbate some of the items in (a).

I've never seen an "instant" pattern before, but I'm rarely attracted by patterns labeled "quick" or "2-hour skirt" or the like. I like to learn something from making up the pattern, and those simple ones would seem to have less to offer (though they might demonstrate some brilliant economy of design). ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Mea DATE:Aug 28, 2009 10:33:00 PM I have loads of "quick and easy", "2 hours or less" type of patterns. I start out enjoying the process, but then at some point I get tired of the project and just want it done. Right now I'm into the second year of a silk tweed project that will eventually be a skirt and jacket- but this fabric requires extensive pre-cutting preparation and I'm not thrilled with the process (hence the long time frame) anymore. Well, I should have read up on the fabric- I do own fabric books- before purchasing, but it was an awesome sale and perfect colors....

Yet, I prefer hand-sewn hems....so I'm a bit of a strange duck when it comes to sewing. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

catherine DATE:Aug 28, 2009 11:21:00 PM definitely a process girl - so glad to know I'm not the only one who still hems by hand - think it's because I love a project so much that sometimes I don't want to end it - or else I want to watch a movie & sew & can't hear the movie over the sound of my machine ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Anonymous DATE:Aug 29, 2009 1:03:00 AM Interesting topic. I used to be a sew it to wear it out TONIGHT kind of girl. Then I was a sew when I have time woman. Now I go fast if it's a quick knit top on the serger, slow if it's something tricky, careful haste if I'm sewing something for a client and downright slow if I want something to be a close to couture quality as I can get.
But basically I get there faster by plodding and enjoy it better too.
Oh and like the Lazy Milliner I have a body in the corner - a faux fur in a bag! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Emily Clarke DATE:Aug 29, 2009 8:32:00 AM I am totally a make it now, wear it tonight girl! I usually only start a project if I have a certain event in mind that I want to wear it to. Otherwise, things lie around my workroom, half finished, taunting me. I really need that sense of urgency to motivate me. But I don't cut corners, knowing that my mom will eventually see whatever I have made and get after me for doing it wrong... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Hana DATE:Aug 29, 2009 2:01:00 PM I'm mostly working on things very slowly, and leaving them unfinished for weeks, and then, in one happy whim, suddenly finishing them. That sort of thing. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Anan DATE:Aug 29, 2009 5:56:00 PM I'm both! (The good Lutheran answer...) I.e. Vogue 884 took me weeks, but I made another vogue dress last night in 6 hours. I cut every corner I could, I made hems by folding up the raw edges and stitching, I didn't finish any edges but the neck facing. Luckily it's slightly stretchy cotton so it isn't fraying anywhere. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

alba-ny DATE:Aug 29, 2009 8:37:00 PM I have become an "enjoy the process" sort, but almost too perfectionist.

My mother taught me to sew quick, or even staple! After I while I realised that I never wear anything I make unless it is really, really well finished. Cute stuff that I know has ugly insides just *can't* be worn :( I think it is part of my ocd-ness.

I do all-nighters if I need quick results. The night before last was one, so I could make a silk charmuse dress '30s dress to wear to a wedding yesterday! When I was unhappy with a few yards of topstitching I spent 3 more hours ripping it out and re-doing, rather than sleep. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Jamie DATE:Aug 29, 2009 11:22:00 PM Hmm. I think I fall somewhere in the middle. I am definitely driven by the idea of the finished product, and sometimes I go a little to fast or cut corners, but I also enjoy the process and take my time if I can. When I went on a very-determined literal dress-a-day binge before heading off to camp in July (I wanted to wear only things I had made, dammit, even if it meant I didn't get any sleep for two weeks!), I cut corners a fair amount, and it's definitely showing now that I am pulling some of the dresses out for third or fourth wearings only to find raveling seams, pulling-out straps and other types of falling-apartness. So, on future garments I am definitely going to be more careful. As a beginning sewist I'm still working on feeling out my personal sewing style. I haven't the patience to be a finish-every-seam-by-hand type, but the stapler thing is never going to work for me. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

dawnrenee DATE:Aug 30, 2009 12:25:00 AM Even though I have been sewing off and on for years and have been making my own dance costumes for several years, I still consider myself as a beginner, so I am not comfortable with taking shortcuts - I don't know any anyway, and besides, that's not really my personality. I am still learning all of the little touches that make a big difference in quality; if my pattern instructions don't tell me to do something like finish the seams, it doesn't necessarily occur to me to do so. The things I do know, however, I enjoy doing - even hemming yards and yards of chiffon by hand. I like the process (sewing is very soothing for me), and I want to end up with a high-quality garment. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Nancy DATE:Aug 30, 2009 2:26:00 PM i simply adore reading these comments! the are all wonderful. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

mamafrog DATE:Aug 31, 2009 5:15:00 AM I'm in between now--get it done right (or as much as possible) so it can be worn soon! I hate having to rip something out and redo it so I do take extra care when doing it, but I'm willing to compromise enough to have it ready to wear in good time. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Latter-Day Flapper DATE:Aug 31, 2009 8:05:00 AM I almost always machine-sew hems because I frequently wear longish dresses with lace-up boots, and the speed-lacers [hooks] at the tops of boots will catch on and rip out hand-sewn hems, which often leaves picks and frays the fabric. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Melissa DATE:Aug 31, 2009 9:40:00 AM My mother is te sort who can't put down a project once she starts. She's also a night owl, so we'd go to bed at night and wake up with a new dress. It was like living with elves.

When I want some instant dewing gratification I make doll clothes. I can generally finish an outfit in one night.

The "instant" dress makes me think of Amy Wong's spray-on bikini from Futurama. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

minya, warrior seamstress DATE:Aug 31, 2009 8:19:00 PM So, I bought this pattern. How should I trace it onto fabric so as to keep the pattern one-piece? I'm quite sure this will need at least one test muslin. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

wideyed DATE:Aug 31, 2009 8:34:00 PM Where's my STAPLER?!? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Saarah Steeve DATE:Sep 1, 2009 5:33:00 AM like to finish projects and wear them, i too sew the clothes because i need garment. one more thing all comments are just wonderful. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Steph DATE:Sep 1, 2009 3:01:00 PM I wish I could be a quick-sew, wear it the next day kind of sewist, but I've encountered so many fit problems and patterns need so many adjustments that I'm forced to be a process person. Although, I actually do enjoy the process of making a quality garment that I can be proud of and wear more than just a few times. I just wish I could speed it up. Maybe that'll come with more experience. After years of just focusing on making renaissance costumes for the faire, I'm now relearning why I gave up on making actual "real-life" clothes: they actually have to fit correctly, whereas with a renaissance garment, you can typically get away with making your body fit the garment. Heh. It's worth it, even when after completing and wearing a dress and finding that something is slightly off I have to go back and fix it....sigh. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

wundermary DATE:Sep 3, 2009 12:23:00 AM Ha, I am the finish by hand, but maybe not with silk thread girl.

I took a look at the large image of that pattern. I don't think that the dress itself is one piece, I think the tissue is one piece, so that you do not have to pin individual pieces and orient the grain lines repeatedly. The drawing shows center, side and back seams. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Sara DATE:Sep 3, 2009 5:10:00 PM Somebody probably already said this...(too busy atm to read all 61 other comments, hehehe), but I've always thought that if it's worth doing, it's worth doing well.

This applies even more when I'm sewing. :) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Grilled Cheez DATE:Sep 3, 2009 5:14:00 PM My sewing is all practicality-driven at this point. I don't toil over, say, tailored suits or ballgowns or cocktail dresses, because they are not useful to me.

All I require are hardwearing everyday dresses, and a couple "Sunday dresses."

So a machine-sewn hem will generally outlast a hand-sewn one, and nobody is going to care about a hand-picked zipper. Fusible interfacing is just fine with me.

My seams are all serged, and that is as fancy as it's going to get for awhile here.

That being said, out-and-out slapdash sewing will negatively affect either the wearability or the life-span of the dress, so I've learned not to be TOO complacent about detail work.

It's foolish to spend 90 minutes and 10 dollars on a garment that just gathers dust in the back of the closet.

Better to spend 4 hours and 20 bucks for decent yardage, and get something you'll wear every week for a year. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Anonymous DATE:Sep 4, 2009 1:52:00 AM Oh no! You wrote "sewist." I was wondering when this dreadful day would come. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

andrea.at.the.blue.door DATE:Sep 12, 2009 10:56:00 AM Simplicity had the same gimmick in the 1920's; one large sheet of tissue had all the pieces arranged as laid out. You pinned the sheet to your fabric, cut everything out and you were done. They dropped the practice after a few years.

The older I get, the more deliberately paced my sewing. If I like an article of clothing, I'm inclined to wear it to rags, so the up-front investment of time in hand basting, enclosing all seams, making linings, hand hemming, etc. seems to be reasonable. Last week I did Hong-Kong bindings on an eight gore skirt. It took me forever, but gosh, it looks great. ----- --------