I just finished making this beautiful blue blouse and I may never take it off again
because I am so happy with how it turned out.
But this was not always the case with every garment I made.
One I've come to realize is that being happy with your garments,
how they turn out in the end doesn't happen by accident.
There is a reason why and so if you weren't quite as happy
with your last garment, you keep watching because there is a really good reason.
And you can get to that stage where you are happy
with how they all turn out.
Welcome back, my sewing friends.
It is delightful to have you here again, as always, if you are and you are welcome.
My name is Evelyn Wood, creator of VintageSewingSchool.com
Since my online school where I have taught thousands of people how to sew
and how to develop their sewing skills and
well in teaching that many people I.
One thing becomes very clear, and I know this from my own journey
is that no one tells you about this when you start sewing.
No one mentions this in tutorials and any books in
anything online that you look at.
Any people sewing and making these projects is kind of a thing
that they always skip and miss out, and that is how much testing goes on
to get a beautiful garment that you might not like,
that you just think turns out perfectly and beautifully, magically,
it's like some magic fairy dust.
And you think if that if you get
when you get to that level of sewing, that you just won't make any mistakes.
Entertainment perfect.
And you happy with everything? No, no, no, no.
I've just finished this.
Gorgeous. I really love it.
This blouse. It's for a workshop.
I'm working on four of my vintage sewing school members, but quiet.
It's a secret.
Yes, but that's members secret.
Secret workshops coming soon. Any house?
I've just finished this blouse and I love it.
But do you have any idea how much testing I did to get here?
We're about to find out.
Even after 20 plus years.
Yes, I know you wouldn't think so.
But after 20 plus years of sewing,
this is still how much I tested to get this blouse that I am happy with.
Because if I didn't do this testing, I can tell you 100%
I would not be anywhere close to as happy as how it turned out.
First up, starting from maybe the most recent backwards,
I tested the stitching along here.
This is all hand done.
I tested the amount of embroidery threads to use for this.
I tested the length of stitches.
So I started off doing like long in and out and then shorter ins, longer outs,
how big they were and just practicing where they're actually measuring.
It was going to get me a better result or actually just eyeballing the amounts
because they're small enough was going to give me the best result.
Turns out I figured out the longer, longer
tube stitch, shorter under stitch, and I just actually eyeballed the distances.
Got me this beautiful result that I was after I tested
three different types of interfacing for the collar and the facing on this
because, well,
sometimes your collar and your facing need different types of interfacing.
And for this particular fabric, it's very drapey, very loose, open weave.
I tested it three different types to see which one
was going to be the right one for this particular design.
Then I had to test out the seam finish.
And now for this particular design,
it comes maybe this side here it comes straight through.
And just actually there's no whole curve.
It is actually just straight all down the side.
And so the speed like seam allowance just runs into the sleeve.
And so it's kind of like hemmed, hemmed in, finished all together, all in one.
And so I was quite particular about how was I going to finish this?
And well, I wanted something a little bit nice for this one,
so I was going much further and then just a turn stitch.
My first thoughts were bound seam or covering it with a bias finding,
but this was going to be way too stiff and rigid for this nice, soft, loose fabric.
So no.
Then I thought maybe a seam binding might work something lighter.
But no, even though this is kind of straight, it's still curved.
And this is a straight ribbon that will not curve at all anything.
Not even for this seemingly straight curve.
So no.
Then I thought, well, why don't I do self make my own bias
tape out of this fabric and then I thought,
No, absolutely
not in this fabric, if I want to keep my sanity,
no, this is a loose weave, fraying fabric that doesn't press well.
No, no, no sanity.
I'm picking sanity.
So then I decided on a handheld seam or kind of a felled seam.
It's kind of felt on both sides flipping over, so it just extends up and around.
So the hole ends up being hemmed
and the seam is, I suppose, kind of hemmed as well.
Anyway, it all just flows into one and I did it by hand.
So it's a nice soft finish, but I had to test
through all of these seam finishes before I got to that one that I was happy with
and I knew would work on this design.
Of course, I tested the actual stitches on the machine
every time I was doing something new.
I tested them to make sure
that the stitches were going to work for this fabric.
And I think it almost goes without saying that,
of course, I tested the eye in temperature.
I actually think this one is a part synthetic.
And so I was very particular to test the eye
and temperature to make sure I didn't get any shiny bits of fabric.
I am so not used to sewing anything with a polyester on much anymore,
so I was very conscious not to put my iron to hot
was my usual linen temperature these days, so I definitely tested that to make sure
I had a good temperature and a good amount of steam for this fabric.
So I knew what I was doing ahead of time and didn't have any accidents.
And then I tested, of course,
even way before all of that I tested the pattern and the fit. So
it's the pattern that
I have just crafted myself with a clean, different color.
And of course I did a well to begin with.
This has a different color on there.
Of course, that was testing one and then this one was another sample
that also got tested in the FIT.
And I made a few changes and made this one and guess what?
Even after all of that, this one is still kind of a sample too,
because I've still made changes
to this one as well for the next one that I've made.
I know for a fact that if I didn't stop and take the time to test
any one of these things along the way, first I would have been testing it
on my real thing here and I know
the fit would be fitted like my toile layer and it was like mirror,
you know, the same finishes I would have maybe I didn't put them on and tested it.
I might have got away with those because I had
could just think about the process the way through maybe would have worked.
But if I picked something like that bias tape to begin with,
it would have been very stiff and structured and not so good.
And then if I didn't test the iron, I could have had a big accident there.
If I didn't think that this was a you know, going to melt on me,
you'll get that shine, that horrible shine that happens.
And maybe, of course,
then if I didn't actually test the interfacing, I definitely
would have chose the wrong one.
And this would have turned out a bit cardboard.
And then if I didn't test this,
I definitely, definitely took me a while to test and get this.
So it turned out perfectly.
It would have been a bit.
Well, no, it definitely definitely the end result
would not have been this
if my testing was actually on the real thing and not in samples.
So I know for myself, even as I said, after 20 plus years sewing,
there is this is the way to get a result that you're happy with in the end,
because you've kind of figured out the best way to do whatever you're doing
before you get to your actual garment.
And there's still remember, as I've said this so many times,
there's always still more that you'll want to do
next time differently because there is no perfect.
You'll keep evolving your designs and your eye will get better and better
as you develop too.
So don't think that there is an end
in what you're going to test or that it should be perfect at the end.
You want to be happy with it.
Something that you love and that you're happy to wear and excited about.
That is the goal.
That is I want what I want from you and I know that you will too.
I hope that you maybe have testing
seen as not a waste of time or anything like that.
Now I would love to hear below what is the most valuable thing
for you to test along the way in your process as well?
Remember, read those comments because will be a lot of great information
down there on things that you might not have thought of
that could be very valuable to get a great result.
Thank you very much for watching.
And until next time my sewing friends. Happy sewing, bye.