The only requirement is for you to 1. Be a Follower of my Blog and 2. Answer the Question posed in this blog entry.
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We're almost at the finished line. Just one more Giveaway to go! So here's the SIXTH Give-Away Prize:
FABRIC!!!!!!!!
Now you'll have to trust me on this one. Pic's are to follow. I'm out of town and am traveling back home on tomorrow and will upload pictures of the fabric tomorrow night when I arrive home. I will post pictures of 3 different fabrics and the winner of this giveaway will be able to select one of the 3 fabrics. I really do appreciate your patience:)
UPDATE: Here's the fabric....
Middle: 3yd, 60" polyester fabric
Right: 2 2/3yd, 60" Polyester knit
The winner gets to pick one of the above fabrics.
It's funny, I find the more that I sew the more anal I become about my sewing. I've blogged about this before, so I won't go into that but I'm sure you can identify with me---well, maybe. I don't know what it is, but the more I sew the more "perfect and professional" I feel my work has to be. The stuff I used to get away with when I was a newbie sewer is no longer tolerable. You know the things that made the inside of your work totally unattractive. Now, I actually strive for professional results as much as possible when back in the day my aim was just to finish the garment and have it fit. In particular, I'm really anal about the way I sew in zippers. I have to pin them in and check the positioning. I'll then baste one side of the zipper and check the position again, ensuring that the waist seam (if there is one lines up perfectly). Once everything's ok then I'll stitch one side of the zipper in and move onto basting the other, check the fit before finally stitching the last side. I love my zippers to be flawless, and although that isn't always the case it is nearly most of the time. I'm beginning to get really anal about sewing in sleeves now, almost to the point where I get a little anxious about doing so. I'm almost to the point of hand basting all of my sleeves in to control easing in the sleeve better. It shouldn't come to this I know, but I can't help it. I guess striving to be a good seamstress can make you a bit nutty at times! LOL!
My question for you is.....
When it comes to your sewing what you anal about? What do you feel you have to "sew to perfection"?
Answer to be entered in the giveaway!
I feel that I have to have perfect intersecting seams. I hate to see seams that don't match on the exterior of a garment. I think this is my biggest pet peeve.
ReplyDeleteThere is probably not so much that I have to sew to perfection. Details that I take pride in are neat narrow hems, facings that don't interfere with a lapped zipper, not stretching out one length of fabric when sewing a long seam and hems that aren't twisted. I'm still working on bias binding finishes that sit nicely.
ReplyDeleteUm, can everything be an answer? I have been known to rip out a lot of things because they were not quite perfect. It really is a sickness I think, I wish I could let some things go, but I just can't.
ReplyDeleteMelissa took my answer! The slightest little flaw will bug me til I rip it out and fix it! That's not to say that everything I turn out is perfect because of my analness, but I obsess over things that most wouldn't even notice!
ReplyDeleteMy stitching must be straight (inside as well as top stitching. Top stitching really gets my goat if you know what I mean, it must be uniform or I'll rip it all out and start over. Then there are hems. I hate hem stitches that show up on the right side of the fabric, I call them pic marks.
ReplyDeleteTopstitching on zippers is my hangup - I think it's easy to look homemade if the zipper topstitching is just a little wonky.
ReplyDeleteHmmm, I'm relatively new to sewing, so I'm still in the "I hope it's wearable" phase. That said, I *will* improve the finish of the inside seams, someday I will sew those to perfection.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Joyce in that I want seam intersections to be spot on. I also am particular about facings and bindings. I *like* facings, and I like to construct them so they look nice inside the blouse or dress. One time I added them backwards on accident, so I just topstitched them. They looked nice-like a collar.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure there is any one thing I am extremely particular about when it comes to sewing. I want it all to be perfect!
ReplyDeleteI'm a freak about pressing everything! I've found that the garment turns out much better if I'm anal about ironing during construction.
ReplyDeleteHems! They have to be invisible from the outside. But they aren't yet- I keep experimenting/tweaking, I'll get there one day :-) mae dot wilson at yahoo dot com dot au
ReplyDeleteyou are right...the mistakes that were 'acceptable' as a beginner are not so anymore and as i strive to achieve perfection every stitch matters...so its all too overwhelming at times, especially i hate unpicking seams, so... well everything i sew as clothing..is the answer...i am not picky with accessories or home furnishings that i sew...
ReplyDeleteI am not particularly anal about anything, but my seams need to line up and my hemlines MUST be at least mid calf
ReplyDeleteIntersecting seams! A must have, especially where the zipper moves from the bodice into a waistband and then into the skirt section of a dress...it must be perfect!
ReplyDeleteIt's funny you should ask... I was wearing some PJ pants last night that I sewed several years ago, and I just couldn't believe what a mess they were! It's amazing what a difference it makes to take those few extra steps to ensure a beautiful garment. I've gotten much more anal about inside finishes and about seam and pattern matching. I HATE it when things don't line up properly!
ReplyDeleteIt is intersecting seams for me, too. Also, if I am topstitching something, it has be perfectly straight.
ReplyDeleteI'm a perfectionist and I've learned to face it...no one is perfect!!!! With this illness, everything makes me crazy!! You don't know how many wadders I have and time spent making them (probably "Ten Thousand Sewing Hours"!)just to trash them!! But I have to say zippers are my worst, if they're not straight and level, I won't wear it!!!
ReplyDeleteI've become much more meticulous about fit and proportion, as well as clean interior finishes--clipped threads, invisible hems, flat facings and intersecting seams (sewing patchwork quilts has really helped with that!). But I try not to let a drive for perfection get in the way of my love of sewing--the anxiety you speak of, Victoria, doesn't let you truly enjoy a project. There are always new techniques to learn and skills to master--that's the best part about sewing!
ReplyDeleteOhh, I am so anal about the inside of my garment, I always strive to make the inside as neat as the outside, then my zipper as well, it has to align else I wont be able to sleep without mking it work. In every project I write down new thing(s) I learn while making it, so that i can reference it later.
ReplyDeleteIt might be the result of my perfectionism, but I would like to sew everything to perfection. That's the wish. I don't only want to sew, I want to sew garments, that look in and out as immaculate as possible. Of course, the reality is different, since I have been sewing for just about a year now and I still have to fight with too many imperfections. But I usually better rip the not-so-perfect seam off and sew it six times over, if possible (like my last invisible zipper :-/), than to be unhappy about it for much longer time.
ReplyDeleteI want Melissa's answer also. But I'm particularly nuts about seam finishing.
ReplyDeleteBasically my little obsession is to get the inside finished garment as "clean" it out, I love when someone asks me where I bought that dress or jacket, that's proof that it is well done.
ReplyDeleteCollars! I put a lot of time perfecting my collars. I also love the little details, like the perfect finishing inside of a garment.
ReplyDeleteI want my seams intersections to be perfect and my hems to be smoothed.
ReplyDeleteI don't have an overlock but I do what I can to to not be ashamed of the inside of the garments I sew, should they have to come to view...
ReplyDeleteI always want to be a perfectionist but there is a difference between 'want' and 'need'. I guess sometimes I just don't need to be so perfect with the garment I make. It just gets to me when I can't get the seam intersections to meet. I get so irritated. I am learning to let go and focus on the big picture (I meant a wearable garment). Oh well, we all have things we are anal about. I know I have many non sewing related.
ReplyDeleteI added you to my blog roll so please enter me in your contest.
ReplyDeleteExactly, the longer I sew the more anal I get. I like the insides of my clothing to look good. I know no one sees it but I know what it looks like, so I keep trying to improve my finishing. Matching intersecting seams is something I take particular time with including hand basting and ripping until I get it perfect. I am very particular about getting both sides of my fly zippers to be exactly the same length. I am much happier with my garments when the details are well done.
For me I am very anal about how the garment looks from the inside! I am a freak when it comes to wanting the inside of the garment to look as nice as the finished outside. Same with top stitching...it has to be perfect...if it isn't out it comes to be restitched again. If something isn't right it really bothers me...no one else ever notices but I know it isn't 100% the way I want it. As ones' sewing skills rise so does ones' expectations of themselves! Not a bad thing!!!
ReplyDeleteI am very anal about buttonholes. After several years of sewing, I am still intimidated about making the perfect buttonholes! But to ensure perfection before applying to an outfit, I have to practice several times on scrap fabric before adding them to my garment!
ReplyDeleteI too am one of those people who are anal about everything! Sometimes I am so anal about having perfect results, that I stall in even starting a project! Now I just take deep breaths, dive in, and sometimes "sleep on it" before making a decision to redo something.
ReplyDeleteReading all the comments makes me wonder if I'm the only one in the "good enough" camp! I guess my goal is to do better on a skill or technique than I did last time. If it's terrible, I'll rip it out. If it's "pretty good", I make note of what to do better next time. That definitely makes for faster (more gratifying) sewing (for me, anyway).
ReplyDeleteIntersecting seams and topstitching. Those have to be perfect. I use to be a freak about zippers, but I only sew invisible zippers now and I got really good at them pretty quickly, so zippers are no big deal anymore. But topstitching must be perfect!
ReplyDeleteIntersecting Seams is my biggie. I think garments look so much more professional when they match perfectly.
ReplyDeleteNot anal about any of it. If it fits looks good and i like it its good enough!
ReplyDeleteLike Deborah, I'm soooo picky about pressing. A couple years ago, I discovered how much of a difference pressing the seams as you go along makes to make it look professional, and now I'll spend more time at the iron than I do at the sewing machine!
ReplyDeleteI am really anal about everything.
ReplyDeleteI do not want someone to ask me if I made something because it "looks homemade". I want someone to ask me if I made something because they saw something like it in the store (RTW) but did not see the item I was wearing.
I'm still a beginner so a lot of things slide by. ;-) At the very least, though, I try to get the seams to line up right.
ReplyDeleteI'm not really anal about anything at this point, although after my first garment my mother took one look at it and scolded me for not lining the seams up on the sleeves. Ever since then I make sure to not repeat that mistake for fear of her shaking her head at me again, lol.
ReplyDeleteI definitely care more about the inside of garments than I used to. My new obsession with perfection is to sew silk only with French seams, even the armscye (even though French seams are really only supposed to be used on straight seams).
ReplyDelete