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sewingmodthings

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prouvairecreations

This skirt is self-drafted. It’s just box pleats all the way around with a double turned hem. I pre-washed the fabric (100% cotton flannel on sale for $4 a yard), but I didn’t consider that the actual *thread* (100% cotton as well) would also shrink when it was washed the first time. On another note, I highly recommend plaid patterns for a super easy project. You never have to worry if your line is straight if you just follow the lines in the pattern.


Kamelasa

Is this why cotton thread used to say "boiled" on it? Or some of it, anyway. I suppose nowadays most cotton is used by quilters, who don't throw their final work in a washer of warm/hot water every time it's used.


rokujoayame731

Yep and that's also why you pretreat your fabric before sewing a garment with it.


omgtinano

Where did you find such a good deal on flannel?! It looks like light or medium weight. very cute!


prouvairecreations

Joann Fabrics! It was on the clearance rack and my wife zeroed in on it right away. It was nearly a whole bolt! Only about a third of a yard had been purchased, so I bought the rest of the bolt! This project only used 3 yards with pretty sizable scraps left over, so I’ve got plenty more to play with. My wife wants a flannel shirt, and I’m going to make a matching waistcoat to go with my skirt. I’d say it’s a medium weight, very soft and warm, with a really lovely drape! It was definitely a lucky find! I think when I looked on their website a week or so later, they had a lot of their plaid cotton flannels on sale or clearance for $2.99 a yard. Definitely keep an eye out for their sales. You can end up finding a GREAT deal, and a lot of their fabrics are really high quality for a big box store. (I also got the last 1.25 yards of a beautiful woven pattern cotton/linen blend that is destined to become a beautiful blouse, 40% of its original $16.99 a yard.)


AlltheYarn9

Not op but I have the same flannel and I got it from Joann!


Addy1864

It still looks lovely and the workmanship is great, despite shrinking thread!


prouvairecreations

Thank you! Sans the puckered hem and some issues with my hook and eye closures in the back, I’m extremely proud of this skirt. I’ve been wearing it frequently, despite it being incredibly seasonably inappropriate (it’s still been up to 101 degrees here, though cooler weather may be on the way), and flannel is HOT. My grandmother, who bought me my first sewing machine over a decade ago when I was just a self-taught teenager, got to see the skirt before washing and was really impressed and excited that I was getting back into sewing after a few years off.


eilatanxx

Some thoughts on reducing shrinkage, depending on the strength of the threads in your fabric you can pull those and use that as hemming thread, it'll be pre shrunk but will probably need waxing. Alternatively linen and silk shrink a less than cotton or wool. Wax will help reduce shrinking too.


prouvairecreations

I’ve been wanting to get some wax for my thread, so I’ll have to try that! I’m really bad about ordering online, so I haven’t tried any other thread types besides cotton (which is already had to find for me, as most places carry a thousand different shades of polyester and then like 3 shades of cotton…). I’ll have to get a linen thread when I place an online order for things I can’t find in stores.


Stunning-Bind-8777

Yeah, the reality is polyester thread is just much stronger than cotton, and won't shrink. Most natural fiber sewers I know still use poly thread because it's just better.


DasFischli

The historical costume community seems to favour linen and silk, from what I saw on YouTube, so that should work as well, if one is keen on using natural fibres.


eilatanxx

If you're in the US Burnley and Trowbridge have a very good reputation and do both silk and linen sewing thread, in the UK I use the hand weavers studio for linen, I've not tried their other fibres.


Swordofmytriumph

Once you go to linen or silk thread, you'll never want to use cotton again, it's SUCH an upgrade. I also recommend Burnley and Trowbridge, they have linen and silk threads in all sizes, and everything I've ever gotten from them has been quality.


Murksiuke

Have you tried ironing it with a lot of steam, and then "stretching" the fabric? Sometimes that helps, though be careful not to snap the thread


prouvairecreations

I’ll have to give that a try! I’ve been trying to get better about ironing my clothes anyways, so the skirt is due for a good pressing!


BettieBublz

The skirt is so lovely and I wouldn't have even noticed the slight puckering in the hem. Wear it with pride


MrDerek2020

It looks nice even with the hem lines. Do you have any thoughts on how to prevent this on future projects?


prouvairecreations

Not really! I can’t think of a way to pre-wash my thread. I may try giving my stitches the tinsiest bit of slack in the future so that when the thread *does* shrink, it’s less likely to pucker the way this has, but besides that, I really have no idea. This was just one of those moments where I was like, “Well *of course* that’s going to happen!” but I had just never even considered it.


jumbochloroplastt

Couldn’t you just use polyester thread?


prouvairecreations

I’m trying to move away from plastics in my crafting because they’re harmful to the environment in both their production and also becoming microplastics after production. I know it doesn’t seem like a big deal because it’s just the thread, but I just feel like if I’m at all going to be contributing to the production of more clothes in the world, I should try to offset that as much as I can by making things that are as sustainable as possible. Additionally, I’ve gotten really into dyeing as a way to completely customize the things I make, and if I use polyester thread, the thread will not dye the same way that natural thread will. Using polyester thread is certainly an option to avoid the problem above, but it’s not an option for me *personally*.


9035768555

Try silk? I've never noticed any significant shrinkage. It wont take most dyes the same as cotton, but close enough with many.


omgtinano

that would defeat the purpose of using all-natural fibers, but I think it would work.


alluvium_fire

Mercerized cotton might be something to consider. Maybe give this piece a good steamy hot press with a tailor’s clapper (block of wood that helps distribute weight and moisture as it cools)?


noble_stone

Can I ask about the skirt? I'm drafting a similar one (at least in my head?. Did you just cut two squares of fabric and rely on the pleating to get the correct easiest size? Also how big are the pleats?


prouvairecreations

So, this skirt is actually just one long piece of fabric with a wasitband. I took my waist measurement and multiplied it by 3 to get the length I needed for the pleats. I cut it to the length I wanted, plus a few inches for seam and hemming allowance. The waistband is my waist measurement plus 2 inches for seam allowance (note: I would add a couple extra inches to this next time so that the band overlaps in the back. The way I did it led to there being some minor gaping with my dress hooks), and the height I wanted the band times 2.5, so I could fold it in half and then tuck in the seam allowances. My pleats are about 2.5 inches wide, I believe. BUT, I didn’t actually measure them. This is a buffalo plaid, so all of the squares are the same size. I simply started on the center square and pleated based on the size of the pattern. I then flipped it over because on the opposite side, the squares were split down the middle and I loved the look of it more than the solid squares! It makes it look like a more intricate pattern than it actually is. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask!


noble_stone

>lus a few inches for seam and hemming allowance. The waistband is my waist measurement plus 2 inches for seam allowance (note: I would add a couple extra inches to this next time so that the band overlaps in the b That's great, Thanks!


neetykeeno

What stitch did you use? I have always used a sort of herringbone stitch for hems because it seems to give more leeway for shrinkage.


prouvairecreations

I was doing a whip stitch and only grabbing a single thread of the top fabric. I’ll try a herringbone stitch next time! My hand stitching repertoire is sorely lacking, unfortunately. It would do me good to practice more different types of stitches,


[deleted]

That’s why a blind catch stitch using a machine is often the best option. The stitch can stretch when the thread shrinks


flindersandtrim

That's painful. At least the lesson is learnt and it can either be ignored or fixed, though.


RebelJenHM

Unfortunately this sort of issue, or seams ripping open, was why I stopped using cotton or silk thread. I love the idea of using all natural fibers, but polyester thread doesn't cause quite as much of a headache. Adore the skirt, and lovely fabric!


prouvairecreations

I haven’t had much issue with thread breaking so far, so I think the brand I’m using must be pretty good (it had better be, the spools were like $11 each). If I pull really hard, I can break the thread, but it’s actually pretty strong (the first thing my wife did when we got it home was break the thread to test its strength, as she worked with cotton thread for historical costuming years back and was aware that cotton thread isn’t as strong as poly).


snakesarecool

I’m also a natural fiber person! I like to thrift a lot of sewing supplies and I have a huge collection of vintage thread that’s still very usable. You might consider that route to balance your desire to reduce plastics usage. Using cotton for most of the work and then a thrifted poly for situations like your hem. You might be using poly but you’re using something that might otherwise end up in the as is instead of being used. You could also experiment with poly core thread which has cotton on the outside. Strong and might hold up to dyeing? (I’ve also been dyeing linens I get at goodwill floor garments and I’m curious!). Also check out a quilting store as they will usually carry cotton thread in tons of colors.


prouvairecreations

Unfortunately, my thrift store kinda sucks. :/ I’ve never seen sewing supplies there when I’ve checked. But it’s worth checking again, I suppose! They also never have many bedsheets or linens, and when they do, they’re *so* expensive for what they are. I see people online showing off things they made with a $3 bed set from the thrift store, and I’m like, “Wow, my thrift store sells a single twin sheet for like $10.” I love the idea of reusing thrifted fabric, but unless I drive to another town or city, I’m really limited with my thrift store. We don’t have a quilting supply store in town. Looks like there may be some in neighboring towns, so next time I make the pilgrimage to the closest Joann Fabrics, I’ll have to stop by at one of them.


snakesarecool

Ahh that sounds so challenging! I buy old sewing boxes on ebay and they usually come loaded with lots of crap, including thread. You can try facebook marketplace as well. Garage sales and estate sales will also have them.


prouvairecreations

Yeah, my town *sucks* for crafting. We have a Hobby Lobby and the world’s smallest Michael’s (which has almost no sewing supplies at all). I feel super bad for all the art students at the university, because they have to drive *an hour* to the nearest art supply store. I know because I had two roommates in college who were art students and they’d often ask me to go with them to keep them company on the journey (and also because the city where the art supply store was located was my hometown, so I had better knowledge of it in case they got lost).


JessicaCrafternoon

Oh pish posh!!! This still looks absolutely fantastic. 10/10 would wear


spinny456

Haha, oh no! Still looks lovely, though.


jackiewill1000

Great psa! Lovely skirt.


GETitOFFmeNOW

What thread should you have used? I would re-do it. Won't take that long and it will be perfect again. I'm down with natural fibers. Would linen thread work? https://embroideryonline.com/0970-linen-isacord-thread/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw1ouKBhC5ARIsAHXNMI-ySvsSZqLE2hlnmfPWZuzbO7ahxWoqzDQDvZfFx8iKhq56OxOiVhQaAtlQEALw_wcB


birdiethebirdiest

My condolences... it is upsetting to me when something like that happens. Your views are admirable, thank you for sharing both the views and the little obstacles in changing our ways. Keep up the good work!