Ladies,
Remeber last spring when we had a discussion on what we planned to sew for the new season? I fussed about the 15 foot pile of snow in my front yard in March, and was planning a beautiful pink velveteen coat for my beautiful little girl. At long last, it’s done, just in time for the snow we’re getting on Monday! And she looks stunning. Oh how I wish I could figure out how to post a photo!
Replies
Hi MarieCurie:
To attach a picture go to the blue/green tabs across the bottom of a message that you are creating, just above the "Post to message board/reply by e-mail options". Click on the the tab 'Attach Files'. Then following the steps that will pop-up you can post a picture you have saved on your pc.
Frances
Edited 11/15/2008 5:36 pm ET by paddyscar
Edited 11/15/2008 5:37 pm ET by paddyscar
Oh, that coat sounds beautiful. Please do try to post a photo. If you need more help than given in the previous post, come back... there's lots of help here.
We are breathlessly waiting the posting!!!!
I tried, and couldn't get it to work. I clicked ATTATCH Files, and nothing happened. Nothing. She wore the coat to school for the first time yesterday, it lasted until recess until she got mud on it. I washed it twice last night with stain remover. If I didn't tell you where the stain is, you probably wouldn't know. But I can see it. Oh well, she's five. What can you do? The coat is just a thing, and it's not as important as the sweet little girl inside.
marie--send me the picture privately and I'll post it for you.
she's a lucky little girl! So good that she's not afraid to LIVE in her clothes!
She popped two buttons off last night. Guess I need a refresher course in how to sew buttons. In a way, it's good for my hubris to have her take me down a notch about what is important. But I'm taking it to quilt guild tonight anyway to show it off. Gee, maybe I should bring quilts to quilt guild instead.
>> She popped two buttons off last night. ... <<
Would you consider using button backs?
I've tried doing a Google search but those coming up seem heavier? larger? than what I have in my stash. Picked mine up some years ago when Windsor Button in Boston, MA was having a moving sale. Some others came from RTW wear coats that had worn out and I salvaged buttons & backs, and from my mother's stash which came to me after her demise. Having used them, I can attest to their being a positive.
The backs are clear thin plastic, or other something, shaped in the round or as a square. Sewn to the inside of the whatever, the back reinforces the showing button. They also stalibilize the buttons.
My approach to attaching buttons is the leave the thread w/o a knot. Insert the hand needle about 3" below where the button will be sewn, bringing it out at the button spot. Take a small bite. As you draw through the thread a loop forms. Place the needle into this loop and gently pull the thread to seat the "loop knot." Repeat the second time. Now sew through the button holes or shank. After completing this step, take a bite again. Twice or thrice wind the thread under the button. Take another bite. Loop Knot. Finish by burying the thread into the fabric of the wearable front & the facing for 3" or more.
Doing it thus, I have found the wrap "raises' the button slightly enough to put less pull on the threads. By doing burying loop knots rather than the known finger twist knot at the thread end reduces the friction rub which can weaken the finger twist knot.
Granted using this technique with button backs has a learning curve. Like most techniques, once mastered it's a comfortable doing.
me
I reinforce buttons by sewing another button on the back of the placket on things like coats that will see heavy use. I also put thread shanks on shankless buttons; the length of the shank is determined by how think the buttonhole placket is. Even on blouses I make a shallow wrapped shank and I rarely lose a button because there is almost no strain on them if they are shanked. I was taught this when I was in 4-H all those years ago.
Is there still a Windsor Button Shop somewhere in Boston? Would make a point to go there the next time I'm in Boston if it's still in business.
Please excuse the time lapse in my replying. I was off line 11/23 to 12/07. Getting back on takes me some time to clear my inbox and catch up.
The shop is on Temple Place in the downtown. To stir your enthusiasm for your visit you can browse the Google page. It's been about 3 years since I've been there in person.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=windsor+Button+Shop+only+Boston+MA&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&oq=
After your visit, please post your thoughts.
me
Awww, that coat is beautiful and looks precious on your daughter. I love the bows on the back and side fronts. You did a very nice job, and I'm sure she loves it, whether it's stained with mud or not!
Ditto, great job, beautiful coat, beautiful little miss.
That coat is wonderful! and I love the spirit in your lovely daughter's eyes! She must be precious and precocious running across the yard in it.
BRAVO my dear. A wonderful effort (even if you have to sew the buttons back on) and there's a mud stain (we can't see).
That coat is adorable! When you sew the buttons on sew let them hang a little and wrap thread around the extention to make it stronger. Buttons on coats should never be flush to the fabric. Check out RTW coats in a good department store.
The covered buttons have shanks, but I appreciated the buttonback suggestion above. I remember a Threads tip about using small shirt buttons as buttonbacks.
I admit I have a huge fat head about my beautiful children--people stop me in street and tell me how cute they are. Not very cute when they're fussing at 3 in the morning, though.
Honey if you can't be proud of your kids what's the point?
Those of you that have kids, that are raising them to be happy and healthy in these days and times... that's the most important job there is. It's not an easy job, and you can't be their friends all the time. But it's soooooo important. The stakes are so high. So embrace your compliments on your children. Your adorable kids make the rest of us smile in the mall in the grocery, etc. And tomorrow they will be making the world a better place because of your parenting.
CHL, you are sooooo right! I have been a smiling face in the grocery store when a child has been acting up! I am smiling because I remember those all too short years and kind of miss them. Not the kids acting up, but the years when the girls were small. Enjoy your kids and be proud. Cathy
That is an adorable little girl! You did a great job on the coat. It is so pretty. You might consider sewing the buttons on using smaller buttons on the underside to anchor them. They do not pull through the fabric, and support the bigger buttons. It seems to make it easier to button up for little fingers also. Instead of just wrapping the threads under your button, do a couple of buttonhole stitches instead. This gives a slightly stiffer shank to the button, and the thread will not wear as quickly either. Cathy
tee hee, I should have read further, as these suggestions have already been made, sorry! C
Edited 11/20/2008 10:27 am ET by ThreadKoe
You did such a beautiful job on this coat for your daughter; and you did a great job on your daughter as well, i.e. she is a beautiful piece of "work" that you "produced" as well. ;-) Good job!
Here are the pictures of the pink coat. Marie sent them to me and I said I'd post them for her.
That is a very pretty coat and a very pretty girl. Great job.
"MarieCurie" actually made the coat--I just posted the pictures for her.
cool, its beautiful anyhow, I hope she sees my post.
This is beautiful. I am beginning a coat of kind of a wine/ mauve brushed cordoroy for my 20 year old daughter. I hope to be finished by Christmas or early Jan. Too many other projects going. I am a newbie to this site. Been sewing many many years and need some sewing friends. There are very few in this eastern Wisconsin community.
I just posted the pictures--the coat was actually made by "mariecurie". Welcome to Threads. I'm a relative newbie, too, less than a year in the group, but they've made me feel very welcome.Annie in Wisconsin, USA
~~Doodlestein Designs Quilt Patterns
~~Finely Finished: Machine quilting worked on a treadle sewing machine.
See patterns, quilting, and National sewing machines at: http://community.webshots.com/user/damascusannie
Edited 12/1/2008 2:24 pm by damascusannie
Welcome to Gatherings!Your daughter is lucky to have you making her a coat. Please post a photo for us. The wine/mauve color sounds beautiful.
The coat and moreso the lil' girl wearing it are adorable! I know you must be pleased with the completed project!
Marie Curie actually made the coat for her daughter--I just posted the picture for her.
That's a lovely, dressy coat - you did a great job on it. It's a lovely little girl wearing it, too. Too bad she got mud on it already, but that's life - & it doesn't show in the pics. That was kind of Annie to post them for you.
Gloria
Oh she is just precious!!! Her pink velvet coat is darling, it looks so couture with the seams, back pleat, covered buttons, and sweet little bows. So glad to hear that as a mommy, you aren't afraid to let her wear it and enjoy it and just be herself! Thanks for sharing! Mary
Mary,
She wore it to school again yesterday, and got even more mud on it at recess. This time I got a clue and washed the cotton velveteen in hot water the way God intended, and with help from lots of stain remover, the mud came out with no problem. Next time I make her a coat it will be mud colored.
You sound like a patient understanding mother, good for you. She is a lucky little girl! Whatever would we do without our sense of humor while raising our children? I keep a Tide stain stick in my purse now and one in the sewing room. It even works great on the carpet in the car! I see they have one of those Oxyclean ones to go that I will try next just to see how it works.
Years ago, when our children were little, we built a new house. When it was time to pick out the carpet, I took a baggie of dirt from our yard with me and matched it. The guy at the carpet store was a bit taken aback, but I never regretted the decision--it sure made housekeeping a bit easier.
No sense in fighting it, might as well go with it! Love the attitude Annie! tee hee Cathy
I still have Georgia-red-clay colored carpet in my family room. I'm a little tired of it, now the kids have been gone for more than a decade, but the color has been wonderful. Never had to do more than vacuum.
Right now I could use ash colored. We heat our house predominantly with wood--an antique parlor stove--and no matter how careful we are when emptying the ashes, it seems like they end up EVERYWHERE. I have painted wood floors in this house and the pale green in the living room is not a good color for hiding ashes.
Ashes are as bad as feathers. How can they be moved without blowing everywhere? What a lovely home you have, from the description of painted wood floors and wood-burning stove. That stove must mean a lot of work, though, keeping yourselves supplied with fuel.
Making wood is a major winter task. The past few years we've gotten off easy as a neighbor has been cleaning his woodlot and has had extra wood to sell. Even paying for the wood is cheaper than fuel for a furnace.
I'm am loving your daughter's spirit!!!! I can imagine what mischief she entered to get mud on it again!
Your daughter sounds a lot like my middle girl. She dressed like a pretty little thing, and had to wear dresses and always in pink. And played like a boy, could never keep the child clean! tee hee Bless her for her spunk, it will do her well in life. Cathy
She's also getting a whole new set of winter dresses, mostly pink courderoy. I'm finishing one in pink crushed panne velvet at the moment, and I'm going to sew pink ribbon roses around the neckline. The next is red courderoy with emboridered snowflakes on the bodice--gotta get some use out of my new embroidery machine! My sweet little girl got so tall over the summer, she needs new everything. Lucky me, she refuses to wear anything but the dresses grandma and I make for her. And I love it. Some terrible day she is going to refuse to wear dresses any longer, so I do it while I can.
Yes, it seems to happen all too soon sometimes. Enjoy, my friend, enjoy! Cathy
How wonderful that your daughter loves the clothes you make as much as you love making them. I think there may be a third generation sewist coming along.
Yesterday she wanted to learn to sew by hand, so I sat her down with needle and thread and two PINK fabric squares. She did ok, considering she's five and this is her first try. After getting help from Mommy to use the sharp scissors and cut the thread, she wanted to completelty cut off the seam allowance. I tried to explain that it is supposed to be there, but she started getting fussy, so that was the end of that sewing lesson. I'll try again later when she's not tired and hungry and more ready to pay attention. But she was very excited about the whole idea. She had to examine each and every pink scrap from my fabric box to find the appropriate ones.
Time for a handcrank sewing machine!
Fun! I'll bet her interest will develop as you continue to let her play with the materials.I remember what an artist friend of mine - a painter - told me when our kids were young: that it's important to let kids have access to paints and brushes and paper and canvas, and let them experiment with the tools the way they want to, to discover what they can do with them. Sewing is different, because it's not safe, so it requires more supervision for that reason. But it's fun to see what kids can do.
Maybe you should let her experiment by cutting the sa off of another "sample" she has sewn to see what happens? Sometimes you just have to let them learn by trying, and it is a good chance to let her make a discovery. Some kids just have to learn by hands on learning. Mine did. Cathy
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