anon, i’m glad you asked. because these vests…they are not good.
here’s tom in “non sequitur”, looking like that one person in every community college class who kind of dresses like a magician as harry desperately tries to get back to a universe where this vest doesn’t exist. in short, there’s a reason why this kind of vest is overrepresented in every goodwill. they’re very 90s and very bad. my professional opinion on them has always been what are they and why do they exist? they’re not suit vests being worn over clothes. suit vests have buttons. suit vests are tailored. they’re something else entirely, a nightmarish liminal space between formalwear and something tim allen would wear over a turquoise t-shirt in a critically-panned family vacation movie from 1994.
this one is a classic Tom Paris Vest (though if i remember correctly, there are others). it looks about three sizes too big for him, which may be part of the Look? in any case, if someone brought this thing to me and told me to make it presentable, making it a little more sleek is pretty much the only thing i could do to it. because the pattern on the front of it looks like a vinyl-covered booth seat in a black bear diner and the back is Just Satin. at least it doesn’t have lapels, which these horrible things sometimes do. but like…tom, buddy? maybe invest (no pun intended) in some uhhhhhh fucking sleeves.
Whether an experienced dressmaker,
or just getting started, it’s always wise to brush up on the basics. You know
your needles, thread, and fabric, and you’ve gotten pattern reading sussed out.
But what’s this about interfacing and stabilisers? And what (if any) is the
difference? And why do we need them?
Interfacing and stabilisers are indeed two different things and
both have their relevant uses across dressmaking and crafting.
Interfacing is a permanent layer, which can be sewn or heat-fused
to your fabric, and gives it weight or structure. If fusible (heat fixed) then
one side may appear slightly shiny.
In tailoring, the garment construction and shaping is dependable
in part on the fabric used in the project. Silk, chiffon, crepe, cotton and
linen all hang very differently when draped, and sometimes need a little
persuasion to sit right. Here’s where interfacing comes in. It’s perfect for
building the weight of a fabric slightly, to aid the silhouette of the garment.
Consider waistbands, collars, cuffs – you’re probably checking your own clothes
now! - but many garments will have some form of facings, especially around
‘high traffic’ areas.
There’s a few options all in varying weights, but the main few you’re
likely to encounter are split into three types:
·
Woven – ideal for cotton and light fabrics, added
as a layer and attached in the seams
·
Fleece – this is usually fusible and is soft
but weighty and can also add warmth
·
Knit – as it sounds, this interfacing is knit
and has a degree of flexibility for knit/ jersey fabrics
The word ‘web’ or ‘fusible web’ may also be grouped with
interfacing and stabiliser, but the main difference here is that it is fusible
both sides, and therefore used to fuse fabric together, not to add stability.
You may use this as a hemming quick fix/ repair, or for applique projects, but
it’s not meant for interfacing with.
In contrast, stabiliser is more useful when sewing slippery or
lightweight floaty fabrics, and is a temporary measure to give more handling as
you sew. It will also offer some reinforcement if stitching is likely to cause
damage to the fabric.
As it’s temporary, there are two main kinds of stabiliser and
choosing the right one will depend once again on the choice of fabric.
Lightweight fabrics work well with sew-in/ tear-away stabiliser, which is quite
papery; for a lot of localised stitch work, slightly heavier sew-in/ cut away
stabiliser will hold better.
For embroidery or partial stabilising, fusible/wash-away stabiliser
works well. As example, take a look at the wrong side of any machine
embroidered garment, and you may notice the remnants of stabiliser around the
motif.
If you use stabiliser for other more robust sewing and craft
projects, then a more suitable product may be sew-in stiffness or foam
stabiliser. This is perfect for hats, rigid structures such as fabric bowls and
boxes, bags, wallets and more outlandish costumes which need exceptional
structure control but minimal extra weight. Theatrical tailoring – such as for
pantomime costumes like the Ugly Sisters - are often structured like this so
the performer doesn’t put their back out wearing it!
We always recommend testing any fusible stabilisers on a sample of
the fabric you intend on using, and use a cloth or light towel as a buffer between
the iron and the interfacing. It’s also wise to double check the fusible side
is facing down before pressing. Trust us on this one. The iron was very
unforgiving…
Carrot turned, and looked puzzled. The iconograph floated away, trailing small curses. “And where’s my apple?” he said. “What?” said Rincewind, perplexed at the sudden subject of fruit. “I’d just started eating an apple, and I just rested it in the air… and it’s gone.” The ship creaked in the glaring sunlight. And an apple core came tumbling gently through the air. “I suppose there are just the three of us aboard?” said Rincewind innocently. “Don’t be silly,” said Carrot. “We’re sealed in!” “So… your apple ate itself?” They looked at the jumble of bundles held in the webbing behind them. “I mean, call me Mr Suspicious,” said Rincewind, “but if the ship is heavier than Leonard thought, and we’re using up more air, and food is vanishing–” “You’re not suggesting that there’s some kind of monster floating around below the Rim that can bore into wooden hulls, are you?” said Carrot, drawing his sword. “Ah, I hadn’t thought of that one,” said Rincewind. “Well done.” “Interesting,” said Leonard. “It would be, perhaps, a cross between a bird and a bivalve. Somewhat squid-like, possibly, using jets of–” “Thank you, thank you, thank you, yes!”
– Rincewind gets help thinking of terrible things |
Terry Pratchett, The Last Hero
“Are you introducing children to the occult?” said Madam Frout suspiciously. This sort of thing caused a lot of trouble with parents, she was well aware. “Oh yes.” “What? Why?” “So that it doesn’t come as a shock,” said Miss Susan calmly. “But Mrs. Robertson told me that her Emma was going around the house looking for monsters in the cupboards! And up until now she’s always been afraid of them!” “Did she have a stick?” said Susan. “She’d got her father’s sword!” “Good for her.”
– on Miss Susan’s teaching methods |
Terry Pratchett, Thief of Time
TODAY IN HISTORY: Astronaut Sally Ride, first American woman in space, floats in the microgravity of the flight deck on the Shuttle Challenger while communicating with ground controllers at Johnson Space Center, June 21, 1983.
‘Golden week’ was a blessing. After a stressful time with work and school and an even busier month up ahead (this is my final and most difficult month of uni), having a few days off to travel gave me some much need refreshment.
On Friday we caught the bus to Jeonju(전주) to visit the Hanok Village there (you’re probably bored of posts about hanok villages, right? I promise this is the last one!). Lots of people recommend Jeonju as a good place to visit so I’ve been wanting to go for a long time and it really was a beautiful place.
황금연휴는 축복이였습니다. 요즘 바빠서 스트레스도 받고, 이번달이 졸업이라서 대학교 다닐 때중 가장 바쁜 달이에요. 그래서 몇일 쉬고 여행 간 것이 너무 좋았어요.
금요일에는 버스를 타고 전주한옥마을에 갔어요. (이제 한옥마을에 대한 포스트는 지루하겠죠.. 이것은 마지막입니다^^). 전주한옥마을 여행을 추천하는 친구들이 많아서 오랫동안 가고 싶었는데 그말대로 아주 멋진 곳이였어요.
Julian faces a challenge which may be too much for him in The Quickening, which Peter & Anne-Marie will be covering for bOrgCast 9.12, along with To The Death. Recording tonight (7th).
scorchedvision
The challenge is making a normal fucking facial expression
coworker told me he “hates all mollusks” today. and to each their own obviously but like… theres 100k species of mollusk… you really hate all of them bro? nautiluses and oysters and snails and nudibranches and chitons and thousands of animals youve never even heard of???? what did ammonites even fucking do to you
fishyfishyfishtimes
