(no subject)

[textileowl]

So anyway, been sewing my ass off since I got back from the movie with Heather and Pyr. I love PoTC and Johnny Depp.....*drools*. As much as I like looking at Orlando Bloom though, he's not the best of actors and Johnny just is< /i>. That's all there is to it.

So.... I have both lining and outer fabric all together, just not sewn at the neckline and armscye... it's pinned together just not technically attached. I'll get to that when I can concentrate a little better and two-thirty at night isn't the best time for hand control as they are still quite shaky. Probably right before math class will be the best time, after I eat again in the afternoon. But it's come out quite well but for two problems. 1) The dye used for the fabric is coming off on my hands...a bit worried about this as if it rains I do not want to become a lovely shade of grime grey. It's really lovely I swear. Didn't know about this until I cut it out and then had assumed it was the ping pong table. Was very wrong. So I either have to wash it a couple more times and hope it gets the rest of the dye out or maybe I've heard vinegar works well as a mordant...would that work? *is asking those of the sewing nature. coughPyrcough* Thankfully it comes off my hands rather well with just plain soap. 2) The hems... I somehow didn't not get the edge of the ruler straight when I marked the edges on the muslin though I think it shouldn't matter a whole lot as I am short and added at least two inches more than I needed to the hem. But I am going to need someone to help get the height right. Grr.

And other exciting new...a girl on my floor has alchohol poisoning apparently. go greek week. But I'm not going to go on a rant about that aspect of it as I have really no idea what has happened.

Comments

[pyralis-phyre.livejournal.com]

What I can tell you is this: in natural, animal-fibre fabrics (wool and silk) acidic mordants are used, and an hour soaking in vinegar (god that's a lot of vinegar given the amount of fabric in a kirtle) will help to fix any errant dye that can be fixed. If it's a natural plant material (like cotton, linen, hemp, etc.) then an alkalai mordant (lye, for instance) was probably used, but vinegar won't make the dye bleed any more than it would naturally. (Since no one should soak fabric in lye, and mild base solutions are hard to deal with.) Something tells me, not really remembering the fabric well, that the fabric is polyester, in which case vinegar won't hurt or help. Metallic mordants were used, because they work well. for more information than you wanted to know on dyes: http://www.apparelsearch.com/Definitions/Dye/dye_definition.htm
But in short, soak it. it can't hurt it. wash it with lots of soap (if it comes off of your hands this way...)
If you need help marking/pinning the hem, just bring it to guild, you'll have more helpers than you can stand. (or, you know, just ask one of us)

Pyr.

[textileowl.livejournal.com]

Well, dammit I had hoped that I could do something about it rather than just washing it. Oh well, I guess not. And yeah, I figured you guys would be very helpful with the hemming part.