sewingoflove

I received a question about how to attach the diamonds on Harley’s costume. There are a couple of suggestions I would make. It’s really up to you how you want to do it, but there are several ways that I have seen/heard of.

1. Stretch fabric glue
2. Sewing the diamonds on by hand
3. Sewing the diamonds on by machine
4. Using stick-on felt
5. Attaching snaps

The first time I did a Harley, I used fabric glue. I didn’t really do it right, and it was really hard to use, so obviously it didn’t work quite well. It began peeling up the first time I wore it for a length of time. That is what has been circled in the picture to the right. The second time I worked on my Harley costume, I used the same body suit, so I tore off the old diamonds and cut new ones to sew by hand (since I didn’t want to take the costume apart to use the machine). It worked really well, but it’s VERY hard to keep all the fabric from sliding around, so some parts of the diamonds didn’t straighten up well. That is noted on the picture to the left. I think the best tactic would be to sew the diamonds on by machine. Don’t forget to add seam allowances if you do it this way, so you don’t have raw edges hanging out. Make SURE you attach the diamonds before you assemble the suit if you want to use your machine!

Happy sewing!

Hi all! I started a new costume this weekend, and I’m very happy I decided to start it with a mock-up rather than going straight into the real thing. It’s a very unique outfit, and I’ve been thinking about it for quite a while. I finished the mock-up, which was all sewn by hand and using almost the same exact fabric that the real thing will, so I got a really nice idea of what it would all feel like.

 What is a mock-up? It’s really simple actually! A mock-up is what you call a “test-piece”, or when you take either the same, similar, or scrap fabric to test out a pattern and see if it would work for what you’ve drafted or altered. It’s a checking device really, and you can tell here that I made some mistakes in mine, so the mock-up helps me to not have these errors on the real thing!

 I’m really pleased with the pattern that I drafted out for it, and so far even the mock-up looks pretty good. However, it really is a good thing I decided to make the mock-up, and I’ll tell you why.

 Though the fabric choice was really good, and I love the feel of it, you can see pretty well through it here. I didn’t take the time to put on beige undies, but even if I did I’m pretty sure you could see through a bit. Also, I realized that the manner I sewed the sleeve was slightly off. I LOVE the way the pouf on top came out, but I need to lengthen the bottom for when I put the elastic on so there’s more of a “pouf” there too. I also was able to mark on the right leg (you can see the blue mark?) where the belts will go when I do those on the final copy. Finally, you can tell if you compare reference to photograph that the second seam on the torso, the one that looks like piping, under the bust comes down a bit low. That entire bump bit is low, and you can see the arrows I drew to mark where I need to raise it.

 Overall, I’m really pleased that I did this and I can see where I will have plausible issues. Yes, it used up some fabric I could’ve used for another project, but I feel like doing this has saved me from having to scrap the entire thing later on for the sake of making a brand new one over again anyway.

 Happy stitching!

I made a couple changes between Baltimore Comic Con and the Halloween Harley Quinn. I changed the big puff balls on the collar for slightly smaller style. I also changed the stuffing in the tails to, well, not polyfill, but fake snow. xD I found fake snow at Joann, and I tore that to make the stuffing. It worked really well, and I like how they feel now.

 Unfortunately….this Harley Quinn is now officially RETIRED. The last two times I’ve brought it out to wear, I’ve had to mend holes in it >.<; But know what that means?? I have a chance to make it even BETTER now! I’m thrilled really, I mean, I’ll miss it, but it’s time for a new one. I’m even considering doing a cotton suit for the summer, and spandex otherwise. Eh, I’ll figure it out. Anyway, i just wanted to mention it. Buhbyee Harl 1.5!

I’ll make notes and tutorials as I make Harley 2.0 (which will be pretty spandex x] ) and post them up here. As always, questions and comments, feel free to post!

Happy Stitching!

Well, I finished my Harlequin sweatshirt, and I’ve gotten several offers to purchase it from me. So I think I’m going to be starting an Etsy site, where I can offer sweatshirt designs from any superhero or supervillain costume :3 Anyway, in light of that, I won’t exactly write a how-to on this piece. I’ll post pictures, and a link to the Etsy store when I finish it But if you are interested in purchasing a Harley hoodie, it’ll be a very limited quantity that I’ll be selling. But here are some pictures of the WIP and finished product! Enjoy, and Happy Stitching!

Heylo all!

I’m working on a Harlequin sweatshirt (since it’s gonna be a cold Halloween!)  and one of the banes of my Harley costume came up again–diamonds. Drawing PERFECT diamonds is…difficult. So I drew ‘em up on Photoshop and adjusted the size, so I could have “large” diamonds and “small” diamonds. I figured I’d offer them up here, just in case you wanted to use them as well. It’s a small, IMPORTANT, but incredibly tough part of the outfit ^^ The diamonds in this image are about 3 inches tall. I used ‘em for the “small” diamonds on the sweatshirt arms. If you want me to offer up the large ones as well, let me know. Otherwise, I’ll assume you can do it yerself ;P Right-click and choose “View Image”. You should be able to print it right from your Internet browser. Let me know if you have any issues!

 Happy stitching!

I was asked the other day about how to make Morticia Addams’s sleeve cuffs, and the shapes around the bottom of her dress. Well, I’ve never done it, but here’s what I came up with As always, right click to see the full-view.

For the cuffs, measure around your wrist and draw that line out on a piece of paper. Then kinda go wild drawing tendrils hanging off that. Make sure they’re very different lengths, shapes and sizes. You can use that as a general idea for a pattern. After you cut it out of fabric, turn the dress inside out and sew the wrist-sized piece around the edge of the sleeve. You can sew it with the tendrils facing the opening or the sleeve, each one would have a slightly different look when you turn it right-side out. If you sew it with the tendrils toward the sleeve, you might have to iron it a little bit to keep the fabric from poofing around the cuff

As for the bottom of the dress, it looks almost like individual pieces that have been stuffed So you could do it that way, or you could take a similar route as mentioned up above, but using the measure of the bottom of the dress instead of your wrist.

If you try this method, please let me know how it works! I’d love to get feedback on my sewing theories

Happy Stitching!

I noticed a couple of people who have come here looking for a tutorial on sew-on snaps. Well, I did link to one when I discussed how to make the bands for cuffs, but I think I’ll write a bit of one on here. I took these pictures as I worked on my Garnet til Alexandros (FF9) shoe covers. As always, right click and choose “View Image” to see it bigger.

 First, take a look at your snaps. You’re going to have two sides, one that’s flat and another that’s sort of “bubbly”. The flat one will go with the bulb of the snap facing OUT. The bubbly one will go with the bulb facing IN. In other words, the flat on will be convex, and the bubbly one concave to the fabric, so the flat one will go IN the bubbly one to make the snap! The flat one is to the left here, and the bubbly to the right.

The first thing you’ll need to do is choose where your’ll start your snaps. Since snaps are usually hidden, there are various ways to mark it. I used washable markers since I’m working with vinyl. It’s a pretty ambiguous decision, but I chose to do this because I didn’t want much flapping. Try to keep at least one of your snaps more than 6mm from the edge of the fabric, otherwise you can end up just ripping through it due to the stress on the snaps. You can either sew both snaps at once, or do each individually. I would recommend sewing them together–so you’ll sew one half of one snap, the same half of the other, and then switch to the other side.

Starting a snap is always the hardest. You need to center the hole of the bulb over top of your marking. Knot your thread several times, since you’ll be pulling on both the snap and the thread a lot in sewing and using your piece. Start on top by putting your needle through the mark you made. Place your snap over top of this knot  so you can sort of see it through the hole in the middle of the bulb. If you’re using the bubbly piece like I am here, you can even get the knot through the hole to secure it lightly in place. With your needle on the bottom of the fabric, push up through the right side of one of the holes around the edge of a snap. I find it much easier to work these clockwise. Go back through the fabric outside of the snap, but don’t pull the thread tight. Come back up close to  the left of your other stitch in the hole. Thread your needle through the loose thread you didn’t pull tight just a moment ago. Now you can tighten it up! This is a buttonhole stitch. Keep doing this, until you have about 4-5 buttonhole stitches in that opening.

The next time you come up (after 4-5 stitches) do so in the next opening clockwise from where you were just working. Continue this all the way around the snap. It is best if you can attach all openings, but if you must, missing one or two will not hurt as badly on a bigger snap. To continue onto the other half of the snap, hold the two pieces you want to snap together in the proper position. Starting from the opposite side of the fabric, take an un-knotted needle & thread and go ahead and push it through the center of the bulb, right through the hole and through the other piece of fabric. When the thread is out of the other snap, knot it and pull it tight, continuing the same way as you did the other snap.

That’s it! It’s pretty easy once you get used to it, and can be kind of calming. Tell you what though–it’s saved several costume pieces of mine. No zippers and no velcro risks. Yay! Questions? Comments? Post ‘em!

 Happy Stitching!

This is really an awkward part of the cowl. How do you make them…poof out like that?! Oh Paul Dini, PHYSICS! She defies the laws of PHYSICS! Awwhh oh well, I suppose we have to be cannon, eh?

How to do this is TOTALLY up to you. Here are the options I’ve heard/done/seen.

1.    Stuff it using fabric scraps. Make sure you’re using SMALL scraps, so chop ‘em up if you have to. Use a chopstick to get the scraps down to the bottom of the curve.

2.    Stuff it using cotton stuffing, like in a stuffed animal.

3.    Hand sew horsehair braid into the curves so you can adjust its size. Stuff in some way if you must.

4.    Slip pipe cleaners or a short metal rod into the curve so you can adjust it.

5.    Construct a metal spiral that will hold size/shape.

Honestly, I stuff mine using fabric scraps because I’m a cheap-ass. xD Cotton makes the  most sense to me, because its soft and will bounce back to shape if its moved or pressured, stays stuffed nicely, doesn’t make unattractive bumps and ripples in your curves, and doesn’t need special care during transportation.

That’s all! You’ve finished your Harley cowl!!! Questions? Post ‘em! Comments? I’d love to hear ‘em! Pictures? Please!

Happy Stitching!

So you’ve got your cowl all done, but it doesn’t fit quite right. Honestly, this is the EASIEST part! Even stuffing the ear pieces is more difficult

 Ever make a dart before? Yes? No? Well it’s what we’ll do here. Turn your cowl inside out and put it on again. By each temple, pinch the fabric and pin it together so it creates a triangle whose base is the side by your face. Do this again around the jawline. Adjust the amount of fabric and length of each dart until the cowl fits properly. This is something that’s easily done with a friend, but totally possible to do alone.  Sew each dart, making sure you use a straight stitch (even though this is stretchy fabric!) and that the end of your stitches is right alongside the fold of the fabric. A pretty good introduction to darts can be found here (will open in a new window.)

 That’s it! Try your cowl on again and make sure the darts are right. If something bunches or bags somewhere, adjust your darts or the fabric with your fingers before pinning it back and re-sewing the dart. It’s worth the time because then it won’t slide around on your face when you’re wearing it.

You can see the darts in my the cowl nicely here on the black one. I used red thread, and then colored over it with Sharpie to give it a redblack look ;)  I ended up darting even further back on the black under the jaw, and up by the earbit on the red.

 Any questions? Post ‘em!

 Happy stitching!

Back again! Here’s how you’ll construct your cowl using the pattern you made with the last tutorial

 Cut out each piece of your main pattern in black and red, as well as the forehead pieces. Take close note of your reference pictures–the BLACK goes on HARLEY’S LEFT side. The RED is on HARLEY’S RIGHT. The reference picture here is the Harley from Gotham Public Works. Keep this in mind as you’re making the piece!! It’s really embarrassing for me to spot Harl cosplayers who’ve switched up the colors at one place or another >.<;; Make sure your red is cut opposite from your black basically

The forehead piece is the easiest—just sew the pieces together to create a half-circle that will fit across your forehead. Pin the left and right head pieces together along the back of the head, the back of the neck, and the front of the neck. Sew these. Go ahead and take the pins out and try the cowl on inside out. Have a friend pin the back of the cowl closer to your head so you don’t have folds or too much fabric back there. I noted on my cowl here with chalk so you can clearly see where I sewed and cut. Sew along these pins. Make SURE that you sew forward and reverse securely over where your first seams meet the ones you’re sewing now to prevent unraveling. Cut off the excess fabric. Try it on again and make sure it fits. Trim triangles out of your curve on the head to smooth the seam.

 Next is time to make the ear bits. I really need to find something new to call these! Make sure you cut two black, two red. As with the rest of the costume, be sure your red is cut opposite from your back. Pin the two black pieces together and sew along the curved edges. Do NOT sew the half-circle that fits into the cowl. Take this piece (inside out) and the cowl (right-side out) and pin them together like a shirtsleeve. Make sure that when you flip the ear right side out that the curve is in the right direction and the seams are on the inside. I generally put the seams facing up and down, so I know for sure the curve is what I saw when I drew it out. Sew the opening like a shirtsleeve, and then flip it over and do the same for the red. It’ll look kind of depressed, but yes, it’s right!

Now you can pin the forehead piece in to where it belongs. It can be kind of difficult, but just stretch the fabrics and be patient until you can fit it. Here’s where it can get difficult—make SURE your forehead piece will NOT slide down or connect to the cowl on the sides so far that it will interfere with the mask. What I ended up doing was folding up the bottom of this piece by about half an inch and sewing it to the cowl this way. You’ll have to fuss with the sides if you pin the half circle before fitting the straight edge.  You can see here that I made mine much longer than it needed to be, so I just turned the end up and sewed a small seam Sew these pieces right onto the rest of the cowl.

 Now you can try this on properly. Turn the cowl right side out and use a chopstick to get the points of the earbits all pointy and such. Make sure the general fit is right. If it’s a little loose around the face, don’t worry-we’ll fix that in the next tutorial.  Stretch material does that! Turn in the hems all around the face and sew these into place. I didn’t do more than a centimeter here. When you get to the right angles, cut a small indent in towards the neck so you’ll end up with a right-angled shape OUT of the hem on the inside. You can see it the picture here. Do a couple of straight or hand stitches across this gap to secure it and prevent unraveling.

 That’s it! Next post is how to tailor your Harley cowl As always, any questions, leave a comment!

 Happy stitching!

(OM NOM NOM!)