OK I have rudimentary sewing skills at best and I have to ask, what is a serger? I have heard the term used before, but actually have no idea what one is. Did I just reveal the extent to which I am an ignoramus when it comes to sewing? Probably....
Nonies, A serger machine does lock stitching, the type you would find on the underside and seams of ohhh your blouse, swimsuit, pants, tablecloth...it uses up to 4 spools of thread and interweaves the "loops" to lock the stitching in. It also has a blade that as you feed the fabic through - it cuts the extra fabric off...so don't make a mistake on the seam allowance. It saves oodles of time and gives a wonderful nice finished seam to just about anything. You can You Tube clips of serger machine lessons and usage to investigate further.
I don't think I've seen too many recent ballgowns that have the topskirt above the hips (those with separate skirts). Almost all I've seen are below. Unless the tension in your seam is too high, you can usually just pull on one of the threads and have several inches of the thread pull out, if not the whole thread. Sometimes you do need to clip a stitch every few inches to continue.
My machine might just need some adjusting then. As for the skirts, they're going to sit just above the hips. I know a lot of the latest ballroom fashion is to have a lower waist with skirts that sit below the hips, but that has a tendency to make your hips and butt more pronounced. I've seen quite a few recent dresses though that have a skirt that flares out higher up closer to the hips. I think it's a more classic look than some of the other styles.
LOL As a girl with no hips and a small rear end, I thank that style for its brave and courageous efforts in making me look like I have some semblance of curves.
I've had a couple of lessons that have gone like this: "You're sticking your butt out. Stop sticking your butt out." "Ok, I'm tucking my butt in." "No you're not, you're still sticking your butt out!" "No I'm not! I can't tuck it in anymore, that's just the way my butt is!" I might end up holding off on finishing the skirts/committing to one way or the other until I get a chance to try on some dresses with a drop waist and see if it's really as bad as I think or if I'm just making it up.
I tend to have a lot of lessons where I'm told the complete opposite, that I should stick my butt out... but I guess that's the difference with smooth sometimes. But I do love how the dress is coming out. I saw the design and really like it. I'm terrible with making complicated designs so my stuff is usually simple. It could also be that I don't have a dress form and make it by constantly putting it on and taking it off.
That's funny... and I have had those lessons too! "This is as much as my butt will tuck in, sorry...."
If you're going to OSB, definitely do that. There'll be a metric ass-ton (ha!) of dressmakers and dresses there. If your butt sticks out when you're just standing around, then you have a problem. If it only does it when you're dancing, it's a matter of technique.
I am going to OSB so that was my plan. They're going to hate me for being one of those people, but that's ok. These instances were while just standing still in frame, so I think it's more of an anatomy problem than a technique problem. "Dress to repress (the butt)" has become my mantra.
What I'm saying is that unless your tuches sticks out when you're just standing around (not in dance position), it's not really an anatomy problem. If it only happens in dance position, something isn't quite right, technically. I think that often when people are trying to find space to move, they try to make the space underneath by sticking their butt out, which does create a little space for the legs. I know I've done it. But the right way to create more movement isn't to do that, it's to lower into the legs. IMO, the butt is the wrong place to think about. Thinking about keeping the abs activated does more for me. It will also save your back.
Just wanted to say I'm jealous of this! I will sew a silk dress one day. I'm in love with silk and the way it flows... I had asked here earlier about thoughts on the fact that I had five layers of chiffon skirt on my dress project and was concerned that it was getting too heavy. Well, after trimming and hemming to about the tops of my dance shoe heels (to hide my sometimes messy footwork ), it ended up much lighter. I fishlined the bottom two layers of skirt (that gave them more "air" and bounce, I think), and bound the top two layers with navy satin bias binding, which I had to order from the UK, no less! I couldn't find it anywhere here. I even tested the dress at dance practice recently, and found that the skirt moves quite beautifully, so I think the 5 layers are going to be fine. The chiffon is really light weight, so I think it works. The project thus far: I don't think I've ever enjoyed a sewing project this much. Right now my head is full of ideas for future dress projects!
I guess this means that [many] African American dancers need not apply. :lol: Hey. Just calling it like I see it. It's harder to be a ballroom dancer when you've got back. :wink: :lol:
Andreth, How did you do the blue decoration along the bodice? Is it Venise lace? Your dress is beautiful. C
