Copyright Quiz

Test your Copyright savvy with the Copyright Quiz!

If you haven’t read the Quickie Guide to Copyright, you might want to study up before taking the quiz!

LEGAL OR ILLEGAL?

1. I make a skirt from a licensed Rolling Stones shirt.

2. I make a necklace from an image of Hello Kitty I printed off the internet, and sell it.

3. I screenprint a Social Distortion t-shirt for my friend.

4. I make a purse from a storebought pattern and sell it.

5. I print the Batman logo onto an iron-on transfer, put it on a dress, and sell it.

6. I buy an Old Navy shirt, paint an original design on it, and sell it.

7. I purchase Sesame Street fabric, make it into a bag, and sell it.

8. I take an image of Mickey Mouse I found on the internet and put it on my website.

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Quickie Guide to Copyright Law

What’s a serger?

A serger is a specialized sewing machine. Sometimes it’s called an overlock machine. It will generally use 4 threads and 2 needles. There are some machines that can also use 5 threads, and most machines have options that use 1 needle and 2 or 3 threads.

A serger makes a very professional looking seam. The threads lock around the seam to prevent fraying, and the machine also cuts off the seam allowance as it sews. Additionally, serged seams are ideal for stretch fabrics because the stitches can stretch with the fabric. Sergers are very fast and make sewing knits much easier.

A serger is not a stand-alone machine- it can’t replace a standard sewing machine in most situations. You need to have the standard sewing machine for things like topstitching, zippers, and sewing inside corners.

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technique tutorial: serger thread tails

You can’t backstitch with a serger, so you might be left wondering what to do with that little thread tail.

There are several ways of dealing with it, I recommend looking at your manual and seeing what option you like best. My favorite way is to take a big fat needle (a yarn needle or very large upholstery needle will work, the less pointy the end, the better), thread the thread tail through it, and then slide it up into the seam.

Click the step-by-step photos below for larger images!

Serger Tips

Sewing first vs. serging first

There is some argument about this in the sewing community, and I think it depends mostly on what you’re sewing and personal preference. When in doubt, experiment, and find what works best for you.

Sew first, then serge: I think this would be a good place to start if you’re a serger noob. A serger does take some adjustment when sewing. Because the machine cuts the seam allowance off as you sew, you’ve got a lot less room for error.

I sew first when I’m assembling awkward seams. It’s a lot easier to keep the fabric where you want it when you’re serging if you’ve already stitched it.

This would also be a good technique if you’re sewing something like a woven fabric that doesn’t need the stretchable seam that the serger allows, but you’d still like a finished looking seam.

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So You Wanna Be An Indie Fashion Designer – Part 2

In the Beginning
So you think you’ve got the skill down, and you’re ready to start selling? Fantastic. But not so fast, my friend. There are a few things to consider first.

Find a Niche
Before you can start making cash, you need to know what you’re going to sell and who you plan on selling it to. In my opinion, the best and easiest way to be a successful indie designer is to find a small, specific group of people to sell to, at least in the beginning.

Too often people try to cater to everyone, when they’d be better off focusing on a smaller group. You are not Wal-Mart. You can not compete with Wal-mart (at least not directly). You need to be the Anti-Wal-mart! High quality, hand made, unique goods are how you indirectly compete with big business. Offering a product or a unique design that people can only get from you is going to be what separates you from the competition and motivates customers to come back for more. Read more

how to resize a t-shirt

This is a pretty straight-forward reconstruction. If you’re looking for something to get your diy feet wet with, try this one.

Here’s a simple way to make that too-big Misfits tee you stole from your boyfriend into one that fits.

Difficulty:

Step 1

First, take your big shirt and turn it inside out.

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Twin needles = mock coverstitch

Take a look at the hem of most t-shirts and you’ll see what’s called a coverstitch or coverhem. Most people assume that this is done by a serger. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.

Some higher end sergers will indeed convert to a coverstitch machine. Or you can buy a stand alone coverstitch machine. I have the Brother 2340cv shown to the left, and it’s pretty kickass. I kept putting it off, thinking it was silly to have  machine that does one little thing, but it really is useful if you sew a lot.

Unless your bursting at the seams with cash, though, I don’t think I would say such an investment was necessary.  There happens to be a $5 Cheater McPeter way of doing it, which I employed for several years when I was without a coverstitch machine. Behold, the Twin Needle!!

It looks like two needles on one needle shaft, and that’s exactly what it is. You will insert the needle in your standard zig-zag sewing machine* like any other needle. You’ll also need to rig up a second spool of thread.

Once you’ve threaded both needles, you can sew as usual (though I like to take it slow). You might need some tension adjustment, as well. When you sew a regular straight stitch, the top of the stitching will be two parallel rows of straight stitching. However, the bottom (bobbin) thread will be a zig zag. It’s not quite as stretchy as a true coverstitch, but it looks almost identical.
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Sewing 101: lingerie stitch

For things like stretch lace, where you’ll often be sewing it on top of the hem, you don’t want the stitching to show.

I like to use a lingerie stitch in this case. It looks like a zig-zag stitch made of tiny straight stitches, and it blends in really well with stretch lace trim.

Buttonholes!

A lot of machines these days come with a buttonhole attachment. The problem is, I’ve never been able to figure out how the hell you use the blasted thing. So I do it the “old fashioned” way, according to the directions provided by the manual for my 60′s Kenmore.

I’ve found that something more like this works better for me. Remember to do a very tight zig-zag, like the guide above says, the stitch length should be almost to zero so the stitches lay right next to one another like a satin stitch in embroidery.

If you use a small piece of light fusible interfacing on the inside of the fabric, your button hole with look nicer and last longer.

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