After some investigation we worked out how the alteration could be achieved. In this case we needed to gain 4 inches around the waist area. Usually this is quite a difficult alteration because there is rarely any excess fabric anywhere in a commercially made garment.
This vintage piece was rather different as it had a lot of fabric hidden in a pleat and also some on the back seam which we could glean from.
We did need to add something on the facing but that is a place not seen from the outside. Usually we are not that lucky.
We found that most of our time was spent carefully unpicking all relevant seams. That’s a job and half when you have a black thread used on green and black patterned wool cloth. All in all we think the alteration was a success! What do you think?
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Machine embroidery is for sewing like the proverbial "letting your hair down" in life.
Literally all you've ever learned about straight sewing and sticking to the rules go out the window. It's a real eye opener.
There were 3 people on the course today and me. I can honestly say that there was a lot of astonishment and liking of the processes.
Here are some pictures of the girls doing their practising
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So, in 2017 I moved the business into a shop close to the industrial estate where I used to work. It's been a busy time. The shop is going well, we sell fabrics and some haberdashery but also things we make there, especially our own plus size clothing label Big Girl's Blouse. We also still do alterations and make new things for home and people. And we sell our own hats, caps and lots of cushions here too.
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If you are looking for some inspiration about selfemployment this link may help you
https://www.theblogmarket.co/10-inspiring-blog-posts-on-self-employment/
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