...
- Items to buy
- Items to find
- What people are wearing
- How to make things
- Measurements
- How much you spent
Resources
Sources (in order of where you should look for things first)
- Rinaldi
- Other theater groups (if they are feeling generous)
- Asking actors to bring in own clothes
- Thrift stores
- Garmet District's Dollar-a-Pound
- Goodwill stores (esp. Roxbury)
- Old drapes, tablecloths, linens, and lace for fabric
...
* The bottom layer of your sewing will “creep” because of the better traction of the feed dogs – therefore, if you want to ease something into a seam, put the larger amount on the bottom side and the machine will do your easing for you
* All bobbin cases (some machines don’t have them) have a little metal slot which the thread goes through. If you put the bobbin in line so the thread unwinds naturally in the same direction, then you have it in the right way.
* If in doubt about the way to thread a machine, remember that nearly all machines go from the spool to a hook, through a tension disc, to another hook, and either down or over a set of bars or a series of hooks to the needle.
* Most needles thread from front to back, but some go left to right. Those that go left to right often have the thread go down the side of the machine rather than down the front.
* All machine needles have an obvious front and back.
* 20% of the time, if the thread is breaking, the needle has a rough spot or is in backwards.
* 50% of the time, you have tension issues. Other causes are weak thread and machine timing.
* Excessive knotting and looping means the top thread does not have enough tension on it.
* Most patterns use 5/8” seam allowance. There may be a tape mark on the machine at this point.
* All machines will have tension problems. Experiment.