Sew & Tell with Christopher Straub -- Sept. 24 Edition

Gown by Christopher Straub

Thank you for taking the time to post questions for designer Christopher Straub last week -- we asked him to pick his five favorites to answer, and he picked 8! Find him on Facebook here.

Don't forget to view his videos, and check out the entries in the Sew Unique Contest, before Sept. 30 :http://bit.ly/QXbXOW

 Shireen Harris GORG!!! What kind of fabric is this??? I love it!!
Christopher: This is simply teal organza stitched onto teal satin.  The sash belt is satin.  Even though there is 20+ yards of material in this piece it is very light weight.

 Sarah Disney What was your inspiration for this dress? °o°
Christopher: Great question!  This look is supposed to represent a beautiful flower.  It has a circle-skirt s there is a lot of movement as the model walks.

 Mary Vandeleur Schweitzer I loved you on Project Runway. I have no sewing experience, but I would love to make altered clothing. But for some reason I am hesitant to cut into anything. Any advice?
AND
Stephanie Isseroff yes, how DOES one overcome the innate fear many of us have to make that first cut into something that could be altered?
Christopher: Stephanie and Mary, JUST…CUT!  When I was young I used to be a florist and I was scared to cut the stems off of the roses…even though I only needed the bud for the arrangement.  I soon realized that I was never going to get to my goal if I didn’t make that first cut.  Don’t be afraid…Just cut.

 Rani Weatherby Oh, I forgot to ask a question! Any tips for someone who has sewed only non-clothing items (purses, pillows, etc) who wants to venture into sewing clothes? What are some good items to start with?
Christopher: Start working with patterns to begin the understanding of how pieces flow together to make a dress, for example.  Once you have a grasp on how pieces look on the human form then you should be able to let your imagination go wild.  :0) 

 Helen Ceron When you make a structured gown with a bodice ending at the waist, how do you keep the boning from bruising and stabbing your hips?
Christopher: 3 options: What I’ve done is have the boning stop an inch or two before the bottom and top hems.  Otherwise, you can taper them or round the edge of the boning to soften it.

 Christiana Haskins Instead of buying a new foot for my sewing machine, is there a way to cheat on a rolled hem? I really don't want to buy more stuff.
Christopher: I don’t use any special foot, either.  I just take the time to roll and press the hem into place before stitching.  OR, if you have a serger, serge the edge and then roll.  It gives the edge a little more stability and makes it easier to hold on to.

 Catherine Fowler Is that organza? And rotary cutter you say? Wow. Okay, how did they get the organza not to shred everywhere? I can never seal my edges if they are tight curves with a roll hem....
Christopher: I used the zig-zag blade on the cutter so it, significantly, reduces the shedding.  I still have to do a bit of shaking once the garment is done to get rid of any leftover pieces.

 Diane Zubik Love watching protect runway but the never show the transition from using the tape on the dress form to what actually comes next…MY QUESTION…what is the tape representing? Is it seamlines???? I should mention that I'm a quilter not a garment sewer but I can follow a pattern and make a garment. It's the designing and making the pattern part that intrigues me!
Christopher: You are correct!  The tape is the seamlines as well as the neckline, hemline, sleeve length, etc.  After you tape the form you, then, drape muslin over the form to create the pattern pieces.