2.06.2014

faux fur flurry: tips!


the faux fur flied around these parts for 24 full hours...initially, i thought these would be the quickest part of my first project sewn ensemble.  then i went batshit crazy.

peeps on the street and in the comments really seem to dig em, so much so that i'm seriously considering getting back into my old etsy shop... but as many of you out there have the skills to DIY them, i thought i'd share a few tips i learned along the way.  

basically, they're just rectangles, tapered in slightly more at the top (calf), but sewing faux fur can be beastly. HAAAA I'M A FUNNY GAL


first thing you gotta do is get your hair comb out.  lately i've been rocking a hot pink pick.  AW YEAH. you can part the fur just as you would your own hair, so that when you cut your seams, you don't lose too much of the precious fluff.


before placing the trim (snagged at daytona trimmings) i combed the fur down so that it would lay nice and straight underneath.

to secure for stitching, i found that pins were NO BUENO. they get lost in the fluff, they get bent, they get stuck. instead, i used scotch magic tape to hold down my first layer of trim...


and as i stitched, i slowly peeled away the tape.  be sure to start your tape in the direction you're going to sew, so that when you peel it back, you get a nice long continuous pull. (you know, not like i did in that picture.)

suddenly i have a craving for pulled pork.  it's a stretch, but there it is.

the second trim was much thinner, so i just lined it up with the first and held it in place, sans tape.  


speaking of directional sewing, i took a cue from my girl carolyn and her leather trimmed skirt: to avoid waviness or bubbles, always sew the trim in the same direction on each side.  this means you might have more fabric on the right side of your needle than the left-- it gets wonky, but it totally works.  i did that on the long sides, and here, i'm stitching down the edge of each square, just for good measure. 

toldja i went ballistic.


the top of your fur will undoubtedly have a scratch factor, as the backing is not so warm and cuddly.  i cut a rectangle to match the leggies size for the "lining", and hand basted it in silk all the way round. for real, they're just legwarmers oona, but crazytown was especially inviting for those two days.  

enjoying my stay, i used self-made bias tape to enclose the top and long zipper edges.  turning under is really not an option, at least not with my fur, so bias tape worked beautifully.  and self-made kept it insane.  

but the separating zips from pacific trimmings make them easy to throw on & off!


and there they are, on!  oh how i love them.  i plan on wearing them to a super shindig tomorrow eve...here in NY most of us take our kicks off the minute we step indoors, as we tend to carry about eight trillion germs with us. this way i can still rock a shoe whilst shoeless!  do you know how happy that makes me?  I NEED TWELVE MORE PAIRS IN EVERY COLOR.

in summation: 1) i've said fur, trim and pork all in one post.  yay weird traffic.  2) you knew this part was coming... if you still haven't voted, go on over to project sewn, check out all of the fabulous ladies and pick your poison!

14 comments:

  1. I want to marry these leg warmers. Think my husband will mind?

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  2. I think you may have just invented a new fetish.

    Props.

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  3. What crazy sins were you trying to atone for here?! These are AMAZING but holy ovaries, Batman, that's a LOT of work!

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  4. You seriously rocked this challenge. I can't wait for more competitive Oona!

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  5. Wait a minute -- what are you doing posting a tutorial? Shouldn't you be madly sewing? I hope you finished all your homework before you did this, because we all really want the rest of your projects to be just as wildly fabulous as this one!

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    1. yeah, looking back on last week and the absolute insanity that was sunday, i'm thinking i should have paid more attention to this very wise comment.....

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  6. These are fantastic! I love love love love LOVE them!!!!!

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  7. Not sure these will work so well in rural oz as down town NY but think I've got to try! I was eying up a faux fur coat in the op shop today wondering if it was long enough to cut up for a pair of these. Thanks for the amazing inspiration. I totally love the coat too.

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  8. Not sure these will work so well in rural oz as down town NY but think I've got to try! I was eying up a faux fur coat in the op shop today wondering if it was long enough to cut up for a pair of these. Thanks for the amazing inspiration. I totally love the coat too.

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  9. Those leg warmers are so rad and couture looking! I am really digging the trim!

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  10. Thank you so much for sharing the sewing tips! I must admit I have been considering making me a pair after seeing yours lol.

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  11. YOU TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF!!! YOU ARE CZECH!!! NEW YORKERS ARE CZECH!!!!!!
    :D

    Thanks for the tips. I can't see myself making these (I'm not you), but the scotch tape tip and stuff could come in useful.

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i thankya truly for taking the time to comment, i love a good conversation-- and hope you know my thanks are always implied, if not always written!