OT word of the day

Satin
Sateen

The difference between these is wholly in the fiber content.
They are both satin weaves.
There are two basic varieties of satin weave, warp face and filling
face. Warp face is the most common of the two. In warp face the weft
thread passes over one warp thread, and then under several.
In filling face (filling is often used as an alternate term for weft),
the process is reversed, so that the weft thread passes under one warp
thread and over the next several.

Satin is usually made of silk, or filament synthetic threads,
sometimes a blend of both.

Sateen is usually made of cotton, or other spun yarns.

--

Nothing has been the same since that house fell on my sister.

Tailor's Ham

A firmly stuffed ham shaped cushion, used for pressing seams and darts
in garments so that they retain their shape well.

Some older sewing books give instructions for making your own ham, and
almost always advise making them entirely out of a "strong woolen",
and stuffing with sawdust or horsehair. There are exceptions, velvet
or velvet covered hams seem to have had a devoted following for
pressing silks and delicate fabrics. I confess I have one and use it
for pressing velvets mostly. (1)
There are still instructions for making your own available, including
online. In this day and age with more diversity of fabrics, and
electric irons, often hams are made of all cotton, or half cotton and
half wool. The stuffing should still be very firm however, and I have
found sawdust from kiln dried wood to be optimal, with horsehair or
synthetics a very distant second. Hair and synthetics tend to be more
difficult to stuff evenly, and it is more difficult to get the desired
firmness, especially with synthetics. They also begin to smell a bit
after a while. Cotton wadding would probably work if you could stuff
it firmly and evenly enough without damaging your seams.

(1) with velvets I usually give the hard pressing to the lining and
interlining, and am much more gentle with the outer so as to save the
pile.
--

Nothing has been the same since that house fell on my sister.

I actually have a pressing cloth for velvet!! It's like a synthetic
velvet itself; but tougher, presumably?
(I also have a tailor's ham!! I used to take my clothes making very
seriously g)
..
In message , NightMist
writes

Tailor's Ham

A firmly stuffed ham shaped cushion, used for pressing seams and darts
in garments so that they retain their shape well.

Some older sewing books give instructions for making your own ham, and
almost always advise making them entirely out of a "strong woolen",
and stuffing with sawdust or horsehair. There are exceptions, velvet
or velvet covered hams seem to have had a devoted following for
pressing silks and delicate fabrics. I confess I have one and use it
for pressing velvets mostly. (1)
There are still instructions for making your own available, including
online. In this day and age with more diversity of fabrics, and
electric irons, often hams are made of all cotton, or half cotton and
half wool. The stuffing should still be very firm however, and I have
found sawdust from kiln dried wood to be optimal, with horsehair or
synthetics a very distant second. Hair and synthetics tend to be more
difficult to stuff evenly, and it is more difficult to get the desired
firmness, especially with synthetics. They also begin to smell a bit
after a while. Cotton wadding would probably work if you could stuff
it firmly and evenly enough without damaging your seams.

(1) with velvets I usually give the hard pressing to the lining and
interlining, and am much more gentle with the outer so as to save the
pile.

--
Best Regards
pat on the hill

I have a tailor's ham and HAD a velvet board. Haven't seen that in years.
Wonder where it went.....

Butterfly (have a stack of 5" squares of velvet and sequined velvets cut and
ready for a someday quilt. Just need more velvet to cut. )

"Patti" wrote in message
...
I actually have a pressing cloth for velvet!! It's like a synthetic velvet
itself; but tougher, presumably?
(I also have a tailor's ham!! I used to take my clothes making very
seriously g)
.
In message , NightMist
writes

Tailor's Ham

A firmly stuffed ham shaped cushion, used for pressing seams and darts
in garments so that they retain their shape well.

Some older sewing books give instructions for making your own ham, and
almost always advise making them entirely out of a "strong woolen",
and stuffing with sawdust or horsehair. There are exceptions, velvet
or velvet covered hams seem to have had a devoted following for
pressing silks and delicate fabrics. I confess I have one and use it
for pressing velvets mostly. (1)
There are still instructions for making your own available, including
online. In this day and age with more diversity of fabrics, and
electric irons, often hams are made of all cotton, or half cotton and
half wool. The stuffing should still be very firm however, and I have
found sawdust from kiln dried wood to be optimal, with horsehair or
synthetics a very distant second. Hair and synthetics tend to be more
difficult to stuff evenly, and it is more difficult to get the desired
firmness, especially with synthetics. They also begin to smell a bit
after a while. Cotton wadding would probably work if you could stuff
it firmly and evenly enough without damaging your seams.

(1) with velvets I usually give the hard pressing to the lining and
interlining, and am much more gentle with the outer so as to save the
pile.

--
Best Regards
pat on the hill

You are using SEQUINED velvets in a quilt? Only real velvet, or are you
including velveteen? Colors, goal, purpose?? Details woman, details!
PAT in VA/USA

"Butterflywings" wrote in message
...
I have a tailor's ham and HAD a velvet board. Haven't seen that in years.
Wonder where it went.....

Butterfly (have a stack of 5" squares of velvet and sequined velvets cut
and ready for a someday quilt. Just need more velvet to cut. )

In article ,
Patti wrote:

I actually have a pressing cloth for velvet!! It's like a synthetic
velvet itself; but tougher, presumably?
(I also have a tailor's ham!! I used to take my clothes making very
seriously g)

I still have my tailor's ham, too, Patti! I used to follow the very good
instructions in the Vogue Sewing book, and the ham was quite helpful. Of
course, I don't make my clothes at all any longer, so I don't quite know
why I hang onto that ham, but I do. G

.
In message , NightMist
writes

Tailor's Ham

A firmly stuffed ham shaped cushion, used for pressing seams and darts
in garments so that they retain their shape well.

Some older sewing books give instructions for making your own ham, and
almost always advise making them entirely out of a "strong woolen",
and stuffing with sawdust or horsehair. There are exceptions, velvet
or velvet covered hams seem to have had a devoted following for
pressing silks and delicate fabrics. I confess I have one and use it
for pressing velvets mostly. (1)
There are still instructions for making your own available, including
online. In this day and age with more diversity of fabrics, and
electric irons, often hams are made of all cotton, or half cotton and
half wool. The stuffing should still be very firm however, and I have
found sawdust from kiln dried wood to be optimal, with horsehair or
synthetics a very distant second. Hair and synthetics tend to be more
difficult to stuff evenly, and it is more difficult to get the desired
firmness, especially with synthetics. They also begin to smell a bit
after a while. Cotton wadding would probably work if you could stuff
it firmly and evenly enough without damaging your seams.

(1) with velvets I usually give the hard pressing to the lining and
interlining, and am much more gentle with the outer so as to save the
pile.




--
Sandy in Henderson, near Las Vegas
sw.foster1 (at) gmail (dot) com (remove/change the obvious)
http://www.sandymike.net

I just think: well I might need it again some day g.
If I didn't think that so often, of course, I would not have accumulated
so much 'stuff'!!
Sometimes I get a 'ruthless throw away inclination'. So I start. Then
I start encountering all the 'sentimental value only things'. Then it
all becomes a fruitless task - I know I'm never going to willingly throw
them away!
..
In message , Sandy
writes
I still have my tailor's ham, too, Patti! I used to follow the very good
instructions in the Vogue Sewing book, and the ham was quite helpful. Of
course, I don't make my clothes at all any longer, so I don't quite know
why I hang onto that ham, but I do. G

--
Best Regards
pat on the hill

My mother had a tailor's ham. Think my little sister got it, along
with her darning egg. I got the rest of her sewing box.

Ginger in CA

On Dec 31 2008, 10:27*pm, (NightMist) wrote:
Tailor's Ham

A firmly stuffed ham shaped cushion, used for pressing seams and darts
in garments so that they retain their shape well.

Some older sewing books give instructions for making your own ham, and
almost always advise making them entirely out of a "strong woolen",
and stuffing with sawdust or horsehair. *There are exceptions, velvet
or velvet covered hams seem to have had a devoted following for
pressing silks and delicate fabrics. *I confess I have one and use it
for pressing velvets mostly. (1)
There are still instructions for making your own available, including
online. *In this day and age with more diversity of fabrics, and
electric irons, often hams are made of all cotton, or half cotton and
half wool. The stuffing should still be very firm however, and I have
found sawdust from kiln dried wood to be optimal, with horsehair or
synthetics a very distant second. *Hair and synthetics tend to be more
difficult to stuff evenly, and it is more difficult to get the desired
firmness, especially with synthetics. *They also begin to smell a bit
after a while. *Cotton wadding would probably work if you could stuff
it firmly and evenly enough without damaging your seams.

(1) *with velvets I usually give the hard pressing to the lining and
interlining, and am much more gentle with the outer so as to save the
pile.
--

Nothing has been the same since that house fell on my sister.

A-Ha!
I knew somebody would latch onto this and ask questions!
I wanna know too!
I do have some velvet scraps. Which you can have if rayon pile-silk
backing would go with what you are doing. Since I dye the garment
finished or in pieces rather than the yardage, I bet they would match
your color scheme. (G)

One of these days I am going to make one myself.
There is one down at the historical society that is scalloped fans
scattered across a crazy quilt. Embroidered seams, and the fans are
light colors while the crazy pieces are darks. All silk velvet, and
backed with what appears to be bombazine. It dates from about 1880.
Very drool worthy.

NightMist

On Thu, 1 Jan 2009 13:34:40 -0500, "Pat in Virginia"
wrote:

You are using SEQUINED velvets in a quilt? Only real velvet, or are you
including velveteen? Colors, goal, purpose?? Details woman, details!
PAT in VA/USA

"Butterflywings" wrote in message
...
I have a tailor's ham and HAD a velvet board. Haven't seen that in years.
Wonder where it went.....

Butterfly (have a stack of 5" squares of velvet and sequined velvets cut
and ready for a someday quilt. Just need more velvet to cut. )



--

Nothing has been the same since that house fell on my sister.

Ooh! that reminds me, too. I have a darning mushroom g
This is a fun thread g
..
In message
,
Ginger in CA writes
My mother had a tailor's ham. Think my little sister got it, along
with her darning egg. I got the rest of her sewing box.

Ginger in CA
--
Best Regards
pat on the hill