Seamstress List

[Zam I Am]

Yeh, neoprene has glue problems associated with it, therefore, she had MAJOR problems sewing it. She had to fix three of her machines just to sew this batch. On Moncal's the surger kept on dethreading or splitting somehow. She finally fixed it, and actually went over some spots twice. Neoprene ain't a easy thing to work with. And Rags suit, she had the most problems with because of the glue between the layers was thicker on his part of the roll.

 

[Ragresen]

Again I am not faultying her. She did a Really good job considering all the problems that she has had to go through. The things on mine I mention are really minor things I can correct on my own and actually I expected to deal with over time anyways.

 

[MonCal]

I did receive my suit and I want to send out a big THANK YOU to ZIA and I need to write the seamstress!!

I'm with Rags, there are some areas that are a little iffy on the stitching but we can get out the needle and secure them It looks really cool though. Kathy isn't home yet so don't know how it fits and it won't quite fit me 8)

 

[Zam I Am]

For anyone who is going to send in money and measurements to the seamstress, (and s&H & ins to me): PLEASE MAKE SURE TO TAKE YOUR MEASUREMENTS ACCURATELY. These suits are all made to measure. CAUTION: no two tape measures are the same. What you should do, is when you buy a tape measure from a dollar store (or whereever), line it up with a STEEL ruler. (Wood rulers expand and contract) You have to realize, material tape measures stretch over time; anything as little as 1/8" in difference in the ruler, could off set your whole base pattern by A LOT.

 

[MonCal]

If your cloth tape stretches, it will make your measurements shorter / tighter....not bigger / longer.....just fyi

 

[MonCal]

Kathy got back from Phoenix and tried on her suit....it's a little bit odd. I've checked some of the measurements against my order sheet. Is it possible someone else got our suit / pants or something got switched???
I figured out why her armpits are bunching up and her sleeves are too long....the shoulders are way too far apart as seen below.

Something serious happened here. I have my original order form that I copied for her.

For example, here are some comparisons:

Descript.________________________Our order form _______________________bodysuit

Waist:______________________________27.5"____________________________36"
Front side seams:____________________13.75"____________________________19"
Thigh:______________________________21.5"____________________________24.5"
Calf:________________________________13"_____________________________16"
Front shoulders_______________________15"_____________________________18.5"
Ankle:_______________________________8.25"___________________________12"

HELP!!!! this could be a very expensive mistake!!!!

 

[Zam I Am]

Edit** I talked to the seamstress, she said there was NO variation or swapping out wrong patterns, and I know for a FACT that I shipped Rags the right suit. I still have Lady Zam's in hand.

Moncal, Please mail back the suit to me. PM sent.

 

[thksdad]

hey, where can i get a full Zam body suit? how much do they cost?
thanks

 

[Zam I Am]

Sorry this list is closed at the moment. It's currently only available to those on the list at the top of the thread.

 

[Zam Dacie]

If I am only interested in obtaining a copy of the pattern for the suit and vest (which I understand will need to be modified to my body), what is the potential weight and cost? I understand from reading the thread that all of you have been waiting a very l-o-n-g time for yours, so I understand if it will be quite a wait. I just wondered if this would be a viable option for me or if I should seek out my own seemstress and such.

 

[Zam I Am]

Sorry, I can't make that decision for you, it depends on when everyone else's gets finished. And, the patterns for the undersuit are only good for those who have neoprene. The undersuit pattern is not intended for lycra only fabric. Lycra stretches way more, and you would be better off with a full fledged unitard with black lycra in the middle, in order to keep the lycra from shifting so much. Lycra by itself gathers like spandex or swimsuit~very unlike cotton. Those starting off buying lycra only, would be better off getting a full unitard with a black lycra middle.

 

[Zam I Am]

Hey, here's the news so far... The seamstress hasn't had a chance to work on the suits, cause she has had to go finish some jobs for the local theater company and also she's going on vacay for this comming week (and also fix personal issues). So, I won't know what the suit problem's answer will be until after the 12th. Sorry for all the fustration, but we did find out that the neoprene has some memory retention unlike regular lycra that just snaps back. I have washed my suit before, and also my suit is actually an inch off from when she first sewed it. So that means, that if she stretches it while sewing, it could retain part of that stretching. I proposed that it was due to the glue. So, we will have to wait until after she comes back. She also told me in order for the hips to be able to glide into the pants, the waist of the pants will always be bigger than your actual measurements. It's like how the ankle hole has to be big enough for your heal to go through (same principle). So, technically, the top can't be totally form fitting or you wouldn't be able to get the pants on over the hips. But we will have to wait until after the 12th to get to the real answers. I also proposed washing it and seeing if it would shrink back a little. But, we'll have to see. Lady Zam, I still have your suit for measurement inspection.

 

[HothGirl]

Yeah, that makes sense. Especially with the pants...most of us will be wearing suspenders anyway - not that I'm afraid this stuff will move but...

I've looked at the patterns, trying to locate needles that'll work and I'm hoping to get a mock-up done in the next week. So maybe sometime this century I'll get this thing done...heh.

 

[Ragresen]

Experience from wearing a wet suit, which is a bit different neoprene than the type we used, is that when exposed to water and sun dried the suit will shrink back to its normal form. Also washing and running it through the dryer will shrink it some. This applys to the Neoprene used in wetsuits and I am not sure how it will affect our suits. Right now my Suit fits me correctly I just need to geta life and make the rest of the costume

 

[Zam I Am]

Just talked to the seamstress last night. She remeasured Lady Z's suit and Moncal's suit patters. The patterns are ok. Somehow, And we don't know HOW IN THE WORLD this happened, but the suits are several inches off by all measurements. She suspects it is because it came off of a different bolt of neoprene than Ragresen's. The only explaination we could give was that the tri-laminated (glued) parts of the neoprene must not be totally uniform. IE, some areas, the glue is a lot more stable than others, allowing some parts to stretch more than other parts. Apparently, the new bolt that Lady Z's suit and Moncal's suit came off of gave tons of slack in it's negative ease. So, first, she is going to wash both suits. Then, see how much it shrinks by and remeasure. Then, she is going to take it in from the center of the suit, if necessary, for the pants. She wants to make sure that the welt seams are untouched as much as possible, as they are the harder seams to alter the suits by. There you have it boys and girls...It's just that different bolts are naughty and have different characteristics due to glue problems. Neoprene and glue can be the best bonded friends and a seamstress's nightmare.

 

[MonCal]

Thanks for the update ZIA!
To tell you the truth I have been getting a little anxious about this and I am usually very tolerant cause I understand what it's like to have problems!!
I really hope she gets it figured out. The rest of the garrison is starting to not believe me that I intend to finish this costume :0

 

[MaulMaus]

Yeah... sure you're making a Zam costume MonCal! Sure!

Thanks for the update ZIA... I hope she gets it figured out so we can all get our costumes finished and she can thank her lucky stars she doesn't ever have to do another Zam again!

 

[HothGirl]

I do appreciate the warning too. I'm working on the mock-up currently (while finding needles I can sew that stuff with) and after hearing all the problems she's having...well...yeah. :/

Hopefully everybody will get everything figured out they need to!

 

[Zam I Am]

Totally weird, the seamstress washed the neoprene, and the suits didn't shrink, so she is going to "warm up" the seam ripper...

 

[Zam I Am]

Seamstress said that the suits should be done soon, she didn't allude to which suit, or when. Oh, and PLEASE if those on the seamstress/fellowship list didn't get a email from me, please get in contact with me.

Over and out

10/2 Yet another catastrophy of the seamstress... her studio got flooded and **luckily** the material didn't get damaged, nor did the patterns. She did however tell me about delays. I would suspect a two week delay. Since I gave fellowshippers her number directly, I assume all of you will contact her directly regarding any problems with your suit/questions/progress. Sorry, but this list is NOT open to others, as first set of people need to get their suits first.