Sewing on Thursday: Sewing Skill Builder 2

Sorry about the delay in our "weekly" sewing skill builder. Circumstances beyond my control have made posting difficult the last couple of weeks! To make up for it, we'll do two a week starting next week so we're not too far behind. So without further delay,  let's dig right in and get started on this week's skill builder!

We're working on our openwork sampler this week. This sampler employs some age-old techniques of removing part of the weave in the fabric to open up the other fibers running in the opposite direction. It takes a good piece of open weave fabric to work with, but it can make some lovely results.

Materials: 

Make sure your open weave fabric
has obvious warp and weft threads you can remove

• 5" Square of loosely woven fabric
• Red thread (or color of your choice)
• 1 - 5x8" piece of fabric
• 1 - 2x5" piece of fabric
• seam ripper
• stabilizing paper
• 
  

Cut a 5" square of your loosely woven fabric and mark a 1.25" horizontal band in the center. I did this by first finding my center, then marking 5/8" on either side of that. Pull out a thread at the top and bottom of the band. Here you can see where I used a seam ripper to loosen the threads along the marks.

Loosen the threads using a seam ripper or similar object

Sew along the lines where you loosened the two threads. Now pull out all horizontal threads between the stitched lines.

Sew along the loosened thread lines

Using a narrow zig-zag stitch (practiced in our first skill-builder) and lowering your feed dogs, sew along the vertical lines that are left. Pull some together, adding in and removing sections as you go. You can move from top to bottom and bottom to top to get your variations. (Just a note here, I forgot to lower my feed dogs until I had sewn the entire thing. I went back over it and lowering the feed dogs makes it much easier.) If you don't know how to lower them in your machine, please consult your owner's manual. On the Janome, there is a switch on the right-hand side that lets you easily lower them. You may also want to use a foot such as the "F" foot on the Janome that easily glides over the fabric but also allows for a zig zag.

Sew over vertical threads

First pass with feed dogs up

Second pass with feed dogs lowered 

 Once you have completed sewing the cords on the band, place a piece of paper behind the open area. I used freezer paper and ironed it to the fabric. Zig zag stitch across the top and bottom of your open area band and remove the paper.

Back of openwork with paper removed

 Trim 3/4" off the top and bottom of your openwork and then turn under 1/4" on the top and bottom. Place openwork piece 1" from bottom of 5x8" piece of fabric and stitch along the top and bottom of openwork piece where you turned the seams under.

Carefully cut out main fabric from behind the openwork fabric. Place the 2x5" piece of red fabric underneath the band area with the right side facing up. Pin and topstitch along the fold lines of the openwork piece.

Finished piece with contrasting fabric behind openwork

My openwork ended up a little wonky, but I'm not too worried about it because it will be cut and shaped when we finish the pockets anyway. Remember, these are practice samplers and you can change them up or use them however you want.