Sewing On Thursday: Sewing Skill Builder Part One

This week also starts our sewing skill builder! Yep, that's right. We have a Block of the Month and a sewing skill builder. I've been pretty busy at the machine. Not to mention, I also have 2 quilts in the works!

Ok, so part one!

This first bit is actually pretty easy, but it will give you a chance to play with your machine's zig zag settings a bit. I think this is a function modern sewists sometimes take for granted, but the zig zag function wasn't available until Helen Augusta Blanchard patented it in 1873, 27 years after the sewing machine's first patent by Elias Howe. It wasn't really common to have a machine that could both zig zag stitch and straight stitch until the early 1900s. Even then it took a special gadget to perform the function. Today's machines are electronically or mechanically equipped with a zig zag function built in.

Therefore, behold the zig zag!

Materials:

One 7x12" piece of fabric
Thread
Stabilizer, freezer paper or piece of copy paper

For my sampler I chose shades of yellow and pink. I'm not big on off-white, but think the fabrics I chose have a vintage flavor to them.

Since I changed out the colors of the fabrics, I also wrote a little sticky note to myself on the book with the colors I'm using in exchange. .

So for our zig zag sampler, you may want to iron on a piece of lightweight removable stabilizer or freezer paper or put a piece of typing paper behind it. This helps to keep the fabric from bunching up. I used freezer paper because it irons on easily and peels right back off.

Keep the long side to the top and sew the zig zags spaced evenly apart, but leave enough room to run a line of straight stitching between them. Vary your zig zag widths, but try to leave the stitching distance about the same. We want a nice close line of satin stitching.

Once you have sewn your stitches, take the fabric over to the cutting mat and cut a 2" strip off of both sides. Your center piece should be about 2.75" wide. Take the center strip and turn it upside down.

cut 2" off sides

turn middle section upside down

Sew your sides back on to the center strip.

You now have the front of your first pocket piece. In later sessions we'll be shaping and sewing them all onto a backing and actually making the pockets.

Next week we'll discuss making an openwork sampler pocket. For this you'll need a piece of loose weave fabric along with your other fabrics. I used a piece of burlap, but you can choose something else, as long as it has a loose weave where you can pull threads from. Until then, happy stitching! 

Thursday Sewing: Making a tree skirt from curtain valances

I had something completely different planned for today's post! And as you can maybe tell I'm a bit late in posting today. What I had planned will have to wait until next Thursday's Sewing Session though. So sorry.

Today I bring you: Making a Tree Skirt from Curtain Valances

This would be a lot more relevant if we were closer to Christmas, but I also never got a chance to post it over Christmas. I was sick most of the time and we had family in from Brazil. So here it is today, and maybe it will give you a head start on your Christmas sewing?

To begin with, I had some old valances laying around that I had picked up at a thrift store, intending to make a silky bag with them. The bags never came to fruition. I needed a tree skirt. The one we had was too small and I wanted something a bit more elegant. And handmade. So I "found" the valances on my fabric shelf and started taking measurements.

With two of them, I had enough material to make the skirt. To make the skirt, I needed to sew them together, make a circular cut out in the middle, and then make eyelets or something similar for the ties on one side.

The first thing I did was to sew them together in the middle, so that the borders were on the outside edges. Then I folded them into halves and quarters so I could easily make a pie-shaped wedge to cut out the circular middle. I really just measured the top of my tree stand, subtracted about 1/2" for seam, and measured from the point to the distance on the ruler. I then cut it and seamed it by folding 1/4" under and running a zig zag stitch all the way around.

During all of this, I'd forgotten that I needed an opening to actually put it around the tree stand. So I cut down the middle of one side, seamed up the sides, and stood back to take a look at it. It needed more. It was just really plain. Here was where my two hour project became four.

I remembered that I had made a filet crocheted set of bells meant to be used as a centerpiece about 11 years ago. They had taken me forever, but were now laying unused in a drawer. I decided they would be perfect for my tree skirt. Sure enough, I got the centerpiece out and laid it across my skirt. Perfect! Now how to sew that sucker on there?

Looking around the craft room, my eyes landed on the can of basting spray I use for quilts. With an Aha! moment and recall of Ashley's post about attaching her crocheted appliques, I set about spraying small sections and applying the piece to the skirt. This probably would've held for a while, but I didn't want to risk it. I pinned the bells around, making sure to keep the slippery material as smooth as possible underneath the bells and the bells flat as well. With a zig zag stitch set for a long length and a short stitch, I carefully sewed the bells to the tree skirt.

For the final touch, I used an eyelet setting on my Janome. I made small holes down the sides of the open edges and then let the Janome do its thing. With little effort on my part, the eyelets were made and nearly perfect. I then laced it all up using some ribbon I had.

So it got a little involved, but I was really happy with the fact that I upcycled the valances and found a new purpose for my unused centerpiece. I also had a brand spanking new tree skirt that didn't cost me a dime to make this year. (I'm not considering the initial cost of the valances which was about $3 and the thread used to crochet the bells, or the ribbon that I had on hand. It was all stuff I had on hand and didn't have to go out to buy.)

With a little thought, looking through your stash, or a fun run through a thrift store, I bet you can find some stuff to make you own Christmas tree skirt for next year. If you make something, would you consider posting it to my group Flickr account? I'd love to see your projects!

*The pattern used for the bells centerpiece was from the November, 2003 issue of Crochet! Magazine and is by Ferosa Harold. You can reference the pattern on Ravelry.

Upcycling Recycling Sweaters

There are hundreds of blogs out there that focus on how to reimagine common everyday items into new practical purposes, most with the intent to keep stuff we throw away out of landfills or to clear out thrift stores. Some of my favorites focus on clothing. It seems one of the tend on Pinterest is to use sweaters (this of course comes after tee shirts and Anthropologie re-dos. What is it with that place anyway? Sure they've got great clothes but is it a price thing? Why not Tommy Hilfiger or something? Can someone explain this?).

It seems the unassuming wool sweater, designed to keep us warm and fashionable throughout winter months and frigid temperatures, also has a day job as a multi-purpose, do-it-all, DIYer's dream come true. From leg warmers to arm cuffs, dog sweaters and beds, purses, scarves, stockings, and mittens there is little that you CAN'T do with a sweater.

Of course, Pinterest fails undoubtedly abound, and it's useful to pay attention to details. However, with a little thought you can probably figure out most of these projects by yourself. It helps to have ideas, though. So the next time your local thrift store has a "fill a bag for $5" promotion or a really awesome sale on sweaters, grab up a whole bunch and squirrel yourself away for a weekend. It's faster than knitting it all individually and you could have done really great accessories. Follow the Pinterest board below for great ideas!

Follow Freckle Dots (Tammy Lyons)'s board Upcycled Sweater Crafts on Pinterest.

Creating a Sewing Machine Stitch Bible

About 2 posts back I talked about a new class I was taking through Craftsy, called Stupendous Stitching. One of the first lessons in the video encourages you to make a Stitch "Bible." This is basically a personal reference for all of the pre-loaded stitches on your sewing machine - most notably those of the decorative stitches. My Janome came with 222 decorative stitches. The other 48 are utility and bridge stitches. There are also 5 different fonts included. So my Stitch Bible is going to take me some time to finish. I spent 4 hours on it today and got up to #84. I wanted a reference to my utility stitches and buttonhole stitches as well.

The first 6 pages!

So my book is going to be laid out in stitch order. The class suggests you can do it in any order you like, but since mine are arranged by stitch type, I figured it would be best to stay sequential! I decided I wanted it to look somewhat neat and tidy, too, so I first started by choosing to run an outline stitch every 1 inch. This made it look kind of like notebook paper. The awesomeness of the Janome is that the extension table and the throat plate have ruler markings, making it easier to measure up to 10" past the needle. I also decided that instead of using a marker to number the stitches, I would use the embroidery fonts for the numbers - meaning one less page of references.

Markings every 1" 

Numbering the markings

I set up one page at a time to break away from the monotony of straight stitching. I also wasn't real sure how many pages I would need and no, I didn't feel like doing the math. I left the first section of each one blank - no number or stitches, so that I have room later on to put in grommets and tie the whole thing together. Beginning on #5 (since the first 4 are straight stitches with different back stitch choices), I started my utility stitches.

The difference between what the machine illustrations show and the actual stitches is pretty amazing. It is also fun to see how different the stitch is when messing around with the length and width of them. 

What the machine shows and what the stitch actually is! 

Adjusting length and width of stitches

I haven't finished it yet, but when I do I'll post it. I have to start a new quilt tomorrow, but that's the great thing about Craftsy. I don't have to complete my class during a webinar, or adjust my schedule to attend one. I also don't have to haul around materials, forget what I needed, risk taking my machine with me, etc., etc. It's right there, online, when I want it or need it. There is a material list and I can re-watch anything I might have forgotten. It's just this side of heaven! So it may take me a while, but I'm not rushed and I don't have to put anything aside right now. If you make a stitch bible or reference, please share it with me! You can upload to my Flikr group. Also, if you're taking this class I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts on it. 

Janome MC 8900 Review

A couple of months ago I purchased a Janome MC8900 from my local sewing machine store, Moye's in Savannah. I had started out to purchase the 7700, but my dealer bumped me up to the 8900 and gave me a great price on it! They retail for $4400, but I paid about half that. It's a long story, and unusual, so plan on paying at least $4k  for one! I love mine so much that I named it after a lady I truly respect, whose quilting, sewing, and crafty heredity has been passed on to me, my Grandma Bernadine. I just leave out the Grandma part, cause she's still very young. :)

The MC8900 is a real workhorse, geared toward people like me that do A LOT of quilting and sewing. It has over 11" of space to the right of the needle that provides plenty of room to roll up a king size quilt and finish it on a home machine. This machine is loaded with features from its 9mm stitch width and over 250 different types of stitches to its ability to change needle plates with the push of a button, auto tension, knee lift, 1000 stitches per minute, Accufeed flex (for those stubborn thick projects like jeans and 2" batting!), and so much more.

I have used my Janome for more than 4 months and I have had it tangle up on me one time. That's compared to my Brother hybrid (SE400) that I bought a little over a year ago that tangled up so much I became a machine repair expert! The tangle was actually caused from me not pulling the needle thread out to start sewing and I really knew better. I have finished everything from a twin to a queen size quilt on this without any problems. I am no longer afraid to do double sided t-shirt quilts with free motion embroidery. Even my stippling, which uses many different directional changes and can be hard on a machine, has come out beautifully every time with very little effort. This machine is truly made for quilting. I love my Janome and even with 4 months I have not had a chance to use everything that it offers. I am currently working on a log cabin block quilt made from jeans, t-shirts, and dress shirts. I have an order for a KitchenAid cover that will employ many other features of this machine. I'm looking forward to a long and happy relationship!

Full size quilt completed on Janome MC8900

Stippling

Double Sided Full Size Quilt on Janome 8900

So if you're looking for a high quality machine that is worth the money, I recommend the 8900. Janome also makes a hybrid sewing and embroidery machine, the MC9900 for those of you that want the best of both worlds. I do not own nor have I had the pleasure of using one (YET!), but you should check them out at your local dealer. 

Garden Pathways Growing

Hey party people! Thought I'd give an update on the quilt I'm working on for my friend Lori. I added the borders today and I'm thinking some type of scroll along the borders with in-the-ditch quilting for the center.

Mattie's Mondays - Baby Time

Last week's post never happened, as you can tell. So this week we're bringing you baby tutorials from across the blogoverse. The first one comes from the blog Therapeutic Crafting. This lovely lady sews some pretty great kids' stuff and she is hosting a sew-along to make a booster seat cover. This cover catches all the "yuck" that kids leave behind. When my baby eats I always have this image of the ghost Uncles on Casper the movie - you know, where the food just falls right through them and onto the floor. Yeah, that image. Anyway, she has a great solution to this, it's eye-catching, washable, and practical. What more could a busy, sewing mom want? I don't think this will make Mattie too happy, as she won't get the spillover quite as often.

Our second fun and kiddy craft is from Filth Wizardry. She is another inventive mom intent on making things her kids will use and enjoy - hopefully yours too. She give a simple how-to on building a sand lightbox. As a teacher and a mom, I think this idea would be great for helping your kids learn how to write their letters, numbers, shapes, etc. Dyslexic children sometimes find that writing in sand or rice can  help them form letters better. For any reason, though, kids love to draw in the sand.

And last but not least is another cool, thrifty idea. This mom has one of the most adorable little girls on the web - and she's available to model your handmade goodies! OrangeBlossom has a great tutorial on making your own flip flops out of foam sheets, glue, and ribbon. Sound too simple? It is - but they last forever and are too cute. I think that drawing around the child's foot would suffice and then adding about a half inch all around if you don't have an adequate shoe already.

I hope these whet your appetite to try something fun and childish this week. Get in on the fun of a sew-along, try a new craft, and have a great time. That's what living is all about.

Mattie's Mondays - Edition 1

Mattie and I have been hard at work looking up tutorials and working on one of our own. She patiently droops her head over my leg as I type right now. (However, I think she is slightly irritated at me because I put flea medicine on her. She'll thank me later.) Anyway, we're still in the process of perfecting our tutorial video, so we are going to point you in the direction of some really great online stuff we've found lately. Click on the pictures to follow to the link.

We have involved ourselves in one of the most popular internet sew-alongs going (over 600 and counting). Em-ay-kay-ee (Make) is one of our new favorite blogs and we suggest you check it out! Right now there is a bag sew along with all kinds of accessories to go with it - using a single charm pack and some extras. I subscribed to this through email so I don't miss a single post.

We also have this dress by Nicole Vasbinder that we have all of the materials for, but need time to do. This dress calls for a little bit of materials, and the tut looks easy-peasy. It's printed and ready to go, so I'll keep you updated on it. In the meantime, if you like the look and want to try it yourself, click on the pic.

We'll also try to bring you an upcycled project every week. This helps care for our earth and Mattie's animal friends. She will be especially thankful if you can do your best to help us make our earth a cleaner, friendlier place for all to live! So here is a really cute, useful, and inventive project for upcycling a tissue box. The author states that tissue boxes have such pretty designs on them, that it seemed a shame to waste them. She's right! Check this out.

Have fun being creative. If you make any of this stuff, please let the blog authors know and send us some pics! It would be great to see how you are inspired and how your projects evolve. Again, we'll be working hard on getting our own tutorial ready. There's a lot involved I didn't realize, but we're about 70% there!

IKnitQuiltSew - HAF Blog Ring Feature

Being a knitter, sewer, and crocheter myself, I can recognize talent when I see it. This week's featured artisan is IKnitQuiltSew from Handmade Artist's Forum. Her talent is immediately recognizable in her work. While browsing her studio on Etsy, I was so impressed by the arrangement first of all. Her baby items are arranged so attractively by color, so it is not hard to find matching sets for your little one!

Secondly, she gives you these adorable little baby dolls and teddy bears that are practically irresistable.

My babies are growing up and out of the teddy bear and doll baby stages, but they are so great I might just get one for myself. Where I really fell in love, though, was with her Baby Quilt/Wall Hanging. Quilting is a time-consuming, labor intensive act of love, of which I have done once in my life! I know why they are so expensive, but I have never been drawn to one enough to say that I would buy one. HOWEVER... this quilt spoke to my heart.

Welcome Home Quilt

Notice the details

When that happens, I start thinking how will I get the money for this??? It's not really that expensive, though. Only $150 for this beauty. But with my 5 kiddos I have to carefully gauge each and every dime. This quilt, though, echoes the desires of my heart - a home of our own. We've been wanting a home for the last 12 years of our marriage, somewhere our kids can come back to with thier own families eventually. We've had heartbreak after heartbreak, but the dream still lives. This would make a beautiful "Welcome home baby" quilt or housewarming gift.

IKnitQuiltSew has a blog that showcases more wonderful artisans from HAF. She let us all know that she is recovering from surgery on her rotator cuff. Anyone that knits, quilts, or sews knows the challenge of not having your primary arm available for your craft. Her tenacity and love for her art shows through again, though, because she is still knitting. Albeit slowly - but still knitting!

 I have thoroughly fallen in love with IKnitQuiltSew's creations and am just tickled that I can bring them to you through the HAF blog ring.