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. 

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! 

Tuesday Needlework: Using Crochet in Sewing

Crochet in all of its variations was traditionally used to make lacy items that women then added to clothing and accessories. Over the years it developed into doilies and bed spreads, clothing, and much, much more. I didn't learn about thread crochet until I was about 19 and saw a beautiful Barbie Doll wedding dress in an issue of Crochet World. My first lessons in crochet had used worsted weight yarns to make afghans and later on bed doll dresses. I wasn't taught the nuances of correct gauge and yarn weights or that there was so much variety for this form of needlework. Once I started buying these magazines, though, I realized the possibilities were  nearly endless.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I honestly believe there are uses for crochet that are more appealing than others. I don't care for crocheted clothing. But I DO love the look of crochet in other applications. I also like to go back to the roots of an intended use for a technique. So when I was planning the skill-builder sewing series I decided I would also make some of the lace accessories used in the patterns. Unfortunately, it's hard to actually find some of the materials because the book is more than 20 years old. Which also justifies making them.

For the pincushion we need a 4" crochet doily as an applique. You can find these in some craft and sewing stores or online, but it is difficult to find the right size. My best argument for creating my own is that I know where my labor is sourced from.

I used e-patternscentral.com to find my doily, but a web search would also turn up some really great patterns. I used pattern #13 from the book Miniature Doilies. This is what I ended up with! It took me about 1 hour to finish, which I did while waiting on my kids to get their teeth cleaned. Good way to spend a dental visit.

Doily #13

We'll be discussing making entredeux on our next Friday Tutorial. Entredeux is French for "between two" and when used in sewing is a bit of lace or decoration that goes  between two pieces of fabric for stability. I hope you'll join me in learning how to make this beautiful traditional decoration and for our Skill-builder sewing series.