Tutorial - Rolled Hem Foot
Using the rolled hem foot is easy as pie – with just a little practice. You can’t beat this foot for a quick, neat hem on lightweight fabrics!
Step 1: Using the size of your foot as a guide, turn and finger-press a double hem at the edge (or your starting point if you’re hemming in the round)
Step 2:
Threads from Both Worlds
The debate continues over sewing vs. knitting
crocheting vs. knitting
embroidering vs. tatting
I suspect that our threads, fabric and fibres are just happy as larks all tucked away together next to sewing needles, crochet hooks, stitch holders, knitting needles, thimbles, shuttles, crewel needles, looms and the like. It’s our job to push the envelope in each of the mediums and join them together if we like to, have the patience and the balls to do so.
Earlier I was checking out some dishcloths, towels, and face cloths on Ravelry. Some are knit & some are crocheted. They are all nice, usually I cheat and go for a pattern that has all one discipline. You know like all knit, all crochet or even all sewing. When I sew cloths, I stray from the pattern, usually because I want it to be BIGGER. Anywho, I came across the cutest little round spikey dishcloth. What happened next is classic and now I have my work cut out for me.
Sent an email to a student looking to do round knitting and who needs to brush up on their sewing skills with a link to the CUTTING EDGE CLOTH www.sew-funky.com/2008/06/04/cutting-edge-cloth/ . She can’t imagine how this will work. We are facing to nevers #1 never knitted and created a round thing #2 never knitted in segments and combined them with sewing to create a round CREATION. I am going to take this opportunity to do some additional teaching. I am going to video myself using this pattern from yarn selection. My student is of the gotta have it now age and forgets she has me to nudge her along if the projects are not progressing. Nobody nudges me to finish my WIPs **tears**. I am not going to let her out of this project that I know she can do and it’s good for her.
I was happy to stumble onto the blog www.sew-funky.com a tip was to use Red Heart super saver yarn if you are knitting cloths up for dischcloths - I know from experience that acrylics get soft to the touch once washed, but their scubby properties stay in tact. I like the cotton for bathing and also for furniture cleaning & polishing. happy stitching & scrubbing all.
The Morgan
The Morgan is the product of a commissioned project. A co-worker at my hubby’s job asked if I could make a beach bag in a week for a 9 year old. She is so sweet (co-worker) and wanted a plain old canvas bag in cream & blue with seashells and maybe a palm tree or some starfish. I was not all together bored…..but not all together willing to do it. All I thought was PINK CAMOflauge!!!! with pink sunglasses & flip flops or sandals to match plus a matching beach wrap, beach towel (matching of course) and and and she said ok!!!! She basically said ok to pink camo & some flip flops and had a sketch of the bag shape she wanted.
People!…. I know about some 9 year olds and then some, but I kept doubting myself about this bag. I did not want it to be a sack or a half circle or unlined. I made 8 patterns, went back settled on the 4th version and then wanted pockets for electronic stuff & magazine etc. Oh, and the bag needed to be personalized with the name. Can I tell you that I fought with the bag from day 1 until day 7? Even the handles were a chore. Not hard, just a chore to decide how I wanted them to be.
Final decision was an opened U-shaped bag, maybe more of a half-circle, inside plain canvas, outer Pink camo, horse hair handles that were first wrapped in black vinyl and then covered in the pink camoflauge. Black vinyl so the horsey hair pokies don’t stab through. Name was not able to be embroidered – just not enough time but I did embroider a barefoot shape and do the vinyl letters inside of the foot print. Of course embroidered in hot pink.
- sadly I did not get a picture of the bag after it was assembled and before handing it off.
Story ended with a very happy 9 yeard old, jealous friends who want their own bag and a mother that might end up borrowing (stealing) her daughters bag and being MORGAN for a day. That’s all a girl could ever ask for.
Not sure if the pattern will be for sale, but you can inquire if interested. I could use testers.
Sew Influential
Talk about being a product of your environment!!! I have been watching a lot of shows like Camelot, A Game of Thrones, The Borgias, The Tudors and any other thing like it. So my clothing and hair jewelry are taking on the charm of those times. I love beaded hair nets and long dresses with godets and lace. Just because of the nature of my work I don’t get to sew much for me, but I do crochet shawls and hairnets any chance I get. For the dresses, I modify maxi dresses and sun dresses to capture a little of the days of old. Go figure a sassy gal like me harkening back to olden times for style and inspiration. Hmmmm, guess it’s not really a stretch the women were modest in dress, afforded themselves the time to get dressed, and spent hours pouring over the perfect fabrics and trims from which to get dressed.
Side effect – my English gets better and more annoying as the weeks go by.
Greener as you Sew
Ever looking for ways to be frugal and smart. There is not a lot of storage in my shop, and even if there was I would still want to not stuff it up with excess. I am looking for tips on ways to be efficient and have less waste. This would be for all needle arts—–no for all of my interests, but primarily sewing, knitting & crocheting.
1. Before buying patterns, look through collection for it or an adaptable one.
2. Before putting away fabric, measure and log it
3. Before buying fabric check log and stash
4. Plan small projects to donate for charitable contributions using fabric on hand
5. Rotate machine maintenance to do 2 machines in the same day rather than all at once.
6. Instead of cutting out patterns, use the trace/transfer method.
7. Use buttons from collection rather than buying more.
That is enough for now, but I am going to keep adding. What are your suggestions?
Fashion Faux Pa
I got to thinking about the origins of fashion rules. The other morning I was answering some questions from 365 Days of sewing question of the week or of the day. It got me thinking of all the fashion rules that have been broken and really look good. Like plaid with polka dots, or polkas and stripes, animal print with neon colors. Some days when I am observing people in there wares I really have to deconstruct what they are wearing to figure it out. If I am deconstructing, that means I don’t know what the hell I’m looking at, but mommy likey!!!
Wedding Dresses
I am doing a wedding dress. Not for me for a client. Adding a corset back and looking all over the net for pics and tutorials. Mostly because it is now a common request and I wanted to do something different.
I would love to come upon a gallery of corset back dresses and tutorials for inspiration. There are a lot of talented people out there. Here is one http://artnouveaubride.wordpress.com/2010/10/29/sewing-my-wedding-gown-part-four-the-overdress/ and I love the idea of the underdress with corset. Now it may be Eduardian, but it is currently Haute to me. I love it.
Ready, Set, Sew
I had this brain stormy idea to paint my sewing table. Well one of them. It is smallish, brown laminate and cheap. Rather than sanding I am using a product called TSP (trisodium phosphate) that scratches of the shine so you can get right to painting and have no or minimal dust particulates in your area. It’s not quite the temp I would want to be out in the yard doing prep work in. My shop is only a few doors away from my home, still I don a hat, coat and scarf to tip toe over here.
Tell me why does there always have to be a problem? No matter how well intended the project no matter how faboulous the prep? Why Why Why? I just aced myself out of a good week of sewing at that little table. It is my favorite ergonomically correct instrument besides my chair. It is steady, roomy enough to have two machines on and just enough space for a tool tray. I would not put a machine on it again until at least thirty days! I am a freak about paint curing with good reason. I sat a tracing wheel down on a shelf before the paint had hardened properly in mid summer, next time I went to grab it, I grabbed an arm full of shelf and the wheel was stuck. Then I had to sand, clean and repaint and wait the proper time. My temporary table and area are setup, I am just not ‘hearting’ it right this moment. Avoiding
What am I doing instead of machine sewing? Twittering, bedazzling and lots of hand sewing. I do love to stitch by hand. If the stitches are not spot on, that means I get to use my little seam ripper and do it again. Can be fun when not in a hurry or over a deadline. I was also cleaning out some things and will probably have a small stash sale. I have fabric for almost every nation and holiday, that I know I have seen plenty of to last me a few lifetimes.
It’s spring and I am right on target…cleaning, organizing, sprucing, painting, bedazzling and yes sewing.
Knit Together
Another one of my new little loves is Knitting Paradise which is just what it says. Knit and Crochet are both shared. Remember: in some countries Knit & Crochet are the same thing. Making loops with string people. No snobs invited.
Once I got all signed up, I started to receive an email with a links page that tells me what the popular topics are being or that had been discussed that day. First I thought, not one more thing to do, No not one more page to keep me from my work!!! The topics have been interesting and the people are quick to help and share. I don’t post much there, but as I can I will be a visitor there lurking as I am a very good lurker. Actually I prefer ‘Observer’ and ‘Sponge’. A question was posted simply asking, “How long have yo been knitting?” Unintentionally I posted in my usual overly verbose fashion. (smirk) Really I just like to share. Now I will share with you the story as posted on Knitting Paradise.
I had to go look at my Ravelry page to find out the answer. lol I have been knitting for about 15 years. Always wanted my own knitting needles, even before I was sure I wanted to knit. While at a flea market I bought someone’s WIP which really was just a huge Fire Engine Red skein of yarn, red Heart, but NOT it was hard like sand paper, then it had 2 shiny new green Susan Bates needles size 7, and it came in what I think looks like a Fat wine bottle tote with a hole in the top to pull the yarn through.
Anyway, I could not get the hang of it, the instructions only had photos, no words. That evening it was mother and son time so I struggled along with it while my eldest son was pouring out his thoughts and dreams and before I knew it he grabbed the work and the needles and looked at the diagram and figured out how to knit while I figured out how to help him solve his problems and achieve his dreams. When we were done talking, I said to him “Uuuhmm, can you teach me how to knit?” and he said “Oh is that what this is?” WOW!!! Then he actually did teach me. At that time he could not read, but was very good with visual instruction. I needed words or an instructor. The thing we knit is something only a mother could love, well a son could love it too. When we have things on our mind we pull it out and take turns stitching back and forth. Stitch count not important, dropped stitches are charm, the odd shaping is called natural.”
So how long have you been knitting? How long have you been wanting to knit? Please post your answers in the comments, I would love to read up on your experience.
Fave Crafts
365 Days of Sewing
Ravelry Where My Stitches At?
