Design by Nine

Keep Warm in Style

2007-01-12T17:28:00.000-08:00

By the end of this weekend you could crochet yourself a great scarf to keep warm.
If you really like the fun furry yarns they have out, here are a few tips to help you work with it.
If you like your scarf long and thin you will need only one skein, if you like your scarf a bit wider then buy two skeins. Choose a larger size crochet hook (J or larger). Fancy stitches don't really show up with the furry type "yarn" so a double or triple crochet works better and will go faster.

Notice which way the nap is ??? Most people will have a preference to either pull from the center of the skein, the outside, or roll it into a ball. But for this yarn you want to make sure that as you are making your stitches you are SMOOTHING the yarn not fluffing it up. By working with the yarn this way it reduces the number of split stitches and tangles.

By keeping your pattern simple you will not really need stitch markers, they just seem to get lost with these types of yarn and it will be easier to keep count. I like the double crochet for this yarn and I chain an even number, usually less than ten stitches. This is very forgiving as far as mistakes go. If you do have to pull out a mistake, go slowly as this yarn will knot very easily in the against the nap direction. If you do get a knot that won't come out just snip and re-tie, the knot is not going to stand out once your scarf is all fluffed.

If you use the very fluffy and furry stuff, you can hardly see what you have crocheted so it is that much more important to keep it simple and use that large hook. Once you are used to working with it or if your are an advanced crocheter you can branch out into some mittens or a sweater. This type of yarn is so soft! It is truly like a kitten! I like to make very long thin scarves out of this yarn and just wrap it several times around my neck. It's like a boa sans the feathers shedding.

Once you are finished crocheting, shake,comb or fluff until all the fuzzy bits are not caught in your stitches. You don't have to stop there you can add beads, pony bead size or larger work better as the smaller sizes don't show up very well, You can add sequins or even bells! Hey more IS more!

The scarf is a great way to try out new yarns, especially if the new yarn is pricey. A new scarf will give you a great accessory. It can double as a belt. It can camouflage an ugly spot on a shirt or jacket. Also they make great gifts. So why are you still sitting here?... go make yourself a fabulous scarf.

The Flag

2005-07-27T18:17:00.000-07:00

I have two days before I begin costume "tech-ing" for the run of Cabaret. (That's jargon for mending, washing and dry cleaning.) They have already hung the flag we made for the outside of The River Theater. The flag, like the pennet string, is not my art work. It was copied from part of the original poster art. If I knew the artist's name I would credit him/her here.

Our challenge: a 3'x5' two sided, weather-proof flag.
The first problem encountered...Budget. I have made outside banners/ flags before. With canvas. If you look through past posts you will see the 'mini banners". See, the canvas works. And when primed properly, you can paint both sides of the same piece of canvas. Well, my first choice canvas, ( nine dollars a yard plus the shipping because none of the stores around here carry artist canvas) lost out to the two 5'x5' used red table cloths, that were already in the back. So, with a grumpy face I brought the 100% polyester table cloths home, promising that I would try and make them work. So, we did a test paint and heat set and then hubby dear stapled it to the deck railing and sprayed it down with the hose on jet. And.... it didn't run. But the paint did bleed through, badly. Another grumpy face, but with resignation in my heart, we began the project.

The paint bleeding through meant that there would have to be two flags made into one. I cut the table cloths into 37"x60" rectangles, trying my best to leave out the bad parts.( Somebody has eaten on these table cloths. Someone else used them as drop cloths) So, now I need the exact image on both flag sides. Free hand copying another's art is not one of my strong points, especially with an increase, and having to do it exact, twice. So, I opt to enlarge the image to trace out on both of the fabric pieces.

We covered the table and then taped flag one down.

With the permission of the theater we ah, REALLY enlarged one of the "Kit- Kat Girl" images from the poster. What does REALLY mean? Well, from under four inches, to just over four feet!
We used our home copier.
How? Enlarge your image to the maximum , then cut it into quarters and enlarge the four quarters to maximum. Just keep doing that until you have the right size. We ended up with 30 sheets of copied parts to cut and piece back together with tape.
Here's the photo of that.

Four inch tall art work is not intended to be examined under a microscope and blowing it up to four feet tall does not really give you smooth results, all of the microscopic imperfections are exposed. So, I had to touch up her lines and even her up a bit. Then I transferred the image to the fabric. Carbon paper is our friend.

The lettering came next. The "font" on the poster art was free hand with a paint brush, white in color and small. Copy enlarging was not really an option. So, I had to free hand it.

Then on to the painting.

These really used up the paint. Two large tubes of acrylic paint. ( Don't forget the textile medium if this is going to be washed or get wet.)
We dried the flag with a blow dryer. Yes, we really did. And removed the tape and hung the flag up on tacks , then re-papered and taped the next flag fabric down. Then transferred, free hand, paint, blow dry and hang with tacks. Then we slept... Got to let the paint cure, right?

The next morning reveals that the chalk marks from the lettering that I didn't space correctly is still there. The second chalking was great and that is what I painted. But the first chalk was showing, so much for brush off chalk, grrrr, polyester. And the flag that is tacked up to the shelf over the window is showing every dinner that was ever eaten on it in the sunlight. Meaning that these two as one flags are going to need some type of interfacing between them. Ok, so, now what? Interfacing, while not very costly for a lapel or waist band, can be pricey if you need three yards. I would have to get the black for a true "no show" through. Black, costs more and does not come in five foot widths. I am thinking .... seams... layers... and then how well will interfacing do in the wind and rain. Interfacing is for clothing. So, with Bree giving me all of the available options via her cell phone, I decide... not to use interfacing but plain black cotton. She buys it, brings it home and pre-washes and dries it. Yeah! To get the chalk off , I tested several different methods on a scrap piece. What finally worked? Detergent and a sponge. Then alcohol as a de-foaming agent. No way did I want to risk putting it in the washer at this point, heat set or not.
Once we were back on track we cut rod pockets , one red, one black and sandwiched all the layers together, (think quillow) and pinned it all around, leaving an opening to turn.

After it was all sewn together, we clipped all of the edges and corners and flipped it. Then we pinned again and I top stitched all around closing up the opening left over from turning.
Here is how it turned out.

Note the difference in lettering to cover traces of a previous life as a drop cloth.

The best way to see it is of course, outside The River Theater.

A Break From Sewing...

2005-06-07T21:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday and today I had plans to sew... well, we had plans to sew, but we have been preempted by my youngest daughter's birthday gift to her best friend in the whole wide world. I'm not talking wrapped present here... what started out as an innocent "will you help me paint a little on said best friend's guitar?" has turned into a FULL BLOWN multi-day art project!

(Not Sewing Day One)

All Day: searching, printing, skecthing, sizing and more
All Night: tracing, placing, tracing and tracing and more tracing

(Not Sewing Day Two)

All Day: painting, painting, painting.... Twelve hours later and still painting!

Okay, so realistically we probably will NOT be sewing this week. But that's okay, because I'm still getting to do something I love ... spend time with my children creating a gift for someone I love as one of my children.

So if you've read this far looking for a sewing tip, I don't want to disappoint you.

Beginning sewing tip: Buy yourself a yard of large gingham and practice sewing straight lines and turning corners. This will give you confidence when it comes time to make your summer wardrobe.

A tip for all sewers: Before you throw your dirty, smooshed, worn out "tomato" pin cushion away, lay some papers down and cut that sucker open. Inside you will find all those needles that somehow "disappeared". My current record for lost needles in the old "tomato" is 47 needles! And all because I wanted to know what they filled those pin cushions with. Well worth the mess!

We'll post photos of the finished present later this week.
Till then: Happy Craftiness!

Some Friends for the Pumpkin Patch

2005-10-14T14:57:00.000-07:00

We Girls got together and sewed up some "Friends" for our pumpkin patch.
Check out what we did with a slightly modified Mc Calls pattern and our imaginations.

It seems that the picture poster upper is down for repairs. So I will put up more pictures tomorrow.

Ohhh! Wait till you see these guys closer up. They are so cute. I've already sent one to my Mum and one to my Sister.

Sweet Pumpkin Dreams

E-bay and Away

2005-08-05T17:43:00.000-07:00

After reading Bree's post about e-bay, I got all excited and went to see what there was to see.
Boy oh Boy! Did I find some really cool sewing necessities, and some not so necessary sewing items as well. I saw a great deal on a new mid-range sewing machine and now Bree's new machine is on the way , thanks to her hubby who thought she should have a machine of her own.

Side note: Bree has been sewing on my 16 year old Brother sewing machine. It does have an LCD readout, 1 step button hole and about 25 other stitches with all of their variations. But, It also has a much repaired cord, (kittens love that sewing machine cord) some tension issues, and despite logic, I think that machine is just used to me. So, Bree has suffered using the" ol' Girl", and has earned an machine of her own.

While I was looking around, I found a machine... a machine I don't already have, a machine that I had never heard of before... Really! Be still my little seamstress' heart. So, I Google, "Coverstitcher" to see what it does. Oooooh stretch knit, cool edging and the much coveted (by me) chain stitch. Let me state as a disclaimer that previous to finding this machine, I had bid on 3 other regular machines that were "steal of deal" and was promptly out bid... So, I bid. But in the back of my mind I do not for one minute think that I will be the winning bidder. Yeah, yeah ... I am.
So for $100.00+ $24.00 s&h , I will be the new owner of said coverstitcher.
After that, I went to see what I was getting. As I should of done to begin with. I found out I could get a brand new coverstitcher, same brand and model, for $150.00 with free shipping! Yes, I am kicking myself a bit for that one. Considering I did research on embroidery machines for about EIGHT Months before, I decided on a SE3, which I shopped for the best deal I could find , taking me another Three Months before I brought that baby home. I wanted a blindhemmer for over Two years before, I started looking around for one. That was another e-bay find. Bree and I did that one together. First I decided I would not pay more than $150.00 for one, HA HA. Then I bid on said baby lock blindhemmer. " RESERVE NOT MET" grrrrrrr! So, Bree sweetly said to me..."You hem all my stuff for me, how about we go 50/50." So, set our limit and put in a larger bid... Same message. Now it becomes a challenge. The other bidders and that darn reserve not met. We broke the limits we set three times before we finally won, at well over $ 300.00! We did still save over two hundred dollars on a new blindhemmer.
Ok. I have learned my lesson. I WILL control my itchy "confirm bid" fingers. I will at least find out the "new" price before I bid and I will really, really, try to not bid more than I first set as my limit.

Now, Hubby and I have to be out of town until Tuesday. I would rather be home waiting for the postman/UPS with Bree.
So, I am away , I will report back and let you know how that coverstitcher works.

Happy Creating till then.

Note: Coverstitcher arrived broken. I was refunded - shipping. I still am thinking of getting one. Just not yet.

Some Sewing...

2005-06-28T01:51:00.000-07:00

Friday evening, Bree and I were looking around and noticed that some of our home decor was a little sparce. Ding! The idea light came on and we started mini "banners" for the soffits around the kitchen. Projected time to completion: two days. Sewing, painting... Translates as weekend fun to those of crafty inclination. And this time we took pictures through the whole project.

This project is a bit, shall we say invovled so if you want to make a "Banner" for your summer enjoyment and need some help with the process drop me a line (e-mail) and I will see if I can help you out.

It all started with the canvas , we used unprimed mainly for the time/rain factor, then we measured our spaces and marked our canvas for cutting.We cut out the canvas and then marked the edges for the fold-over. One inch is a good fold-over for this heavy fabric. Then (here comes the sewing!) serge all the edges.

This is really the only sewing in this project. If you were going to make this a "free hanging" banner, like a flag, you would sew a hem on all of the edges.

Next step: The long process of finding the gfx. Choosing, sizing, re-sizing, and transferring the image to the canvas with carbon paper. *( be sure to use copy write free art if you are planning to sell your banner. Most images are fine to use for your own personal enjoyment. But if you are unsure:ask for permission or don't use the image.)

We out-lined our clip art with a paint pen. This was so so so much easier than the brush on the unprimed canvas. Then we used a Textile Medium to mix with our acrylic paint.
Let the painting begin:

We had fun and completed the project on time. They look homey and corny and we love how they light up the room.
Next: more costume touch-ups!

Side Tracked

2005-06-22T19:45:00.000-07:00

You could already tell the ""help paint" guitar for my best friend" project was way more involved than I had anticipated, Ten days work! And the object 'd art is waiting to be spray varnished. One good sunny day and we'll take finished project photos. Hopefully that will be before said best friend arrives early next week.

We did manage to get the sewing room clean for about fifteen minutes.

Some members of my family are under the impression that this room is still a dining room. Haahaahaa. Every now and then I do let them eat meals on my cutting table. So maybe that is the reason for their confusion.
And now back to the sewing!! YEAH

Project: embellish "Miss Rosies" rather plain bar girl costume.

After de-constructing skirt , removing the torn sections and pressing, the skirt was taped to cutting table. I did this with blue painters tape so the fabric would not slide around while being measured and chalk marked for multiple rows of ribbon.

Then I used glue stick to hold the ribbon rows in place until they were sewn along both edges with matching embroidery thread. I like the glue stick better than pins, because pins just don't hold as well as the glue stick does and you can place all of the rows at the same time with the glue stick saving lots of time.
Whenever possible try to plan to add your embellishments when your item is still in its "flat" stage. You can always rip a ready made item back to this stage, if you have an item that you really like but it just needs that lil' something extra, but it is easier when flat.

After sewing the ribbon rows, I added rows of matching straight stitches for fill and then made the casings so the skirts "pull up" could be adjusted. I added pre-gathered black lace to the hem and then added the elastic to the waist casing to finish the skirt.

We got completely carried away on the corset. More is More. Right? We added lace, tulle, ribbon, beading, cording and handmade (by Bree) silk ribbon roses. Did I mention carried away... We forgot to take pictures of the process but here is the finished product minus the lace overlay.

The bustle is made of gathered tulle and more silk ribbon roses. It is tucked into the corsets lacing.

"Miss Rosie" lookin' good.

More later

A dress for Mother, & advice.

2006-03-19T22:56:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures of a dress I made for the "Mother" in "All My Sons".

Not really a step by step, Bree took them for me because I was so involved I completely forgot.

Thanks Bree!

Eyelet for the outside of the collar.

Eyelet for the cuffs as well.

"period" style pockets... I thought they were rather nifty with their one free edge. I used a serged thread for the belt carrier.

Plain white fabric for the front interfacing... Did I mention that we were a bit shy of the amount of fabric that was needed for this dress?

Finished dress with matching belt and fabric covered buttons that you really can't see, but I guess that is the point. This photo does not do it justice. But you can see it on the actress if you follow the link to Hans' photo site. http://www.flickr.com/photos/hansef/107288443/

This dress had thirteen pieces, eleven of which I had to alter to fit our lovely actress, who like all normal persons is not made to fit the so called size standard on the back of the pattern envelope.
Get yourself a good book on fitting. If one method does not work for you .... Get another book or DVD. Find what will work for you. Because very few of us are like the cardboard cut-out so -called standard.

The pattern maker, whom I will not name, but it begins with a Mc -----, made two errors in drafting this pattern. The fold over cuffs were TWO inches shorter width wise than the sleeve width and the front interfacing, IF cut on the "cut here" line would have been FOUR inches shorter that the dress. Hummmmm? Also, if there was a way to "vague up" the Thirty-six! Step directions... They would of read something like.... Here are the pieces, go sew them up. The steps for the collar if followed would of left you with unfinished edges and a collar that was not attached to the front of the dress...GRRRRRrrrr

Yah... Okay... I could go on. My point in including this small tirade is... IF you have tried sewing, and had less than hoped for results. It may not be you! Even if you did pay $15.00 for the darned pattern. The directions on most patterns are a bit vague. Especially if you have never sewn before. Or if you have never sewn that type of item before.

Start small. I know those pattern books make you want to sew it all. But pay attention: How many pieces does that pattern have? How many seams? Does this need to be fit perfectly in order to look right? What kind of fabric do I need and is it hard to work with?

You could start with a "Sewing for Dummies" project to get the feel of what you are doing. Look for more detailed information on the type of item you are wanting to sew. The web is full of information. You can get sewing books... New... Or used or on loan from the Library.
You can take a class or ask a sewing friend to help you. Don't give up!

When you find a pattern you like and have altered it to fit you the way you like. Do NOT just make one of that item and then put the pattern away. Try different prints. Different fabrics. Add trims, lace, fringe, pockets, beads, or buttons~ go for it and embellish!
Adjusting a pattern to fit, is too much invested time to just shove back into the envelope.

Keep in mind you are worth the extra effort!

Fuzzy Wuzzy

2006-03-19T14:31:00.000-08:00

Fuzzy Wuzzy was a ... Sweater?

Well it will be by the end of this post.

As you may remember from the Christmas stockings, this fabric is made of polyester. What I like to think of as the New generation of polyesters... Am I in love? You bet. This stuff is soft as a kitten, it's warm, stretches almost as well as a slinky knit, Machine washable (by itself), and no ironing. But as with all love there is a draw back, or two.
Fuzz. I really mean it too. It will get everywhere and on everything. Think of shaving a fluffy cat in your sewing space. The fuzz vacuums up pretty well. And the lint roller works too. You should have both on hand when working with this stuff.

Tips

Because this fabric is no iron, ie.. You can't iron it. You need to pick a pattern or project with few pieces and simple seams. Remember to use the *with nap layout. Press to set does not apply here.

New stretch knit needle.

Straight stitch presser foot.

LARGE head pins..... The Flower type work well, but can still be lost in the deep pile of the fabric.

Try not to sew the right side of this fabric to either the feed dogs or the presser foot. IF you have no other option, choose to sew the right side up toward the presser foot. It is much easier to sew this fabric wrong sides out. You could use the between tissue method if it was really necessary, but I don't know how well the tissue would tear-away or wash out. If you try it, let me know how it works.

Test.
You really need to buy extra fabric to play around with. Test cut, test sew, test serge (overlock).
You don't get to rip out your mistakes with this fabric. So, test, test, test. And if you are worried about fit.... Baste and fit BEFORE you sew.

Here is how the Sweater went.

As you can see the pile of this fabric is DEEP.

Simple pattern with few pieces and simple seams. Three pieces total. The back is one piece cut on the fold and the front is one pattern piece cut doubled.

Fuzz More Fuzz

Maybe now is a good time for that first vacuuming.

Go slow when serging

Okay.... Here is where I had some great close-ups that don't seem to want to load....

There are just four seams in this sweater jacket. So, it was quick to sew and serge. (And then vacuum again.) I serged all of the remaining raw edges(and vacuumed) and then just folded over and stitched for the bottom hem and the hem on the sleeves. Also, just fold over and stitch the front and neck edges. But I added a fancy trim on both front sections from the shoulder seams along the neck edge.

I used two shank buttons and a hair elastic for a closure. I used baby gold safety pins to secure the buttons as I was not sure how well these buttons would wash and dry. A few hand stitches with matching thread is holding the hair elastic in place. (One last good vacuuming!)

Here is the finished sweater jacket. The fabric is not shiny as it appears to be in the photos. Ok, it does not look spectacular in the photo. However I did receive more than a dozen compliments when I wore it and Seven women and two men actually petted me. One of the women wanted to take it home with her! That made all the vacuuming worth it.
One last tip... Carry your sticky lint roller with you until your new fuzzy item, whatever it is, is all done shedding.

Happy Sewing!

Spring is Coming!

2006-03-19T22:00:00.000-08:00

Spring is almost here.
It is not quite time to start planting outside, but you do not have to sit idly by waiting for that last frost to finally pass...

You could get a head start by looking around to see if you have a few not so pretty or not so interesting boxes or other items that could be used as a planter.

Break out that glue gun and gather up some stuff !
( Stuff ? What kind of stuff?)
Just about Anything you may have collected a bunch of... Sticks, shells, rocks, thread spools, jar lids, old shoes, pieces of things that used to be whole, nuts, bolts, wire,..Etc. What if I don't have a bunch of "stuff"?
Go on a gathering mission... If you have kids ( you can borrow some) they are great for gathering bunches of stuff. You could also ask a pack-rat friend for some bunches of stuff.

This does not have to be a lifetime commitment. Just a seasonal commitment! The item does not have to set the theme for your garden or make a statement about your taste... It can be just a tid-bit of interest to tuck in the corner. Or if you end up loving what you have created you can make it the centerpiece of your garden.

Bree and I loved ours so much we bolted it to the porch railing~

Just a few things to keep in mind.... Use the high temp glue sticks if you live in a warmer climate.

More glue can be a better thing. So, buy the glue sticks in BULK.

Drain holes. You can drill these. Or if it is not drill-able.... Be sure to add good drainage material first.

Liner. If your "found" planter item is not of a plant friendly material.

Think water tolerant for your glue on stuff.

IF your item is going to end up being heavy after everything is glued on, you might want to move it there before it gets too heavy. Bet you can guess how I learned this one.... haahaahaa (Thanks guys for helping us move the planter!)

Think Spring!

The current

2006-01-03T15:01:00.000-08:00

The current was stronger than I anticipated at The River.
I was asked to help with a few of the costumes for their production of Misery. (who me? oh wow! really?) Of course I jumped on the chance to be on board.

Why I am telling you this? Well, it's my reason for being late on posting the Christmas stockings finish. So here are the pictures of these beauties. And a brief description of how I did it. If you want to get a jump start on next year's stockings, now is a great time. The fabric will probably be on sale.
Speaking of the fabric, it's polyester. Wooly polyester for the white and fleecy fur polyester for the red. I can clearly remember when polyester was a word that would make be cringe. And there are still types of polyester that I can't stand to touch let alone wear. But the new polyester types are so different from the old double knit that I look forward to sewing with them, washing them and then Not ironing them.

First. Your pattern. Trace a stocking you like or free hand a design of your own. Paper grocery bags work well or tissue paper. Be sure to make the fold over cuff larger than the stocking so it will lay nicely and not bunch up.

If you are using any of the slippery types of fabric, be sure to pin the fabric together before removing your pattern.

Here is down side.

The fuzzy fibers get everywhere. Worse than velvet. But worth it.

Even if you do have to vacuum mid- project.

It's pretty simple. Sew foot pieces right sides together and cuff piece right sides together. Turn the foot part right side out. Then place the right side of the cuff to the wrong side of the foot, tuck your "hanger" between the layers (on the heel side) lined up with the raw edges and sew the top edges together. Flip the cuff right side out and ....

tada! Now all you have to do is add a name tag.

To make things more smoothly, I used a new ball point needle for stretch knits (always a new needle). I used large flower head pins, so they could be seen and not lost in the pile of the fabric. The straight stitch foot on the presser foot, it runs smoother over the wooly stuff and does not tangle up like the multi-purpose foot can. And I kept the wrong side of the fabrics to both the presser foot and feed dogs. On the last step it is a wee bit tricky stitching in the round on the inside of the cuff. Just take it slowly, I don't think ripping out a mistake is an option with this fabric. I used the serger after each step to keep the fuzz factor down. A bit. LOL

I wish you could feel these beauties. Mmmmm! so nummy. They were a big hit with the family and they stretched just fine. I am looking forward to using them for many Christmas' to come.

As for the new polyester fabric.( I don't think it is for the beginning sewer.) But, I have already bought some of the wooly polyester fabric in a pretty pink that I have plans to make an over shirt/jacket with. Even if you have to vacuum two or three times,I think the way this fabric feels is worth the extra effort.

Docking

2005-12-21T05:27:00.000-08:00

What a ride!
I have docked my little boat and am out of main flow at "The River".
" A Christmas Story" is over and all that remains to be done is the dry cleaning!
(I would have been completely lost without Bree as my partner!! Thank YOU Bree the Amazing.)

Now I will see if I can start working on our own Christmas projects. First on the list ... Stockings.
Don't we have stocking? Yes, But... I am thinking S T R E T C H ! Yes ~ a ~reee... We need that stretch. I am so tired of the after Christmas stocking mending. As a rule, if you have mended something more than three times, there is a problem in either design, fabric, or "use not in context with labeling".

While there are other shapes of "stockings" I really like the look of the traditional stocking. So, I will be sticking with that sock shape. That makes changing the design out.

Use not in context with labeling... I am hoping that my children are now past the point where they will be trying to Wear their stocking... And hopefully no more half eaten candy storage either. However, I find explaining that the stocking does not have infinite capacity is futile.

Thus we come to the Fabric. Felt.... haahaaa that didn't last at all. Velvet... Oh so sweet...But it makes very bad stockings when they are worn as socks and not really happy about being washed in the machine either. Satin... So pretty... So zero stretch and not agreeable with being mended when the no stretch factor is strenuously tested. Crocheted, I liked this, a lot... Machine washing reduced them back into a ball of yarn. Not very neatly either. Armed with the knowledge of what has not worked, I made a list...

Here were my priorities 1. Machine Washable, ( just in case of candy storage)
2. Stretch, for better fit of odd shaped pressies, though still finite, more forgiving when stuffed.
3. Pretty. Who wants to spend time making something you think is icky.
4. Feels nice. Yes, I am one of those textile people who go around touching everything.

I found some great fabrics that fit the list. And being as pleased as a cat in the window sill above the heater vent, I forgot to inquire what said fabric is called. lol. However I will find out and post photos of the Stockings later this week. In the mean time...

Here is a fudge recipe that is super nummy, fairly easy, and uses HALF the sugar required in most fudge... It also happens to be my Mum's

Betty'’s Fudge

If you have an electric stove use a trivet, like you would use for a glass pan.

1- 7 oz. Jar marshmallow cream
1 ½ cup sugar
2/3 cup Evaporated Milk
1/4 cup butter
1/4 tsp. Salt

12 oz. Bag chocolate chips.... ( 2 cups)
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup broken walnuts

Combine first 5 ingredients in a Heavy metal sauce pan.
Over medium heat, Stir until melted.
Raise heat to medium high. Bring to a boil.
Boil for 5 minutes EXACTLY.
Remove from heat.
Add chocolate chips,. Stir until melted.
Add vanilla and walnuts mix well.
Pour into a well butter baking pan.
( larger pan thin fudge, smaller pan chunky fudge)
Score while warm
Cut when cool
Store in refrigerator loosely covered with wax paper.

Let me know what you think.

Pumpkin Bread

2005-11-14T01:27:00.000-08:00

Here is my recipe for Pumpkin Bread. It is very yummy. Give it a try and let me know what you think....

Pumpkin Bread
Preheat oven 350'

1 1/3 cup shorting
5 1/3 cup sugar
8 eggs
1 large can solid pack pumpkin
1 1/3 cup water
6 2/3 cup flour
4 tsp. Baking soda
3 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Baking powder
2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 Â½ cup broken walnuts
1 cup raisins optional

Grease bottoms only of 4 - 9x5x3 loaf pans or 6- 8"½x4"½x4"½ (or even the mini loaf pans however baking time will be much less on the smaller pans.)
Mix shorting and sugar in very large bowl. Add eggs, pumpkin and water. Blend in flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. Stir in nuts and raisins. Pour into baking pans. Bake until wooden pick comes out clean apx. 1 hr. 10 mins.; Cool slightly. Loosen sides with knife. Remove from pans and cool. Can be wrapped and refrigerated for up to 10 days. Can be frozen.
*** DO NOT DOUBLE THIS RECIPE

Hey don't laugh... it's a fast post, that says... I still care, I'm just ssssssssoooooo busy.

Still not slacking

2005-11-09T01:55:00.000-08:00

Hello to all!

We here at Misfit Hill are still not slacking. LoL
I have just been too busy to post.

I am caught up in the flow of The River.... Theater that is. We are doing the costumes for this years production of A Christmas Story.

Wow.... What a lot of work.... But fun too. I have a Super Assistant and a great group to work with at The River.

I will post with some photos before too long.

Go with the flow.

No Slacking

2005-10-18T13:55:00.000-07:00

This is a Clean Fabric Closet!

Bree and I cleaned, sorted,grouped, measured, folded, and tagged all of the fabric that I own that is over one yard. We rolled everything that was under a yard. AND in the process we made a (oooh!oooh!) sew into clothes right now pile. ( Do we hire out? Yes. Are we expensive? VERY.) lol
We sorted through all of my patterns and matched the right now fabric to the right now patterns. That was tough. Decisions , decisions.
It was a serious amount of work. But worth every minute!
We cut, altered, and of course drafted new patterns like crazy women and then set to sewing our new fall wardrobe. Well, part of a wardrobe at least.

Just a sample of what we were up to.

Notice the fold lines on the cream skirt.

Nothing too fancy. Just shell type shirts, blouses, cozy fit pants and skirts. Lots of skirts.
We are still in the middle of the ooooh!oooh! Right now sewing, but at this rate we will be finished soon.
It feels just fabulous to be sewing this fabric into something to wear. Some of this fabric has just been purchased. Others, like the cream skirt fabric has been waiting a loooooong time to be made into a skirt. I have had this cream fabric for years. I have washed and ironed it probably a dozen times. I promised myself the last time I was stuffing it back in the fabric closet, that the next time I washed and pressed this fabric, it would be some type of clothing. This time..... I just made it into a straight skirt. As you can see I only pressed the seams. Hahaha.

Most of you have a fabric stash, some of you are full blown fabriholics, I am somewhere in between. No matter where you fall on the fabric hoarding scale, do yourself the favor of keeping your stash organized. It really makes a difference. All of that sorting and folding was almost like fabric shopping! Only better because it was already paid for!

Hey, what are we doing still sitting here? Come on... Lets go sew!

P.S. THANKS BREE!!!

Construction of 'Lil bitty scarecrows

2005-10-18T13:04:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of the construction process.
We gathered all of the supplies together and then cut all fabric pieces out at once. Then we took the 'divide and conquer" approach. Miss Rosie did the bodies, Tabby the pumpkin sewing and stuffing, Bree on the details, myself on clothing, faces, and hair. We all did fill in and help out for each other.

One hundred twenty body parts

Twelve shirts, six skirts, six pairs of jeans and six petticoats

Sew them together

Trim, turn and press. Yes, I really did iron all of these 'lil outfits.

Gathering pumpkins has a new meaning.

Trim, turn and iron all body parts.

stuff

Stuff and sew

Stuff some more

Adding steams and leaves

Now sew together.

Sew some more and get them dressed

Bree working on details.

As projects go, this one is fairly involved and time consuming. There are many details and most of it is all hand sewing. We all thought they were worth the work.

If you would like to make some for your self, send me an e-mail. And I will do my best to help up.
Sew Cute

Ready for your close-ups?

2005-10-18T12:48:00.000-07:00

Here they are!

Felt Fun 3

2005-10-13T09:10:00.000-07:00

Here we go with part three.

I think this is the fastest project of the three! These pumpkins are simple and fun to make and they will look so cute sitting around the house from now, right through Thanksgiving. Let's get started making a pumpkin patch.

Gather up your supplies

Felt sheets: orange, green and brown
Scissors
needles
thread/ floss to match
polyfil
Sewing machine is optional

For the small pumpkins you will use one sheet of orange to make 2 pumpkins.
For large pumpkins you will use two sheets of orange to make 1 pumpkin.

Small pumpkins: fold the felt in half lengthwise. Sew the long edge.

For the large pumpkins, sew two sheets together along the short edges.

Use a running stitch to hand gather the lower edge. Pull up stitches tight, wrap threads around gathered end, then knot thread. Turn right side out. Lightly stuff to just less than the half way point on the small pumpkins. For large pumpkins lightly stuff to within three inches of the top.
Use a running stitch to gather the "top" edge. Pull tight,wrap threads around two or three times and knot. For the small pumpkins, cut off leaving about 1 inch of "stem. ( Use other half to make second small pumpkin.)

Using long strands of heavy thread or floss, wrap around the outside of the pumpkin to make sections.

Cut a piece of brown felt in a rectangular shape, at least long enough to wrap around stem "nub" once or twice. Wrap brown felt around nub and sew the base of the stem to the pumpkin, the edge,then tuck down and sew the top.

Now cut out your leaf ( you can sew a vein down the center if you like ) and vine, Attach leaf and vine to pumpkin. Tack into position if you wish.

Viola! We are done. Set these cuties all around your house or group them together. Give 'em as gifts. Too cute, and fairly quick and easy.

Keep the creative energy flowing.

Felt Fun 2

2005-10-05T15:20:00.000-07:00

Get Puffy!

Part two of Fun with Felt

When I first tried sewing with felt, I kept trying sewing and then turning "right side out"and stuffing and sewing the opening by hand. That didn't really work for me. When I was working with small pieces, it just never seemed to turn out as well as I had hoped. All lumpy and not so round edges. So, I borrowed a technique from the quilters section. Trapunto.

Trapunto: Quilting in which the design is outlined with two or more rows of running stitches and then padded from the underside to achieve a raised effect.

The key word here is UNDERSIDE. This will only work if you display the "pretty" side. The under/back side is going to look like Dr. Frankenstein was sewing it. Apropos for the season.

Gather your suppies:
line drawings
Felt~
orange
green
brown~ for this project
Poly stuffing
thread
scissors
needle
pins
Sewing machine

Follow the same steps as we did for the leaves:

Two layers of felt, with the line drawing pinned on the felt. Sew right on top of the lines throught the paper. ( Do not forget to zero the presure or drop/ cover your feed dogs.) I added a small piece of brown felt underneath the two layers of orange and sewed the 3 layers together under the drawing lines of the stem.

added brown felt for the stem

Tear away the paper from the felt. You won't need to worry too much about the little left behind pieces of paper, because this is now the back/underside/wrongside.
Next cut out your pumpkin. Just as with the leaves, close but not too close. I cut all around the stitching of the brown stem.

Now comes the trapunto part. On the backside, the one without the brown felt you need to cut small slits into each section of the pumpkin. ( I did not do the stem)

Be sure to cut through only ONE layer.

Not too big... It will stretch.

Now we need something(s) to poke the poly stuffing into the really small spots. Nothing sharp because it will poke right through the felt or pointed because it will not move the poly stuffing.

Think "end of crochet hook, pen with a tight cap, bodkin". Or all three. Whatever works that will not poke through or leave marks.

Start stuffing

Little bits of stuffing at a time work better.

Stuff each section.

Now Dr. it's time to sew up the project.

Next I cut simple leaves and tendrels out of the green felt. I used embroidery floss to sew the leaf vein also to attatch the leaves and tendrel to the pumpkin body.

Fun with Felt 1

2005-10-03T23:58:00.000-07:00

I did not mean to keep you waiting. Our internet has been down. Now that it is all fixed, we can have some fun with felt.

First gather the supplies you will need:

felt by the sheet or by the yard, in fall colors you like
thread to match or coordinate
scissors
paper with line drawings of leaves.
pins
seam ripper
your sewing machine

It is much easier to sew this project if you set the presser foot tension to zero. You can drop your feed-dogs or cover them with that lil' plastic plate if you prefer or if you don't have a presser foot pressure control.

Print, copy, or trace your line drawings onto as many sheets of printer paper as you want leaves.
Rough cut (not with your sewing scissors) the line drawings out. Pin the line drawing to the double thickness of felt. Pin only inside the outlines. You don't need very many pins.

The simpler the drawing the better. And it will be easier to get the hang of sewing.

.

simple line drawings

cut out drawing pinned to double thicknesses of felt

Why not make a pile while your at it?

Now that you have your would be pile all ready and your machine set . Lets sew! Did I hear a "Wait"? ahhhh. Your thinking I forgot to tell you to cut these leaves out first. But I haven't. We are going to sew THROUGH the paper! Following the lines, sew the outline and center vein of your leaves.

With the presser foot tension or feed dogs down/covered you do not have to sew in a straight forward motion. You can pretty much sew as you please to follow the line drawing. It does take a bit to get use to this "Free Form" sewing, but once you do, you will see how easy and fun this can be.
When your pile is all sewn, use the seam ripper to run along the now perforated outlines. This will help free the felt from the paper. There will be some annoying little pieces that don't want to come out of the stitching. You can keep working at it using tweezers if you like, or if it will show. If it won't show... Ask yourself. " Do I really care?"

the back will give you an idea of what the finished leaf will look like

along the dotted line

it doesn't matter if you missed the lines a bit

tear paper away

To tweeze or not to tweeze?

Almost done. Now we cut out our leaves. You can use just about any scissor. Sewing scissors work really well. Applique scissors are even better. How I wish I would of bought a pair of these little gems sooner. I don't really do applique, so I just figured I didn't need a pair. I did.
Ok. Start cutting.... Get close to the stitching line, but not too close.

Once the leaves are all cut out, you can hang 'em up, make a pile. Or accent other fall deco you have.

Look around and see what other shapes/items would be cool as felt art.
Stay tuned for part two and three... Where we will get some dimension.

Hey, come back....

2005-09-30T03:55:00.000-07:00

Don't go...

No, you are not lost.

It's just a color change.

If you are Hans, and are reading this.... ORANGE? Why can't I have Orange?

For everyone else... Bree , T.C., Mellie, Wanda? Where are all those comments I was promised?

We are so busy sewing... I can't even begin to catch up! Hey, Bree take some pictures. Make me stop and take some pictures. lol

The house is starting to look like fall. Yeah! Halloween is coming and T-day is not too far after that.... all very good reasons to burst out and decorate with yellows, reds, oranges and browns of varing shades. Ohh! Leaves and pumpkins and Scarecrows. Then add all the cool and spooky stuff and last before the BIG C, trade the spooky for the turkey and cornacopia. I love it. I love it all. (Thanks Mum!)

I have revived the felt sheet for this years decorating. Yes, felt.
An overlooked sewing/craft material by most people above the age of ten.
Are you wondering why I would think to revive this most humble of art supplies? Two very good reasons .

1. I am sick of construction paper.
2. I had so much of left-over from homeschool.

So, when faced with toss it? Or use it? I put my brain to work on the "use it".
Felt is so much more fun if you ditch the glue and and stitch instead. Yes, with the sewing machine. How? Stay tuned, and I will show you what I came up with.

Something cute to wear....

2005-09-27T13:43:00.000-07:00

Friday while mapping out the sewing day before me, I added a bright pink corduroy big shirt to my list of "change this" clothes. I have three things on my list, as most clothes are easier to make than to re-make. I have to really like something to re-make it.
This shirt qualified. I waited for this shirt to go on sale. The description said "This item runs very large, so order TWO sizes smaller than your usual size." I did.
Big mistake.

Oh, it fit, sorta, but it didn't button. OK, I should of returned it... I would of too, but I guess everyone else my size wanted one. I either had to go without, or live with it. I wore it as an overshirt. Twice. Large whale bone corduroy is warm. Very warm when layered. So, I thought I could change it, add some here and there so that I could wear it without another shirt underneath. That decided. The pink shirt is added to the sewing plan for the day. Bree sees the shirt on my bed and says "oooohhhh I want a corduroy skirt. I need something cute to wear to the concert." I say "Not in the plan.... No corduroy in our fabric closet." She offers a "quick" (right) trip to Joanns. I counter with the not in the plan... You can see how this is going, there will be a trip to Joanns. While I am asking Tabby what kind of corduroy they have in stock at her store...(hey, I could get something to match) Bree picks up my shirt, holds it to her waist and Click, snap, pop! The idea is born. I ask how she feels about bright pink?

I'm thinkin'... Shirt to skirt. Hey, why not? People make pants into skirts all the time. Holding it up to her to do a quick check for length and width. I decided ... This really could work. The gears in my little seamstress/designer brain are really turning now. We head off to the sewing room.

Here is my disclaimer... For those of you who have done the pants to skirt re-make, you know that most too tight pants turn into great fitting skirts. This conversion is NOT the same. The shirt you pick MUST be TOO LARGE for you.
While the pink shirt was a total of four sizes too small for me, Bree is at least ten sizes smaller I am. So be sure your shirt will go around your hips with room to spare. Also check the length from underarm to hem. If you want a waist band and have a short sleeved shirt the main length will need to be extra long or you will end up with a super short skirt.

That said. Here's how.... Lay your shirt flat. Remove any pockets or the like with your seam ripper. Mark from right underarm/side seam junction straight across to left underarm/side seam junction. Then cut on the line. Now you have two pieces,
1. a shirt upper, shoulders and sleeves
2. a shirt bottom.
If you don't have someone handy to seam rip the sleeves, collar, cuffs and yoke like I did ( thank you very much Tabby). You would do all the seam ripping on piece 1. now. Doing it now will give you an idea of how much fabric your going to have to work with. Depending on how much you have, you can start thinking about extra little touches. Looking at piece 2. You can see how it can be turned into a skirt. Not too tough eh? ( If your in a big hurry, forget all the seam ripping of piece 1. And just turn under the top of piece 2. To form a casing for elastic. Sew casing leaving space, add elastic, sew closed, top stitch and your done.)
Not in that much of a hurry? Good... Let the designer in you out. LOL

Looking at the front of piece 2. I could clearly see where the pockets had been. (Most of the time if your item is fairly new, these needle marks will wash out. You can't count on it though, and certainly not if the shirt has been washed multiple times.) I decided that pleats would be the perfect thing, reducing the extra fabric at the waist line and covering up the pocket marks. I measured both sides, marked, folded, and pinned each pleat, then I basted the pleats' top at the "waist edge" and pined the pleat closed. Then fitting the "skirt" to Bree, it was still too big, we needed darts. Bree has an hour glass figure so more than one pair of darts is a better choice, I used, four pairs of darts on the back of the skirt. I did not sew these down but treated them more like a tuck type pleat. I then stitched the waist line at 1/2" to hold all darts and tucks in place. After checking to see if the sleeve without the cuff will go around Brees waist, I find I am just a few inched shy. So, I matched up the grainline and sewed both sleeves together and cut the waistband out. I had more than enough, so I used the extra to make "V end" tabs to sew over the front pleats as a design extra. I centered each tab over a front pleat and pinned, then top stitched each tab on. Then I add the waistband. Button hole and button. To finish... The hem of course. It originally had a shirt tail hem. I just shortened it in the front, so it would not be too short. Then with the leftovers and a few extras we got carried away! What an outfit! She had people stopping her to ask her where she got it.
Here are the pictures.

lay out your shirt, measure, mark and cut

Mark, pin, baste and sew your pleats. Remember to sew them Closed.

Back tuck type pleats. Basted only along the waist edge.

Get all carried away with the project and forget to take photos... then tada!

Skirt front with the V tabs sewn over the front pleats and extra buttons from higher up on the shirt as accents. Notice the straight hem.

Skirt back with open type darts or pleats if you prefer. Notice the shirt-tail hem.

Get even more carried away with all the extra parts that are leftover, throw in a a shirt already in the "change this" basket and add.... fishnet... What's a rock concert without fishnet? TAADAA!!

And you thought I meant fishnet for your legs....haahaah

Happy Bree

So, if you have some "Big shirts" on hand or a yard sale/ thrift shop/ consignment store shopper keep in mind the shirt to skirt conversion. Think flannel, or wool or denim... ohhhh just right for the up and coming winter. If you want to do this and find my directions a little...ah vague. E-mail me and I would be happy to give you more details.

Sew Creative!

Vortex of Sewing

2005-09-19T14:55:00.000-07:00

I'm back....

Well okay, I didn't go anywhere.
I just didn't check in and update you on all the things I/ we have been doing.
I was sucked into the VORTEX of SEWING. I just kept going from one project to another. I was gonna stop, take photos and post. I was. But I just got so caught up in the current project that I would tell myself... " On the next item we are taking pictures and posting."
Well look how far that got me. lol All this time has passed and no post. Here is a picture of our project door.

I/we have sewn so much, we had to re-do the project door and start a tally mark system in hopes of keeping up with ourselves. Yes, the Vortex had us.

So, let me up date you a bit.
Cabaret finished up without a hitch. And we are awaiting the next theater event.

The "cover stitcher'' aka cover stitch machine. Did arrive... DOA. I really tried to revive that machine. Whatever Fedex did to it in shipping, was terminal. So, back it went for an insurance claim. We have no cover stitcher as of today. Bitterly disappointed I was. I was having visions of flawlessly sewn stretch knits.
However...While e~shopping to convince myself that I had not lost out on the only cover stitcher for me... I found THE 3 in 1 machine that I want next. ohhhhhh baby!
2- 3 -4 -5 thread Serge/overlock/2 thread chain stitch/ AND both, 2 and 3 needle cover-stitching. Come to Mama. I haven't had a feeling of "want" like this since I was five and I wanted Santa to bring me a Baby Tenderlove. ( He did by the way.) Thanks Santa!
Now, I just have to convince myself to part with the cost of said machine. My dear Hubby said "Get it baby, you need that."... Ahhhh, I do love that man.
I guess I need to think about it and suffer first. lol

I might not feel any pangs of conscience, IF I had not just been " the winning bidder" of the most beautiful 1940 ish industrial strength sewing machine. "Mbmotorsports" is the Master of sewing machine restoration. I am so happy to have one of his machines. If you get a chance, go check out what this guy does on e-bay. He says he is the best... And I agree with him. lol My "new" machine sews through Ten layers of denim. It sews through leather too! Three to five layers. And did I mention she is beautiful. So, as you can tell I already feel pretty spoiled.

As far as projects go..... The Project door claims we have sewn:

11 shirts ( four of those were fleece Hoodies)
14 skirts
8 underwear type items... (Tabby has really gone to town on the boxer making.)
4 accessories
9 house items ( including new mini banners)
6 other ( ham, sleeve roll, seam roll)

Not too bad eh?

Tabby is working at fabric store, so we are getting in all kinds of trouble there. And since she is working in a fabric store, she is learning to sew. GO Tabby! YEAH 15% discount.
We have pattern tissue up and fabric stacked all over and are generally ready to sew at any given moment. Which is where I am heading next.
September IS National Sewing month , and we are going to sew up a storm!
By the way, Have YOU thought of joining the American Sewing Guild? hmmmmm? It's a good idea.
Till next time... Which really should be soon.
Happy Fall
Happy Crafting

Share a skill

2005-08-23T22:32:00.000-07:00

When I moved to the Sacramento Valley from the Sierra mountains, I had too much stuff, too little house and a yard with what was once flowers. I didn't know how to deal with a yard. I knew how to deal with pine needles. I didn't even own a lawn mower.
To the rescue, my energetic neighbor-lady. She didn't loan me her lawn mower... She mowed my lawn for me. And in return I reupholstered her dining room chairs. When I was pruning("hacking off") my rose bushes, she took the pruners away from me and fixed the roses and they lived,( as a matter of fact they bloomed like crazy that spring). And I made a cornice to go over her vertical blinds that matched her dining room chairs.
We had a pretty good exchange going. I couldn't get a weed to grow and she didn't even own a needle or thread. So we traded favors with each other, and it worked out really well for the both of us.

When she told me I had more talent than "Martha" and she wished she could do crafty things, I told her she could... she said no, I said yes, she said no, I said yes, then I took (drug) her to Michaels craft store. Heeheehee I won that one, and she made me house plant starters so I could learn how to care for growing things.
It was the start of a great friendship. We have laughed our way through more projects than I could list. What a Grand time we had! Here are a few pictures of just a few.

Mellies Quilts

Pocket Pillows

Oil Painting

Making soap

The plants in my kitchen window.

Oh, how I wish I would of taken pictures of all of my plants and all the landscaping she helped me to do. She even taught me how to keep my pool clean and chemically balanced! We did so many projects, including stained glass, which she is a whiz at. I have to admit that I am still Leary of an art form that requires butterfly bandages as a basic supply. lol Every holiday a new set of projects,decorations, gifts and goodies.
I had indoor jungle sized plants and she bought glitter and paper by poundage. We hit all the fabric sales as well as plant sales. We cut up scrap clothing by the hefty bagsfull and she made a quilt. My climbing rose was taller than my roof!

When I first met her I never dreamed we'd be such a fabulous team. She all outdoorsy and me such a indoor girl. All because she came over and offered to mow my lawn. I sure do miss the days when we lived close enough to "play" together. Whenever you are ready Mellie me girl, the craft room is waiting.

So, if you know someone who could benefit from a skill you have, volunteer to help them out. Or even better teach them what you know. You never know it could turn out to be the start of a beautiful friendship.

Share the craftiness!

Days Fly By and Janine vs. Vinyl

2005-08-22T00:03:00.000-07:00

Wow!
How could so many days of passed so quickly? Busy, busy,busy days. Cabaret is in full swing and four nights a week I am washing scrubbing and mending. Have you seen it yet? No? You will have to hurry, next weekend is the last weekend. The actors are good. The play, sexual, funny in parts and heart wrenching. Worth the fifteen dollars.

While I have been busy with Cabaret, I have still been sewing some small things. Pot handle shaped pot holders for my Mum. Also, a vinyl window in my great-nephews crib toy, so that it is safe to put pictures in for kisses and coos.

Speaking of the vinyl..GRRRRRR. That stuff sure is a cusser*. Have you worked with this stuff? In the first place, I'm not entirely sure vinyl is something we should be sewing. LOL
It sticks to EVERY surface of the sewing machine, and itself and still manages to slip and slide on fabric like satin right sides together. No pins. Clothes pins don't work and neither do paperclips. Tape. I used tape, it mostly worked.... Ahhh. 'Till I had to get the tape off...grrrr again. Then all the sticky was left behind (should of used the blue tape).
But hey, with the tape you can get it to move under the presser foot. But you still need to use tissue paper because the vinyl sticks to every other part of the sewing machine. ( think window clings) Once you are all taped and tissued you can't see the vinyl to know where you are sewing because, well because ... Its clear.
It all worked out, finally. Project for the cutest Great Nephew in the World, complete and baby safe.
However the seamstress (me) was feeling like the underdog, rumpled and otherwise disgruntled. How could I go from the "Oh sure Mum , I can fix that . No problem", to @$%$&@^vinyl$^&(@22747 !???
I felt defeated. I had so many ideas for using the rest of the HUGE piece I bought for the 8x12 inch project. Bree had ideas too. She sat cheerfully on the other side of the table telling me we should make dirt proof purses or "something". The look I gave her sent her off to Cabaret a little early that day.
So, I sat at the table and glared at the remaining ROLL of vinyl that is left behind after the "baby proof window" is complete. Now what? Purses or the garbage. Oh, was the garbage option tempting.
But I just couldn't give up that easy. So, I asked myself. What have I learned?
Tissue is a must, blue tape not pattern tape. I bought the heavy stuff and learned why all vinyl bags have bias tape. You can't turn it successfully and have it lay correctly,' cause you can't iron it. Ok. Now see what you can do with it. I set out to make a small bag (for Bree) with fabric lining. I used 'bum bum bumbaaa' Glue stick ( instead of tape) and tissue. I don't know if the glue stick would work for every project, but it did for this one.
It turned out cute, no cussing this time and Bree likes it. I don't think I will ever make slip covers outta this stuff but, I can work with it. Vinyl IS tough. But I was tougher. This is the toughest "material" I have ever worked with... made velvet, chiffon and lace seem like a walk in the park by comparison.
If you have any tips or tricks on working with vinyl, please feel free to let me know. I still have most of a ROLL left.
Well, until the "run' is over and I can take more pictures of the projects we are working on ...
Joyful Creating.

* Cusser= Anything that can incite an otherwise, sane, rational, patient, sweet natured, seamstress to cuss/curse/ swear, with a skill she never knew she possessed.