Growing Up Sewing

Sewing for Hummingbirds

1/3/2022

No, I'm not sewing teeny tiny outfits for them, but this fall I had a huge flock of hummingbirds that were constantly feeding at my feeders. When the extreme cold hit I was really challenged to keep their feeders from freezing. I hung a small heater under one of them, but then I noticed that the high winds were making it difficult for the birds to hang on to the wildly swinging feeders. So I decided to put the feeders on a small table near my patio door. They didn't seem to mind the new location but with the extreme cold they were freezing up very quickly.

Someone said they used handwarmers to keep the nectar from freezing as quickly. I remembered some of the sewing students making hand warmers for sale at craft fairs. They were basically Bean Bags filled with rice or wheat that are heated in the microwave. So I made small ones to attach to the glass bottle, and a large round one for the feeders to sit on.
When the larger round 'warmer pad' under the feeder was hot, it melted the snow and ice underneath and so the fabric became very wet. My solution for that was a thin sheet of plastic under the pad and on top of the snow. It worked quite well.

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Ten tips for reading a sewing pattern

6/14/2014

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Image from "First Stitches" The sewing workbook from "Kids Sewing Company".

Ten helpful tips on how to read and follow a pattern.

What follows was an email I sent to one of the moms who has participated with her daughter in the sewing classes and wanted to know how to read and understand a pattern. (The parts in italics reference experiences we had in class.)

1. When choosing a size, go by the child’s measurements, not by the size of garment you buy for them in ready-to-wear. Measurements for each size are found on the back of the pattern envelope - usually near the top.

2. If a pattern says it is for knit fabric, it will not fit if you make it in a woven fabric. This is because woven fabric doesn’t stretch.

3. It’s definitely a good idea to read all the steps in a pattern's instructions before you begin. …kind of like reading a recipe all the way through before beginning something you haven’t cooked/baked before. (The problem we had with the bag that S. was making, was that we didn’t read all the way through first and were trying to ‘wing’ it as we went along, and even thinking we could do it differently without knowing all the facts.)

When the kids want to make something and I haven’t had a chance to study it ahead of time, I am more likely to make a mistake in guiding them along. That’s why I like to make a sample first, not just so they can see it made up, but so I can experience the pitfalls that they are likely to face and help them to avoid them.

4.       Take something you have already made and read the instructions again. You will see how the sequence of steps now make sense and you will be able to visualize what they are telling you to do.

(For example you could download the pattern for the penguin pillow that E. made. and see if you understand the instructions. If you don’t understand something, see if E. remembers what she did at that point.)

5.       A good pattern includes good illustrations, so if you don’t understand the text, check out the illustrations. They often give a clue as to what the designer means.

6.    Every skill has its own terms and definitions. Learn definitions of sewing terms – or know where to find them when you need them. The problem with commercial patterns is that they are usually NOT written with children in mind, so they are wordy or use technical language. A glossary or explanation of terms is very helpful. Sometimes a pattern comes with these explanations.

If you look in E.’s first ‘Kids Sewing Company’ workbook where she made the pyjama shorts and top, you will find a glossary at the back.

7.      Read everything on the pattern pieces too, not just the instruction sheets. Cutting out your pattern pieces correctly is very important, as you don’t always have a second chance to fix mistakes in cutting. For example, you find out later you should have cut 4 pieces and you only cut two, but now you have run out of fabric. Most patterns pieces always tell you right on the paper pattern how many pieces to cut.

8. If you have a right and a left side and only one pattern piece for both, it’s best to double your fabric so you don’t make the mistake of cutting 2 left sides or 2 right sides -something that can easily happen if you cut the pattern piece twice on a single layer of fabric. Also check to see if something is to be placed on a fold (this was my mistake when I cut the belt for S.’s doll jacket – the belt should have been twice as long).

9. Before you sew, check the pattern instructions to see how wide to make your seam allowances. Most garments use 15mm. seam allowances and many non-wearables like toys, or home décor items use 6-7mm seam allowances.

10. Make the same pattern more than once. When you make a recipe the second or third time you often make small improvements, and the second time you’ll also be much more confident that you’ll have good results.

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Sew up to date!

12/13/2013

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Last year I needed to buy an extra sewing machine. I had two criteria.
It should be able to sew a one-step automatic buttonhole and should also have a speed control that would allow it to go MUCH slower than was possible on the basic machines where the only control is the foot pedal.

This meant it had to be a computerized model. Another feature was an automatic needle up or down setting, so no more turning of the hand wheel for this purpose.
And no more accidental pulling out of the needle thread when they started out sewing again with the needle still on its way up from the last time. The children loved it. But, since I only had one, most of them still had to sew on the basic machines.

A few weeks ago, I decided to reinvest some more of my sewing earnings on another computerized machine. This one has a few additional features.
It can also be set to sew nice and slow, (note the slider) but it won’t even start unless the presser foot is DOWN. Guess how many times my beginners engage the foot control before they remember to lower the presser foot! The results are big nests of thread under the fabric

The new machine also has a button to push that cuts the thread and raises the needle (they love that) and an
automatic bobbin threading feature, so… no more fishing to bring up the bobbin thread.

Oh, by the way, the slower sewing has allowed some of my more experienced
students (terms two and three) to sew the tiny seams that are called for on stuffed toys
and other non-wearable items. And the 'needle down' position makes pivoting much easier.

They’ve been working on penguin pillows, stuffed elephants, and piece-work bags.
Actually the lined, stripped piece-work bag was also successfully sewn by a six
and a half year old beginner. It was her fourth project after a baby
blanket, a drawstring bag, and a pair of pyjama shorts.

This week we had the last sewing classes before Christmas.
Now is the time to reserve a spot for your children for January.

Presently I am planning for classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Mondays: 2pm – 3:15pm … 2 spots left
Mondays: 4pm – 5:15pm … 3 spots left
Wednesdays: 2pm – 3:15pm… 2 spots left
Wednesdays: 4pm – 5:15pm (Questionable. I’d like to fill Mon. at 4pm first)
Thursdays: 4pm -5:15pm… 1 spot left

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Things I have learned...

9/17/2013

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Sewing studio setup

I am starting my 6th semester of teaching sewing to kids. I started early in 2011 and have completed two semesters each year since, as well as two summer camps.

I have learned so much!

I have learned how to find students, but mostly they have found me.

I have learned that not all children learn the same way. (I knew that, but now I know it again.) I have learned that some can learn simply by reading the written directions and following them. Others could care less about written instructions and just want to be shown every step. And some would just like to venture out on what feels right, but unfortunately sewing that way is not very forgiving.

I have learned that four students is the optimal size for a class of kids.

I have learned that a two-hour class is more challenging than my usual 75 minute one, but that in the early days they also really want to finish a project each time they come.

I have learned a few tricks to make it easier for them to understand certain concepts. For instance when a little one is supposed to bring up the bobbin thread, and she just sits there blankly and looks at her machine; I say, "Get your fishing rod and catch a fish". She immediately moves into action, grabbing the needle thread in one hand (her left, if she remembers) and turning the hand wheel with the other until her 'fish' - the loop of bobbin thread - comes up through the hole in the needle plate.

I have learned to search the internet to find out how to do things or to find projects that are simple enough for a child to learn.

I have learned how to set up my home sewing studio so it's an inviting place to be, but also in such a way that I can put everything away (including tables) with a limited amount of effort when we need the space for family gatherings and other events.

I have learned that I have a very supportive and encouraging husband who has absolutely no interest in sewing but listens to me anyway when I go on and on about something exciting in (what someone else has dubbed) my "shiny, happy world".

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Sewing Machine Tutorial Part 2: How to thread the naked machine.

5/18/2013

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In Part One we got to the place where the children knew what the main parts of the sewing machine were for, and could use that information to practise by sewing on lined paper. But the real deal is to sew with thread; and that means knowing how to install the thread from spool to needle and beyond. (Note: sewing on paper dulls needles, so use an old needle when sewing on paper and put in a new one to sew on fabric.)

This post has four sections:
A. Winding the thread on the BOBBIN.
B. Loading the BOBBIN into the machine.
C. Threading the top thread from spool to NEEDLE.
D. Pulling up the BOBBIN thread to meet the NEEDLE thread.
If your child already knows how to thread a machine they may just need to be reminded about how to pull up the BOBBIN THREAD. Take them directly to Section D for that part.

I make sure my students all know how to thread their machines (rather than doing it for them) because they will be doing this each time they come to class, and sometimes in between when they change thread colours, etc. It is part of knowing how to sew independently.
The first few times they will probably forget the sequence and need help, but after a couple of times, they do it pretty well automatically, like the pros they are becoming.

Here's "the how to" - Using words most kids can understand:
Hand sewing needs only an ordinary needle and a thread, but In order to sew on a sewing machine, you need two threads; one at the top and one underneath. These threads have to follow a special path so they can meet at the right place and get together to make a stitch.

Bobbin with thread wound onto it, and the spool for the top.

The top thread comes off a spool that you have bought at a store. You put it at the top of the machine and it ends up going through the tiny hole (the eye) at the pointed end of the needle near the bottom.
The bottom thread comes off a little round plastic or metal disc called a BOBBIN. The words "BOBBIN" and "bottom" start the same so that will help you remember that the BOBBIN is at the bottom. You start with an empty BOBBIN, so you have to wind thread onto it from the spool.

A. Winding thread onto the BOBBIN
1. Put your spool of thread onto the SPOOL PIN. The SPOOL PIN is usually at the top of the machine at the back. It’s on the right side near the HAND WHEEL and is either lying sideways like a log, or sticking up like a pole.
If it is a sideways SPOOL PIN, it will also have a plastic END CAP that you pull off first, and then push on again after the spool to hold it in place. If you are using a large spool of thread, use the larger END CAP that comes with the machine. This becomes important if you are using a spool that has a notch in one end of the top. The notch can catch the thread while you are sewing, and will break it. The larger cap will keep that from happening.

2. When the spool is on the SPOOL PIN, take the end of the thread and pull some of it off the spool. On many machines there is a shiny screw-like thread guide on the top, near the left side. Pull the thread to the left and around this guide. This puts some tension on the thread if it is lodged under the screw properly.
If you also have another thread guide close by, put the thread through that one first before snapping it under the the tension screw.

and then holding the BOBBIN in your other hand, poke the end of the thread through a pin hole in the rim of the BOBBIN. Start it just under, and inside the rim and poke it out to the outside through one of the small holes.
3. Hold onto the thread end and the BOBBIN at the same time and push the BOBBIN down on the BOBBIN WINDER SPINDLE. The thread end should poke up.

. On my machine the BOBBIN WINDER SPINDLE
is a shiny short pin at the top of the machine near the right. (See your manual if you don’t see it there.)
4. Still holding onto the thread end, give the BOBBIN WINDER SPINDLE, with the BOBBIN on it, a good solid push so they move over to the right, closer to the HAND WHEEL. This will make the spindle spin when you step on the FOOT PEDAL. You can see the oblong shaped hole next to the SPINDLE that allows it to move to the right. (If your needle goes up and down while you are winding, check your manual to see if you also have to pull out or loosen the HAND WHEEL a little ways.) See the previous photo with the complete view again. It shows the thread going from the spool to the left around the tension screw and then to the right where the bobbin is on the SPINDLE.
5. Keep holding the tail end of the thread. Now step on the FOOT PEDAL and start winding the BOBBIN. After a little while, stop and snip off the tail of thread (the one you were
holding onto) close to the top of the BOBBIN. Then start winding again.
Make sure the thread winds evenly onto the BOBBIN, and not underneath it. Sometimes just putting your finger under the thread in front of the BOBBIN at the beginning, helps this problem.
6. When the BOBBIN is fairly full, stop and cut the thread an inch or  two from the BOBBIN.
7.. Slide the BOBBIN WINDER SPINDLE and the  BOBBIN back to the left. (This allows your needle to go up and down again and keeps the BOBBIN WINDER from spinning. )
8.Take the BOBBIN off the WINDER SPINDLE. (If you had to pull out or loosen the HANDWHEEL earlier, you will have to push it in again or tighten it now.)

The BOBBIN  is placed underneath the NEEDLE PLATE at the bottom left side of the machine. Sometimes it is also called the 'throat plate'. The NEEDLE PLATE is the shiny flat part around the FEED DOGS. It has a hole in it where the needle goes up and down. This is where the stitches are made and this is where both threads have to meet. Keep reading to see how to do this.

B. Loading the BOBBIN into the machine (The following describes how to load a top-loading bobbin. If you have a front-loading bobbin, skip down to see instructions for front-loading bobbins.)

This machine has a top-loading bobbin.

This machine has a front loading bobbin. The bobbin is placed inside a metal bobbin case first, and together they are loaded into the machine.. Instructions for a front-loading bobbin are further down in this blog.

For a top-loading bobbin:
1. Lay the BOBBIN on the table first and make sure the thread runs over the top and to the left. (The BOBBIN and thread will sort of make a letter `P``. If it looks more like the letter `g`, flip it over.)
2. If you have a top-loading BOBBIN on your machine, start by releasing the catch beside the plastic BOBBIN COVER to allow you to drop it in its place. The catch is a small slider to the right of the cover. Push it to the right and the plastic lid will pop up.
3. Now pick the BOBBIN up and place it in the round hole that you found under the BOBBIN COVER.
4. At the front edge of the hole, the side closest to you, you will see a tiny notch (a place where the edge has a tiny break just big enough to slide the thread into). Hold the BOBBIN down tightly with your pointer finger, and with your other hand pull the thread through that notch and to the left until it clicks twice. (See picture on the left below) The second click is sometimes too quiet for you to hear so just pull it over as far as it will go.

Don`t put the BOBBIN COVER on yet because you don't want it to pinch the thread and keep it from unwinding later. (Now skip to Step C unless your machine is a front loading one .)

For the front loading machine,
1 Start by removing the bobbin case from the machine. Pull on the bobbin case latch and hold it open and pull the bobbin case out of the machine at the same time. Release the latch and the bobbin will fall out of the case.
2. Install your new bobbin. The BOBBIN thread should run over the top of the BOBBIN and to the right, more like the letter 'g'. Put the BOBBIN into the BOBBIN CASE. There is a small lever or latch, on the outside of the BOBBIN CASE. I am holding onto it in the picture above. When you hold the lever open it pushes a tiny claw over the rim of the BOBBIN and holds it inside the BOBBIN CASE and will keep the BOBBIN from falling out. Hold onto this lever (latch) and pull the thread through the little slot in the BOBBIN CASE until it clicks. Keep holding the lever (latch) open and push the BOBBIN CASE and BOBBIN in place. There is a kind of a metal finger that sticks up on the CASE that goes to the top. If it doesn't fit, wiggle the hand wheel back and forth a little until the finger finds its place and goes in.

C. Threading the top thread on the sewing machine
If you are short, it's OK to stand up when you start threading your machine, but when you get near the needle you will want to sit down.

The best way to thread a machine is to look at the pictures in the manual that came with it. Many machines also have directions right on the body somewhere. Mine has numbers imprinted in the plastic so it’s just a matter
of connecting the dots with your thread.

1. Make sure the PRESSER FOOT LIFTER is up and
2. The spool of thread is on the SPOOL PIN followed by the end cap.
3. Pull the thread to the left and under the first THREAD GUIDE at the top of the machine. Follow the machines
instructions or numbers. (There is a number 1 on my machine here)

4.The thread will go down the front, between the TENSION DISCS (they are inside the groove on the right)
5. At the bottom it will make a U-turn at "number 2" and come back up again through the groove on the left.

6. This will take it up to number 3 where you slide it into the TAKE UP LEVER from back to front, from right to left.(make sure it slides into the hole at the front of the lever).
You might need two hands to do this. You hold the thread like you hold your dental floss when flossing your teeth and just hook it under the back edge of the lever and pull it towards you.
7. Now it comes back down the groove that is below the TAKE UP LEVER (past number 4 on my machine) to the bottom.

8. Just before it gets to the needle you must hook it behind one more
little hook on the needle bar. The hook is called the NEEDLE
GUIDE.
9. Now put the end of your thread through the needle from
front to back. Even though I am right-handed, I find it easier to thread the
needle with my left hand. That way I can use my right hand to grab the tail
when it comes through the needle at the back. If you hold your thread about an
inch from the end it will still be stiff enough to aim it through the hole and
you'll get a better aim. If your thread is 100% cotton it tends to curl a little
more and will be harder to thread than the Polyester.

D. Pull up the Bobbin thread to meet the Needle thread so they can make a stitch
1. OK. There is one more step before you can sew. Remember I said that in order to make a stitch, the two threads have to meet? The meeting place is just above the hole in the NEEDLE PLATE. Therefore the BOBBIN THREAD still has to come up through that same hole.It would be
pretty hard to fish the thread up from the top of the hole with our fingers, so we are going to use a special "fishing line". The "fishing pole" is the needle and the "line" is the thread that is in
the needle.

2. You need both hands for this step. Put your right hand on the HAND WHEEL and use your left hand to hold the needle thread - the needle thread is your "fishing line"(the red thread in the picture on the left). Hold it up and towards you. At the same time turn the HAND WHEEL one complete turn towards you with your right hand, and as this makes the needle go down and come up again, it will come up with a loop of thread wrapped over the thread you are holding with your left hand. This loop is the BOBBIN thread (the black thread in the picture). Pull it up some more as if you are pulling a fish out of the water.
3. Now pull one side of the loop all the way out of the hole until you get a tail. You can also pass the dull edge of your small scissors under the PRESSER FOOT while still holding onto the needle thread, and that will also do the job of pulling out the tail of the loop.
4. Now hold both threads together in one hand and put them between the two toes of the PRESSER FOOT and pass them to the back.
5. Put your fabric under the PRESSER FOOT just like you did the lined paper. Lower the PRESSER FOOT and sew.

SUCCESS!!!! Happy Sewing!

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Tutorial on Learning to use a Sewing Machine Part 1

5/13/2013

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I decided to write this tutorial to help moms and grandmas who want to teach their child to use a sewing machine (or to review with them what they learned in class)

A couple of months ago I had agreed to teach a Brownie troop how to use a sewing machine. (Brownies are the younger edition of Girl Guides.)
As the day approached I was rather apprehensive because there were seven of them and I only had access to five sewing machines, and also because I knew from experience that four kids is an optimum class size. But at the last minute I applied myself and was able to borrow two more machines. Also, their leader came along and was an extra pair of hands and eyes so the larger class
size was a little more manageable. So (no pun intended) all was good.

The kids were great. First we got everyone set up. If they were too low, we gave them fat pillows to sit on, and if their feet didn’t reach the floor where the foot pedal was, we raised it (the foot pedal, not the floor) by putting it on a ‘step’ from some exercise equipment. I also had some boxes ready since I only own two of these steps.

An important part of the setup, which adults probably do automatically, is to place the sewing machine on the table so your nose is right in front of, or in line with, the needle.
Each girl had a machine that was "just-out-of-the box-naked" (no thread), and a little booklet called “Learn to Use the Sewing Machine”. It guided us through the following:
-becoming familiar with the machine’s main parts;
-sewing on paper;
-threading the machine
-and sewing on fabric.

We started with the parts and learned a bit about them. Here's how it went:

1. The ON/OFF switch. Find it and turn it on. Everyone found theirs.
There is a page at the beginning of the sewing machine’s manual that shows you where all the parts are. Sometimes they use slightly different names. Use the manual if needed.
2.The FOOT PEDAL. Put your hands in your lap and press down with your toes to make it go. Lift your toes to make it stop. Now make it go as fast as you can, and then as slow as you can. Finally make the machine go half- way in between fast and slow. This is a good speed to use for sewing.
3. The HAND WHEEL. It’s on the right side of your machine and you can turn it by hand. Turning it makes the needle go up and down. Always turn it towards you. Turn it and watch the needle.

4. The TAKE-UP LEVER- the one that looks a bit like the head of a goose. It goes up and down when the needle goes up and down. Its job is to pull the thread tight after each stitch. (More on that later.) Turn the hand wheel and watch the take-up lever go up and down.

5. The FEED DOGS . The needle goes into a hole between them. (my pointer is touching one of them.) They look like the tracks of a toy bulldozer or army tank. Their job is to grab your fabric and pull it through the sewing machine. Turn the hand wheel again and watch the feed dogs. They go up and down and backwards each time the wheel turns. (I took the presser foot off for this picture so the feed dogs would be easier to see.
6.The BACK STITCH LEVER or Button. (not pictured) .
If you can’t find it, look in your sewing machine’s manual. Get ready to turn the hand wheel again but first hold down the back stitch lever or button with the other hand. It’s a little awkward, but do it so you can watch the feed dogs. They now go in the opposite direction. This makes them pull the fabric towards you, making the machine stitch backwards. When you let the lever go, it stitches forwards again. (On some machines the back stitch lever works by pushing it up.

7. The PRESSER FOOT. This is a little foot on the sewing machine that is just above the feed dogs.
The foot you use most often has two toes, and looks like a pair of skis. Its job is to hold the fabric against the feed dogs so they can do their job.
It only works when you lower it, so… here’s your chance to “put your foot down!”

Most machines also come with extra feet. They look different and help you do different things.

8. The PRESSER FOOT LIFTER. Guess what its job is. Right! It lifts the presser foot. It also lowers it. But since presser foot lowerer’ is hard to say and it’s not really a word, we’ll use the first choice.
Often we don’t use the name at all, we just say ‘lower your presser foot’, or ‘lift your presser foot’.
You will soon know that that means you grab the little handle that sticks out under the center open section of the machine to the side of the needle, or, at the back of the machine, behind the needle.
Hold on to it tightly all the way up or down so it doesn’t get away on you.
Don’t let it slam down on the feed dogs. You don’t want to hurt your “dogs”.

9. The TENSION DISCS are two small round discs that are hidden inside a slot (a crack) at the front of newer machines. The slot is to the right of the TAKE UP LEVER and it has a dial set into it.
On older machines like the one in this picture, they are on the outside above the needle. Either way, their job is to keep the thread that goes from the spool to the needle from being too loose when you sew.
A spring on the discs squeezes them together so that as the thread goes between them they hold it tight enough to be stiff; but not so tight that it gets stuck. (This is called tension.) The PRESSER FOOT LIFTER is attached to this spring and so at the same time as it makes the PRESSER FOOT stay up or come down, it also makes the TENSION DISCS squeeze together or come apart. So ...PRESSER FOOT
LIFTER up – the thread is loose and you can easily pull it out; PRESSER FOOT LIFTER down - the thread is squeezed and tight (tense) so you can sew.
10. There is a DIAL with numbers on it attached to the TENSION DISCS that can be turned to make the TENSION DISCS squeeze more or less tightly. Turning this DIAL is called changing the tension. Most of the time you leave this DIAL exactly where it is.

Because of time constraints and the size of the class, I omitted numbers 6, 9 & 10. But, everyone tried out the parts on their sewing machine as we went along and finally we were ready to sew.
Since they still didn't know how to thread the machine, they practised what they had just learned by sewing straight lines on paper
Then they learned how to thread the machine, and to sew on fabric.
I will cover how to thread a machine in my next post.
The little booklets (one for each child) called “Learn to Use the Sewing Machine” are available from“Directions” at www.showmesew.com

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A sewing kit for a birthday girl

7/30/2012

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Sewing the button onto her needle book.

While looking for ideas for my fashion show, I Googled my
theme, “Made by Me” and found a book by that name. It seemed perfect for a small person to enjoy some hand-sewing time so I ordered it. I loved the little projects and clear instructions, so I decided to send it to my granddaughter for her seventh birthday.

But I didn’t just send the book, I assembled and sent
things she would need, in order to do some of the projects. This is what I remember including:
- about 8 skeins of craft yarn in different colours;
- a small felt needle book I had made,
with several large eye needles and a few pins inside the pages;
- a small embroidery hoop;
- a drawstring bag filled with buttons;
- a half a yard of fun fabric with little dogs all over it;
- several pieces of felt in various colours and a little bit of polyester stuffing.
I knew she had scissors at home so I didn’t include a pair.
I also cut out a small white felt owl to which I had already sewn some buttons for eyes.. All she had to do was hand sew the front and back of the owl together at the edges, push in the stuffing just before she was done, and then sew the hole shut. That was the first project she did and after that you couldn’t stop her.
She saw a decorated T-shirt in the book and she found one
of her own and sewed buttons around the neckline, and also stitched some embroidery along the hem.
Her other grandma was coming for a visit and she decided she wanted to make a needle
book for her like the one I had sent along. She needed a little help knotting
the end of her thread, but then got busy and sewed on the button; attached some
yarn to wrap around the button as a fastener, and sewed down the center to
make a spine and attach a double page inside.

Here she is with her button-decorated shirt and the
finished needle book.
Do you think she looks proud of herself? She also sewed
her skirt on my sewing machine when she
visited our house one weekend.
Tutorial for this skirt can be found at http://www.ikatbag.com/2010/04/how-to-sew-skirt-when-you-are-5-years.html

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Hand sewing

6/22/2012

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A team of women from our church went to another country and reported that the ladies there had taken the motors off their electric sewing machines, and converted them to treadle machines.
I was amazed. "Why would they do that?" I wondered.
But it made perfect sense when I realized that their source of electricity was off as often as it was on.
But there are times when even a treadle machine is not the answer... like when you are a child who needs adult supervision while using mom's machine, but mom isn't always available every time you want to create something. The solution is needle and thread.
This summer I offered to teach a few girls in my class how to hand sew. We'll learn how to sew things onto fabric, like buttons and snaps and maybe even sequins and beads.
Then there are ways of stitching two pieces of fabric together with special seams that were used all the time before the sewing machine. And what if you want to make a stuffie with a face embroidered on it? Or you want to embellish the very plain top you made in class earlier with some cute outline drawings.
To see how far I could take hand sewing, I embarked on this project of sewing a lined zipper pouch without ever using my sewing machine. It was a fun and relaxing process and didn't turn out too badly.

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About hobbies, and something I never knew.

1/7/2012

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Sometime people ask pesky questions, like - "What's your hobby?" For many years my answer was, "I don't have time for hobbies."
Even though I am now teaching sewing classes on a regular basis, I am hereby admitting that sewing (and teaching sewing) has become my hobby.

Ten signs that something is a hobby not a business.
1. You spend more than you make.
2. When you get Chapters gift cards, you buy a book that relates. i.e. "The Sewing Machine Classroom".
3. You scour the internet to gain new knowledge on the subject.
4. The list on that subject in your 'favorites' box on your computer fills a whole screen.
6. When you watch football with your husband, you are also reading books on your hobby.
7. Your car can automatically find its way to the same store.
8. It's fun.
9. You dedicate space in your house to it.
10. It doesn't have to be practical to have value.

Something I never knew... Thread has a "nap". (No it doesn't get tired and go to sleep.) Thread is made by twisting fibres. These fibres have ends that stick out sometimes. (Think of braided hair that contains unequal lengths.) They all stick out in the same direction depending on whether the fibres were twisted left to right, or right to left.
In hand sewing with a doubled thread in your needle, it often wants to twist and knot. The reason is because you have doubled the thread and on one strand the fibre ends point upwards, and the other strand the fibre ends stick out downwards.
"In order to get the thread's nap to go in the same directions, the trick is to cut a second piece of thread and thread both ends through the needle eye. Your thread is now doubled, but not twisted."
(That last bit of info discovered on page 17 of "The Sewing Machine Classroom." by Charlene Phillips.)

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Left-overs Part One

10/26/2011

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Left-overs Part One

   Holiday dinners like Thanksgiving and Christmas usually produce leftovers. They are great if we know what to do with them. My son-in-law says leftovers are the best part.
   Recently I’ve been challenged with finding creative ways to use leftover fabric. When I sewed just for myself, my goal was to buy the minimum amount I could get by with, so I seldom had much left over.
   Now that I am sewing sample items for my class, I often use the fabric for something other than I originally intended it for. It’s so much fun to get an idea for something and then go to my small stash and find what I need. Often the 'something' needs less than I have on hand so I have some leftover.
   My students also have leftovers and I am researching projects for things they can make as well.
    So here’s what I’ve done so far:
1. Embellished clothing. I made a set out of a top and shorts
by using a small piece left over from the top to add a pocket to a pair of shorts

2. Doll clothes. Leftovers from the kid-size tops and skirt were made into clothes for an 18” doll. The dolls are a great size for beginners who want to create and design economical clothes. They are much easier to sew than fiddly Barbie doll fashions.

3.String Quilting – strips of red and gold fabric on a 4.5” block made from the leftovers of various items. It could be made into a simple mat for a coffee cup, or it could be sewn to numerous other blocks and made into placemats, etc. or even a quilt. (I apologize that it isn't clearer.)

Lastly - Simple Four Squares patchwork - made into a small pillow.
The leftovers came from a sample nightshirt.

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