Category Archives: Sewing

February 15, 2018 · 11:20 am

Multi-Project Update

Project Bags and a Sock

I have been rotating through my various crafting activities; knitting, sewing/quilting and embroidery.

I decided I needed to make project bags for my various projects – the image top right is my first attempt. It is great – my Live Simply cross stitch fits inside with the chart and my box of floss. However, my A4 pages (in a plastic slip) don’t fit easily inside, so I decided the next one needs to be 2.5cm bigger in both length and width. I have started another one (top left image). Check out the fabric, it’s sheep knitting! The front and the back are quilted and it is fully lined (no raw edges).

I finished one of my after thought heel socks – this is not my favourite technique and I will revert back to normal heels for my next sock (which is going to be Winter Rose Socks – I have joined the hand made sock society and they are going to send me a new pattern bimonthly.)

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June 22, 2017 · 2:30 pm

Wonky House Project Bag

Wonky House Stitching

I bought this design from Urban Threads ages ago, but, like a lot of things, did nothing with it. On the weekend I decided to make another in the hoop zipper bag  – it was a bit of a disaster because I forgot to open the system (and therefore it was forever shut!).

I then had a bit of an epiphany  and thought ‘why don’t I do the embroidery and then make the thing using my normal sewing machine?’.

I wanted a new project bag for my knitting and decided a draw string bag would be ideal.

Martha Stewart has a great tutorial on making draw string bags – super easy and quick.

I have used linen for the bag, which makes for a nice finished product, but the fraying was extreme.

I stitched the embroidery by hooping a tear away stabiliser and floating the linen on top (picking the stabiliser out was a complete pain in the butt – there must be a better way). My machine has a basting function, which stitches the linen to the stabiliser and holds it in place for the embroidery.

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November 10, 2016 · 2:48 pm

A New Project

Grainline Studio's Scout T-Shirt

Grainline Studio’s Scout T-Shirt

I helped the girls make sparkly capes for Halloween and I enjoyed the process so much I decided it was time for a sewing project. I wanted to make a woven t-shirt and Grainline Studio’s Scout t-shirt came up in all of my searches.

I am loving the print at home pdf patterns! Although I did do something wrong the first time and the test square was the wrong size! I should have read the instructions and only printed the first page as a test.

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September 30, 2016 · 2:26 pm

A Finished Item (Finally)!

Loop Bag

Loop Bag

I finished the kit – it came together quite easily although I didn’t do a very good job on the straps. More particularly where the straps join each other.

I do like this design and think it would work well in an embroidered silk.

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September 27, 2016 · 1:01 pm

Spoils of the Trip

Miss A and I had a weekend trip to Melbourne.

We went to the NGV to see the Making the Australian Quilt exhibition.  It is a fabulous exhibition with some amazing pieces – I can’t believe the amount of work involved in some of the quilts. Here’s a review –  https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/101-arts-update/3500-making-the-australian-quilt-1800-1950-ngv-australia – it is definitely worth seeing if you’re in Melbourne.

We also went to L’Ucello – no trip to Melbourne would be complete without a trip to L’Ucello! I also discovered the Kimono House – how could I not have known about that?

We purchased kits – this one

Japanese bag

Japanese bag

And this one as a gift for Miss P

kittykits

I decided to get started on mine straight away

The Loop Bag

The Loop Bag

I had been thinking about making one of these bags in an embroidered silk, so this was a fabulous chance to get a pattern and have a go.

 

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June 21, 2016 · 3:26 pm

Slow Quilt Progress

Two more blocks of the sampler quilt quilted

Two more blocks of the sampler quilt quilted

I have found a bit of renewed enthusiasm for this quilt. So 11 down and 37 more to go…

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Filed under Digitizing, Patchwork, Sewing

May 2, 2016 · 10:43 am

Journal Cover

Embroidery for Journal Cover

Embroidery for Journal Cover

I have started to construct the journal cover – it shouldn’t be that difficult, but I have managed to measure wrong once (luckily I found out before cutting the fabric).

My girls have gone back to school, so I have put my sewing machine away, which will, of course, delay sewing this thing – although I still have a bit of cutting to do so I don’t really have an excuse.

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October 18, 2012 · 5:04 pm

Applique A and P

I bought Font Engine to go with my studio. I thought it would be handy to be able to type words and then make the embroidery file rather than arranging individual letters. First thing I tried was appliqued letters – sorry about the image it is all a bit dodgy!  You can’t tell from the image, but the letter is about 125 mm tall.

I thought it would be easy to create the applique, but it was quite fiddly and I intend to write a tutorial (if only to help myself remember next time!).

I used my A to make Miss A a bag for her dance stuff. Obviously there is a P as well!

As I have misplaced my applique scissors, I haven’t been able to trim the fabric as closing to the tack down stitches.

 

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June 26, 2012 · 11:31 am

New Cushion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I went to the Upmarket on sunday. I do like it, but it has become so busy that it is beginning to be a bit unpleasant.  I bought fabric from Old Grey House. I was determined to use this fabric quickly (I’ve bought fabric from them before, which is still in my stash!). I made a cushion – pretty simple.

I made the cushion cover 17 inches (and I used an 18 inch cushion insert). I read somewhere that the cover should be smaller than the insert.

Putting the zip in was a bit tricky (haven’t done that in a while), but I saw a tutorial on you tube  (I can’t find the link now) where the sewist used painters tape to hold the zip in place and then stitched from the front – definitely going to try that next time.

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June 11, 2012 · 2:45 pm

Headbands

It has all been a bit hit and miss for me lately. I damaged my finger (playing netball) and had to have it taped for a week. That meant no craft. Then I have been running in an effort to build calcium and get fitter – my running partner and I have made it to a 90 minute run, but on my last run I hurt a knee (there is a bit of a theme here). Anyway, I wanted to do some easy (and quick) craft.

I made the head band above for Miss A. It is just two pieces of grosgrain ribbon (from Spotlight) sewn together – right sides out – with about 10cm of  elastic joining the ends. Very simple and when she wears it you can’t see the elastic. I turned the ends under slightly (just so I wouldn’t have to worry about them fraying).

This was really a practice run for the vintage ribbon I bought here.

I’m also reading this book …

 

which I am finding completely fascinating, but I will write more about that later.

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