The Secret Pocket

Some of the Christmas Sewing

2009-01-02T09:43:00.012-05:00

Here are some of the Christmas presents I made this year. I also made about 8 silk and velvet scarves, but haven't photographed those yet.

GUITAR STRAPS
Brocade from JoAnn's with fine wale corduroy backing. Tabs are suede from an old tote. The holes are cut with an eyelet cutter and buttonhole cutter. This one was for DD's guitar teacher.
Denim, from some 20-lbs-ago jeans. This one has a velcro-closed pick pocket on it. For DD.
Lastly, another old jeans strap. Different kind of tabs, where the adjustability (is that a word?) is built into the lower tab rather than the strap itself. For DS.
There was also a "well-dressed-man" strap that I made for my brother with suiting wools on each side, but didn't get to photograph that one.

MINI LAPTOP BAG
Remember when I was going to make a classic grey wool coat for DD last year? I cut it and never got to sew it up (she since got one at a VanHeusen outlet). Well, I've been utilizing the wool for other small projects. Here, I turned some of it into this bag for her new netbook. It has a batting for some padding, and a retro-looking cotton lining with pocket for charger.

Still here, still sewing knitting, and spinning. Really busy, though, with the gym and Weight Watchers these days....Happy New Year to you all!

Heirloom Bonnet

2008-12-16T08:29:00.010-05:00

I've been sewing quite a bit but can't post much until after Christmas...shhh.....

This, though, is a bonnet I created for a class this fall. As you can see it's basically a flat sampler of heirloom techniques. The drawing up of the ribbon in the back creates the bonnet shape. There should also be ribbons at the front corners but though my students did those, I never added them to mine. This is the 4th bonnet I've made. I like this one for class b/c of its simple shape, the variability of design within it, and b/c it can be shown flat, even used as a pillow cover or in a frame.

Here you see it flat:
I did some machine embroidery on mine b/c I rarely get an opportunity to use any of my machine's fancy stitches. Several students did the same. One I like in particular used blue thread, then blue ribbons in the finishing. I also liked the subtle white-on-white embroidery a couple others did.

And here the back.
The ideas of heirloom sewing of course is to make the seams as delicate looking as possible. They are quite strong though.

In this post there are some other ideas for using heirloom techniques in sewing.

And here are some other bonnets I've made in the past:
My first:
Second:
This one has tea dyed laces. Just make tea and put 'em in.

Previous class bonnet:
All bonnets are made in some variation of cotton batiste. Swiss batiste is very expensive but has a sheen, glass-like quality like nothing else. You can also use a nice cotton lawn. Make sure it's not too loosely woven though. The last bonnet shown is done on a sateen batiste. It has a more solid look. All the laces are cotton, French, English, and Swiss. All very expensive materials, but you only need tiny bits. You can make a bonnet for less than $20.

Clever Wallet Purse

2008-09-18T07:12:00.009-05:00

Saturday I spent the day at an ASG event. As often happens on such occasions, I was inspired to sew something!

The event I attended included 4 separate hour long sessions during each of which one would choose 3 brief 15 minute sewing "classes" (demos, tips, ideas, techniques, etc...) to attend. So one attended a total of 12 mini classes over the course of the day. What I found was that it was a bit annoying hanging on to my regular-sized purse all day. And, well, many of the ladies had fun handmade bags more appropriate to the spirit of the occasion. I wanted one too!

So I decided to make a fun little purse pattern I've had already for well over a year - Favorite Things' cute and practical Wallet Purse. I bought this once at a local quilt shop and, naturally, never got to it.

Though I love the quilting cottons, I thought I'd like my bag to be a bit more versatile....so I could also wear it shopping or to a business event without feeling like I belonged at a sewing convention. So I decided to use some gray coating wool for the outside, black silk brocade for the trim, and keep my quilting cottons for a fun surprise inside. Here is how it turned out:
See Lady Liberty inside the flap?
Here's the inside:
This purse, I have to say, is not a "quick and easy" project. There are quite a few pieces to cut. There is an interlining, many many layers to sew through, some tricky corners to sew into, and the binding really must be hand-finished around the edges of the purse. I could not understand how the pieces would come together until I was manipulating them in my hand. (My friend Beth could!) It really is quite ingenious how this bag is designed.

In retrospect, I would've liked to put an interfacing in addition to the interlining, in the flap portion of the purse. I do think those corners will have a tendency to "flip out" with regular use. (The way to really prevent that would be to pad stitch those corners to a tailoring interfacing, but it's a fun bag, not an Armani jacket, and I'm not that nuts!)

Also, when I make another one of these little beauties (and I plan to) I may use only one half of the "credit card holders." I don't think the entire bottom of the bag needs to be taken up with these as I only carry my license, two credit cards, and maybe my JoAnn's discount card. Note however, the sides of the bag are not attached at the very bottom of the curve of the bag base, so you cannot put coins in the center portion of the bag - they will fall out. However, there are so many other pockets, that it's not an issue. I would use the space this alteration would leave free for tissues or keys.

I will also make the credit card holders 1/4" deeper.

I also added a little velcro to my front pocket to keep it closed and in place. Next time, if I use wool again, I will use some stay tape there and ease the top edge of the pocket to it. A sagging pocket might not be an issue in quilting cotton, but it was in the more malleable wool.

There really is a lot going on with this little bag. There are places for everything you'd need for an all day event. And, if you make the longer handles as I did, you can sling it over your neck and one shoulder leaving you hands free. Slide a pen and small notepad into the divided back pocket and you don't even have to open the purse to jot down a few notes when a sudden burst of inspiration hits you!

The Seamstress of Hollywood Boulevard

2008-09-17T08:18:00.003-05:00

by Erin McGraw
This novel is apparently based on the real life of the author's grandmother. Reading the preview of it in a readers' publication I picked up for free somewhere, I didn't think I'd like it. I didn't think I'd like the protagonist, the narrator. I was wrong...I highly recommend it!

Nell is married in her teens, Kansas, circa 1900. Sewing is her escape, figuratively and, then, literally. It becomes her means to an independent life. But it never stops being her passion as well. And she's a cunning business woman.

While she mooned over a flowered cotton of poor quality, I pressed her toward a light gray wool.....No matter what I said, she gazed at he unpatterned wool and looked disappointed, then reached after cheap cotton in ugly purples and yellows that would glare in the least light. Finally, after all my talking, she poutily accepted the wool, but insisted on adding four yards of blue chintz with a lopsided pattern....
"If you like it, will you let me choose the fabric next time?" Who knows where I got my brass.
"'Next time', she said. "You are giving me something to look forward to. This is another service you provide." She smiled again, and I joined her. I could see right away that smiling was a skill I would need.

This book is steeped not only in sewing, but in the very breath of the times...1900-1940s. I learned so much about life then, not to mention the fashions! I did not know about "shoppies." But Nell survives working as a shop girl for years, saving money in her bed frame, until her sewing is enough to support her.

There was no customer who entered whose silhouette I could not improve, and I wondered sometimes whether I aimed to be a one-woman civic beautification league. At the back of my mind, I heard Jack's mocking laugh. Did he think I had forgotten my station? I had not. I knew my station with utter precision, as I knew a quarter-inch seam allowance, something I could measure in my sleep.

All through the book fashions and mores and lifestyles are changing. You will be introduced to the demise of the corset. The flapper. Women in the workplace. It was an exciting time to be a woman in America. Yet, it is Nell, that flawed, fierce, tenacious character, that captivates the most and you will become increasingly frantic to know how she makes out in the end!

New Life for an Old (-er) Bra

2008-08-20T12:46:00.006-05:00

You can' t magically resurrect an ancient bra that's shot. But you can give an older one a boost. (And then hopefully it will return the favor.)

In order to support you, your bra should be snug across the back. If you've bought one that you find is a bit too big, or if a favorite has stretched a bit out of shape, you can take it in.

Mark where the hook band is attached to the back band. Do this on both left and right (hook and eye sides). Then you can rip the stitches holding on the hook/eye bands and remove them.

Now make another mark inside of the first, the amount away that you wish to decrease the band size divided by half. In other words, I wanted to remove one inch from my band so I made my second marks 1/2" in on each side.Now you can cut off the excess, about 1/4" outside the new sewing line (toward the raw edge.)

Pin and sew the hook/eye bands back on with a zigzag stitch. Be sure to orient the eyes towards the outside of the bra, and the hooks towards the inside.
Since this bra has mesh in the middle of the back band, I was able to just ease (i.e., squish) the fullness into the hook/eye bands. If there is lace, that should also work. If the back band is solid however, you may need to recut it narrower or place a small tuck in the raw edge before re-attaching the hook/eye bands.

Value of Failure

2008-08-19T15:44:00.002-05:00

Life = Risk

Hand Sewing Posture

2008-08-13T15:32:00.002-05:00

Today I had a lot of hand sewing to do. I was sitting in my "good" chair by my sewing machine. But after awhile my back was really getting sore. I had to keep reminding myself to sit up straight and I kept slouching anyway, b/c have you ever tried to sit up straight and hand sew?

Finally I remembered a photo I saw somewhere of couture house hand sewers sitting at a long table. They sit at a table and rest their work, and their arms, up on it. So I brought my stool over to my cutting table and sewed there instead. What a relief!

Fashions of the "Future"

2008-07-31T13:08:00.003-05:00

Found this link via ASDP. It's half hysterical, and half not so far off.

Predictions from 1930 about fashion in the year 2000

Problems with Bias

2008-07-01T09:11:00.003-05:00

I just now received a comment on an old post regarding bias cut. I thought it was worth re-visiting the subject and posting my response here.

Anonymous said:
A wonderfully informative article, Dawn!! I had a bias cut dress sewn recently, but while the drape in front was very good, the back has one large fold of fabric, almost like a pleat, right across from seam to seam just above the butt. Why is this happening?

First, Thanks!

There could be a couple of things going on.

It could be that the dress is too snug across your butt and hips to slide down past them. However, were that the case, you would probably have horizontal ripples, or waves, across the fullest part of your hip or butt (see below.)

Given the absence of obvious stretching across your hips, it sounds like there may either be too much width-wise fullness over the small of your back, or the waist is too long for you. In the latter case, the long waist does not show up in your front b/c you're relatively flat there and it just slides down. There is nothing for it to get "hung up on."

If there is too much width across the small of your back you could take in the back side seams only. But you have to be careful.....pulling width wise on the bias will cause it to draw up lengthwise in the back. I have tried to place princess darts in the lower back of bias garments with moderate success. You have to be very careful to get them placed right and avoid wavering while you sew.

If the waist is too long you could add a seam, perhaps an empire seam. Again, great care will have to be taken to sew it neatly in the bias and after the seam is added you may need a closure of some kind. Obviously the dress is going to get shorter, at least in the front, unless you add some kind of trim to the bottom.

In cases where a bias dress is too tight over the butt/hips (i.e. there is rippling across the fullest parts), here is how it could happen, even when using a perfectly fitting pattern (and I learned this the hard way):

Bias will stretch so much that the width of the garment pieces becomes significantly narrower. To make matters worse, the waist shaping at the sides seams drops lower as the pieces stretch. So, you can end up with waist shaping quite a bit below the waist and a much too small hip area.

So you have to cut *huge*, maybe 2" seam allowances on the sides. that way, after hanging and stretching, you can let out the side seams at the hips.

Alternatively, you could cut huge bias rectangles and try to stretch the fabric before cutting the garment pieces out. But I'd still leave huge seam allowances.

If anyone would like a custom bias dress my going rate is half a mill per hour.

My Sister's Keeper

2008-06-17T21:07:00.004-05:00

I've been reading a lot lately. Haven't had much energy for hand crafting at night b/c I've been so constantly busy. But this is the first book I've felt compelled to recommend.
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult is about a family dealing with the illness of one of the 3 children. More than that, the youngest child has actually been conceived via IVF as a genetic match and tissue donor for her older sister. She, and her older brother too, face a constant struggle for identity apart from their sister and her cancer. The parents are understandably pre-occupied with the sick daughter. Everyone lives in constant fear of the inevitable.

The story is told alternately through the eyes of the individual family members. Each person is believable and compelling. I do think I was most moved by the youngest sister Anna, though. She is the one who has been, since the very moment of her birth, providing cells and tissue for her older sister. She's smart, funny, and insightful. The oldest brother is a self-proclaimed, self-created juvenile delinquent. But he is not so bad as he seems. We actually hear the least from Kate, who has a rare and particularly aggressive form of leukemia. Besides the kids and the parents, there are a couple other key characters, interesting in their own rights, who participate in the narration.

Yes, it's a sad story. Sadder than I even imagined at the end. Definitely not your typical mindless beach read. But there are some really truly funny moments as well. And it is at times quite uplifting. Still, wander not far from thy tissues.

I was completely hooked on this one. It's my daughter's book. We stopped on a whim at Stop and Shop one night on our way home for books. I chose two others (neither worth writing about) and she chose this one. After I finished my two, I started hers. Fortunately she has a lot of studying to do for finals b/c I could absolutely not return it until I'd finished.

The ending of the book is surprisingly...well...surprising.

I've ordered 4 more of Jodi Picoult's books from the library.

Jacket for a Little Prince

2008-05-29T07:23:00.008-05:00

If you're familiar with The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry you know what a special gem of a story it is. There is nothing quite like it that I'm aware of. Well, I have been sewing day and night to come up with stage costumes for a show based on this book. They are mostly done but I've only had time to photograph one, the Prince jacket.
It's crushed velvet with chartreuse silk dupioni trim and red satin lining. He also wears a ruffled blouse (the lace ruffles of which I plan to replace with a subtle metallic gold silk organza...sometime in the next few hours), and wine red faux suede pants. On his head is an open turban of the same wine red. Actually he is a she, played quite professionally by an 8 year old actress!
I have also made 8 "cosmic clowns" and 8 "mirages" (sand creatures) for this show but it's been so crazy trying to get it all done that I haven't photographed them. I will try to take some pictures at the theater, though, the actors being children, I am not sure what I can post here. I may have to photograph empty costumes which is a shame, because they look wonderful on the kids, in motion, with head pieces and attitude!I am continually amazed at how these shows somehow manage to come together. In this particular one there is a full size bi-plane on the set! The kids have memorized hundreds and hundreds of lines and are even taught to improvise when something goes wrong on stage.
Here is one little theater secret...do you know that bows are choreographed? They are rehearsed as well! That's all I'm going to reveal though!

Thanks and Follow Up

2008-05-16T08:22:00.003-05:00

How thrilled I was to come home from 8 hours in the car and find such nice comments on my humble blouse project! Thanks so much!

Here's a few follow up answers to the comments:
Alexandra,
I am the opposite of you...I get enticed by the prints then wish I'd done something solid. Solids are infinitely more wearable/useful!!!

Keely,
Yes, Made-for-You are in the McCall's line. However, there are also some Simplicity patterns that have cup sizes. I am using a Project Runway pattern now that I was surprised to discover had cup sizes. I don't think it even said so on the envelope!

Marietta,
I matched the center front. then, for the other pieces around I match the bottom only. In other words, I make sure that the hems are at the same level on the pattern. Beyond that, it's mostly coincidence.

Susan,
Every time I turn around I make some kind of mistake. So, the best I can do is try to keep going straight, you know?

One final note on this pattern should anyone try to make it...I took about 1 1/2" out of the sleeve fullness. Why? B/c I had run out of fabric with all my re-cutting of mistakes!

A Monumental Achievement

2008-05-14T15:31:00.007-05:00

I know, it's not a big deal, it's a blouse. McCall's 5426.

But it's the first thing I made myself since the Vogue jacket of October of 2-double-ought-7. I managed to do most of it on 3 nights when my family was on a trip.

Sewing at night is a mistake. I've told my students this. But...it was my chance and I took it. As a consequence I had to re-cut all the interfacing and half the facings. Also, I incorrectly sewed on the stand about 3 times. I had it in my head that it had to be lined up with the center front, not the edge (there's an overlap) and I stared and stared at the picture and it just didn't click... Well, finally it did, but I'm embarrassed to tell you how long it took. Suffice it to say that the sun set and rose at least once in the interim.
So anyway, I'm knee deep in costumes, but here's the blouse. Oh, and these Made-for-You patterns are great. I saved quite a bit of time by just cutting out the right cup size. (I still used my high bust to select the pattern size.) I made my other usual alterations - narrowing the shoulders, shortening the waist, lowering the bust (ahem) and adding upteen inches to the hips. It fits perfect, better on me than on Gerlinde here. But my daughter, Her Highness, can not be bothered to photograph me at this time. She is doing homework, don't you know, not to be disturbed ;)

Neat and Tidy Facing

2008-05-08T08:49:00.007-05:00

Here is an easy, beautiful way to finish a shaped facing.

De-constructing this from the outside in:Above is the finished facing on the center front princess piece of McCall's 5426.

Opening it out, you see I have used self-fabric for the interfacing. Now, ideal would have been some cream colored batiste or lawn, but I don't have that at the moment. So I have oriented the self fabric so that the wrong side (which is lighter) will face the outside of the garment when folded in. Why a sew-in interfacing for a blouse? Well, why not? Especially with this method, where you are going to sew the interfacing in anyway to finish the edge of the facing. Sew in interfacing is less risky...it won't bubble in the wash! But, yes, you could do this technique with a fusible as well if you like. Orient the fusible so you sew it right side of fusible to right side of facing, then understitch, turn the fusible side in under the facing and fuse.

Opening the facing/interfacing out one more time, you see the seam between the two. I have used a 1/4" seam allowance b/c to use 5/8" would have made the facing a bit too thin. I have also understitched the interfacing to encourage the interfacing/facing seam to roll to the underside and become invisible.
You could use this technique to nicely finish any kind of facing. I especially like it for a keyhole opening, waist facing, or, as in this case, a blouse center front.

One final note: I always tell my students to do the most difficult sewing tasks (i.e., cutting) when they are freshest. But, as Jedi Master Yoda would say, "Practice what I preach, I don't." So, I cut all the blouse pieces out last night. I was thrilled to have them done...until this morning when I discovered I had cut all the color, stand, and interfacing pieces doubled so that I had two right sides of everything. Nothing was mirrored! Duh!

Made-For-You Patterns

2008-05-01T13:54:00.004-05:00

(yeah, that's me, I lost weight and got a perm!)

Well, I just started to cut a blouse pattern out for myself. I've had this one, McCall's 5426, since last spring. But I'm determined to make some decent things for myself. I'm tired of buying blouses at the mall that shrink up to useless wrinkly rags after a couple washes.

I didn't even notice that this pattern is labeled MADE-FOR-YOU. Apparently, this means that there are different bodice fronts for different bust cup sizes. Eureka!!! It's about damn time.

But then I was left with a quandary...should I use my high bust measurement to chose my pattern size, as I usually do, or my full bust size?

So, I compared both front pieces for the C-D cup with the front pieces for the smaller cups. It appears that the neck and shoulders are identical. So, I will chose the same pattern size that I would had I expected to have to do a FBA, according to the high bust measurement. We'll see how this works.

Let's hope I do better with this blouse than I did with my daughter's winter coat (still in a pile of tissue/fabric pinned pieces.) If I do, then I need about 3 more blouses. Not to mention pants that fit. I used to make almost all my clothes. What happened to that??

In any case, if you're bigger than a B-cup and need to regularly make an FBA, why not search for this MADE-FOR-YOU line? I haven't seen it promoted much, but it's there....and maybe if they sell a lot of them, other pattern companies will follow suit.

A Beautiful Weekend

2008-04-28T07:39:00.002-05:00

I've been busy dyeing for weeks. This Saturday my friend Carolyn and I participated in a small sheep and wool festival. It was a beautiful event. Though the morning threatened rain, the sun came out by noon and it couldn't have been nicer.

Lots of people showed up, family dogs in tow, girls in long flowy dresses and skirts, ladies sporting hand-crafted hats, shawls, sweaters and scarves. There were men in kilts and weavers in pioneer wear. Re-enactments of sheep trials, bagpipe music, and sheep shearing, spinning and weaving were among the activities and demos. And, of course, food and crafts for kids.

I have to say that the quality of the vendors was superb, from authentic Scottish tartans to Cormo fleece I wanted to roll around in, to hand hooked, crocheted, and woven wool rugs, and of course hand-dyed yarns and rovings. All with the Hudson River gleaming in the background. And can I just say, thank God for Zyrtec!

I forgot my camera. I always must forget something, so this wasn't such a bad thing to forget considering. But my booth-mate Carolyn took some photos before the fair was open to the public and posted them on her blog. By the way, her handspuns were flying out of there. But she will list what's left in her etsy shop. You can't pet them online of course, but I will tell you that there were constant ooohs and ahhhs emanating from those that did Saturday!

Fleece of Many Colors

2008-04-20T06:50:00.004-05:00

Remember this?Well I washed it (something I will never do again as it took hours, countless gallons of water, and a toll on my knees....and I can have it done at a fiber mill for $5/pound!) and it came out like this:
Then I spent over a week picking out hay and seeds and such. (Well, I've still got about a pound to go!) Here are a few picked locks:
Teased, you can see the nice crimp:By the way, this stuff feels like a cross b/w bunny fur and baby hair. It's very pleasant to work with.

Next step, dye the locks different colors:So far I have dyed the purple you see above, red, blue, green and yellow locks. To dye, I place the locks in mesh lingerie bags and immerse in my crockpots, just as when I dye roving and top.

So now what? Here's the really fun part....I've been combing the different colors together! Here is how it works....

First, combs are spiky, sharp things. If you note some small holes in my thumb and fingers, this is why. Combs work in sets of two. I'm using small combs I have borrowed from the spinning guild. One comb is clamped to the table (that's our kitchen table, which now serves as dye workbench, combing station, and, soon, carding station!) The free comb is used in a motion first perpendicular to the stationary comb, then parallel to it. In the process the fiber is transferred from the stationary comb, to the moving comb, and back again, as many times as necessary to blend the fibers sufficiently.

There is an excellent tutorial on combing here at Red Stone Yarns, and I couldn't explain it any better than that! But, just in case that's not enough for you, there are some pdf tutorials here on the Majacraft site. Oh, and I'll say one more time...combs are sharp things.

First the locks are "loaded" onto the stationary comb: (I doubt this is the origin of "locked and loaded" but it could be!)Combing purple locks:Comb is moving left to right. Note fiber beginning to accumulate on moving comb.

Once all fiber has transferred to moving comb, it is combed vertically (though the moving comb remains held with tines to the side), transferring all fiber back to the stationary comb. Below, see the nice, fluffy, combed purple fiber.
Now I repeated with yellow locks:And ended up with two fluffy piles....one purple, and one yellow:
They are both loaded together onto the stationary comb:
And repeat the combing process. Remember trolls?
With the fiber back on the stationary comb, it's time to pull it off into a sliver (sly-ver). The fiber is pulled through a diz, or, in my case, a button with large holes.Here's the nice, blended purple and yellow combed top, ready to spin:
Rolled into a nice ball of fluff:Now, I will note here that combing produces more waste than carding. What's left are short fibers that are picked off the combs after each step...here's my pile:My husband would like to save this to make a dog bed for Her Royal Majesty Seven of Nine. He's welcome to it. Some people use it for felting, or in their gardens as mulch. Who needs irises if the mulch is purple and yellow?

Anyway, here.....drum roll please....is the resulting 2-ply sport weight yarn created after spindling the above troll's hair:This is about 6 grams of yarn, 1/4 ounce, or, enough for a large sweater for a small rat.
One final note: Had I continued combing the yellow and purple together, eventually I would've had brown. Purple and yellow are complements. Complements make wonderful visual partners, but you have to be careful to keep them from blending too thoroughly! You will note that the finished yarn is much more subtle in color than the starting locks. The complementary colors have blended just enough to give it an overall more earthy look while still retaining some of the individual purple and yellow detail. That is the beauty of combining colors "dyed in the wool."

Altering Beaded Clothing

2008-04-17T09:33:00.004-05:00

I try not to cringe when my client opens her garment bag and reveals a beaded gown, I really do. But altering beaded gowns can really be a PITA.

Here, briefly, are some strategies I've found useful:

Beware of chain-stitched lines of beads...if you pull the wrong thread, they will come off like a zipper un-zipping.
To stop a chain of beads from un-zipping you must find a loose loop near the last attached bead. You've got to secure that loop. You can thread the thread tail through a needle (the tail will usually be found on the wrong side of the fabric), bring it up to the front, through the loop, and secure it on the back. Or, elongate the loop, bring it to the back and tie it directly to the thread tail at back. Or, often what I do is to thread a length of matching thread on a needle, bring it up somewhere near the loop, through the loop, back underneath, then probably secure further by backstitching through a couple beads.
When altering something with many beads, for example hemming a gown that has scattered beads all around the skirt, I sometimes use a toothpick to place tiny dots of glue behind each bead. That way, if I cut a thread that would allow the beads to un-hitch, the threads are still secured.
Beads can be removed without disturbing the thread that secures them. This is especially useful when removing beads from a design motif. Use a sturdy pliers to break the beads. Or, some people use a small hammer. Either way, you must place a tissue, fabric, or other shield between the breaking beads and your eyes. They are glass. Also, make sure to vigorously shake out the garment area afterwards to be sure the little glass pieces are gone. I have even vacuumed garments to be sure.
I find that single beads can usually be removed safely without a chain reaction. But pull on neighboring beads to be sure. And save any intact beads you remove in case you need to replace any.
I remove only as many beads as I think I will need to to sew the seam with a zipper foot. With the zipper foot I can get very close to remaining beads, but it's necessary to go slowly to avoid hitting the beads with the needle, or getting the beads caught in the needle plate and preventing the fabric from feeding.
Milliner's needles are long and thin, great for working with beads.
Sequins can usually be cut, and even sewn through, with little consequence.

Casualties of Multi-Tasking

2008-04-15T08:14:00.000-05:00

So, I'm a bit frantic lately.

I have all my usual sewing work, of course.

And, now, the dyeing. I'm also trying to dye a much larger amount than usual because I'll be participating in a small local sheep and wool festival. (I have to figure out how to display it, and how to get said display there.)

Did I mention I'm teaching myself to card and comb fleece?

I also have a sewing class going one night a week. And a new class starting next month (Advancing Sewing Techniques...if you were taking it, what would you want to learn?).

And, costumes for a theatrical production based on the book The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupéry (If you have never read this short story...you're missing a gem.)

Oh, I also have my creativity class on Sunday nights. Two spinning guilds, and our ASG Neighborhood Group meetings.

And I have to get a knot removed from the side of my head. Nothing serious...I just have a lumpy head.

Ah, yes, and my daughter has a social life that would rival that of Queen Elizabeth. I serve as secretary, driver, and "Momma J" (chief cook and bottle-washer my Gram P would say) to whoever is living here on any particular night. The Princess also has babysitting classes, guitar, religion, and theater to cram into her schedule, not to mention the orthodontist. Good thing she has an assistant! (imagine little smiley face with rolling eyes here, please.)

Between her schedule and mine, I had to travel to the next town, and back, 4 times Saturday. No, I couldn't just stay there to save gas...I had wool in crockpots, sand creatures to cut and sew, and appointments with clients. And anyway, I really enjoy cramming money into the gas tank.

Oh, I'm quite happy with my busy life, and when it gets overwhelming I remind myself how fortunate I am to be able to do all that I do. When I dread putting groceries away, for example, I think how grateful a less fortunate mom would be to have the same opportunity I take for granted every two weeks.

But there are, at times, mix-ups and screw-ups that happen when I'm especially busy and distracted. Today, for example, I pulled into the driveway wondering who was parked in front of my house. It was a client I'd forgotten had an appointment. I have also showed up at the wrong time for at least one thing in the past couple weeks, forgotten to send promised emails, and forgotten to turn on 3 out of my 4 crockpots.... not realizing it until 2 hours later when the timer went off and only one was hot.

In past years, at other times when I've felt our family a "lean, mean, schedule machine" I have done some pretty dumb things too.

I have, for example, dropped at least one kid off at religion when there was no class.

Realized, after who knows how long, that although I'd been diligently buckling my son into his car seat every outing, the car seat was not buckled into the car. (He's 18 now.)

I have put my purse in the fridge.

And driven towards the grocery store when I was supposed to be going to the dentist.

I've gone out in public with scissors hanging around my neck. And almost gone out with my slippers on! (Slippers feel different on the front walk than shoes with hard soles....thank goodness for small favors.)

I've forgotten pretty much everything you can forget to bring places....wallets, lists, forms, food, .....everything but pants it seems! (thank goodness for small favors)

And the house. Ah, the house. Well, it's a bit "early casual dust cloud."

Yeah, I'll catch up. In the meantime, I guess I'll just buckle up and enjoy the ride. (Just point me in the right direction, huh?)

Stuff You (hopefully) Only Hear in a Theater

2008-04-14T07:50:00.007-05:00

"Where's my blood rags?"
"The leaves are under the table in a box marked 'mushrooms'"
"Remind John to stay out of the orchard when the door's open"
"We accidentally ate a prop in the lighting booth."
"Will you check out my tail?"
"Can you glue me?!"
"I can't find my nose!"
"Someone needs to plug in the wedding dress."
"There is no such thing as Spain."
"She needs a smaller pocket, inside the big pocket, so she can find her cheese."
"Push out the giant Coco Puffs ahead of you."
"One of my screws is loose."
"My mustache really hurts."
"The rats are having a hard time seeing where they're going."
"Please don't eat the props!"

Hey, Wow!

2008-04-08T12:00:00.003-05:00

My etsy shop, Fair Isle Fiber & Design has been featured as Lime and Violet's Daily Chum etsy shop of the day (ESotD)! How exciting! For those of you that don't know, Lime and Violet's is a daily compendium of pure, unadulterated, fiber-related eye candy.

Also, I'd like to thank Summerset, who recently gave me the "Excellent Blog" award! (I wish my kids would see that....they think it's weird that their mother blogs.) Anyway, if you're a sewer and you don't follow Summerset's projects, you're missing something! She is an art-to-wear sewer and her things are always inspiring.
There are many blogs that inspire and teach me. Here's a few:
Miss Celie's Pants
Field Trips in Fiber
Sewing, Creative Design and Beyond
Sew-Mad (who missed her calling as a photographer)
Yarnspinner's Tales (she who has washed more sheep than I!)

Random Monday Thoughts

2008-04-07T07:01:00.006-05:00

I'm Catholic and we are not supposed to disagree with the priest. But on this I must. Our priest's bulletin message yesterday had to do with our tendency to anthropomorphize our pets, and assume that they "love" us (his quotes) while really animals are different than humans and that emotion is left for us alone. I cannot agree with that. I'm not one of those touchy-feely animal lover types and I love a good bacon double cheeseburger. But you cannot tell me that our Labrador doesn't love us. Blindly, loyally, desperately. Yes, we may be made in His image. But I think she's doing much better at acting according to his ways than most of us are.
I have two tailored wool jackets that I wear all the time. I think that the time that goes into a garment is directly proportional to the time that you will wear it.
I'd like to make a spring/summer jacket that is just as useful.
I must be getting older b/c this month's Burda is extolling the virtues of the "new safari look" and I remember another Burda issue, years past, saying the same thing. Granted the look is a bit softer this time.
Sheep really don't smell so bad compared to people.
If you want to experience the love of a Labrador (and learn some important life lessons), read Marley and Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog by John Grogan. I started it Saturday, finished it yesterday, laughed out loud, and bawled in between.
After awhile, if you eat enough of it, even chocolate gets boring.

The Sheep in my Living Room....

2008-04-05T12:17:00.000-05:00

or.... Why my House Smells Like a Barn!

Meet Kelsie Sprite: (she's the white one) Is it just me, or does she resemble John McCain?

Anyway, does she look cold? That's because her winter coat is on my living room floor:
(Don't worry, Mom, I put it on plastic, see?)
Here is a picture taken without flash, which shows the true color:
This is a Shetland fleece from Windswept Farms in Michigan. It weighs about 2 1/2 pounds. I'd like to learn how to process it into spinning batts. I'd also like to try just spinning locks, as I hear that Shetland locks spin nicely.

One of the first steps will be "scouring" the fleece. That really just means washing it in hot water with Dawn dish washing liquid. Then I can sort the locks, pick out the hay and other "vegetal mattern" and dye them into an assortment of colors. Then I'll be borrowing a drum carder to blend the different colors into heathery combinations ready for spinning.

Well, that's the plan.

Spindle Bag Prototype

2008-04-03T11:07:00.005-05:00

This is a project I've been working on (in my mind, mostly) for months. A bag especially for spindles. Once the pattern is perfected, I hope to sell them (like hotcakes) in my etsy shop.

Here is the back:This first example is large enough for my 2", 1 ounce spindle. It fits inside loosely enough, with the hook just under the line where the quilted part meets the cotton topper. But there is little room for fiber. It's a trade off...do I want the bag big enough for spindle and fiber, but the spindle able to move around and get snagged in fiber? Or do I want a snugglier fitting bag that can then be placed inside a larger tote with fiber and accessories?

So, I am going to try a wider version next...just enough so that about half ounce of fiber will also fit inside. (It also occurs to me that having fiber inside also helps to cradle the spindle.) Then, I'll decide which is more marketable. What do you think?

Let 'er Rip

2008-04-01T10:12:00.000-05:00

I often find that part of what I end up teaching beginning garment sewers in class is how to rip out stitches. (And, I usually tell them, you might as well resign yourself to ripping lots of seams if you want to get good at sewing - I buy seam rippers by the dozen!)

I've never really read anything on how to rip seams but I've learned a few ways over the years and via countless hours of practice. Here are a couple of my favorite methods:

Probably the fastest, safest, and least stressful on the hands is this: Use the ripper to rip about every 5th or 6th stitch on one side of the seam. Then rip out a few consecutive stitches on the other side of the seam to loosen a thread end. Grasp that thread end and pull. Usually the entire length of the thread will come out. The downside is that you are left with short lengths of thread on the first side of the seam, but a good shake or a once-over with some tape will take them out.
My mentor taught me this method that is fast, relieves stress, and is neat. Pick a few stitches out on one side of the seam, enough so you can grasp the thread. Pull the loose end of the thread, down towards the fabric and laterally along the seamline at the same time, quickly and forcefully. An inch or two of stitches will come out before the thread breaks. when the thread breaks, flip the seam over and grasp the now loose end of thread on that side and pull it in the same way. When it in turn breaks, repeat the process on the first time. This works well but I do find all the tight grasping and pulling of threads to be stressful on my right hand, the index finger in particular. Also, be careful with very delicate fabrics.
Of course there is always the "pull the fabric apart at the end of the seam and rip the exposed stitches in between the layers" method. This works well in some seams and is very tedious in others. But what you do not want to do is to "run" the seam ripper along the seamline, in b/w layers, like an open scissors slicing through wrapping paper. If you do, you're bound to cut the fabric eventually. OK, sometimes I do this....but only if the fabric is sturdy, the seam ripper is fresh, and I'm feeling lucky.

Traditionally tailors rip seams with a razor blade. I don't know how they do this but I suspect it involves clamping the razor blade and holding the fabric layers apart (as the 3rd method above), and running it along the blade. Someday I'll have to experiment with this.

One final note....often I see people get very attached to the same seam ripper. They have a sewing machine that is 40 years old and are using the seam ripper that came with it! Seam rippers are actually little blades and they get dull. As mentioned, I buy a dozen now and then from Atlanta Thread Supply. And when I start a new one I can really feel a difference in ease of use.