Category Archives: Sewing

A Return to Redwork

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I haven’t worked on my redwork since 2014. We had a lot going on in our lives back then and I couldn’t give it the attention it requires. So, I folded it up and put it away. Fortunately, I had the good sense to put the redwork fabric, embroidery thread and supplies all together in a bag and there they stayed in the drawer for the past 4 years. Having the supplies altogether sure made it handy for me when I decided to return to it.

I went back through my blog posts and read about my redwork. I’ve changed a couple of my plans for it. I’m not going to dye the fabric and I’ve cut the blocks apart. I plan to add a small print red fabric border on the blocks. As it turns out, planning to use a border and cutting the blocks apart was a good move for me because now I only have a few blocks to go, whereas when I had the fabric in one large piece I needed like 16 more pictures to embroider.

This morning, in an effort to try to arrange the blocks in some sort of order, I laid a sheet on the floor and began to lay out the blocks. Shelibean decided that what the blocks needed was for him to test them for comfort. He found them to be quite comfortable and napped there for about 20 minutes. I didn’t mind, he was cute sleeping peacefully and I was busy going through my coloring pictures and trying to choose some for the last few blocks.I’m glad to have my redwork as an active work-in-progress once again. My Redwork is the perfect example of my starting a project and some times needing to leave it alone until the time is right for me to finish it. It doesn’t really bother me having unfinished projects, matters-a-fact there’s a strange sense of comfort in it for me. Although, from time-to-time I need to finish my unfinished projects before starting new ones. Now that I’ve got my redwork going again, I hope I can keep up my motivation and finish it before the Summer is over, that would make me so happy.

Have a happy weekend.

*Related Redwork Posts

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I finished my wallet

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0-clutchSurprize! I finished my wallet that I posted about 7-14-2016. It only took me a month to get back to working on it, that’s not too bad a length of time for me.

The wallet turned out okay. It’s not perfect, but it’ll be just fine for me.

I messed up by using the foam fusable lining on the main part and it made the oraganizer a bit too bulky.

Two things I didn’t care for about the pattern was:
1) Having to use the method of putting on binding where you have to hand sew the second side.
2) I didn’t like that the bottom part of the dividers wasn’t attached to the wallet base. They free float.
I remedied the free floating problem by running a line of hot glue in the bottom of each divider bottom and glued it to the wallet base. It was an easy fix.

I’m happy I bought and made the pattern. Organizer wallets come in handy.

Happy Creating!

McCall’s Fashion Accessories Pattern
M6768 Design G without the strapP1030975bc

Tracing Paper Troubles

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tracing1I had to take a break from making my wallet because the pattern has oodles of fold lines and guide dots that needs to be marked on the fabric. When I was doing redwork, I used a makeshift light-box to trace the designs on my fabric. That method won’t work with my printed fabric. I decided to use tracing paper to make sure I get the placement guides and fold lines in the right spots.

I have a pack of tracing paper that I bought about 1985. I used tracing paper a lot in them days. I sewed constantly back then making toys and clothes. I went to my old sewing box and got out my old tracing paper and my tracing wheels. I lined the tracing paper in the fabric and pattern. And began to trace a test spot… imagine my surprise when no line was on my fabric. I tried a dark color and again no marks.
Well, horse-feathers I reckon that after 3 decades my old tracing paper doesn’t work anymore. Imagine that? :/

Time to go shopping:
I went to 2 different department stores: they had fabric, patterns, pins, scissors, buttons and many other notions, but not nary a bit of tracing paper. ~bummer~

I know that sewing is a fairly big industry since so many folks are running home businesses selling homesewn bags, clothes, accessories, etc… A lot of patterns have fold lines and guides that needs to be marked or traced.  I think tracing paper is best for that task. I went online and nosed around to see what the sewers are using now-a-days. Well, I discovered that the favorite suggestions was to either use a long baste stitch along the pattern guides or take a sheet of paper and heavily scribble/color on it making it tracing paper; they did warn that it was awfully hard to remove the traced color lines from your fabric.
Um, nope… I don’t want to fight with removing color marks from my fabric. If the color lines won’t come off, the newly sewn project would be odd looking.
*I’ve always used a baste stitch for darts. However, I choose not to use basting stitches for marking oodles of fold lines and guides.

tracing2I shopped online and ordered some tracing paper. I had to wait for a few days for it to arrive.  Of course when I have to wait, I get sidetracked with other projects. Finally, the tracing paper arrived, but I haven’t used it yet.  At least it’s on hand whenever I need it. Hopefully, I’ll have an updated sewing post on my wallet soon.

Do you use tracing paper or something else for guides, fold lines or darts on patterns, when you sew?

Do you have problems finding supplies for your crafts and creations in your area or do you have to order them online like me?

Wishing you all much success in your creative projects.

*Just an added note here:
I haven’t finished my redwork project. I stopped working on it in early 2014. I put it away until I’m ready to work on it again. I hope to get back to it and finish it someday.

Sewing & Juicing

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P1030975bc
Except for doing repairs and making some adjustments, I haven’t sewn anything in a while. I’ve been in the mood to make a wallet or clutch or coupon keeper or whatever you’d like to call it. I chose this pattern ‘McCalls Fashion Accessories M6768’. I’m making the yellow wallet in the pattern photo; mine’s going to be greens & beiges. I’m going to attempt to go by the pattern as close as possible. It’s a real challenge for me to follow a pattern because I always want to make changes (and complicate things.) I hope this wallet works out okay. I’ll post an update and let you know if I made it or tossed it away.

P1030970Last evening, I had a brainstorm of an idea for my tomato juice. If I freeze it in water bottles, it’ll take up less space and can be thawed out for drinking and/or cooking just like the juice frozen in the bowls. My husband liked the idea too. So today after I made and cooled the tomato juice, I poured it in bottles and set it in the freezer. Hopefully it’ll do just fine.
*I’m going to edit this photo into my tomato juicing post as another idea for freezing containers.

That’s all for me at the moment.

I hope you all have an enjoyable rest of the week.

Attention Computer Techs & Crafters – I have a question

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I’m thinking about making a fabric handbag/tote large enough to carry my kindlefire 8.9. I’m playing with the idea of making a flap with a magnetic closure to keep one of the large pockets closed.
I hesitate to use the magnetic closures because I thought that magnets tend to cause electronic devices (like computers or phones) problems and could damage them.
However, my kindlefire cover/case that I bought through Amamzon has magnets in the edges to keep it shut. Also, If I’m not mistaken when I close the cover, the magnets in the edges turn the kindlefire off somehow or another.

I decided to post this question and see if any of you folks have any thoughts on if the magnetic closures would damage an electronic handheld device like a phone or tablet.

I look forward to hearing any thoughts you may have bout this.

Happy Crafting!

t6001spgrnbgln

Farm Kids Quilt (2)

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Repost from –> August 31, 2011 (edited)
My Farm-Kids Quilt is finished
How I quilt a quilt on my regular sewing machine

August 31, 2011 –> I finished my farm-boy & sunbonnet sue quilt today. I’m pleased as peaches with it. Especially since it was the first queen size quilt I ever made. Originally I made the quilt top full-size to fit our bed. I decided to change it to a queen-size because someday we’re going to need a new bed and I figure we’ll buy a queen-size instead of getting another full-size. Because of the extra-added size, I ran into a few issues, but I managed to work them out okay.

I want to share the method I used to quilt it. I’m lousy at taking quilt photos because I can’t get a really good angle, but hopefully, you all can figure out the gist of what I did.

q11) Lay backing on the floor wrong-side up

q22) Lay batting on top of backing

q33) Lay quilt top right-side up on top of batting.

q44) Starting from the outer edge, Use safety-pins to join the top, batting & backing together.
Put safety-pins every so many inches all across the quilt.
q4aI roll the quilt up as I go because it makes it easier to handle.
q5

q65) After it’s pinned all the way across,
unroll quilt and spread it out flat.

q76) Starting at outer edge, roll each side to the middle

q87) Carefully slide the quilt under the pressure foot.

q98) Starting in the middle, Sew in the seam (ditch) or near the seam.
Be careful and remove the safety pins as you go and don’t sew over them.
Unroll the quilt as you go.
After you finish the first half, flip the unrolled half around and place the quilt back under the pressure foot and continue until you reach the outer edge.
*The main idea is to start at the center of the quilt and work your way to the outer edges.

q109) Here’s the finish quilted quilt
It’s 90″x93″ inches

q1110) Above photo is the middle after it’s quilted.

q1211) Here’s what the back of the finished quilt looks like

q1312) Here’s a close up of the back of the finished quilt.

All-in-all I think it turned out quite well.
It’s soft and snugly and will be warm this winter.

0rangespacer2

Today, January 24, 2015

q00After I finished the quilt I didn’t like the squared corners, so I rounded them off.
Also, originally, when I made this quilt we didn’t have a queen size bed. I guessed at the dimensions.
We got a queen size bed this past fall and I was surprised delighted to see my quilt fit perfectly.

Wishing you all happy crafting.
t6001
spgrnbgln