Sewing

Finished Shopping

I started and finished my Christmas shopping today. All the gifts have been got, and wrapped, and put in shipping boxes, and addressed. They are going to Ft. Lewis, Washington; Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland; Denver, Colorado; Villa Rica, Georgia; and Douglasville, Georgia. The kids are scattered out all over the place.

I only made one gift this year, but it is something I have wanted to make for its recipient for some time. I call it a “Wait Book”.

He is a rather rambunctious little guy, and needs something to hold his attention when he is waiting for something. Whether it is when he is sitting in the waiting room at the doctor’s office or waiting for dinner to arrive when he and his parents go out to eat, he really needs something TO DO.

He likes to draw, paint, and color. He likes to tell stories about the drawings he has made. So, I made him this little book:

It will fit in his Mommy’s purse, or he can carry it himself with the handles. It holds a refillable pad of paper and 16 crayons. There is a place for every crayon, so they won’t fall out and get lost. He likes orange. A lot. I made him a quilt for his room a couple of years ago that has a lot of orange in it. No wonder they call me the FabGrandma!

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Project 365 Day 58 The Perfect Desk

Karen · 2 Comments

OK, not exactly perfect but dang near close. We had to go over to Whole Foods today, and there is a Container Store next door to it. I have been wanting to go in there and look at some things since the first time I saw it but never had time until today.

That place is so neat! They have all kinds of containers and shelving and racks and stuff. You could organize anything with stuff from there. I want to get some square plastic containers so I can organize my pantry. Right now everything is in empty coffee cans that I have covered with white paper. I want the square plastic ones so they will fit in there better.

Anyway, while we were in the Container Store, we saw this desk:

It is 34″ wide, and the space I have to put it in is 36″ wide. A perfect fit! See how it has that section that pulls out? I would have plenty of space for sewing , and when the day is done, I can set the sewing machine up on the next level, and push that lower one back in, out of the way. It even has a drawer for my scissors and pins and stuff. I am in love with this desk!

The only problem is that it only comes in dark chocolate wood color at that store. I went online and found it in oak, same price, at a different place.

The other solution I thought of was to go to Home Depot and get a piece of counter top and a small base cabinet. I could attach the counter top to the side of the dresser on one side, and set the other side on top of the base cabinet. I saw some really cool basket type drawers at the container store that would work well with that sort of set-up.

But, now, I think I will just go for the desk. That way, if I traded campers I could move it with me. What to do? What to do?

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Lynda Is So Smart

Karen · 8 Comments

My friend, Lynda, is such a smart girl! She knows how to do everything (well, almost everything). I called her this morning and whined about my sewing machine, and she told me EXACTLY what to do. I was able to finish two aprons today. Yay! I am so impressed, and forever in her debt.

So, I am cooking Thanksgiving dinner for her and her husband, Charlie. Well, for me and FabGrandpa, too, you know. We’re having chicken (no dressing or gravy as they all said they didn’t want any), green beans, squash casserole, sweet potato souffle, and cranberry jello salad. That’s it, all of it, but it will be enough.

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Project 365 Day 49 Sewing Machine

Karen · Leave a Comment

Right in the middle of this project, my sewing machine started skipping stitches. It is not picking up the bobbin thread every time. I have changed the needle, disassembled the bobbin shuttle to clean it out and oil it, tightened the upped thread tension, loosened the upper thread tension, and every damn thing else I can think of to do, but the machine is still skipping stitches. Does anyone have any ideas here?

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Online Sewing Lesson #2 Bias Tape

Karen · 5 Comments

This is the second online sewing lesson for my daughters:

Bias tape is just strips of fabric cut on the bias and folded. You can buy single fold bias tape and double fold bias tape. I like the double fold for most of my projects. It also comes in different widths. The size you buy will depend on the project you are making. For the aprons I have been working on, I bought extra wide.

You can also make your own bias tape. Basically, you just cut strips of fabric the width you need on the bias, or diagonally, of your fabric. Then, you fold it in half, then fold each side in half again towards the middle of the strip. You are then ready to attach it to the project. It is normally used to make a finished edge on the project. It works well for this because it has a lot of “give” and helps you go around corners and curves easily.

To attach the bias tape, open it out like this:

Sandwich the fabric of the project you are working on in the middle, like this:

You may have a project that has several layers of fabric, such as a quilt. I used bias tape that I made myself on this one, and sewed it on with a needle and thread:

Or, you may have only one layer, as in an apron, a skirt, or a blouse. I used purchased bias tape on this one, and sewed it on using the sewing machine:

Sometimes you might want to sew one edge on using the sewing machine, and then sew the second edge on using a needle and thread to make a “blind stitch”, or one that does not show on the outside of the garment or project. It just depends on the project.

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Project 365 Day 45 Bias Tape

Karen · Leave a Comment

Bias tape comes in lots of colors. I have this crap coming out my ears this week.

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Apron Strings

Karen · 9 Comments

Have you ever read my “about me” thingy over in the right hand bar on my blog? Where it says I like to sew and quilt? Well, I do, and I love to make aprons. Mostly because I love to wear aprons.

When I used to work at a “real” job (you know, in an office, for a corporation) I used to wear really nice clothes to work. I loved nice blouses, and dresses. After work every day, I had to come home and make dinner. In order to keep those nice blouses and dresses looking nice, I started wearing aprons over them.

The problem with that, back in the late 70’s and thru the late 80’s, was that you could not find a decent apron. They all looked like Aunt Bea from the Andy Griffith Show. The ones I could find to buy were either hideously tacky, or really flimsy material, so I decided to make my own.

I have made and worn, and made and sold, hundreds of aprons over the years. When I make them, I don’t skimp on fabric, because if an apron doesn’t have enough fabric to cover your clothing, what is the point of wearing it?

This week I am making aprons. My friend Lynda told me that if I had any Christmas-y crafts to sell at the Christmas tree lot that I could, so I am making some Christmas aprons. But, the ones I made today are everyday aprons.

This one is cotton, green and white checks with a pink flower print. I used a light pink bias tape for the edge of the skirt. It is really cute:

It has a bib that fits over your head, and a long sash that ties in a bow:

It is big enough to cover a big grandma sized girl, and has two great big pockets on the front:

This one is black and white checks with sunflowers, and has yellow bias tape for the edging:

I couldn’t get FabGrandpa away from his computer game long enough to take a pic of me wearing it, but trust me, it is BIG too. It has three pockets across the front, and goes down to my knees.

I am selling these at the tree lot, but if they don’t sell, I am going to put them on Etsy. If you’re interested in maybe purchasing one, let me know. If you want one, I have the two pictured for sale right now. They are $30 each and that includes shipping to you ( I can take paypal payments. I’ll be putting more on here as they are made. Thanks for your interest.

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Online Sewing Lesson

Karen · 4 Comments

Yes, even though I am living far away in a travel trailer, I still get those calls from my children asking “Mom, how do you…?” Most recently, my youngest daughter, Emily called and asked how to sew a simple decorative seam so she and her son, the FabGrandson Spencer, could make some handmade Christmas ornaments. (Does she take after her mom or what?) I was trying to explain how to do it, and was not making much progress, so here is a pictorial lesson for her (and anyone else who might like to know):

To make a whip stitch edge:

1. Start with the needle at the back of the project. Bring the thread through to the front:

2. Put the needle a small distance away, into the back of the project again:

3. Before you pull the thread all the way through, put the needle through the little loop, then pull the thread the rest of the way through the fabric:

4. Put the needle a small distance away, through the back of the project again:

5. Before you pull the thread all the way through, put the needle through the little loop, then pull the thread the rest of the way through the fabric, again:

6. And again:

7. And again:

8. And again:

9. This is how the edge seam looks when you get it all done:

Another way to sew a seam is the running stitch:

1. Insert the needle back and forth through both layers of fabric:

2. Pull the thread through and do it again. This what the finished running stitch seam will look like:

This will be Spencer’s first sewing project. I can hardly wait to see the results. Have fun, Emily!

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