General chat thread for BB girls who like sewing

[kawazuki]

you should be able to.. just think of how many layers you overlock together for boosters?

[maz]

I didnt even think of that. thanks chicky.

Just got my order of tillbrook fabric..OMG its gorgeous but im so glad that I didnt get the purple..its looks washed out.

[Fleur]

Thanks Nelle I actually did the quilts because it is kind of all straight lines... cutting round shapes like for armholes or legs etc scares me

I find zips the easier part to do, its button holes that scare me!

Lol Pandora, Im the opposite - my machine has a buttonhole thing that kind of does it for you. I think it's the idea of zips that scares me - I think I just have a mental block.
Arcadia you make it sound so easy!
I'm going to have to just bite the bullet & give it a go.

[Daydream Believer]

Maz, the sewing shop in Pakenham specialises in quilting I think. You'll just have to visit.
Probably there are some decent quilting books that teach the basics - Sal got a good one for crocheting from Spotters (how's that going anyway?), I think I saw a quilting one in the same range?


And Sal gave me some brilliant tips, not that I'm sure I can actually achieve any of them...I don't know how to pin, I'm not sure how bias tape works (I've never used it), I'm not sure what all the knobs on my sewing machine are for...

Do I just resign myself to screwing up again and again and learning that way? Hope that doesn't prove to be too expensive...

(actually, does anyone in my area know of anywhere I can do sewing classes/lessons? I thought Spotlight might, but the website doesn't include my local one in their details.)

Maz- the book was called A-Z of crochet, They have a huge range of different stuff, If you google that title it should give you the links to the other books. Im pretty sure they had a quilting one.

I would like to learn quilting too, but I get so confused with it all.

Nelle- I've got no idea on bias tape either, & as far as learning,I bought a heap of cheap material & some patterns of ebay & started with those. I constantly have to refer to my sewing machines instruction book & I think I've only used 4 or 5 stitches on it.
Pakenham shop does quilting, sewing & embroidery classes But compare prices because apparently they are a bit exxy. If you want I can come round & go over your machine with you. Might be easier when DF is home so he can take DD though.

Pandora- I used to have to do manual button holes with my old machine (that only had straight stitch & zig-zag. All the other stitches were broken), I used to sew a rectangle, straight stitch the length of the button turn 90 degrees, sew 1 or 2 stitches, turn 90 degrees, sew the length again & then turn & finish the rectangle. Then I'd swap to zig-zag stitch (as with the zig-zags as close together as your machine will let you) & go over the top of the rectangle. Then using a quick-unpick or small scissors make a cut in the middle of the rectangle for the button. If that makes any sense, But my new machine has an automatic button-hole, because Im lazy LOL

As far as zips go, I've only done 2, 1 was 3 years ago & I dont think I did it right, & one on DD's christmas dress last Christmas & I had to get MIL to help me.

[Laranna]

Well I'm quite excited ladies! I have worked out how to squeeze the entire pattern onto my fabric for DS's flanny PJ's I've just spent the last hour cutting out the pieces. Now I just have to work out what happens next lol. The instructions say something about stay stitching which I have no idea about! Oh and I have cut out the patterns with wrong side together I think it will be ok though if I turn them out before I snip all the notches etc. The main thing is the pattern on the fabric is all running in the same direction

I'm loving reading all the quilting tips. I do want to make a quilt one day. Something nice other than just sewing four straight edges together Fleur, yours are just lovely.

Maz, I have borrowed a copy of Sewing for Dummies from my local library and it has been a fantastic reference guide, maybe checkout your library for a quilting one?

[Ryatha]

The next time I am in my library I'm going to check out the sewing section, I forgot when I was there last time

Oh and I thought I would try to make a pair of pram pants for Fred the other night, pants that I can put over anything that she is wearing to keep her warm on walks. It is so much easier to sew clothes than nappies! there is no fiddly elastic, no overlocking, it was great!

Elund - well done on cutting out all the pieces, stay stitches are just big stitches to keep the pieces together while you sew them up.

oops, I was meant to make a nappy for a friends baby shower tomorrow, and have a wedding today, hopefully I'll have time to make it this morning

[*Beema*]

I always forget about libraries for books which is pretty silly since my mum was a librarian!!

HELP WITH BIASED BINDING????
Hoping to jump on the machine over the weekend, I have biased binding to go around one bib, and it is a pain, as I am using satin BB, if I iron it in half do you think that will help, or just use a heap of pins, which is how i have done it in the past? Then I just have to snap away

Then I better get going on this quilt that is sitting in the to do box

[luna moth]

My local libraries are useless. Op shops are a far better source of information for me, but very tedious as they're never catalogued properly. In Melbourne though, I lived so close to Hawthorn library and it was the BEST!

I've got a buttonhole foot, but I hate doing buttonholes. I know I have successfully done them, once, in 1996 One day I might give them another go.

Fleur I would love to give you a zipper tute! I have just made some cushion covers recently - I made them the size of half a pillow, so they are filled with pillows folded in half. Then when guests come, we just pull the pillows out of the covers and use pillowcases on them. We have a small house, so not a lot of storage.

I'm much better at invisible zippers than regular ones though! Funny, but I guess I've had more practice on the invisible ones.

Off to a friend's craft morning today. Will take something simple to do. Not feeling up to a lot of sewing at the moment

[ss_storm]

Ryatha - just wanted to pop in say I LOVE the bag you made! Looks fantastic and a nice size too, you clever chicky! Had a look at your blog as well and those bright stripy nappy covers are gorgeous!

[wysiwyg]

Audax I live in Camberwell so part of the same group of libraries as Hawthorn, and I have to agree, Hawthorn library is great and because you can transfer books on request for free between any of the Boroondara libraries the range of books you have open to you is fantastic. They have pretty much anything I want and if not can request a transfer from any other library in the state for a small fee. I was on Glenferrie Road the other day and thought I would go check out House of Franke Stuart after you mentioned it but couldn't remember the number and walked the wrong way up the road - oh well DD goes swimming every Wednesday there so I can use the time she spends napping after swimming looking now I know where it is.

[Fleur]

Audax yes please! I think mum has shown me how to do the invisible zippers, maybe that's why they seem so daunting.

I've just posted this in the April challenge (finishing your wip) thread but wanted to ask here too (sorry to those of you getting this twice )

I am finally motivated to finish Panda's quilt top. What I have now I did just after Easter last year

I was going to add black borders to each square to make the entire piece a bit bigger, and to define the squares but now I am wondering if they don't look better together as they are.
I have posted pics HERE and would love your feedback please
There are 25 squares in total.

ETA Ryatha, have just had a look at your blog & I love the bag! Also the pants, I could use soemthing like that. Were they very hard? Did you use a pattern?

[luna moth]

wysi - stop it, stop! I miss Melbourne too too much! When you do go in to Franke Stuart, the remnant bin is on the far left side as you step up onto the higher level. Next to all the tulle. If you look super carefully you'll see some of my wedding dress fabric Check out everything else, too, but the remnants are the business! Once you get to know the ladies a little bit, see if they'll let you into the side storage room, where the un-priced stuff is. I had a bonanza in there last trip. Meanwhile, I can't recommend the sewing machine centre in camberwell - they wer so rude to me.

I just bought a Tonia Todman sewing book from my local op shop this morning. Plenty of foddr fr scrapheap challenge! Yahooo!

Now, for last stitch. I don't feel too spewy today, so might actually get some work done!

[Shanti]

WOW! This thread has really kicked off!! Good work girls....!! I'm glad I started it!! I knew there had to be other sewers out there in the BB community

Well my next project I'm about to begin is a pillow case cover for DD's junior size pillow I bought her! Cute!! I am making two, I have two different fabrics. One for her cot and one for her play area and to use when reading her books on her couch.

I'm also going to make my friends 19mo daughter, a cute skirt like the Bandana one I made for DD!!

Eluned - have fun with the flanny PJ's! That's on my list next ready for winter!! Just gotta find a pattern! Cute!

[*Beema*]

Ive not used Satin Biased Binding before as I usually make my own from off cuts

I usually iron it in half and then iron one of the edges in half again or to the correct width. Then sew the unironed side into place with the machine and slip stitch the ironed sideof the binding on the behind side of my item by hand. Makes for a neat finish. HTH.

Thanks Molly Bibs are all done!

*QUESTION* I have a blanket that I am doing for my nephew and I just need to edge it, I am guessing that I would just make my own biased binding but wider? Do you just cut strips of material, sew them together, the iron the edges in and the stitch on, probably by hand? It is just two layers of cotton and a wool inner layer for the blanketing, this is the last bit I need to do for my WIP

I made a top on Friday and wore it out to our BB catch up, it was so cool To actually make something for myself and be happy enough with it to wear it Will have to get a photo of it and post a link

Hvae to make some flannies for DD as well, got a pattern from MIL, and found some gorgeous flannelette with ducks on it, DD is completely addicted to ducks, and she was ver excited to see the material

[Fleur]

Beema, I made my own bias binding for my first quilt and I have to be honest, it was a disaster
but maybe you can learn from my mistakes....
For starters I didn't cut it anywhere near wide enough, also I probably could have been a bit more finicky, I was getting impatient to have it done.
But basically you cut strips of fabric on the bias - that is for strength I think - and join them. If you Google it I found instructions online.

For my second quilt I bought wide binding from spotlight

Good luck, and I can't wait to see the pic of your top!

[*Beema*]

So if mine is a disaster that's ok I do have some wider stuff from Spotlight tht I use for other stuff and I can fold that over and see how it looks, I am jsut not sure of what colour to get or use as the quilt has lots of greens, plain green with different green and white dots on the back and the front has jungle animals, but an outer strip that is about 2" wide had a zebra stripe border happening, so I am guessing that black would porbablt be the best colour...

I will try and get a photo of the top and happy to share the pattern as it was just from a blog - love free patterns that work!!

[Shanti]

I made a skirt for my good friend's daughter the other night, did it in about 1.5-2hrs! I was sooo proud of myself i'm getting faster and more confident with this sewing stuff now!!

That reminds me, should pay a visit to the local library soon and borrow a sewing book for some tips and ideas!!!

[Laranna]

Good work Shanti!

I'm still working on the PJ's. Plus last night I mended DH's soccer shorts as they had a hole in the crotch lol. Stitching wasn't 100% straight but it was good enough

Beema, how'd the binding go?