Yep, I've snapped. I named my sewing machine yesterday :lol: She's named Suki the Super Sewing Machine :p
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Yep, I've snapped. I named my sewing machine yesterday :lol: She's named Suki the Super Sewing Machine :p
"like":
I hadn't though of naming my sewing machine before...
So I've realised I have 7 different sewing / craft projects on the go at the moment (three of them quilts). Oopps. Should learn to finish one thing before starting the next. One of my projects is crocheting cushion covers (I have just taught myself to crochet), and I am thinking I will need to put some backing on the crochet so you cann't see the cushion filler through the holes. Does anyone know the best way to attach the crochet squares to the backing material? I'm assuming hand sewing??
My nanna used to make crochet cushion covers and i *think* she used to hand sew the crochet onto the backing fabric using some of the same yarn so it was well attached and well hidden.
AFM this week is all about linen! I'm getting my linen on for the girls Christmas dresses. I guess a few days will tell if it is a spectacular triumph or failure.
I had my own moment like this last week, some how my cutting for DD1s pants went a bit wrong and they didn't fit her - but hey presto a couple adjustments and DD2 had a nice new pair of pants :lol: :redface::
I complained to DH last night that I'd run out of projects to make with the fabric I have. He gave me "A Look" and reminded me that I promised him a phone pouch he could take to work. Oops. I forgot I could make things for him too :rofl: I've just been focused on DD and myself :p I'm halfway through now, I've just finished putting the button on :)
So I've decided to make a couple of aprons for my sis and her hubby to go with a cookbook I bought them for Christmas. That doesn't sound lame does it?
Not at all, I'd love to do something like that for everyone :)
If anyone's seen my charity thread, these are what I want to make and donate:
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/12/18/9yteqa6e.jpg
They're so easy!
cute Teni. do you have the pattern?
Misty, i don't think that's lame at all.
If you google "free NICU smock" and "everythingyourmamamade" you should be alright :)
Well I bought some material and insulbright for aprons and pot holders. now I just have to find that elusive thing called 'time' to somehow manage to sew them all. I have decided to make some for my father too, since I cann't think of anything else to get him, and maybe give him a few different cheeses (he loves cheese).
that sounds like an awesome idea Misty =)
I love that idea Misty, something a little personal to create a beautiful gift. As for finding the elusive time, sometimes it is incredible how much you can squeeze into a day in the name of Christmas ;)
Teni - the smock is divine. I love the idea of making some and think I might give it a go. I certainly have plenty of fabric in the stash that could be used...
I have just handed over the first of my gifts, a handmade dress for a friend's 5 year old. She was delighted, with a gorgeous self conscious smile. I couldn't be happier. Last year I made DD the same dress (from the Japanese pattern book - Carefree clothes for girls) in red to match a dress in one of her favourite books. Both my friend and her daughter thought it was beautiful and when I heard that her daughter had proclaimed that I would make her wedding dress one day, and that she had asked her mum and dad for a special dress for Christmas, i just had to make her something. Nothing like making something for someone when you know they will appreciate it. My daughters seem to take home made clothes for granted a bit as it is what they are used to. So, dear S has her own red dress with a purple sash, a grin on her face and I am a happy camper.
I also made a couple of cute skirts for her younger sisters after seeing some cute fabric at Spotlight the other day - seriously, fabric shops are dangerous!
One last thing for Christmas, a little felt set, hand-sewn, to tell the story of a caterpillar - butterfly life cycle for DDs kinder as a present. She proudly took it off to kinder for her last day and told the story to the class. She was so proud of herself and me, it was the sweetest thing.
But that is it for me for handmade Christmas presents unless I can find some time between now and the big day. I have one last plan of a princess and the pea mattress set for DD2 for Christmas but that might have to go on the back burner… Yes, Misty, I am looking for that elusive time too...
How did everyone go? Did you get all your christmas sewing finished?
i went looking for a free tute/pattern for a girls nightie for dd, and discovered this http://candacetodd.blogspot.com.au/2...-tutorial.html
It combines 2 of my desires! I have some funky t shirts that don't fit me anymore that i had thrown in the sewing cupboard to see if i could cut them down one day for one of the kids. And DD had decided she likes nighties instead of pjs (probably easier when she starts nickers at night too). If all is well today, i will bust one out. Taking pics as i go along too!
I made 10 christmas sacks, 4 pairs of pjs, 2 pair of shorts and some other stuff this December.
in less than an hour i made this one.
3334
Sorry Hoti - I got it from here - Vest pattern.:
Does anyone have any idea about a sewing machine that the bobbin side thread keeps pulling up and not laying flat? Ive tried adjusting the tensions. It happened all of a sudden and picks and chooses when it wants to do it. Will a service fix this? I currently have two machines with the exact same issue. :(
Abigail not totally sure on what you mean. Can you explain it another way?
Abigail - are you using the same bobbin in both machines? If the bobbin is not wound evenly, it can come out uneven as you sew and therefore be intermittently loose/tight.
How can I prevent it from being wound unevenly?
Could it be the thread I am using? Im using a different thread and fabric at the moment, but its not happening quite as much. Its happened a little but nothing like before.
Ate you using the right size needle for the thickness of the fabric?
Hi gals. Thought I'd come and join the thread seeing as I got the urge to drag out my poor sewing machine the other week and take her for a whirl.
I am a complete rookie sewer. I know my basics of my machine but that's about it. It's been YouTube and blog tutorials and a lot of cussing while I learn as I go lol
So far I've made some pretty easy baby knot hats, a couple of swaddling blankets, some muslin wraps and burp cloths. If I don't look to close they look fine.
Just wondering how everyone else learnt to sew? From a family member? School? Took a class? Winged it and learnt as you went? I'm thinking of taking a sewing class this year so I can actually do it properly, as I really enjoy it and a few friends have asked about my blankies but I don't feel right making them for others when they are so not professional ;)
Freya - I learned to sew before I ever started school. Mum used to make all our clothing as kids, and she taught us.
Abigail - I would suggest that your most likely culprit is your thread tension; either the upper thread or the bobbin tension is set incorrectly for the thickness of material and the type of stitch you are using. You will need to adjust that to the right tension and the problem should resolve. Otherwise, quality of thread could be a factor (cheap thread will do that), or it could be you have lint or thread stuck somewhere in the bobbin casing or housing - you may need to take the plate off and pull it all out and give it a clean.
I've got so many different projects on the go at once, I really need to learn to finish one thing at a time before starting another! lol My latest passion in the sewing arena is definitely quilting though. I love it. I am about to start a lightweight rag quilt for my bed. This time, instead of basic square patchwork, I am going to do a design on it - I'm thinking a giant lone star in the middle. It is going to be flannel on the topside and cotton on the bottom, but I have yet to decide whether or not I am going to use batting inside it.If I do use batting, it will be bamboo batting.
I have managed to spend way to much money in spotlight and other sewing shops lately. I have such a fettish for fabric, and it is hard not to indulge, I am actually selling one or two of my babycarriers to fund some more purchases (to do this quilt I am planning). :eek: (those who know me will understand just how big a deal that is. ;) ). I actually had thoughts of chopping up the wraps and using them, but I couldn't bring myself to do it :lol: and I can buy alot more fabric with the money from selling them, then there is in the carriers themselves.
My mum did sew, but I don't remember her teaching me. Mum doing crafty things made her agro, so really was not pleasant, also she must have done most of it at night.
School taught us in home ec for year 7 & 8. For some reason I did not continue, but I did some sewing at home, just learning from following the pattern instructions. I learnt a lot more about sewing when we started the medieval reenactment, as others would show me how to make historical outfits, I would get tips about sewing from them.
My Mum is very uncrafty, but her Mum was very skilled. I did sewing at school, and a short Spotlight dressmaking course (which was great for learning how to adjust patterns) and the rest is self taught. On-line tutorials are great, but i learnt most of mine from making baby clothes. They don't take that much material so not too expensive if you stuff up.
Thanks guys. Ive worked out that machine number one is fine one you adjust the tension accordingly. :doh: Still needs to go for a service as I know at least one part need replacing on her. Just scared of the cost.
The second machine Im a little miffed about. Its definitely the upper tension. I put the bobbin into machine two (after working out I needed to adjust tension - my bad) and volia no issue, but machine two is still having issues. No matter if you do 0 - 9 it all ended up the same. So Im thinking she needs to get a good service and clean out and hopefully that will be all it is and not the upper tension plates broken. :(
Obviously Im still learning lmao! Started at school and then self taught - and now BB taught hehe. Google is thy friend ;) My aunt is a fabulous quilter, Im far to embarrassed to ask her anything though.
The upper tension plates on my machine need to be serviced and fixed - the tension doesn't hold steady. Given that the machie is 10years old and never had a service, that is unsurprising.
Tension is one of the hardest to get sorted when it goes wrong. I sew on a 1954 singer, and have an excellent ongoing relationship with the service guy at my local Janome shop!
I learnt from Mum, and then did some at school, but then it's just a matter of tackling different projects and following patterns, utube instructions, etc. My latest gig is sewing sunhats. :)
Well, I managed to send $200 today, mostly at spotlight, and some at HobbySew. I bought my DD1 an Elna Sewing machine for her 7th birthday, and I got suplies for making my rag quilt. Sewing is so expensive, it cost $57 just for the batting. So now I have everything to get started, but I'm going to hold off for a bit until I finish some of my other projects. Tonight I'm planning on actual quilting my little patchwork quilt - FX I have no more issues with my sewing machine, I might have to pull it apart and give it a proper clean out before I get started.
I've finished all my Works In Progress :-/ I'm going to leave a few of the smocks Velcro-less, so I don't even have that to do now :lol:
Here they all are:
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/01/07/6egyna6u.jpg
And reversed:
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/01/07/aqysyjub.jpg
I didn't realise how much of the spotted fabric I used :D I only got half a metre of each fabric, it went pretty far!
Tenibear - they are cute.
Well I managed to stuff up my new rotary cutter by using it with a metal ruler. :/ stupid. So tomorrow I'm going out to spend 'more' money on a new ruler and a new blade. Good one Melissa. :rolleyes:
Gorgeous Teni!
bummer Misty.
does anyone buy material on-line? any funky shops i should know about?
Honestly, I've looked at material online (ALOT), but at the end of the day its usally cheaper for me to find stuff in spotlight or lincraft or hobbysew (particularly when they have sales like now) and buy it there instead - but it would depend onn how good a selection your local shops have I guess, mine have a fairly good range. It amazes me how much some of these materials go for online. Having said that, it depends what you are getting. Precut materials (ie, Moda charm packs, layer cakes, desert rolls, etc) can be much cheaper online. My favourite places for those are Fabric Buzz and Oz Quilts.
does anyone in her crossstitch? im looking for a skien of DMC 032. its described as pearl. but every shop ive been to doesnt even have it on their stocklist or know if it exists. can anyone help?
I tend to source my DMC from the US as they have everything. I do bulk buy though. Best one I have found is 1-2-3 Stitch. They have all the threads I have ever needed.
thanks. ill check them out.
Also check the official DMC site. I think the thread numbers start in the 100s from memory but you might find the number there if it is a misprint
Any tips for sewing with silk?
Yes! Too often hee hee.:
Hawthorne fabrics
Sew mama sew
Pink chalk fabrics
All US websites. Shipping is around US$17 for up to 10.5 yards (varies per site depending on how much they are willing to stuff in the envelopes!!).
They always have stuff on sale, sometimes for US$5-6 a yard. The really nice stuff is usually around US$9-11 a yard and I've looked for the same fabric in Aus websites and its literally double the price. I quite like the Robert Kaufman stuff so often buy that.
I just did an order of 10.5 yards and it cost me just over $100 including shipping.
I mostly buy fabric in store because usually it is the same price per metre online but then you add postage, but have ordered online for specific fabrics. In a sewing group I am in on FB they talk about fabric.com (american) but I haven't used it myself. Some also use etsy (US sellers) for Riley Blake and that kind designer fabrics but they are not really my style so again I haven't personally done that.
i have avoided on line so far but Spotlight is getting quite expensive, so just wondered if it was cheaper OS.
i had a look at fabric dot com, and they have some vhc prints for $8.48/yard (0.91 metre). I think once the order was $35, then postage was $16. So 7 metres was $75 incl postage.
I saw similar at Spotlight recently for $20/metre. it's tempting to give it a try.
I usually buy from there HotI. They are fantastic! and very quick. Even here to the centre of nowhere only takes a week.
MadB gosh it's been a while with silk...ummm buy good quality thread, practise on a scrap first, make sure your pins are sharp (it snags really easily), depending on the type of silk some tissue paper between layers can stop it slipping in your machine (and the perforations made from the needle make it easy to tear out when you are done), amke sure your seams are finished well as it really unravels....