Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Creative Edges
At the Wearables Group this week, Lorianne gave suggestions for embellishing the edges of your garments. She showed pictures she collected from various fashion magazines and told how we might incorporate the suggestions into our garments. Some of the suggestions included: piping in the seams, buttons without buttonholes, fringe made by inserting a 1" strip of fabric into the seam and then fringing it up to the seam line, beading (she recommends bigger beads as seed beads are not large enough to show), ribbons butted together and mitered, fringe on the bottom of skirts, and zippers as embellishments. Penny M-J wasn't there this week but she sent along a jacket for us to see with moss stitching along the edges. Penny recommends a book called "Edges and Finishes in Machine Embroidery " by Valerie Campbell-Harding. Lorianne brought a book called "1000 Artisan Textiles" by Sandra Salamony and Gina M. Brown that she uses for inspiration. She also recommends the website http:www.thesewingworkshop.com. Click on the classes tab and look at the Ribbon Trims with Candace Kling classes for pictures of how you can manipulate ribbon to use as trims.
A Day with Linda Lee
When I walked into the Linda Lee seminar on Saturday I was really warmly welcomed. I had met many of the ladies in the room at sewing guild events and on the retreat. It was really nice not to feel like a stranger at all. At lunch, I was lucky to sit at a table with Margo Martin, the Executive Director of the National American Sewing Guild organization. I asked her many questions about how the National Conference process works. Next year the conference is in Houston and I hope to attend it.
In the morning Linda Lee's lecture was titled Great Style at Any Age. It turned out to be a trunk show of her patterns and garments. Although her patterns are not in styles that I think would be flattering on me, I enjoyed seeing the garments sewn up in beautiful fabrics. You can see all her patterns at http://sewingworkshop.com and many pictures of the garments she showed and sold to the group. The "looking good at any age" part was merely that she showed was how the patterns were made up for her, and how her young assistant made the patterns for herself. She suggested making a pattern twice at different lengths. Make a shirt into a jacket or a coat. The Zen shirt had a double collar with the outside collar being longer than the inside collar. She would wear one shirt over another, or a vest over a shirt. This would be okay for the Houston Winters, but not our record hot summer! The Olive pattern had a zipper sewn diagonally down the back which had no purpose except to be decorative. She had a wool jacket that was lined with a quilting cotton fabric. She warned that the Hibiscus and Zona patterns had sleeves that ran very narrow and showed the alteration necessary to increase the size of the sleeve. She recommended the book "The Perfect Fit" for alteration instructions. On the Hudson top you can leave off the cowl neckline, add pockets, use raw edge bindings. She used the wrong side of the serger cover stitch for embellishment. She referred to an article in Threads Magazine she wrote on changing pant legs by adding tabs. On pants she said you need at least 1" ease in the crotch length for sitting. She showed the Ikina Jacket with a bias band. You can sew up the sides and leave off the flanges. The Liberty Shirt has the side seams forward to the front. She has a tutorial on her website for download on how to sew the Liberty shirt and the asymmetrical miter in the hems. She said that China Silk is not a good fabric for garments. She likes silk chiffon for pant linings. She uses raw edged bias strips for embellishment on hems. For the Plaza Jacket, she said everyone wears an extra small. She lengthens the pattern from 4 to 7 inches. The Trio T shirt runs slim in the hips. One variation was to pleat a piece of fabric and place around the neckline instead of a collar. On one tank top, she added a strip of sheer organza around the bottom. The Zona shirt has seams twisted to the front. It has bust darts, one added to the side seam and one out of the armseye.
In the afternoon, the program was Fashioned in Silk. She told about the different types of silk fabrics (China silk, silk noil, silk chiffon, silk charmeuse, crepe de Chine, 3 and 4-ply silks, silk organza, broadcloth, shirting and velvet), and then the different seam finishes she recommended for sewing with silk. The seem finishes are in her Threads Magazine Article you can find at http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/3702/seam-finishes-for-silks. Linda recommended making a scarf to practice the seam sewing finishes.
Here are some of her hints: You can wash and dry silk. She recommended per-washing silk so you don't get spots if it gets wet. Although she prewashes the silk fabric, once it is sewn she dry cleans it. Don't use dryer sheets on silk. She also told how her pattern cutter made single layer patterns for each piece, and then layered a piece of examining table paper, the silk fabric, and the single layer pattern and cut through all three layers. She recommended micro-serrated shears for cutting or a rotary cutter. She uses weights instead of pins. She uses a variation of the tailor's tacks to mark the silk. Place a pin through marking. Separate the fabric and take 1 stitch through the pin point on one layer using silk thread . Complete the stitch by back stitching. Repeat for the other side.
She sews with a 2.2mm stitch and uses thin (60 wt) silk or cotton threads, and a 60 or 65 needle. She uses the single needle throat plate on her Bernina. She likes IBC glass head pins. She suggested holding the fabric taut when you sew and sewing slowly. She uses tag board templates for hems (http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/4546/video-pressing-templates-for-a-sharp-edge) and uses extra-fine fusing tapes for hems.
She recommended wrapped corners on collar points and not trimming the seams. On bias neckline bindings, she measures the neckline and cuts her fabric 7/8 of the measurement. She folds the bias in half and stitches it into a circle. She stitches it on the outside of the garment and then understitches it to the seam allowance. She doesn't top stitch it. She does stitch it in the ditch to the shoulder seams.
Inserting a sleeve: Measure the sleeve cap and then the armseye. There should only be 1 1/2 to 2" of ease. If there is more than that, draw a line 3" down from the cap and fold out 1/4" (See Cecelia Podalak's book on Easy Jackets). Put one row of basting stitches between the notches on the seam line. Draw up the bobbin thread. Place the sleeve cap over the narrower end of a pressing ham. Steam the fullness out of the seam allowance only. Pin the sleeve. Match the seam or dot to the side seam. Roll the fabric over your finger with the sleeve on top. Roll and pin. Start at the top and go down for each side. Sew with the sleeve side up inside the tube of the sleeve. You sew over your previous basting which was on the 5/8" seam line.
Armhole binding: Bias binding brought to the outside. Fold binding in half. Pre shape. Sew ends together. Use a clear pressure foot. Sew 1/8" from left folded edge. Press over a ham. Penny M-J says you can line up the left edge and move your needle position.
Interlining for silk: use baby flannel or silk organza.
Linda Lee was selling her patterns, fabrics, and some notions during the day. I was disappointed that there was not a discount for ASG members. I decided not to spend more money on fabric and patterns until I've used up some of my "resource center". I wonder how long I can keep to this resolution!
In the morning Linda Lee's lecture was titled Great Style at Any Age. It turned out to be a trunk show of her patterns and garments. Although her patterns are not in styles that I think would be flattering on me, I enjoyed seeing the garments sewn up in beautiful fabrics. You can see all her patterns at http://sewingworkshop.com and many pictures of the garments she showed and sold to the group. The "looking good at any age" part was merely that she showed was how the patterns were made up for her, and how her young assistant made the patterns for herself. She suggested making a pattern twice at different lengths. Make a shirt into a jacket or a coat. The Zen shirt had a double collar with the outside collar being longer than the inside collar. She would wear one shirt over another, or a vest over a shirt. This would be okay for the Houston Winters, but not our record hot summer! The Olive pattern had a zipper sewn diagonally down the back which had no purpose except to be decorative. She had a wool jacket that was lined with a quilting cotton fabric. She warned that the Hibiscus and Zona patterns had sleeves that ran very narrow and showed the alteration necessary to increase the size of the sleeve. She recommended the book "The Perfect Fit" for alteration instructions. On the Hudson top you can leave off the cowl neckline, add pockets, use raw edge bindings. She used the wrong side of the serger cover stitch for embellishment. She referred to an article in Threads Magazine she wrote on changing pant legs by adding tabs. On pants she said you need at least 1" ease in the crotch length for sitting. She showed the Ikina Jacket with a bias band. You can sew up the sides and leave off the flanges. The Liberty Shirt has the side seams forward to the front. She has a tutorial on her website for download on how to sew the Liberty shirt and the asymmetrical miter in the hems. She said that China Silk is not a good fabric for garments. She likes silk chiffon for pant linings. She uses raw edged bias strips for embellishment on hems. For the Plaza Jacket, she said everyone wears an extra small. She lengthens the pattern from 4 to 7 inches. The Trio T shirt runs slim in the hips. One variation was to pleat a piece of fabric and place around the neckline instead of a collar. On one tank top, she added a strip of sheer organza around the bottom. The Zona shirt has seams twisted to the front. It has bust darts, one added to the side seam and one out of the armseye.
In the afternoon, the program was Fashioned in Silk. She told about the different types of silk fabrics (China silk, silk noil, silk chiffon, silk charmeuse, crepe de Chine, 3 and 4-ply silks, silk organza, broadcloth, shirting and velvet), and then the different seam finishes she recommended for sewing with silk. The seem finishes are in her Threads Magazine Article you can find at http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/3702/seam-finishes-for-silks. Linda recommended making a scarf to practice the seam sewing finishes.
Here are some of her hints: You can wash and dry silk. She recommended per-washing silk so you don't get spots if it gets wet. Although she prewashes the silk fabric, once it is sewn she dry cleans it. Don't use dryer sheets on silk. She also told how her pattern cutter made single layer patterns for each piece, and then layered a piece of examining table paper, the silk fabric, and the single layer pattern and cut through all three layers. She recommended micro-serrated shears for cutting or a rotary cutter. She uses weights instead of pins. She uses a variation of the tailor's tacks to mark the silk. Place a pin through marking. Separate the fabric and take 1 stitch through the pin point on one layer using silk thread . Complete the stitch by back stitching. Repeat for the other side.
She sews with a 2.2mm stitch and uses thin (60 wt) silk or cotton threads, and a 60 or 65 needle. She uses the single needle throat plate on her Bernina. She likes IBC glass head pins. She suggested holding the fabric taut when you sew and sewing slowly. She uses tag board templates for hems (http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/4546/video-pressing-templates-for-a-sharp-edge) and uses extra-fine fusing tapes for hems.
She recommended wrapped corners on collar points and not trimming the seams. On bias neckline bindings, she measures the neckline and cuts her fabric 7/8 of the measurement. She folds the bias in half and stitches it into a circle. She stitches it on the outside of the garment and then understitches it to the seam allowance. She doesn't top stitch it. She does stitch it in the ditch to the shoulder seams.
Inserting a sleeve: Measure the sleeve cap and then the armseye. There should only be 1 1/2 to 2" of ease. If there is more than that, draw a line 3" down from the cap and fold out 1/4" (See Cecelia Podalak's book on Easy Jackets). Put one row of basting stitches between the notches on the seam line. Draw up the bobbin thread. Place the sleeve cap over the narrower end of a pressing ham. Steam the fullness out of the seam allowance only. Pin the sleeve. Match the seam or dot to the side seam. Roll the fabric over your finger with the sleeve on top. Roll and pin. Start at the top and go down for each side. Sew with the sleeve side up inside the tube of the sleeve. You sew over your previous basting which was on the 5/8" seam line.
Armhole binding: Bias binding brought to the outside. Fold binding in half. Pre shape. Sew ends together. Use a clear pressure foot. Sew 1/8" from left folded edge. Press over a ham. Penny M-J says you can line up the left edge and move your needle position.
Interlining for silk: use baby flannel or silk organza.
Linda Lee was selling her patterns, fabrics, and some notions during the day. I was disappointed that there was not a discount for ASG members. I decided not to spend more money on fabric and patterns until I've used up some of my "resource center". I wonder how long I can keep to this resolution!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
ASG Inside the Loop Group - Vicky's Tote and Farewell to Bayland
Yesterday the Inside the Loop Group met for the last time at Bayland Park Community Center. We had interesting show and tell. I like that the members ask each other for help on fitting and sewing as well as showing us what they made. I learn from the other people's questions, the fabric choices and color combinations. Joyce showed us a skirt that was made with a gore piece and a godet piece that she whips up on the serger in no time. She adds a zipper to the elastic waist and just puts elastic in the back.
Then Vicki demonstrated how she makes her tote from scraps of quilting Fabric. Her version of the tote was based on the County Tote designed by Kimie Leavitt which is published by Indygo Junction. She has made the tote many times and has come up with additional hints for making the pattern. She cuts a piece of plastic canvas about the size of a baseball or playing card and uses that over her scraps so she can cut them with a rotary cutter or a scissors. I liked that hint because you can see through the plastic canvas so you can place it exactly where you want. She also separated the bottom piece of the tote into two halves so when you box the corners and they don't meet up exactly you can adjust the bottom seam. She makes the binding strip out of bias-cut fabric so the join is clean. She just used straight handles without the little circle on the end, and she said to remember to fold in the edges. She covered a piece of cardboard to place in the bottom of the tote so it would stand up better. Joyce recommended using plastic canvas instead of cardboard so you don't have to worry about the bottom getting wet. I think the addition of some pockets on the inside and a zipper on the top would make it a really cute purse.
The monthly stash sale seems to be very popular. I donated a few books on sewing for babies and some patterns because I don't have any babies in the family right now and no one is expecting. I thought Joanne would take the items for her new grandson in Japan, (And I thought my grandkids were far away!) This gives me more room for my recently acquired sewing items. I thought I had a big library, but my friend Sara told me she had a niece create a database for her of her sewing library and she has well over a thousand items. I think I may have to try this so I don't add duplicates to my collection.
Next month the group meets at the library which is 10 minutes from me instead of 30 minutes and the parking will not require a 20 minutes excursion around the parking lots to find a space for my car. I won't be able to be at the first meeting as it on Yom Kippur, so I hope it is successful.
Then Vicki demonstrated how she makes her tote from scraps of quilting Fabric. Her version of the tote was based on the County Tote designed by Kimie Leavitt which is published by Indygo Junction. She has made the tote many times and has come up with additional hints for making the pattern. She cuts a piece of plastic canvas about the size of a baseball or playing card and uses that over her scraps so she can cut them with a rotary cutter or a scissors. I liked that hint because you can see through the plastic canvas so you can place it exactly where you want. She also separated the bottom piece of the tote into two halves so when you box the corners and they don't meet up exactly you can adjust the bottom seam. She makes the binding strip out of bias-cut fabric so the join is clean. She just used straight handles without the little circle on the end, and she said to remember to fold in the edges. She covered a piece of cardboard to place in the bottom of the tote so it would stand up better. Joyce recommended using plastic canvas instead of cardboard so you don't have to worry about the bottom getting wet. I think the addition of some pockets on the inside and a zipper on the top would make it a really cute purse.
The monthly stash sale seems to be very popular. I donated a few books on sewing for babies and some patterns because I don't have any babies in the family right now and no one is expecting. I thought Joanne would take the items for her new grandson in Japan, (And I thought my grandkids were far away!) This gives me more room for my recently acquired sewing items. I thought I had a big library, but my friend Sara told me she had a niece create a database for her of her sewing library and she has well over a thousand items. I think I may have to try this so I don't add duplicates to my collection.
Next month the group meets at the library which is 10 minutes from me instead of 30 minutes and the parking will not require a 20 minutes excursion around the parking lots to find a space for my car. I won't be able to be at the first meeting as it on Yom Kippur, so I hope it is successful.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Greater Houston Quilt Guild Show
Today I went to the Greater Houston Quilt Guild show in Stafford. You could definitely see the difference between the quilts at the local show and the quilts at the International show. Looking at the local quilts gave me more confidence that I could actually make a quilt. My favorite quilts were the ones with the beautiful quilting on them. Most of them were pieced by one person and quilted by another. My friend Sara was there and she said many people piece their quilts and quilt them with their checkbook. In other words they pay someone to quilt the tops for them. After wandering the quilts and the vendors I watched four demonstrations. The first one had you draw a cross on a square and clip a bit in the center of the cross. The you put it on top of an equally sized square and sew around all four sides. Then you cut on the cross to open it up. Then you put a cross on another piece the same size and sew it on top of the first unit. You keep adding rounds and your corners always meet.
The second demonstration was how to quilt on a domestic sewing machine. The professional quilter showed how she sandwiches the quilt on a table with a small lip, and how she is able to fold the quilt to get it under her small machine arm. She had tips like using toothpicks put down on the table with painters tape so that you can feel them and know where the middle of the table is. She used binder clips to hold the backing down. She basted with pins that had plastic covers and used a Quick Clip to close the clips. She suggested Leah Day's web site and videos for instruction and patterns. I had already subscribed to Leah Days videos on UTube. She liked Harriet Hargraves' older book on machine quilting. She uses the hints on Superior Threads website on thread types and prefers a top stitch (16) or a metallic needle because of the large eyes. She said that these Schmetz needles are actually the same and you can buy the cheaper ones. She said she adjusts the tension and the tension may change depending on the weather. This was the demo that was of the most value to me.
The third demonstration was the 10 minute block. This demo is the same as Suzanne McNeill's demos on UTube which I had already seen. It is an easy method for making a Cathedral Window type square in a square. I like the UTube videos which show all the variations of quilts using this block that looks like a dimensional bow tie block. The idea of sandwiching the fabric into the seams reminded me also of Cheryl Phillips methods for making mariner's compass type blocks with little pieces sandwiched in to make some of the extra points.
The fourth demo was about making half square and quarter square triangles. The quilter sprayed the squares with starch "gluing" the squares together. Then she cut along the diagonal and sewed them together. She cut the squares a bit larger than necessary and then cut them down to size. She also showed a method using Eleanor Burns special ruler. She had written a book and showed quilts using Civil War reproduction fabric. I also felt that I had heard all of her hints already either in videos I have seen or in the books I already own.
In all the quilt show was definitely worth the $5.00 admission fee. I didn't find anything I had to spend other funds on except for lunch which was a delicious BBQ sandwich. It was amazing that except for Sara who I knew from the ASG wearable s group, I didn't see a single familiar face.
The second demonstration was how to quilt on a domestic sewing machine. The professional quilter showed how she sandwiches the quilt on a table with a small lip, and how she is able to fold the quilt to get it under her small machine arm. She had tips like using toothpicks put down on the table with painters tape so that you can feel them and know where the middle of the table is. She used binder clips to hold the backing down. She basted with pins that had plastic covers and used a Quick Clip to close the clips. She suggested Leah Day's web site and videos for instruction and patterns. I had already subscribed to Leah Days videos on UTube. She liked Harriet Hargraves' older book on machine quilting. She uses the hints on Superior Threads website on thread types and prefers a top stitch (16) or a metallic needle because of the large eyes. She said that these Schmetz needles are actually the same and you can buy the cheaper ones. She said she adjusts the tension and the tension may change depending on the weather. This was the demo that was of the most value to me.
The third demonstration was the 10 minute block. This demo is the same as Suzanne McNeill's demos on UTube which I had already seen. It is an easy method for making a Cathedral Window type square in a square. I like the UTube videos which show all the variations of quilts using this block that looks like a dimensional bow tie block. The idea of sandwiching the fabric into the seams reminded me also of Cheryl Phillips methods for making mariner's compass type blocks with little pieces sandwiched in to make some of the extra points.
The fourth demo was about making half square and quarter square triangles. The quilter sprayed the squares with starch "gluing" the squares together. Then she cut along the diagonal and sewed them together. She cut the squares a bit larger than necessary and then cut them down to size. She also showed a method using Eleanor Burns special ruler. She had written a book and showed quilts using Civil War reproduction fabric. I also felt that I had heard all of her hints already either in videos I have seen or in the books I already own.
In all the quilt show was definitely worth the $5.00 admission fee. I didn't find anything I had to spend other funds on except for lunch which was a delicious BBQ sandwich. It was amazing that except for Sara who I knew from the ASG wearable s group, I didn't see a single familiar face.
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