Show and Tell

[Jellybean]

I'm super excited about these new clubs (thanks @Curious, @Destiny, and everyone else who made them happen) and I'm sure I'm not the only one who loves to see the results of other people's creativity, especially when I 'know' the makers. Pinterest is just Not The Same.

Show off your most beautiful finished items (or disastrous, unfinished and abandoned projects for tea and sympathy), samples, sketchbooks, project notes, sewing space or stash of fabric/yarn/haberdashery.

Or all of those things.

Tell us about the tools and techniques you love, that you want to learn or improve, or those that scare you too much to try. What sort of patterns do you use? Do you make alterations to the pattern and test garment for a perfect fit? What projects are in your queue? 

Would any of you be interested in a sew-along or a topic on this forum specifically for people to experiment with new techniques, tools and materials? What about pattern cutting and customising commercial patterns?  We could help each other, SOTDRT-style, but with drinks and snacks and rescue ferrets.

As I'm the only one here, I'll start:

I store my fabric in drawers and clear plastic boxes, or upright on bookshelves. Storing it like this means I can see all my fabrics and find what I need without having to 'stir' the drawer. Just looking at them makes me feel inspired and happy!

[Jellybean]

I made this last weekend - it’s a draught  excluder for one leaky window in our apartment (apologies for the cat - letting her be in the photo was the only way I could stop her either putting her whole face in the camera or lying in front of the draught excluder):

It’s supposed to look like beach huts and the roof/top is made with a grey fabric with a print of little white stars 

[WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?]

@Jellybean, what did you stuff your draft excluder with? I would suppose that the regular polyester fiber-fil my mum used for stuffed toys wouldn't have enough weight to keep it in place. I guess you could put something heavy in the bottoms?

Your fabric stack is lovely.  When I pet-sat for two different quilters, I always admired their rainbows of fabric, so carefully stacked on shelves. It inspired me to have open shelves for yarn storage in my completely hypothetical dream house. 

[Ais]

I have been determined to learn how to sew properly for years and never quite managed. I can hand sew well enough to hem/repair but o would love to be able to take fabric and create something beautiful. I love your draught excluder @Jellybean

[Jellybean]

Thanks!

@WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo? I did use regular polyester stuffing, but I put a long, thin plastic bag in the bottom, filled with mung beans (I didn’t think we were going to eat them - I’ll let you know if my husband asks where the mung beans are in the next year or so) so it’s pretty heavily weighted at the bottom. 

What do you make with your yarn stash? 

@Ais (is that pronounced ‘Ash’?) I totally know what you mean about wanting to create beautiful things and going to fabric stores and stroking things but not really having a plan of how to use them. Craftsy has some excellent classes (some free) from beginner right through to expert. I’ve done a couple of their couture sewing courses and would really recommend them. 

[Ais]

@Jellybean yes it is, not many people catch that! 

I must look into craftsy for classes, I think I set up an account many moons ago for crochet and knitting patterns. I was gifted a sewing machine about a year ago so I really have no excuse.

[Jellybean]

Do it! And then come back and show us for applause and congratulatory hugs!

[WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?]

On 2/20/2018 at 5:08 AM, Jellybean said:

What do you make with your yarn stash? 

I'm a knitter, but I don't knit all that much lately. I have more time now that my kids are both in school, but I've never really gotten "my groove back" as far as my knitting goes. I'd also like to learn to crochet one of these days.

I own a sewing machine that was my grandmother's. Unfortunately, I don't know how to sew, the machine needs repaired, and we don't have room for it in our house. (My MIL kindly lets us keep it in her guest room.) When my grandma gave me her sewing machine, I was going to try to learn at least some basic sewing, but when it turned out that the machine wasn't working right, I kind of lost interest. Getting it fixed and learning to use it is still on my mental list of things I'd love to do.

My grandma was my domestic arts inspiration. She sewed, knitted, crocheted, and was a great cook. She was also a teacher and went to college to get a degree, even though she could have kept teaching on her old "teacher's college" certificate. She got her bachelor's degree at the same time my dad (her oldest son) got his. (My other grandma was cool too, but homemaking wasn't her big thing--music was.)

Thinking about her and my other grandparents makes me sad that we only saw them for one week every year. There are so many things I wish I could ask them. I'm glad my kids get to see their 3 grandparents at least once a week. 

[Ais]

I joined this club and then couldn't find my way back to it. Needless to say I still haven't mastered the sewing machine but I've been asked to make newborn photo props for a family friend/photographer so right now I'm mostly spending my time on Pinterest lol

[Jellybean]

I love Pinterest! I have to be careful, though, because I can get sucked in for hours!

I know what you mean about not being able to find the clubs again @Ais - I use mobile for FJ and get here by clicking on the three horizontal lines in the top right corner, then choosing browse, and clubs. I find it a bit clunky, which means I forget the clubs are even here. Oops!

@WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo? I lost my creating mojo for a long time. It’s frustrating but it will come back. Don’t fret. I love Craftsy for their courses (don’t ever pay for them at full price - they have good sales). I haven’t tried any of the knitting ones, but the sewing and pattern cutting ones I’ve tried have been absolutely excellent. 

ETA: just saw that I recommended them above too - oops! I’m not affiliated in any way, I promise!

[FecundFundieFundus]

@WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo? I've given up on knitting, but depending on the ages of your kids/kids in your life, you can use up some of your scraps or stash doing yarn weaving or some of these projects. I ended up giving away a bag full of yarn to my local library for their craft projects. I think they've done friendship bracelets so far
I need to dust my sewing machine off to sew up some doll clothes for the kids. Build a Bear clothes are such a ripoff. 

 

[WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?]

@FecundFundieFundus, thanks for the ideas for using yarn with kids! So far, the only thing I've taught them with yarn is Cat's Cradle.  My 9 year old is really nagging me to teach her to knit this summer, so I need to bite the bullet and start soon. 

She's a great kid, but it can be hard teaching her new things. I helped her learn how to use the looms she's gotten as gifts (one for potholders and one for rubber band bracelets), so I hope that's a good sign that we can work together.

My 7 year old doesn't really care about making the same kind of crafty things as my "big" girl, they just care about getting some of the finished product! "I want a blue and orange bracelet for me, a pink and green one for my friend, and then one for every kid in my class." 

3 hours ago, FecundFundieFundus said:

Build a Bear clothes are such a ripoff. 

I agree. My kids have one Build a Bear each, but their clothes are baby clothes from thift stores. A dress or two and a few cute t-shirts, and they were pretty happy.

[FecundFundieFundus]

Nice! I'm using this as an opportunity to try my hand at clothes modification. So far I've removed the sleeves on a $2 thrift store baby shirt, now I need to recut the shoulders, sew the new side seams, embroider the edges of the hole for his tail and reattach the shortened arms. Gulp! I hope my kids look back with gratitude someday because right now they're more like your seven year old, @WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?. It's nice to be looked upon as endlessly capable... Sometimes.

[WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?]

2 minutes ago, FecundFundieFundus said:

It's nice to be looked upon as endlessly capable... Sometimes.

Except when it means everyone expects you to do everything, or perform miracles. 

[FecundFundieFundus]

Exactly! I tell them I'm not Jana but none of them know who the hell she is 

[MarblesMom]

I haven't really sewn since 1978, but agreed to make a few (LOL) potholders for a solar oven mission.

I think I am up to 150, and can now actually sew in a straight line.... most of the time.  I will take a pic Tues of the stacks and stacks of the creations.

Niece took me to some quilting stores and I went a little... overboard... on fabric.

[WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?]

3 hours ago, MarblesMom said:

Niece took me to some quilting stores and I went a little... overboard... on fabric.

Easy to do, in my experience. (Yarn, in my case. Same thing, different medium.)

[FecundFundieFundus]

I'm packing up the apartment right now. I BARELY sew and vigorously restrain myself in fabric stores. I'm still drowning in boxes of fabric. Aaaah! 

[MarblesMom]

I am remiss in taking the pic.  I hope I remember to do so tomorrow.

 

[FecundFundieFundus]

Successfully sewed the B.A.B. outfit! Started with a 6 month baby dress shirt (DIY'd the granddad collar) and a 3-6 month infant trousers. He has ribbon and button suspenders to match the owner of Bear (leather suspenders with bronze clips). I don't have a picture of his bum handy, but there's a cutout for his tail. 

Quote

 

[MarblesMom]

Ok, this pic doesn't do them justice - there are almost 300 potholders here, and more are still being made.

[MarblesMom]

Total tally is 518 potholders.  WOW.

[Chickenbutt]

Does anyone know anything about Candlewicking? My friend is retiring at the end of this month and she mentioned that she wants to learn to candlewick like her mom and grandmother did. I would like to buy her a "starter kit". A book, some fabric and whatever the hell kind of thread you use. All the websites say there is some kind of special thread or you can just use embroidery floss. Seems tedious to me, but to each his own. Any help out there would be appreciated. Thanks. 

[WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?]

Sorrt, @Chickenbutt. I looked into learning to tat, once upon a time, but I know nothing about candlewicking. Hopefully someone else does. 

[FecundFundieFundus]

I've never tried my hand at whitework, but I do a little embroidery for fun. Does she already embroider or is this a brand new hobby? Looks like candlewicking is just a particular style of whitework that uses Colonial knots to create designs. She'd need an embroidery hoop, needles, unbleached/cream muslin, unbleached or white thread if doing a traditional design (some people do candlewick designs using colored thread according to Google), and a transfer pen. Hydrogen peroxide to lift off bloodstains from pricked fingers if she's anything like me haha. Depending on her eyesight, a magnifier and a good strong work light is invaluable. 

Hopefully someone who is experienced with that style will pop on and give you better advice!