Great resource for new sewers

While walking through my local Jo-Ann’s ETC the other day I spotted the magazine SewStylish by Connecticut’s own Taunton press. This is a magazine aimed at beginning sewers. It is sort of the baby sister to Taunton’s more well known Threads magazine.
Now I have read and loved Threads magazine for years. An article in Threads many years ago started me on my love affair with felted wools. The articles are informative and well done. But Threads is aimed at the experienced and adventurous sewer. Beginning sewers could quickly be overwhelmed. SewStylish serves a need in the sewing community . . . the new sewer that needs to learn. The articles are well written and easy to understand. The photos continue the excellent tradition of all of Taunton’s publications. They are clear close-ups that clarify points in the articles.
The two issues I read included tips on tools, techniques, and garment alterations. My favorite was an article giving basic instructions on making a skirt pattern from duct tape.

Years ago I made a dress form with duct tape. It was a project that took half dozen rolls of tape . . . and a few glasses of wine (I am claustrophobic).  My husband thought I had lost it but helped me anyway.  Although he kept cracking jokes and I was trying hard not to laugh because of the tight fit we were able to make an exact replica of my form.    (BTW - Use an old oversized tee shirt to make the form.  Seam it to make it fit snug and then go ahead and start wrapping.)   The time it took to make it (a couple of hours one evening) was well spent and it resulted in a form that served me well for many years. Every person’s body is asymmetrical, some more than others.  My right side is larger than my left and my shoulders are rounded.  This became readily apparent as soon as I looked at the duct tape form.   A skintight duplicate of your individual body shape makes an excellent base for pattern drafting and garment alterations. No matter how good a store bought dress form is it can’t duplicate your body eccentricities as well as a form made this way. Once made this dcut tape dummy will stand up to many, many patterns and changes.
Throughout the magazine are directions to the website for additional info. Originally I was peeved but after checking out some of the links I was impressed. There was a gold mine of information there at the click of my mouse.
I found a sale package of two of the SewStylish magazines for a bargain price of $8.99. Look for the freestanding display near the cash registers or near the magazine section.
Check out the magazine and its website.

Determine fabric content with a detective kit

Sometimes fabrics aren’t well-labeled, even in the best of shops. Sometimes I find them in unusual places, like tag sales or consignment shops. I love a good hunt. I’m a fabric omnivore. If the fabric is the color/weight/weave I need for a project I use it. This upsets my purist friends but certainly makes my work . . . uh, distinctive.

Natural fabrics are my preference and I have gotten pretty good at guessing by touch and feel. But sometimes I am stumped. Polyesters are getting better and better. Some no longer feel like hard plastic. Some sweaters made of acrylics are hard to determine by the touch test.

I recently went on a shopping trip to New York City. Preparation included packing some unconventional items . . . my handy dandy fabric content detective kit.

Actually it’s just a disposable lighter or matches and a couple of four inch squares of white muslin in a sandwich bag. If a particular fabric is not well labeled or store help cannot answer my questions, I ask for a snippet. It’s an infrequent request and most sales staff are happy to help. That’s most . . . not all sales staff. Let’s just say the store salesman in the shop in New York City was having a cranky day. He looked at me as if I had two heads and then completely ignored me, not answering “yes” or “no” to my request for a swatch. You can’t win ‘em all.

CONTENT
Take your hard won fabric snip and step outside. This is a quick test to see if the sample is a natural fabric, a manmade fabric or a blend. Burn a bit of the corner of the fabric. Put out the flame almost immediately. You only need a bit of a burn for your observations not a conflagration big enough to roast marshmallows. And, let’s think. Standing on a street corner in NYC trying to light fabric afire . . . not good.

How does the fabric burn?
• Sputtering and hard to light, wool resists flame and self-extinguishes immediately when the flame source is removed.
• Silk also burns slowly. Both smell like burning hair or feathers.
• Cotton and linen burns slowly and steadily and smells of burning leaves.
• Polyester sputters and leaves plastic behind. It smells sweet and puts off black smoke.
What does the ash tell you? Natural fabrics turn to black or gray powder when touched. The polyester leaves hard shiny beads behind.

CROCKING

Then it is time to see if the fabric sheds dye. Does the dye from the fabric rub off on other fabrics it comes into contact with? This is called crocking and can be a real problem. If the crocking is severe the fabric will leave color on anything it rubs against . . . other fabrics, upholstery, or even human skin, particularly when the weather is hot and humid. Take one of the muslin squares and rub the fabric in question. Does the color from the fabric rub off on the muslin? How easily? Prewashing fabrics does help this problem but often this fabric will looked faded after a trip through the machine. Crocking means a lot of surface dyes and sizing. When this is removed your fabric can look worn and tired. I avoid fabrics with a severe crocking problem. They are almost always lots of trouble. Even a bargain basement price can’t overcome really awful fabric problems.

SIZE

I also have a roll up tape measure with me. I know the stores will lend you one but I like having my own. It’s handy to measure the repeat in a fabric or the size of a particular motif. I once got home with a gorgeous, wild fabric intended for a stack and whack-type quilt. Unfortunately the motifs I intended to use would have necessitated a ten foot square quilt. Waaaay to big for the kid’s quilt I had intended. Now I measure.

COLOR

Some quilters take reducing glasses with them and even colored plastic value finders. I don’t need to. I am horribly nearsighted. I just take off my glasses. Instantly everything becomes blurry and the fabrics in question are reduced to color values. Need a handy way to audition fabrics for a project? Just squint.

Don’t worry squinting is a lot easier to do in a crowded fabric store than asking for swatches. Even cranky sales people feel obliged to help a “mature” shopper like me when she is squinting hard at the fabric bolts and bumping into things. I don’t mention it’s a test. And I let them carry the bolts I choose.

Enjoy the hunt.

Now, I have a question.

Where was the most unusual place you shopped for or discovered a great fabric find?

Let me know.

Make a master pattern list to organize your sewing

A pattern for this banner takes many pieces and many different fabrics. Time spent now makes sure you won’t be slowed down later by mistakes. One wallhanging I made a while back for a design competition had pattern pieces numbering into the triple digits.  Don’t worry. This design is not as complex.

A master pattern list helped then and I swear by them. It's time well spent to make this list.  

Write down all the pattern pieces. As you audition and make decisions about fabrics you can keep a swatch glued here. You will take this list with you when you go shopping.

Begin to look at your design three-dimensionally.

Which elements are in the background and which are in the foreground?

How many pieces are in each design element?

Organize the list according to design elements. In this design the long wisps of smoke coming from the embers of a dying fire lay on top of the fabrics representing the courtyard and hills beyond. Each smoke wisp has three or four pattern pieces. Number each one, Smoke A1, A2, A3, . . . I then go on to the other smoke elements, the hills, the courtyard arch, etc. Each is numbered on the main pattern, the small sketch, and the list. As each pattern piece is cut I check it off and stow it in a baggie. Each design group has its own baggie.

It’s at this time I begin to get a sense of the colors and textures for the fabrics I will use.

Which pattern pieces use the same fabric? Indicate this on the list. Try to avoid too many different fabrics in the design. Repetition ties elements together. Fewer fabrics can strengthen a design. Use fabrics intentionally.

Now take some quick measurements. Mark the longest measurement for each pattern piece on the list. This measurement and the number of pieces that use each fabric help approximate the yardage you will need to buy.

Keep this list near as you proceed to the next step, Making the Pattern. Mark any changes on your list before you head off to the store.

An easy way to make your own oversize French Curve

French curves come in all sizes but not big enough for this project. A large design like the one I am currently working on is almost all curves. The best way to smooth them out is to use a French curve. Remember how great it worked on the small drawing? I make my own French curves in just the size I need. An oversize curve works well on the actual size drawing.


Follow these easy steps to make a curve in a size that fits your project.

Trace the French curve on a piece of paper with a Sharpie pen or a Pigma pen. You need a fine, dense black line.


Scan the image into your computer. I use the scanner software that came with my printer. Import the scanned image into a simple drawing program. Windows-based computers come with a program, called Paint. Look for it under the “Accessories” tab. Nothing fancy here, just functional.

Decide how large you need a French curve. I find a 20 inch long curve and a 30 inch long curve good sizes to work with. They are large enough to give smooth, graceful curves, fit my designs nicely, and are easy to make. They easily fit on a piece of foam core or poster board.

Simple algebra or just using a proportional scale tells you how much to increase the drawings. Increase the original 9 inch drawing by 222% to get a 20 inch curve. Just round it to 220%. Increase by 335% to get a 30 inch curve. Round it to 340%.

Print out the pages and tape them together.

Transfer the drawing to a large piece of foam core board Use a permanent marker. Don’t use markers that run in water or graphite or chalky type pencils. Avoid anything that can brush off the paper later onto pattern pieces or fabric.



Cut out using a utility knife. Use a new, sharp blade and let the knife do the work. If you hold the knife with a death grip and only use your forearms and wrists you will soon hurt. A lot. The tension will stiffen your back and shoulders. What’s more, the curves will not be smooth. Relax. Use your whole body to make the cuts. Draw the knife towards you in long, slow motion. The lines curve gently. The curves are smoother.


OR

Transfer the drawing to a large piece of poster board. Again, you can cut out the curve using a utility knife or a sharp pair of paper cutting scissors. Remember: When using scissors, turn the piece being cut. Don’t move the scissors. This helps make for a smoother cut.


You now have an oversized French curve to aid you in finalizing your design.



What size French curve worked best for your project?

Make a new church banner - Make the Design the right size

Your design is ready to make a working pattern . . . almost.
This wallhanging is going to be two feet by four feet. Most people don’t draw on paper that large. I know I don’t. The initial sketch was normal size and needs to be enlarged to full size.

How to get the small size drawing to the right size?

You have several options.

Project the sketch onto the wall with a tracing projector. I bought mine at a local art store for under $30. It projects a drawing onto a piece of paper taped to a vertical surface. If I move the projector back and forth I can approximate the size I need. Not an exact process, but certainly doable.

Sharp fine, very dark lines affects the quality of the projected image. Rough sketch this large drawing and fine tune it later.

Remember overhead projectors from school days? Another way to get from small to large is to trace or copy your sketch onto transparency film and project it with an overhead projector. Again, a sharp, clear image gives the best results.

Scan the sketch into your computer. Use your computer’s drawing program to get your normal size drawing to extra large size. Every Windows-based computer comes with a program called “Paint”. From a scanned file you can print out larger than life size drawings.

Calculate how much to blow up the design with simple math. Remember, if A is to B, then C is to D?

Or use a proportional scale. This is a handy tool that helps take away the guesswork when computing percentages. It helps you determine how much to enlarge or reduce images to the size needed. I bought mine in the same art supply store but look in office supply stores or stores that sell drafting supplies. It looks like a circular slide rule. Don’t worry it comes with directions. . . very easy directions. A proportional scale will save you a lot of frustration and a lot of wasted paper.
Now it’s just a matter of taping all the 8 ½ x 11 inch pages together to make a 2 x 4 full size banner.

I have the drawing done in the finished size and I make sure not to cut this drawing. From now on only copies will be used. You can trace off copies off this. Or take this huge composite to your local copy shop. I was surprised to find that a black and white drawing only cost me 75 cents a square foot to copy. For six dollars I had a life size drawing ready to use. Call ahead to find out if your local shop has this service.



Do you have an alternate method of blowing up a small sketch to a large full drawing?
Share it with us.

Felted wool - a great fabric for quilting and banners

A friend recently asked me if I still use felted wool.
The answer is a resounding, "YES".

I still use it, search for wool for it in suitable colors (always on the lookout for great greens BTW), and felt it.

It is my fabric of choice for applique motifs. I never use craft felt on banners. Felted wool is so much better.

The following directions are from a handout I gave to students who took my Penny Rugg classes.

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How to use Felted Wool

Wool yardage or sweaters can be abused in the washing machine. They become a wool product that lends itself beautifully to applique. (Boiled wool or European loden-type wool is a controlled version of what we attempt at home.) It produces a dense, thick, moisture-resistant fabric. It does not ravel easily. It adds a new dimension to quilts, wearables or home dec projects.

It is a thicker fabric. And the finished project can be stiff and heavy. It does not drape well. Great for banners but not good for garments! Try to minimize seams in vests, coats or jackets. Seam allowances can be difficult to turn. Because of this I usually work on a foundation fabric and butt edges of felted wool if possible. Use bound edges for finishing or use linings that turn under.

How to full wool

Select wool yardage, wool clothing, or sweaters that are NOT labeled “Washable wool”. (This finishing technique helps the article resist abuse. It’s good new for consumers but bad news for our purposes.) Blends can only be use if the fabric content is at least 80% wool. The resulting textures of blends can be somewhat bumpy as the fibers may shrink at different rates.

Prepare the fabric
Repair small moth holes, tears, etc, with matching colored thread.
Large holes and tears should be marked with different colored thread.
Remove buttons, stay-stitching, interfacings, collars, waistbands, etc.
Cut into large, flat pieces.
Cut sleeves open to lay flat. Cut off cuffs to use elsewhere.
Fair Isle sweaters have carrying yarns on the reverse side. Clip them if they are longer than ½ inch.
Clip selvedges on new yardage.

The felting/fulling process:
Use small loads. Like colors together.
Use the longest, hottest wash cycle.
Add a small amount of detergent. NO BLEACH or bleach products.
AGITATE – AGITATE – AGITATE
Check several times during the cycle to shake out pieces and redistribute them.
Add hot water if necessary to keep warm.
Rinse in cold water only , no softeners/conditioners.
If you dry in the dryer, clean out the lint trap several times.
Press flat with a steam iron.

This process produces a lot of lint. Clean out your washing machine and dryer.
If you dry in the dryer, clean out the lint trap several times.
Press flat with a steam iron.

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Try felting some wool and see how it works in your projects.

Enjoy!

Make a church banner . . . Get a design (Part 2 of 2)

There are more ways to get a design for your banner if you are not comfortable with sketching.

There are computer drawing programs that can automate your drawing. But, be aware. The rule of thumb is that if it is easy to draw by hand it will be more difficult to draw in the computer. And, conversely, if it is hard to draw by hand it will be easier to draw in the computer. Computer drawing programs excel at repetitive elements. And they simplify drawings based on exact measurements.

There are also specialized quilt design programs. I especially like them for developing pattern pieces. The product I use includes an excellent drawing program. Coupled with its quilt design features it’s a great product. The control you can get with a program like this is phenomenal. You can enter measurements by a hundredth of an inch. A big advantage here is that the program automatically provides all the information you will need. It generates scale drawings, finished blocks (with or without colorings or fabric mock ups), applique templates, yardage requirements, and even cutting info. All this at the touch of a button.

Internet access makes finding designs easy. Did you see a line drawing or image you like on the Web? Be aware. Don’t assume because it is on the Web it is free. It is legal to use it only if you have permission from the person who owns the design’s copyright. When it doubt, ask.

There are also books and CDs available with line drawings that make good banner designs. Be sure you observe all copyright laws. Look for royalty-free designs. Dover Publications has a large collection of clip-art and design books available. Their copyright permissions are usually printed in the front of their books.

Paging through web sites or design books is a wonderful way to find inspiration. Just make sure you are using other people’s designs fairly. When in doubt, ask.

Remember, you only need a simple design. Whether you draw it yourself for get it elsewhere a simple line drawing is all you need for this project. Beautiful color pictures with lots of detail and shading are not suitable in this instance. You don’t want to be working with a design that will end up with hundreds of tiny, tiny pieces. A banner is meant to be seen from a distance. This means fewer elements and larger pattern pieces work best.

Use whatever method works best for you, or combination of methods, to get your design.

Where do you find your favorite designs?

Share it with us.

Love to hear from you.

Enjoy!