Samplers - Early Blogs

Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC, Textiles: Samplers

Seems a new idea

"Look at me, I was here."

Samplers were blogs too!

Embellishment - Hot Fix Crystals

I used these Swarovski  hot fix crystals with my hot fix Elements Tool. This tool was recommended to me as being better than a Bedazzler.  After applying the crystals, I test washed my Shabby Chic Mobile pocket bag - turning it inside out before washing - and all the crystals stayed in place.

Looking forward to using this to embellish other future sewing projects, and also ready-to-wear clothes - like jeans.

Shabby Chic - Mobile Pocket Bag (Green Sewing, Embellishment)

Embellished sewing scraps are green sewing at their best - and I also test washed the bag (inside out) to make sure I didn't loose any crystals. 

Goals

- Test to see how jeans type denim takes to embellishment with my Swarovski Elements tool and Swarovski hot fix crystals

- Use up a variety of Scraps

- Make something I'll get a lot of use out of - A multi-mobile device pocket bag

The little coin pocket from an old pair of jeans is the perfect size for my iPod

Western Winds Hanky (Green Sewing)

Scraps make some of my most useful sewing creations. Last time I posted bout my Western Winds princess-seamed sleeveless shirt. That shirt has been seeing a lot of use, perfect for our early fall warm temps. In the spirit of using up those scraps a.s.a.p.  (and what could be more green?) I appliquéd a few other sraps to the remaining remnant of shirt fabric, hemmed the whole with a decorative stitch, and - presto change-o I had a useful new bandana. My kerchief has been seeing a lot of use as well. Very handy for moping my glistening brow when I'm walking or hiking.  Also useful when there are no paper towels after washing my hands away from home!

New York Garment District Trims- Pearled Denim Cap

I was in New York for three weeks helping my daughter find, move and settle into her new apartment. The Upper East Side of Manhattan, where Rosalinda will be living while going to graduate school, is well situated for forays to the NYC garment district. You can bet I'll be looking for excuses to visit!

I focused mostly on visiting trim shops in this famed area. Trims are small and light to carry back. They're also something I could make use of while traveling. This pearled denim* cap - I bought the pearly beads and lace trim in the garment district- is one of two cap projects I purchased trims for in the garment district, and worked on during my trip. I was able to quickly cut it out and do some fast machine stitching before I left town, then did the embellishment and a little hand sewing to finish it off while I was there. I completed it early on, so I was able to make good use of it's sun protecting character during my visit to the Big Apple.

I'm considering adding another line or two of pearls....

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Read more about my big city experiences in New York - http://simpleromantic.blogspot.com/2015/09/new-york-field-trip-casual-art-friendly.html

This Enchanted by Sewing podcast episode is all about how I make my casual caps. I have another on (dressier) hat making.

Caps Show - http://enchantedbysewing.blogspot.com/2014/08/ench-by-sew-023-capping-off-summer.html

Hats Show- http://enchantedbysewing.blogspot.com/2015/03/ench-by-sew-030-hats-off-to-downtown.html


* The denim was a remnant from the Summer Essentials shorts I blogged about last month

Border Terrier Hand Embroidery - How Shalll I use it?

My Border Terrier - one of my practice mini-projects on my trip

What do you think I should use this little embroidery motif for? I haven't decided yet. A pocket maybe? It could go on the outside of a tote bag or be added to an existing shirt. I could even stitch it, as a patch, onto a pair of jeans - like we used to back in the 60's and 70's. Do you have any other ideas?

In my June Enchanted by Sewing podcast, I mentioned that while on vacation in the United Kingdom for two and a half weeks,  I kept my sewing hand in by practicing hand embroidery stitches, using the smallest hoop I could find. It didn't take much room in my luggage and I took a great guide book -Embroidered & Embellished: 85 Stitches Using Thread, Floss, Ribbon, Beads & More • Step-by-Step Visual Guide -  along as a Kindle iBook on my iPad.

(You can also buy  Embroidered & Embellished: 85 Stitches Using Thread, Floss, Ribbon, Beads & More Step-by-Step Visual Guide in regular book format)

In my June Enchanted by Sewing podcast  I mentioned that dogs are a big travel theme for me. I pet every dog I get the chance to visit with. Not only do both pooch and I get a lot of pleasure from the interaction, it's a great way to chat casually with people around me. No tourist pressure - people can either talk or not. I had several quite long talks with dog owners on the trip.

I took along this piece of recycled linen (it used to be a pair of pants I got a lot of wear out of) for practicing my stitches. Here I was practicing a split stitch. What better design could I choose than a dog?  I bought a soft lead pencil for less than a pound in a stationary store, then drew the design by looking at a photo on my iPhone. I tested my drawing out on a piece of scratch paper a couple of times to build my confidence, then started trying it on the linen. I did a little redrawing around the nose, but it wasn't really that all hard to look at the lines in the photo and get what I wanted. The pencil washed out fine after I got home. I just ran it under a little cold water in the sink and rubbed in some hand soap.

The photo was of a  darling Border Terrier I encountered in one of many parks we visited. I saw a number of Border Terriers in the Lake District, where we walked. You may know that the Lake District is close to the border between the Lake District and Scotland, so it's the origin of this darling breed. I'm not really a breed person - frankly I'm happy with whatever mixture of pooch comes to live with me, but it's fun learning about where different breeds come from. Like me, many pups have ancestors that come from different places.

Practicing hand embroidery, something I hadn't done in years - since I got a machine capable of emboridery - is just the kind of travel activity that keeps me . . .

Enchanted By Sewing!

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 Resources
                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Enchanted By Sewing Audio Podcast: Back In Town- A combination of a field trip report and sewing reflections http://www.enchantedbysewing.blogspot.com/2015/06/ench-by-sew-33back-in-town.html

                                                 

Terminado! Rose Embellished Straight Skirt - My Own Pattern Work

Man alive, I can't believe I finally finished sewing this skirt! Hey my hair isn't really this red! I was cleaning up the light in the photo and my hair color changed!

Seems like I've had the embellishment inspiration for this skirt skirt, pinned to my Sewing Inspiration board  forever. Of course, I have one or two other items on that board as well -  ok, I think over 600 garments-  and I might just not make all of them!

Basics -

1) I drafted the pattern as a straight skirt, using my sloper. Here's how I did the pattern work.

http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2015/04/pattern-work-parlez-vous-straight-skirt.html

2) I got together with my buddy Susan and had a lot of discussion about whether or not to put the two layers of ruffle on both front and back or just front - we agreed front only. It's a heavy embellishment.

3) I was using a slight-stretch denim from my fabric inventory. Hummmm while the no-waistband look is flattering  - that is a challenge. Don't want the waist slipping over time, especially with the heavy embellishment. So...I did two things

  a) I cut a partial lining out of heavy utility twill fabric. I both sewed it in and also tacked it down along the waistline to help the skirt hold it's shape. 
  b) Also.... I stayed the waist, by running a grosgrain (or was it a petersham?) ribbon along the inside of the waistline, tightened it so it's a touch shorter than the waist circumfernce, then sewed that in place along the waistline as well.

Hopefully that waist is not going anywhere it isn't supposed to now. We'll see over time how the fit works. I got the ribbon stay idea from my Bustier claass.

I really like the fit of this skirt

My Skirt's Rose Embellishment

4) The Embellishment took a while to work out. A lot of laying, pinning (safety pins as well as straight pins)  and hummmming went on. Good to have Susan around while I did that. I turned up the denim ruffle edges only once and used a faux-serger stitch (I don't have a serger but I have decorative stitches that mimic some of the concepts), Too much bulk for a twice turned hem on the ruffles.

The rose was just challenging. I also spent a lot of time with the original photo of the rose on the embellishment garment (*), thinking about how what percentage of the height of my skirt, that rose, and the ruffle trim,  should cover. Too big and we're talking Carmen Miranda - which is fine if that is what you going for. Also getting the folds within the rose center was tricky. If I were to recreate this skirt, I might use a mid-weight denim. I used a heavy weight here.

My Sewing Inspiration Board - https://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/0sewing-inspiration/

* Inspired By (a different style of denim skirt I was only interested in the embellishment) - https://www.pinterest.com/pin/565624034426847818/

Scraps: Scrunchies or Chou Chous? Green Sewing for the New Year

Two Completed Chou Chous
(along with a fabric covered book) I made for gifts

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Web Resources 

Enchanted by Sewing Show Notes and Links to Shows http://www.enchantedbysewing.blogspot.com/2014/12/ench-by-sew-027-festive-holiday-tees.html

Audio-Only Link http://ec.libsyn.com/p/7/1/3/713e354889f7b167/FINALcastFestiveTeaAndTeesdec2014.mp3?d13a76d516d9dec20c3d276ce028ed5089ab1ce3dae902ea1d06c98e3ed7cf5d5260&c_id=8063812

What is a Chou-Chou or a Scrunchie? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrunchie

Although I made chou-chous for holiday gifts, they are a perfect cleanup-for-the-New-Year or anytime, sewing cleanup/recycling project. You can't get more green than using up scraps of fabric that are too pretty to toss. You can also use the ends of stained or recycled clothing. You can even repurpose old worn elastic!

In the current - Festive Holiday Tees and Tea -  Enchanted by Sewing Episode (audio/podcast) , I described the process of sewing Chou-Chous, which are also known as Scrunchies. You can listen to that episode on your computer or download it to your favorite mobile device.

Here's the idea in picture form, to help you follow along with the Technicos segment of that show.

I can never toss really pretty scraps
But at some point, I need to use them!

I measure out 10 inches of 1/4 inch elastic

I fold a 20 (or slightly longer) tube of scrap fabric
This one isn't perfectly straight and it has one edge hemmed  as a result
of a long-ago project trim. No problem

I pieced on one extra scrap, to make the tube about the
right width
An extra seam at an odd place isn't a problem
when you are scrunching up the fabric anyway

 I cut a piece of string longer than the length of the tube

And lay it inside the tube, along the fold line

Stitch down one side of the tube and across just ONE open end
Make sure not to catch the string when you sew the long side
But DO catch it when you sew across the open end

At this point, I chose not to trim along the seam line,
to give a sausage-like look to the finished chou-chou

Push the sewn across end down into the tube

Pull the string end through the tube, so the outside pulls through

Note that this is a very thick, fabric like chou-chou
That's because I chose not to trim the seam after I sewed it,
to give that sausage-like appearance.

Remember, the chou-chou fabric tube should be about twice as long as the elastic,
so that the fabric scrunches up
You also want enough elastic to be able to double the band around the hair
Otherwise, it will slide off.

Open the sewn-across end, by snipping off the string
Now you have two open ends

Add a safety pin to your 10" of elastic
Pull the elastic through your tube

I set the zig-zab stitch on my machine

I caught up/secured my elastic end on both ends
with a zig-zag stitch.
Be careful not to lose the elastic ends  down either end of the tube, at this point!

Then I sewed the two secured ends together

When I doubled the finishing off seam back to get a neater finish
I broke my needle
So after that, I wrapped my second, neatening seam with a hand stitch
That takes less time than changing my machine needle!

Ench By Sew-13 Jeans Style Sewing – Skirting the Issue

Hey wait! Those aren't jeans!
Is this sewist skirting the issue? **

I was intimidated by sewing well fitting jeans, in addition to learning how to achieve an authentic jeans-styling look when it comes to fabric, hardware, and embellishment.
So, I put aside fit issues, 
for the time being, 
and created a jeans-style skirt.

Hey! The latest Enchanted by Sewing Podcast has been published!

Two Ways to Listen

i)You can listen to the show right on the web by clicking on the this link

 http://traffic.libsyn.com/enchantedbysewing/EnchantedBySewingJeansStyleSkirtingIssueFinalCastOct2013Podcast.mp3

** * * 

~ OR ~

ii)  Click on this link to iTunes  to download this and other Enchanted by Sewing shows to your mobile device (iPhone, Android, etc.) free from iTunes 

Did I miss any links mentioned in the show? If so, please post here and let me know, or else email me ,  EnchantedBySewing AT gmail

~~~

This month show is Jeans Style Sewing – Skirting the Issue**

The Enchanted by Sewing Podcast is an  extension of my regular sewing blog Me Encanta Coser, which, roughly translated, means Enchanted By Sewing 

My blog is written in English. The name celebrates the historical and modern use of the beautiful Spanish Language in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, where I live.

* Post your suggestions, thoughts or questions about episodes below this post

* Laurel on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/laurel.shimer

* Laurel's Pinterest Boards http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/boards/
* Personal email – Enchanted by Sewing AT gmail.com

This month

1) First/El Primero - Inspiration: Why I wanted to sew my own jeans?

     * Lori talked several times about jeans she'd sewn in various Sew Forth Now podcasts. She continues to write about her projects in her long-time wonderful blog, Girls in the Garden.

* Several Threads Magazine Articles gave me the idea that jeans were a do'able sewing project. If you don't have the issues you need, check your public library. Mine keeps issues for four years. You can also buy the complete Threads archive. 

Search for Jeans articles in their online index. http://www.threadsmagazine.com/magazine-index

2) Then/Entonces - My Prototype Jeans-Style Sewing Project: What is this skirting the issue business? And what do I mean jeans style?

     Full-On Jeans Sewing was intimidating for me. So, I started with a prototype project. http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/08/jeans-sewing-skirting-issue.html

3) After That - Breaking  jeans-style sewing down into manageable chunks

    1) Fit and Pattern Selection

        Links to Palmer and Pletsch M6361 pattern here http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/08/jeans-sewing-skirting-issue.html

        BTW...Trudy of Hot Patterns has more than one jeans pattern available, including one for men! Trudy provides a wonderful service to the sewing community when it comes to YouTube videos too.

    2) Focus on Sewing Skills and Machine Skills

    3) Special Jeans Stuff - Materials, Jeans-Style Notions, hardware, and thread - http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/08/jeans-sewing-skirting-issue-resources.html

    4) Embellishment

    5) Resources

Links to several tutorials here, including a favorite fly-front zipper you tube tutorial http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/08/jeans-sewing-skirting-issue-resources.html

4) The Prototype Project

a. In this meaty section of the show (and the most fun for me!) I talk about how I implemented my manageable chunk learning style in the prototype sewing project,  my jeans-style denim skirt

http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/08/jeans-sewing-skirting-issue.html

5) Project Wrap Up 

  My Terminado/Done posting recaps the project and has links to all postings I wrote about the prototype http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/09/jeans-sewing-skirting-issue.html

a. Why this was a successful first step project for me

    A Summary of my jeans-style skirt prototype project, with links to each posting I wrote about the project http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/09/jeans-sewing-skirting-issue.html

b. Jeans – Style Learning Continues What’s next ? Where I am now when it comes to my learning to sew jeans?

    I've continue to write about my follow-on jean projects http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com. Titles of all such postings start out with the phrase "Jeans Sewing".

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~ ~ ~

Foot Notes

* Thanks to Pamela for sharing this free, downloadable ephemera http://freevintagedigistamps.blogspot.com/2013/04/vintage-printable-victorian-lady-photo.html

** If English isn't your first language, you may not be familiar with the idiomatic phrase Skirting the issue - It means to avoid a subject, often by talking quickly about something else.