Ench By Sew-029: The Importance of Scrap

This show is created, produced and brought to you by Laurel Shimer.

Izzie the Teenage Tabby Says ....
There's no doubt about the value and importance of scrap!

Forget about analyzing scraps, Laurel
Let's just play!

A cada quien su gusto – To each her own

As well as being useful and cost effective, using up the Scrap from our garment sewing, opens up a world of personal creativity, as well 

Coming up with different ideas for utilizing my scraps, keeps me . . .  Enchanted by Sewing.

Listening Option I) You can listen to the show right on the web (while sewing perhaps?:-) by 
clicking on this link

Listen to the Audio right on the web (no need to download) http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/0/a/4/0a434cb127a32469/castdraft5c64KBFINALScrap.mp3?c_id=8392386&expiration=1424335944&hwt=830d2bcade44bea6cbc704a4ae4b8ce0

*****

~ OR ~

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( https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/enchanted-by-sewing/id566370325)

The Enchanted by Sewing Podcast is, an extension of my regular sewing blog - Me Encanta Coser,  (http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com) 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.

This month’s show  is  

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Email me at EnchantedBySewing@gmail.com

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Clearly, scrap is important to the newest member of our household, Izzie the teenaged tabby cat.

Scraps are just as important to me as they are to any cat. Working with scrap, gets my mental processes humming,in ways not so different than they do for Izzie. I have a habit of going to my scrap bins when I feel the need to get a little jolt of playfulness. That’s something I think our young cat can relate to.

I like to work on my scrap habit. It’s good for the planet, and it reminds me that I don’t always have to purchase a new product, 
to make something useful, fun or really beautiful. To top it all off,  focusing on playing, oh I mean experimenting!, with my scrap,
gives me a chance to build more neural pathways - It sparks my creative juices, just like it does for Izzie the Teenaged Tabby Cat. 

 A cada quien su gusto! Or, maybe you say To each her own!

Izzie says, Just get out the scrap, let’s play!


Here’s what I talk about, in this month’s show, “The importance of scrap”, recorded in February of 2015

1) Pensamientos Primeros
Scrap – Rags, Patches and Snips.  How useful a sewists leftovers can be!

Scraps are sewing leftovers. I call some of my  larger scraps, remnants, These are scraps, from which, I might still make another tee shirt, a camisole or  maybe a tote bag or little purse .  

Entonces/Then there are the smaller remnents odds and ends– not big enough for a whole garment, but quite useful for a variety 
of projects and make -do challenges. 

Finally there are my snips – tiny bits and pieces, and strips that are just too pretty to toss. These bits and pieces are what really bring my creativity to life.

 * * *

I'm sorry I lost the link to this site.
I remember it was a public site in Australia

 Yup that’s me singing that old hit, "Ragg Mopp" , once sung by the Tenriers and the Aames Bros. Rags might be considered kind of  lowly to some folks, but in fact these leftovers have been important for a lot more than wiping up spills and polishing cars throughout history. Rag mops and rag rugs are just a few of those very utilitarian, and sometimes beautiful ways to repurpose strips of old or new fabric.

1. Ragg Mopps and Raggggg Rugggggs
iii. Nice link to Little House Living a woman who makes her own rag rugs for her own home.
http://www.littlehouseliving.com/how-to-make-rag-rugs.html

According to this link, rag mops are the best mop in the world, and the author says the that professionial cleaners in many countries swear by them.
http://www.instructables.com/id/HOW-TO-MAKE-%22THE-BEST-MOP-IN-THE-WORLD%22/

 I’d love to hear from listeners who’ve made either of these raggy kind of projects. How patient do you have to be? I’m thinking of trying out something more basic along these lines like coasters. Could you maybe braid and curl up hot pads from repurposed scrap or old clothes?

Follow the Drinking Gourd - The Spiritual 

http://www.followthedrinkinggourd.org/What_The_Lyrics_Mean.htm

http://www.contemplator.com/america/gourd.html

SewRuth, who I think hails from Ireland, had several ideas I hadn’t thought of. She had some very nice photos and how-to for belts, covered jewlery - bracelets, watch straps  and embellishment for handbags.. I’m going to revisit the tutorial part of that posting when I think about making a belt from scrap I also really liked her idea about making an obi .That posting is definitely worth a visit if you’re into using up your scrap in an artistic way. 

Sew Ruth Wee Scraps - https://corecouture.wordpress.com/2014/01/28/wee-scraps/comment-page-1/

Me Encanta Coser - Using Up Scraps http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/02/using-up-scraps-green-sewing.html

A couple of postings about the buttercup purse pattern, including a free pattern link
Embellishing a buttercup purse with tatting http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2012/09/tit-fortatting-embellishing-my.html

Do you love butter? In Praise of the Buttercup Purse. http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2012/09/do-you-love-butter-in-praise-of.html

Pinterest - Sewing Fabric Flowers http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/0-sewingfabricflowers/

2) Entonces/Then - Technicos – How I sew appliqué
I have my own way of doing a somewhat deconstructed appliqué

AngelLea has her own ideas  
http://angelleadesigns.com/tutorials/how-to-make-and-apply-appliques

3) Pensamientos Finales/Final Thoughts – A Story of Scrap 

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!

Episode 4: Good Night My Someone - Sewing Nightshirts, Nightgowns and Robes

Hey!  The coolest podcast show on the web has just published it's December Show!

It's our Best Holiday Issue Ever! (What do you mean it's the first holiday season for the show? What could that possibly have to do with anything? :-) 

Sewing Nightgowns, Robes, Men’s Nightshirts, and Ideas for Pajamas too. Laurel is a classic romantic when it comes to nightwear sewing. This month she shares some of her favorite night garment sewing patterns, thoughts on winter gown and robe fabrics, and an audio tutorial on sewing tucks.  The show also includes an informative interview with Anthony G., another student in the Cañada Fashion Sewing Program, some of which was surprising to Laurel when it came to what Anthony shared about natural fibers and Harry Truman!

 Looking for the poll? Scroll down the right hand side of this blog and cast your vote for your favorite garment to sew.

Listen to the podcast online by clicking here, or.... do what the Cool Cats do and Drop By the iTunes store to Download

Our  Best Holiday Show Ever :-) (of course it's free)

Simplicity 9898
is the Nightshirt pattern I use for my husband
Unfortunately it's now out of print
Though I saw some for sale on the web

MccCalls's 6231 is a newer pattern that's very similar
It doesn't have a collar however

Wonder how many times I've made Simplicity 9898  flannel nightshirts for my husband? It's the ultimate, non-fashion item. I sew them and he wears them out. We turn the worn out nightshirts into cleaning and polishing rags, just as families have for generation after generation.

My favorite deep-yoke nightgown
Touches of machine embroidery

* Tucks are a great embellishment for romantic nightgowns.

* Sewing Sample Tucks on paper first

Kaity Rose obviously likes her new tucked nightgown

* Sample sewing is a blast when you sew for a doll. Have you ever noticed how non-picky a doll is? They'll wear anything! After practicing my tucks on paper, I next sewed them using a retired white cotton sheet, and began fashioning an 18" dolls nightgown to practice tucks for a springtime nightgown for myself, that's been floating around in my head. I wear out a lot of light weight nightgowns. So it's worth putting time into a special feature like tucks when I know I'll get a lot of use out of the end product.

* Tuck Sewing on Wikipedia. I'd forgotten about the reference to sewing tucks in Little Women!

* The Folkwear Gibson Girl Blouse is the perfect medium for making tucks, once I get some more practice. For the time being, a doll's nightgown is the perfect project to work on improving my tucks-making skills.

I blogged about my in-progress doll's tucked bodice nightgown recently in my posting Imperfect Tucks are Not the End of the World as We Know It

Download classic retired American Girl Doll Patterns for free! They're big files and I highly recommend that you avoid doing more than one at a time, just wait until one finishes, then click on the download link for the next one. Thanks to Pleasant Rowland and the rest of the American Girl team for sharing these free patterns.

* Here are the lyrics to Good Night My Someone from the musical The Music Man, a wonderfully classic romantic and humorous turn of the 20'th century movie

* Patterns for Future Warmer Weather Nightgown Sewing

Stephanies pj's close up

* Graphic Artist Stephanie, from my Sewing Class, gave me permission to post photos of these cool pajama bottoms she made using a basic elastic waist pants pattern. Love her use of the black knit for a band, and the way she sewed down the cord at the back seam (to avoid slippage), then pulled it across slightly before reinserting into casing to look like a designer label.

Folkwear #224 Beautiful Dreamer
is the ultimate Romantic's nightgown
It's out of print, but I found it for sale
at Lacis. They had more recently
Other vendors have it too.
Don't confuse it with the child's version 225
which is still in print.

McCalls 6472

Recently I bought these three patterns for future warm weather nightgowns. For my tucked nightgown bodice, I'll be trying view C on McCalls 6472. I'll be making it sleeveless though.

I also like view C on McCalls's 5989. I do not like the long sleep shorts, but I am likely to try out the robe as well. I would make it in a plain, slippery, satiny fabric. But it would look nice in a brocade as well. I just already have two brocade robes!

McCalls 5989

Kate Blanchett as Elizabeth I of England

Butterick 6837
is a classic
romantic's  robe
pattern

* I made my full length black velvet robe, with the satiny pale pink lining, from Butterch 6837. I altered the pockets by cutting them in a full-topped wedge shape, then gathering them up (I cut their lining regular pocket shaped) for a fun slouchy pocket. Also I embellished it with a scattering of  faux pearl beads and a few sparkly silver butterfly buttons. I love this robe and plan to have it lost forever. I always feel like a queen when I wear it!

* The movie Elizabeth starring Kate Blanchett is a constant source of inspiration to sew another robe. Her red velvet robe in the movie is stunning.

* I have made several warm weather nightgowns by extending a peasant blouse pattern, which is pretty much what the the vintage pattern, braid-wearing model in this pattern is wearing, if you add cuffed sleeves and a waist casing. The pajama-trousers on the other model are straightforward to, I've made palazzo pants by angling out a standard elastic waist pants pattern. 


* A great article on Sewing Versus Shopping by the Wearing Hitory Blog



* The SewingPatterns.Com site has good prices on a variety of patterns. The dress pattern, Vogue 8810 ,that I'm working on making into  a Tried and True pattern,  (printed price $25.00) is currently selling there for $11.99

This month's show includes an interview with Anthony G. , a new sewer in my Beginning Clothing Construction Class at Cañada College in Redwood City. Anthony has sewn a ton of stuff since he began taking classes in the program. Here he's wearing a long relax around the house vest over a shorter traditional wool vest. Underneath his jeans (no, they don't show!) he's wearing loose linen drawstring pants with cargo pockets. He's also sewn four very cool long sleeved tee shirts and the hoodie below.

And yes, he has taken two other classes this year as well as having a life!

Anthony completely lined this
 Kwik Sew hoodie in linen