Just wanted to pop in and say hi... I haven't forgotten about you but as you can imagine, I've been sewing away trying to stock up my shop by the self-imposed deadline. It's coming along nicely, but I've also decided I'm not going to go crazy making too many items right off the bat. Especially since I'm going to have a special order option as well.
Oh, also... you'll all be happy to know that I was able to get the PERFECT shop name... once it's up and running you'll be able to find my shop on Etsy at ThatCraftyBitch!
One more thing, then I have to run.... I'm halfway through pinning some pieces to sew and my cat keeps trying to eat the pins out of my pin cushion.... but anyway, a tip for all you seamstresses out there... I know you've all heard the rule that you never use your sewing scissors on paper because the paper can dull them but let's be honest, sometimes they get dull anyway. Did you ever go to the fabric store and see the people at the cutting tables sharpen their scissors between customers? I have been looking for one of those sharpeners for so long and FINALLY the last time I was at Joann's they had them for sale. What a difference! Seriously, best $15 I've ever spent...
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Closer to shop ready
So I've been doing a bit more experimenting and here's my newest creation.
It's a smallish corduroy messenger bag... approximately 12 inches wide, 10 inches long and 2.5 inches deep. I used brown cord for the body of the bag, as well as the strap and blue cord for the front flap. The lining is just a basic calico cotton print and I did a dove applique on the front. This one was sort of a learning experience, so it won't actually be sold (especially since it's been my go-to bag for the better part of a week now) but it's going to be a staple design in the shop. I'm trying out some others as we speak and I hope to have enough stock to start listing items by the end of the month. I did finally learn the missing step for the applique (two steps, actually)... not in time for this one, but I'll be doing it in the future... first, if you use iron on interfacing, it makes it a lot easier to keep it in place while you're sewing... second, after the initial stitching, you should go back and do at least one set (preferably two) of zigzag stitching to make sure it won't fray... I suspect the interfacing helps with that also.
So anyway, keep checking back, I'll keep posting the progress of my designs. Also, I'll post a link to the shop when it's up and running. In the mean time, I'd love some feedback on the things I've made.
It's a smallish corduroy messenger bag... approximately 12 inches wide, 10 inches long and 2.5 inches deep. I used brown cord for the body of the bag, as well as the strap and blue cord for the front flap. The lining is just a basic calico cotton print and I did a dove applique on the front. This one was sort of a learning experience, so it won't actually be sold (especially since it's been my go-to bag for the better part of a week now) but it's going to be a staple design in the shop. I'm trying out some others as we speak and I hope to have enough stock to start listing items by the end of the month. I did finally learn the missing step for the applique (two steps, actually)... not in time for this one, but I'll be doing it in the future... first, if you use iron on interfacing, it makes it a lot easier to keep it in place while you're sewing... second, after the initial stitching, you should go back and do at least one set (preferably two) of zigzag stitching to make sure it won't fray... I suspect the interfacing helps with that also.
So anyway, keep checking back, I'll keep posting the progress of my designs. Also, I'll post a link to the shop when it's up and running. In the mean time, I'd love some feedback on the things I've made.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Adventures and Experiments in Applique
Lately I've been doing a ton of sewing. I think ever since I found a permanent place to leave my sewing machine set up I've been re-bit by the bug. It's so much easier to get motivated to start a project when you don't have to lug that heavy thing out of the closet and set it up all over again, don't you think?
So anyway, a little while back I got the idea to start experimenting with applique (although I'll admit that when I started thinking about it, I didn't even know yet that that's what it was called, or even that it had a name).
Now, when I get an idea in my head, I'm way to impatient to wait to learn how to do it. I just experiment and learn as I go. I'm sure I'll get better with time and this first attempt is definitely flawed. Fortunately, the people I'm giving these pillows to treasure anything made by these two hands, as evidenced by the fact that a reindeer made out of clothespins still hangs on their Christmas tree 20 years later.
That's right, you guessed it. This first experiment is for my
parents. Their anniversary present, to be exact.
So here's the story behind this. As some of you may or may not know, I grew up in northern New Jersey. And when I was a kid, we used to spend our summers at the Jersey Shore on Long Beach Island, which has, at its north end, a big lighthouse known as Ol' Barney. (Shameless nepotism-- the photo that links to is a picture of Ol' Barney taken by my amazingly talented photographer of a brother... and it is for sale.) Anyway, every summer we used to visit the lighthouse and climb to the top of it.
Ever since I can remember my parents used to dream of retiring there and about five years ago, they finally did. For my part, a few months ago I relocated to Milwaukee. Just before I left, I paid one last visit to Ol' Barney and snapped a picture. Looking at the picture and trying to decide what to give my parents for their anniversary, I thought, what better way to honor their realizing their dream than to give them Ol' Barney! So the wheels started churning and this is what I came up with (two of them actually. I made a matched set but only took a picture of one.)
So anyway, here's what I did. I'm sure there's a better way to go about this, and I'm sure I did plenty wrong. And if you know a better way to do it, please let me know. That's how we all learn.
Anyway, Basically, I started by enlarging the photo I had of the lighthouse and disecting it into its different color sections. I then pinned each piece to the fabric I was using. I chose fabric that doesn't fray much so I wouldn't have to worry about that. (One question I've had, what do people do when it's fabric that will fray? any ideas? Anyone know?)
So anyway, I pinned all the pieces VERY well to the pillow front. I say very carefully because, as I discovered on my first attempt, the places where a new piece of fabric begins will get messed up by the foot on the sewing machine if it's not held down well.
Anyway, I then carefully went around the outside of the fabric very carefully. In certain intricate spots, I actually just used the hand crank on the side of my machine, instead of the foot pedal so I could better control the movement. Once I was done, I sewed the front and back of the pillows together and stuffed them. That's it. Not super hard but requires lots of attention to detail. Now I'm hooked. I've started designing all different appliques and keep trying to come up with what I can make to put them on. Stay tuned... I'm sure it's not the last you've heard about this
So anyway, a little while back I got the idea to start experimenting with applique (although I'll admit that when I started thinking about it, I didn't even know yet that that's what it was called, or even that it had a name).
Now, when I get an idea in my head, I'm way to impatient to wait to learn how to do it. I just experiment and learn as I go. I'm sure I'll get better with time and this first attempt is definitely flawed. Fortunately, the people I'm giving these pillows to treasure anything made by these two hands, as evidenced by the fact that a reindeer made out of clothespins still hangs on their Christmas tree 20 years later.
That's right, you guessed it. This first experiment is for my
parents. Their anniversary present, to be exact.So here's the story behind this. As some of you may or may not know, I grew up in northern New Jersey. And when I was a kid, we used to spend our summers at the Jersey Shore on Long Beach Island, which has, at its north end, a big lighthouse known as Ol' Barney. (Shameless nepotism-- the photo that links to is a picture of Ol' Barney taken by my amazingly talented photographer of a brother... and it is for sale.) Anyway, every summer we used to visit the lighthouse and climb to the top of it.
Ever since I can remember my parents used to dream of retiring there and about five years ago, they finally did. For my part, a few months ago I relocated to Milwaukee. Just before I left, I paid one last visit to Ol' Barney and snapped a picture. Looking at the picture and trying to decide what to give my parents for their anniversary, I thought, what better way to honor their realizing their dream than to give them Ol' Barney! So the wheels started churning and this is what I came up with (two of them actually. I made a matched set but only took a picture of one.)
So anyway, here's what I did. I'm sure there's a better way to go about this, and I'm sure I did plenty wrong. And if you know a better way to do it, please let me know. That's how we all learn.
Anyway, Basically, I started by enlarging the photo I had of the lighthouse and disecting it into its different color sections. I then pinned each piece to the fabric I was using. I chose fabric that doesn't fray much so I wouldn't have to worry about that. (One question I've had, what do people do when it's fabric that will fray? any ideas? Anyone know?)
So anyway, I pinned all the pieces VERY well to the pillow front. I say very carefully because, as I discovered on my first attempt, the places where a new piece of fabric begins will get messed up by the foot on the sewing machine if it's not held down well.
Anyway, I then carefully went around the outside of the fabric very carefully. In certain intricate spots, I actually just used the hand crank on the side of my machine, instead of the foot pedal so I could better control the movement. Once I was done, I sewed the front and back of the pillows together and stuffed them. That's it. Not super hard but requires lots of attention to detail. Now I'm hooked. I've started designing all different appliques and keep trying to come up with what I can make to put them on. Stay tuned... I'm sure it's not the last you've heard about this
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