Art, Craft and Needlework, March, 2024

[Harriet]

As soon as I finished cooking today, I dived into sewing and pretty much spent the rest of the day on it except for helping dd with supper.

Just kept going, deciding to keep the momentum and to keep the how-tos I had been learning front-of-mind. It did seem to work, because I did half of one set of patchwork that was a little tricky, and then the other half went more quickly because I remembered each step.

Next up will be something different and I'll need to make a template. I saved a thin cardboard cover from a take-out meal that is reflective aluminum on one side. I'm going to try to make the template out of that and see if I can iron edges over it. If it doesn't work, it didn't cost anything.

I have straight pins on the floor. Need to sweep, maybe with the dry Swiffer to see if I can capture them all without losing any in broom bristles.

[Harriet]

Made the template. Good old Elmer's glue and typewriter paper, very old school, lol. Figured out how to put marks on it to help me line up the eventual fabric piece to sew in place. It's being flattened under a book now. (Thin cardboard with paper glued on always has a tendency to curl and I've never figured out a better way to avoid that, so I just grab a heavy book.) Will really need this to Lie Down! lol

Twins' probably knows better ways to glue and avoid curling - maybe I use too much Elmers.

But now I must put that to the side and cut fabric for a while, so that I know I'll have enough of certain fabrics. I want to change my plan and use an especially pretty one for this template-piece, but what if I make a mistake on cuts where I really need that fabric. So, meeting needs first, enjoying creativity later.

Starting to feel crowded in the sewing room because of getting lots of portions of the top done and not having enough places to pin them on the design wall. Good problem, in that it makes me feel more confident of being on schedule, but harder to envision everything.

[Harriet]

All the portions that are finished are pinned to the design wall, up and safely out of the way. They sort of look pretty, which is odd, because they are not in the right order at all, lol.

One of three long templates has been used to cut all except the lining. I have all the paper and cardboard gathered to make the other two.

Made a JoAnne's order by mail. Thread and lining/interfacing.

I'm having difficulty with one green fabric, making sure there is enough. I had made a slightly too-small cut for a strip and unfortunately it was a wide one. But with all the green spread out on the bar today in a quiet house, I figured out how to cut it to come out with enough for everything. One single piece will be cut out on the length of the fabric instead of width, which is not really a problem. The errant strip still has some help it can give.

That's three posts in a row, so :

SHEM -

Sewing is good for heart rate and blood pressure. A clinical study commissioned by the Home Sewing Association (UK) concluded that the average heartbeat of a sewer dropped by about 11 beats per minute after sewing. Blood pressure dropped, too. - Robert H. Reiner, Ph.D, New York University Medical Centre

[Nancy]

I finished a crochet hot pad yesterday and started another one.
When this one is done I suspect I will not be doing much with yarn.
I did get a shelf painted and it needs to be de-stressed next.

[Nancy]

Finished up that other hot pad and guess what started yet another one!
This last set of 4 hot pads then 4 dish cloths.
I will need more yarn will try mixing in blue with beige hoping it will be in stock when I get back to the store!
No hurry on these.
That shelf got de-stressed.

[Harriet]

The quilt top calls for some applique, so I want to sew the shapes onto a back facing of the same shape, and then cut the back side to turn inside-out well, press and sew down. This can be a little tedious, but not nearly as hard as hand-turning an applique piece while you try to hold it still and sew! Nope.

I've always had a hard time understanding the difference between the various "Sew In" interfacings out there (as opposed to fusibles with glue). I've never really "gotten" how to choose these, but I've always been able to feel the "hand" of the product in a store, so it didn't matter if I knew what it was called as long as I liked it. Now I don't have a cloth shop anywhere around!

So, I ordered small quantities of several types recommended for this kind of work, and here are my thoughts:

Stiff, with poor "drape", but good for lapels, collars, decorative wall hangings:
Pellon 910 Polyester Sew-In Featherweight - cost me $2.00/yd
Lori Holt Sew-In Interfacing - virtually same as 910, costs twice as much

Drapable poly - soft but retains shape exactly, good for applique that doesn't have to be natural
Pellon P45 - .75 cents/yd

Drapable thin true cotton-poly fabric - good for applique in bedclothes, necklines - the weight of baby dresses
Pellon Woven Lightweight - $2.50/yd

One problem is that these are all bright white. So, for applique backing, this will depend on doing a good job pressing, hiding the reverse layer. For a dark garment or quilt (and the quilt top I'm making has a dark background) it would be nice to find the same products in dark, but all I could find is that Cambric "fabric" they use for upholstery bottoms and skirts. I'll remember that exists for banners, etc., but not for soft household sewing - too plastic.

Another option if you really need dark (and something I've been doing until I ran out) is to use very thin clothing fabric. Again, the weight you're looking for is like baby dresses, and I just didn't have much around here. In a pinch, I think I could go to Goodwill and find a very thin blouse or something. But for now, I'm going to believe I can turn these drapable interfacings so well that the white won't show up.

[Nancy]

Harriet I am so proud to read of you progress on sewing up the quilt for a gift!

I got more blue yarn and have the cone of it wound off into balls for my next few items to make up.
4 hot pads / 3 left to do now.
4 dish cloths.

I am doing some stripes with the hot pads.
Dish cloths will be solid and go together hopefully.

Sigh ran out of white after doing the stripe of blue in one a good thing I did that or would not have had enough
for an all white one.

I started the 1st of three blue dish cloths it is good to knit again.
The next hot pad will be blue for this set.

Then some blue and beige ones.

[Harriet]

Nancy, it is so cold and rainy here today (back to winter for a few days!) that I'm thinking of you sitting cozily knitting, lol, and think you are pretty smart. Brrrr. I had to get a sweater back out. Outdoor plans and painting etc. will keep while the yarn and fabric get worked up!

Twins', maybe your upcoming trip will give you inspiration for new greeting cards.

The experimenting is done and for this project of facing and turning narrow applique pieces, the Pellon P45 turns out to be the winner. It was recommended by a woman who designs applique like some that I'm making for this quilt top. But other writers and knowledgeable sewers recommend other types. Also, there were some bad reviews of it - some people find it flimsy and easily torn. Yes, it can tear, but as you learn to work with it you end up without much problem and it works up quickly.

I needed it very soft to turn easily and not be stiff. Lightweight fabric had worked fine for the larger, rounded applique I've already finished. But this part needed something thinner, so I'm glad I did some experimenting.

I've done two dozen of these narrower ones and just have a few more to go, so I'm sure I'll finish today. I can set all of them aside to wait while I get back to the patchwork.

Also getting faster at winding bobbins because I need various colors. That can be so tedious, but you get better at anything you do more often.

So far, my eyes are holding up!

[Nancy]

I have been looking for pens pencils markers & art supplies basically. I am excited to see that some dotted note books are available so
will be heading out to get some look at pens and will be going to at least two stores. Nope.
Ir will warm up later on in the afternoon that has been the trend this week here.

I was talking to my dsis about some art ideas and wondering if she ever did water colors.
I like brush pens and some are running out I have not found them again in stock I got em before the shut down so they lasted well.
I have others how ever so will get out me cup cake container that has em inside!

[Nancy]

I have a dish cloth over half way done.
Finished reading a book and started another one both non fiction I really read fiction.
Got some fun brush pens and have enjoyed painting on some rocks, just the base coat.
I will be drawing in my next bujo started on the first of the mo. getting some ideas from others I have had and am enjoying the art options.