Art, Craft and Needlework, April, 2024

[Harriet]

More and more we find out that learning/making creative things builds our brains, keeps us well, keeps us optimistic. Here are some positive results of studies on art-making, gathered by the editors at SewCanShe:

Utah State University found that making art can reduce stress. After creating art, they saw that about 75% of people in the study had lower cortisol levels, a stress hormone.

Positive Psychology reports,
“Making progress towards personally meaningful goals is the scaffolding upon which healthy self-confidence is built.”

from American Psychological Association : Sewing, such as making a quilt, requires the ability to do small, exact movements repeatedly. The more you do, the easier it gets. If you continue, it can help you keep your fine motor skills sharp as you get older.

Also from APA: Don’t forget, you’ll spend lots of time using your feet to make the sewing machine sew. This must mean that it builds foot-eye coordination, too. SewCanSHE adds: Let’s make the argument that machine sewing makes you a better driver!

There was one point they made with which I disagreed. They said that garment construction could be somewhat stressful, because of the added need to make something that fits. Okay. But then they argued that other sewing doesn't have that stress in it, and gave the example that "a quilt always fits". Um, these people have not made many quilts! LOL! You are "fitting" all the time. And I think that would be true for knitting and crochet patterns, for photography, for delicate painting, etc. So, I don't think we can say there is zero stress when we're creative. But it is usually very happy stress, and satisfying to master.

What will be challenging you and your brain in April?

[Nancy]

I have started a dish cloth & have a hot pad nearly half way done it will have a stripe mid way through it.
Half way done with my next to last set in this batch.

[Harriet]

For the first time I tried using freezer paper over again, and it really does keep on ironing securely to fabric like I've heard it does. It worked great. I had 4 units to make and the same freezer paper piece I'd cut once kept right on working, no problem. Saved a bunch of time. I've got one more part that this might work for me for a different sized piece. Sure would like to think it could go quickly.

The new pins I ordered - Clover Patchwork Pins Fine - do seem to work very well. Not scary to run the machine over because they are thin, but I didn't want to test that much!

Also got a magnetic pin holder for the first time and it does well. It's not that much easier to choose a pin to use but it's a lot easier to put pins back. It grabs them and holds them in a split second as long you get them in the vicinity. I set a pin down beside it to wait on me to get ready to use it and the pin climbed the side of the holder and got in beside the other pins, straight in line!

[Nancy]

I have a dish cloth half done now.
The hot pads I am working on is to like 5+ rows and Herringbone stitch to close it.
Glad I could make some progress on these today.

-----
Those are done.
Started one of each for the next set to do this week.

[Nancy]

I have the completed another dish cloth so I have the next to the last set of them and 2 hot pads completed yea!
I just bagged them up.

I have a hot pads started on the last set in this batch I'm nearly up to the part where I change colors for a stripe
First one completed in this batch is a hot pat and I've started the 2nd and final one Yea!
I am looking forward to getting to the knitting dish cloths for this set after this is done.
And then some sewing.

[Nancy]

I finished my hot pad the last one in this batch.
I started a dish cloth the last set of two in this batch.

Yes I bag them up when I get a set complete.

[Harriet]

Are you bagging these up for gifts, Nancy? That's interesting that you have the different stitches to go together in the same project. I have seen Herringbone stitch before.

I'm doing simple, enjoyable patchwork for the border of the quilt top now. It's a nice occupation: line up easy seams, stitch in a chain of pieces, cut apart, press, repeat. Usually have a smile on my face with this.

Then it's fitting the border to the main body of the top. It would be nice to think it will just go on perfectly the first time, but that is wishful, for sure, lol. I can puzzle out the fitting, though.

After that, it's applique, which is larger scale than I've done before, and I really don't know exactly what to expect. I'll have to work in sections because the top is large. I do have a white marking pencil that might help me know exactly where pieces go, but I could also just pin. I have a fabric glue that suggests you dot it around to hold pieces in place until you get to them, but I have never used that before and I'm a little wary of it.

I'll need to wash and iron the backing, then cut it to size, which I hope will not be too difficult.

[Harriet]

Oh, I see your answer, Nancy. That is such good preparation, and you know you have thoughtful, really special gifts at the ready, They are safe and sound until you give them.

Well, that clover brand "white-marking pen" is not helpful, so I'm glad it was cheap. You mark, then you wait, and after a while a light-colored mark shows up. The problem is, for a large project, how do you tell where you've already marked? Very easy to get off-track, end up with marks in the wrong places. Also, if any gets where it shows, it doesn't fade away. You need to wash out or at least rinse out. Nope. I'll lay the applique pieces out and baste. Just have to decide between thread and safety pins.

All the patchwork part is done, though, and even the borders are finished, so this is the completed top in size and shape. Side patchwork borders went on without much fuss. Top and bottom were kinda hard because I was adding a middle design, but the dark background fabric hides added strips well. The mitered corners were done in a flash, so that was encouraging.

Burnt my inner forearm because I misjudged the distance to the tip of the iron as it sat on the ironing board - just poor depth perception with this worst eye. But I was so busy I just kept on working, and eventually forgot it. I think it will heal fast.

I had laid the main part out on the LR floor and taken a photo before borders were on, sent to dd25.

Yesterday evening, after the two of us had looked at that photo many times over a couple days, I saw a mistake. Sigh. I had two colors out of order around the outside patchwork. It would hardly be noticeable, except I had decided to change up the planned single fabric, and use two alternating colors instead, which are their wedding colors. Dd looked at it with me this morning and insisted it is not important and probably no one will notice except the two of us. She made a plea for me NOT to go back in and take out stitches to change anything. We decided we'd just call it a "random" arrangement, not a mistake. BUT, in the back of my mind, on the chance I have time, I will keep an idea of switching just two smaller 6-inch pieces that carry the most color.

[Nancy]

Harriet I am impressed with your sewing these days!

I have completed the last dish cloth that batch is finally done!
Bagged in zip lock bags for a set wa-hoo!

[Harriet]

Thanks, Nancy. It was a lot. whew, lol

After putting on the borders, which didn't cause me nearly the trouble I'd thought they might, I got into the applique and worked for days on that.

With such a large top, it was a matter of carrying the bulk of the top around with the side or corner area I was working on hanging out. Starting at ironing board with a little table behind it, I would have the bulk on that table and the part needing applique laid out on the ironing board. I'd slip my 2x2.5 cutting board underneath for pinning, take it out when I might need a little ironing.

Then with things pinned, took it all up in my arms, turned around to set the bulk of it beside sewing machine with the pinned part at machine. I'd travel along in one direction on one side of the pieces, then go back to the point I'd started and do the other side of the piece going in the same direction. I certainly couldn't turn that much fabric around this way and that under the machine, so I went around the quilt in this stop-and-go method and it worked fine. Magnetic pin cushion was a joy for this.

I'd gotten the backing fabric pre-washed, so that was ready. Boxed everything up and off it went to the lady who will quilt by hand-guided machine. While it's gone, I need to think about the sleeve for the back and maybe a label. It will have to be a sleeve that can hang on a kind of large diameter piece of PVC pipe I guess, since that's the way the wedding venue wants to hang it. Hmmm... ..