Art, Craft and Needlework, September, 2012

[Harriet]

Welcome, and won't you join us to chat about your creativity?

Harmony is finishing up her most recent quilt for a grandchild. She says, "This quilt is a joy to quilt." (yay)
Nancy has finished her batch of puppets for church, just as the yarn ran out!
BookSaver upcycled the uniform of a fallen soldier into items for sale for a memorial fund-raiser.
Emptynester sewed up furnishings for Church Camp, including new slipcovers for a day bed and bolster.
Harriet researched pants alterations and found both info and warnings! It's kinda tough!
Everyone chatted about apron construction and sewing tee shirts into something new.

August was certainly extra full of charitable offerings, wasn't it?

September question:
What charitable art or craft would you do for others if you had the time? Hmmm... ...

[BookSaver]

September is National Sewing Month.
I have set a goal of 15 minutes per day doing an action related to sewing, not just talking about it.

Tonight's activity, as a break from sewing for others, is analyzing the design of 2 related clothing patterns. They are the "Origami Top" and "Origami Dresses" from SewkeysE by Emma Seabrooke. They are made from a series of squares which, when connected together and folded in a specific method, result in garments with a fluid drapey bias fit.

The pattern for the dress version includes variations in different lengths and necklines. Adding length to the blouse or dress requires combining the squares in a different order.

I've read the directions and looked at the illustrations several times. I can't quite wrap my head around how a bunch of squares do their magic to look like the photos on the fronts of the pattern envelopes.

I think what I need to do before I start cutting up fabric is to print paper squares with a bunch of different designs on them, number them, maybe even get out some crayons and color them. Then cut them up and tape them like the pattern directions say to do with the fabric.

I'm usually pretty good at visualizing a finished result from looking at a pattern sheet. These 2 have me stumped -- I hope just temporarily!

[Nancy]

Alrighty I have the puppets loaded in the car to take to church today yea for progress!

Looking forward to joining you in Natl. sewing month as I have fabric to work with I got this summer at a yd. sale now what was it I was thinking of making with it I'll need to refresh my thinking on this.

[BookSaver]

I spent quite a bit of time last night with various combinations of paper squares. I understand a little more about how they go together. I'll be working another sewing retreat next month, so I'll take along fabrics for an origami blouse and dress to sew.

I received a note via Facebook this morning that the camo bags were not sold at the auction last night after all. The family members liked them so much they decided to keep them. On the one hand, that's very flattering, that they liked what I did. On the other hand, now I don't know if strangers would have liked them well enough to pay money for them. Hmm ... at least this way, I think it will be easier to get feedback about whether or not the bags are the right size and if the clips are strong enough.

I have 1 more set of clips and more than enough fabric left in the uniform to make 1 more bag. That will be today's sewing project. I will take it to my sewing group's meeting Tuesday night for our "Sew & Share" time, then deliver it to family next weekend at DMIL's birthday party.

There are a couple of large pockets left in the uniform, too. I'm trying to figure out how to work those into a larger purse or tote bag. Will probably need to dig in my fabric stash for a coordinating fabric to have enough.

[Harriet]

Frankly, I was wondering how friends and family were going to bear to let those go, BookSaver. Tactile items mean so much.

If I could do the charity sewing that I'd like, I'd probably make more quilts for Wrap Them In Love Foundation. I'm looking forward to seeing the one I donated coming up in their photographs and am happy knowing that is the extent of their thank-yous. They haven't finished posting 2011 yet. I feel there is a lot of potential for comforting children and teens there. I would probably donate one for a teen next time. When I donated to the big city women's shelter, it was so intense and not the right choice for an introvert like me. The press of people thanking but asking for more and more was hard to take. When I donated to church fund-raisers nearby, the need was not very urgent. So giving a quilt to a children's service program is a good middle-of-the-road for me.

Oh, I've also found creativity I'd like to do again in giving through the Christmas Child shoe-box program, both in choice of little gifts and in wrapping sturdily for re-use. If you wrap the top and bottom separately, the people at the sorting facility don't have to tear the wrap when they check the inside.

[BookSaver]

Stayed up last night to finish the bag so I can take it to meeting tomorrow.

Today's sewing project is figuring out to combine a much-too-small Friends of the Library logo T-shirt with a too-large knit top. Or I might use the logo(s) to cover up stains on another shirt that does fit. Depends on which color combination looks best. The logo shirt is bright almost-royal blue.

This project will probably spill over into tomorrow. I'd like to get it to the stage that I can take it to the evening meeting, too.

The program speaker for the meeting will be showing examples of recycle/upcycle/restyle. Both the bag and shirt seem to fit in with that theme.

[Emptynester]

This was a single dorm bed - but added a cover with skirt, a bolster and 5 pillows and now it is a daybed. If needed it can still be a bed and make this a 2 or 3 person room as it also has a double bed.

[BookSaver]

Emptynester ~ What an attractive job you did on that project! I see why those pleats were tricky. I like the variety in your coordinating pillows.

2-into-1-Tshirt project:
* The too-big shirt didn't work out because of the color. Both shirts are pretty colors, they just don't go together very well.
* Pulled out another shirt I don't wear any more because of the logo (previous volunteer commitment). The colors look good together but it was going to need more work because of the placement of the logos.
* Thought about sacrificing one of my favorite black tops. It fits well and I wear it a lot, which is why I hesitated to use it. Then I remembered ...
* Pulled out a purple top that I had made in a sewing class. The class was to learn a "twisted" neckline binding technique. In concentrating on that technique, I neglected to pay careful attention to what size pattern I cut out to use in the class. It turned out cute and a great color, but the neck is too wide and I hate showing bra straps. It's been in the basket of things to fix for over a year.

I will combine the 2 tops using the purple one as the main base because its body and sleeves fit better. I can put the blue neckline under the purple one for a layered look. I'll cut the library logo from the back of the blue shirt and add it to the front of the purple shirt; that way it will still show if I wear a cardigan over it. Then I'll have to play around with adding more embellishments from the blue fabric to make it look more coordinated.

It's going to take a few days. My goal is to have it in a good enough state to wear to the library meeting Thursday night.

[Harriet]

What a tailored, neat sewing job, Emptynester. That really looks sharp. A good fabric - looks like this will wear well and give them a long time of use. As I try to understand the construction.... .... when you sewed on the pleated skirt, is that covered cording (piping) you placed within the seam? It looks like it in the photo - looks very finished.

BookSaver, try, try again is the mantra, and that sounds very wise to incorporate the blue neckline for a faux layered look. It makes sense for the season we are entering. I agree with you about others seeing my brastraps. Not anybody's best look, in my opinion, and certainly not when you are hoping others will notice you are promoting a meaningful cause with your shirt. Hope it turns out well.

[Nancy]

I did some knitting on the sage green prayer shawl yesterday.