Art, Craft and Needlework, September, 2012

[Emptynester]

Yes, I put the cording into the seam between the skirt and the top to the daybed. In fact I sewed it onto the skirt first to stabilize the pleats. The cording was a bright white but I died it with coffee to make it blend more with the material. It is also used around the edges of the bolster.

The solid pillows are the material that I cut off the drapes when I shortened them. The center pillow is backed with that material as I didn't have enough of the stripe. I really cheated on the pillows as I folded the material around them and did an open (but hemmed) edge to put the pillow into. That way I only had to sew two seams on each pillow.

Love the idea of putting two shirts together, Bookie. I have lots of logo shirts from all the Rallies we have gone to. I think I will cut around the logos to make quilt squares when we are done with traveling and make a quilt out of them. I think I could use the backs and sides of the shirts for plain squares and the logos squares for focal points. I don't know what else to do with them as we don't wear them much between rallies.

[Nancy]

I did some knitting yesterday that was relaxing! Just what I needed.

[BookSaver]

Emptynester ~ At last night's meeting, one of the members brought a quilt her DD had made from Tshirts, as well as a few skirts. Her DSonIL plays in a band and has gigs every weekend, and every place he plays they give him a Tshirt. She said most of the time they don't even try to give him the right size, plus how many Tshirts can 1 man wear? Her DD has gotten very good at repurposing the Tshirt fabric into clothes for their kids and herself.

The skirts were 2 different styles, either a straightish shape with patchwork squares, or a flared shape made out of panels with triangle godets. For the ones with godets, she cut the pieces from the bottoms of the Tshirts so she didn't even have to hem the skirt.

It's a very cute idea for a young girl, but especially the patchwork square one would make me look like a circus clown. If I ran into a stash of 3X men's shirts in the right colors, though, I might make one of the flared skirts for myself to wear around the house. Or actually I would probably adapt the idea to make yoga pants, which would be even more comfy.

Another member brought in a bunch of scarves she made from Tshirts. For most of them, she cut horizontal strips across the body of the Tshirt. (She said the ones without side seams work especially well.) Then she grabbed half a dozen or so together and stretched them out so they became long strings. Loop or braid them together and her high school students go crazy for them.

Some of them she had added beads by cutting the loops apart and then just knotting back together.

She also used Tshirt sleeves to make flowers, either to attach to the scarves, make pins or hair accessories.

I have a bin full of DH's old Tshirts that I plan one day to cut into strips and crochet into kitchen and/or bath rugs. Hmm ... doing some prep work on those for 1 of my daily sewing projects this month would reduce space, and then I could start crocheting ... as soon as I remember where I stashed my hooks ...

[Emptynester]

My daughter make bags to take to the grocery store out of t-shirts. They fold up easier. She sews the bottom closed and cuts off sleeves and neckline to make handles.

[BookSaver]

2-into-1 library Tshirt hit another snag. The logo is so large that in order to put it on the front of a shirt, it needs a higher neckline.

I'm going back to my original idea, to cut out the logo and put it on an apron. Chances are, I'd be wearing an apron anyway to work an event, because I always need more pockets. That will also make it easier to throw on a cardigan and not cover up the logo.

So that project is on hold for a bit until I dig into my stash for apron fabric. The Tshirt fabric is very thin, not strong enough to support pockets if I used it by itself to make an apron. In order to be wide enough for the logo, I think it needs to be an H-back style, which will need extra fabric. No worries, I'm sure I have enough ... somewhere ...


Wednesday night I cut 4 strips of fabric and tested the Folded Fabric Star ornament (linked in the Christmas thread). I will need to practice it several more times before I can teach it in December.

I also realized that if I try to show the online tutorial on a screen, we'll have to dim the lights and that will make it too dark for the people to see well enough to make their own stars!

Solution = figure out the proportions to enlarge my teaching samples enough to be seen by a class of 30 sitting at tables.

[Emptynester]

As promised - the picture mat.

[ellyphant]

MT, that picture mat is so cute! Wish I had kept my kids' school pictures in something like that. I have their photos in albums, but school pix are not all together. I used to do a lot of cross stitch, but decluttered all that a few years ago.

I only sew enough for hemming and repairs. I have crocheted, but only know the ripple stitch (made 2 afghans). DD knits and crochets beautifully...she can read the patterns and I can't! Do enjoy hearing of everyone's projects here.

[Nancy]

EN thanks for sharing!

I did some rows of knitting today.

[Ivy]

Empty Nester, You are SO gifted! Wow! You do the things I can't do. Sew (except for elastic waist skirts) and the needlepoint. Wow. Thank you for sharing your talent with all of us. You take great photos, too.

I crochet, sometimes do paper crafts, and have collected scraps from Grandma and DD, with quilting books and supplies. Just haven't made time to find a simple pattern and start in. Have a Brother sewing machine and the lap quilting frames (or whatever you call them), too. Have thimbles, too. I just need to make myself a goal date and just jump in and do it. Right now, I'm focusing on Christmas crochet. Maybe after Christmas, some time in the New Year would be a good time to start quilting.

[Nancy]

I have gotten to the last 1/3rd of the sage green prayer shawl that I'm knitting on currently. Have a cranberry one under way as well but put it aside to do the puppets. I should work on the cranberry colored one during the day as it's a darker color now that the puppets are done. And save the sage green one for working on evenings as it's easier to see doing that one is a lighter color.