Art, Craft and Needlework, August 2015

A place for Artistry, Crafts and Needlework; Decorating and Holidays.
User avatar
Harmony
Member
Posts: 11417
Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2008 3:56 pm
Location: Florida

Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, August 2015

Postby Harmony » Wed Aug 19, 2015 4:30 pm

Harriet, that's a great fix for a button front dress.

I've been sewing. I have it all put together and I am machine quilting it now. I find the process fairly annoying and sorta miss the hand quilting I usually do. Something calming and soothing to me about just sitting in front of the rack watching the stitches go in and the intricate patterns appear. I couldn't do much beside straight lines with the machine, but they are looking nice, making puffy squares all over the top.

User avatar
Harriet
Moderator
Posts: 16506
Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2008 6:48 am
Location: The Carolinas

Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, August 2015

Postby Harriet » Wed Aug 19, 2015 11:25 pm

I've used both kinds of quilting side by side in some small quilts, Harmony. Like doing machine quilting throughout except for borders, where I would enjoy some hand quilting. But any hand quilting you do is really going to slow down a project, that's the truth. I imagine you'll be glad you sped through this and got it done.

Today I started altering the 5 shirts my dsecondmil gave me to alter for my dstepfil, who is in hospice care at home. I'll be splitting them up the center back almost to the yoke, and turning a shirt-tail hem so it won't ravel. This way, the shirt can be put on over his head while he lies in bed, and with his arms through he will look normally dressed, but he doesn't have to raise his body any further. Also the back hem of shirts won't be in the way of accidents.

I was convinced that the nurse's idea of just splitting up to a point was not wise, because the point can't be hemmed and will ravel or even rip further up. The first one I did, tonight, I took about a 2.5 inch strip out of the center back rather than just a split, and rounded the top of the opening so I could shirt-tail hem it all. :idea: The only problem is that it is still a tight inside curve, and so the edge of the curve doesn't lie flat, maybe isn't as comfortable as it could be.

Then I looked this up on the net, and found that ready-made companies had already thought of this curve (even tho there were no do-it-yourself instructions I could find). The garments are called "adaptive tops". Here's a look at how one company makes these as pajama tops to sell. (click on a shirt to see the back). Now, that's a pretty big opening and not what she asked for, but I bet that seam/hem lies flatter than mine, and is comfortable with such a gradual curve.

So the next ones I do, I think I'll take out a strip about 4 or 5 inches, for a curve at the top that can have the hemming lie flatter, and hopefully be very comfortable.

I seriously considered narrow bias binding, such as used for aprons' raw seams, but I am thinking she will be disappointed if I put extra supplies into this project. She's already worried about me going to this much trouble, but needs the help. I do think that would make these very comfortable, though... ... hmmm... ...

User avatar
Nancy
Member
Posts: 23444
Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2008 6:52 pm
Location: Washington state in the Pacific Northwestern part of the USA.
Contact:

Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, August 2015

Postby Nancy » Thu Aug 20, 2015 9:16 am

I hemmed a basket liner yesterday.

User avatar
Sunny
Member
Posts: 3200
Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2008 8:49 pm
Location: Northern Virginia
Contact:

Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, August 2015

Postby Sunny » Thu Aug 20, 2015 6:42 pm

Harriet --- altered shirts/pjs is such a good idea for patients who cannot move around easily. I noticed also on those examples that the arms were opened also, with some kind of closures, snaps maybe. I'm sure your work will look good!

Harmony --- your quilt project sounds nice. I like Harriet's idea of straight quilting in the middle and hand quilting on the border. I hope to see a picture of it some time. When I did that first quilt for dgd-H it was not only the first ever project, but I was in a hurry to finish it, so the quilting was all machine straight lines and turned out ok, but if I'd had more experience and time could have been better with a different pattern. She loves it all the same, so that makes me happy!

Nancy --- I like the variety of projects you have been doing!

My little "Cotton Candy" is pinned and ready to quilt. It will be done by machine; I'm still trying to figure a pattern for it. I made the piano key strips for a border, but I think it clashed with the pattern of the blocks, (so busy) so I decided to use it for the binding. It's just the right size. I have only a few more blocks to do on dgs-Cs quilt. I have a few ideas on how I want to finish that one.
Start by doing what's necessary, then what's possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible. --- Francis of Assisi

User avatar
Nancy
Member
Posts: 23444
Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2008 6:52 pm
Location: Washington state in the Pacific Northwestern part of the USA.
Contact:

Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, August 2015

Postby Nancy » Thu Aug 20, 2015 7:15 pm

Working on a bag of ombe' yarn up into hats finished one and started another one today.

User avatar
Harriet
Moderator
Posts: 16506
Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2008 6:48 am
Location: The Carolinas

Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, August 2015

Postby Harriet » Sat Aug 22, 2015 8:01 pm

Big compliments from dsecondmil, her sister, and dstepfil's nurse on the idea of edging the shirt cuts and how sturdy and nice looking they came out. I used single bias that came close to matching each shirt, and they assumed I'd bought it. Dd17 vouched for me that I had it in my supplies for aprons. One shirt takes less than half a binding package.

I also had dd watch me apply the binding so she learned little bit while I did this. She had said she would try doing one, but I had to say no, if only because her own deadlines right now are just exhausting. She has an acrylic and a large sketch in partial completion right now.

User avatar
Nancy
Member
Posts: 23444
Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2008 6:52 pm
Location: Washington state in the Pacific Northwestern part of the USA.
Contact:

Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, August 2015

Postby Nancy » Sun Aug 23, 2015 9:35 am

Still doing up more hats.


Return to “The Creative Home”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 16 guests

cron