Art, Craft and Needlework, August, 2012

[Harmony]

I am back to my quilting. My sore hand is my left, and it isn't my fingertips so doesn't get near the needles. I will have to explain to the dr. next week what the callouses and prick marks on my fingertips are! My middle finger tip has a pretty good callouse now.

This quilt is a joy to quilt. Not too many seams with double / triple layers of cloth to get through. Batting is so much easier than others I've used. And the pattern I've chosen to quilt is easier, being long square lines mostly, so it's going quicker. I am encouraged I will get this done more timely than the last one.

DSisiLaw was here the other day and was interested in my quilt so we talked about what I was doing and I got the other 2 out and spread out on the bed to see...she was much surprised. I guess no one thinks I have any talent! Well, maybe not 100%, but 90% perseverance and 10% talent.

[Harriet]

Nancy, I remember you posting about The Artist's Way and how it inspired you.

Harmony, I'm so glad you had someone appreciate and compliment you on your quiltmaking.

I had a quilter tell me yesterday how sorry she was I had to give up my sewing room (she's never been to my home - just a nice acquaintance). She has also given hers up because an adult child has moved back home. She is actually having a renovation that will change things for her eventually and she will get her space back with new flooring, too. Temporarily, I have a better situation than she, in that I can get to my things, except of course that I can't go there without making arrangements for care otherwise, and there are always other more important errands when that happens, lol.

I have been thinking a lot about pant alterations - that would help me. Also, dd13 has the same bra strap frustration (sloping shoulders) that I do, and some other alterations for her would help. Maybe I could do a little of that, since only the final seams have to be done at the machine.

BookSaver, do you know of any internet instructions for taking in the seat of a woman's pants? Or do you have a pattern/instructions you would recommend I purchase? I know there are two "directions" of alteration that yield two different results - taking in the crotch does one thing and taking in the upper leg seams does another. But I can't remember which does which type of 3-dimensional change, or any warnings, tips. All I can find on the net right now is rather silly teenage ideas of making jeans super tight, and I know they aren't doing it right, either.

editing to say I did find this page, with a detailed list of 8 steps in the 4th post. But the posts after that one are basically saying, "sheesh, why not just throw the pants out and make some yourself rather than go to all that trouble". Sigh. I think the first step might not apply to me because the pants don't have darts (elastic back), but I do see their point about a lot of trouble for one alteration.

[BookSaver]

Harriet ~ My first thought was, "This is the perfect opportunity to use my vintage "Pattern Alteration" pamphlet from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which I found at the used book store priced at $1.

(I think I gasped when I saw it on the shelf. I know I snatched it up and put it in my cart before anyone else could catch of glimpse of it. I almost felt as if I was stealing it. )

Unfortunately, it does not include pants. Well, duh, I should have known that. It's dated 1945 and only 40 pages. Their priority was for blouses, skirts, and dresses.

I have not tried to alter pants, so have not looked for instructions on the internet.

Wait, I just thought of something, let me check it out ...

[Harriet]

I really appreciate it. It's cool that you found such a pamphlet bargain.

Btw, I found this for anyone who really wants to know how to make perfect fitting pants for themselves. Very impressive, expensive, sort of. I wasn't wanting to get into a bunch of garment making projects, though, just change a few pairs of pants a little.

[BookSaver]

No luck, the person I thought might have something online now charges a hefty fee to view her tips.

There are pants fitting books in my sewing group's library, but I haven't read them. However, I do know that none of them deal with making alterations after the pants are already made.

I'm sure I would be trying to guess about the same internet sites that your search is showing. The half dozen that I tried did not appear to be very helpful. "Cut it apart, pin it smaller, baste it, try it on, sew it." Gee, thanks for the nonspecific non-help.

I'm sorry I can't help.

[Harriet]

It helps just to learn that you would also have trouble finding this, BookSaver - I was thinking maybe I just didn't know how to look! Once upon a time in the Clotilde catalog there were "patterns" for altering ready-mades but I simply can't find such a thing now.

I did find that there are further videos on that last site I linked (the expensive kits) and one of them gives a few tips I can use on the points to adjust, if I do decide to open up some seams.

[Nancy]

I have some cotton calico fabric a find from yd. sale today I'm looking forward to playing with getting some fun idea now for it!

Must be enough for a quilt, yards of some pink with hearts, and other is blue orchids in the print.
One idea is a prairie skirt apron, tote bags... still thinking.

One piece is fleece will be fringed for a toddler blanket.

[Harmony]

Nancy, I'd like to find some nice fabric at a yard sale. Fabric is so expensive these days.

Well, I've been quilting on the last strip across and the bottom border for a couple weeks. It should have taken me 2-3 days but I was only able to sew for at most 30 minutes. This morning while I woke up and drank my coffee I finished the very last of it and took it out of the rack and stretched it across the guest bed.

I'm pleased how it looks. I still have to take off the blue markings as I didn't do that as I went along. I feel better with it out of the rack. If we have to evacuate for some reason I can bundle it up in a plastic bag and take along. The way it was I'd have to leave it behind.

[Nancy]

At the farmers market today one of the vendors had made an apron with ruffles out of cotten from old jeans it was cute.

[BookSaver]

Nancy ~ I've seen aprons like those and they are very cute. There are lots of online directions. Unfortunately, when I was trying to look up one with good pictures, an Ehow site made my browser go crazy and I had to shut everything down. Seems like I've had that problem before with Ehow, so be wary.

I saw one style that was a full bib apron but instead of having a seam at the waist, they used a whole long leg. They cut the inseam apart so the outside leg seam ran down the center front of the apron. Shaped the top like a sweetheart neckline, rounded the bottom, and put a ruffle all around the outside. Then they cut out the back pockets, put ruffle around them, and sewed onto the apron. The ties were the same cotton print as the ruffles.

Most common seems to be cutting the legs off the jeans, cut apart the side seams, and leave the waistband and pockets on. That gives 2 half aprons with pockets. Add ties and optional ruffle. They can be very plain or very girly. That style leaves the legs available to make tote bags.

Sometimes my bad shoulder makes it painful to lift my arm high enough to tie straps behind my neck. A friend gave me a tip for making an adjustable neck strap for a bib apron.

She makes 1 longish strap and sews it to 1 top corner of the bib. Then she makes a buttonhole in the other top corner of the bib. Thread the strap through the buttonhole and tie a knot at the end of the strap. When using the apron, pull up the neck strap to where it's comfortable and tie a slip knot, use a binder clip, or pin it to hold.

If you're the only one going to wear the apron, you could sew a button onto the strap. Or use Velcro, but I find Velcro fiddly to sew on and it catches on things in the washer/dryer.