More Material

2 Comments

Posted on November 11, 2014

Last weekend I spent a fair bit of time in the sewing room. I am working on a project that I cannot show you for another week so more details then.

I have also been cleaning up and sorting out material – yet again. Much of what I have is relatively small pieces so I have prepared some of them for future patchwork projects by cutting them into 5 inch squares. The remaining pieces are bundled according to colour so that I know where to look if I need a specific colour.

Today I was given a couple of bags of material. It is mostly substantial sized pieces which will be suitable for making entire garments so I am off to have a closer look at them and dream of some future creations.

Patchwork – 5 Months Later

8 Comments

Posted on November 2, 2014

I have finally made it back to my patchwork that I first showed you here and here. Well it is 5 months later and I have finally got back to doing some more. I now have 31 blocks completed and here they are laid out on the floor in a totally random order. None of the fabric was purchased specifically for the project. It is all offcuts from dressmaking projects or small unused pieces from my stash of fabric. That stash is a bit smaller now. 🙂

By my calculations these 30 blocks should cover the entire bed but I am not too sure how much overhang I want at the sides and the end or how much I will lose when I add the wadding and quilt it. I think I will sew all of these together and see what I think. Then I can add another row or two of blocks if I feel it needs it. I am also wondering whether to put a plain border of 6 – 8 cm all around the edge.

Please share your thoughts or experiences on patchwork/quilting in the comments.

I have also cut out another 80 squares for a smaller rug using the same technique but more about that another day.

A Different Giveaway

2 Comments

Posted on July 24, 2014

This is not a regular blog giveaway. This is a personal advertisement to any reader who may be interested. If you are interested please contact me either via the comments or email listed the ‘About Me’ page.

Details: Handmade christening gown and petticoat. I made this from the fabric offcuts of my wedding dress and it was worn by both my daughters and granddaughter but no longer required. Perfect condition. Fits baby approximately 3kg – 7kg (newborn to 6 months).

Pick-Up: I can post this anywhere worldwide. Postage is payable by the recipient.

Another First

6 Comments

Posted on July 6, 2014

Following on from my first attempt at patchwork, I decided to try my hand at some bunting. My thoughts on making this is exactly the same as patchwork – it should be about using up the scraps that you have – not buying a bundle of mix’n’match fabrics for a ‘perfect’ look.

Miss O and Izz are here tonight and they were keen to help. They both gave their opinions on the fabrics we chose to use and Miss O was able to turn the triangles after 2 sides had been stitched. I completed the turning with the aid of a knitting needle to fashion the point of the triangle. She also helped to arrange the sequence so that there was a good combination of patterns.

This is what we ended up with – a couple of metres of decorative bunting in a selection of pink tonings. There are large and small florals, checks, stripes and abstract prints. Some of the fabric is very lightweight and other is quite heavy. All of it has been salvaged from the offcuts of other projects – some new and some used.

It is a quick and fun project which uses a relatively small amount of fabric and produces an almost immediate result. A perfect school holiday activity if you have small helpers!

Shopping & Sewing

8 Comments

Posted on June 22, 2014

Firstly, thanks for your kind comments on my ‘Hollywood’ outfit. I am really pleased with it and quite looking forward to the occasion. I am considering keeping the skirt as well as the top because I am thinking that there could possibly be other occasions for which it will be suitable. Also, I dislike being cold and it can be quite difficult to be warm and glamorous so this would definitely fit the bill. I could even add leggings under the skirt.

I am not keen on shopping but sometimes it has to be done, so yesterday we made a bit of a pilgrimage to a couple of the larger shopping centres which are about 30 minutes drive from where we live. I won’t bore you with all of the details but I did manage to buy this piece of fabric at Spotlight. I will make a camisole to go under the black top of my Hollywood outfit.

While I was at Spotlight I also bought a round plastic tablecloth. It was reduced in price and I had a discount voucher so ended up being priced at $5.70. It is to go on a plastic outdoor table that previously belonged to my mother. I wanted a permanent cover on the table so I decided to cut it a bit bigger than the table and attach elastic to the outer edge.

Here is the piece I cut off the cloth.
Coincidentally, there is a discount clothing store in the same complex as Spotlight and The Duke bought some new underwear and discarded several pairs that were looking the worse for wear. I salvaged the elastic and used that to attach to the plastic cloth.

Here is the finished article on the table – and no sign of the Bonds underwear elastic!

Patchwork – Part 2

2 Comments

Posted on June 9, 2014

It is a week since my last post and I have not even replied to your kind and thoughtful comments. I think work got in the way last week. I also went to a community meeting about solar power one evening and spent time with members of my family so blogging has taken a back seat.

Today I did some more of my patchwork. I now have 22 of the 36 squares I need. I have decided that I will just join the blocks directly rather than putting sashing between them as I am looking for a random allover pattern. I spread the completed blocks out on the floor to get an idea of how it is going to look and I am very pleased with the result so far.

I also mended a pair of jeans for DD’s partner. They were brand new but the stitching had come undone for about 3cm on one side seam. I completely reinforced both side seams so hopefully they will be OK now. There was a pair of The Duke’s socks with a hole in the toe so they are now fixed too. Finally, I put my skills to the test and replaced the legs of this bear.

It was signed by DD’s friends when she finished school and we were moving interstate so it has some sentimental value for her. However, I think my granddaughters had been ‘playing’ with him and the buttons that hold his legs in place had come adrift. Luckily the thread was still through his torso so with a bit of ingenuity and a large curved needle I was able to reattach the legs. I don’t think I will repair dolls and bears for a living!

It has been a long weekend here and I have enjoyed the break from work.

My First Attempt

16 Comments

Posted on June 2, 2014

It is never too late to learn something new so today I have started some patchwork. I am hoping to make a quilt. It is not entirely true that I have never done patchwork before but it has been generally on a small scale and my own ‘design’.

Following some basic tips that I gleaned from Frugal Queen and this Youtube video, I set about making my first disappearing 9 patch square.

I did not buy any fabric because I believe that patchwork should be the ultimate in making do with what you have, not an excuse to rush out and buy all of the latest mix’n’match patchwork fabrics. I am using leftovers and offcuts from many of my own sewing projects as well as some that my mother gave me recently. Some of the pieces in the bundle are over 40 years old.

Here are some of the first squares I cut out. I was starting to arrange them for the block.

I chose to use mostly blue in my first project as that is the colour that I have most in the available fabric. It is also the colour of our bedroom so the quilt will look perfect on our bed if it reaches completion.

The first nine squares sewn together.

The disappearing 9 patch depends on then cutting the block into 4 squares, rearranging them and then sewing them together. This is the result.

So far today I have made 4 of these blocks and I am really happy with how they are turning out.

I think I am hooked but there are other things I need to do today as well. I will be back tomorrow with more adventures. In the meantime, let me know if you quilt or sew. Is it for fun or frugality?

Pretty Pillows

More Mending

12 Comments

Posted on April 5, 2014

Mending is to sewing like using leftovers is to baking.

Most people can bake or create a meal by following a recipe but often you need to have a good understanding of the underlying principles of cooking and meal preparation to be able to creatively and effectively use leftovers or random ingredients. The same applies to sewing. It is one thing to follow the instructions on a pattern to make an item but sometimes you need to use your understanding of some of the methods to apply it to mending tasks.

Today I was confronted with a pair of The Duke’s business trousers that had worn through right on the crease of the hem. I do not know how this happened as the trousers are the correct length and do not drag on the ground. It is difficult to see but the area just to the right of my thumb is a split. It is more obvious in the following photograph.

I unpicked a section of the hem.

The damage is clearly evident. I trimmed the couple of loose threads. I placed a piece of iron-on interfacing over the split on the wrong side. I made sure that the two edges of the split were closely aligned and then ironed the interfacing to seal it. With the sewing machine set on a short zigzag stitch, I stitched over the split.

This is the wrong side after I had stitched it.

Then it was a simple matter of rehemming the section of the hem which had been unpicked. I have not posted the ‘after’ photo as the mend is virtually invisible.

Do you mend clothes? If you have any mending questions please ask and I will see if I can help.

Plastic Bags – A Curse

6 Comments

Posted on March 22, 2014

A couple of days ago I read this post from Joanna over at Every Week is Green where she discussed being ‘forced’ to accept a plastic carry bag from a retailer. I have had a similar experience, albeit, close to 20 years ago. Refusing plastic bags at the time was far less prevalent than it is today so I regularly was confronted by some very odd responses.
On the particular occasion in question, I was in a department store in Adelaide where I intended to buy a pair of socks for The Duke. I approached the counter and as I handed over the socks, I advised the assistant that I did not wish to have a bag. Then ensued one of the most bizarre ‘arguments’ I have ever had the misfortune to be involved in. She was adamant that I had to take a bag and I was equally determined that I would not accept one. Her reasons were quite ridiculous but she finally became exasperated and asked, “Well, how will people know that you bought the item at *******?” Seriously, I had to accept a bag so that the store could advertise that I shopped there? I was not about to back down and advised that I would not accept a bag or I would not buy the socks. I finally paid for the socks and left with them and the docket in my hand.

It was then and there that I realised just what hard work it was to stick to my principles. I have continued to do so and it has become easier, however,you need to be constantly on your guard to avoid plastic bags sneaking into your life.

Don’t give up, Joanna.

Finally, here is my hessian bag that I finished relining.

You can read about the beginning of the project here. It is towards the bottom of the post. I did try handsewing the lining in but it was too difficult so this morning I used some heavy linen thread and sewed it on the machine using the heaviest needle I had. The stitching is clearly visible but I am not concerned as I now have a functional bag again. Thanks, Carol for the lining fabric. 🙂