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Sep 1, 2012

DIY: How to Make a Needle Book from a Real Book

September 1, 2012 By 1 Comment
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I’d like to start off this post by saying that I am an avid reader. I love the written word and I love books. When I studied in Paris when I was in college, I took a bookbinding course in Montmartre with Eloise Baille.

I respect books and the wonderful history that goes along with their creation. So, when I butcher one later on in this post- I do so with the greatest love and respect.

I’ve been inspired by a lot of book purses that I’ve seen lately.  I think they’re neat.  So, I went to the Salvation Army near our shop and found a few hardcover books- 6 to be exact.  Then the nice lady told me that they were 10 for $1…so I got 14 more. I had A BALL picking them out.  There are books with the title “A Woman of Substance” or “The Life of the Party” and “California Girl”….how fun!  I did not find many pieces of fine literature- and that’s ok.

What I find the most entertaining about this process is finding books with funny/ironic titles- which generally are not the great works of our time.

Except for the book that I tore up this time!  Marjane Satrapi is the author of, among other books, the graphic novel Persepolis.  It is about her childhood in Iran and her experience growing up under a repressive regime.  It’s a revolutionary novel and Ms. Satrapi has my greatest respect as a writer and artist.

Little did she know that she would tempt me to modify one of her later works entitled “Embroideries”…what better book to transform into a unique needle book/sewing kit?  I could not resist!  I also can’t wait to read it- the insides are intact and waiting to be read.  Will I make a new cover for it?  I don’t know.  That seems a little silly.
This is not an in-depth tutorial, that will come later.  That’s because I got so excited while making it that I didn’t take detailed pics- so enjoy this abbreviated version of my needle book!
First of all, I cut out the “guts” and started to lay out the things I wanted in my kit.  I made a list of helpful sewing tools beforehand, and then adapted my needle book accordingly. This gave me a good idea of what would fit in my book- and it definitely changed as the process went on.
Next, I created a liner for my book.  This is the life of the needle book.  It is what I will sewpockets/elastic/magnets to in order to keep my stuff in place.  After I get it figured out- I’ll just glue it in.  I cut two pieces of fabric and serged the edges with YLI Candlelight thread to make it pretty- I like shiny things.  Once it was the right size, I could really get down to business.  Woohoo!
Now that I’ve got my foundation and all my sewing jazz, I start to space it out.  It’s clear that I’ll need to cut down my notebook, because it’s too long.  Also, I don’t use a seam ripper, I use a razor blade- so I’m planning on adding in some magnets under that needle flap to secure the razor blade.  Also, the needles will affix to the magnet and keep the razor blade covered.  I won’t give up my razor blade, and that’s that.
BTW- this is not ok to take on a plane. I’ve also got a thimble and some Metrosene thread- I won’t use ANYTHING ELSE for sewing construction.  I also find those stork scissors to be adorable- so there they are!  Also, an ink pen, a marking pen and a sewing guage.   Would I like more stuff in my sewing kit?  Of course.  But I’ve got some limitations.  If you have a larger book, the sky’s the limit! You can add in pages and zippered pockets and stuff- and then you can send it an email to show us!
Next thing on the list, I add in elastic straps to keep things in place.  ”How did you get your elastic to be so beautiful?”, you may ask.  I serged it with the Candlelight thread!  It retained it’s “stretchiness” and it’s gorgeous as well.  I laid out the whole thing on my book cover to make sure everything was still fitting- I have not glued it down yet.
But wait! I did something else really cool that Eloise taught me- I added an elastic strap to keep my book shut.  I punched two holes in the back of the book with a buttonhole cutter, threaded the elastic through, and glued it to the inside of the book…BEFORE I glued down my new sewing “guts”.
Oh and here’s a shot of the razor blade magnet-keeper-thingy.  I love that I have my razor blade tucked away safely like this!
Now, It’s time to glue it all down.  I used 450 Adhesive.  That’s important- it is a fast drying glue that does not stain fabric.  Believe me, you don’t want to sew all that elastic down and then get glue daubs all over your book….use 450.  I glued the sides down and I placed glue on the places where I sewed down the elastic- just to keep them a little more stable.  It’s working so far!
Here’s a shot of the needle book all closed up.  I think it looks great!  If Marjane Satrapi sees it, I hope she likes it too!
What do you want in your needle book?
Filed Under: BuySewingThread.com, Clothes & Garment Sewing, DIY, Inside Zede's Sewing Studio, Software
May 9, 2012

T-Shirt Crafts. “Do’s and Don’ts”

May 9, 2012 By 1 Comment
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T-Shirt Crafts abound on the internet.  If you’re looking for a fun craft to do with a t-shirt, you won’t be hard-pressed to find one on Pinterest or on the tons of sewing and craft blogs out there.

But, now comes the time for a little self-reflection.  Is it really a good idea to make all this stuff from t-shirts?

Of course, it’s great to recycle and reuse.  T-shirt fabric is suitable for a lot of projects, but sometimes it’s not the perfect material and the projects featured won’t last the test of time and use.

Here are a few things to keep in mind about T-shirt fabric.

1.)  It stretches!  That’s why you like to wear it!  What does this mean for your crafts?  It means that if you re-shape the neckline or the hem by just cutting it into a new shape- it won’t stay.  You must stabilize seams, hems and necklines on knits- or you’ll get a funky product.

2.) T-shirt fabric is thin!  Some T-shirts are thicker than others, I know, but thinner t-shirts are popular and have been for a few years.  So, if you’re going to make a skirt out of a t-shirt, take a look in the mirror first and make sure you’re not giving anyone a free show.  T-shirt fabric was originally intended for t-shirts, just keep that in mind while you’re cleverly redesigning them

3.) Can these fabric features be good- YES!  That’s why we love them, just don’t expect t-shirt fabric to act like anything other than what it is.

Do you want something to be be stretchy and soft?  Like a t-shirt scarf?  Go for it with a tutorial like this one from HelloGiggles.

Do you want to use up those t-shirts and be green about cleaning?  Check these washcloths out on My Bit of Earth.

And then there are t-shirt bags.  Normally, these don’t really turn me on- but they could be useful.  And the author at DeliaCreates does a great job of showing how to sew with t-shirt knit!

 

The point is this: Don’t get disappointed if your t-shirt craft doesn’t work out, you may have been doomed from the beginning.  Just keep in mind how the t-shirt fabric will act when you’re upcycling into your next project!

Have you made anything from a t-shirt?  How did it go?

Filed Under: Clothes & Garment Sewing, Clothing, DIY, Ideas, Random Thoughts, Tips
Mar 14, 2012

Blog Tour: Georgie Melot

March 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment
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As our local sewing community knows, we love Georgie Melot’s book “Ready, Set, Serge”.  We use it in a continuing education class called Serge Ahead.

You can only imagine my surprise and excitement when I found Georgie’s blog.  I proceeded to contact her about doing an interview and found that she is a lovely, gracious person who accepted my request readily.

This post is a continuation of our Blog Tour series- something we do to help you can discover new bloggers and new ideas!

Here’s Georgie!

How long have you been stitching?- I have been sewing as long as I can remember. I used all the scraps of fabric I could find to make clothes for my Barbie dolls. At the time, I thought I had the best dressed Barbie in the world. Everyday she could wear a new outfit made especially for her! Now my grown-up memory sees that poor Barbie as a bit of a bag lady, but it was the beginning of my sewing world. I was probably about 7 or 8 when my mom let me sew on her sewing machine. What a joy! I wasn’t big enough for me feet to touch the floor, so Mom would put a large pan under the machine for me to put my feet on and allow me to get that machine going.
What got you interested in sewing?- My mom made most of my clothes when I was a small child and it always fascinated me that a plain piece of material could be made into something so pretty.  My mom sewed because it was economical at the time but she really didn’t enjoy it at all and was more than willing to pass that chore over to me once I showed an interest and the aptitude to learn. It seems that as my skills developed Mom lost any bit of knowledge that she ever had at sewing. I have teased her that with her lack of sewing skills, I was probably embarrassed to wear what she made for me so I was forced to learn to sew. But the truth is that I was just fascinated by watching her create something that I could wear. I still have a snippit of embroidered trim that was added to one of the outfits she made for me. I thought it was the most beautiful trim in the world and have kept that treasured 6″ piece of trim for decades. It always brings a smile to my face when I run across it in my sewing supplies.
When did you start making your own patterns?- My first sewing for my Barbie dolls was without patterns and I would just wrap the fabric this way and that and cut it where it looked like it needed to be cut. I didn’t think of it as pattern making at the time but it was the beginning of confidence in my ability to modify patterns to suit me. Later I had a wonderful home economics teacher in high school who pulled out abilities I hadn’t even considered. My sophomore year in high school I wanted to make a baby quilt for a cousin who was expecting. I had finished all the required sewing for class and found an appliqued quilt pattern that I thought was adorable. Mrs. Lewis told me that I could make that quilt but only if I made it without the pattern. She wanted me to make up my own pattern, and I have to say mine turned out just as cute as the one in the pattern book. That experience really unleashed my creativity and allowed me to attempt making any item that I visioned.
What made you decide to write a book on serging?- Prior to writing the book, I had been an educator for Baby Lock. I loved being able to share my love of sewing with wonderful people in the Baby Lock dealerships but all good things must come to an end and I had resigned my position with Baby Lock. I was not sure what God had planned for me but I knew he would show me what he had planned when the time was right. Anyway, I was on my last road trip for Baby Lock and was teaching a serger demonstration at Nancy’s Notions in Beaver Dam, WI. In my serger demo I generally would make a few simple projects, some of which are in the book. After the demonstration one of the ladies came up to me and asked if I could write a book full of easy serger projects. It seems one of the acquisition editors for F & W Publications was in my serger demonstration. So the book was not actually my idea but was a challenge that I accepted enthusiastically! I had taught many serger classes over the years and had been frustrated with projects that didn’t allow the students to get comfortable with their serger. Many serger projects put so many techniques in a single project, in order to highlight this wonderful machine, that someone new to serging can be overwhelmed before the class was over. I envisioned Ready, Set, Serge to be a book that would allow someone new to serging to find success and not frustration with their serging projects.
What brand of sergers do you work with and why?- My first serger was a White serger, I still have it but rarely use it. I do make sure it stays in good working order but most of the time I serge using one of my two Baby Lock sergers. I purchased the Baby Lock serger because of the jet-air threading but I fell in love with it because of the automatic tension. Those 2 features are probably 99% of the problems you will have with your serger and with my Baby Lock serging issue are a thing of the past. In fact when I was writing the book, I forced myself to spend a couple months serging on my White serger to re-familiarize myself with threading and tension issues. It wasn’t fun but it was very informative!
What was it like to work with “Sewing With Nancy” host Nancy Zieman?- Nancy is just a phenomenal person to work with, as is her whole staff. They are so organized and prepared that it is really easy to tape the show. For me the hardest part was not getting too wordy, which wouldn’t surprise anyone who knows me. My opportunity to be on “Sewing With Nancy” was such a blessing. My youngest son is in the Air Force and he had received orders to be deployed to Kuwait. As any mother I would be, I was a bit apprehensive and we all worried I would fall apart when I had to say goodbye to my baby. A few weeks before Mitt was deployed, Nancy called and she had an unexpected taping date,and wanted to know if I would be able to come in and such and such date. The way the dates fell, I flew to Beaver Dam the day after I told my baby goodbye. I was just too excited to fall apart! I love how God works some of those things out. 
What is your favorite technique to teach?- I enjoy all the wonderful techniques we can do with the serger but honestly my favorite part of teaching serging is helping people become comfortable with their serger. I want serger owners to get those sergers out of the closet and start using them! If you only used your serger for seams, you will love never having to finish another seam. That being said, I love to make the zippered cosmetic bag in serger classes. That demonstration has such a ‘wow’ factor and it gets everyone excited. And who couldn’t use a little zippered bag?
Curious about Georgie’s work?  Visit her blog and check out her posts, classes, and of course her book!
Happy Sewing!
Filed Under: Blog Tour, Classes at Zede's, Clothes & Garment Sewing, DIY, Ideas, Sewing Books
Feb 29, 2012

Toilet Paper Couture!

February 29, 2012 By Leave a Comment
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Last weekend, I threw a bridal shower for my future mother-in-law.  She’s getting married in a few weeks.  Zede is making her dress, and once that’s finished, there will be a blog post about it.  But, for now, we have a very different type of dress to show you!

One of the shower games we played was the “Toilet Paper Wedding Dress” game.

Here’s how it works:

- Split guests into even teams, one person from each team being the “model”

- Hand out rolls of toilet paper and duct tape (we had some really cool patterned tape)

- Start a timer for 15 or 20 minutes.  Each time has that much time to create a masterpiece from TP and Tape!

- Once time is up, run a mini fashion show, describing the highlights of each dress

- The bride picks her favorite and the winning team gets presents!

What does this have to do with sewing?  Well, it pretty much follows in the tradition of draping fabric on a dress form in order to visualize design ideas.  That’s right, do this at home with muslin, pins, and your dress form- just don’t start a timer.  Who knows what you’ll come up with!

Oh, and if you’re throwing a shower, make sure and play this game, it was loads of fun!

 

Filed Under: Clothes & Garment Sewing, Clothing, DIY, Ideas, Tips
Feb 24, 2012

Wounded Heroes: Using Your Sewing Skills For Good!

February 24, 2012 By 1 Comment
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I think we all know that sewing something can make the world a better place.  It makes people happy to sew and it makes people happy to receive something that has been made with them especially in mind.

Over the years, Zede’s Sewing Studio has participated in a lot of community service projects that put our sewing skills to good use.

Wounded Heroes is a program that helps provide modified garments for members of our armed services who were wounded in combat.  Read more here.  A lot of these individuals now have conditions or disabilities that make it difficult to wear ready made clothing.  So, Wounded Heroes gathers volunteers who can alter things like boxers and athletic shorts to suit the needs of these individuals.

A customer of ours recently introduced us to the program.  We knew that we’d be happy to help right away!  The sewing skills needed to help these people are pretty basic, it’s just a matter of raising awareness.  And we know from experience that when our sewing community sees a need to be met, they meet it with enthusiasm.

Come sew with us on March 2nd from 2-5pm.  No need to bring anything, just you and your smiling face.  We’ll give out jobs to individuals, like pressing, sewing, and cutting to create an efficient assembly line.

We’ll keep you updated on this project and let you know when we schedule more “sew days”!

 

Filed Under: Classes at Zede's, Clothes & Garment Sewing, Clothing, DIY, Random Thoughts
Feb 20, 2012

How To Insert A Magnetic Snap

February 20, 2012 By 3 Comments
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I love to use magnetic snaps in my projects, so we made a video explaining how to insert them.

You can use them in purses, tablet covers, on garments, etc.  They can really lend a professional feel to your projects, since you often see them on designer bags.

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One thing that Zede points out that I don’t mention in the video is that she will often put a square of felt behind the snap for extra stabilization.  Good tip!

Have you ever used a magnetic snap?  What project did you put it on?

Filed Under: Classes at Zede's, Clothes & Garment Sewing, Clothing, DIY, Ideas, Random Thoughts, Tips
Feb 18, 2012

If I Had A Hammer: How to Sew with Sequined/Beaded Fabric

February 18, 2012 By 9 Comments
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You may never sew a beaded silk dress in your life.  But if you ever do, you’ll be down on your knees thanking us for this blog post!  Beaded fabric, silk or otherwise, can be a pain-in-the-behind to sew with.  Here are some pictures, tips, and pop culture song references to get you through such a project!

As you sew along on this fabric, the glass beads will inevitably break your needle, no matter how hard you try to miss them.  When we first started sewing a garment from this fabric, we thought the solution would be to cut the beads off the dress.  Unfortunately, that also meant cutting threads that held other beads and sequins on the fabric, leaving bare spots.  What to do? What to do?

Hammer time!  I can’t exactly remember how we got to this solution- I’m sure it was all mom’s idea- but here it is!

Trace your pattern onto your fabric and then place painter’s tape along the edges of the pattern piece.  Painter’s tape is low tack, so it should not damage your fabric. (I’m using a small sample of the beaded silk here, because it can cost $100/yard)

Then, hammer along the painter’s tape to break the bulky, glass beads.

Pull the painter’s tape up, and voila! all the little pieces of glass are nicely contained and ready to be thrown away. Hint: You may need to repeat this process a couple of times- it depends on how heavily beaded your fabric is.

 

Your seam lines are clear of debris and hazardous decoration.  Best of all, the threads holding the sequins down are still intact, so you don’t lose any more sparkle than you have to!

Believe you me, we were pretty excited when we figured this out!  It erased our fears and motivated us to use the fabric more often.  Here are some photos of projects we’ve done with beaded silk…they were both for me :)

Mallory and dance partner Brad in 2007. Ballroom dress repurposed from a thrifted beaded silk gown.

Mallory and friend Becca at prom in 2007. It was the year of the beaded silk dress!

 

Happy Sewing!!!

Filed Under: Clothes & Garment Sewing, Clothing, DIY, Ideas, Random Thoughts, Tips
Feb 4, 2012

How to Darn Jeans

February 4, 2012 By 3 Comments
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This has been one of our most popular videos that we’ve ever uploaded to YouTube. I think I know why- everyone wears jeans and everyone wears them out!

I wear out my jeans in the crotch area, which turns out to be a pretty embarrassing problem if left unchecked. I think I’ve darned just about every pair of jeans that I’ve owned for over 1 year…which means just about every pair.

Just because you have to darn your jeans doesn’t mean they are particularly bad quality. When I think about how often I wear my $25 pair of jeans from some store in the Mall, I know I’ve gotten my money’s worth- plus I’ve gotten even longer use since I know how to darn them.

Watch, learn, save your jeans!

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What else do you do to make your wardrobe last longer?

Filed Under: Clothes & Garment Sewing, Clothing, DIY, Ideas, Random Thoughts, Tips Tagged With: , , ,
Feb 3, 2012

How to Make a Lettuce Edge Scarf

February 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment
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These knit lettuce edged scarves are so cute, easy and versatile that I thought I’d highlight them again in a little blog post, even though we did a feature on them in the last Inside Zede’s Sewing Studio.

First off, I’d like to thank Baby Lock for putting this project idea on their website. Our staff and customers have really put this idea to good use- we’ve made a ton of them!

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I’ve even worn these “scarves” as belts and headbands.

The instructions are simple enough, but if you want a visual on stretching the fabric through the serger, we show it in the second half of “Inside Zede’s Sewing Studio” from January 2012.

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Check it out and make a few!  Bring them to club!

Have you ever tried a project from BabyLock.com?  How did you like it?

Filed Under: Classes at Zede's, Clothes & Garment Sewing, Clothing, DIY, Ideas, Patterns, Random Thoughts, Tips Tagged With: , , , , ,
Sep 20, 2010

Tape It Down!

September 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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Sometimes you need a specialized sewing notion to get a project finished- and sometimes you don’t!

I’m sewing some numbers onto football jerseys and I need a way to baste (temporarily adhere) the numbers to the jerseys while I sew.  What am I using?  Scotch tape!

Why I’m using it:

  • I can’t use a fusible web, because I’d melt the  numbers and the jerseys when using the iron.\
  • While I love Wonder Tape, I won’t be washing the jerseys, and it’s a very thin tape.
  • The tape is meant to hold on tight for a long time, so I’m not afraid of it slipping.
  • I can reuse the Scotch tape (how very green of me).  As I sew, I take off the pieces and stick them to the table.  Then I can reuse them on the next number

When to not use it:

  • I always say, “If you can press it, do press it.” So, using a fusible interfacing or fusible web on a project forces you to press, which is almost always good for your project.
  • The Scotch Tape is meant to stay on what it’s stuck on, and it can damage finer fabrics if left on for a long time.  So use it only for temporary purposes, not long term basting.

So, look around the house when you’re in a bind, and you might find something that can help you get out of a sewing rut!

Do you have any shortcuts to share?

Filed Under: Clothes & Garment Sewing, Clothing, DIY, Ideas, Tips Tagged With: , ,
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