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Any quilters in this thread? I'm taking a quilting class later this month, and am feeling a little apprehensive about it. I usually stick with needlework, haven't used a sewing machine in years, but my mother has talked me into taking this class at her shop. It's a simple pattern, blocks of two rectangles stacked next to each other, one light/one dark alternating, using the fabrics from this line: http://mordac.unitednotions.com/Attachments/attachments/images/assort/large/1867.15998.jpg . Mom will quilt it for me on her handy-dandy quilting machine monster. Hopefully, it will go well and I can post a picture. Wish me luck. Otherwise, for the thread, if anyone has any questions about cross stitch/needlepoint/hand embroidery in general, I can attempt to answer them. Don't know if anyone even does those anymore but me - knitting seems to be the current trend.
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Jan 10, 2008 03:08
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Micomicona posted:I used to embroider a lot when I was younger, and would like to start again because it was a lot of fun and a nice way to make fabric things prettier, but looking through craft stores for embroidery patterns I'm finding a lot of pastel kittens frolicking in front of crosses or doe-eyed children with bouquets of tulips full of butterflies and saccharine. Am I looking in the wrong places? Are there any embroidery (cross-stitch or freestyle) patterns that are less... that? I love to stitch, but have the same problem - too many puppies, kittens, crosses, etc., so I tend to do a lot of sampler/blackwork projects. Blackwork has a great looking effect for not much work. It definitely avoids the "fluffy" problem. I especially like things like this: (picture not mine)  My current project for a while (haven't been stitching for a few months) is a map sampler for my husband - http://www.heritagestitchcraft.co.uk/pages/images/mgl093.jpg . Now that I've said that, I'd better finish it.  Oh, and another option is needlepoint. I've found that there are a lot of really stunning patterns for needlepoint, especially William Morris or Art Deco patterns. Needlepoint doesn't tend to hold my interest, so it's only good for small projects for me, plus I never can keep the tension right as I like to stitch in hand. I will stop now. 
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Jan 10, 2008 04:47
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guaranteed posted:I have been fighting the urge to buy that fabric for weeks because I already have so many projects in the works. No pictures of anything at the moment, though. As far as the stash thing, I'm with you there, except with needlework. I had to prune my stash a couple of years ago; I'm not saying how much I had, all I'll say is that I had four large rubbermaid tubs just full of patterns and magazines. squirrellypoo posted:Edit: boscokitty - I just noticed your username. We have a 6 month old cat. His name is Bosco.
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Jan 10, 2008 15:26
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26 quilt blocks so far. I am really enjoying this! I wasn't sure I would.  Here is the sample in the shop:  I don't plan on putting such a big border around mine, and especially not in that pink check. This jelly roll malarky is definitely the way to go for beginners. All the cutting this pattern required was to cut the pre-cut strips into 4 1/2" segments.
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Jan 28, 2008 03:15
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That neck is awesome. How thick is the cotton? It looks like a twill-pants type material.
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Jan 29, 2008 15:28
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Still working on my quilt! This project started out as the pattern called for: one jelly roll, 35 blocks. It has now mutated into: 2 jelly rolls, 78 blocks, and a center printed panel, all of which plus borders will end up being 90x98 so it will cover up the big feet I sleep with. How did this happen?!?! 
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Feb 2, 2008 20:24
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Chryselephantine posted:A question about quilting: For one thing, the knits are very slippy to work with, and some of the thicker printing on the t-shirts was hard to quilt through. It was hard enough to keep the t-shirt material straight for piecing, and they were big pieces - baby clothes will mean smaller and more pieces to sew together. My 2 cents.
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Feb 7, 2008 19:53
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My quilt top is almost done! All I have left to put on is the outer border and then that thing is getting quilted. It didn't get done for Valentine's Day, but whatever. It's ended up huge, I've had a ton of fun doing it, and it convinced me to buy a cheap-rear end Brother machine for my very own so I don't have to keep going to my mother's shop all the time to sew. In fact, I've had so much fun that I've already started on the next one:  It is this pattern, but with material I already had around the house. I know it's loud, but my daughter loves it, so she can put up with its loudness. 
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Feb 19, 2008 00:39
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Ozma posted:Is it worth it to get a subscription to that magazine? I picked up an issue a couple months ago and loved some of their stuff but I wasn't sure. I'm still mostly a beginning quilter though I like to pretend I'm a bit better than I am. I just subscribed, so I would say yes. My mom had a couple of back issues, and I bought this one myself - it's laid out nicely and they're really good about giving you instructions/measurements for bigger or smaller sizes. Also, they tend to show you at least one color alternative (besides the featured picture) for each quilt pattern in the magazine, and it seemed to have less "frou-frou" quilts than the other quilt magazines I bought. I am super nervous about applique, although I don't know why as I suspect my needlework background will be a help with that. I guess I'll tackle that down the line. The bug has really bit me on this one.
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Feb 22, 2008 01:08
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I will have that second quilt top finished tonight, and I'm already planning the next one. Help.
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Feb 22, 2008 16:18
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guaranteed posted:It's too late for you. I have six planned quilt tops in various stages of completion, at least five scrap tops I add to whenever I have scraps because I've decided to go zero waste, and cloth for at least four more, but I can't stop watching the shops for sales. It's an illness. In fact, the mailman just brought me a nice bundle of fat quarters, a Flirtations charm pack, and some other goodies. Fortunately my husband and I have a discretionary allowance system where we get to spend our own money on anything we want with no complaints from the other, so that keeps me in check a bit. Sort of. We have about the same system you described, so no complaints from him so far, of course I've only made two... Hopefully I won't become a fabric-holic. (would be so easy what with the shop, I'd better watch out.)
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Feb 23, 2008 01:41
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Corla Plankun posted:I have a really old (the person who gave it to me told me it could be 50 years) Kenmore sewing machine. I have no idea how to work a sewing machine, but I would really like to use this one. What is the procedure to adjust the tension of the top and bottom of the seam? Right now the upper portion ties the thread fairly loosely, and the lower portion is so tight I can't sew anything but pieces of paper.  isn't a bad amount to spend to make sure the thing's working right. (I just spent $15 on a manual from the Singer site for my grandfather who mysteriously wants to learn how to sew at age 87 and wants to use the machine my grandmother bought in 1950.)Also, if your machine looks similar, this might help: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es24cH-uRQU That same user has lots of videos with that same machine.
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Feb 25, 2008 18:46
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meche posted:I have to say, I'm addicted. I have three in cutting phase as we speak. Actually I think I just love having justification for buying all these gorgeous fabrics I keep seeing! I took another class last week and made a table runner in red, white, and blue. Don't know what I'm going to do with a table runner of all things, give it to my grandmother maybe, but it was a quick small fast project and I learned how to bind something and had a side lesson in machine maintenance. It looks like this  except I made all the stars look like the one on the left, the others are too crooked for my taste.Anyway, I typed too much, but what I'm getting at is a) your quilt looks great and b) help me I'm becoming addicted.
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Mar 2, 2008 14:07
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meche posted:Thanks! I went with the black and white so I didn't have to worry about colour for my first one, but ended up really glad I did. That black and white was a great choice, as I said, it looks really sharp, a nice bold look. I have a little bit of some similar fabric that my mom had left over from a project, and I think I'm going to make a tote out of it. Don't know how that'll go, but I did find an easy-looking pattern, so we'll see. Post a picture when you get the border on!
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Mar 3, 2008 04:18
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Not an Anthem posted:Are there any websites that have a good description for step by step embroidery for idiots? I want to embroider a metal band logo on one of my sweaters and I have never embroidered, although I'm pretty handy with sewing and can crochet. I don't know how the stitching/patterning works (unless its just "COVER THE LINES WITH LOOPS OF THREAD!") She also has video clips of the stitches, if you learn faster that way: http://www.needlenthread.com/2006/10/video-library-of-hand-embroidery.html You may want to practice on a more "flat" material than a sweater until you get the stitches down, knits can be tricky for embroidery right off the bat. Edit: Crap, I forgot - put some kind of reinforcement behind the embroidery if it's not a tight knit. I've never embroidered on knits, but I'd imagine that's a necessity. handbags at dawn fucked around with this message at 05:25 on Mar 13, 2008 |
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Mar 13, 2008 05:03
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It seems like most quilt patterns (blocks, anyway) have been around for hundreds of years, but they can still look fresh today, because often it's the fabric that makes them look dated, not the pattern. If the idea of "patchwork" quilts is what's turning you off, the "turning twenty" patterns are pretty modern looking: http://image64.webshots.com/164/7/85/71/2651785710086574394ALDysu_fs.jpg
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Mar 24, 2008 18:46
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Ozma posted:So I'm opting for that two-of-a-kind quilt with the card trick block that I think we talked about before- it's the cover quilt on the April American Patchwork Quilting. Seems more manageable and a better showcase for cute fabrics. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3032/2375689980_e42cd2d2a3_o.jpg It still uses the two main blocks, 3"x3" and 3"x5 1/2", but moved around. The blocks are square and will be "on point," which makes it look like it was harder to do than it really was for some reason. I want to point out that I did not pick out that flowery fabric, I hate it, but it was free and I'm making the quilt for someone else. I've now finished three quilt tops since the end of January, this will be the fourth (probably this week). I've got it bad.
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Mar 31, 2008 00:34
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Ozma posted:When you quilted the two-of-a-kind, did you stick with the dragonfly or floral motif that they suggested? I'm not worried about the effort but am already dreading machine quilting it that way (though I'd probably stick to squiggles). I'm trying to decide if the quilt would lose something if I were to just quilt around the edges of each "square." One part of me thinks it would make the squares pop, the other thinks that it would not look as interesting if it wasn't quilted as much as it is in both of the finished shots. Does that make sense?  I just thought a tighter pattern would keep the quilt together better. (not much confidence in my sewing ability yet, and I like the way the "squiggly" quilting looks anyway) Anyway, to actually answer the question, the quilt still had a lot of visual interest without quilting it the way they did. If I did it again, I'd stitch in the ditch with something that would blend in or even try the transparent quilting thread.
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Apr 7, 2008 04:56
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Ozma posted:Thanks! I'm still kind of torn on it but I have time to think. I just started cutting today. Have you tried a walking foot? It's a foot that hooks onto the machine in place of the regular foot (and the part the foot hooks onto) that has additional feed dogs on the top of the fabric, and the foot floats a little more than the regular one to handle several layers. I haven't gotten brave enough to quilt an actual quilt with it yet, but I've made a couple of little purses and it quilts those just fine. (It is also great to use to sew the first edge of the binding on a quilt.) Since it's got feed dogs coming from both directions, the fabric doesn't bunch or slide. I got one at JoAnn's for about fifteen bucks and it was well worth the money to me. I don't work today, so guess what I'm going to be doing. Cleaning the house? Oh hell no.
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Apr 7, 2008 14:14
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seriouslywtf posted:Check out these badass pillows I made for my dad's birthday:
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Apr 15, 2008 23:34
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seriouslywtf posted:They're schnauzers! I just drew it based off of a profile photo I found online. I'm a terrible drawer so I'm glad it turned out semi-recognizable. 
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Apr 16, 2008 04:40
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I went to a quilt show this weekend, and it was cool to see other people's quilts that had been entered in the contests. My favorite, that didn't win BUT SHOULD HAVE, was a western/cowboy themed quilt that looked totally normal from the front but had this fabric on the back:  I laughed and laughed, and when a grandmotherly woman walked by and said, "oh, I love the cowboys, look at that six pack!" I lost it.
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Apr 28, 2008 02:32
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guaranteed posted:Oh my god, I just saw fabric online somewhere that was just like that, only firemen. Crap. Where did I see it?  I can't find an image bigger than that one, sorry. You should have seen the bed-sized quilt with those "guys" on the back. It was pretty awe-inspiring. edited to add construction workers lol handbags at dawn fucked around with this message at 03:11 on Apr 28, 2008 |
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Apr 28, 2008 03:08
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I'm sorry to keep derailing this thread with quilting stuff, but I finally got around to taking pictures of the first one I finished. http://www.flickr.com/photos/boscokitty/2451364767/sizes/o/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/boscokitty/2452192066/sizes/l/ It's aggressively bright, but it was made for a nine-year-old, so she loved it.
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Apr 29, 2008 15:27
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I got my daughter this kit last weekend at the quilt show, and she got it done this morning. She's very pleased with it! (She's nine.) http://www.flickr.com/photos/boscokitty/2463856685/sizes/l/
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May 4, 2008 16:16
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I had the same problem last week with my brand new machine, and I think it was just because the bobbin was either under- or overwound. I took the bobbin out and put another one in that I had wound at the same time as the first, and it worked fine, then put the first one back in and bang! same problem. I guess the tension just hosed up when that one was wound. I've changed bobbins at least six times since then, and even used the bad one (rewound of course) with no problems. You might also make sure your bobbin case is nice and clean, if it's full of fuzz the bobbin thread or the needle might be catching on it.
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May 27, 2008 14:35
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I may be wrong, but I would think goose down would be a no-go on a home sewing machine - I would think it would clog it up, maybe even break needles if you hit a feather shaft. What you might think of doing is buying a synthetic (like PrimaLoft) comforter and using that as the batting of your quilt. I mean the kind of comforter that is made to put inside a duvet cover, those are pretty warm.
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Jun 23, 2008 22:50
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Philo posted:I recently started making blankets for the local chapter of Project Linus in my area. The basic design I use is very simple, solid color and print right sides together, pin to batting, flip, and double edge. As far as technical skills, making these blankets is about as easy as it gets. And really cute to boot. The biggest problem I am having is cutting the batting. The rolls I get are usually 10 ft by 10 ft, while the blankets are usually around 4 ft by 5 ft, and I am finding it really difficult to cut the batting simply because I do not have enough room to roll it out and pin down the fabric. Does anybody have any suggestions?
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Jun 26, 2008 14:15
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squirrellypoo posted:I think the Speed Racer one is my fave. 
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Jul 9, 2008 16:54
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RedFish posted:Also, I take it that quilting cotton is much thinner than apparel cotton, but sometimes I find quilting cotton lumped under apparel even though there is a separate quilting section. Can it be used for apparel as well? I'm dying for a skirt in some of the quilting prints out there.
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Jul 21, 2008 19:53
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justasmile posted:I recently purchased a 1930's Singer (lovely table, and the machine is in immaculate condition). I've only worked with a machine this old once before, which means I've been having a bit of a hard time figuring everything out. Once I finally figured out how to wind the bobbin and thread the machine properly, I was super excited to get started...only my machine won't sew properly. When I try to stitch, the threads don't form stitches; when I pull the fabric out from the machine after sewing, I am left with fabric and the top thread on top, bobbin thread on bottom. I am completely lost as to what is keeping my machine from stitching properly. I tried adjusting the tension, I rechecked how to thread the machine, and the bobbin seems to be threading through just fine. I also replaced the needle in case that was the issue. Any ideas on how to make my machine sew properly?
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Jul 29, 2008 23:11
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justasmile posted:I downloaded the manual when I got the machine, but no luck in fixing the problem. In attempting to fix it, I've noticed a few other things. Namely, the machine will go a couple stitches before the top thread will de-thread itself from the needle. The thread doesn't break, and everything keeps feeding fine. It's almost as if it slips out of the needle's eye (but the needle is completely intact, so it's not possible for it to slip out). You might go to the Sewing In General/Sewing Machines forum on craftster.org - there are a lot of people on there that have older Singer machines, and a lot of people who just know a ton about machines in general.
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Aug 4, 2008 19:01
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BrideOfUglycat posted:I hope this is the right thread to find help! :-) You can't really look at a "generic sewing machine guide," as not all models thread the same, you don't put the needle in all models the same direction, etc., etc.
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Aug 16, 2008 14:00
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RedFish posted:Does anyone know what name is of the sewing tool that functions like two tracing wheels side by side that allow you to run along the cut edge of a fabric piece and it marks off the seam allowance? http://www.voguefabricsstore.com/store/catalog/Notion-Clover-Double-Tracing-Wheel-p-1196.html
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Aug 16, 2008 14:08
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RedFish posted:I couldn't decide between No problem - my google-fu was just stronger than yours today.
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Aug 16, 2008 22:28
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and 
so I had to use both!
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I'm not that knowledgeable about jeans (just enough to know people get really weird about them) - but I do have to say I'm loving the insides of the pockets. 
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Aug 23, 2008 14:45
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You could also do it manually by hand-reversing the wheel, maybe?
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Nov 18, 2008 01:43
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Cuddlebottom posted:Does anyone know a relatively invisible way to reinforce embroidery to make it more durable? I put a cross stitch pattern on a white apron, but I'm worried that all the little thread ends will get yanked out in a week. Should I just coat the back stitches with fray glue, or maybe iron on interfacing? I've used the first method in the past for what it's worth. Fray Check is pretty good and holds up to washing, although if it's something you wash often you may want to check it every couple of washes and reapply. The best way to reinforce cross stitch/surface stitching is while you're stitching - be sure to lay the thread ends under plenty of other stitches and then knot them, then fray check the knots.
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Dec 28, 2008 01:35
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I have used this before with good results: http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog.jsp?CATID=cat3423&PRODID=prd17555 Basically, you draw with it on tracing paper and then use the tracing paper as an iron-on transfer.
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Mar 15, 2009 19:20
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If it's a wedding dress, you might contact local people in that industry - wedding planners, florists, bakers, and see if they've heard any names thrown around. People in any business tend to hear things (good and bad) about other tradespeople.
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Mar 27, 2009 16:02
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