Sewing with Jersey. It's Not Happening.

Back at the start of April I posted about my upcoming sewing projects, including View 5 from Simplicity 6138 in a red floral jersey. I've never sewn with a stretch fabric before and it really didn't cross my mind to check in my sewing machine manual to see if my machine could cope with it. It's quite a basic machine (Singer 4205) and when I later checked the manual, I found out it doesn't have a stitch suitable for sewing stretch fabrics like knits or jersey. After some research, it seemed that I could use a zig zag stitch and a ballpoint needle, though it might still be difficult. Ideally a serger/overlocker is the best way to make seams on jersey. If you look at the seams on any t-shirt you have, you'll see that this is how they look;

So in the spirit of productivity, I was in town first thing this morning to buy ballpoint needles for my machine. However when I tried sewing on some fabric scraps, the results were really disappointing.

Using a normal (and brand new) needle gave this result for a a zig zag stitch (on left) and straight stitch (right):

Pretty dodgy looking, but I wasn't expecting much when using the wrong type of needle.

Then I tried a ballpoint needle for a straight stitch (on left) and zig zag (right):

Hmm. I don't know why the zig zag is not very zig zaggy and would have thought that the ballpoint needle would have given a better result.

I'm kind of stumped with this one, so if anyone has any tips they can provide I would be grateful. Otherwise this project is being shelved until I can get access to an overlocker.

As for my other sewing projects, the pieces for my Crescent skirt are all cut out and ready to begin with the sewalong. I'm hoping I have a bit more success with that. In preparation for participating in Me Made June, I have purchased a couple of new patterns for easy to make tops I can make with stash fabrics. More on that soon.

In the meantime, back to the knitting....

K x

Me Made June - I'm In!

'I, Kerry of www.kestrelfindsandmakes.blogspot.com, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-June '11. I endeavour to wear 1 handmade item each day for the duration of June 2011 and create 2 re-styled garments'

I'm really looking forward to being part of the Me Made June challenge, organised by Zoe of So Zo. This is the fourth monthly challenge that has been organised since the first 'Me Made May' in 2010. Although I've always followed it with interest, I've not participated before. The idea behind it is pretty much as stated above - if you're a sewing blogger you will most likely know all about it, but you can find out more on the blog. I think it will really show up the strengths and weaknesses of my hand-made wardrobe and encourage me to make useful and wearable items, when I see what I need.

I've decided that wearing one hand-made item per day will be challenge enough for me, however I am also going to delve into the new world of 're-styling' by making 2 garments from other items. I've got one particular project in mind (all will be revealed...) but I shall also be scouring charity shops for items suitable to be altered in some way. After see the great job Lucy from Tête en L'Air did with 2 charity shop dresses recently, I feel inspired.

On a different note, I've noticed that I've been getting a lot more hits on my blog recently (anyone else check Blogger stats, er, several times a day?!). So if you're a new visitor, hello! And thanks to everyone who has been following and reading for a while, and to everyone who takes the time to comment too.

I hope you all have a lovely Bank Holiday Weekend. Mine will be spent relaxing, knitting and hopefully doing a bit of sewing too.

K x

Seasonal Knitting. I've Not Cracked It.

I'm really not very good at making things for the right season at the right time. It's not so much a problem with sewing, but as knitting is a longer process, it's a bit more noticeable. I encountered this with my Rosa sweater;

I finished this in January, but it was too cold to wear it for 3 months - definitely bad calculation on my part.

I think I've got the same issue with my recently-started cable cardigan. So far I've made good progress on the back and I've just started to reduce stitches at each edge to form the armholes;

I love the cable pattern and the choice of yarn, however I'm on my 3rd ball of wool already (the pattern requires 12 50g balls) and am realising that this cardigan is going to be COSY. Which is great, as living in the UK, warm clothes are the order of the day. However as I'm probably going to finish this at the beginning of the Summer, it may be a bit warm to wear it much.

On the other hand, let's hope it really is too warm to wear it much for a while, particularly as I will probably be remaining in Scotland for holidays this year!

Anyone else have the same issues with making the wrong thing at the wrong time?

K x

Finished! Beignet in Cord & Piping How-To

It's finished! My second Beignet skirt. This was originally made with the Colette Patterns Spring Palette Challenge in mind. That finished some time ago, but you can view my palette here, which was dominated by camel, green and red.

 

Here's the lowdown on the project...

Pattern
Beignet skirt from Colette Patterns

Fabric & Notions
Camel cord for skirt and green & white polka dot cotton for pockets, piping and covered buttons (both fabrics from Croft Mill). I also used a light brown non-static lining fabric. I was going to use the polka dot cotton for the lining but found that using a cotton lining for my last Beignet meant that it didn't always sit properly when I was walking about, as the lining would 'ride up'. I also used 2 packets of self cover buttons and piping cord.

Pattern Adjustments
Not much - I cut a smaller size than last time and used 10 buttons instead of 12. I also added piping at the edge of the skirt front - if you're interested in doing this, keep reading...

Any challenges?
There is quite a lot of work involved in the skirt. After you've finished the main sewing, you still have to hand hem, make and sew belt loops, sew on buttons and make buttonholes, all of which I find always take much longer than I think they will!

Would I make it again?
Yes but not for quite a while as I now have a wool version for Autumn/Winter and a cord version for Spring/Summer. It's a great pattern and a really versatile item. I've already worn it twice (hence the slight creasing!) and know I will be wearing it a lot over the summer.

 

This project was also the second time I had used piping. The first was for the sweetheart neckline of my Crepe dress - pretty tricky! This time was a lot more straightforward, and I also took some photos to record what I did.

How to Add Piping

This is how I added piping to the front seam of my skirt. You can use shop bought bias binding or piece bits of fabric together, but I used this clever Colette Patterns tutorial to make a long piece using a square of fabric, which I think is the quickest and easiest way. However I did find that I needed a bit more explanation than was provided in the tutorial, so I also found this continuous bias tape tutorial which gave a bit more detail and helped me get my head round it. It was the first time I'd used this particular method, as last time I pieced together bits. I'm a convert to the continuous way now, which is great if you do have a square of fabric to use. 

You will need some piping cord, which can be bought from a fabric shop, usually by the metre. It comes in different widths, I used 3mm, but you can get much larger widths for use on cushions, upholstery etc.

Place the cord in the centre of the bias length. You might want to use a bias tape maker, as is used in the Colette tutorial. This makes a lovely neat length of bias tape. However you don't have to do this, and the edges will be hidden between two layers of fabric in any case. As you can see, I didn't!

Fold the fabric over the cord and pin. You might also want to quickly press with an iron to help secure it or use a hand basting stitch so that you can take out the pins. I didn't, as I just removed the pins as the machine needle got close.

Using the zipper presser foot, stitch as closely as you can to the cord. 

 

You can see how the piping is taking shape...

Mark the seam allowance along one piece of the fabric (for example, the main fabric of the skirt) and place your bias tape with cord on top. The seam you have just sewn on the bias tape should be placed along the seam allowance, ensuring that the piping cord remins facing away from the raw edge side of the seam allowance line.

Place the second piece of fabric (eg, the skirt facing) on top and hand baste along the seam. Feeling with your hands where the piping cord is, baste along what would be the same line you have marked on the fabric underneath. Obviously you can't see this line, so make sure your stitches run to the outside of the piping cord, closest to the raw edge of the fabric.

Sew along this same line as your basting stitches. Remove basting stitches and turn fabric around the right way

Done!

I really love the effect you get with piping, and it can easily be incorporated into so many projects.

I hope you all have a lovely Easter weekend. I will be using the time to catch up with Sewaholic's Crescent Sewalong, and make some progress on my cardigan.

Happy Easter!

K x

How Not to Feel Guilty About Your Pattern Stash

I wasn't intending to post anything today, but I came home to find that some patterns I had ordered from Ebay had arrived. On opening the packet, I was immediately intrigued to find out a bit more about one of them - a Marion Martin mail order pattern from the 1950s. I was unfamiliar with the pattern company but had seen a few patterns from them for sale online. The listing had included a picture of the front of the pattern, but what I also received was the original envelope in which the pattern was dispatched. It was sent from The Pattern Bureau, Fashion Service in New York to a Mrs Don Tuttle of Hornell, New York;

After seeing this, my inner 'museum geek' kicked in, and I set about some Internet research on the pattern company. I found a great set of catalogue scans from a 1950s Anne Adams/Marion Martin on Flickr, which would have been one of the ways for prospective pattern buyer to choose what they wanted.

Using this interesting website, I found out that the Marion Martin Pattern Service was one of several mail order services that was operated by the same parent company (Reader Mail) from different addresses in the same area. It was in existence from 1931 to 1982. The different companies owned by Reader Mail (including Anne Adams also) tended to compete for the same business. The advantage of having different company names was that several adverts could be placed in the same newspaper, cornering the market.

A 1975 interview with Spencer Douglas, Chief Operating Officer of Reader Mail  described him as the;

"president of the world's largest mail-order pattern operation. . . .  For more than 40 years, Douglas' staff of 200 men and women have been turning out thousands of patterns daily for the more than 1,000 newspapers which offer them through their pages, emphasizing that his is a feature service exclusively for newspapers and not retail outlets....Of the millions of pattern orders his firm receives, his employees have the pattern on its way to 75 per cent of the seamstresses the same day 'and the other 25 percent are mailed the next morning.'  He has devised a trade-secret system for sorting the mail which brought postal officials into his plant to take notes."  (source)
 
In an article in the Editor and Publisher the following year,

"Reader Mail was described as 'a newspaper response success story,' and that a single newspaper ad could generate as many as 58,000 responses.  A long-time postal worker at Old Chelsea Station remembers pushing a large, wheeled mail cart across the street at least once a day.  When postal workers found loose coins on the floor, they tossed them into the cart on the assumption they had fallen out of one of the envelopes addressed to the pattern company." (source)

Isn't that interesting? I love finding a bit of history out, sparked off by contact with an object. Today we are so spoiled by having the Internet as an amazing resource to find patterns. It's nice to know that seamstresses in the past, who may not have had a great choice of patterns to buy in their home town, were able to browse catalogues and newspaper adverts to choose patterns. Not only that, but as Mrs Tuttle's pattern is unused, I would say that seamstresses of the past may have been as wooed to buy patterns they never made, as we are today. So don't feel too guilty about those unused patterns lurking in your stash, future seamstresses will be delighted!

K x

Finished! - Striped Socks

 

I was delighted to finish these socks - the first pair I've ever made. I actually started them nearly a year ago (April 16th 2010 - Thanks Ravelry!) but abandoned them before I'd even reached the heel on the first one. I was inspired to pick them up again when we did socks in my knitting class.

I originally used Alison Sarnoff's Super Simple Sock Pattern, available for free on Ravelry. However when I started them again, I used a 'sock equation' which our teacher gave us. This is designed to lend itself to variation, such as adding a lace panel or making them a different length in the leg. I was going to include the equation in this post, but had second thoughts when I realised that it might be nice to include some photos of the different stages. If anyone is interested in learning about this magical equation do let me know and I will post about it!

If you've never knitted a sock before but are a reasonably competent knitter who can knit in the round, you should give it a go. Socks seem to be a favourite project of many knitters, who make sock knitting into an art form of its own. I like the portability of sock knitting, and the fact that self striping yarns can look so effective. I used Kaffe Fassett Design Line by Regia.

The disciplined seamstresses who commented on a previous post that they use only one spool so they can't make multiple projects, would be very proud of my restraint with my knitting projects. I made sure the socks were finished before casting on a gauge swatch of my next knitting, which is....

+

The wool is a raspberry red, and a mix of wool, alpaca and silk and the pattern is from a Wendy book of Vintage Knits I posted about here.

Aside from knitting, I have been working on the finished touches for the Beignet. I had forgotten how many fiddly and time consuming bits were at the end - hand hemming, sewing on buttons, making buttonholes and making the belt loops. It will be finished this week though, at long last.

Hope you've had a productive weekend too!

K x

 "Why are you trying to photograph your feet, when you should be giving ME attention?"

Some Lovely Blogs

Blog awards seem to be pretty common in the world of blogging. Nonetheless, it is always nice to be recognised! I have Magpie Mimi to thank for her kind mention of me for the above blog award. The idea behind this one is that you have to link back to the person who nominated you, and nominate some smaller blogs to give them a bit of love and attention. As a blogger with a small following myself I think this is a really nice idea as I know how lovely it is to know that someone is reading your posts. I tend to feel a lot more inclined to comment on smaller blogs too, rather than with some of the most high profile bloggers, where my (oh so valuable!) thoughts are lost in a huge list of praise for the particular post. I very much appreciate everyone who takes the time to follow or comment on my own blog.

I have previously nominated a few people for the Stylish Blogger award so thought I would mention a few people I haven't mentioned before but whose blogs I have discovered more recently. So, I'm sending some blogging love to....

• Dibs and the Machine -A fan of fabulous florals who seems to be able to produced newly sewn items in no time at all
• Donna from Hook and Stitch - A fellow blogger from Scotland, who also shares  my taste in sewing patterns and makes lovely crocheted blankets
• Caroline from Rubies and Tigers - A sewing blogger who has just made a beautiful patchwork cushion and is also participating the Crescent Sewalong

I hope you're all having a good week. I have been working away on my Beignet, knitting striped socks, and regretting my decision not to buy any more patterns or wool (until I have made at least 2 items from existing stuff) after I saw this post from Roobeedoo with gorgeous vintage jumpers....too much temptation....

K x

Finished Object - Simplicity 7995 Skirt (or, The Skirt that Almost Never Was)

You know those projects that make you think "This will be really quick/easy," but then end up taking ages and being quite tricky? Step forward Simplicity 7995.

I had wool left over from my Beignet skirt, plus some lining fabric, and had bought the pattern for £2 in a charity shop some time ago. I thought I would make view 2, a straight skirt with side zip. All very straightforward. I began the make on 20th January, and finally finished on....27th March. This was the target I set myself, so pat on the back to me for that, at least! So, what took so long?

After cutting the fabric and sewing the side seams I tried it on and it was far too big. I adjusted with pins, to find that it needed 1 inch taken off each side. Cutting done and seams re-sewn on both wool and lining - it was now too small. Argh! This has happened to me before, where I have taken in the fabric by far too much after fitting with pins. I think I need to take into account that there is more give with a pinned seam than a sewn seam. At this point, I abandoned the skirt and moved on to a new project, until I set myself a deadline to force me into finishing it, as explained in this post.

When I picked up the skirt again, I ripped out the seams and re-sewed, leaving only a small seam allowance. I couldn't be bothered doing the same with the lining, so I discarded the lining completely. I also did a lazy hem of only folding the fabric once instead of twice, so you can see the raw edge inside, instead of it being neatly turned over and hidden - "It's wool, and won't fray", I reasoned. But this was also a lazy move on my part. However I figured that my options were to take a couple of short cuts or leave the skirt languishing unfinished, which I felt could easily have happened.

Me in the finished skirt - also the debut wear for my self knitted jumper, Rosa as it's been too cold to wear since I finished it back in January

I would describe the finished article as adequate - I've actually worn it quite a few times as it's a practical skirt, but it is by no means perfect.

Looks ok from this view

Fit looks a bit dodgy here

It looks not bad from the back

Close up of wool I used (ignore the buttons, they're from the Beignet)

I am quite aware that I made a few short cuts to get it finished which I shouldn't have, but these were done in the effort to get it finished before I lost interest in it for good. I'm glad I avoided this skirt becoming a UFO (unfinished object), as it came perilously close, and have decided that it was worth the short cuts. Another self-made item added to the wardrobe!

Have you got any tips for avoiding unfinished objects?

K x

Fabric Covered Buttons - Step By Step

I was pleased to see the interest in my last post about the covered buttons I had made for my Beignet skirt. So, hot on the heels of that post, I have put together a short 'step by step' on the buttons I made - I hesitate to call it a tutorial as that sounds a bit grand for just showing in photographic form what the instructions on the packet say. Nonetheless, I thought some people may be interested to see what I did.

I started off with this set of plastic self cover buttons from the haberdasher

 

 

This particular brand seems to be widely available, in the the UK at least, and comes in metal and plastic in a variety of sizes from 11mm to 38mm. Each button consists of 2 parts - a dome with a stem and a round washer. One side of the washer is ribbed, to grip the fabric.

Using the guideline of the relevant size from the back of the packet, cut a circle in the size you require, pin to your fabric and cut

Put a running stitch (or gathering stitch)  around the outer edge of the fabric

Place the dome of the button on top and pull the thread to draw the fabric around the stem of the button. Turn the button over to check if there are any wrinkles, and smooth away, adjusting the thread. Tie the ends in a double knot.

Place the circular washer over the back of the button, with the ridged side facing down.

Use a spool of thread to push the washer into place

 Et Voila!

I thought I would also show the (somewhat bulging!) make up bag that my lovely friend Jen made for me last year, with an effective use of covered buttons for decoration. She has embellished them with embroidery and beads, and used netting over fabric, with diamante trapped between.

Looking around at some other blogs, I found quite a few other covered button tutorials out there which were similar to mine (well, there's nothing new under the sun!). I thought that this one from Casey's Elegant Musings produced a really nice effect. This one from Burdastyle shows how you can cover an ordinary button.

If you've never made covered buttons before, I hope this post will inspire you to give it a go. If you have made them, I'd love to know what you did, and if you have any wisdom to share!

K x

It's the Simple Things...

...that make sewing exciting.

I made covered buttons for my Beignet skirt in needlecord. For some reason, I've never made covered buttons before, but I absolutely LOVE these. They're so easy and quick to put together too. I've used the same fabric for inside the pockets:

I also love the process of putting the pockets into this skirt, and seeing it come together. I do love sewing, but find that even on projects that I enjoy, I still find little lulls where I don't feel motivated to get the sewing machine out. It's moments like seeing the pockets, or making covered buttons that provide a little bit of excitement to push the project on.

I'm not sure I can get this skirt finished for my self-imposed deadline. It's on its way to being made, but I don't want to push so hard to get it done that I'm not enjoying the process. It seems to be a fine line to tread between being motivated and pushing too hard to meet deadlines. On the whole, the goals I've set myself have been really helpful and most importantly, achievable. Maybe sometimes it's just nice to slack off a bit and break your own rules?

K x

Red Florals & Sewing Goals

In February I posted about some sewing goals I had decided to set myself after finding that I kept starting projects and not finishing them. So far I have met all these goals - here's a summary of how I've been getting on;

1. Advance 7968 50s Dress finished for 20th March - Done
2. Oatmeal Pullover finished by 26th February - Done
3. Simplicity 7995 wool skirt finished by 27th March - Done (not yet photographed)
4. Beignet finished by 10th April - In progress
5. Finish Mini Shawl - Done

Pat on the back to me! I hope I can finish my Beignet for the 10th in order to maintain my record. I have added a list to the sidebar of the blog with my current projects, and today bought some fabric for two of them;

• Sewaholic's Crescent Skirt - I'm participating in the sewalong

I've chosen a summery red floral and plan to make version A

I might be the only sewing blogger not to have made the Pendrell blouse - I think it's really pretty but I don't think it would suit my shape as my shoulders are my widest point and the ruffles would only serve to exaggerate them. The skirt looks fun and summery, and while the pattern is also aimed at pear shapes, I think the measurements should still work for me.

• Simplicity 6138 Top - I'm going to make View 5, with 1/2 length sleeves 

 I chose this red floral jersey - I've never sewn with jersey before, but if this make is successful I am planning to make a few of these tops in different fabrics for work. I've found that most of the jersey I've seen is striped, and while I love a stripe, I wanted something a bit different.

I'm also pleased to have revived a knitting project I started nearly a year ago and abandoned - stripy socks! I had knit to just above the heel on the first one but then abandoned it. After we covered socks in my knitting class I decided to give them another go and finished the first one this week. I started on the second one immediately, before I forgot how I'd made the first one.

The sock is perhaps a bit baggy around the ankle but otherwise fits well and I'm really pleased with it. The yarn is good old Regia Kaffe Fassett self-striping sock yarn.

Anyone else participating in the Crescent sewalong?

K x