A cell phone case

Today it rained. I didn't feel any need to rush. I didn't even know what I would work on in class until I had been there a little while. I brought along material and patterns for three different things and finally decided to make a cellphone case.

It took me a while to cut out the little pieces, in part because there were lots of them and in part because some were cut from the base fabric, some from "contrast 1" fabric, some from "contrast 2" fabric, some from fusible fleece, and finally some from paperbacked webbing. Sheesh. Yet it's a small project and it doesn't take much fabric altogether.

My first challenge came with the fusible fleece. The instructions to fuse it were not included with the fabric so I wasn't sure how to fuse it. I asked Linda, she said use a press cloth (she tore me a piece), don't worry about getting it wet (many of the instructions for similar products say to wet the press cloth). She tested it by using the point of the iron on a part of it and seeing if it fused, which it did. It was a little tricky figuring out which side fuses and which side does not but I managed to guess right.

Then I had trouble with sewing. My machine kept clogging up and not actually sewing. I have never seen it act this way before and I was about to call Linda again but instead I looked at the troubleshooting pages in my manual. One possibility was that the upper threading was wrong. I figured maybe that was it so I did it over and indeed that was it.

Once these issues were ironed out I just started sewing and fusing and lo! I got the baby done by the end of the day. There is more fusing, I think, than actual sewing.

And here it is, with my small camera in it:

front.

back.

A cool thing about this is that it matches the bag I made. Coordination! Another cool thing is that it is made with leftover fabric. Yes, I had to fork out for the fleece and webbing but otherwise it's practically free...

Marking fabric

I have wanted to ask Linda, in class, about marking fabrics. I feel weirdly embarrassed about it, which is silly because she answers any sewing questions.

Marking is one of the things I do not do well. Mostly I lift up the fabric and eyeball the mark and do crosses with washable ink pens (the type designed for marking fabric). It isn't too accurate and sometimes it is quite important to get it right.

Yesterday I went on another hunt for info on the web and came up with a neat little pdf, two pages. It is from a place called Sewing and Craft Alliance and the marking file can be downloaded and distributed. I may bring it in to class next Tuesday and ask Linda about it. If she likes it she can make copies for the beginner class (and some intermediates who are like me).

Right now I need to sew buttons and buttonholes on the second vest. Five of them. So I have decided that I will use pins to mark several points along the line and then connect the dots. From there I will measure the buttonhole locations down the line. For the buttons I should just stick a in through the buttonholes to mark the center. Or perhaps I will find a better way by then.

The shopping bag

The bag I started Tuesday and finished the next day.

As I said in my previous post, I learned from this bag. The difference in weight of the two fabrics means the bigger pocket sags more than it should. The bag is also rather large and I am not sure grocery store clerks would be good at using it. However, I had a good idea for it last night. It will make an excellent farmers' market bag. The bigger pockets can be used for green bags and maybe lists and for my wallet. Possible also for some veggies or fruits that shouldn't get squashed in the big part. The small pockets can hold change. I think that will make transactions easier at the stands.

What you can't see in this pic is that the bag is lined with the alternate material. It looks really nice inside and that extra layer means it's strong enough to haul heavy veggies.

Tuesday Marathon: what I did

Today I brought stuff for a couple of projects. I wasn't sure how far I would get with one so hedged my bets.

First, I showed my two pieces of knit fabric to Linda, asking her if they were suitable for the pattern I had for a knit top. They both are. So eventually I'll make that top out of one or both of them.

Second, I decided to go ahead with a reusable bag. I brought along a pair of jeans I had gotten at the Goodwill Outlet plus several other pieces of fabric to consider for the lining. I quickly realized I had not brought enough denim. I have more, just didn't bring it. But I wanted to get on with it so I decided to use a fabric I planned for the lining for part of the outer bag as well.

I got pretty far. It took the morning to get it all cut out, in part because I ended up piecing a few parts so the pattern would fit, and in part because I simply took my time. I like taking my time there and just getting done what I can without a rush. As I got into the bag many other class members stopped by to see it. This is something that is done here - everyone wants to know what the others are doing. It's fascinating and sometimes we actually learn something. I talked to another member about a quilt she is making, and learned about making beautiful pillowcases from discarded old table cloths. I really love that one and am interested in making some of those myself.

The afternoon class is the baby class and some of us are getting more interested. We mainly joined to give us more time to work on whatever projects we had, but some of those baby things are so damned cute! So next week one of the others will bring a bunch of felt because she has a bunch and a lot of us will make little felt booties for newborns. How fun is that??? I do not know who will get the booties but I am sure we'll figure something out.

Lunch time is migrating to potluck time. Every week different people have been offering different things and this time we even more-or-less scheduled a whole meal for next week. Linda is bringing minestrone and the rest of us are bringing sides. I am thinking of sending Linda an email asking if by any chance the soup will be vegan. If not, I will bring an alternative for that part. I am thinking of making some bread thing to bring. This is a great way to try out recipes!

Piecing fabric

One of the projects I am considering is the making of reusable shopping bags from pieces of different fabric. I did not know what the rules of "piecing" are and I am not in class right now so I did some looking on the web. I finally found these instructions, which are clear and complete. The others I found left a lot out, probably assumed I already knew part of it.

My sewing machine manual also has a section on piecing, mainly letting me know which presser foot to use and how to use it for both left and right seams. It also has a special stitch for these seams - I am not sure what the difference is, perhaps the stitch width. Of course one does not have to have this option. Any sewing machine with a straight stitch will do.

Armed with this knowledge, I will bring in the old clothes and leftover fabric I'd like to use in the bag tomorrow. I should be able to get one bag done by the end of the marathon.

The first vest

In my sewing marathon last Tuesday I started and almost finished this vest. I added buttonholes and buttons at home yesterday. I am still not so good at getting the buttons and holes exactly where I want them. I think this is a matter of marking as much as anything else, of doing a good job marking.

The vest was intended for my grandson, who wants to be a "mafia guy" for Halloween. Unfortunately, as I progressed in making it I realized it was not long enough for his long torso. The chest size was right and the waist okay but when I looked at it I was sure it was not long enough. So I called my daughter and she measured her son from shoulder to waist and that confirmed it.

I am now in the process of modifying the pattern to fit him. The bitch of it is that I could not find a pattern closer to his size. The pattern I got - and just about all of the others I found - is multi-sized for both men and boys. You'd think that would cover it but it doesn't. The boys' sizes are S, M, L, and the L is not large enough. But the small men's size is way too large. So I have decided to adjust just the length - and a tiny bit of the waist - and see how that goes.

I may have a problem with having enough fabric but I don't think so. I found two clothing items at the Goodwill Outlet last week, both of them pin-striped, one a pair of slacks and the other a suit jacket, and I think one way or another I will have enough. I only need enough of this fabric for the front, after all, just those two pieces. If I need to buy more black satin for the lining and back then so be it.

What tips did I garner from class Tuesday?

One in particular: you can make a dress form from duct tape and a large T-shirt. And some kind of stand, like a Christmas tree stand. This subject came up at lunch and it reminded me of the sculptures you can make with clear packing tape. I suppose packing tape would work for the dress form too, but duct tape is probably better for pinning. By the way, there are several videos on YouTube on how to make one of these.

Also: sharpening scissors: go to a knife shop, where they will sharpen them right there and do a good job. If you take your shears to a sewing store they will send them out.