make it sew

Janome Expression Embellisher Fun

2008-12-14T15:16:00.004-06:00

A re do of the pink jacket I made in March. Not very happy about the fit in the back, but if I move around a lot, maybe no one will notice. Maybe, if I move around a lot I will lose the love handles!! I also, reused the sleeves from the old jacket. Not enough fabric to make new sleeves and apparently too lazy to re cut them. Live and learn!! the button hole detail does not show up very well in the photo, but it is just random, peaked, starburst stitching, that I really like..

I love the vogue 8429 jacket, view c. The sleeves have darts on the top of them and it adds a great detail. I really like the

Janome Embellisiher.

silk screens

2008-06-27T11:47:00.002-05:00

First attempt at making silk screens. I tried the upper right corner screen with the writing on it. The font needs to be larger, but still rather neat on a cheap black T. This is such fun! here is the link http://www.ezscreenprint.com The blue around the screen is painters tape. You know I like my painters tape!

Finally a great pants pattern, and a not so great pants pattern

2008-06-16T17:29:00.004-05:00

The difference between the pants is amazing!!! McCall's 4007, by Pati Palmer is a winner!!! Even though I meant for the pants to be more cropped, they are very slimming!! I do have enough fabric to make a pair of crops, the way I imagined them!! This pattern is so easy, it will not be a chore. Thanks to you again Pati!! Not a winner. I thought they looked good until the picture. Now I just think they look dumpy!! I also am not very happy with the paint on the top, too much. The vertical line just does not make look better! We all have wadders. This is a wadder!!! 2 Gauze fabrics in a bias skirt, under lined with voile. Very comfortable, I will love it on hot Wisconsin summer days. The paint is acrylic, just put on with stencils and cheap foam brushes. A very easy way to make clothes have a little more interest. Inexpensive T shirt are really pulling it all together. I like the top, but maybe I can re-cut the pants. All in all a real learning experience!

First attempt with Janome felter

2008-03-23T11:22:00.005-05:00

The only change I made to the pattern was to eliminate the band at the bottom of the jacket and just add to the length by the same amount.. This was so much fun. The Burda pattern is now out of print. Sorry. I seem to remember a Vogue pattern that is similar. Marcy Tilton, perhaps? I think her patterns would work very well for felted edges. For my first time using the machine, I decided to keep it simple. Really simple. The fabric is wool, but the yarn is Lion Brand JIFFY, THICK AND QUICK. It is acrylic and seemed to work just fine. Lesson learned by me..........save the wrappers the yarn comes with. I wanted to use another type of yarn I had in my stash, in another color, but tossed the wrapper and have no clue where to find it, or even what it was called. I am not a knitter, so I thought I would never need more than 1 skein of yarn. I am especially fond of the vintage shell belt buckle used as a button. Since I enjoy making jackets the most, I think I will get a lot of use from the Janome Xpression Felter. I may even try some thing more difficult, like flowers. I think old embroidery patterns would work nicely for a pattern. The edges of the jacket are just yarn felted from the inside of the jacket. It really looks good either way you apply the yarn.

WRAPS

2007-11-20T06:44:00.000-06:00

Nancy in black with black skirt wrap. Janet on the R. white skirt, not mine , wearing cardi wrap.. Janet on bridge, with skirt wrap. I almost lost my balance getting this picture. Nancy, with another skirt wrap. She just borrowed every ones. Made me feel so good to see them worn. Me, in my skirt wrap. The front looks great too. Not my front, but the wrap is great. Loved the cruise. Old friends are the best. It was as tho time had never passed.

felted trim on jacket

2007-09-12T18:06:00.001-05:00

INDYGO JUNCTION PATTERN IJ741 http://www.indygojunctioninc.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=169&products_id=571

Felting yarn to the edges of a jacket. I serged around the edges of the jacket, tacked the yarn down with felting needles, then used a zig zag stitch to make sure it is never coming off.

I will post my trials of the lapel desings here. It helps me to look at photos to see if I am heading the right direction.

SHIVA JACKET IS DONE

2007-01-29T20:21:00.000-06:00

These photos does not really do justice to the jacket. I think it must be the flash on the camera that is making only some of the paint stand out. The nice thing is the project is done and I like it. that is not always what happens when I get creative! :-( I think the paint on the jacket blends well with the skirt. I will try to take pictures without a flash and see if the that helps. I think I may add more paint to the back of the jacket up by the shoulders.

SHIVA JACKET

2007-01-27T17:45:00.000-06:00

PATTERN ON SKIRT THAT I AM TRYING TO MATCH. RUBBING PLATES CAN BE FOUND ANYWHERE! THE PICTURE BELOW THIS IS AN OLD WASH BOARD.

THE LINE DRAWING FROM THE MCCALLS PATTERN, 4599. I SCANNED IT AND THEN DREW IN THE PLACEMENTS FOR THE RUBBINGS.NOW ALL I MUST WAIT FOR THE PAINT TO CURE. THIS IS THE REALLY HARD PART!

Gabrielle New jacket and Hat

2006-10-29T16:10:00.000-06:00

Fabric is from Jo Ann Fabrics. A very nice double quilted batik. The pattern is Kwik Sew 2994. The hat was from Wild Things, by Wild Ginger. I just love that program!! The best part is it is free. The pants are way too big. She will need me to cutout a 1 Toddler with the length of a 3 Toddler.

UP NORTH

2006-07-23T10:47:00.000-05:00

Why is this woman smiling? Having back pain, hydrocodone, is why!! OK, I should not have climbed up on that log, but a limb fell, and it did not take the "da cabin" down. DARN! We had the tree removed and this of was all that was left. It was a really big tree, with a limb that should have done the job, eh!! In the back of the picture, you can see the dreaded OUT HOUSE! 1 1/2 weeks with water from a hose. I am saint. I know this is true, because I told that to Fred every day we were there, at "da cabin." Fred ....Wondering why I don't just love this.

RTW linen jacket and 2 pair of crop pants

2006-07-23T09:47:00.000-05:00

Really fun and quick project. RTW linen jacket and crop pants on sale less than $15. each. I used Shiva paint sticks and Pigment stamping ink. The swirl Stencils from Buckingham Stencils in Canada. The small dots are from a fish stencil, this is were I used the pigment ink and make up sponges to do the stamping...........I taped off every thing but the bubbles. I changed the buttons on the jacket to multi colored buttons. I also have sandal's to match the colors. This was so much fun I did another with petroglyph stencil. I have no idea were I bought them! I may add a zig zag border around the petro pants..........not sure if it would be too much. I can always add later.

One seam tencel skirt and bias top

2006-06-04T09:13:00.000-05:00

OK, I really like this bias top!! I wear them as T shirts. The skirt is a ONE seam bias skirt. I got the idea from a ready to wear skirt I bought. The hem in the top and skirt is a rolled hem done on my serger. The skirt has an elastic waist. The skirt moves so well when I walk. The front is bias and the back is straight.

Shiva paint on tencel

2006-06-04T08:45:00.000-05:00

Steps I used for painting the fabric. The fabric was washed first in hot water. I tried sample colors, liked the turquoise best. I used painted tape and poly clay texture sheets. I like to put GRIP AND GRIP under the texture sheets to hold them in place. Grip and Grip is great for holding your fabric secure if you are using stencils. Place G&G under the fabric, this is a great product. I used a very light hand when applying the paint sticks. A good book on Paint sticks use is Paintstiks on Fabric: Simple Techniques, Fantastic Results , by Shelly Stokes. http://www.cedarcanyontextiles.com

Gaetane and her dogs

2006-04-30T20:30:00.000-05:00

Playing around with Corel Painter IX.5. Really a fun easy SW for photos.

Gabrielle

2005-12-30T11:11:00.000-06:00

JEAN JACKETS

2005-11-14T18:46:00.000-06:00

Jean jackets for 3 of the Grandaughters. I made sizes 24 months, 3T and 5T with jackets that I bought at Wallmart for under $10.00. The lace came from JoAnn Fabrics. I bought the dye from www.ryndaoriginals.com. Hand dying the lace so such fun. The lace did not turn out the way I imagined in my head, it was much less controlled. When the lace dried I fell in love with the look. The only trick in this was the collar corners. Sew the outside of the lace to the collar first, then press the top of the lace to fit and sew that down.

Bias Blouse

2005-11-01T18:31:00.000-06:00

By changing the neckline and adding bias trim, using a rolled hem for the bottom finish, this is a quick and flattering top. I have found a quick way to add bias. I cut the bias about 2" wide. Sew only one shoulder seam. I press the tape in 1/2, then take and press 1/2 of that. I serge one side on the bias tape, the widest side is serged. After attaching the bias, R side to R side, raw edges together, place foot on the 1st pressed crease, ( this will put your thread line about 1/4" away from the crease) stitch all around the neck, roll the bias tape over and press. The serged side of your tape is now on the inside of the top. Sew the other shoulder seam closed. Make sure that the seam line from the bias matches. Back to the ironing broad, press open the shoulder,turn and press the bias in the shoulder area. I have to play with this a little. You may want to clip the corners to reduce the bulk. NOW TOP STITCH!!!!! Having the serged edge on the inside of the blouse saves doubling the tape, you are only sewing through 4 layers instead of 5. I think it hangs better. The blouse fabric is raw silk, pre-washed and dried. I cut out the size 18, but when I am done it turns into a size 10. It is amazing how that happens with everything I sew. I have washed this top many times and the rolled hem and bias holds up very well. This is my favorite summer top! Fun adaptation of a bias blouse.

Swing jacket

2005-10-30T07:41:00.000-06:00

Pattern is"Sew Creative Jacket" by Jo Lee Tarbell. Wool jacket, that I washed the fabric and dried, before sewing. I used ultra suede and wooden buttons for the embellishments. Cut the ultra suede free hand for the leaves and then top stitch on to the jacket. Make sure to use a tear away stabilizer under the leaves! The fun part and new to me, is using my pearls and piping foot with my seger to simulate piping. I used a thick wool yarn for the piping, I did this because I wanted to keep the flow of the jacket the same, yet give it a finished look. The leaves on the jacket are ultra suede with biege stitching, Wood leaf buttons were purchased at Jo Ann Fabrics. For the faux piping, you put on the pearls foot on the serger, lay the yarn in the slot for the pearls, have the yarn extend out the back of the foot about 1". The yarn will fill the slot. Keep the yarn loose in your lap. No tension at all on the yarn, it will feed very well. Take a scrap of fabric and do a test sew. Adjust the tensions until you like the look of the piping. With my seger, it said to put the needle in the left needle hole. It works better in the right. I did not close one seam at the bottom side of the coat or the sleeves. I left about 4" unstitched, started the faux piping at that open side....went all around the jacket. Then closed the side seam of the jacket and sleeves.