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November craft thread

Melissa in Australia

By Melissa in Australia,
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Faith-manor

Faith-manor

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I am still in Alabama, two more days, and then Dd and sil are on their own for a while. He got put on a very flexible work from home account, and her health has drastically improved. So I get to go home and stay for a good, long while. Therefore, I am about to embark on a great frenzy of sewing. I have four lap quilts, eight draft dogs, and three sets of window quilt/draft curtains to make. These are all Christmas presents. 

I will try to remember to post photos as I go.

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Faith-manor

Faith-manor

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1 hour ago, Starr said:

I had to look up draft dogs. They look really cute.

LOL, I should have qualified my statement. Draft dogs is a colloquial term for a rice filled, long fabric tube that lays at the bottom of a door to prevent leaking air from coming underneath in the winter. I do make them our of cute fabric! But it isn't what most people think of when they read, "Draft dog".

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Laurel-in-CA

Laurel-in-CA

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I started a group (all 3 of us) crocheting stuff to give away. I was already making baby blankets for our local pregnancy crisis center and we've also experimented with hats, a pattern for an octopus toy for premies, a fidget sleeve and some hats and scarves. We're not sure what to make next as they're still building their skills and I am coaching.

My dd asked me to make her a cropped sweater which I am working on but which I need to stop and measure on her body as I'm not really working to a pattern, just getting ideas from one I found on ravelry.

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HomeAgain

HomeAgain

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Joining in here. 🙂

I usually spend November making ornaments for my kid's hockey team.  Each year is slightly different, but I'm at a loss at which I'll do this year:

-game sock with their number in black

-game sock with a fair-isle pattern or logo near the toe

-game sock with a knitted skate attached, with modifications to each one (goalie having shorter skate top, each kid's laces being done in "their" color)

I need to get the yarn to do mock ups of each and let the 12yo decide, I think.

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Faith-manor

Faith-manor

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Here is the fabric for quilt number one. This is for our soon to be daughter in law. She loves birds, woodlands, soft blue and greens. I hope she likes this. It will be reversible so the chickadees and birch trees will be on one side, and the owls and foliage on the otherside, and the binding done in brown so it coordinates with both sets of prints. I will be tying them or doing "stitch in the ditch" because lap quilts are now $100 a piece to have long armed. I have a queen size quilt top for our bed that has been done for two years, but hasn't been quilted because I really want it done in a musical pattern, but keep finding other ways to spend the $200+ dollars it would take to get the long arm done.

I have to get my sewing area organized and tidied up so I can get started on it.

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Melissa in Australia

Melissa in Australia

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11 hours ago, Faith-manor said:

Here is the fabric for quilt number one. This is for our soon to be daughter in law. She loves birds, woodlands, soft blue and greens. I hope she likes this. It will be reversible so the chickadees and birch trees will be on one side, and the owls and foliage on the otherside, and the binding done in brown so it coordinates with both sets of prints. I will be tying them or doing "stitch in the ditch" because lap quilts are now $100 a piece to have long armed. I have a queen size quilt top for our bed that has been done for two years, but hasn't been quilted because I really want it done in a musical pattern, but keep finding other ways to spend the $200+ dollars it would take to get the long arm done.

I have to get my sewing area organized and tidied up so I can get started on it.

314613694_2056499827878719_7167412461963330653_n.jpg

314180738_2056499931212042_4163204797171979828_n.jpg

314726192_2056500047878697_1803377969209111409_n.jpg

Love the fabric

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Faith-manor

Faith-manor

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I have the Christmas throw quilt for the couch done, and just drew up the plan for our soon to be daughter in law's quilt.

The Christmas quilt was easy. It was just two, 2 yard pieces of fabric put together with a double layer of flannel for the center. I stitched around numerous boxes on the front to create a quasi stitch in the ditch. The flannel was a four yard cut I was given by my mother in law. It is a red plaid that I will never use otherwise so I thought it might work as a center instead of purchasing batting. It is a nice weight for just a lap quilt so since I have a brown plaid she gave me that I also do not want, I will likely plan another lap quilt where I can use it for the center.

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Faith-manor

Faith-manor

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, Melissa in Australia said:

Paused the jacket for a bit and made a summer dress from a top bed sheet I found in the op shop for $2

The ribbon is because just as I was sewing in the zip I caught the neck, and it ripped slightly. So I had to cover it up

IMG20221129184638.jpg

I love it!!! This is beautiful and just so happy.

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Melissa in Australia

Melissa in Australia

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Posted (edited)

Decided to keep the ribbon cause I am too lazy to patch the hole that it is covering. Plus dh thinks the dress is pretty and since he has only said something I am wearing is pretty 2 times before in 30 years of marriage I won't change it. 😁

Edited by Melissa in Australia
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DawnM

DawnM

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This is not so crafty really, but I have been going through Dad's old slides and photos and found a lot of my mom's side of the family through the years.   My dad was obnoxious about taking pictures, but boy have people been thankful now!

I found a lot that people haven't seen yet and some I have posted to our FB site.   I will be putting together small photo albums of 100 photos each for each of mom's siblings and their kids.   I am making 17 albums.   I ordered the albums and am a bit disappointed in the quality, but they can move them to a nicer album if they wish.   

Sam's has .05 prints right now so I was able to order 1,700 prints for around $83 with tax.   Not too bad for so many pictures.

I am so excited to give them the pictures and see their faces as they look through them.

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ktgrok

ktgrok

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On 11/29/2022 at 3:06 AM, Melissa in Australia said:

Paused the jacket for a bit and made a summer dress from a top bed sheet I found in the op shop for $2

The ribbon is because just as I was sewing in the zip I caught the neck, and it ripped slightly. So I had to cover it up

IMG20221129184638.jpg

I was so impressed that I showed this to my DH who said, "WOW!"

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ktgrok

ktgrok

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Love everyone's crafts!!!! I finished a rainbow quilt that was going to be donated, but DD12 stole for herself, I don't think I shared that yet? And a fall leaf table runner, and a Christmas quilt/wall hanging (it is a baby quilt pattern, but works as a wall hanging - 46"x46"). I really like the Christmas quilt but did have some wonky areas due to getting lazy and not squaring up every block. Oh well. But I do really like the quilting pattern I did on it, stitch in the ditch but then I stitched 1/4" on either side of the main lines. A little "fancier" but still basic straight lines. 

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Edited by ktgrok
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Faith-manor

Faith-manor

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23 hours ago, ktgrok said:

Love everyone's crafts!!!! I finished a rainbow quilt that was going to be donated, but DD12 stole for herself, I don't think I shared that yet? And a fall leaf table runner, and a Christmas quilt/wall hanging (it is a baby quilt pattern, but works as a wall hanging - 46"x46"). I really like the Christmas quilt but did have some wonky areas due to getting lazy and not squaring up every block. Oh well. But I do really like the quilting pattern I did on it, stitch in the ditch but then I stitched 1/4" on either side of the main lines. A little "fancier" but still basic straight lines. 

image.thumb.png.e9af4244ca2ffd0e4c59db8c9df03fde.png

image.thumb.png.009b268d610f7cd6e8301e291b390b2d.png

image.thumb.png.8e59b6a8d39ced695bc58f97dff27abc.png

image.png

Lovely, K! Beautiful job!

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ktgrok

ktgrok

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So, I'm trying to sew clothing for the first time (other than a basic toddler dress years ago). And in awe of all you seamstresses. I struggle so much understanding patterns, even when I know what all the words/symbols mean. I also am terrible at say, understanding Ikea instructions, and I think it is the same issue. Even when I KNOW what they are telling me, I can't figure out how the picture on the directions matches iwth that, lol. My DH says if there is dyslexia and dysgraphia there surely is some "dys" for understanding picture instructions, and I have a severe case of it. They all look like Rorschach ink blots to me. So...what that means is the first attempt at pajama pants for DD5 ended up basically upside down and sideways with the crotch as the legs. Oops. 

I also keep accidentally defaulting to a 1/4 inch seam, instead of the 5/8th seam called for. (also - WHY 5/8s instead of 4/8ths aka 1/2?? 5/8ths seems very arbitrary)

Quilting patterns make sense! They are in plain english, and any diagrams are pretty much just geometry. Clothing patterns...yikes! 

I did find a tutorial for the exact pattern I had online - a home ec teacher had made a video of herself making it for her home ec students. So I was able to salvage them, and then made a pair for DS10. I had him put them on so I could see how tight to make the elastic. He said they were great. I sewed it, then before topstitching to finish encasing it I thought about having him try them on again. I told myself no, no need! Um...yeah, they are too big he says. So I will be seam ripping enough to sneak it back out and overlap more. Oh well, live and learn. (actually, I WAS going to make myself a pair, but got distracted by cats jumping up to "help" trace the pattern, kids asking me to open stuff, asking for snacks, etc and ended up tracing and cutting it upside down on the directional print fabric. Rather than wear pants with the print upside down I was able to fit the pattern size for DS inside the piece I'd cut out - going the right way). 

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Starr

Starr

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That turkey is so fun. He makes me laugh. Keep repeating that same pattern and it will start to make sense. In the dark ages we started with something simple and a teacher or relative was there to watch our every move. Not many can magically figure it out in the beginning. My sister was always managing to sew the zipper through the front and the back of any a-line skirt she tried. Your things are coming out really well.

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ktgrok

ktgrok

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5 minutes ago, Starr said:

That turkey is so fun. He makes me laugh. Keep repeating that same pattern and it will start to make sense. In the dark ages we started with something simple and a teacher or relative was there to watch our every move. Not many can magically figure it out in the beginning. My sister was always managing to sew the zipper through the front and the back of any a-line skirt she tried. Your things are coming out really well.

Thank you - and other than the elastic being too loose the second pair definitely was easier than the first. I even added pockets!!! I found a tutorial on youtube on how to do it, and cut some out and sewed them in the side seams! So I'm getting there, and just embracing that mistakes will happen. That said, I do not see patterns making much sense to me - but hopefully I'll become knowledgable enough to figure it out without having to understand all the pictures perfectly, lol. 

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Faith-manor

Faith-manor

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36 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

So, I'm trying to sew clothing for the first time (other than a basic toddler dress years ago). And in awe of all you seamstresses. I struggle so much understanding patterns, even when I know what all the words/symbols mean. I also am terrible at say, understanding Ikea instructions, and I think it is the same issue. Even when I KNOW what they are telling me, I can't figure out how the picture on the directions matches iwth that, lol. My DH says if there is dyslexia and dysgraphia there surely is some "dys" for understanding picture instructions, and I have a severe case of it. They all look like Rorschach ink blots to me. So...what that means is the first attempt at pajama pants for DD5 ended up basically upside down and sideways with the crotch as the legs. Oops. 

I also keep accidentally defaulting to a 1/4 inch seam, instead of the 5/8th seam called for. (also - WHY 5/8s instead of 4/8ths aka 1/2?? 5/8ths seems very arbitrary)

Quilting patterns make sense! They are in plain english, and any diagrams are pretty much just geometry. Clothing patterns...yikes! 

I did find a tutorial for the exact pattern I had online - a home ec teacher had made a video of herself making it for her home ec students. So I was able to salvage them, and then made a pair for DS10. I had him put them on so I could see how tight to make the elastic. He said they were great. I sewed it, then before topstitching to finish encasing it I thought about having him try them on again. I told myself no, no need! Um...yeah, they are too big he says. So I will be seam ripping enough to sneak it back out and overlap more. Oh well, live and learn. (actually, I WAS going to make myself a pair, but got distracted by cats jumping up to "help" trace the pattern, kids asking me to open stuff, asking for snacks, etc and ended up tracing and cutting it upside down on the directional print fabric. Rather than wear pants with the print upside down I was able to fit the pattern size for DS inside the piece I'd cut out - going the right way). 

I wish I could come sew with you. I would have had similar problems picking up apparel sewing were it not for the fact that I grew up with a mother who could sew ANYTHING, and had this natural born teacher thing going on so she constantly explained terms and techniques to me even though at the time, I was entirely consumed with my music and thought she was nuts! Thankfully, I had some sort of osmosis learning thing so that when I decided to take up sewing and wanted to tackle monstrous things like those epic Daisy Kingdom dresses back in the early 90's for my daughter and we lived 2500 miles away, I could manage it off the ancient Greek that was the language of those patterns or make a quick phone call for brief insight.

My mom went to a tracked high school where students could choose a track option as early as 7th grade. She had been sewing in 4H by then for a couple of years with excellent instruction, and loved it..since she liked to cook and lived in a poor family where household management and budgeting skills would have been super handy, she decided to take the Home EC track. She had basic cooking, kitchen management, budgeting, and sewing for two years, and then they kicked it into HIGH gear. She had people from the apparel industry who were brought in for part of the instruction as well as professional chefs and restaurant owners. By the time she left high school, she was designing clothes and making her own patterns.

She made my wedding gown. I showed her a picture of my dream dress, a $3500 dress back in 1987, and nothing my family could have afforded nor would I have been willing to ask for it even if they could. She said no problem but she wanted to take me to some bridal stores to try on several dresses of similar cut/bodice/skirt just to make sure I liked how an approximation would look on me. She took a notebook, made some notes and quick drawings, then went home, spent time really studying the photo, brought out tissue paper, created the necessary patterns, and bought fabric. My gown was an absolutely perfect knock off of that $3500 gown. Not only that, but the pearls on the commercial gown were glued on, and my mother hand tacked them down. Over 1000 seed pearls. Legendary!

So I want you to know that having lived in the shadow of such a woman, I understand how daunting apparel sewing can be to the novice. I am sorry about those pj pants. You would be surprised how often this is the outcome on the very first try. I don't know what pattern you are using, therefore, I have no idea what the instructions say. BUT, when I do pj and lounge pants for my guys, after I cut out the legs and sew up the lower seam, if memory serves, I turn one pant leg inside out, tuck it into the other pant leg so right sides are together, and then sew the semi-circle crotch seam together. So this would be the seam that brings the right and left side together and runs down the center from the belly button around the crotch and up to the center back. Does that make sense to you?

Meanwhile, feel better! You are doing great! I have twice today sewn a piece of binding onto the quilt from THE WRONG SIDE! Twice. I finally just got it off the second time and sewn on correctly. I should be hand tacking it down, posting a picture here, and declaring victory while cutting for the next quilt (I have seven to make by Christmas and only two done, plus this one almost done), due to delays in fabric getting here which left me at a standstill. But instead of forging forward, I am having a coffee with Baileys, and sulking about my error and waste of time. I will put a Christmas movie in tonight and finish do the handwork.

Yes, quilt patterns makes sense. Quilts are pure mathematics. A bunch of geometry, a little algebra, and VOILA a perfectly sensible item. Apparel sewing is some sort of nerdy, artsy, Picasso, Pollack thing that we mere mortals will never understand like the gods and goddesses like Melissa and my mom!!! 😁

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Faith-manor

Faith-manor

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Just now, Melissa in Australia said:

Also I think I do a bit of unpicking on nearly every garmet I make. It is all part of sewing. Even experianced sewers unpick. And I did read somewhere you can tell how experianced a sewer is by the number and excellent   quality of their seam rippers

That would explain me sitting over here in Michigan ripping on a quilt with a pair of seam rippers that I am certain must have come from a dollar store!!! 😂😂😂

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Melissa in Australia

Melissa in Australia

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8 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

Apparel sewing is some sort of nerdy, artsy, Picasso, Pollack thing that we mere mortals will never understand like the gods and goddesses like Melissa and my mom!!! 

Oh my. I have never been likened to a goddess before. Sorry to disappoint but I am not even average, just persistent.

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kbutton

kbutton

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2 hours ago, ktgrok said:

Even when I KNOW what they are telling me, I can't figure out how the picture on the directions matches iwth that, lol.

Directions are somewhat arbitrary--there are often multiple techniques for the same outcome.

I think the diagrams will become familiar if you go back and look at them after you watch your videos and use those to sew. Or after sewing enough stuff, even if you don't go back to compare.

You'll eventually recognize how the shapes of garments go together and be less disoriented. It can also help to make marks or hand sew some loose stitches of scrap threads on the fronts and/or tops of things as you go. 🙂 

I worked for a little while for a seamstress, and she always said she learned to sew by the rip and cry method, lol! It's pretty time-honored. 

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ktgrok

ktgrok

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2 hours ago, Faith-manor said:

 

Yes, quilt patterns makes sense. Quilts are pure mathematics. A bunch of geometry, a little algebra, and VOILA a perfectly sensible item. Apparel sewing is some sort of nerdy, artsy, Picasso, Pollack thing that we mere mortals will never understand like the gods and goddesses like Melissa and my mom!!! 😁

Yes! I have had several sewists tell me they don' want to even try quilts because it is too much math. I am NOT a mathy person, but at least math makes sense! 

2 hours ago, Melissa in Australia said:

Don't get hung up about the seam allowance on clothes. Unless you are making something like a corset that has to be very precise, then it doesn't matter at all. I never worry about the seam allowance for general clothes sewing. 

Thank you! I kind of figured it wasn't as big a deal as it is in quilting, but wasn't sure. 

2 hours ago, Faith-manor said:

No, woman, you are a goddess! Anyone who can make that lovely frock from a sheet is my hero. I bow the knee. 👏👏👏

Very Scarlett O'Hara!

20 minutes ago, kbutton said:

 

I worked for a little while for a seamstress, and she always said she learned to sew by the rip and cry method, lol! It's pretty time-honored. 

At least I'm traditional! 

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