Machine Stippling

I recently finished a very large project, large both in the actual size of the item and the time it took me to complete.  I have been working on a 4-foot by 6-foot banner for a group holding a religious retreat weekend and it has taken me about two months to finish.  I was given a picture of the design that I was being asked to recreate and had fun putting together lots of brightly colored fabrics.  I can’t show you a picture of the completed project just yet – it wouldn’t be fair to post a picture on the internet when no one involved in the weekend has had a chance to see it.  But I will show you a little piece of it because I want to explain how I did the stipple stitching on it.

At the center of the design is a large butterfly.  After fusing the various pieces in place I thought it needed some stitching to add some detail.  Let me tell you right now that I am a lousy machine quilter.  I try, I really do.  I’ve created dozens of projects with free motion quilting but I am never really happy with my work.  I even used to practice by making quilts to donate to charities who gave them to children because I figured the kids didn’t mind if my stitching was not perfect.  I love the look of stippling but again, have never mastered it.  I certainly wasn’t going to attempt it on a 4x6 piece of heavy, pieced canvas.  Instead I used a machine embroidery stipple design (you can find one similar to mine here) and let my embroidery machine do the stippling for me. 

I have used this design so many times and on so many different projects.  This time I had to apply a little creative thinking since I wanted to embroider a butterfly-shaped area instead of a rectangle.  I set up my machine as usual and began by walking through the first several stitches of the design, advancing one stitch at a time to ensure that the stitches fell within the area I wanted to stitch.  I started stitching the design and whenever I got to an edge of the design where I wanted the stitches to stop, I stopped the machine and manually advanced the design a few stitches at a time until the needle was once again within the area I wanted to stitch.  This sounds time consuming and tedious – I certainly thought it was going to be – but I was surprised at how quickly I was able to complete the task.  I had to stitch the design twice, once on the left side of the butterfly and once on the right.

I’m pleased with the way this stitching turned out and am going to store away this idea to use on other projects.  I really have found so many uses for this stippling design – it is probably my most-used file.  Give it a try.

Bag of the Week 34

Girly Girl

I love this little purse.  Hope Yoder never fails to create beautifully elegant patterns with a touch of whimsy and the Girly Girl is no exception.  The 9 ½” tall by 8” wide purse is created using three coordinating prints -- the fabrics I chose come from Sandy Gervais’ collection called Flirtations by Moda.  Details on the purse include an outer pocket with a bias raw edge ruffle and three yoyo hearts, another ruffle at the top opening of the bag, an inner pocket, directions for installing a magnetic snap closure and self-fabric strap with hardware.  The pattern also includes instructions for creating a matching headband. 

Hope’s instructions are always thorough, easy to follow and full of excellent photographs.  She notes that this purse was designed to allow custom embellishments on the many “blank” areas.  I had forgotten how much I love this little bag (this one was sent off as a gift a while back).  I think this would be the perfect purse to carry at an upcoming sewing show I plan to attend.  I think I’ll have to get busy on Version 2.

Bag of the Week 33

Cyane’s Spoonflower Bag

I am very excited about today’s project.  This is a recently completed bag and it has a story to go along with it.

My friend Cyane and I went to college together and I recall being amazed at her extensive pink and green wardrobe (my public school upbringing had never exposed me to this degree of preppiness before).  She was, frankly, one of the preppiest women I knew in school.  She was also very artistic and creative.  This is a purse that I made for her though that is not the end of the story.  You see, Cyane created the fabric for this bag (with a little help from the people over at Spoonflower).

Cyane has a business called Snazzy Frogs where she sells her whimsical drawings and creations.  You can find her at the Charlottesville City market most Saturday mornings and also online.  Not too long ago she discovered Spoonflower, a business based in NC that turned her artwork into printed fabric (just like they can do for you).  One day while we were having lunch she showed me swatches of her fabrics and I loved the one with martini glasses.  I ordered a yard of the print in linen/cotton canvas and set out to make her a bag.  (You can see all of Cyane’s fabrics here or by searching for snazzy frogs on the Spoonflower site).

I debated and debated which pattern to use and finally settled on Simplicity 5606 (OOP).  I fused fleece to the outer bag pieces and added curved, piped pockets to the ends.  I used a white jacket zipper for the closure.  The handles came from All Craft Supplies. 

The lining fabric (a soft, light weight woven plaid) is fused with Décor Bond and features two sets of pockets (two along one side, three along the other).  I sewed in two labels, my Juliet Originals label (which I stitch out on my embroidery machine) and a Spoonflower label that was included with my order.

I have to tell you that this pattern was one of the most difficult bags I have ever sewn.  Setting in the end pieces was extremely difficult and it had to be done four times (two outer and two lining pieces).  In the end it all came together but I spit and fussed my way through it.

You will be seeing this fabric again, hopefully in a few weeks, as I plan to make myself a bag from it as well (thought rest assured I will be using a different pattern!)  I know Cyane is enjoying using her new bag and I hope you enjoyed reading about how it came to be.

Bag of the Week 32

Yoga Bag

I created this bag to store my yoga mat in many years ago.  I fell in love with the yoga font from Embroidery Arts and had to have it.  I had grand visions of making customized yoga bags for people and using this font to monogram them.  Who was I kidding?  I think I made a total of 5 bags (which brings the cost down to about $2.50 per letter).  But I still love this design.

The bag has a carrying strap which also forms the drawstring closure.  The monogrammed bellows-style pocket is large enough to carry a water bottle.  I created my own pattern for this bag but have long forgotten how I did it.  Luckily, Amy Butler has a free pattern for her Nigella Yoga Bag with wonderful illustrated instructions.

Window Treatments for a Nursery, Part 3

The Roman Shade

The last two weeks I have written about creating a cornice board on which to hang a valance.  Today I will discuss the Roman Shade that became part of this window covering. 

I began with instructions I had saved from a 2006 Martha Stewart Living magazine (you can find this article online here) and made modifications to suit my own style. 

I cut the lining fabric the same length as the outer fabric but 2” narrower.  I matched the long edges, right sides together, and sewed with ½” seams.  When the shade was turned the side hems automatically turned under 1” on each side.  I made the bottom hem by turning up both layers together and topstitching.  The top edge was turned under to form a casing – I waited to do this step until the very end, after installing the cornice board and measuring for a final length.

I used Martha’s instructions for measuring and placing the rod pockets.  To simplify the construction I folded the fabric strips in half lengthwise and serged the long cut edges together.  I then pressed under the serged stitching and topstitched that edge to the shade.  One end of the strip was closed with a machine hem; the other was left open until the dowels were inserted and then closed by hand.

I marked the center of each rod pocket and matched that mark to the center eye hook on the cornice board.  This allowed me to mark the location of the two outer eye hooks on the top rod pocket.  These marks were duplicated on all of the pockets.  I then hand sewed plastic curtain rings to these marks, three on each pocket.  These will be the channels for the cording that will raise and lower the blind.

Next week I will share the final installment on this project when I show how I installed the various elements to complete the project.  See you then.