quote:

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Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
A pity, but Singer sewing machines are now junk.

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This makes me sad. i have my granny's Singer (circa late 1930's) and it's still going strong - though it doesn't do zigzags. I have made a couple of little quilts on it though as well as some cotton clothes (non stretchy fabric!)
 

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Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
My Jones does zigzag, and takes a double needle. It also has a selection of about four different stitches, including one for elastic - but whenever I try to sew any kind of stretchy fabric, such as T-shirting, or single jersey it sews about three stitches and can then skip thirtyish. Very frustrating.
The other thing I'd like to do is free-hand machine embroidery, but it's not possible to drop the feed-dog on this machine.

I don't particularly want one with bells & whistles that just does embroidery on its own - I have plenty of computerised gadgets that I only use for one thing because I can't suss out how to get them to do all the other things they are reputed to be for.
 

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Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Ferijen:
Based on a recommendation from a shippie, I used this company a few years ago.

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I remember that company being recommended - I'll take a look there when I've figured out what I want.
 

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Posted by Jade Constable (# 17175) on :
 
A recommendation for craft lovers in the South of England - the National Needlework Archives, which is based in what was the Americans' chapel at Greenham Common air base, near Aldermaston.
 

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Posted by cattyish (# 7829) on :
 
Rose of Sharon, you don't need to drop the feed dogs if you put on a fed dog cover plate. Can you order one of those from the interweb? Also, does your machine happily sew other types of fabric? It sounds odd that it skips so much on stretch. Are you using a ballpoint needle for stretch fabrics? That might help.

Cattyish, not an expert but learning.
 

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Posted by cattyish (# 7829) on :
 
Darning plates on ebay.
 

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Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
Cattyish, thanks for those suggestions.

I do use ballpoint needles, and I expect I tried them with the stretchy stuff, but don't recall any significant improvement.

It's a good many years since I used my machine for anything but the odd bit of mending, so I probably need to spend a little time getting to know it again.

In what I hope are the final stages of decluttering the "sewing room" I have unearthed a box of slightly rusty bits belonging to the machine - I will be very embarrassed if I find that I have a darning plate in there.
 

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Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 
I asked Mrs Sioni for recommendations and her first question was "Is she using new needles?"

I suggested that anyone on the Ship would be smart enough but she insists I mention it; after all, she does sell the stuff in addition to quilting, embroidery, alterations, repairs and bag making at home.
 

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Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Sioni Sais:
I asked Mrs Sioni for recommendations and her first question was "Is she using new needles?"

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Probably, but it's been while so I can't be sure. I'll certainly use new ballpoints when I can find a clear space to put the machine.
This decluttering is taking far longer than I expected - there's a ton of sewing & knitting stuff, but also several tons of accumulated junk that's been shoved in there for lack of any space elsewhere.

I must take a look in All Saints, I'm sure I've seen a de-cluttering thread in there in the past
 

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Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
I don't sew, at all, but I did watch the great british sewing bee. They did an episode on stretchy fabrics, IRRC, they all used overlockers to do the seams. You can probably find it on youtube - might be worth looking at what machines they were using generally.
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
If you are going to do serious amounts of sewing, over lockers are the way to go. But it is Another Machine.

I find a combination of tacking beforehand, zigzag stitching and twiddling the tension copes with most stretch fabrics (except velvet: velvet's a beast).

But then I am the world's leading exponent of the pin and zap school of dressmaking.
 

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Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:
If you are going to do serious amounts of sewing, over lockers are the way to go. But it is Another Machine.

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quote:

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I am the world's leading exponent of the pin and zap school of dressmaking.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Doublethink:
This one ?

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quote:

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Originally posted by Doublethink:
I have no idea if this is surprising, or something any experienced needlesmith would know.

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Interesting. That foot did not come with my Bernina as standard, but I daresay it could be got. The thing is supposed to have a vocabulary of 80 or so stitches, so the overlock one should be in there somewhere.
 

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Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 

The de-cluttering of my "sewing room" completed, I finally sat down with my machine and the instruction manual.
Now I'm sure I played with every foot,stitch type etc when I first bought it (46 years ago), but I've managed not to notice that little white button right at the front from then onward.
Yes, the one that lowers the feed!
I managed, with some force, to press it down, then had a bit of a panic when it wouldn't come back up - but got it working eventually.

I also tried out the "elastic stitch" on two types of stretchy fabric - with good results (I'd probably been using the wrong needle, or the wrong stitch length, zig-zag setting, tension or a combination of one or all of them previously.
One af Mr RoS's favourite sayings is "If all else fails, read the manual"

I'm off to the Knitting & Stitching Show at Ally Pally at the end of the week - so glad I don't need to look at new sewing machines, or overlockers
 

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Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on :
 
Has anyone made prayer shawls? I'm being leaned on to start a craft group in my church, and I'm thinking that this would be a good project - also blankets/hats etc for prem babies - I know that there are cahrities who accept such things. I am likely to have a group of varying skills so need easy patterns.
 

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Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by St. Gwladys:
Has anyone made prayer shawls? I'm being leaned on to start a craft group in my church, and I'm thinking that this would be a good project - also blankets/hats etc for prem babies - I know that there are cahrities who accept such things. I am likely to have a group of varying skills so need easy patterns.

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Quilted prayer shawls on my list of things to do and I've been thinking about making a bundle and then approaching church for ideas on setting up a group.
My local maternity unit has a collection of quilts for prem babies, another on my list
 

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Posted by Kitten (# 1179) on :
 
If you are looking for a charity to support with tiny baby garments then Little Things is always happy to accept, they provide clothes for premature stillborn babies and work with several hospitals. I am currently knitting them some tiny cardigans using patterns designed for a 10" doll
 

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Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
There is also Project Linus which makes quilts for sick children.

Jengie
 

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Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
For many years our church had a Threads ministry. We would sew fleece blankets, and knit baby sweaters and blankets and so on, to send to an AIDS hospice in Uganda. Unfortunately the shipping of containers to Uganda has become problematic, and now I am the last survivor of the ministry. I sew a batch of blankets whenever a mission group heads out Africa and throw in some baby blankets.
 

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Posted by Celtic Knotweed (# 13008) on :
 
Probably the best place on the Ship to ask this...

I've said I'll knit a snood for approx 19-month-old niece for Christmas. Any idea where I can find a pattern to look at? I really just need to see how one might go together, for some reason once I've seen a simple pattern I can usually modify sizes. It's going to need to be done in non-wool yarn due to allergies, so that's either bamboo or one of the artificials I'd guess.
 

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Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Ravelry.com. You have to register, but it's free. You can find a pattern for anything there, and you can sort it by various criteria (knit vs. crochet, free versus pay for the pattern, etc.)
Be sure and look at the pictures. The word 'snood' used to mean 'hair net', like Victorian ladies used to wear. Now it sometimes means 'cowl', as in those long circular scarves which you can wear around your neck and hitch up over your head.
 

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Posted by ElaineC (# 12244) on :
 
This site has lots of patterns and they are all free to download.
 

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Posted by Celtic Knotweed (# 13008) on :
 
Thanks . Much pattern browsing will be done when I have spare seconds at the weekend.

quote:

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Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
The word 'snood' used to mean 'hair net', like Victorian ladies used to wear. Now it sometimes means 'cowl', as in those long circular scarves which you can wear around your neck and hitch up over your head.

---

Round here it almost always takes the second of those meanings. I must have been into my late 20s before I discovered the 'hair net' meaning. For keeping an under-two warm in the winter, I'm going with the tube that can be used as a scarf and a bonnet.
 

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Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Then these are extraordinarily easy to make. You could just knit a wide scarf until it is long enough, and sew the ends together. The only thing I would consider (and I would discuss this with the parent) is whether a tube-shaped garment is safe around the neck of a child of that age. The danger for tots is that a piece of garment gets tangled up in a slide or swing or other playground equipment, injuring the wearer. There have been sad cases here in the US of a child getting hung by her mitten strings; the trend now is to attach mittens by buttons to the cuffs.
 

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Posted by Celtic Knotweed (# 13008) on :
 
Thanks for pattern site hints. I've picked out one of the patterns from the DROPS site after some consultation with Mum (since she looks after the wee lass a couple of days a week). Now I just need to get an answer from sis-in-law about colours!

ElaineC - many thanks for the link to that site. I may well be back there later in the winter if/when I want a new project.
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
*bump*
 

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Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
I bought a ball of scrumptious leaf-green sock yarn in the vendors' hall at the World Science Fiction Convention in London this summer, and am now slowly knitting it up into a pair of socks with a twist-cable leaf design.
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
I've slowed a bit on the current project, but must pick it up again. The yarn is a sale lot in a rather meh range of browns. To break the monotony I started introducing intarsia animal and plant motifs in ends of charcoal, rust and light yellow that I had knocking around. The sleeves will have birds, the fronts hares and grapes, while the almost completed back has maple leaves and a large bear.
 

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Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
OMG, that sounds spectacular. Are you just winging it, or did you chart the designs in advance?
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
I stole 'em off Ravelry. Some were originally for cross stitch. Then I edited together ones that seemed to go.
 

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Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
Today I made a 1950s style dress from a re-released vintage pattern, in a Sanderson fabric in a very dark green, teal and black. It was a pain to sew, gores and darts etc, but seems to have turned out well.
 

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Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
I hope you will describe it in more detail. A full skirt, I hope, well below the knee. Darts and gores seem to indicate a fitted bodice. Sweetheart neckline? Vee back?
 

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Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
Sleeveless, with a v back and front, though I may trim these with some dyed dark green pleated cheesecloth ribbon around the neckline. Fitted waist and very full skirt. I'm going to make a matching dark green petticoat.
The pattern is Butterick B5603, I've made dress B but without the bows on the shoulders.
 

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Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
I've started to think about Christmas crafting a little later than usual this year, mainly because I'm not planning on doing as much. I've ordered fleece to make blankets for my foster-siblings (which I'll really only be edging) and made my prototype pyrographic decorations so I'll squeeze in a production line of those sometime soon. Perhaps Sunday evening once our weekend visitor heads home. I also want to make the fosters individual christmas stockings from the coffee sacks I have lying around, but need to check whether Mum's sorted them out with something.

I do intend to put tiles on the house roofs with one of the pyrography iron stamps, but didn't have time to let it cool down enough to change the tip.
 

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Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
The Muse is powerful within me this year, and so I have let nearly all crafty stuff slide. I have a number of UFOs (UnFinished Objects) which I must and shall get to. This includes:
an elaborate Nordic fair isle sweater, needing only to be steeked and seamed, and the neck band knitted. (Surely to Heaven I can finish it in time to wear it this winter?)
A cotton pullover, cabled and embroidered except I have to embroider.
A life sized knitted squid. It is to be six feet long in the body, with six more feet of eight tentacles each and then two feeder palps ten feet long. Alas, I did the fun part, the body and the great googling green eyes (two iridescent plastic balls from the toy store!) but then fell off the sled on the long slog of tentacle.
 

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Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
The squid sounds fabulous!
Today I am making aprons to go with prairie dresses (Thursday and Friday's work) and bonnets (made those on Monday). A friend referred someone via facebook who wanted two full set of little house on the prairie outfits for her daughters - bonnets, dresses, aprons, nightgowns and mop caps. I've been making prairie bonnets for years but the prairie dresses are a new thing for me. I feel quite cheery about making them. Presumably it is distracting me from the huge batch of marking which will shortly be heading my way.
 

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Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
I could imagine this as a lucrative sideline, making Little House garb.
 

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Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on :
 
I'm become a bit stuck in a rut - making embroidered crosses on plastic canvas - I've made about 40 to raise money for a local youth project - I make one, someone else fancies it, and asks me to make some for them! -and "gypsy scarves" - crotchet neckerchiefs. I've also been crocheting prayer shawls - I've made one triangular one, using very lightweight yarn, and a rectangular one, which seemed to take forever. Both recipients were delighted though.
We've started a craft group in our church - two hours a week unashamed craft time. So far, we have 5 regulars *including one retired man who does calligraphy) and one or two occasionals.
 

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Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
I could imagine this as a lucrative sideline, making Little House garb.

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quote:

---

Originally posted by Mrs Shrew:
I'm delighted to have much more time for Christmas crafting this year than last.

<snip>
I'm also knitting soft toy dinosaurs for various friends, and a couple of pairs of handwarmers for other friends.
<snip>

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by To The Pain:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mrs Shrew:
I'm delighted to have much more time for Christmas crafting this year than last.

<snip>
I'm also knitting soft toy dinosaurs for various friends, and a couple of pairs of handwarmers for other friends.
<snip>

---

Which reminds me that the Beloved's half-birthday dinosaur needs its legs sewing on. I had some half-baked idea about articulating them just before her half birthday and ended up giving her the poor dismembered beast. I don't think she will be getting anything crafted for Christmas this year.

The fleece for the fosters' blankets arrived today though - the colours are so bright! Just need a plan for the edging, I'm inclined to go with something like this, so I don't have to produce an even blanket stitch. There are four, though, which means each round is 5m of crochet. I'll probably operate it like a granny-square production-line and do a first round on each before I commit to a second round on any of them!

---

There is a crochet edging stitch which is like double (UK) crochet backwards which might look good, and wouldn't need so many rows. I've looked it up - crab stitch, or reverse single/double crochet depending on whether you are in the USA or UK/Australia/NZ - not sure which way in Canada.
 

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Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Beads can be necklaces. Or just the front decorative bit on a necklace made out of cord or leather or something.
They also make fine toppers for pins, everything from hair pins to pins for shawls to brooches.
If you have the skill to manipulate silver or gold wire, many nice charms can be made with beads. They can also be strung together on wire to form small figurines, animals, dolls and so on.
And then there is using them as decoration on other items. Garments adorned with beads -- I have seen 'necklaces' sewn onto tee shirts. If you have enough exactly similar beads they can be strung to make a fringe. Jacket lapels and collars? Swapped in for buttons?
Hot glue. If you have a hot-glue gun worlds open before you. Attach them to things: wreath forms. Christmas tree ornaments. Miniature Christmas trees, as ornaments. Flower pots. Jars, to use as flower pots, or candle holders, or what have you. Lamp shades.
Little beads can adorn dolls, or doll clothing. Large beads can be the pendants on key fobs.
 

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Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
It's the packaging I need help with. In times gone by, there would have been flat boxes for hankies about. Black card and cling film over the top would look good in boxes. The things are made with silver wire, white crystal faceted glass, and black faceted beads with a rainbow sheen. All glittery. The necklaces have little dangly bits matching the earrings graduated out from the centre.
 

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Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
To the pain- that is a fantastic idea for blanket edging, thank you for sharing!!!

For earring packaging Perhaps buy a pack of Shiny card and make little boxes with bases and lids then rest them on tissue inside? I have made my own chocolates a few times and done this for boxes. It looks really good, although clearly homemade- not sure if that is a problem.

I might also consider making "handmade by" tags, as new handmade jewellery sets can probably be priced higher by oxfam than second hand.
 

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Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
Mrs Shrew, thank you. Looking homemade wouldn't be a problem, and I have done handmade by labels before for bags - I have, in the past, turned size 8 miniskirts that have hung around without being bought into handbags, and labelled those. Having seen the pricing on what are obviously surplus things from retailers, rather than secondhand, I do want my work to go for more than £2.99.

[ 09. December 2014, 09:57: Message edited by: Penny S ]
 

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Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
Well, that was an eventful night. Had a horrendous report to put in today so was up into the wee small hours with that and then remembered that my work secret santee is leaving early for the holidays so I don't have until Thursday like I usually do. Managed to finish the mug hug but I'm struggling to keep my eyes open now. And there are still those blankets to edge. But I think I've hit on a system, so hopefully all will be well. And I can always crochet all night if I can't sleep on the sleeper bus, but that will truly be cutting it fine!
 

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Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
Finished the prairie dresses, etc, and passed them on to their new owner this morning The past few days I've been making sock monkeys as gifts for a couple of younger family and friends. Alas, I now have a stack of marking to do instead
 

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Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
I am now into making Christmas cards, using blanks with a frame front from John Lewis, into which I will put photos I took of tree baubles which reflected the local church during its tree festival, and which I have tweaked with an art program I bought from Smiths at £10. Sadly, I can't get the full professional program as the firm went bust, and sites which offer to download it are regarded as suspect either by me or McAfee or both. But even so, it picks out outlines and does pen effects, or messes with the colours and blurs things, and allows me to modify stuff, and stack effects until I get a result I like. (Extra donation to the church will follow, with printout out results in case they want to use them.)
 

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Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
That sounds lovely
 

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Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
At my day job, for years they bought the corporate Xmas card from card dealers. Which meant that everyone knew where we were getting our cards! I took charge of the process, riffing on our initials.
One year the card was simply our initials, with a red ornament hanging down. The next year, a quite elaborate painting (executed by moi) of a reindeer with the initials standing in for its antlers). This year I did our initials in ice, with the aid of one of those ice cube trays that does cubes in the letters of the alphabet.
And next year I propose to knit a cuff, exactly the size of an already existing Xmas stocking, with the company initials on. (It is too much work to knit an entire Xmas stocking for just this one thing.) It shall be hung by the chimney with care on the most decorative mantelpiece we can find, and photographed for the card.
 

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Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
Would anyone be interested in doing a pincushion swap? I've done one before on a parenting forum and it's an accessible swap for different crafters, whether you sew, knit or embroider, and such a small swap would be easy enough to do internationally too. I'm happy to organise in a few weeks time if anyone is interested.
 

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Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
I could well be interested in that one, HA, I've never made a pincushion before but a swap would be good motivation.

I've also never swapped before so that would be fun too - I'm wondering about organising a Christmas ornament swap for a wee group later in the year.
 

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Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
I organise lots of craft swaps, the board I mod on started off as a board for cloth nappy users and now we've all grown older and there's very few babies around but lots of crafters! We've had pincushion swaps, needlecase swaps, bunting, Christmas decorations, wreaths, children's shorts, cake ...
A pincushion one is easy as it can be sewn or knitted or even crafted without these skills. Pincushions come in all sorts of shapes and styles, from simple round cushions bound with a button in the middle to animals and fruit, so it is also great for a range of abilities.
 

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Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Just came across an interesting story about an Egyptian student who took up knitting, while in prison for political protest. She's done some lovely work, IMHO, which is pictured. She does it both for income and as protest.

Hmmm...I wonder if she knows about guerrilla knitting? Though, once she's free, that could get her into more trouble.

ETA: some of the comments on the article point out that it's crochet, rather than knitting.

[ 07. January 2015, 08:00: Message edited by: Golden Key ]
 

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Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 

quote:

---

Just came across an interesting story about an Egyptian student who took up knitting, while in prison for political protest. She's done some lovely work, IMHO, which is pictured. She does it both for income and as protest.

---

A bit of a tangent but this reminded me of a lecturer in English at Sydney Uni in the 60s. He dedicated his book on Shakespeare to the then South African Government. He thanked them for giving him space to write the book. He was imprisoned for quite a while for protesting against apartheid. I have forgotten his name.
 

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Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :
 
Derek Marsh. He lectured me in English in 1964. At the end of his time in Sth Africa, he was "advised" by the security authorities that it would be better for him overall were he to leave the country within 14 days. A clever man, he understood what was being said, and left in 10.

I remember him as being very gentle and a good lecturer. He understood that there was little point in engaging students in English I in the battles then going on in the dept between supporters of the Ogre of Downing College, and those who wore corks dangling from the brim of their hats - amusing though those battles were to us.
 

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Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
Thank you, that's the one.

I remember little about those studies. A tutor was Germaine Greer, I was able to impress her as I knew about St Cecelia and also about Icarus.

[ 07. January 2015, 10:06: Message edited by: Lothlorien ]
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
OK, I'm on a stash busting exercise in crochet. I'm building a jacket in granny squares. So far, I have a successful construction consisting of a large square for the back, smaller ones for the front, and a medium sized one connecting the two. I'm currently trying to visualise a set in sleeve.

Annoyingly, any pictures of sleeved granny square garments I can find on the web don't adequately display the mechanics of sleeve construction. Anyone know of any?
 

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Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
Spotted a link on Ravelry today to this Knitted Bible exhibition.
Tour dates listed here
 

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Posted by Kitten (# 1179) on :
 
I'm hoping fellow crafters may be able to help me.

My mother has seen advertised somewhere (she can't remember where) what she describes as a lap lamp, a sort of tray device that lights up to help when doing cross stitch on dark coloured fabric.

She has now asked me to get one for her but I do not know the correct name of the item and have not been able to find anything similar on the Internet.

Have any of you come across such an item before and would you know how I could find one
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
It's not this combination lamp and magnifying glass is it?
 

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Posted by Jengie jon (# 273) on :
 
Kitten

Did she mean a tray like this?

Jengie
 

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Posted by Kitten (# 1179) on :
 
Thank you for the suggestions. The tray is closest but she insists that it is the tray itself that lights up rather than having the posable light
 

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Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
When working on dark fabric she would indeed need the light under the fabric so that the "holes" show up. Until she finds the lighted tray (I'll do some looking into this), has she tried a white towel or piece of fabric in her lap? That helps a bit.
 

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Posted by Drifting Star (# 12799) on :
 
Kitten, is this the sort of thing?
 

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Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Try this.
 

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Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
I just typed “light box” into amazon.com and there are quite a variety of items similar to what Drifting Star and Lamb Chopped just found. There’s a wide range of sizes and prices.
 

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Posted by Kitten (# 1179) on :
 
Tthats brilliant, thank you
 

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Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
I was going to plug the Daylight Company, from whom I bought my cushioned uplighting laplight, but they don't do it any more.

So there's this and the ones below. Light boxes
 

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Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Our church women's group is going to have a mosaic making taster session. According to the website, we are going to "find our bliss."

Can't wait!
 

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Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
For the past 10 or 12 years we have had a Threads Ministry in our church. This was essentially an older lady and myself; she would sew fleece into blankets and I would knit baby blankets. These got bundled into bales and then used to fill in the corners of a shipping container of medical supplies and computer equipment going to a mission partner in central Uganda.
The Ministry fell apart for a couple reasons -- the shipping people quintupled their prices; the Ugandans at the other end looted the containers, and my elderly friend had to move away to live with her daughter. She left me with all the fleece, already cut into blanket size. There must have been a hundred of them. It has taken me about three or four years to very slowly sew them all, and gradually disburse them out to mission teams to carry in their suitcases.
But now! This week! I have under my sewing machine foot the very very last blanket! Since it is the last one it was both oddly sized and had no backing (the blankets are simply 2 pieces of polarfleece sewed together like a pillowcase and turned right-side out and closed) I bought a larger piece of contrasting fleece. The main fabric was dark blue with a design of stars and moons in yellow; my contribution is a light yellow, which will form not only the backing but a strip on either side of the front to square it off.
 

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Posted by Drifting Star (# 12799) on :
 
Well done!

The big question is: What are you going to do now?
 

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Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
I am hoping (since this is the very last of the ministry) to get the clergy to pray it out on its journey to wherever.
And then I am going to make 2 octagonal covers for the baptismal font, which does duty (when there are no baptisms) as a way station for communion vessels, on their way to the sink. The font is octagonal, and at one point in the past we had a square piece of linen to be the cover, plus a sign "For Eucharistic Vessels Only." The cover went walkabout, and we are now annoyed every week by people using Undercorporals or even corporals for this purpose. If I make something octagonal, it cannot EVER be mistaken for anything else!
 

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Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
I've spent the morning putting together a pattern I printed out last night for an Edwardian nurse's uniform, for my Kentwell 1915 re-enactment this summer. I'm playing a Red Cross Sister just back on leave from the front and I'll be helping a VAD colleague on her Red Cross fundraising/recruitment stall.
I'm making a practice bodice this morning using some leftover sage sprig cotton I have (bought cheaply wholesale to make prairie dresses for customers). My husband will fit the bodice for me this evening. If this works out well it means I will also have a nice Edwardian summer dress for future use.
 

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Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on :
 
Heavenly Anarchist, I actually have an antique St. John Ambulance nurse's uniform. It's in a heavy blue and off white striped serge, lined bodice, leg of mutton sleeves..I wore it with an appropriate headdress at a lace display many years ago!
 

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Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
How lovely! Alas, I have been battling with a pattern based on a ww1 military nurses uniform which appears to have several inaccuracies/idiosyncrasies. But my practice bodice has now been made up and alterations noted. I'll make the real thing later next week.
 

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Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
Heavenly Anarchist, you would probably love my Royal Red Cross medal awarded in WW I. Not to a Red Cross member, but instituted by Queen Victoria for service by a nurse or for exceptional bravery.

I would love to find where this in the family fits in. I have asked the historians with their family histories, I have asked the current one with memories of the convoluted system of relatives on both sides of the family. Am working my way through Australian women awarded this but so far have drawn a blank between them and any any family connections.

After I moved here, I was unpacking. When I left my husband I packed up a pile of things I knew he would not want or would throw out. Silver teaspoons etc. When I unpacked i opened a box to find the medal, not half a dozen tarnished teaspoons.
Garrads the Jewellers box but no names. I wrote to them but nothing came back.
 

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Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
That is a fascinating story! What a tantalising mystery to have.
 

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Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
The interesting thing is that absolutely no one on either side of the family can remember any one at all mentioning it.

The messy bit is maiden/married names all have to be explored, although the nurses were to be single .
 

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Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 
I am feeling motivated. Inspired by the thought of a seven-hour train journey, I am going to make this jumper for husband en rouge during the summer holidays. I’ve ordered a sort of blue-grey patterned yarn. I admit I’m a bit of a cheat and have purposely chosen something with great big yarn and great big needles to make it grow fast. I also wanted a cardigan for me with smaller yarn and smaller needles but I ordered that one from my mother

Question for the knowledgeable: when the (American) pattern says “M.1”, is this the same thing a British pattern would call “inc 1”?
 

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Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Yes it is. You are aware of the two or three different ways to increase a stitch? Some being more appropriate for your pattern than others.
 

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Posted by RuthW (# 13) on :
 
"Make 1" is a particular way of increasing by one. See this link.
 

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Posted by Kitten (# 1179) on :
 
You can change the Drops patterns to British English
 

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Posted by Drifting Star (# 12799) on :
 
A year or so ago someone on the Ship talked about making clothes from a particular manufacturer's patterns. They were lovely, unusual, folky/ethnic clothes, and Google is not my friend and won't dig them out for me.

I've also been trawling through Oblivion without any success. I thought it might have been Firenze, but my trawling suggests she uses mostly Vogue patterns, so maybe it was someone else.
 

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Posted by Anglo Catholic Relict (# 17213) on :
 
I made one of these.


It almost looks the same, but I left off the mitre with the chimere, and didn't put the fastening bit. And no glasses yet; not sure about them. But otherwise it is the sameish.

Q; if you were going to visit +R in a couple of weeks, would you take this with you or not? : )

(Code fix)

[ 08. July 2015, 19:40: Message edited by: Firenze ]
 

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Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
OMG! (the knitted bishop)

Could the pattern line have been Folkways? Or Folkwear?
 

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Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
Folkwear tend to do historic or 'world' patterns, though some of the latter are folky. I'm trying to think of a folk pattern manufacturer but most of my unusual patterns are historical costume. What sort of pattern are you interested in?
 

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Posted by Drifting Star (# 12799) on :
 
I'm finding it very difficult to describe - which is probably why Google hasn't been much help, not understanding me when I say 'Stuff like that little shop I use to go to 15 years ago...'

The best I can say is that it might be called ethnic in a very generalised way - the sort of things that are often made in batik fabrics, or tie dyed. Gathered skirts, loose tops, padded cotton jackets. Much embroidery (although embroidery can, of course, be added to anything).

Folkwear do sort of touch on it, but their patterns are more themed than I really want. They might be the link I remembered though, with the haze of time over it.
 

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Posted by Drifting Star (# 12799) on :
 
I've just figured out that the word I'm looking for is hippy! Hippy style clothes.
 

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Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
There's a term I recognise - I live in homemade maxi dresses made from early 1970s patterns, vintage Laura Ashley style!
 

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Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Drifting Star:
A year or so ago someone on the Ship talked about making clothes from a particular manufacturer's patterns. They were lovely, unusual, folky/ethnic clothes, and Google is not my friend and won't dig them out for me.

I've also been trawling through Oblivion without any success. I thought it might have been Firenze, but my trawling suggests she uses mostly Vogue patterns, so maybe it was someone else.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Firenze:
If you do find a mother lode of such patterns, let us know.

I wish I could find patterns for the kind of clothes I occassionally see going past - usually on the streets of Paris on a soigné lady du un certain age. They are loose - all dropped shoulders and asymmetric hems - muted colours and either linen or coarse weave cotton. They look simple and effortless and are probably neither.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Penny S:
I'm slightly bemused by the idea of "modest dress" under the title of "The King's Daughters".

Look at us, aren't we modest...

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When I had a stall at Greenbelt selling my clothing and jewellery I met some women who wore 'modest' dress. They wore long skirts, tunics and scarves rather than prairie style though and they dropped by to chat because they noticed I was wearing pantaloons under my prairie dress and they thought I might be modest
 

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Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
A little googling will reveal to you sites that sell 'modest' everything from soccer uniforms to swim suits. These are purchased not only by polygamists in the Utah desert, but women in the Middle East.
 

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Posted by Doublethink. (# 1984) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Penny S:
I'm slightly bemused by the idea of "modest dress" under the title of "The King's Daughters".

Look at us, aren't we modest...

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quote:

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Originally posted by Doublethink.:
Trousers, long sleeve shirts ...

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quote:

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Originally posted by Penny S:
Muslim modest dress for males does cover more than most boys' clothes do.

I do feel that the prairie styles could have the effect of drawing the eye to the wearer (not in a sexual way, of course) and thus are not really modest. And certainly not plain.

Which is wholly irrelevant to the search for hippy patterns.

Have you thought of ebay? I've seen a couple of things I like, but the wrong size. Just searched for dress patterns 1970s.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Penny S:
Have you thought of ebay? I've seen a couple of things I like, but the wrong size. Just searched for dress patterns 1970s.

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I've had a quick look on Ebay (so many search terms, so many items, so little time...) I've also found quite a lot on Etsy, although so far all the ones I've liked have been very small sizes, and that's without factoring up because they're older.

There are quite a lot of vintage patterns out there when you start to look.
 

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Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
Feeling stupidly pleased with myself that I have managed to recycle some old artificial wire flower stems and a box of gathered lace into pretty flowers. These will be laid across napkins folded heart shape for a dinner party for 60 women. The result was better than I hoped for the cost of the glue for the glue gun.

I always wondered what I was going to do with that lace!
 

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Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
As to patterns, keep in mind what bits are easy to alter and what aren't. It is easy to make the thing longer or shorter, either by adding at the bottom or slicing in the middle of the paper pattern and taping in two inches worth of extra paper. Adding an inch or two to the waist is not difficult, to the bust rather harder.

Getting things to fit across the shoulder or the seat of the pants is much more difficult, and I would not mess with a neckline unless I had no other option.
 

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Posted by Drifting Star (# 12799) on :
 
The dress is nearly done! I used a pattern that I've had for about 15 years, two sizes too small, and sized it up (yes, bodice and all - I made a mock-up in spare material first). Nice and loose. Then I added the skirt, and it pulled the bodice down and made the top completely shapeless. Although the fabric is cotton lawn, the embroidery makes it heavier than you'd expect. So I took the bodice in by about the amount I'd added to it, fiddled with the darts, and it fits beautifully now.

As I was doing it I remembered that this is the way I always made my clothes (I've done very little for about 15 years) - make 'em too big, then take 'em in.

The one thing I haven't got, though, is the loose, cool summer dress I wanted - this is much more fitted and proper. Nice though. I haven't quite finished, because I'm waiting for some fabric to arrive to make a loose lining for the skirt - it looked fine until I stood in front of the window!
 

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Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Drifting Star:
The dress is nearly done! I used a pattern that I've had for about 15 years, two sizes too small, and sized it up (yes, bodice and all - I made a mock-up in spare material first).

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Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
Well done

Manic sewing time here. My WW1 re-enactment is on Saturday so I'm checking over my costume (Red Cross trained nurse on leave from the Front) and that of my youngest who is playing a hall servant. My apron is now well starched and stands independently
The deadline for Tudor costume approval is this week and in the last few weeks I made a new kirtle (basic dress) with detachable sleeves and 2 gowns. I ended up making a second gown as my first looks lovely but will probably be judged as too 'aspirational' for the character I play. The internal seams are machine sewn but external ones have to be hand finished so lots of hand sewing of eyelets on the front and shoulders of the kirtle.
This is my gown pattern, my posh gown has puffed, paned sleeves, the other plain short ones. My kirtle is front fastening similar to this one so my gown fastens all the way down the bodice with hooks to cover up the kirtle lacing.
 

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Posted by Drifting Star (# 12799) on :
 
Those are amazing HA. They must be very satisfying to make - I always find sewing fitted things very pleasing (although I prefer to wear loose things), probably because of the chance to make something that's fitted to me rather than to what the manufacturer thinks is right.
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
*bump*
 

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Posted by Surfing Madness (# 11087) on :
 
Hoping someone can offer some advice. I've just started felting, I want to make a bathmat. I'm trying to work out what backing to put on the felt so as to make it non slip. Any thoughts? Thanks
 

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Posted by Drifting Star (# 12799) on :
 
You could try this - there are others available more cheaply, but this is the one I've tried. I would think it might work well if the floor underneath is vinyl or tile.

[ 24. November 2015, 19:09: Message edited by: Drifting Star ]
 

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Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
You can buy a liquid rubber to paint onto the back of the finished mat. Don't know how well it holds up under wash and dry, however. Another idea is to simply get and use a separate nonslip rug underlayment like one of these. If the rug is not big then you can pic up the rug itself for washing, and pick up the underlayment when you feel like mopping or vacuuming the floor.
 

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Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
I have a sort of rubberised net which lies under rugs on my kitchen floor, and which could easily be cut to shape and stitched on the back of a felt mat. I can't find it online easily, but IKEA have something called STOPP which looks likely.
 

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