Stitches in Play

Spring cleaning

It's Spring and I feel the need to clean.  Today the kiddos and I cleaned closets and drawers, toy bins and bookshelves, and packed bags of clothes and toys to donate.  While cleaning out my sewing space, I came across this quilt top that I started back in January. 

The top wasn't really big enough and with my need to "clean, complete, or get rid of" in high gear I decided I would add a quick border rather than cut and piece more squares for the zig-zag design. 

I cut random sized rectangles and strip pieced them together.  I'm not sure if I like it but it took less than two hours to complete - even with three kiddos running around.  And the top is now about 65" by 62" inches  - which is the perfect size for a lap quilt...

or for an impromptu spring picnic blanket.

I'm still not sure how I feel about the rather large border - but I love that it's complete! 

Now I just have to find the time to quilt it!

modifying jane's head scarf

I received a question regarding the modifications I made to the Jane's Head Scarf pattern in Heather Ross' Weekend Sewing book.  So here goes.

I made two changes to better fit a child's head:
(1)  I made the head scarf reversible and
(2)  I cut the fabric rectangle a bit smaller

The pattern calls for one 17 1/2" x 8" inch rectangle of fabric for the scarf. 
To fit a child's head, I cut two 16" x 8" rectangles in complimentary fabrics.

Next, the pattern requires that you turn and press the two long edges of the fabric and top-stitch along these edges.

To make the scarf reversible, I sewed two 16" x 8" rectangles of complimentary fabric along the long edges, right sides together.  Then I turned them right side out, and followed the remainder of the sewing instructions in the book.

Truth be told, I made a green head scarf first.  In this one I top-stitched along both long edges after I turned the rectangle right-side-out.  I did this so it would look more like the version in the book, but I wasn't happy with the stitching so close to the face.

So there you have it.  Two modifications. Two cute and simple scarves.  Let me know if this helps.

Enjoy your weekend!

sewing a skirt without a serger or 'the french seam'

Today, with the help of a very enthusiastic four year old, I sewed a simple spring skirt.  There are some very cute  skirts out there for inspiration. 

When I went to my serger I remembered it still looked like this because little fingers keep causing the loopers to become unthreaded.  I was not about to thread a serger with a kiddo pulling down (I mean picking out) fabric and stretching (I mean measuring) yards of elastic so I went with the French seam or enclosed seam method for the side seam.

If you don't have a serger - or just don't have the time to thread it - here's how I make a French seam.  This is an enclosed seam that will not fray or unravel and makes for a very neat finish.

First, cut fabric selvage to selvage (I cut 18" for a 4 year old)
Next, fold fabric WRONG SIDES TOGETHER.  This part is counter intuitive.
Sew seam with a 1/4 inch seam allowance.
Press seam to one side.

Now turn fabric RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER, enclosing the first seam.  Press.

Sew with a 5/8 inch seam allowance to encase the first seam.  All the raw edges are now enclosed.  Press to one side.

Press again from the right side.

Finally, sew casing for the elastic.  Thread elastic.  All done!

Note:  It's easier to hem the skirt before sewing the side seam - when the fabric is flat.

This seam will hold up to numerous washings without fraying or unraveling. Let me know if you give this a try. 

I will leave you with these words of wisdom:  A girl can never have too many spring skirts!

a new belt for spring

Happy first day of Spring!  It was only 48 degrees here today but the sky is blue and the sun is shining and hope is in the air!  In honor of the first day of spring, I'd like to share how I make a simple spring fabric belt.

(note to self: do not wear your sweater hiked up over you belly like this unless you are taking photos of your spring belt to post on blog.)

You will need a length of 1 inch belt webbing and a 4 inch wide strip of you favorite cotton fabric.  The average belt is 38 to 40 inches long, but it's best to measure the length of your favorite belt.

Cut the webbing the length that you would like for your finished belt  and cut the fabric 3 inches longer.  This will give you a nice size flap for the D-ring closure.

With iron, press 1/2 inch on all 4 sides.  Then press in half lengthwise.

To achieve desired length, you may need to join 2 lengths of fabric (seam shown in photo below).

Place webbing inside fabric, flush with one end.

There will be 2 inches extra fabric on the opposite end.

Fold fabric in on itself to enclose webbing.

Pin through the end with the webbing to hold the layers together and keep them from shifting while you sew.  Your ends will look like this.

Sew all the way down one long side with 1/8 inch seam allowance.  Flip and repeat on the other side.

Thread the end without the webbing through the D-rings (use 1 1/2 inch D-rings with the 1 inch webbing).  Fold the extra 2 inches of fabric over and sew to secure D-rings.  Sew another seam a 1/2 down.  See photo below.  (D-rings purchased at Walmart)

The back side will look like this:

All done.  Now put on your new belt and enjoy your spring day!

This belt takes about 20 minutes to make.

It took me much longer to take all of these photos and write this blog post.

But I did have enough time to whip up the Jane's head scarf pattern from this book.  I made it reversible and sized the pattern down a bit so that it would better fit a child's head.

It goes well with a big box of sidewalk chalk!

Thank you so much for stopping by and enjoy your weekend!  IT'S SPRING!

it's raining - day 6

Today is the sixth straight day of rain.  It's dark and gloomy and I'm beginning to forget what the sun looks like.  I've been sewing and knitting a bit but it's too dark to photograph anything.  Truth be told I was starting to get a bit down.  I needed something silly and unexpected to get me out of my rut, to make me smile - when I saw these:

while driving the kiddos to school today.  My oldest kiddo said there was a shorter route to school so we followed a school bus down a windy path and spotted these gourd bird houses on a property not one mile from our house!  How fun are these!  Of course, I had to pull over, whip out the camera, roll down the window, and take pictures.  It took us longer to get to school but I was inspired.  When I got back home, I decided to walk around our rain soaked property looking for beauty and inspiration.

First up, Camellias...

Daffodils...

moss on ground ...

and upon further inspection, heart shaped leaves among the moss...

moss on maple...

moss in a mound...

moss in chartreuse ...

and inside, some progress on the diminishing rib cardigan (the color is way off in this photo)...

and some lucky clovers for St. Patrick's day.

Hope you find some beauty today.  All you have to do is look!

pantry broccoli soup - approved by 2 out of 3 kiddos

Although broccoli soup does not photograph well, take my word for it, this one is delish!

After all, It's what's inside that counts!

Since all of these ingredients came from my pantry I will call this:

15 minute pantry broccoli soup

1 large onion, chopped
1 large bunch broccoli, chopped
splash canola oil
1 can chicken or veggie broth
1 cup water
1 small box butternut squash soup
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper to taste

In large soup pot, saute onion and broccoli in oil for 3 min. 
Add broth, water, and butternut squash soup and simmer 10 minutes.
Blend right in the pot using immersion blender. 
Add milk, cheese, salt and pepper.
Heat through (1 minute).  Enjoy!

Everyone (with the exception of the super- finicky middle child) loved this soup so much that I made it twice this week!  Try it - it's yummy and healthy!

Documenting recipes is yet another benefit of blogging.  For years I have been throwing together ingredients without writing anything down.  And months later when my husband would say "why don't you make the (fill in the food here)?"  I could never recall what it was that I did or what ingredients I'd used.  And now it's all here, neatly filed away, in cyber space!

this is how I piece triangles

I love making quilts.  I love selecting fabrics.  I love the sound the rotary cutter makes when it slices through layers of fabric.  I love the hum of the sewing machine.  I love dropping the feed dogs and quilting the layers together with 'squiggles.'  I love watching my kiddos snuggle under quilts that I made.  And I love instant gratification!   

The triangle square is my favorite block to work with because it can be arranged in many  different  wonderful  configurations. What I don't love is working with the bias edge and triangle points that are constantly being sucked into the throat plate of my machine.  So I always piece my triangles using squares.  Using squares makes the piecing fast, accurate, and eliminates working with bias edges and points.  (This method is by no means unique - it can be found in many books as well as on-line.)  

This is how I piece my triangles:

First cut contrasting fabric into squares (these are 6.5 inch squares & will yield  5.5" triangle units)

Next select one square from each stack and place them right sides together.  Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of one square.  I use a regular #2 pencil and a ruler to do this. (I used red here for demo)

To save time, I mark and pin up to fifty squares at once.

Line up the left edge of the sewing machine foot with the pencil line and sew the squares together using the chain piecing method illustrated in the next photo. 

Do not cut the thread after each square.  I often chain piece 20-30 squares before I stop and cut the threads connecting them - this saves a lot of time and thread. 

Then flip the squares around, line up the edge of the sewing machine foot with the pencil line and sew a quarter inch seam on the opposite side of the pencil line.  Each square will make two triangle square units.

Next, cut the squares apart on the pencil line to make two triangle units.

Press each triangle unit open.

Use scissors to trim the dog ears of the seam allowance.  And viola, perfect triangle squares!  Easy-peasy!

I hope this inspires you to try these.

And look at what's inspiring me today.  This amazing fern platter that I scored from this talented blogger and potter.  Go check out her etsy shop to see more!

Have a terrific weekend!

this is how I cast on

I always cast on using two needles.

I do this for several reasons, one of which happens to be that this is how my mom told me to do it when she taught me to knit - I was eight.  But I continue to use this method because it allows me to pull each stitch taught, creating stitches of exactly the same size with even tension. This method also creates nice, loose stitches so that hems, cuffs and necklines won't pull.   Finally, casting on with two needles is super fast because you don't have to worry about keeping even tension or making the stitches so tight that they become difficult to knit. 

As for needle size, I usually go down a needle size from the needle I will be knitting with.  For example, for this project I will be using a size 8 so I cast on using two size 7 needles held together.  (this is not a hard and fast rule - often I use the same size as the working needle held together)

To begin knitting, I gently pull out one of the two needles and knit the stitches off onto my working needle.  The photo below shows how neat and even the stitches look after the second needle is pulled out.  

Then I simply knit the stitches onto my working needle.  (in this case I am using a circular needle)

When the pattern calls for joining in the round, I usually knit off the first row and join on the second row.

And what are all these stitches going to become?  Why the Diminishing Rib Cardigan, of course!  But it looks like this one will take a while.

Edited to add:  It was just brought to my attention that I neglected to state that this pattern calls for a tubular cast-on.  I chose, instead, to do a regular long-tail cast-on because I like the way the 'chain' that the long-tail makes looks around the neckline.  If you are casting on for this sweater using the tubular cast-on then disregard my method. 

My two-needle cast-on really works best for long-tail cast-on.

And I leave you with a photo of my lunch, dump salad II, thrown together in a moment of great hunger and great frustration when I came home after taking my 'no-longer-sewing' sewing machine to be serviced.  Argh!

Thanks for hanging in there to the end!

How do you cast on?

schools, volunteering, and quiet time

This is the first year that my kiddos attend different schools.   Last year and for the six years prior they attended the small Montessori school in our community.  I cannot say enough good things about this school and what it has provided my three kiddos.  They are capable of self-directed learning, they know to provide help to younger children who need it, and they understand that it is up to them to keep a clean, tidy and calm environment. 

This year my boys (grades 2 and 4) are attending public school.  Their transition was very smooth due mainly to the strong foundation they had received. 

All this means that I now volunteer at, not one, but two schools - and some days I feel depleted.
At the Montessori school I help organize the school auction, plus I have sewn nine class quilts over the past three years.  These take forever to make but generate a lot of money for the school.  At the public school I volunteer two days per week, during which time I read with first and second graders who need extra help.  I find volunteering very fulfilling but today - after a meeting at one school and reading with kiddos at another -  I was feeling like I needed a few minutes of quiet - so I stopped by my favorite "quiet place" - the local library.

And look what I found...

The Domino book brimming with creative decorating ideas, organized room by room.  And Jamie Oliver's new book full of gorgeous photography and yummy recipes - all inspired by Jamie's fruit and vegetable garden.

And some books on CD to keep me company while I knit.  I read these in college and loved them and am looking forward to enjoying them again.

And finally, a book brought home by my four-year-old today that is making me smile.  This serves to remind me why I do all I do and helps keep me going...

new nine patch quilt and binding-by-machine tutorial

I'd like to share this very bright, very easy nine patch quilt that I finished for Abigail. 

This quilt top came together quickly because I strip pieced the blocks.  Abigail and I chose the fabrics.  Next, I cut the fabrics selvage to selvage into 4" strips.  I then sewed the strips together using this method.   Once the blocks were complete, we arranged them on the floor and sewed them together.

Here's the pieced back of the quilt.

For this quilt, I attached the binding by machine. 

While I love the look of numerous tiny, barely-visible hand stitches that serve to personalize a quilt, I must admit that hand sewing binding is not my favorite part.  So given that this quilt will be used daily and washed often, I chose to sew the binding by machine.  Not to mention the fact that my finger is still sore from sewing the binding on this quilt last week.

The following is a mini tutorial on how I attach binding by machine:

Cut binding fabric into 4 1/2" strips.  Attach the strips end to end by placing fabric right sides together at 90 degree angle.  Sew, trim, iron seam flat to one side.

Press entire strip in half lengthwise:

Using a walking foot, sew binding to the quilt using 1/4" seam allowance and mitering corners:

Then fold the binding to the back of the quilt and machine sew it in place.  Sew very close to the edge of the binding strip.

The trick here is that the binding is wider on the backside than it is on the front of the quilt.  Thus you will not catch the front of the binding when you sew.

However, this method does create a seam (bobbin thread) on the front of the quilt all the way around, about 1/4 inch from the binding edge.  See photo below.

If this bothers you, you can make the binding a bit narrower, causing the seam on the front to be closer to the binding - but you take the chance of actually catching the front binding as you sew, causing wrinkles and puckers. 

Caveat - this technique is not for special, heirloom quilts that take weeks to piece.  Those bindings need to be sewn by hand.

But this method is quick, neat, and produces none of the puckering that you get when you wrap the binding around the quilt and sew, trying to catch both sides at the same time.  

Done:

In use:

I spy ten happy toes.
 

Shalom cardigan - c'est fini

The Shalom Cardigan is done.  Although I started it less than a month ago, this sweater seemed to take forever to knit.  First, I accidentally began knitting it with a ball of malabrigo chunky yarn that was earmarked for a cowl.  See this post for details.  So I ordered three more skeins (I ended up using only two so that cowl will still be knit) and worked on other projects in the interim.  When I finally picked it up again, I no longer loved it but decided to finish it because I was already half done and I love knitting rows of mindless stockinette stitch!  Now that it's finished, I think it's pretty cute and I will definitely wear it. 

This is an easy knit and the pattern is very well written, so go ahead and make one for yourself. 

Without further ado, here it is:

I have not had a chance to block it yet, and these pictures were taken on the back porch because it was pouring rain out yesterday!

Here's the back - I followed the pattern and increased three times at the hips but two increases would have been better.  Maybe blocking will take care of this.

Sally likes the sweater - either that or my shirt smells of chicken!

Yarn:  4 skeins Malabrigo chunky (400 yards), colorway Tuareg 98

Needles: US size 10

I made several modifications to the pattern:
    I used a smaller size needle (10 rather than 10 1/2),
    added a second button - not sure that was such a great idea since it pulls a bit,
    increased a bit less in the yoke when it seemed to be getting too big
    decreased three times instead of four at the waist because it fit a bit snug,
    made it a bit shorter - I'm happy with this decision

After all the rain, it started to snow!  We have a snow day today so I will be signing off now.  It appears that I am expected to go make hot chocolate and bake cookies - immediately!