Been doing some sewing...

Well of course I was making those ties for something. I remember when I wouldn’t wear anything with an elastic waist, now it’s my staple. So, I needed some cool and easy summer clothes that were not shorts.  This is a Lawley skirt, a (nother?!) free pattern from Elbe textiles. I didn’t think it was too terribly old, but I didn’t see it offered anymore when I just made the link. It’s a shame because it’s a pretty nice skirt, especially in a nice rayon/linen blend. It came in sizes A through M, which was from pretty darn small to pretty darn big. Still, before cutting out I read finished garment sizes and decided to add a few by decreasing the indent of the waist. This was pretty unnecessary. The instructions had you gather BEFORE attaching the elasticized waistband, why? I just drew up the skirt and waistband after sewing together. I added a couple inches to make the pockets deeper, and I was a couple inches short on the hem with my fabric.

I got to practice buttonholes on the M7 for the first time. Not tremendously impressed. It does require a stabilizer, I reinforced with a patch of self fabric. I put a slip of paper on top of the feed dogs before the fabric to get a clean buttonhole. Serviceable, but probably not quite as nice as the vintage singer buttonholer. When I make some to show, I’ll probably fire up the 201-2 and the ancient buttonholer she uses.

Thank God for the serger. I french seamed the side seams, but that waistband was a fraying mess!

I top stitched the French hems, the bottom hem, everywhere I could figure out a place to put down some stitching. I was finding it soothing.

I needed a body skimming appropriate top to wear with this, and found yet another freebie (I swear I DO have half a bazillion dollars worth of paid patterns!), Ellie and Mac curved hem pocket t tank. It comes xxsmall to 5x. I made 5x because that’s where I am now, freaking out about it and nearly naked. So, I made this top. I made no changes to the bust, shoulders, arm scythe, or length. Love when I can do that without a funny looking result.

I had to use paper to prevent the machine from eating this tissue thin jersey knit, but after getting it started there weren’t more issues. Until we got to the pocket. All kinds of fuss kicked up over a little detail that I believe is kind of passé any way. But I got my heels dug in over the principal of the thing and had to get it on the damn shirt. I wished for hem tape, but I had Elmers school glue. I got it on.

The arm and neck bindings didn’t cause me much stress. The busy print helped. I used a zig zag because stitching disappears from 3 feet, if this were a solid I probably would have twin needled.

I got a bonus garment from the daisies. I can’t remember where this came from, or how cheap it was, but I think it was a deal. I’ve been making this no-brainer summer nightgown since 1976 or so. Sew two square panels together, leaving 3 or 4 inches open on the top end of both seams for arms. Finish the arm openings in a hem, turn over the two long sides to make a casing for the top and hem the bottom. Because the fabric is so thin, there is no drag and barely any weight to this swingy stretchy easy on off summer garment. I spend a lot of time nearly naked at my house and I’ve really needed this in my life for when some daytime person knocks on the door for something. Or family shows up when I’m sleeping.

 

The straps have been stretching so I have been shortening them. Otherwise, the gown sinks lower and lower.... It has the most perfect shirttail hem from all the gathering in the middle of the front and back. Don’t remember that from previous incarnations.

My third and first really awful covid haircut, and a rainbow. Despite loosing those inches for the hem I think it’s long enough on my 5’11” frame even after turning up 1 1/2”. Deep pockets keep stuff in the pockets.

I would never wear it tucked in, but I hear you are supposed to show it?

Like wise the back view. I’ve got a waist? Must be just in the back. I’ve never seen an indent like that on me anytime. I’d give it up quickly to loose a hundred pounds. I’m going to have to do it, I’m garnering strength like I did for quitting smoking. That took a couple years to do, as I recall. I got there though. I have never been more than a few pounds over until I hit 50, started working nights, stopped my active lifestyle and went on crutches for a year as I sailed into menopause. Haha, and quit smoking, hahaha. Maybe I could quit eating and just consume vodka, those ladies are usually slimmer. No! I’m going to start walking and yoga on a regular basis. I have a mat at both client’s houses, my truck, and a couple at my house. I need to commit. Sigh. 

 

I’m sewing another pair of self drafted panties from Beverly Johnson’s craftsy class, and I made a boob ham from Porcelynne’s free pattern. For pressing bra cup seams. Then I’ve got some baby stuff planned.

Folded paper strips for straps or binding

The brief explanation:

1. Fold a piece of card the width of your strip in half. Open and fold edges in to the middle. Open again.

2. Lay your strip on folded card and fold up into double folded strip of either bias or straight of grain.

3. Pull it through to press or directly to machine needle for sewing.

I’ve  spent the last hour or so hunting for a link to where I learned this technique this spring, but I can’t find it. Somebody somewhere called it a jig or something, seems that it is used in industrial sewing sometimes. In any case, I learned it in my mask/scrub cap making frenzy this year and it’s HANDY and I want to pass it on.

I imagine I’ve made several miles of folded strips, either bias or straight of grain, for binding or straps or some purpose through the years. I have used the metal  bias binding gadgets, I’ve used the old singer attachments you screw down on your machine to send it under the needle, and I’ve spent too much time folding and pressing and trying not to burn my fingers. Bag all that! Well, I might use 1 or 2 again but I hope not 3. THIS method is great because you can make it whatever size you want and you can make a new one and not have to hunt for where you put that sucker. Works great.

Doing this quick and dirty tutorial from my home health job not my house, with stuff I had already recorded for a possible upcoming post. So, meh on the quality of photos but I think the technique is easy enough to grasp.

I like card stock, flimsy cardboard, I used an index card. Cut out a piece 1 1/2” to 2” long by approx the width of your fabric. Fold the width of card in half , open it. Then fold the sides in to that inside fold. You will have 3 folds; the middle and two sides.

Then you can insert your fabric strip, and use the paper folds to manipulate the fabric into a double folded strip.

Send the folded fabric under the presser foot and sew if you are making straps.  Cord or elastic could be inserted along the middle fold if you desired. I imagine you might be able to guide one thickness of fabric enclosed in the fold (like the red fabric bordered by yellow behind the sewing machine) but probably not a quilt. Of course you could pull it through to an iron instead of sewing without a press, but if you can skip that finger risking process, why not?. This is a rayon/linen blend cut on straight grain. 100% cotton was much easier to slide through and sew. The linen blend wanted to flatten out very close to exiting the tube. Still, not much hassle at all.

I was so pleased to find the folded paper trick. I hope it can help someone else out.