erika_kern

Thanks so much!

I never knew I was so brave! But really the jersey wasn't that hard to work with since I was using the annoying aspect of the fabric to my advantage, adding the rolled accent on the binding. And any proper quilter will let you know that the binding that I did was one of the easiest bindings to do since I binded all the sides individually.

Perhaps I lucked out, but I had no problem throughout the process with the jersey fabric. It felt like working with any other fabric. Perhaps I was just working in blissful ignorance. I do that a lot.

Like I said, I didn't use any interfacing and didn't run into any problems. I've already washed it once and it looks great.

I'll be covering the finishing the quilt in my 4/22 post!

I ran into no problems not using interfacing. To be honest the thought of using it never even entered my head. Since I knew that the edges of the fabric would roll I just made sure to give myself extra seam allowance and that seemed to work just fine.

beyondhalfcentury: It really doesn't matter what direction the grain is going, I have it going all sorts of directions on my quilt. Actually I found that the grain on most of the shirts I was working with was all wonky to begin with, so I quickly abandoned the idea of staying with the grain.

I really had no problem with stretching, just make sure not to pull at your fabric while sewing and you should be fine.

Thanks all!

I just quilted it last night and it's soooo comfy cozy! All soft from years of washing. . . warm but not too warm. Like Jek said, great for summer! Oh and camping, this would be so good for that and so great for shirts and onsies that have sentimental value but that the kids have long outgrown.

Thanks all! Having no kids of my own, I never even thought of this as a kid's craft but it would be great! I worked with fairly small pieces but if you use a bigger jar you could use bigger pieces for smaller hands. You could also skip the jar and make it into some sort of basket or bowl.

So happy you all like this! My mom wants me to mention that the flowers are from her yard. Giving credit where credit's due!

Hee. I like to call these craftastrophies.

aw gee! thanks!

So much fun! I love how it just screams spring. Oh, and you're completely making me miss Brooklyn. Brooklyn!

Thanks! Yeah, I do love the sparkle.

Thanks so much! So happy you like it.

Ha! I wish I could embroider on wood. That would be awesome!!!

Thank you all for all the kind words, you rock.

That is so lovely. It reminds me of the sea. . .

Hi all! Sorry I've been away. . . moving this week. Argh! Anyway . . .

Mscraftypants: I'll thrift with you any day!

Sister Diane: Making sure it's centered when you put your fabric in the button press is key. Once you put your button over the fabric, just keep an eye on the front through the press (it's white and thin, so your pattern will show through). If you're using the buttons with the teeth instead of the press, just keep an eye out while you pull your fabric taut, starting at the middle of your fabric. That should work but if it's a bit off center, that's okay! It adds to the charm.

Sparkletree: I've never tried it with my Badge-a-minit. . . it might work. Hum. . . Ideas!

Thanks all for your kind words! You've made my crazy week better!

ImaMes: Yeah, I usually do pillow backs like that so I thought I'd mix it up with the snaps. I love an envelope back pillow cover, though.

Man that's pretty, Kayte!

Great idea, Jen! I thought about doing it on the machine but I thought that the buttons might be too close together so I didn't even try. Silly me! Good to know for the future, though. . .

Yeah, I felt a bit crazy when I hit the halfway mark, but by that time I was in too deep! Funny thing about it is the weight. Since I used mostly shell and mother of pearl buttons, it's soooooo heavy!

blue and white sounds lovely!

Thanks! I, too, love the pearl button (can you tell?).

Thanks! It washes up great too.

Where do you live?

Oh! Turns out the Embroidery class on the 27th is full but we've added a class on March 4th. Yea!

lizander: I found the squeaks at my local Petsmart. If you don't have one near you there's a link to their website in the materials section of the how-to.

Aw!
You are welcome whenever you'd like, Jen. Bakersfield's a bit of a bore but the thrifting's great and the food is yummy. Bad for you but so yummy!

Nope, just painted it freehand in block letters.

oh you're making me blush!

Oh, thanks for the kind words! You're the sweetest.

As for my crafting. . . I'm not sure if it defines me or if I define my craft. I've always been a sort of improvisational person who bores with rules given to her. The way I sew and stitch follows that improv style.

My embroidery patterns are just lines and then I fill them however I see fit. I even like to doodle stitch sometimes.

As for sewing, I have a hard time following commercial patterns but I can sew the most difficult items if I design them. My friend Nikki, an amazing seamstress, often teases me about this. I can't sew a Simplicity dress to save my life yet I can design and put together a robot plush with over 50 pieces! What can I say. . . I'm a nut.

I'm sure you could use rice. I suspect it'd be floppy like a beanie and it might be a bit messy to work with but I say go for it!

You should do it Vicky! The face is super easy, it's just a bit of fabric paint. The key is to add the bit of white in the eye to add that extra glimmer. The glasses are just a bit of felt I cut out and sewed on over the face.

Aw, right back at you, girly!

Miba: No problem! I love a fan's passion!!!

Yeah, this is sooo much fun! Great idea for reusing ugly linens.

Miba: Yeah, I get what you're saying and if these were mint, I think I would have let them be. I appreciate the collectibility of mint items. But usually when people are using collectible linens in crafts these linens are not mint. . . far from it! Both the sheets I used had big stains on them. If watching Antiques Roadshow has taught me anything it's condition counts. If you have something that's, for lack of a better word, ruined why not make it into something, dare I say better?

Tina: I love reconstructed vintage! But I also completely get the "too precious" argument too. I've often bought things to reconstruct that end up left as is because I just can't cut into them. I find that if they're damaged in some way it makes it easier. I found this super cute 50's blouse the other day at the Salvation Army, the sleeves are all torn up but the front has the most amazing pleating! Now I just need to figure out what to make with it.

Okay! I added more info on the bottom corners. Thanks again!

Thanks for the heads up on the corners thing. I don't have another picture (since the bags are already made) but I'll try to explain the corner better.

One more thing. . . why is making money off something more important than making something cool and different from it?

This is just a question and in no way meant as an attack. It's just, I did pay good money (not a lot of money, but it was still as good as anything) and I used them in the best way I saw fit. I've seen clothes and bags and quilts made from these sheets all the time. I think it's a great thing to reuses something and make it one's own.

I guess I'd understand your point if I'd open a sealed up deadstock item but these were somewhat stained sheets from the thrift that were very well loved.

Well, they weren't in perfect condition and were just the top sheets. Plus, I don't understand the point of having something just to have it, which is what would happen if I just kept the sheets as is. This way I can appreciate them more. And isn't appreciating the true idea of fandom?

Aw, thanks! I got mad props at the grocery store too.

lindesign53: Oh. . . sorry, I don't mean like an actual envelope, I just mean it as a style of pillow cover closure. The kind that doesn't need a zip or buttons.

So your back will be made of 2 pieces of material, a larger piece and a smaller one. When you're pinning the front to back you'll place the large backing piece down on your front fabric and then the smaller piece. There should be an overlap, I usually overlap about 5". You should be able to see what I mean in the pictures, especially the shot of the pinned cover and the shots of the backs of the pillows.

SandieSews: I found mine at a local thrift where they always have green ticket or white ticket or pink ticket days. On the what ever color day you go in anything with that color ticket is half off. A lot of the smaller, non-chain, type thrifts have those days. Also lots of Salvation Army stores will mark down anything that's there a long time, and most of these sweaters are in the thrifts a LONG time.

Thanks! It was much easier than I thought it would be when I first had the idea. Took me no time at all!

Add me to the lovers! I'm a huge fan of this and have so many scraps! This is great!

That's wonderful!

They are way comfy too!
I like to sit on the floor to work and it's getting harder now that I'm getting older. These cushions are just the boost my aging rump needs. AND since the sweaters I used are old acrylic ones they are completely machine washable!

I like the zip lock idea! That's great!
I used to keep my patterns in boxes, but then I just had too many! But I'm a bit of an organizational nut...

So. . . things happen, as they do. . . and I haven't gotten to start the robots. It's still in the works but might have to wait a month or two to get going. . . sometimes life gets in the way of crafts, darn life. . .

Oh, don't worry, I made veggies too.
Velcro would be great but I just found the snaps a better fit for how I wanted it to look but I could see velcro working splendidly!

Seriously.

You can find it at most Barnes & Noble newsstands. They even have it in my less than cosmopolitan town. You can also subscribe to it via Amazon.

About magnets: Yeah. . . if I were to use them I'd sew them into the the inside of the toy.

OOOHHHH Magnets!!!! I love the magnet idea. I wish I'd thought of that!

Yeah, felt treats are great but every time I look at them I want the real thing so I'm a goner either way!

Thanks! It's so easy to do too.

Well, keeping a nice tension on the floss as you're stitching helps a lot but if you are trying to fill a larger shape and you're planning on using it and not stretching it I would strongly recommend not using this stitch. I would only use a satin stitch on spots that are 1" or less across. Instead of a satin stitch for what you're talking about, I would use another fill like a split stitch. It takes a lot longer to stitch but it's worth it. The split stitch locks each stitch down and makes it super durable, but you still get a pretty smooth look to the finished piece.

Hope this helps!

Great ideas! I love it when I have an idea and then you all make it even better.

Thanks so much!
You'll have to post a pic if you make one, I'd love to see it!

How Glamorous! Everytime you post a project it makes me wish I had an embroidery machine. . . one other than my own hands. . . but yeah, that belt is fab!

Okay. . . that is the cuteness! So pretty and useful and thoughtful. I'll have to tuck that away in my mind for gifties.

You sure can stamp fabric!
I've done linoleum block prints using the Jaquard paint and it worked really well. I do find that the transfer off a block or stamp isn't as clear as it is off a screen (since a Print Gocco is basically a small table top screen printer) but it can give your work a cool slightly distressed work. If you use a stamp, I'd recommend something with little detail so that you don't have to worry about blury fine lines.

That does sound gorge' kiliki! Me, I go all crosseyed with the beads. . . but I'd love to see your work.

thanks so much!

That sounds great! I'd love to see what you do.

Jealous doesn't begin to describe how jealous I am!

Hi Luluvision! The stabilizer I use is Sulky's Solvy. It's the bomb! I swear they should sponsor me I use so many of their products!
And thanks bunches Cathy and Michaela! I feel the love!!!

Thanks! Yeah, it was hard coming up with something since there are SO many awareness motifs out there.

Yeah. . . I'm a BIG felt fan. I love how forgiving it is and I also love how people have this expectation of it and how easy it is to do something unexpected with it because those expectations are so low.

I love the idea of this as a mother daughter project. Warms the heart!

Thanks! Oh! I loved your log too Kayte, I remember seeing it and swooning.

Well. . . I have been accused of being an embroidery machine. Hee hee.

You're more than welcome!
The only hint I can give you about the satin stitch is tension, close stitches, and patience. Also, though it uses a lot of floss, I like to have the back match the front on my satin stitch because it helps with that all important tension.

Yeah. . . I once tried stitching on a long car ride and, though I'm not usually one for motion sickness, I thought I was gonna be sick. Lesson learned!

That's 10 kinds of cute! I know a little baby boy who might be getting one of those for his birthday!

Okay. . . that is seriously, stupidly cute! I want! You're gonna get me crocheting yet, Ms. Linda!

Thanks guys! Yeah I love Martha almost as much as I love robots. Yea robots!

Fixed! Thanks normasews, you're a lifesaver!

I stand corrected! Sorry about that, I've always know that as a running stitch. . . makes sense though, since you have to go back to do the stitch. Duh, Erika! Thanks for the info, I'll go back and fix it!

So lovely! What a wonderfully thoughtful idea.

Exactly! Plus, I've found my floss always gets more tangled when I store it on the cardboard. Yeah. . . I ALWAYS loose the bands, I have a few bags with ? on them because I didn't make a bag in time. Those are my mystery floss!

Thanks! Yeah, the chain stitch is the bomb! I always admire the cross stitcher. . . especially the counted cross stitcher. . . I always miscount and then have to rip it out and stitch it all over again!