How to make an ironing board cover

For a while I've been living with this REALLY nasty ironing board cover. It was so bad that I would not expose you to a photo...too embarrassing. Like mending, these tedious things sort of pile up on me because I don't really like doing them. Today I finally made a new cover, and it wasn't so bad. In fact, it was pretty easy, painless, and REALLY cost effective. My pad is still in perfect shape, but if yours is worn out, replace it with 100% cotton batting, at least 2 layers. It can be pieced also. Use cotton thread and a mending stitch. Here is a link to how to do it: http://www.sewchicpatterns.blogspot.com/2012/08/all-about-ironing-board-padding.html

I found a scrap of cotton fabric that had the look that said "I belong on an ironing board!" It wasn't quite long enough, so I pieced it at the end, turning the grain.You can see the seam at the right hand arrow.

Lay the rectangular fabric on the board. Trim the fabric leaving about 3" of  hang all the way around. It doesn't have to be perfect, so don't stress over this. I wasn't very careful, and you can see by the left side arrow that I left too much hang on that side. This will be a slight difficulty for me when it comes time to tighten the cover, but nothing impossible to deal with.

Next, sew a casing all the way around. I always do this by pressing under 5/8" from the raw edge and then press under again 1/4" inside the seam allowance. Top stitch close to the inside fold all the way around. You'll have to overlap fabric in tiny tucks around the curves. If you want it to look beautiful, do a basting stitch at the 1/4" fold and pull the thread to gather the fabric in before you stitch it down. For me, I don't care. This job doesn't have to look too pretty, it just needs to get done. Leave a 1/2" opening in the stitching somewhere.

My drawstring is going to be some nylon string that I have in my junk drawer. I need to thread this string through the casing all the way around the cover. A bodkin is a fancy tool invented to do this job, but as you can see, I've never used mine. I prefer a safety pin. I put a knot in the end of the string and then put the pin through the knot. I push the safety pin which leads the string, pulling it through the casing.

Lay the cover back on the board and pull the string until the cover is tight. Tie a knot or a double bow.

My cover is clean, white, lovely, and finished.Yay! I accomplished it. I should go do some ironing now...

Spoonflower: Make and Print your own Fabric!

Fabric and clothing design are like laces and shoes. Burgers and buns. Fountains and water. Together they help fulfill and compliment each other. Very often, but not always, my new designs start with fabrics that I find inspirational. When the design idea  comes first, I have to search around for a fabric to fit with my still imaginary style, and you can guess this is sometimes a frustrating effort. How often have you looked for even a plain fabric in the right color to use as a binding, trim or contrast and come up empty handed? There is a solution you may not have thought of: Print your own!

Last year I started designing and printing my own fabrics. Using a product called Bubblejet 2000 that prepares cotton or silk fabrics, I can permanently print any image onto fabric with an ordinary inkjet printer. Quilters have been using this product (or fabric prepared with this product) for years to make what they call "memory" quilts. But instead of printing a digital photograph onto fabric, I created my own high resolution repeatable print images from scratch on the computer. The uses, applications, and colors are limitless; the only limitation is the size of your printer. If you can print letter size only, check to see if you can set your  printer to "banner". In banner print, you are still limited by width, but not by length. If your project requires a wider width without seams, you can upload your image to Spoonflower.com and they will print your fabric for you. You can see the fabrics I uploaded to Spoonflower here: http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/681353   

Spoonflower is a great place to buy fabrics designed by others too. I LOVE this fabric by Bob Staake.

Designing your own digital print is only a little bit complicated, depending on your design idea. It also helps to be familiar with the program you'll be using to design with.  If you are a graphic designer, then you're well on your way to becoming a famous fabric designer! If you are new at this, start with an idea that will be easy to repeat and execute. For the next month, I've listed my vintage fabrics tutorial CD, available on Etsy, for half price. Using a step by step format, I go through the process of designing a print for fabric printing using photoshop. If you know your way around it, just about any drawing/image editing program will also work. If you know of a good tutorial on the web- let us all know about it with a comment and I will add the link to the bottom of this post.

Using the Starter Skirt Pattern #1000, view A, here is me wearing the skirt I made from the fabrics that I printed. What do you think?

Fittings with Julie

I have so many irons in the fire right now my head is spinning. We are working on a coat- a suit- and 3 dresses, all at various stages of the game. Yesterday was to be fit model day and I had concocted a plan to post photos of little snippets of the fittings for you, but alas, she had to cancel at the last minute. :-(

To stay within the same theme, I'm going to show you some photos of fittings I did with Julie, a former student. Julie does not have too many fitting worries, though she is larger busted, and has narrow shoulders. This is a common situation.

I suggested [when sewing with my patterns] that she use a smaller bodice size to get a narrow shoulder, and then do a full bust adjustment. She then made the Fantasia Pattern and came to visit me for a follow up fitting. I should have taken a photo full front but didn't think about that until too late. The fit isn't bad, but the shoulders are still too wide for her, and the bodice length is too long.

The wide shoulders are pretty clear in this back shoulder photo. She could go down one more size, and then the shoulder and length would fit better. She would have to add a bit more width into the full bust adjustment, which would give her the width that she needs for the bust measurement, and then transition to the larger size for the waist. Since she already made this alteration, there is another easier way to accomplish the goal, which I will get to at the end. For now, here's how the fitting went:

 When making alterations, I always start at the bust and work my way down, then up. Get the armhole right, then you can deal with the sleeve and shoulders. Though the sleeve is attached, in the order of operations I pinned the sleeve on last.


The armhole was a bit sloppy, so I took in about 1/4" to make everything a bit more snug. Here's a good close up.

 Then I pinned the skirt up to the waist where it belongs.

Last I pinned the sleeve on all the way around the arm where it looks the best. See that little ripple(s) in the back? I would have liked to take that back in just a little more narrow, but she likes the room back there. We'll call that "wearing ease".

If everything else looks and feels good, here is the way to reduce width at the shoulder without messing with the rest of the pattern: 

Draw a line to cut through the middle of the shoulder, squaring off ending at the armhole just above the notch. Cut the pattern apart along this line.

Slide the shoulder piece along the horizontal line, overlapping the vertical line until the shoulder is the correct measurement.












 True the jog in the two pieces, and your pattern is done.

It's always a good idea to "walk" your sleeve pattern to to the arm hole to make sure that it still fits. On Julie's dress, all is fine because the reduction at the princess seam was taken up in the longer reach of the shoulder line.

Here is the sleeve again from the front. If I remember right, that fold in the sleeve is from a fold in the fabric- needs pressing.  Looks good, doesn't it?

I cannot say it often enough, that fit is a matter of personal taste. If YOU like the fit, then it's perfect!

(Over) Dressed for the Occasion

I'm a big fan of historic movies where they all have horribly boring lives, but always stick to the requirements of society, and make "dressing for dinner" look like so much fun. Women had a dress specific to every occasion, whether it be for afternoon tea, riding a horse, or evening wear.

These days, society requirements have become a bit more casual, but we still have clothing specific to an occasion, and most people want to be in line with what everyone else is wearing. Well, after an experience I had today, I say it's time to step up the formality and let the jeans take a vacation.

I wore the Fantasia in red brocade to an appointment today. On my way home I decided I better save myself a trip and stop off at the grocery store. At first I felt a bit conspicuous walking up to the door with my long fish tail train swaying behind me, but before I could even pull out a grocery cart, a woman leaned over and said "Beautiful Dress!" I smiled and said thank you. As I looked up, I could tell right away this was going to be a different shopping experience. Right away, people made eye contact, nodded, and smiled at me. I didn't even make it to the produce when an employee asked me if I found everything alright (there is nothing in my basket yet!). As I make my way through the busy store, men step aside for me, women are friendly, and employees are exceptionally helpful. In my 30 minutes there, I received 4 compliments centered squarely on what I was wearing. Then I locked my keys in my car (that's another story altogether!). While I waited for my husband to come to the rescue, I contemplated on how what I was wearing completely changed my experience.

In the midst of my contemplation, my husband drives up. "I unlocked it for you...and by the way" he says "....you look lovely!" That makes 5!

The Morse Sewing Machine, a question of popularity?

Today while I was updating my "about me" section, it made me think about the relatively unknown Morse brand sewing machine. Who has ever heard of Morse? Who hasn't heard the name of Singer? I found this great ad  for the Morse machine from 1963:

As a way of rating popularity, I looked up the words "Morse Sewing Machine" in the google key word tool. There were only 2900 monthly searches as compared to 368,000 searches for "Singer Sewing Machine".  Though it's not a true comparison of popularity- modern sewing machines still use the name of Singer, and Morse is no more- it saddens me to see such a fine machine lost in obscurity.

I wonder about the history. How did this happen? Did they advertise to the right crowd? Was the machine too expensive? Made in Japan- were people hanging on to WWII prejudice? Was the quality in question? Was it bought out by some larger company and then shut down? In those days, purchases were not made lightly, and products were meant to last. The Morse company went to the bother of qualifying for a Good Housekeeping seal of approval which meant something to the housewife. What more could someone do to get noticed by the public?

My mother bought this now unknown used machine for something like $35 around 35 years ago (As compared to a new $800 machine I bought that lasted for only 8 years!). She bought a New Home sometime after, but hung on to the old Mr. Morse intending to give it to my little sister who is now a beginning sewist. My sister took it for a short while, but wanted a modern machine with all the standard stitches. It took me a while but I convinced mom to let me have it, and I love it. It will sew any kind of fabric from fine to thick with perfect tension and feed. The machine sews quickly (which I need!), has no problems with winding a bobbin or using different kinds of thread. Though it won't do an automatic button hole, I'm not bothered by that because I learned long ago how to set my zig zag length and width to make a button hole manually.  If this were my only machine, I admit that I would miss having a blind hem stitch, but 99% of my sewing is with a straight stitch anyway. This machine gets much use.

My mom came over not too long ago and again mentioned giving the Morse machine to my sister. Sorry mom, but she had her chance. Mr. Morse doesn't want to sit under her table waiting and waiting for a little love while my sister stitches away on her modern plastic model. Mr. Morse and I have a love affair with each other, and he belongs to me.

Thank you Ron Anderson of  A1 Sewing Machine Specialists at www.a1sewingmachine.com
for providing a copy of this letter found inside of a manual telling us more about the origination of the Morse Sewing Machine:

Sorry folks! I can't help you find parts, nor do I own a manual. Good luck with your search!

New Style and Pattern Giveaway!

Are you ready for some great summer sewing? We finished the Spin Skirt pattern just in time for summer and it's a winner when it comes to wearability. I've been wearing this skirt for several months while we finish with all the details for publishing, it's become my favorite go-to skirt for so many occasions. You might have seen me wearing it at the Puyallup Sew Expo.

Go to this page to see more photos of all three views:
http://www.sewchicpatterns.com/spin_skirt.html

With the "reveal" of this skirt pattern, I promised a giveaway. I also said that if I had 200 likes on FB, I would give away a second pattern (so you have more chances of winning!). To enter the giveaway, do one of these three things (or all three!)

1) be a follower and make a comment below.
2) "like" on FB and make a comment.
3) Get on, or be on the mailing list and make a comment at http://www.sewchicpatterns.com/contact.html
For still another chance:
4) Get a friend or friends to comment (your friend must mention you by name also) to get another entry.

To be chosen, you must make it easy for me to contact you by email through your submission methods. Otherwise, your submission will be voided and we will pick another entry. The deadline will be midnight, Wed. June 13. 

Good luck!

June 15 update: Winners Announcement! (Drum Roll Please!)
Congratulations go to Tanya Fletcher and Daina Priest! 

Okay girls, don't waste this fabulous luck of the random draw by letting this pattern sit in solitary confinement on the top of your sewing pile. It is meant to be used, worn and loved, and should you decide you don't have the time to put it to use, I have a long list of other gals who will gladly take your place. Speaking of that long list: I send a big hug and a thank you to all who entered. I really wish I could give a pattern away to each and all of you!  To Tanya and Daina: Please send photos! We want to enjoy your lovely creations too!

From Straight Skirt to Pencil or A-Line

During the past year I've had a few requests for Pencil Skirts, so I thought I'd show you how easy it is to make it a pencil using any straight skirt pattern. Because both rely on a tiny paper hinge, I'll show you how to make one type of A-line style too.

Step 1: Start with any straight skirt pattern that you like. What's a straight Skirt? One that is the same width at the hem as it is at the hip.

I like the two/four dart front because it fits the body much better than the one/two dart front.









Step 2a: Using a ruler, draw a line at the seam allowance (red line). The seam allowance will become your pivot point, so you need to know where that is.

Step 2b: Draw a cut line that angles from the hip and pivots to parallel the seam line (blue line).

Now we are ready to make our pattern into an A-line or a Pencil skirt.

  











 
First, the A-line style. An A-line skirt is wider at the hem than it is at the hip.

Starting at the hem (bottom), cut into your pattern, following your cut line, up to, but not through the seam line. From the other side, cut into the seam allowance to the seam line leaving a tiny paper hinge.


Put paper under the pattern and pivot the side seam outward, up to 2 1/2". Tape in place on both sides of the cut line.

Repeat this same procedure for the back pattern.






 Next, the Pencil style. A Pencil skirt, sometimes called a "Pegged" skirt, is narrower at the hem than it is at the hip.


Instead of outward, pivot the side seam inward, overlapping the cut edges. How much to taper or overlap is a matter of preference, but just remember that you still need to be able to walk!

Remember the Hobble skirt from before WWI?  Well, tape your pattern in place, and of course repeat this procedure for the back pattern, then you can watch how these lovely ladies manage a narrow skirt with tiny dainty steps!