Finishing Projects Two by Two

Here are two dresses I made for my niece, both the same pattern.  Sewing for kids is extra fun because the clothes are small and its easier to finish faster!  

Improvisational Piecing, with Structure

On the Sew Mama Sew blog today, Alissa Haight Carlton provides instructions on creating improvisational quilt blocks.

This is on my list of things to try. I like that she combines some measuring with the improv, so you end up with blocks you can piece together traditionally if you like. It's like training wheels for the traditional quilter who depends on their ruler.

"zigzagthread" barcode

I couldn't resist.

Vintage Potions and Notions

How much fun it is to go to a rummage sale and find vintage sewing notions! The great thing about notions is that even if they are old (and sometimes *especially* if they are old) they are still useful, and so much about their design is delightful.

My first find was this "Imbitrox" box.

You can see the pencil writing on it saying "Snaps, Hooks, Belts", and that is exactly what was in the box. (Note the important moustache.)

Seam bindings are always useful. Wouldn't it be nice if they still cost 10 cents (like the pink one from Sears Roebuck.)

These wooden needle containers are the best. They're not plastic for one thing. I can't walk 3 feet without coming into contact with something or other made of plastic; so having a small, useful container that is a natural material is a breath of fresh air. And the container gives advice too: if your machine start skipping stitches, it's time to change the needle!

This little container I found along with the wooden ones of the same size, but this isn't exactly a notion -- it is dental floss! And what an absolutely cute container. It is a glass vial with a screw-on metal lid that has a small hole for the floss to come through, and a notch in the metal used to cut the floss. (I wonder what the environmental impact would be, and the costs both long and short term, if more modern packaging was made from renewable resources such as these instead of plastic?)

The hunter-gatherer in me is quite pleased with these fine finds!

Home-made cloth napkins

Here's my first project with my recently acquired serger -- dinner napkins. I used three white fabrics that I had left over from other projects, and did a simple rolled edge using the serger, with a blue woolly nylon thread. Making 20 napkins took about 2 or 3 hours.

Here's a checklist for making your own napkins:

* Decide on the size: dinner napkins are typically 16-20 inches square. You can get four 17" or 18" square napkins from one yard of fabric 44" wide.

* If you're using a serger, you will want some Fray Block to secure the serged threads. Be sure to let it dry. (I hung them on a clothes rack and they dried quickly, within about 15 minutes)

* If you don't have a serger, there are other ways to finish the edges. A satin stitch edge is one option, or press the edges under at 1/4" twice, and sew.

Reuse - Organizer for Needles

With multiple projects going on at the same time, I often have to change the needle in my sewing machine, and wanted an easy way to keep track of them when I took them out temporarily. I found a CD case laying around unused, and it's little book-like structure with pockets is perfect for organizing needle cases and holding individual needles that still have life in them.
I slip a piece of paper in the CD pocket along with a needle to indicate it's size and how long it had been used.

And the CD case is easy to pack up and carry along, if need be.

Sweet Simple & Special

Sometimes it's nice just to finish a project in no time flat. What can be simpler than two rectangles sewn together to make a little baby blanket? Now that sounds dull -- but it's not when you get a couple awesome fabrics that speak for themselves!

This little blanket I made for my youngest neice today. The red roses on a bed of light blue are backed by a darker blue cotton chenille fabric. The print is a Liberty of London fabric, a silky smooth fine cotton. The chenille has a good weight to it, giving the blanket just enough heft to feel substantial, but still gentle enough for a little one.

I made one just like it for my youngest nephew too. The two haven't met yet, but when they do someday, they will already have one thing in common (other than the same aunt!)