Archive for the ‘sew it’ Category

Whenever a new season rolls around, I love to give my kitchen a lift by hanging up a new dishtowel.  It’s a small thing, but it’s always a welcome change.

When I spotted the Farmdale fabrics from Alexander Henry at a local quilt shop it spoke autumn to me.

I just had to bring a few pieces home with me.  I’ve yet to make my oven mitt, from the chicken and eggs fabric… hopefully it will happen this week.

Here’s how I created my “Rise and Shine” Dishtowel:

You can start with a pre-made dishtowel or you can make your own:

I used a home-weight cotton fabric from Denyse Schmidt.  I love this yellow fabric… I want to track down more of it to cover my ironing board, since my current cover in falling to pieces.

But this small piece is my new dishtowel, I cut my fabric 18″ x  26″.

In each corner of the fabric, mark a 2″ square, using a disappearing fabric marking pen.

Fold the corner of the square to make a triangle and press.  Press a 1/4″ and then a 1/2″ hem, as shown.  Repeat all the way around, so that each corner comes together to create a mitered corner.

Clip the corners that stick out from the hem.

It should look like this.

Stitch all the way around, except the bottom, leave that so that you can add your trim.

I pinned my trim into place, carefully tucking and pinning either end under the hem on the back.  Stitch into place.  Depending on your trim, you may want to match the tread… especially if you are using rick rack.

Don’t you just love this trim?  It’s the color of driftwood… quite lovely.Next I traced my rooster onto Heat ‘n Bond.  You can also use Wonder Under.  If you like the rooster I used, here is my simple pencil drawn template.  Remember that whichever direction you trace your template it will be reversed on your towel.Press the template to the BACK side of your fabric.  Just a friendly reminder, since more than once I’ve pressed Heat ‘n Bond to the front of something.  Ick, my fabric looks pink from the back.  Good thing it’s not.

Carefully cut out your rooster.

I used a bowl to trace the 8 inch circle for my gray medallion.  I also used the Heat ‘n Bond.

Remove the backing from the rooster, center it on the gray medallion and press into place.  I had planned on stopping right here with my design, but it was pretty bland.

So I added a second orange circle with the fabric I had left over, also using Heat ‘n Bond.  I centered the medallions 2- 1/4″ up from the trim.  Press into place.  Using matching thread, I machine blanket stitched around the rooster and medallions.

But it still didn’t feel quite zippy enough.  So I embellished around the medallion using gray embroidery thread in a running stitch.

Bingo.  That was just what it needed.

And it looks so lovely in my kitchen.  I love projects that are so quick and easy.

I have been thinking of writing a series of posts on mending for a while.  Last year, I wrote about how to mend jeans with a rip in the rear… that really rolls off the tongue…. which was practical, but not at all stylish.

For those mending projects I don’t have a clue on- such as darning a sock or mending a sweater, I want to find an expert who will show me (and you) how.  If you think a series like this would be useful to you, let me know what mending jobs trouble you…

For the first in my series of Make Do and Mend, I was inspired by a friend:

Last spring, Amy of Diary of a Quilter shared a tutorial on how to mend a torn out knee.  I asked Amy if I could show her technique, which is cute as well as practical.  Amy told me that her daughter’s mended jeans are still going strong, the patch is perfectly in place, and they are one of her favorite pair.

Here’s how to mend a hole in the knee:

You’re going to need jeans with a hole in the knee, of course.

Iron on patches are widely available.  I picked these up a my local Walmart.  If you’ve ever used these before, you’ll find out the hard way, that they don’t stay on long when you just iron them on.

That’s OK.  This technique will make them much more permanent and stylish too.

You can use just about anything as a template.  But today, I am using cookie cutters.  They have simple lines, and are the perfect size.  You can also find many templates online too.  I found a skull template on Martha Stewart that I am modifying to mend my son’s jeans.

I traced around the butterfly on the back side of my patch using a Sharpie.  This may shock a few of you, but I tried pencil, and a Mark B Gone pen and they just didn’t show up.  The Sharpie worked great, I was just careful to cut inside the line of black.  You could use a white fabric marking pencil, but I couldn’t find mine.  –Do what you can with what you have, I guess.

I also cut out a flower for a different pair.  This one I embellished with another fabric too.

I had a scrap of fabric with a perfect flower.I used a small bit of Wonder Under on the back side of my chosen flower.  Iron it on.

Then cut around the flower.  The Wonder Under isn’t strictly necessary for a piece this small.  It’s peace of mind that it won’t fall off.  Peel off the paper backing…

DON’T try to iron it onto your patch yet!  Your patch will get sticky on the back, and be stuck to your ironing board.  (No, I didn’t do that… but I wouldn’t put it past me.)

Stitch your embellishment onto your cut patch using a blanket stitch or a zigzag.

Now you can iron the whole thing over the hole in your jeans.

Just as Amy suggests, I rolled the jeans up, to make the sewing easier.  Also just like Amy, I used a heavier weight- DMC thread, a heavy needle…

and a thimble to stitch around the flower.  I kept my needle working from the top as shown.  It’s a little tough to sew through the denims, but not too bad.And the jeans are done.  This patch is as cute as can be.  Because it’s been stitched, it’s not going to fall off anytime soon.

My daughters think they look super cool… and won’t feel embarrassed to wear clothes that have been mended.

Mending is good for your pocket book… and environmental, too.

So Make Do and Mend!  It’s a good thing, Martha.