I've been neglecting my Blog. I don't have any followers so I'm sure nobody was disappointed!
I'm participating in a use your stash game this month. It's a fun way for people to use what they own. You get points for sewing and have to deduct points if you buy fabric. So far I've used over 7 yards of fabric this month! I made my little girly 7 shirt and pants sets.
The host of the game gets to set bonus points for special projects each week.
11/1-11/3 - Something for the kids.
11/4-11/10 - Gift week!
11/11-11/17 - Veteran's week!
11/18-11/23 - Turkey Day!
11-24-11-30 - Upcycle week!
The rest of the week is gift week. I'm really excited about the last week.I have plenty of upcycling projects that I'm thinking of making. I might even make a tutorial or something.
Monday, November 5, 2012
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Sewing time
I haven't had as much time as I would like to sew. I've been delaying stocking my Etsy store till things at home settle down and I can devote the proper amount of time to it. Hopefully I will stock it by July.
Monday, February 27, 2012
My New machine
I just purchased a new machine. Well it is new to me! It is an antique machine in an original enclosed wooden cabinet. It is a Meier and Frank (the dept store) machine. It looks identical to a Singer 27VS1. But the shuttle says Eldredge. It doesn't match the designs of any Eldredge or National machine. It kinda looks like a Damacas that Montgomery Ward but the bobbin winder is different.
It has a whole set of geist attachments. Of course lots of machines from that era have them and some were purchased later. I love the old ruffler foot! I haven't been able to sew on it. It works but my husband is going to clean it and oil it. It doesn't looked used in a while so I'd rather be safe and wait till it is well oiled.
I have no idea why the fantasy of using a treadle to make things seems so appealing. It is just one of those crazy little girl dreams. My grandma had an old singer that never worked. I use to sit and play with the treadle and dream about using it!
It has a whole set of geist attachments. Of course lots of machines from that era have them and some were purchased later. I love the old ruffler foot! I haven't been able to sew on it. It works but my husband is going to clean it and oil it. It doesn't looked used in a while so I'd rather be safe and wait till it is well oiled.
I have no idea why the fantasy of using a treadle to make things seems so appealing. It is just one of those crazy little girl dreams. My grandma had an old singer that never worked. I use to sit and play with the treadle and dream about using it!
Sunday, February 5, 2012
What I found
I went shopping in Portland and really enjoyed myself. I went to the Knittn Kitten and was able to find some really great fabric. My favorite find there was 2 packs of off-white and gold Nufashond rick rack. I could have spent all day there searching through the various shelves and bins, but I didn't go there first. I had to leave before rush hour!
I went to some other stores, too. I spent Friday and Saturday washing fabric, Some I washed by hand. I lost one (fell apart!) and faded out another. The faded one just seemed to smell worse the more I soaked it and washed it. My hubby said it smelled like "something that looks like oregano" . I thought it smelled like mold/ old storage. So I at different times I oxycleaned, lysoled( the small brown bottle kind that is for laundry), vinegared, baking soda-ed, and rinsed over and over. I didn't bleach it and got the smell out after 2 days. But the color is faded so I probably should have just put a capful of bleach in the begining. I usually try to avoid bleaching. Of course, that is why I prewash. It is better to know than have a customer caught in the rain and thier purse starts to smell or falls apart!
I found some things to insire me and I'm sure I'll have some new projects soon!
I went to some other stores, too. I spent Friday and Saturday washing fabric, Some I washed by hand. I lost one (fell apart!) and faded out another. The faded one just seemed to smell worse the more I soaked it and washed it. My hubby said it smelled like "something that looks like oregano" . I thought it smelled like mold/ old storage. So I at different times I oxycleaned, lysoled( the small brown bottle kind that is for laundry), vinegared, baking soda-ed, and rinsed over and over. I didn't bleach it and got the smell out after 2 days. But the color is faded so I probably should have just put a capful of bleach in the begining. I usually try to avoid bleaching. Of course, that is why I prewash. It is better to know than have a customer caught in the rain and thier purse starts to smell or falls apart!
I found some things to insire me and I'm sure I'll have some new projects soon!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Getting ready to buy more fabric & how to measure fabric
I've spend some time bulding stock so I can re-open my Etsy Store.(http://www.etsy.com/shop/FolmarDesigns) I was going to open it at the first of Feburary but I think I'm going to hold off till March 1st. I'll be making a trip to Portland on the 2nd of Feb.and plan to do some shopping. I'm going to the Knittn' Kitten and a few other places. http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheKnittnKitten They have a shop on etsy I was happy to discover considering I live over 160 miles from Portland! It's nice to be able to browse a little online or purchase from someone you trust.
I love to buy fabric in person but I do buy online, too. Fabric is such a tactile thing. Pictures don't always do it justice and sometimes pictures can make it look better than it is. You never know when you open a box if you'll be pleasantly surprised or disappointed. Nothing is worse than a "vintage cotton print" to arrive and it is a poly-cotton blend with the makers website listed on the selvedge. I've seen "vintage" fabric for sell that I purchased last year at a fabric store. I saw another I owned from 2002 being sold as vintage too.
I don't understand it. Even if you are not knowledgable about fabrics, a clearly printed date or a website should be a huge red flag to the seller! Just because something was purchased at an estate sale... that doesn't make it old! People who are 70 years old didn't stop buying stuff when they were 20 years old. They continued to shop till the day they died (or at least for as long as they were able). The assumption that everything at an estate sale is old is just silly. Older ladies if they love to quilt, they are not going to stop buying fabric. They are not making all thier quilts from fabric they purchased 40 years ago! Sorry, I just don't understand the mentality that a seller can just call something an antique or vintage because they purchased it at an estate sale. The seller is responsible for doing a minimal amount of homework to know what they are selling.
A person selling fabric should know how to burn test. They should be able to tell the difference between cotton and polyester based on that burn test. A person selling fabric should know how to measure.
How to measure fabric:
Get a tape measure, yard stick, something that marks off inches
Find the cut side.
Find the 2 sides that are not "cut". They might have a makers name. They might be white. They might be slightly thicker. Those are called selvages. (think edges)
Now you measure the selvage edge.
Then you measure the cut edge from selvage to selvage.
So your rough measurement should be 18" x 42" or 3 yards x 52"
Now you want to line up the print and fold the fabric in half. (selvage to selvage). If one side has over hang when the print is lined up.... the fabric is not square. You only measure the portion where the 2 selvage edges overlap. This is your REAL measurement.
If your fabric doesn't have 2 selvages... you need to note that in your listing. If it has no selvages it should be listed as "scrap". Measure the largest square. You can mention there is over hang. Don't list your fabric as 3 yards when it has huge cut outs and there are no pieces that are actually 3 yards long. If it has a seam (older fabrics have seams to put to pieces together) You should measure both sides and list it as 2 pieces. 6 yards is not 6 yards if there is a huge seam in the middle!
There are exceptions to the above. One notable exception is vintage "tube" knits. These are knits that instead of having selvages, the edges were sewn together and the knit fabric forms a tube (The seam is a loose stitch just to keep the fabric from unraveling. It is not meant to be used as a tube.) . This is how it was sold at the store. Just because it doesn't have a true selvage it is not a scrap piece and is in the original condition.
*note: This is not meant to be condescending. I really just have had a ton of issues with people who sell fabric and can't/don't measure it correctly. When you are buying 1/2 a yard and 10 inches is unsable because it is unsquare 5 inches on both sides. That leaves the buyer with 8 inches of useable fabric and 2 odd shaped triangles.
I love to buy fabric in person but I do buy online, too. Fabric is such a tactile thing. Pictures don't always do it justice and sometimes pictures can make it look better than it is. You never know when you open a box if you'll be pleasantly surprised or disappointed. Nothing is worse than a "vintage cotton print" to arrive and it is a poly-cotton blend with the makers website listed on the selvedge. I've seen "vintage" fabric for sell that I purchased last year at a fabric store. I saw another I owned from 2002 being sold as vintage too.
I don't understand it. Even if you are not knowledgable about fabrics, a clearly printed date or a website should be a huge red flag to the seller! Just because something was purchased at an estate sale... that doesn't make it old! People who are 70 years old didn't stop buying stuff when they were 20 years old. They continued to shop till the day they died (or at least for as long as they were able). The assumption that everything at an estate sale is old is just silly. Older ladies if they love to quilt, they are not going to stop buying fabric. They are not making all thier quilts from fabric they purchased 40 years ago! Sorry, I just don't understand the mentality that a seller can just call something an antique or vintage because they purchased it at an estate sale. The seller is responsible for doing a minimal amount of homework to know what they are selling.
A person selling fabric should know how to burn test. They should be able to tell the difference between cotton and polyester based on that burn test. A person selling fabric should know how to measure.
How to measure fabric:
Get a tape measure, yard stick, something that marks off inches
Find the cut side.
Find the 2 sides that are not "cut". They might have a makers name. They might be white. They might be slightly thicker. Those are called selvages. (think edges)
Now you measure the selvage edge.
Then you measure the cut edge from selvage to selvage.
So your rough measurement should be 18" x 42" or 3 yards x 52"
Now you want to line up the print and fold the fabric in half. (selvage to selvage). If one side has over hang when the print is lined up.... the fabric is not square. You only measure the portion where the 2 selvage edges overlap. This is your REAL measurement.
If your fabric doesn't have 2 selvages... you need to note that in your listing. If it has no selvages it should be listed as "scrap". Measure the largest square. You can mention there is over hang. Don't list your fabric as 3 yards when it has huge cut outs and there are no pieces that are actually 3 yards long. If it has a seam (older fabrics have seams to put to pieces together) You should measure both sides and list it as 2 pieces. 6 yards is not 6 yards if there is a huge seam in the middle!
There are exceptions to the above. One notable exception is vintage "tube" knits. These are knits that instead of having selvages, the edges were sewn together and the knit fabric forms a tube (The seam is a loose stitch just to keep the fabric from unraveling. It is not meant to be used as a tube.) . This is how it was sold at the store. Just because it doesn't have a true selvage it is not a scrap piece and is in the original condition.
*note: This is not meant to be condescending. I really just have had a ton of issues with people who sell fabric and can't/don't measure it correctly. When you are buying 1/2 a yard and 10 inches is unsable because it is unsquare 5 inches on both sides. That leaves the buyer with 8 inches of useable fabric and 2 odd shaped triangles.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Wanna date?
I really want to date some of my fabrics. I have books and research online but on occasion ... I'll get stumped! It's old. I KNOW it's old but trying to pin down the exact date just can't be done. I have a wonderful green rose fabric that I want to say is 30' or 40's. It is of course 100% cotton and 36" wide. It has no makers name. It's vintage... but it could be antique. Some days I wish I owned a carbon dating machine in the garage. (Although my husband claims that it would not work on polyester or synthetic fabrics.)
Often people just "guess" based on the color and claim the fabric is from a certain decade. I don't like to guess. Instead I just call it vintage if I know for sure it is older than 1982. (Can you believe that is 30 years ago?) But on etsy I believe Vintage is 20 years old. (Uh 1992 is vintage? ) But normally I personally consider Vintage to be 1970's or prior.
I think I have some vintage Hammer pants somewhere that are just dying to come out of the closet and be back in style! (I'm kidding.... I never had Hammer pants. My sister had Hammer pants and I would borrow them!)
Often people just "guess" based on the color and claim the fabric is from a certain decade. I don't like to guess. Instead I just call it vintage if I know for sure it is older than 1982. (Can you believe that is 30 years ago?) But on etsy I believe Vintage is 20 years old. (Uh 1992 is vintage? ) But normally I personally consider Vintage to be 1970's or prior.
I think I have some vintage Hammer pants somewhere that are just dying to come out of the closet and be back in style! (I'm kidding.... I never had Hammer pants. My sister had Hammer pants and I would borrow them!)
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Rick Rack...instant nostalgia
As I've said before... I love rick rack! I have a nice little collection going of the vintage trim. As a little prep work for this blog, I was doing some research.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rickrack
I think that has to be one of the worst wikis ever! And Rick Rack is 2 words not one! Although spelling it ric rac is okay in my book!
There are lots of history to be found about Rick Rack and my favorite is the Nufashond booklet. I own some vintage (probably antique lace made from rick rack) If you crochet, this booklet tells you how to make items & lace with rick rack! http://www.knitting-and.com/crochet/nufashond.html (Did I mention it is FREE to download?)
I should tell you that because Nufashond rick rack was less curvy and 100% cotton... you may need to adjust the pattern if you are using modern curvy polyester. I attemped to make a daisy like on the pincushion when I first read the book and it did not turn out!
If you don't crochet, I found this blog post. http://bleulune.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/09/daisies.html
Wouldn't that be darling on a baby headband? I could see it on a flapper style dress! I would probably use less petels and press each i one direction for a bit of a curve so it laid flatter.
I don't have time today but I thought it might be informative for me to do comparisons of wrappers so it would be easier to tell the age of the rick rack. I had found a chart online somewhere (a quilt site?) a while back with all the different kinds/brands. I shoulda coulda bookmarked it but I didn't! The price is usually a give away that it is vintage. If it has no price ... check the back for a barcode. I believe that started around 1986 ish. I have some Wrights trims from 1986 that have price & no barcode and the identical kind with a stamped price and no barcode! The barcode one has a walmart price tag stll stuck on it. The 1984 trims don't have barcodes and I don't own any fron 1985. So no price...not vintage! The cheaper the price the older the rick rack.... 10 cent would be older than 15 cent etc.
I'll have to write more later! Have fun!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rickrack
I think that has to be one of the worst wikis ever! And Rick Rack is 2 words not one! Although spelling it ric rac is okay in my book!
There are lots of history to be found about Rick Rack and my favorite is the Nufashond booklet. I own some vintage (probably antique lace made from rick rack) If you crochet, this booklet tells you how to make items & lace with rick rack! http://www.knitting-and.com/crochet/nufashond.html (Did I mention it is FREE to download?)
I should tell you that because Nufashond rick rack was less curvy and 100% cotton... you may need to adjust the pattern if you are using modern curvy polyester. I attemped to make a daisy like on the pincushion when I first read the book and it did not turn out!
If you don't crochet, I found this blog post. http://bleulune.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/09/daisies.html
Wouldn't that be darling on a baby headband? I could see it on a flapper style dress! I would probably use less petels and press each i one direction for a bit of a curve so it laid flatter.
I don't have time today but I thought it might be informative for me to do comparisons of wrappers so it would be easier to tell the age of the rick rack. I had found a chart online somewhere (a quilt site?) a while back with all the different kinds/brands. I shoulda coulda bookmarked it but I didn't! The price is usually a give away that it is vintage. If it has no price ... check the back for a barcode. I believe that started around 1986 ish. I have some Wrights trims from 1986 that have price & no barcode and the identical kind with a stamped price and no barcode! The barcode one has a walmart price tag stll stuck on it. The 1984 trims don't have barcodes and I don't own any fron 1985. So no price...not vintage! The cheaper the price the older the rick rack.... 10 cent would be older than 15 cent etc.
I'll have to write more later! Have fun!
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