Tiling Your Machine Embroidery

Posted on June 23, 2016 by edges

These days, we’re all finding new ways to machine embroider. From quilting to in-the-hoop, to applique, I’m amazed at the new life coming into this part of the sewing scene.

This past week I spent some time stitching out a beautiful pattern from Embroidery Online. Here’s a link to the collection, called Modern Expressions Tiling Scene.

I started with a great palette and moved on from there. I don’t think I ever would have dreamed of putting some of these colors together without the designer’s keen eye. The pdf printout shows a nice layout of the design, and while my personal colors were slightly different, they were very true to the original colors. I also stayed very true to the thread colors of the original design.

The stitch-out was actually pretty light and easy, as nothing about the design is terribly dense. Even at less-than-top-speed, each block took only about 20 minutes.

The pattern instructions called for two layers of tear-away stabilizer, which worked very well. I had my doubts about how nicely it would press out in the end, but it lays really flat.

The end result is a very modern looking design, great for a wall-hanging or a table runner. This was waaaaay easier than I thought it would be. Read the instructions thoroughly, and you’ll have no problems. At the end, you trim each block 1/4 inch from the final thread color, and it really keeps your block sizes uniform. When stitching together, just hold a decent quarter inch and you’ll be fine….it’s a forgiving pattern. Press your seams open.

While I still have to quilt and bind it, I think I’ll just quilt in the ditch. Still, a great weekend project, and I really fell in love with the finished look of this. Have fun!

Are You a Happy Glamper?

Posted on June 14, 2016 by edges

You can’t fool me with colorful new fabrics and joyful projects and slick looking retro-styled trailers and chef-inspired meals on Pinterest, cooked over wood-burning fires with tents and campers lit softly with warm beds and bathrooms and lighting.

I have been camping. And there is nothing “glam” about it.

I pitched tents that required directions and patience to assemble…long before they snapped together in minutes. I canoed down a muddy stream in a strange state in the pouring rain with a boat partner who had no idea how to steer. The couple behind us had a large black snake slide into their canoe. That’s the definition of horror.

I’ve slept on air mattresses that flatten completely by morning, on earth that slopes and slowly rolls me downhill all night till I’m shoved up against the door.

I’ve cooked real meals over an open fire and inhaled more than my share of campsites (especially in a state preserve where everyone is close to the next campsite and all are burning God-knows-what all night long.)

I’ve bathed in lakes and cold community shower stalls, discovered 5 ticks on one foot, and been terrified of the fierce growling in the middle of the night no more than 6 inches from my head on the outside of the tent.

Yes, I’ve been camping. Or do you say glamping.

Love it or not, the trend is hot hot hot.

And sewists are all over it! Take a peak at this link to hand embroidery that everyone is into these days.

Since I’ve been obsessed with in-the-hoop bags, here’s another.

I purchased this design from an Etsy shop called Disorderly Threads. You can purchase the design here.

It’s a lot of steps for a small design but the instructions are pretty clear. I love how it turned out and made a couple of them.

The idea of glamping is 100% fun, and retro and cute.

And if you’re looking for me, I’ll just be enjoying the whole trend vicariously from under the covers in my cozy, warm, dry bed.

Kid in a Candy Shop

Posted on June 9, 2016 by edges

Growing up, we always had a little shop, a shop filled with gag gifts, toys, records (The one near my house always carried the top 30 hits of the week on 45.) And candy. Lots and lots of candy.

Of course.

On this rainy summer afternoon, after a nice brunch, my 13 year old and I stopped at the town candy shop called Rocket Fizz, a place we’d never been before.

What a hoot is this place. And what a throwback to my childhood…at least somewhat.

The places I hung out were often small and dingy. Parents were almost never to be found.

Here, though, we saw crowds of teens moving in and out…boyfriends and girlfriends, parents and kids, you name it. And the kids working there, were forever re-stocking candy and bottles.

It’s about as crazy full of candy as any place I’d ever seen. But not just your average candy. It’s full of stuff we saw growing up. Nesco wafers and Clark bars and Pixie Stix, not to mention all the usual suspects, like Mike and Ike, and Nerds.

Beyond all the mounds and mounds of candy, they had the most bizarre collection of soda. I can’t remember all the flavors, but I do recall seeing a bottle with Osama bin Laden’s picture and a reference to Seal Team 6. Also one with Stalin on the label…something about The REAL Red Soda.

But candy and soda were not the only points of interest. Here were the gag toys I remember…some of them updated, some of them exactly the same. Chattering teeth, finger puppets, Grow Your Own Therapist…quite a collection.

As if all this isn’t enough, I asked the gal at the counter what these little Asian packages of Kit Kats were.

Sold in Japan, they are flavored: Raspberry, Green Tea and Sweet Potato. She told me the sweet potato flavor supposedly tastes great heated in the microwave.

Hmmm…think I’ll stick with the old-fashioned American chocolate version, thanks.

We left with a bag full of Ring Pops, a Toblerone, and bottle of Virgil’s Root Beer (for me).

I love retail.

And I love being reminded that shopping should be fun. We all need a reason to come out of the house to shop, a reminder that everything doesn’t have to be a big box store with giant aisles.

Here’s to the little shops, the fun ones, with color and humor and inspiration and reasons for me to return. Here’s to the places where no one working or shopping looks weary or bored or defeated, where delight and surprise is around every turn, in every bin, where the unusual can still be found and the silly still has a purpose. Where you can spend only a few bucks and walk away feeling like you found a treasure.

Rocket Fizz, we’ll be back.

Little Ruby, Little Bags

Posted on June 1, 2016 by edges

So I’ve been having fun with Little Ruby fabric from Bonnie and Camille.

At first I made some larger bags from a layer cake. Then I made a bunch of tiny little coin purse sized bags from a charm pack.

All of this is done with machine embroidery using software.

I took the simple design of the larger bag and reduced the sides and bottom, keeping the zipper positioning lines the same. Then I switched to a larger hoop and made three copies of the bag.

I hooped sticky-back tearaway stabilizer, stitched out the zipper placement lines for all three. Then, I placed the zippers and stitched out the line at the top of the zipper first for all three bags, then the bottom part of the zipper for all three. Those fabrics top and bottom are just folded charm squares, with a small piece of batting in between.

After stitching the first batch, I went back to my software and moved them all a little farther apart from one another, so they don’t overlap. I also added thread color changes between each step, just so the machine would stop stitching for me to place the fabric.

Finally, I put a tiny charm square quilt sandwich on top to form the back and lining of the bag.

Then an outline stitches around each of the bags. It is set as a triple stitch and goes over the same line three times.

NOTE: DON’T FORGET TO MOVE THE ZIPPER PULL INTO THE CENTER OF THE BAG BEFORE ADDING THE BACKING!

That note is mainly for myself…believe me, if you do it once, you’ll remember not to do it again. It’s not a terrible fix, but takes a little time and fidgeting. You have to rip the seam to get the zipper pull through, and then re-sew the outline seam on the machine (not embroidery.)

When I take them out of the hoop, the first thing I do is tear away all the stabilizer from the outside. Then with a little more care, I tear away the stabilizer from the inside of the bag. This is actually pretty easy…a little bit of fussing to get it out, but not much. Because the outline of the bag is a triple stitch, as well as the lines holding in the zipper, the stabilizer tears away very easily.

The final step is to cut away the excess fabric and zipper, and turn the little goodies inside out. I give them a quick press and done!

The final mini bags are about 4 1/4 inches by 3 inches. My main goal was to use as much of the charm squares as possible without wasting.

If you own software…any kind…I encourage you to try building bags like this. The digitizing is only rectangle and lines, and the corners are slightly curved. Your expenses? A charm pack and some matching zippers. You likely have some scraps of batting lying around that can be used.

In a day, you can have stacks of lovely little bags to give away or to keep. They are just about the perfect size for credit cards, ID, business cards, etc.

Here are some peonies for you, just for fun. Because they’re blooming and are gorgeous.

Edgestitch

Sewing is life. Life is art.

Monthly Archives: June 2016

Tiling Your Machine Embroidery

Are You a Happy Glamper?

Kid in a Candy Shop

Little Ruby, Little Bags