Stay Calm!

Make your own poster:  Keep Calm-o-matic

Spiral Rib

I needed a spiral rib for socks with 30 stitches on each of 2 circular needles so I charted it in Excel.  Click to enlarge.

National Tie One On Day!

Get in the spirit of giving aprons!  Join in the fun, creating memories of special people, aromas, and occasions spent in the kitchen :  

Cranking Out Aprons, Litterally

In recent months, my husband and I have been blessed with some great hospitality provided by some very special hostesses.  To show our appreciation, I have been busy making aprons.  

With two fabrics and rick-rack, I was frequently changing thread to match.  I finally decided, with so many machines in the house, why not use two.  The one I chose was a hand crank model that was already in the sewing room and fit easily on the end of my small sewing table.  Also, it doesn't add to the tangle of cords running under or across the table.  I love sewing on a hand crank machine.  It is so relaxing.

Today, I finished another apron for our 4-H silent auction.  Both apron patterns appear in Retro Aprons by Cindy Taylor Oates.  I can't wait to get her latest apron book, Mother and Daughter Aprons.  Maybe I am dreaming there is a little girl in my future?  ;)

 

http://apronmemories.blogspot.com/2010/10/national-tie-one-one-day-2010-is-here.html

 

Binding Magic

I often get asked how I get my binding on potholders and placemats so even.  DH thinks when I make them, I am practicing voodoo.  ;)  The secret to my success is lots of pins!!  

I make my own 1/2 inch wide double fold binding from 2 inch wide bias strips and a Clover Bias Tape Maker.  I don't recommend any other brand of bias makers.  The Clover brand makes a better fold than any of the others I have tried.

Before applying the binding I zigzag the raw edges of the potholder or placemat together.  This gives a nice firm and secure edge with nothing that will get caught in the seam when attaching the binding.

After zigzagging the edges of the potholder or placemat, I open up one fold of the binding, pin to the back side, stretching slightly as I round the corner, and then sew in the crease of the fold.  Rounded corners are easier than square because you don't have to miter.  If you plan the overlap where the binding meets, for a spot where the fabric in the face block blends or matches with the binding, it won't be as noticeable.  Once the binding is attached to the back side, I fold it over the raw edges to the front for the final pass of stitching. 

View from the back side with one fold open:  Pins perpendicular to the edge are easier to pull out and can be spaced close to prevent puckers and pleats.

My binding is attached just like shown for the Retro Fun Quilted Mitts.  But, I pin like crazy and I generally choose to use either my Pfaff 7570 or Davis VF.  Both machines have an upper feed system that insures the multiple layers move between the presser foot and throat plate without puckers and folds.  You could choose to use a walking foot attachment, too, but some machines have multiple feed dogs to ensure even feeding.  You may not need to use a walking foot to avoid puckers.

It doesn't matter if you pin from the inside or the outside, just catch the binding and the top layer to prevent distortion.

Unless you really have the Midas Touch with a sewing machine, I recommend you zigzag topstitch the binding down on the last pass.  Thirty years ago in a quilted jacket class, a master seamstress told us that unless you hand stitch the binding down, it will never be perfect by machine.  Instead, if you must use a machine, zigzag; it will look "straighter" than if you tried to straight stitch it in place.  I have faithfully followed that advice because the binding is never exactly the same on the front and the back and straight stitching just accentuates all of the inconsistencies on the back side.  Additionally, if your machine likes invisible thread, you can use it to mask the faults.

Note:  If you like to hand stitch, just reverse the side you sew the binding on in the first pass.  Sew to the front and flip to the back, then use a hand blind-stitch to sew down the binding in place of zigzag.

The Price of Socks

Don't under price your hand-styled socks!  Designer socks are bringing in big bucks!  Some look like something sold at any outdoor store. 

DH says mine are easily worth $200 and he is right, I knit so slowly, I have way too many hours in them but I knit in the evening when I was just hanging out on the internet and when I am riding in the car.  I have reclaimed time.  ;)

Oh, if you really want people to notice your socks, make sure you have shoes that show them off.  Comfort and style meet in the new Mary Jane fitness style shoes.  I chose the budget version from Kmart at 19.99.  ;)

Socks with a Picot Hem

Finished Picot Hem

These socks needed something a little different after being knit in ribbing.  The picot hem was the perfect finish.  I switched from K4P2 ribbing to stockinette for the width of the lavender stripe.  Then I repeated [K2tog,YO] for the folding row.  The next row was K, including the YO's.  Lastly, came K3P3 ribbing for the width of the lavender stripe, followed by a stretchy bindoff.  I tacked the hem over with a cross stitch needle (fine tapestry needle with a blunt tip) threaded with woolly nylon serger thread (one could split the fingering yarn into strands as an alternative).  Every inch, I stopped to stretch the hem so there would be enough slack in the woolly nylon to fit my leg.  I also kept the whip stitches short to prevent my fingers from snagging them when I put on the socks.  These socks are only a little over 5 inches long in the leg.  They stay up without additional support from elastic thread caught in the ribbing rows, an optional addition for longer socks on thin legs.

Picot Hem after the Socks Come off the Needles

 

Picot Hem Tacked in Place with Woolly Nylon Serger Thread