Sunday stitching

Linking up with Kathy's Quilts- Sunday slow stitching HERE

All the animal squeezums were finally finished today.
They are made with an old pattern from plastic canvas and yarn, with silly google eyes.

This quilt top is from This Crate full of WIPs and UFOs.
I felt so good about just finishing the string quilt that I went to this box and pulled out a couple of quilt tops. My husband voted to finish this scrappy one first. It is really scrappy, isn't it? Many of the sewing pieces in that crate were made by mom, but not this one. I think it must of been a thrift store find or something my dad got at a yard sale.
I can imagine a woman piecing it with just whatever small fabric scraps she came by. Did I mention it is really really scrappy?

 I plan on just tying this one.  I had to piece a backing and I will show it when I finish it.

 

I'll be siting here hand tying for much of the remainder of this Sunday. 

If you like to sew, I hope you have had some pleasurable sewing time this weekend too. 

Frugal February Day 3- thread spider

Update- my mom and Debbie both commented that they use this method and learned it quite a while ago. It is called Enders and Leaders.  They sent the names of websites that feature it with some especially good tutorials. Both of these are excellent quilt sites too!  Thank you Mom and Debbie
Quiltville
Lollyquiltz

This tip will save sewing thread. It also means the bobbin has to be filled less often, the seam ends are neater and there will be fewer threads to snip off when the the project is finished.

I think I learned this tip from an episode of Fons and Porter quilting show on PBS. I looked on their website to see if their was a tutorial and to link back to them but I could not find it on their site. 

Chain sewing is a great way to accomplish the same result but every project is not a candidate for chain sewing,  so here is how to sew with a thread spider. 

You just need a small scrap of fabric, folded to make a double layer.

When you start a new seam, first sew over the scrap of fabric, then put your fabric pieces right up to the scrap and just sew as usual. Clip off the scrap before you get to the end of your seam and then sew right back onto the scrap at the end of the seam,  you will still need to back stitch your project if your project requires it.

After the same scrap has been used for a few seam start and stops, it kind of looks a spider with all the lines of sewing on it.

Below are 2 doll legs, 

The one on the right is sewn the traditional way - see the long threads that will need to be clipped and how when you start sewing a narrow seam, sometimes it bunches up a bit.

With a thread spider, that bunching did not ever happen for me.

The leg on the left was started and stopped with the thread spider and I think the seams look neater the little bit of scrap thread  ended up on the spider. 

On my sewing machine, I must pull out a pretty long amount of top and bottom thread when I start a new seam or else when the machine starts, the top thread pulls out and I have to re thread the machine. Using the thread spider means I can spend more time sewing and less time threading my sewing machine too. 

This tip is new to me and I've been sewing, golly, 45 years or so! 

Do the rest of you seamstresses know this tip already? or is it kind of new?

One little dress up outfit

My granddaughter has a quite full calender and she needs a Belle dress to wear to a Beauty and the Beast event later this month. Her momma showed me a few styles of Belle dresses on Pinterest and requested this dress be more everyday than fancy.

So, I went from there. I used the same peasant dress pattern from the granddaughters autumn dresses and I even had all this yellow fabric, white lace, thread and elastic in my sewing room. 

I cut the skirt separate from the bodice and added in several inches so the dress would be fuller and twirl. It is 100% cotton with all the seams finished so hopefully it will stand up to some playtime after the event. Granddaughter can dress up and look like a princess but she can play really hard.

Some of the pins I was inspired by, especially the first one. 

This dress was a fun afternoon project. But I have 2 granddaughters and a room full of supplies so I think I will be sewing up some more princess dresses soon. 

 

 

I did not mean to take a week off from blogging but the past week was busy and that Monday holiday was nice but got me off my regular schedule. 

I was so happy and surprised to see that my old fashioned tea towels post was featured on

Create With Joy

thank you! 

this post will also be linked  up with Show Off Saturday

another project and an announcement

I don't think I have told you all that we will have a granddaughter in June!
This picture is our daughter Nina, taking a picture in their baby's nursery. Nina and John are expecting Elizabeth, their first baby in just a few months.
I think the nursery is about ready, I am going over there later to wait for a repairman and will take some more pictures of the nursery to show.
Yes, the walls are blue and the baby is a girl - John is a football coach and did not want things too girly - he may be in for some surprises down the road - but he is a good guy and I am sure he will be a great dad, even if Elizabeth is as girly a girl as her momma.




I found this old maternity top pattern at a thrift store for a dime and made Nina one top from it from a cute black and white print. Sorry, no picture though.
She liked it and picked out 4 more pieces of fabric from the sewing room.

I finished them up today and think they turned out pretty good. Nina is on the tall side so I added a couple of inches to length of all of them.

staying busy on these cold days

I don't enjoy being outside on these very cold days so I've been finding things at home to keep me busy.

Using up supplies I already had, including this vintage rick rack, some plain tea towels and fabric print made by Debbie Mumm years ago.......

I added decorations to these towels and have 7 new kitchen towels.

We've worked one jig-saw puzzle - it really enjoyable too

and have 2 more to put together.

and I cleaned under the hall bathroom sink, put down some wallpaper to line the shelf and added a new toilet brush - not an especially fun job but one that needs done every so often.


Are you staying busy at home or are you just out in this cold weather not letting it bother you?