Nov 2017

What sewing projects are you working on?

Nov 2017

New postby MartySews2 on Sat Nov 25, 2017 9:48 am

My latest sewing project is creating lace ... I plan to make linen table runners and a pillow for Christmas gifts for my family edged in the lace that I'm creating from some embroidery designs that I have. For my great nephews, I'm making them sock monkeys as their mom tells me that they love stuffed animals plus they don't have any. Santa's workshop will open on Monday. I figure one day to make each project or maybe 2 a day and I will be done around the 10th of December to pack and ship. Neither my family nor my hubby's family visits us so everything has to be packed and shipped. Christmas cards will be addressed tomorrow to go in the mail. Decorations go up on the 10th of the month.

Started in October and will probably finish in December, I'm making a sewing notions bag for taking to classes. That way, I don't have to go on a treasure hunt when it's time to get ready for class. Will post pics when totally finished.
Marty ;)
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Re: Nov 2017

New postby sewingrandma on Sun Nov 26, 2017 11:45 am

Marty are you doing your lace on an organza type fabric or just on your stabilizer? I recently watched a show that was doing lace and was fascinated by how it was made and the differences in the lace with and without the fabric base. I enjoy watching but know I could never figure out all the steps needed to go thru on an embroidery machine.
Making a sock monkey sounds like something Abby would like. Her favorite blanket has monkeys on it and I recently bought some slippers for her that have monkeys on them that she puts on as soon as she gets here.
Good luck with making everything and getting it into the mail. I'm being a scrooge this year. If you don't live close you are getting money. The last few years have been absolutely crazy at the post office, having to wait over an hour in line, the cost in some cases more than what was spent on the gift and then the packages don't get delivered.
Haven't done any sewing lately. Have another upper resp. infection and feel worn out all the time. Did manage to get to Joann's for flannel the day before Thanksgiving. Sure wish Hancocks was still open, they had cuter baby/kids prints in their flannel collection. JA puts all the cute prints under nursery fabric and charge double.
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Re: Nov 2017

New postby Skye on Sun Nov 26, 2017 4:40 pm

Your lace making project sounds like alot of fun.

I love making sock monkeys - I have a wee stash that my adult kids and DH dive into when the need a baby gift they usually pick a quilt as well. I get reports back about how well the gifts are received and soemtimes a personal thank you note.

I dont know where this year has disappeared to. I havent sewn for 3 weeks now. I need to make me a dress for Xmas. Got some quilts taking up some time in my brain as well so one or two of those wll get made over the Xmas break.
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Re: Nov 2017

New postby MartySews2 on Mon Nov 27, 2017 1:43 am

Hi Brockie and Skye, I'm using 3 layers water soluble stabilizer for a base for the embroidery and making my own starch. The lace will be starched and dried before attaching to the table runners. All will be pressed when finished. In the center of each table runner will be the family's initial. These are joint gifts for my sister and brother who are married as well as my nieces and nephew who are married plus one for my mom and one for my dad and his wife . Each table runner will have the lace stitched in their favorite color. I have 9 table runners to make plus a pillowcase for one nephew, a pillow for one sister who requested that I make her one. My other brother will either get a gift card for Amazon or a video of The Vietnam War by Ken Burns. I can't afford the entire set but I can send him the first volume. Then I am using the sock monkey pattern from Instructables.com website. It seems simple enough to make. Here is the link ... http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to- ... -Monkey-3/ ... Then my Christmas sewing will be done. I'm calculating 1 week to make all of the lace in between doctor appts and then one week to stitch the lace to the different table runners. Fortunately, many of the initials are the same for 4 families, then a different initial for 3 families, and another initial for 2 more families. Should be simple enough to do. I plan to embroider on my sister's pillow "God is Always Faithful". All of the table runners and the pillow are white 100% linen. It has been prewashed and shrunk. My nephew's pillowcase will either have guitars embroidered on the band or I will use some guitar fabric. He is a music therapist specializing in guitar music. I will be busy for the next 3 weeks. I hope to have all ready to mail by Dec 16th. Ambitious or crazy ... not sure which ...
Marty ;)
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Re: Nov 2017

New postby Skye on Tue Nov 28, 2017 12:17 am

Wow Marti you are one very busy lady and making such thoughtful gifts.
The pattern I use for sock monkeys is like yours I sourced mine from http://www.craftpassion.com/how-to-sew-sock-monkey/
I use felt for the eyes siince we give them to very young children and often use childrens socks to get a smaller "pet"
Not sure how to insert a photo.
Crazy busy at work - so not feeling like going down to my sewing cave after work plus it is hot 22C today.
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Re: Nov 2017

New postby MartySews2 on Wed Nov 29, 2017 11:43 pm

Yesterday, I started on the lace for the table linens that I'm making. Each edge has 5 lace pieces, then the 4 corners, a single lace edge on each end piece ... It makes for 4 hoopings for the lace edges and 2 hoopings for the corners. It takes 96 minutes to stitch out 3 lace edge pieces and 107 minutes to stitch out 2 corner pieces. It takes almost 10 hours to stitch out each table linen. I have 8 more to stitch out. An ambitious project for sure. It also takes 6yds of Vilene for each table linen which means it will be over 50yds to make these. It also takes almost 2 spools of 1100yds of Madeira rayon embroidery thread for each one plus 4 full bobbins. Very stitch intensive. The design is from s-embroidery.com. Here are sample pics of the corners and lace edge pieces ...

Lace Corners 2.jpg
Lace Corners 2.jpg (99.97 KB) Viewed 2538 times

Lace Edging 2.jpg
Lace Edging 2.jpg (99.16 KB) Viewed 3402 times


Marty ;)
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Re: Nov 2017

New postby Skye on Thu Nov 30, 2017 12:45 am

Beautiful - worth the outcome despite being needy for stabliser and thread - not to mention time.
These will be cherished heirloom pieces - so lovely
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Re: Nov 2017

New postby sewingrandma on Fri Dec 01, 2017 1:32 pm

Marty and Skye thanks for the sock monkey links. I'm looking for some bright socks to make one or two out of them.

Marty, the lace is beautiful. Hope you manage to complete all you have planned. I usually bite off more than I can chew with my projects and then stress out trying to complete them. One Christmas I was stitching together a sweater Christmas eve for my FIL.

I recorded 12 Sewing with Nancy shows last week and have been watching them since, PBS was celebrating her life by showing them. This morning two of the shows showed quilting using an embroidery machine. Fascinating. They showed a table runner, pillow and a full size quilt being made, all 3 layers were quilted on the runner and quilt. Now if I could figure out how to use an embroidery machine I would probably make a quilt. The last show was Nancy sewing with her granddaughters. I've been thinking about getting Abby started but Nancy said a good time to start was around 5. I have been baking with Abby and Nancy was shown making cookies with her GD and said it was a good start to sewing with children.
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Re: Nov 2017

New postby MartySews2 on Mon Dec 04, 2017 6:00 pm

My sewing last week was interrupted by a 3 day hospital stay (congestive heart failure). I am now on light activity and bed rest. Sewing is my light activity. I rest while my machine stitches. Have completed sewing the lace for one table runner and am halfway done with stitching the lace for one doily. I should finish stitching the lace doily tonight. Then I will start on the lace edging for a 2nd table runner. These designs are very stitch intensive. I've already put almost 300,000 stitches on my machine already since last Monday before I went into the hospital. I should have close to 8 million stitches on my machine by the time I have finished my Christmas sewing this year. The lace doilies take 8 lace pieces that are each over 21,000 stitches. I know that my niece will love this. The table runners and doilies are couple gifts for loved ones. Here's a pic of the lace doily piece. The water soluble stabilizer is still on it ...

Doily Lace reduced.jpg
Doily Lace reduced.jpg (34.85 KB) Viewed 2504 times


Marty ;)
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Re: Nov 2017

New postby Skye on Mon Dec 04, 2017 11:58 pm

Beautiful lace.
That's what I call productive resting up :D .
Look after yourself
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