In the Bag

My assistant kept herself busy with her fabric markers and a piece of calico yesterday.

We've run out of her beloved hobby-fill stuffing (and we have hobby-fill-stuffed-calico-and-marker-pen toys all around the studio and house), so we made wheat bags from her drawings this time.

When we ran out of wheat we used lavender for the smaller bags.

She carefully chose which bag was to be given to which person (I got the pirate!) and glowed with excitement and pride as each person received their lovely gift.

At the end of the day she said "I made people happy today".

That, she did.

New toys... for girls and boys.

More zipper pulls for the boys in the shop NOW.

Magnetic seam guides (in lieu of Post-it notes for keeping seam allowances straight and even) are also in the shop.

EDITED TO ADD: Can anyone tell me anything about using these on computerised machines? My computerised machine has its own sliding plastic seam guide, but I use the magnetic seam guide on the mechanical (industrial) machine.

And a new Clover needle-felting tool is in the hands of a gung-ho four-year old.... (!!!)

Safety guards, retractable needles and neurotic helicopter-parenting will hopefully make the difference between creative prodigy and (heaven forbid) perforated child.

In threes ... and fours

So it's finally finished - The In Threes cardi. I'm SO GLAD that it fits the girl. And a bit amazed.

It's in Bendigo Alpaca (Inca colour - which is a gorgeously subtle mix of rose, plum, blue and gold). The yarn was thinner and knitted up better on smaller than the recommended needles. I wanted to make it on the large side (to last more than one season on the growing-like-a-weed kid).


Too lazy to do a swatch to check gauge, I GUESSED that it'd need more stitches (so picked a random number...like I was some sort of expert who knew all about gauge!) and threw in a few extra rows of knitting here and there.


I omitted the garter stitch detail on the sides and added an extra-wide band at the bottom. I made four buttonholes instead of three.

Despite Alpaca being a bit more prickly than wool, the model refused to wear anything but a very thin, collarless long-sleeved T-shirt for the photo shoot. I'd say she was a fashionista who puts style before comfort, but the theory falls flat when you look at the dinosaur slippers. Gotta love four-year-olds and all their willful contradictions (heaven knows, there's no fighting them!).


I have no idea where this one gets all her free-forming, rule-breaking ways.....

***

(BTW - The buttons are not so bright in real life, but still, they will be changed when I find something better).

My Creative Space

...looks like an office sprouting up in the middle of a craft explosion (read: no cleaning - just a new layer of mess).

Ann Marie is back in the office today (no staff training necessary) so I've started chipping away at the edits on Le Book. Trying not to look at the sewing machine, the craft books or any other distractions.

Trying not to think about going home to finish the last few rows on the In Three's Cardi I'm working on.

....so I thought I'd join My Creative Space!!! Pop over to Kirst to see who else is looking for distraction.... I mean.... "sharing their creatve space".

Too many bells and whistles....

...are never enough.

I got myself a great deal on a heap of new trinkets and gadgets for the fancy-schmantzy machine.

So far, I'm loving the new thread stand. I use a lot of large cones of thread on the industrial machines and they're usually a pain when I use them the domestic machines - NOT ANYMORE!!!

I'm also very lazy when it comes to changing thread colours when there's only one spool holder. With the thread stand, there's no need to go to all that bother to take the thread off the machine.... just whack another one on!!! It's easy to cut-and-tie the new thread colour on and pull it through the machine.

And finally..... FINALLY..... I have a big, slicko table attachment. Since I spied Emma's at Sewjourn last year, I've thought I WAN'T ONE OF THOSE (and I didn't even have the machine then!).

It's very shiny and clear and swish-looking. Oh, and it also makes it easier to sew big awkward heavy things (like big awkward bags ....and I suppose quilts, since it's for a quilting machine).

There are also a few new presser feet that I never knew I absolutely needed - and a new invisible zipper foot (which I DID absolutely need). Doubtless, I'll be waxing lyrical about them all at various points over the next however-long.

We're also installing lots of new bells and whistles on the website (so if you hear clanking and banging in the background while you shop, its just us fixing up a few things at the back end). Hopefully the postage calculation and automatic payments thingamy will be sorted before the 22nd Century (maybe even before the next decade). There is a lot of product weighing and data-input yet to go.

Between website tinkering and showing our new gals - Adele and Vireya - the ropes in the office (and.... ummmm... looking intently at the editing work I have to do on the book.....) not much sewing has been done.

The machine justs sits there, seductively dressed in its new accessories. Waiting.

Like a lizard drinking....

There's an Australian slang phrase that is in every "how to talk Aussie" book, postcard or souvenir t-shirt I've seen in my life. I've never heard anyone actually say it.

The wee girl took it all a bit literally yesterday, for a photo-shoot alternative to the usual running-around-in-circles-like-a-deranged-hippy-child. (She tried the usual but I complained that her untamed hip-length hair covered up the garment I was trying to photograph).

It was great to be able to see the difference that blocking made to this bebop cardi . I was also very glad that the retro-fitted few rows of double-crochet worked to lengthen the cardi and weigh down the hemline. (Is it called a hemline in crochet.... when it is, in fact, hem-less?). It was a gamble I took with no idea of the outcome. A wild and lucky guess.

This is the "before" shot.

I hinted at it earlier but wanted to finish the renovations before the big reveal. Blocking has straightened the shape, opened the lace pattern and massively improved the overall drape and fit of this little cardi. I'm a huge fan of blocking now and I love the little cardi on my little girl.

On the subject of things flat out.... after a few weeks in limbo, things are moving again in the land of book and new (editing and design) deadlines loom. We also have a few new staff starting this week as we get used to things without Super-Leah in the office (she's moved on to bigger and better things). There is also a half-started-and-stopped-several-times pattern on the go..... and a fair bit of knitting.

I daresay, there'll be much blocking of knitwear as well.

Fibre and Freud and the furious clickety clack of sticks.

From The Subversive Stitch by Roszika Parker -

“By the end of the [19th] century, Freud was to decide that constant needlework was one of the factors that ‘rendered women particularly prone to hysteria’ because daydreaming over the embroidery produced ‘dispositional hypnoid states.’

I may have mentioned a few times (!!) that the last few weeks have seen me knitting and crocheting like a woman posessed. It's the new embroidery at my house.

Lately, I feel like I'm juggling too many chainsaws (while standing on a skateboard... on a tight-rope... strung on rickety scaffolding.... in a Force-9 gale......) and the hypnotic clicking of knitting needles creates a space for me to think in a free-wheeling, non-linear, mulling-it-over sort of way (sort of like swimming - but without the water and the body-sculpting exercise).

I've contemplated the cycles of life, relationships, family, grief, business strategies, interior design, hair colour. The lot. And I think Freud was onto something.... although he slightly missed the mark, got the whole cause-effect thing a bit scrambled and cast women in an exceptionally negative light. ("Daydreaming over embroidery".... Hmph!)

As Roszika Parker says in her book, women in the 18th and 19th centuries had to stifle their independence and intelligence if they were to be an acceptable part of society, and needlework was simultaneously integral to the "feminine ideal" and a method of subversion by those very women. Think: Jane Austen hiding her half-written manuscripts under her embroidery, the imprisoned Mary, Queen of Scotts embroidering coded messages to her sympathisers.... and also everyday women giving their intelligent and independent minds the time and space to think.

Ah, and that's where I (and my fellow 21st century sisters) come in! We're given the opportunity to explore our independence and intelligence in our crazy, busy 21st Century lives. Crafting is not just a creative outlet for us - it's often a way to claw back a bit of that meditative space, to look at the way things are....to find the path ahead, a way through, or simply a place to be still.

There's much to be done if I'm to think about my to-do list (or the piles of stuff around the studio). There are also family commitments. Laundry to do. And I believe I told people I'd be starting classes again soon (oops, hasn't happened yet, sorry!).

....And I'm knitting!

That quiet, contemplative, creative space - or that dispositional hypnoid state - is where it's at. I'm taking it wherever, whenever and however I can.

Sometimes it's a 20-minute quick-fix with a felted jumper (another casualty of the front loader) a sewing machine and some felted bits by my very busy girl. (A quick little winter-proof vest for the kinder kid). There's also an In Threes cardi on the go.

Our next Sewjourn can't come soon enough. It's the best kind of hysteria.

Combining Interfacings for bag-making

Interfacing is key to creating the right structure in handmade fabric bags. Often, we're using fabrics that were designed for drape or softness, and we need to make them have rigidity or at least a bit more body. For flexible (rather than rigid) structure, the combination of interfacing and wadding can be the answer.

Lighter fabrics need to be "flattened" with interfacing before a "plumping" layer of wadding is applied, otherwise the effect is merely puffy (the fabric is still floppy).

Sometimes this means that you'll be spending at least as much money on your interfacings as you have on your fabric. It really is worth the investment if you don't want to cheapen the look of your good fabric by using inferior support materials. (You can tart up cheap fabric with good interfacing and you can equally ruin good fabric with bad interfacing - the fabric takes on the properties of the support).

Through many trials and errors, I've learned a few interfacing combinations that work for me. I'd really recommend that you try a few as well - the more you test, the more you'll understand, and the better your ability to guess the likely outcome of any interfacing choice in the future.

When I want to add a bit of extra body to quilting weight cotton fabric, I use the combination of either medium-light or medium-heavy interfacing and light fusible wadding. The interfacing is fused in place first, followed by the wadding.


When in doubt, test both combinations on the same fabric....

You'll see and feel the difference and be able to choose which you prefer.

You may prefer the stand-up structure of the heavier (640) fusible wadding - combined with either of the above interfacings, and you may choose different interfacing combinations for different components of the same bag.

Another combination I truly, deeply love.... (I know, I'm gushing again...) is Vilene S320 and H640 (medium weight) fusible wadding.

The Vilene S320 fuses like a dream and gives a really flat finish but remains very flexible.

With a layer of 640 wadding, it holds its shape beautifully, yet is still light and flexible. I tried to show the flexibility in photos, but it didn't show it..... so I did a quick little amateur video (complete with a tripod-bumping incident) to demonstrate.

For the rest of the bag, I used different interfacings in different combinations....

Medium-light interfacing and light wadding on the strap, Vilene S320 (no wadding) on the facing and medium-light interfacing on the o-ring loops.

Of course, all this would be different on a different fabric and bag. It's really a matter of using the interfacing that will create the properties you want on each individual bag bit.

If you'd like to try working with combinations of interfacings, this week is a good time to start. Until 25th August 2010, we have a 15% discount when you purchase wadding and interfacings together (same quantity of each). Once you see the results, you'll understand why it's so important to get the interfacing right.

EDITED TO ADD: Since the 15% sale ended, I've decided to trial these bundles as a regular product line - with a discount of 5% on regular prices.

In with the new...

We thought that the silver ones were so cute, we now have Teeny Tiny swivel hooks in Antique Brass colour.

I'm yet to have a play with them, but we also have these snap-together plastic grommets coming soon. Stay tuned for more news and a shop update with these, folks....

And out with the old..... I cleared out my box of purse frame samples (from the manufacturer)...

...and seconds (slightly scratched, mostly) purse frames. I've bundled them up and bargain-priced them. They're all highly usable for OFM (Only For Me) purses or for test-runs if you're new to purse frame purse-making. The faults are mostly VERY slight - and you can examine before you buy.

Unfortunately it's not worth going to the effort to individually photograph and price them for the website, so I'm just letting you local gals know..... COME IN AND HAVE A LOOK through the bargain basket!!!!

We also have 5 samples of these 200mm Chunky frames WITH LOOPS at $9 each. Just email your order for these (or add it as a comment at the bottom of the shopping cart order).

I'm currently looking into the possibility of making these a permanent supply. If I get these, I may have to discontinue the plain 200mm Chunky frames......What do you think?

Sharing the love

Many, many thanks to those of you who shared your wisdom and calming words.... setting me on the road to tackling feelings of inadequacy and ineptitude in the world of Ravelry and knitting.

A lovely evening of knitty demistification and pattern-choosing with Sooz, hints and book recommendations in the comment box and calming, supportive emails all helped me to forge onward.

And I knitted my FIRST. EVER. KNITTED. GARMENT. In three days.


It's super-duper-wuper simplistic, but it made me proud of my ablity to stick with something that I didn't instantly excel in. (A little personality quirk from childhood that I've attempted to address in adulthood). It got a big thumbs-up from the kid who wore it all day today.

The pattern is this Cap Sleeved Top and the yarn is 100% wool Moda Vera "Tabard" - on sale at Spotlight for $2 a ball last week. (I bought a pink/green/yellow colourway in the same yarn, as well).

Somewhere over the weekend I also finished the Beebop Cardi in Bendigo Alpaca yarn (colour is Briar Rose). I started it some time last week.

Rather strangely - novice as I am - I've managed to spread the knitty-love even further. One of the staff at the crafty kid's kindergarten has started knitting, and attributes it to my influence. Apparently she looks forward to seeing what the wee girl is wearing and it has inspired her to pick up the sticks.

Who'd a thunk it?

Rounded Up!

Congratulations to Fiona, whose adventures and triumphs with my Hat Pattern shot to the front of the pack and won the Review Round-Up competition. Fiona wins a $100 voucher to spend in our shop.

Congratulations also to Lore, who was a close second. Her fabulous Sling Bag and her informative review won her a $50 voucher to spend in our shop.

And congratulations to Kirrily, who's stunning 150mm Purse Frame purse and review won her two free patterns (of her choice).

Super-special thanks to all who participated, especially to (the other) Fiona, Kathy and Bel, who contributed so many reviews. I appreciate the effort you took and your ongoing support.

Also, thanks to all who took the time to read reviews, look at photos and vote. Without you, this whole idea would have fallen quite flat!!!

I'll be linking reviews to pattern listings as soon as possible (I've begun chipping away at it). I hope that this helps you to see what the patterns are about from a user's perspective and is a useful resource when you're looking through my website.

Last Call for Review Round-Up Votes

Exciting times, folks.... the Review Round-Up competition closes soon. Because of a little mistake on my part, we won't be announcing the winner until tomorrow - the widget will give you one more day to vote.

There's a bit of neck-and-neck activity happening between Fiona's hats and Lore's Sling Bag in the lead.

There are also lovely Baguettes by Kathy (above) and Fiona T (below).

And a Squared Flat Bag by Fiona. In fact, there are lots of other great bags, hats and reviews....

Check out the linky links HERE and cast your vote on the sidebar widget. Who knows? There may be a dark horse leaping forward from the rear and winning the race...?

We may be in for a photo finish!!!

EDITED TO ADD: WE HAVE A WINNER..and a second and a third place... (blog post on the way).

Troubleshooting Interfacing...

Interfacing is one of the things that can transform your fabric and make the difference between a home-made "soft bag" and a fabulous "I can't believe I made it" fashion accessory.

It's also something that people find intimidating. A few hiccups and people think it's too hard.

Believe me - it's NOT too hard. There are a few simple rules of thumb and a lot of suck-it-and-see experimentation. There is lots of help available if you need it.

Once you see the effects of quality interfacing applied properly, you'll be thinking "interfacing" as soon as you think the words "make" and "bag" in the same sentence.

The most common problems people have are that the interfacing doesn't stick...
...or that it bubbles in areas where it hasn't stuck to the fabric.


This mostly happens with heavier interfacings, and is usually a result of one of the following -

1. The iron was not hot enough. Most heavier interfacings are designed to be applied with industrial fusing presses so you need to be pretty brutal with the fusing process if you have a domestic iron. Interfacings such as our medium-heavy interfacing need a LINEN setting. I've owned lots of irons and I've observed that some are better than others at fusing. Some are simply not able to get hot enough to fuse some interfacings, even on a linen setting. TIP: INVEST IN A GOOD IRON (and/or an ironing press) and always test a scrap of interfacing on your fabric first.

2. There was not enough pressure on the iron when applying the interfacing or the iron was not pressed down on the interfacing for long enough. Unless you have a fusing press (any domestic ironing press), you will have to press down HARD with your iron to fuse heavier woven interfacings (for 10-20 seconds sometimes.... although start with about 5 seconds and check for scorching. Use a RAJAH CLOTH if necessary) . Press down on the back of the interfacing bit by bit until it's all fused. Don't move the iron over the top as you do when you press clothing.

3. There is a finish on the fabric that repels the interfacing glue. Some fabrics just don't like the adhesive on the interfacing. This is just annoying. Pre-washing fabric reduces the likelihood of this issue, although sometimes there is an incompatability between the dyes or fibre in the fabric and the adhesive. You just have to choose a different interfacing or fabric in that case. Thankfully, this is rare.

4. Too much steam is used before pressure is put on the interfacing. I know, I know.... I've mentioned before that steam works for interfacing..... I should qualfy that this is only AFTER you've pressed the bejaysus out of it and WHILE you're pressing the bejaysus out of it again. Moisture can occasionally stop fabrics and interfacings from fusing together properly. My rule of thumb: Dry iron first. Steam if the dry iron fails.

5. The fused fabric was moved while it was still hot. Leave the fabric to cool (and the adhesive to set) before you wriggle it around or sew it. The manufacturer's directions often say to leave it for up to 30 minutes.....
so at least let it cool!

6. The wrinkles were not pressed out of the fabric before the interfacing was applied. Simply fixed. Press the fabric first.

The other reason for bubbling interfacing is an issue with light weight interfacing (such as our medium-light woven interfacing, light non-woven interfacing and wadding).

It happens when the iron is too hot. The interfacing shrinks and takes the fabric with it.

There are several ways to deal with this -

1. Some people pre-shrink the interfacing before fusing it to the fabric.

(Personally, I don't bother with this. I prefer to quote Jane Austen - "Why not seize the pleasure at once, how often is happiness destroyed by preparation, foolish preparations..."). Pre-shrinking is more important when you're making a garment (which will be laundered) than if you're making a bag or hat. It's easier with sew-in interfacing than with fusibles.

2. Test a scrap of interfacing on a scrap of fabric first, and set your iron accordingly. Most light interfacings will fuse with a wool-cotton setting.

3. If your interfacing has shrunk and bubbled, you're best to rip it off, press the fabric again (using an applique mat to protect your iron or board from adhesive residue) and fuse a new piece of interfacing. If it shrinks after it's been sewn (and ripping it off is impossible), you can minimise the damage but never completely "cure" it. See the demonstration here.

4. Try a different interfacing. For example, Vilene S320 fuses beautifully (no bubbles) if it's stiff, thin structure you're after. Try fusing wadding on the back of it for extra oomph. It's GREAT! (Oops - I'm gushing again....).

I hope that this helps a bit. Remember that when you buy interfacing from us, you can ask for advice on the best choice for your project. We also have the interfacing sample packs if you want to play with a few scraps of fabric and get a feel for what each interfacing does.

Edited to add: I've just updated the TIPS AND TUTORIALS page on my website to include this and other recent blog tutorials. If you're not a regular follower, take a peek to see lots more of my freebie patterns, tips and tutorials.