Step 5 - Finishing & Stitches

Here's just some of the stitches used for joining the pieces together - plus a personal name tag!

 

Step 4 - Making "Edges & Joiners"

These are the squares now complete with their joining fabrics placed ready for stitching.

After joining the main central pieces, the next step was to edge the quilt on the long edges using small strips & then binding all outer edges. Below are the 2 edging strips at either side of the long edges joined to the central panel.

 

Step 3 - Making squares

One main consideration in making this quilt was to ensure it didn't become too heavy. Being cotton fabric, the smaller the pieces & more joins there are, the heavier it gets. Too large pieces, then the cover can begin to look "scrappy". Below is the first set of squares made & layed out on a double bed to see what they look like. (the underlying black is an existing duvet on the bed).

On second thoughts, I decided to turn the squares as the overall length would be too long when finished left at the angle originally planned.. They also looked better this way. Looking at the remaining "border fabrics" resulted in planning colours to enhance those already in each of the squares. However, with insufficient sized remnants & to maintain minimum cover weight, these had to be made more as strips. 

I moved these joining pieces several times to retain the overall colouring effect - mainly equal distribution of pinks & blues.

This is the final layout plan - now onto making these inserts & edgings.

 

A "Summer Garden" is finished

Covid has meant that I've finally been able to finalise some projects that have been waiting to get completed. One of these was a way of using up a rather large pile of small cotton remnants that I thought would be a perfect "thank you" gift for one of my long-standing customers who I thought needed cheering up. Over the years, she has had many blouses & kimonos made - it seemed a pity to not use them up in some way. So armed with my recent Janome sewing machine, I asked the customer if she would like to have a single quilted throw made. She did - but not a quilted one .... just a cotton throw & here's the result (on a king size bed for the image) - all pieces have been stitched together using different pre-programmed machine embroidered stitches.

Full details will follow in due course as I've only just finished it!

Renovate a blind & track ...

Inheriting a 'Next' black folding faux suade window blind (lined), I decided I would renovate it as I haven't done one before & thought it a good experimental exercise! The track cords were in a bad state of repair (ie. the blind didn't go up & down) & the blind itself, was quite dusty with a slightly cigarette/smoky smell.

Recommended for dry cleaning, I decided to have a go & 'wash' it - after all what was to be lost?

Not to actually soak it, I used 'Ecover' washing liquid making a mild solution in warm water along with an old tea towel (soft yet not fluffy).

The track & blind were taken down & lightly brushed. Next, the blind was vacuumed with a soft vacuum upholstery brush, then shaken vigorously outside.

The track pieces were then wiped clean BUT leaving all cords in place as a guide.

Left: The track & blind metal & plastic pieces.

Right: Cords at upper locking rollers had almost disintegrated & had become "shredded" & somewhat knotted in places.

The blind was measured for cord lengths: the blind's drop + upper width of track +side length for cord 'pull'. Cords were cut & following the 'guides' of the old track, each cord (there were only 2) was replaced.

End caps were attached at each pull end & then the cords free-hanging lengths loosely knotted in place.

 The blind was layed over a soft towel & with the damp cloth & the Ecover solution, carefully wiped. The lining side was completed first. Turning over, the faux suade side was then done - finishing with a wipe in the direction of the suade. (Image right shows dirt removed in first wipe!)






When completed, each side was gently sprayed with 'Febreze' fabric spray & again lightly wiped with the damp cloth. AT NO TIME was the blind saturated & left to remain wet. Before leaving to totally dry, the blind was given a slight "widthways pull" to straighten & shape up.

It was then left to dry for 2 days in a warm room ...  further news when dry!

NOTE: If you want to try this, test a small fabric area for colourfastness - I didn't as I had nothing to lose!!

Making WAVE curtains adapting pleated headed tape ...

I've recently been adapting woven pocket-pleat heading tape for making a pair of 'wave curtains' (see my Stitcherydoodaa blog for details). Conventionally, this is the sort of tape you find on a pair of readymade curtains (image at left) where you pull the heading cords up & immediately a row of 'pencil' pleats' appears across the top of the curtain. Hooks are then placed in any of the pockets to hang the curtains - minor adjustments made to curtain length by varying the position of the hooks in either the upper, middle or lower hook-pocket rows.

Here's my results:

Prepare the curtains as per normal or buy ready-mades - total width of curtains a matter of personal choice but at least a minimum of the pole. If using pencil-pleated tape, ensure the tape's edge is stitched as close as possible to the top of the curtain & just fold under the ends of the tape at either edge as the cords will not be pulled up. The lower edge of the tape should also be stitched down so that the heading tape will now only be a stiffening/support.

Using a total even number of hooks (basic metal ones) per curtain, equally space them across the upper edge pockets of the heading - this will ultimately produce the 'wave' fold when the hooks are in the rings (see image right).

To complete the 'wave' effect, please refer to the instructions detailed in 'Dressing a Window' (click to read it).

Decorating = Finishing outstanding jobs !! ...

For the past week or so I've been involved preparing for the decorator (buying etc etc) which has led into finishing a few outstanding sewing jobs. They are all being updated on the Stitcherydoodaa Blog ... above shows a cuff-link style button made for the patchwork waistcoat.

As decorating is underway for several rooms, I'm now spending some time making a variety of window coverings & curtains - these will also be on view in a few weeks time when completed.

40s Humpty (Pouffe) : Renovation update 3 ...

The 'Humpty' has now been laced with its outers:

First the lower panel was laced with a black Russia braid through the eyelets. Each side panel was then laced through its lower edge with an off-white cord (one for each edge & through further Russia braid), returning through the seams on the side's upright edges. These were left (to appear near the Humpty's upper corners) until the upper lacing was complete.

Another off-white cord was then laced through the upper rings & through the upper edge of the side panels (also through Russia braid) - each edge of the Humpty having a separate cord.

A central cord was tied around the Humpty's middle.

Ends & lacings were then adjusted to centralise all panels.

The loose ends were knotted on the upper corners, cords cut & ends frayed.

40s Humpty (Pouffe) : Renovation update 2 ...

Here's the outer 'bag' (left) now clean & with rings repaired - image left shows detail (if you want to read more about the making of this item, please click here @ Stitcherydoodaa.

40s Humpty (Pouffe) : Renovation update 1 ...

The inside 'seat' has been brushed, cleaned & "freshened" using Fabreze spray. The outer panels have all been washed & although they all shrank (I'm hoping won't make too much of a difference in its renewal as when originally made, shrinkage was allowed for).

By the way, the inner 'seat' (above) was made using an authentic 'Humpty' pattern & was filled with an extensive range of cut-up odd fabric scraps, tights, pop socks and anything else I came across to use. Cut into very small 'packing' pieces, the "innerds" resulted in a very heavy seating and perfect for its use - a highly recommended way of using old textiles & better than just throwing them away!

Here's the outer 'bag', washed & ready for repair of the brass rings (hopefully I'll be able to find the spares!)

(Pattern & instructions for making the original 'Humpty' are here: originals)

How I'm Restoring my '40s Pouffe ...

Today I've started to clean my '40s pouffe - it has to be unassembled first to get to the individual sections. I made this over 10 years ago & overall surprised generally how clean it has kept. I intend to restore it to its original condition - providing fffurther instructions here should you also like to make one of these 'seats'. (By the way, it is influenced by 1940's Make-Do-&-Mend' & so is its inside!)

The outer covering (below left) is laced by 4 central tucked bands (below right) which is held in place with a centrally tied 'rope'.

The cords were cut away/unlaced around the upper section & the underneath panel (below) then the outer 'corset' was removed.

The individual pieces can now be cleaned & repaired as the entire outer 'bag' (below) has a zip to insert the inner seat (as per Pouffe here). 

40s Pouffe repair ...

This is the 1940s-style pouffe made a few years ago & mentioned earlier in my blog. The outer 'skirt' is detachable both for cleaning (more pix if you click here) & this is what will be happening soon.

Make Do & Mend ...

This is the 1940s-style pouffe/footstool made a few years ago as a textile experiment of patchwork-smocking-quilting combined. It was made as a result of some research re: WWII 'Make-do-&-Mend' & has been worked using period techniques from the time. It utilises a variety of authentic textiles & haberdashery as well as 'left-overs' in my own 'stashes' - it also was filled entirely in old stockings & pop-socks collected together & then cut into small pieces. For this reason, it is very heavy & ideal as a seat! The outer 'skirt' is detachable both for cleaning & decoration to change its appearance (more pix if you click here).

NOTE: Currently I'm on an artistic journey which involves recording all my works - past, present & into the future! Because of my background, I also like to revamp & renovate items (very Make-do-&-Mend and Recycle !) & often find it extremely challenging. If you click on this link, you'll find some of my recent works gradually appearing. Ultimately it will include a wide range of things from small decorative items to home interior decoration.