Trapunto is a whole cloth technique using two layers, with the padded under layer producing a raised surface on the quilt. Patterns include vines, leaves, and grapes. Straight line patterns are threaded with soft yarn or cord. Round shapes are stuffed with batting inserted through a slit in the back. After stuffing, the slit is whipstitched closed. A second fabric is added to the back and normal quilting done around the shapes. Or, a loosely woven mateial is used and thread is pushed through eliminating the need for a second fabric.

Trapunto appeared in the U.S. during the 1700′s and was popular during the Civil War.

A good source for stencils: stensource.com

More information can be found at Wholecloth Quilts: Subtle Beauty in Texture

Sashiko is done with white cotton thread on indigo blue cloth. Sometimes red thread is used for a decorative piece. The stitching is used to reinforce worn places on a garment, and to repair tears with patches. Patches are applied with sashiko, making the double layer stronger and warmer. Tabi, the split socks worn with zori (thong sandals) were reinforced with sashiko, as were drawstring bags. Farmers’ and fishermen’s work clothes were reinforced at the shoulders where they would have wear from hauling. Also, since they were very poor, their clothing would require patching.

Many patterns are from Chinese designs, but sashiko is known as a Japanese craft. The artist Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849), published a book  New Forms for Design in 1824, inspiring many Japanese patterns. (from Studio Aika)

 Sashiko is different from Japanese embroidery. The embroidery is done in intricate patterns with fine silken thread, in traditional motifs, on silk. Originally only for religious ceremonies, it was later used as decoration  for it’s artistic value.

If you’ve never done sashiko, try it. The gentle rocking motion of your needle is very soothing and you will have a piece of Japanese art to be proud of. Just make a simple block, and turn it into a pillow, or do a panel as the center back of a jacket or a purse/tote. Check out Nancy Shriber’s site or Studio Aika for lessons and supplies.

In the mid-1800′s, New England’s textile mills started producing printed fabrics. This was used primarily for clothing and quilts were made from scraps and old garments. The colors were drab, and many women dyed their own fabrics using whatever they had at hand, such as walnut shells, plants and flowers. The women also had to create their own batts by carding unspun wool. However, most times old blankets were used.

As people moved west and homesteaded their new land claims, quilting preserved memories of loved ones left behind. Often quilts were made from scraps of clothing of loved ones. Memory blocks were embroidered with loved ones names, and these were given as going away presents. When settled, sewing was often a survival skill, making items for home use, with very little decorative stitching.

Once quilts were pieced, it was time for ‘putting in’, and that  meant an important social event.  Quilting Bees were opportunities for women to get together and visit, sharing food and catching up on news. It was also a chance to get together without their menfolk, and  they could speak freely with each other.

When Queen Victoria married in 1840, young brides wanted a dress like hers, and crazy quilts with rich brocades and satins and velvets became popular. When her husband died in 1861, somber greys and blacks started showing up in scrap quilts. At the end of WW I, quilters became interested in Colonial quilts, and created these patterns in florals and botanical prints. During the Great Depression, there was no excess fabric to be found, so scrap quilts became popular again. Feedsacks, flour sacks and sugar bags were were made from soft, woven fabric, and these were made into quilts, curtains, clothing, and dresses.

Today’s quilter can choose from thousands of quilt patterns, both contemporary and traditional, and a vast array of fabrics. Browsing the internet will also turn up many vintage fabrics along with feedsacks and colorful cotton sacks. Online auctions will have homespuns from the 1800′s, and vintage quilts are collectible.

Quilts remind us of our heritage.  The women in our past showed us that difficult times can be met with creativity. They persevered and worked with what they had. In this day, with the many choices we have, we need to remember them. Search for old quilts and quilt patterns. Try your hand at embroidery, and make a crazy quilt, or used home-spuns and make a colonial style quilt. Or make a memory quilt using your family tree as inspiration.

I bought some beautiful designer fabric. One is a lightweight wool blend with a little stretch that will make beautiful pants for fall. I also bought a wool blend knit, loosely woven to make a top, either in a T-shirt pattern or an unstructured  jacket. Just for good measure I also threw in a jersey print for a top. I already have patterns for these, but I couldn’t resist buying a dress pattern too.

Fabric.com is a great place to buy Dupioni silk. I have bought it when it’s on sale and made capri pants and shirts out of it. The colors are so rich and deep, and it sews beautifully. They have linens, and linen blends that don’t need ironing. There’s stretch cottons in a wide array of colors, and shirtings. There’s just too much to list.

They also have quilt fabric. You quilters can find batting, and other notions. They sell Brother and Janome sewing machines. They have organic fabrics, too! There’s organic cotton and knits, hemp, and bamboo, along with organic soy batting.

There are other fabric stores on-line, and I have purchased from quite a few. But, I always seem to go back to Fabric.com, and I am always happy with my purchases. I think the quality and price make for good value. And isn’t that so important in these tough economic times?

After our brief meeting, we headed out to our local thrift stores. Since we live in a university town, thrift stores and consignment shops do very well. The students come into town and buy at the beginning of the school year, and at the end of the school year they sell all their stuff. So, there’s a good market here.

We had six shops on our list including Salvation Army, a hospice store, and a couple of consignment stores. The purpose of this outing was to buy something and remake it into something else. One girl bought a denim jacket, another some sort of boxes, and still another a beautiful blue suede jacket! I bought a chambray blouse, a blue window valance, a pair of child-size denim pants and a pink belt.

I’m thinking I will use the denim pants to make a purse and trim it with the pink belt and maybe something from my fabric stash. I have bamboo purse handles in a box somewhere, and I’m sure I have something with some pink to make a lining. The valance will be taken apart and will become a scarf or trim or sleeves for my blouse, along with some beads I have in a drawer. Oh! I want you to know I spent less than ten dollars for my four items.

At our September meeting we will all bring in our items for show-and-tell. It will be interesting to see what everyone will make, and I will be sure to let you know.

So, what do you have in your closet that can be made into something else? It’s the end of summer and time to start thinking  about a fall wardrobe and Christmas presents. The way the economy has been, many will be making their presents themselves, or not giving at all. Find new ways to look at an item. Jeans can be made into a purse, or pillows. The trim or ruffles on one item can be moved to another. Sleeves can be added. Sweaters can be cut apart and added to something else. One lady told me she had taken valances and made them into a dust ruffle for her bed.

We all want to be more conscious of the environment, so what better way than to reuse, recycle, and repurpose our old clothes?

Sewing with chenille can be very messy. Since it is 100% cotton, you will want to wash it in lukewarm water before cutting out your pattern. Chenille can be tumbled dry or laid flat to dry.

You will want to add 1/2″ to your seam allowances to be sure you catch both sides when joining your pieces. Use the “with nap” directions. Chenille pile channels should run in a downward direction so that the fibers will lay smoothly when you run your hand down the garment. Using the “with nap” directions will ensure that the nap is going in the same direction on all your pieces.

Chenille’s thick pile doesn’t fray, but will leave little tufts all over your sewing area. Prevent excessive loss by handling the fabric as little as possible. Serge or zig-zag the edges before sewing, and you may want to bind the edges on the inside of your garment. When cutting use pattern weights instead of pins. Chenille is difficult to pin because of it’s thickness.

Knit fusible interfacing works well with chenille. Use it for pockets and facings without creating stiffness. Test sew  to find out what tension, thread and needle works best. To prevent shifting, try using a walking foot, or adjust the pressure on you presser foot. Marking is practically impossible on chenille. Choose a simple pattern without a lot of details. Let the  fabric make your statement.

Chenille also makes great quilts. Cut out large, simple squares. Serge the edges, or serge the squares together, with the seams either on the outside or the inside. Use flannel as your backing and you’ll have a warm, cosy blanket.

So make something with chenille.  Fall is in the air, and it’s time to start thinking about what you want to make for cooler weather. You could make a vest, or a scarf. You could make a purse or a  tote. Or you could use it to decorate a sweatshirt jacket. Do I smell smoke? Is that you thinking? Aaaahhhh…

I took home ec in the 8th grade at Miami Norland Junior High. I’m sorry I don’t remember my teacher’s name. She was probably  40-ish, but she seemed old to me. (Oh, to be 40-ish again!) We had to pick out a pattern and fabric, so I went home and told my mom we had to go shopping. Shopping was something we were good at, but I don’t think I had ever been in a fabric store before. At that time, girls still wore dresses to school, boys wore long pants, and nobody wore blue jeans. So I picked out a dress pattern. It was sleeveless, with a sewn in waist, and darts in the front and back. I chose a suede cloth as my fabric. I have to say it came out very well, and fit perfectly! That was the beginning of a lifetime of sewing. My parents bought me a Kenmore sewing machine with the table, and I toted that thing around with me for 30 years.

I also have fond memories of my grandmother teaching me to embroider when I was about 5. In those days we embroidered pillowcases and dishtowels. We used bright, pretty colors to do running stitches, daisy chains and French knots. Those were my favorite. We made flowers, and leaves, pretty ladies in big dresses with crinolines and parasols, and script (His, Hers, days of the week).

My other grandmother taught me to knit when I was about 8. She knitted everything from afghans to tea cozies, but she had me making slippers. Years later, that came in handy when I didn’t have any money for Christmas, and so everyone got slippers. When I was in my 30′s, I wanted to crochet. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a teacher, but my girlfriend and I taught ourselves from a book and we worked on our skills together.

So, who taught you to sew? Do you have fond memories of that person? Perhaps you still sew together. Is there someone in your path that you could teach to sew? Is there a young person that would love to share your knowledge and skills? Of course, she (or he) doesn’t have to be young. I taught my mom to sew when she retired. Share what you know with someone. You may find the reward is actually yours!

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If the thought of boring black, gray and navy suits makes you nervous, make yourself a collection of work-appropriate interchangeable separates. Start with some key pieces, add purchased ready-made basics and accessories, and the possibilities are endless.

Sewing your new wardrobe not only saves you money, but you’ll be able to fit the pieces properly. This is an oppotunity to express yourself. Using a few different patterns that you like, coordinate them by using the same fabrics. Add a few layering pieces in basic colors to create more options.

Start by going shopping. Yay! Try on different looks to find a style that’s right for you. Make notes. Find which skirt style fits you best and what length. Find the right pants, notice how they hang, and make sure you sit in them. How do they feel? Do they ride while sitting? Look at the colors and types of fabrics to see what’s in style right now. Remember that what’s in style may not be the best choice, so try on classic pieces with classic fit. Then imagine these made in a different fabric.

Shop on line for for fabric sales. Watch for in store sales on fabric, notions and thread. Shop at thrift stores. Not only will you find classic, designer styles for less, but think of repurposing zippers and buttons and fabric. Buy a suit and split the pieces. Will the jacket work with jeans, dress pants and a skirt? Would the skirt/pants look good with a blouse, sweater set and denim jacket?

Choose your patterns. Start with one that has multiple pieces. Be sure that it’s not so stylized that you wouldn’t make it  again. You want to be able to make each piece more than once, in different fabrics, with different sleeve lengths, trimmed differently. Your basic wardrobe should consist of one dress, one jacket, two tops and three  bottoms. Choose three or four coordinating fabrics consulting the suggested fabrics on the patterns. Remember what you liked in the store, colors, patterns, drape and weight. Bring your notes with you when pattern and fabric shopping. You may find a designer’s line will have pieces that work well together, and this could be your core wardrobe.

Now go shopping again. Yay! This time, take fabric swatches and your notes with you. You can make copies of your pattern envelope fronts to remind you of your core pieces. Look for accessories. This is a fun way to update your classic pieces and be trendy on a budget. Buy camis or a sweater set to coordinate with your fabric swatches. And SHOES!! Don’t forget you’ll need new shoes and a new bag. Old, worn out shoes do not spell success, nor does a sloppy purse.

Now, shoulders back, head up, put a smile on that face! Go out there and get to work.

When you drape a piece of fabric across your body it’s easy to see how darts are formed. You just pinch out the extra fabric and then turn it into a new dart on your pattern. If you don’t want a dart where it is  on an existing pattern, just move it.  Or add another one. Or two. Darts point to the full areas of the body. For example, a dart at the bust may start at the  side seam and will point to the bust.

Darts are drawn on pattern pieces and you must carefully draw the markings on your fabric. Depending on your fabric type, you may use tailor tacks, or marking paper with a tracing wheel. You may also use tailor’s chalk or  a pencil. Before sewing, pin the dart horizontally. Sew from the wide end to the point. Backstitch when you begin, but do not backstitch at the point! Stitch to the end and leave long thread tails to hand knot.

Pressing is very important. press the darts flat over a ham to keep the curve. If the fabric is heavy, you may want to trim the dart. If the dart is curved, clip the seam. Press darts down, toward the waist or toward the center.

Feel free to play with darts. They may be made on the outside of your garment and then sewn down with decorative stitching. Or you may topstitch a dart to give it a more tailored look. Leaving darts open at the bottom, say from a waist on a skirt, or from an empire seam on a shirt will give a soft look to sheer or lightweight fabrics. Experiment with darts, and remember, have fun!