A Spicy Sort of Day

While cleaning my pantry I got side tracked by my messy spices, so I decided to make new spice jars out of old jam jars. Have you ever used chalk cloth to make spice labels then glue to attach them to the lid? What glue did you use?

The fun I had with glue, don't try P.V.A. glue it doesn't stick the labels well onto the metal lids. Don't try UHU glue, it just bubbles and eats up the chalk cloth. In the end I used a spray on adhesive which worked well, thank goodness...

Also I didn't have a chalk marker pen to write up my spices, so I used an old chalk pencil to mark the lids. It's all a bit 'rough and ready' but it's okay I can live with that, because no body sees my spices. Except the whole world now thanks to the internet...

Chalkcloth: www.fabricfixation.co.nz

A Busy Life of Disasters

Sewing is now becoming a distant memory for me, so sad my life has got so busy...As many will know I live in a city that has been damaged by earthquakes. My numbers up and they want to fix my house, but I want it fixed properly so I have a battle to win...Just like many other people in Christchurch who are fighting for their rights and trying to preserve the equity in their homes.

Also I've been throwing out anything I can't move or pack up, as soon I may have to pack up the whole house to get it fixed. I hate this, I might as well move, it just seems such a pointless task... My sewing stash is safe though.

To make matters worse I managed to kill my Mac. How did I do that? Too many photos, too many sewing sites saved, taking snap shots of everything and hoarding them all in case I might need them.

But I guess having 13,000 photos in iPhoto was just too much. I trashed them all but they all came back into iPhoto with 13,000 photos of one Iris... So I spent most of my time clicking on 13.000 Irises to get to the original photo and then saving them all to an external hard drive. Then it happened the Mac died...

Live and learn though, I should have backed my computer up ages ago, But I've managed to borrow a laptop for now and this time I'm deleting as I go.

Happy Sewing everyone...

Faux Fur Burda Vest

What did I wish for most when sewing with faux fur? A pair of duckbill scissors to trim the seams to reduce bulk. I didn't have any, so I had to settle for nail scissors. But I do covet a pair...The truth be told I covet everything to do with sewing.

This was pretty much an easy sew except for the fur...the bulk was a bit difficult when lining. But I got there in the end and there was fur everywhere. I'm sure fur went up my nose as well!

Burda Pattern Misses Vest 7289, view B
A pretty basic pattern and easy to sew...I lengthened the
pattern 1inch

All finished and looking flash. Except my bow
tying skills are at beginner level....

The lining inside is a printed cotton

Side view with a top underneath...

Sewing faux fur certainly was a handful...Fur went everywhere!

Ready to wear, sewn with a purpose in mind...

A Day in the Life of Cat

Save Dollars by Make Your Own Cushion Inners

Lets Make a Cushion Cover

Are you new to sewing, or just a kid who wants to sew his mum a cushion  Do you want to use an invisible zip? Making a cushion cover is fun and fairly simple. The tricky part is the invisible zip...

There are plenty of invisible zip tutorials on the Internet. But I learn best by pictures, and so do a lot of children, so this video a good one for a beginner to learn from.

Materials Needed

Approximately 1 metre of fabric if fabric has a nap

1 cushion inner/ or make your own from an old pillow

Thread to match fabric

Pins

Tape measure/ quilters ruler

1 Invisible zip 30- 35 cm. Size will depend on cushion cover

Newsprint/paper to make pattern

Sewing machine

Overlocker/Serger a zig-zag stitch

Sharp scissors

Quilters cutting mat

What Does Nap Mean?

Nap is fabric that has a pile like velvet. This makes the fabric look different shades of colour from different angles. Hence you need to cut the fabric in the same direction, or the garment you are sewing will look like you have used two different fabrics.

Cushion size

Is approximately 46 cm. Cover size is approximately 43cm.

Okay Lets Start Sewing

Firstly choose the fabric, check for one way designs and nap. Make sure the nap is going the right way if you chooses something like velvet, fur, etc. The big one is to check for flaws in the fabric, there is nothing worse than sewing up your creation and you spot a flaw.

Oh no a flaw, I didn't check  the fabric before I cut out the
cover so now I have one flawed cushion!

Make the pattern out of newsprint. I used a 43x43cm  (17") pattern
for a 46x46cm  (18") cushion inner.

Purchase a invisible zip to match the fabric. Mine is 30-35cm long

Using a iron, not too hot. Iron the zipper teeth flat on the wrong
side, one side at a time. Refer to video above. 

Three pairs of cushion covers ready to sew out of 1 1/2 metres
fabric. Fabric bought from Spotlight

Overlock the edge of fabric you are sewing the zip on to. Make
sure you have the design and Nap of the fabric going the right
 way. The zip is at the bottom of the cushion.

Pin zip approximately 5/8" from the overlocked edge

Use an invisible zip foot start to sew the zip. 

Get ready to start to turning the zip to pin to  the other side.
Refer to video...

Zip turned over now. Pin it to sew. Excuse the messy
sewing mat...

The inside/ wrong side of  zip finished

Using a zipper foot sew up to zip stitching and stitch a little bit over.
 It doesn't matter if you stitch a bit below the zip stitching.

This is how the zip will look on the out side of the cover.

Pin 5/8" seams around the cover on wrong side.

Change machine to a straight stitching foot and sew seams.

Next overlock/serge the rest of seams

You don't need to tie off overlocker stitches because you are
going to cut them off.

Cut straight across the corners and beware of the seam. Use fabric
 glue where you have cut to prevent fraying. This is optional.

Use something pointy/or a tool designed for poking out corners.
 This makes the sewn corners nice and square

Place the cushion into the cushion cover. 

If you want a tighter cover just subtract  measurements when
drafting the pattern. If you want a looser  cover just add measurements.
 Don't forget your  seam allowance though.