The Tool Snob

I admit it, I am a tool snob.  I find whatever I'm doing (sewing, knitting, embroidery, quilting, whatever) more enjoyable and less frustrating with the proper equipment.  And sometimes I go beyond "proper" all the way to "best that can be had."  You don't need these goodies, but they do make things go more smoothly.  It's a bit of a conundrum that when you first start a specific hobby, you don't want to invest a lot, so you tend to buy the cheapest tools you can find - or at least I do.  And we tend to direct newbies to these cheaper options.  But it actually makes learning more difficult.  Let's face it - learning to knit with Red Heart and aluminum needles is not EASY.  It frustrates me, and I'm fairly proficient.  So let's go through some of my favorite embroidery and quilting doo-dads.  I'll tell you what I like about them, what might be an acceptable substitute.  And what to not use, unless you like to be frustrated.

Needles -

A couple of things about needles.  They vary widely in quality.  And they are a renewable resource.  So, get the best you can afford, and plan to throw them out and get a new one after every 8-12 hours of sewing/embroidery.  My current favorite are these, from Tulip.  They're a Japanese steel needle.  They come in lots of sizes and styles.  Sharper, and smoother, with smoother eyes than most other needles, they help your stitches slide through the fabric.  If you have trouble getting into just the right whole on your stem stitch or back stitch - better needles might help.  I use the 10's for a single strand of floss, 8's for 2-3, and the millinery needles for smocking.  They're pricey - about $8.00 a package which is usually around 8 needles.  There is a "variety pack" of embroidery needles with multiple sizes, if you want to try them out.  My local quilt shop carries them.  If you don't have a local source, Etsy is a great place for finding the widest variety of styles and size.

For somewhat less pricey, but still excellent needles, I really like Wendy Schoen's.  She's closed her shop, but the needles are still available from certain Heirloom Sewing supply stores.  Elegant Stitches has both some collections, and individual packs.  The packs run about $2.50 each, for 9-12 needles.   Also worthwhile are John James and Richard Hemmings brands of English steel needles.  These are pretty widely available at many sewing stores.  If you need to order, I recommend Farmhouse Fabrics.  Their website is a little clunky, but they're quite possibly the nicest people on the planet, and I recommend them highly.

If at all possible, avoid "Darice" or "Dritz" needles.  They're both about as sharp as a bowling ball and often have a lot of burrs around the eye.  You'll drive yourself crazy, and better brands are easily found.  (Hint - if you're doing all your supply shopping at Wal-Mart, you're already making things harder than they need to be).

Pins -

For piecing quilts and sewing, straight pins are a must.  Think of pins as something of an investment.  And the right pins can make or break you.  My current favorites are Little House glass head pins.  They're nice and sharp, just the right size, and the glass heads don't melt if ironed over.  This is an issue for me.  I've ruined more than one pin and piece of fabric with a hot iron.  Again, Etsy is your best source for these.

I do also have a couple boxes of Dritz fine, sharp, glass head pins.  I do think they're adequate, and I tend to buy them at Jo Ann's when I have a coupon or notions are on sale.  Not quite as nice as little house but they do the job.

What do I not buy?  Plastic head pins (see above comment about them melting), silk pins (because I can't FIND them), and Hobby Lobby Sew-ology pins.  Which are NOT sharp at all.

Hoops -

Yes, you see me use cheap wooden hoops.  It's because my daughter routinely unwinds the nut from my nicer hoops and they get lost.  But, I far prefer the Susan Bates hoops.  They hold more securely, so that I don't have to retighten my fabric every 10 minutes.  This is one supply that you can reasonably buy at Wal-Mart and for much less money than you'll find them elsewhere.

Wooden hoops will work if that's what you have,  And they're super cheap.  I usually avoid the Q-snap frames as well as hoops with a "stretchy" outer band.  I've had trouble with both snagging stitches.

On VERY large pieces, I've been known to use a stitching frame or slate frame.  Both will usually require you to baste your fabric to the frame.  But they offer excellent stability and many are beautiful as well as functional.

Floss -

Most of the time I use 6-stranded cotton floss.  Of them all, my current favorite brand is Cosmo, by Lecien.  This brand is harder to find, and commands a premium price.   It is, however, noticeably higher in quality - less prone to split, shred, fuzz, or otherwise be troublesome and has higher sheen.  On a purely personal level, I also prefer the color palette to DMC's.  There are "conversion" charts, but the fact is the two companies just make different colors.

My second choice is probably Presencia.  Again, a specialty thread with limited availability.  I had a bit more trouble with some fuzzing and knotting than the Cosmo, but still better than DMC.  The color palette is less to my liking than Cosmo's.

DMC and Anchor are on the list as "acceptable."  Both are widely available, have a huge color palette, and do perform reasonably well.

In fact, I'll have a review of the above four flosses, head-to-head at some point.

Sullivan's or other bargain flosses are just simply not worth my time.

I do also use a host of other specialty threads - overdyed, silks, floche, single strand cottons, etc.  I'll do a separate post on them at some point.

Thread -

Here's another place where false economy will both make you crazy and cost you more in the long run.  Remember that different threads have different purposes, and no one thread is really for all uses, no matter what the label says.  Choice of thread will depend, in part, on your machine.  I have a Viking.  She really, really hates the way that Coats and Clark thread is wound on the spool.  So, if I try to use it, I'll have a thread break every 60 seconds or so.  I usually use Guitterman for every day sewing.  It comes in lots of colors, at least on the small spools.  My one gripe would be that the small spool is often not enough to finish a single project (like a dress, or some such), especially if you finish the seams with a zig zag or otherwise to lots of finish work.  I used to be very partial to their 100% cotton thread for handsewing, especially quilts.  And then I found Aurifil.

Aurifil is a super high quality cotton thread for quilting.  It comes in a number of weights.  The 50wt is the piecing workhorse, though using 60wt in the bobbin can help seams lay flatter.  40 wt. has a bit more substance, if you want your stitches to really stand up.  It gives me a bit of trouble in how it comes off the large spools, but I'm willing to monkey around a bit, given the quality of the thread.  It's exceptionally smooth, looks beautiful, and doesn't tend to snag, pill, or otherwise catch either when sewing or in the finished piece.  Seriously nice stuff.

And, as much as I love vintage sewing and supplies, I do have one word of warning:  It's typical for fibers to loose strength over time, especially if kept in the sun.  If you want to try using some, cut a length, wrap it around your hands and give it a good yank.  If it snaps easily - don't use it.

More later - on thread conditioners, cutting matts, rotary cutters, and other goodies.

The Patchwork Blocks

More on the baby quilt today.  On those rare occasions where I get a day off and the girls are actually IN school (given our weather this winter, that's been an issue), I like to be able to clear off the table and get some actual work done.  So, while I'm not done with all the embroidered blocks, I took some time to cut out everything else for the top:

The top squares are actually the embroidery squares.  There are 10 of those.  The rest of the cutting is as follows:

2-1/2" squares of print fabric - 50
3-1/4" squares of print fabric - 20

2-1/2" squares of Kona "snow" - 40
3-1/4" squares of Kona "snow" - 40
3-1/4" x 6" rectangles of Kona "snow" - 20

I've saved the rest of the Kona for the borders.  I started with 2 yards of Kona, and will use most of it.  Thus far, I've used about 1/4 of each of the fat quarters in my bundle.

Next, I made 10 nine patch blocks with the 2-1/2" squares.

I cut each nine patch into quarters, then rearranged the pieces with 4 white and one print 3-1/4" squares into a new nine patch.  Once I was done with each block, I had a stack of 10 patchwork blocks.

Eventually, the embroidered blocks will be trimmed to 6", then assembled with two of the snow rectangles and one 3-1/4" square into a block the same finished size as the big nine patches.  The layout will look something like this:

Now it's off to finish all the embroidery blocks, so I can lay out the whole thing and assemble.

A Vintage Modern Baby Quilt

After seeing all the projects making the rounds lately made with Lecien's Flower Sugar line of fabrics, I bought a small fat quarter bundle myself on Etsy.  And I can heartily recommend Strawberry Blossom Mercantile - though at the risk of the rest of you grabbing up what's left of the fabrics.

 I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with them, until I happened across a set of vintage embroidery patterns for a baby quilt.  I saved the files, resized them to fit my intended blocks, and printed them all out.

So I went out and got some Kona cotton in "snow" - which matches the cream in the Flower Sugar very nicely.  Then I sat down with pen and paper and worked out my blocks, and block sizes.  (Don't get too caught up in the math on the sheet.  Some of it ended up needing correcting.  I'll give you all the numbers later, I promise)

This quilt will have 10 embroidered blocks, and 10 patchwork blocks, plus some borders.  It's a variant on a Disappearing Nine Patch - with lots of white space.  All the empty space gives it a more modern look, contrasting nicely with the vintage embroidery.

The embroidery needs to be completed before the quilt is pieced.  I cut my embroidery blocks larger than the final block will be, so that I've got room to work and hoop the piece.  Each of my blocks was cut as a 7" square.  Then I taped the pattern to my light box, followed by the fabric square (with centers marked on both) and traced.

My weapon of choice for tracing embroidery patterns is a Frixion pen.  Yes, I know, there are all sorts of mixed reviews on them.  I like them a lot.  I get a nice, sharp line to work with.  And I've never had the lines NOT disappear.  Now, I do not starch my fabric before I work, which might have something to do with lines not disappearing.  And I've only tried the black pens.  YMMV.

Next, I cut squares of cotton batiste the same size as my embroidery blocks and used basting spray to stick them together.  This both stabilizes my work AND gives some coverage so I can be a bit more cavalier about carrying the thread on the back of the work without it showing through.

I'm using Cosmo embroidery floss, by Lecien.  I love it, because it's got a lovely sheen and great working properties.  I DO use Thread Heaven while I work - especially with this piece, which is worked with one strand.  The floss color is 240.  It's not a Turkey Red, or even a "red" red - but it matches the ground of the red fabric pretty closely, with a slightly pinkish cast.  (Later, I'll have a trial/review of different brands of floss for you.  Promise.)

For the most part, I'm using stem stitch for the critters and letters, back stitch for fine details, and the occasional lazy daisy or peking knot as appropriate.  I find peking knots a little more stable than French knots.  That makes them a bit easier for me to work, and probably less likely to pop through with use.

The puppy does have some satin stitch for his spots.  I didn't want long floats, so it's "feathered" in the middle of the larger areas - the long float tacked in place by a shorter stitch.  I'm setting aside each block as I go and moving on to the next.  The set actually only has nine blocks, so I'm trying to decide what to put on the last block.  Maybe just another critter, without any text.  What do you think?

Next up, the patchwork blocks!

Snow Day

The weather on the shores of Lake Michigan has turned a little foul in the past few days.  But, every cloud has it's silver lining.  I got a snow day from work (first time in a decade, I do think).  I needed something to keep my hands busy, but that would allow me to keep tabs on the children.  Which meant the sewing machine was just out.

On the other hand, I do have a friend who's expecting, and I'll need a shower gift at some point in the not-too-distant future.  She's not going to find out whether it's a boy or a girl until the big day arrives.  So I picked out some appropriately nonspecific fabrics, read through the tutorial for English paper piecing from Pretty By Hand, and got to work.

I'm much too lazy to cut out all those hexies by hand.  And I wanted to start NOW, but none of my local stores carry the paper templates.   One of the craft stores was having a sale on papercrafting supplies, which solved my problems.  I bought a couple of hexagon punches.

For paper piecing, the size of the hexagon is measured by the length of the side, rather than across the entire hexagon.  My punches give me 1/2" and 3/4" hexagons, respectively.  I spent one evening punching out papers.  And another cutting out fabric and glue-basting my hexies.

I'm doing them a few at a time, since I have a short attention span.  I've started piecing my hexies.  Now, I see all kinds of advice on the 'net about what stitch to use.  Ladder, whip, running...  it really doesn't matter as long as you're happy with it and you can sit for a while and perform THAT stitch.  Be consistent.  I've also seen some bloggers comment that you shouldn't whipstitch, as it leaves visible stitches on the front.  This is really only a problem if you take huge, ham-handed stitches.  I say, do what makes you happy in the making.

I ran into another small issue when I started.  I could not, for the life of me, find either of my Thread Heaven containers.  It was one of those aggravating situations where you know they're there, but just can't find them.  We were rather thoroughly socked in at that point, with snow.  But hand piecing with cotton thread was proving frustrating.  So I decided to pour myself a new beeswax shape to wax my thread.  I still prefer Thread Heaven, but beeswax will do.  If you want to make one for yourself, melt about an ounce or two - depending on the size of your mold.  It's easiest to do this in a clean tin can placed in a water bath.  It'll save you cleaning out a pan, afterwards.  Beeswax sticks.  

While your wax is melting, cover a cookie sheet with a little waxed paper, and place a cookie cutter on it.  Choose a fairly simple shape - it will facilitate getting the wax out when it's cooled.  Pour the hot wax into the cookie cutter, to a depth of 1/4"-3/8".

Wait for it to cool.  Though it will be easiest to remove your shape without breaking it if you do so while it's still just a little warm and slightly pliable.  That's it.  Now just run your thread against the surface of the wax periodically.  This helps prevent knotting, shields the thread from excessive wear, and lubricates it just a bit.  The first pull or two through the fabric will be a bit "sticky."  After that, it will ease your sewing.

That's it.  I'm arranging my hexies into a variant of the Grandmother's Flower Garden pattern.  Eventually, there will be a little hand embroidery added to it, as well.  I'll share that with you when I get to that point.  For now, here's some of the initial layout.

Once I have all six sides of a given hexagon sewn in, I remove the paper.  Most often, I can reuse the paper at least once.  And it makes it easier to fold the fabric to get at adjacent seams.  The fun thing about hexies is that the back is almost as pretty as the front:

More later, as this little beauty progresses.

Choosing a Sewing Machine

Let's take just a moment and talk about choosing a machine.  I'm going to start with two assumptions.  First, if you're new to sewing - as in, just learning - that you're either taking a class where you can learn to use a machine or able to borrow one from a friend to learn on.  Second, if you're an experienced seamstress shopping for a new, top-of-the-line machine...  you probably know which gew gaws and gizmos are important to you and you don't need my opinions.

So we'll move on to "sewing machines for the rest of us."  How do you select the machine that's good enough to be your work horse while you go from novice to reasonably adept?  Or move to your next machine if you've outgrown a "beginner" model?

Rule number one:  You get what you pay for.  Which is to say, don't buy a cheap $100 machine from a mass merchandiser under any circumstances.  You won't be happy with it, and it will lead to enough frustration that you might start to believe you're "no good" at sewing.  When, in fact, the issue is a poorly built machine.

Rule number two:  Decide if you're going to go new or used.  For some people, nothing but new will do.  Viking, Husqvarna, Elna, Bernina, and Janome all make excellent work-a-day machines.  Don't expect to be able to sew denim jackets on one for 8 hours a day, months on end (even if it says "Jeans Machine" on the front).  Do expect one of these machines to willingly take years of hobby sewing, as long as you're careful about cleaning and maintenance.  I'm going to make a confession here:  I'm not a fan of Singer.  Some of the vintage machines are OK, but I've never been happy with the newer models.  You'll pay more for the higher end machines - but they'll pay you back in the long run.  I've had my current machine for 13 years.  It's going strong, with no sign at all of needing replacement.  When you factor the price of a machine over a 15-20 (or more) year span...  it doesn't look so bad.  Especially as they often hold their value quite well.  It's common for most sewing machine specialty dealers to accept trade-ins when folks upgrade to bigger and better models.  Keep this in mind.

When you go sewing machine shopping, start out by making a list of the sorts of things you do with your machine, and the sorts of things you'd really LIKE to be able to do with it.  As much fun as it is to drool on the top-of-the-line machine, if that doesn't fit your budget, don't torment yourself.  Find the machine that will do what you need.  Should you find, in the future, that you've outgrown your machine you'll find that most sewing machine specialty shops will take them in on trade.  You can upgrade AND still get something out of your old machine.

Which brings us to the other half of the equation:  The used machine.  This can be an excellent value to the savvy seamstress.  It can also be a horribly pitfall for the novice.  If you're new to sewing and shopping for a used machine, I strongly recommend that you go visit a sewing machine dealer.  Tell them what you want.  See what they have available - likely there will be a few older models that other patrons have 'traded in' for something with more bells and whistles.  A good salesperson will guide you to a machine that meets your needs.  Or let you know if nothing they currently have fits the bill.  An excellent salesperson will take down your needs, your name, and your number and call you when a suitable machine IS traded in.  If you're a patient sort, this is a wonderful way to buy a machine.  It's also a wonderful way to buy accessories - I spoke with the delightful woman who runs a local business and managed to purchase a walking foot for my machine at about 1/2 the retail price.

You can certainly also shop privately for a machine.  Craig's List, estate sales, and thrift stores are all rich sources of sewing machine possibilities.  But you need to be more careful.

First, make sure the machine has all it's parts, including the foot pedal.  If that's missing, you can't test it.  Walk away.

TEST it.  Make sure that the light comes on.  Ask for or bring a small bit of fabric and thread.  Wind a bobbin.  Sew a few test stitches.  Make sure the needles moves freely up and down and doesn't hit the throat plate.

Ask about it's history.  With any luck, it's a well-loved machine that's been maintained and has it's accessories - maybe even a manual.  Now, it's not a deal-breaker if it doesn't.  Do your research before you even go look at it, if that's an option.  Many vintage machine manuals and accessories are available on E-bay.  Just make sure you factor the cost into the price of the machine.

Many of the best options that combine ease of use with reliability are the vintage machines from the 1950's and 1960's.  They tend to have metal gears, motors that run forever, and often metal cases as well.  Try to find one recent enough to have buttons or wheels to select whatever decorative stitches it has - rather than one with cams that must be inserted.  Cams get lost or broken.  Put it in it's case and pick it up.  If you didn't nearly dislocate your shoulder, keep looking.  These babies are heavy, but they're also heavy duty.

There are lots and lots and LOTS of vintage machines out there that will suit.  You'll have to kick the tires, give them a trial run, and decide what features are or aren't deal breakers for you.  (Hint:  I have an automatic button holer for my Viking.  I never use it.  It's easier just to mark the little beasts than to use the wheel and worry about it slipping/etc.  You may not need all the bells and whistles on a modern machine).

From personal experience, the Pfaff 1222 is a good machine.  Google around a bit and you'll inevitably find some.  The 1222's contemporaries by Viking, Janome, Elna, and New Home are also good choices.

Many people are in love with Singer Featherweights.  They're cute machines.  Dependable workhorses. They are so popular that obtaining extra parts, belts, etc. is pretty easy.  You can even get them painted in custom colors.  Your sewing circle may envy you.  The other side of this coin is that demand often drives up the price.  Unless you're very patient and good at trolling estate sales, Craig's List, E-bay, and the like, you may end up paying $300-400 for a Featherweight.  Which sort of defeats the purpose of budget shopping for a vintage machine.  If that's what you want, have at!  There are probably less popular, equally good machines available for half that price.

If you've got your own suggestions for a favorite vintage machine, please leave it in the comments!  In fact, share a picture and I'll add it to the post!

Summer Sewing on the Lake

Hello, and welcome to my little cottage on the lake. "Cottage" because my house is a tiny little Cape Cod - about 1200 square feet. And it sits in a small town on the shores of Lake Michigan. No, I can't see the Lake from my windows. Though if the breeze is blowing, I can smell it. And on misty nights, sometimes I can hear the fog horn.

 One bright spot in my little cottage is that the former owners knocked out a wall of what was once a bedroom, creating an alcove off the main area of the house. It's too small to be of much use, so I've been able to turn it into my sewing nook. I can't compete with some of the lovely studios we've all seen on Pinterest, but it serves the purpose. It holds my regular sewing machine (A Viking #1+), a Damascus treadle machine that I plan to get into working order, a workbench, a sewing/cutting table made by my father, and my ironing board. I can't have them all out at once, mind! I'll share pictures when I can.

 I'm a bit of a rare bird in my generation. My mother actually DID teach me to sew. And she taught me the vintage tailoring tricks that SHE learned. Cotton organdy to stiffen cuffs and collars, silk organza sleeve heads - Those little touches that you don't find in "Quick 2 hour Skirt!" patterns. Don't get me wrong, sometimes I like a quick sew as much as the next girl. But there are plenty of places around the web for you to go find those projects. And most of the creative souls who put them out there are doing a better job than I could.

 What I'm going to show you is how to sew, vintage style. (Mind - NOT to sew Vintage Style. We're not going to throw together a 60's cowl neck dress in an hour) I'm going to share my vintage sewing goodies with you, including new acquisitions as I find them. And my opinions, of course. We can't escape that! I think we'll start with this little gem:

I found this little gem in a local antique store.  Copyright 1926, it's still a gem of a booklet, with lots of tips as useful today as they were when they were first written. 

Before we just jump right in, though, let's go over the basics that you should have on hand.

1.  Sewing machine

- this is a given, unless you've really got the patience of Job.  And lots of free time.  In a later post, we'll talk about sewing machine selection.

2.  Ironing board

- the one thing you can do to make your sewing better (other than sewing better) is to press well and press often.

3.  Measuring devices

- A tape measure, ruler, quilting rulers.  It's good to have at least one good tape measure, preferably 120" long and at least one good straight-edge ruler.  Frankly, you'll find it easiest if you have several in multiple sizes.

4.  Pins

- Get the best pins you can find.  I prefer fine glass head pins.  Yep, they're more expensive.  But you can't melt the heads with your iron like you can the plastic kind.  And they don't leave big holes in your fabric.

5.  Needles

- sewing machine and hand.  Don't think for an instant that because I said you need a sewing machine that there will be no hand sewing.  There will be lots of hand sewing.  Don't worry, the more you do it, the faster you'll get.  And it might even become a soothing activity - something you can do on the couch while your husband rents that latest explosion-packed movie that's a little thin in the plot department.  Remember, too, that needles are a renewable resource.  That is, they have a fixed life span.  About 8-12 hours of continuous sewing for a machine needle.  Hand needles will vary.  But if you're starting to have to push, change needles.  When your needle has reached the end of it's useful life - Throw.  It.  Away.  Your sewing will improve when your tools do.  Make sure you always use the right needle for the job, too.  More on this in a future post.

6.  Marking pens and pencils

- This is sometimes a personal preference.  I have a blue water soluble pen, some chalk pencils in multiple colors, and a Frixion pen.  The blue pencil is nice, as the marks wash right out - IF you don't iron them first.  They sometimes heat fix, so be careful!  The chalk pencils come out nicely, don't heat fix - but aren't as fine a point and can be brushed away inadvertently.  The Frixion pen is my new love.  This one erases with a pass of the iron.  But the marks come back when you put the fabric in the freezer (not as dark, but legible).  Given my difficulty in making up my mind, this is a great feature.  I do wonder if they'd become visible again if I made a garment and wore it outside in the winter, though.  Tailor's chalk is handing for marking things especially when they're on the model and you need to make adjustments.  I found a whole box of vintage commerical chalk in an antique store.  I love it!

7.  Good scissors

- I can't stress this enough.  Buy one pair of really good dressmaker's shears.  Care for them.  Love them.  And never let anybody (yourself included) cut paper with them.  I recommend Ginghers.  They're a bit of an investment, but they'll pay you back for it over the years.  You can even return them to the factory for sharpening for a very small fee (basically postage).  Have a second pair that you can use on paper, as well.  You'll use these to cut apart paper patterns or trims you'd rather not use your good scissors on.  It's very useful to have a sharp pair of embroidery scissors as well, for trimming threads, etc.

8.  Pincushion or other device for securing sharp objects

-  Get a fun little pincushion.  And consider also getting a magnetic pinkeeper.  When you drop pins, you can hold the magnetic pinkeeper over the floor and pick them up without hunting for hours.

9.  Cutting Board

- mine is just cardboard.  It gives me a large surface for cutting out fabric, it's marked in a 1" grid, and it has some helpful curves and scallops drawn on it.

10.  Seam ripper

- You will make mistakes.  As ye sew, so shall ye rip.

Nice to have but not absolutely necessary:

A mini iron for small projects

A seam roll, tailor's ham, and pressing board - for getting into tight places

A rotary cutter and mat - speeds up some jobs

Thread spool holder

Various bodkins, turners, or forceps - for turning bias tubing or other small pieces, threading elastic, etc.

Next time, we'll discuss sewing machine selection.