Sew a Long - Week One

Welcome to the first part of my basic's Sew Along, for this I wanted to focus on my own personal sewing issue ZIPS.

Zips, zips, zips I don't go a day where I don't touch atleast one, if it's not on my own clothes then on the childrens clothes, my eldests pencil case, their coats so many zips.

Most people prefer to use them instead of buttons as buttons can be time consuming, I hate putting them on things, my previous tries at zips have gone horribly wrong so I gave up. I have quite a stash of them, ironicly none in the size I need, but I just avoid them.

This is my first tutorial so it may be a bit rough around the edges.

Equipment needed

• Zipper foot
• Zip
• Fabric 
• Pins or needle and thread (if hand tacking)

Skills needed

You need to be able preform a straight stitch.

First think you will need is a Zipper foot this allows you to sew closer to the zip it should looks a bit like this one. You will see it has a bar separated by a middle post this allows you to attach is on either side for sewing.

Universal Zipper foot for Low Shank machines

Underside of a regular Zipper foot

In this tutorial I pinned the zip to my fabric simply because the instructions I was following for the coin purse said to but it would be much to easier to hand tack it in place.
Secure the zip to the right side of the fabric. If your fabric frays easily then you will want

either overlock or zig-zag stitch the edge first.

Start with a securing stitch, sew steadily along with a straight stitch, till the end and finish with another securing stitch.

You then fold it back and you want to press it at a tempreture sutible for your fabric.

You're then pinning (or hand tacking) the other side in the same way and repeating on the other side.

 

Again fold back and press again so the fabric stays nicely at either side of the zip and VOILÀ you have attached a zip!

Now if your accomplished at doing a basic zip there is plenty more versions to play with you can do lapped zips, mu husband currently likes that term as he has learnt it watching the Great British Sewing Bee, it's that and Sweetheart necklines, fly zippers and if you have the right foot you can do an invisible zip, there is tutorials on this on youtube with a regular zip foot.

You can also try on a variety of projects using them as decoration.

I have seen pencil cases and bags made purely from zips so its not as plain and boring as it seems.

Now I hand this over to you lot.

I am really interested to see what other people can do so please share with me your attempts even if they go wrong.
You can share with me via 

Instagram: with #knottednelly and tag me @insonstis  

Twitter: #knottednelly and @Disabledmum

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/knotonyournelly 
or via your personal blog and letting me know in the comments...

If your taking part from your blog please let me know so I can add you to the list this helps me to view people taking part and see what you are making go here to see how to take part from your blog 

Forget-me-knot
Louisa


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Introduction to the Basic skills Sew-A-long

The first part of the Sew-A-Long goes up very very soon, talking like days.
What I wanted to do was to bring a wee introduction.

So first a wee list of what we will be looking at I have tried to cover most of the things which if your going to sew you will come across at some point.
As someone who personally has sewn for a while I find some of the things I know how to do but I avoid because I found them a pain in the arse. I know practice makes perfect, I know those things you find annoying, fiddly and difficult to do with practice become easy.

What I really hope is to see more accomplished sewers taking a more advanced look at the basics and showing us all how to really take it forward.

For most of these things you wont need any real equipment I will at the start of each part clearly what you will need if anything.

You do need to know how to do a basic stitch either forward stitch on your sewing machine or to be able to do a running stitch by hand.

So we will look at; 

• Zips (You may prefer to buy a zipper foot for your machine if it does not come with one)
• Buttons 
• Binding 
• Shirring (You will need shirring elastic)
• Gathering
• Appliqué
• Facings*
• Pleats 
• Darts
• Collars
• Cuffs*
• Piping (You will need piping cord and may prefer to purchase a piping foot for your machine)

*indicates you will need interfacing to suit your fabric

On the list below I have not put what you need if obvious (ala zips/buttons)

Someone asked me how they can follow as they were not very savvy on this if you have a google+ account you can click the connect button on the right hand side

You can follow me on the following

Twitter: #knottednelly and @Disabledmum

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/knotonyournelly 

I will also try and pop pictures on Instagram: with #knottednelly and you can add me @insonstis  

And failing all else just book mark the blog and check back often

I will get at least one part up a week so check back at least that often though I hope to get up ideas and my attempts during the week even if they have gone wrong, after all we all make mistakes its how we learn.

So that's all for today but please check back in a couple of days for part one.

Forget-me-knot
Louisa


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Did ya miss me?

So the last week has been crazy and I don't mean your basic being a mum kinda crazy, I like to think I have adapted to that kind of crazy, I mean the kind of no time to pee non stop stress filled kind of crazy.

I've had no time to blog, craft and limited time for even the necessities like Facebook.
Though I'm hoping that next week will be a lot less hectic, so I am planning on getting a lot more crafting done.

I've got 2 on the go projects at the moment 1 is a secret crochet project secret due to the disaster of my last project, in which I confused English Double Crochet with American Double Crochet, my monster was rather gappy. So if this one looks nothing like it is meant to I shall pretend that's what it is meant to be.
Clever eh! 

The second is new whilst reading one of my craft mags I saw it and I had to do it, mainly as I've a thing for cats, even though it meant new kit. So the stuff came and I started and it's not fab, the magazine made it look easier then it is.

So my felt cats not rounded or looking like a cat, John said make it into a fox,  we will see when he is finished.  The poor guy is camera shy at the moment, I will see if I can tempt him out later with some kitty treats or what ever a fox's eat.

On the subject of magazines, I have this terrible habit of collecting the cover free projects and never doing them, so I am going through using them up right now. I've dragged out four of them, three wee bits and a bag decorating one, so slotting them in too. I have almost finished my 'Mug cosy' which will be a 'Can cosy', mainly as I like my coffee quite cool thanks to my twitchy hands, hot coffee is a burn risk. With summer coming a nice cold can of fizzy, will be nice but the cold can hurts my hands so will use my 'Can cosy'.

See who knew I had a logical brain in there?

So that's my week planned out, though I hope for some books to arrive for something big which is happening in October...

I START MY HISTORY DEGREE

Oh yes you read right, I will be starting a degree, BA (hons) History with the Open University yay!

To celebrate I am hoping to feature some amazing historical seamstresses and/or tailors so watch this space!

Also trying to work on a sew-a-long idea,if anyone has any ideas then please, please, please let me know via the comments below.
Forget-me-knot Louisa


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Inspiration for all!

Ever have that creative itch but nothings getting those inspired juices flowing? Every crafter has those what to do moments.

I know them only too well myself. It's that time that I hit Pintrest to find something only well I'm a huge Pintrest addict so then by the time I draw myself away there's no time to make anything 'doh.

Well if you're anything like me Faye of Unravel & Unwind has a solution for you 

On her page Unravel & Unwind she will be running a new challenge the Creative Creatures Project where each participant draws a rough picture of a creature and shares it on the wall of her Facebook page, this effectively signs you up. 

Then she at random gives each participant one of these pictures at random and the challenge is to recreate this creature in which ever crafty format they feel comfortable with.

When asked how she got the inspiration to run the challenge Faye told me she originally saw it on Ravelry posted by Uncommon Crochet group. 'I thought it was a brilliant way to get people interacting with the Craft Cafe, when they are not physically able to get to us.' 

I have to say I certainly agree with Faye on that one, I find there is a certain fun in taking part of a group especially when you know its all over the country. 

Faye is currently working on her group Unravel & Unwind  'My vision, I believe works towards improving the mental well-being of the local population by providing a happy and cosy place where participants are able to relax, unwind, socialise, communicate and most of all to feel a sense of worth and achievement. Breaking down the barriers within the community by providing workshops and interactive sessions that are affordable, educational and fun.' 

'To keep Unravel & Unwind moving through 2014 and into 2015 we anticipate providing a retail service, workshops, coffee mornings & afternoons, studio space rental and commission stands/spaces (with a percentage of sales coming back to Unravel & Unwind). In addition, myself and Mark will continue to expand our own knowledge & skills by participating in workshops and researching activities that we can then feed back to the community.'

They are running their first Knitting for beginners course next month and anyone in the Cuxton area in Kent and you wanted to learn how to knit, this would be a fantastic course to get you one your way, they even provide the materials. 

You can view the course content and buy your ticket here

I'm currently working on my challenge picture, which drawing is NOT a strong point of mine and I am really looking forward to getting my project picture in return.

Forget-me-knot
Louisa


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The rise and fall of the crochet rockstar....

So when I decided to focus on crochet due to knitting being a no no and finding fab ergonomically shaped handles for my gammy hands.

Anyway I was relearning as I had only ever managed a flower before lol.

So I went on Youtube found a fab video which made it clear so I could watch with no sound....
So when I went into the local shop to get some wool I spotted a book  Amigurumi Monsters, I HAD to have it, after all it brings me one step closer to crocheting my Husband a Cthulhu.

Anyway I was on a roll rocking that crochet hook like a bad ass and it didn't take overly long before my monsters parts were ready for sewing. Took me a bit longer to get round to stuffing and sewing, I did lose an arm, I suspected behind the husbands radiator but no it wasn't though he found it and then dropped it... Down the back of the radiator, WHOOPS!

So I had sewed it up, bar the missing arm and started on my next project when I looked at the notation, which was american, then it hit me WAIT single crochet is our double crochet, I'VE DONE THE WHOLE THING WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So my Amigurumi Monster which should of been crochet in double crochet was in fact crochet completely in trebles...

So here he is

Only twice the size he should be.

You can find the actual pattern in 

Crochet Bakemono [Monsters!]
by
Lan-Anh Bui  & Josephine Wan 

Forget-me-knot
Louisa

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