Tube Turning Tip

One of the joys of sewing for all age groups is making a fabric tube and then turning it inside out.  I've been known to double fold and sew the edge rather than face the daunting task of getting a small tube to thread through itself.  I'll bet you share this frustration!

Tube turning gadget

Today, I faced that task yet again as I was turning the strap on a fleece muff.  I have this handy little gadget to help me turn a tube, but often there is nothing to fasten the top hook to.  I've tried making a thread loop and I have even been known to make a hole in the seam to thread the hook through.  Today though I thought of a new and much better method.  I hope you'll think so, too.

hook at the top of the gadget

You'll need to use your imagination on the first part which is to insert the gadget into one end of the unturned tube first until the hook on the top comes through the other end.  I forgot to photograph that step!
Hold on to the loop handle as you insert it and make sure it doesn't get lost inside the tube.  Most tubes are small enough that wouldn't be a problem, but this tube was wider than most.

Hook the gadget to a safety pin woven through the seam allowance

This time I fastened a safety pen through the seam allowance- weaving it through so it would hold without tearing the fleece.  Then I hooked the gadget to the safety pin and pulled.  Wow! That was the fastest tube turn I've ever done!  As long as you have a safety pin small enough to slide through your tube, this tip should work for you, too.

and pull!

I'd love to hear  your tips for sewing for children.  I'm looking for guest bloggers. Leave a comment and you could be posting your tip here, too!

Faux Fur Tip

Bunny fur hat from BabyDerby on Etsy.com

Muff from BabyDerby on Etsy.com

Feathers and Fur.  I've been working with both a lot lately!  One of my favorite hats to make for little girls in the winter is this bunny fur hat with pom pom ties.





While I was making a faux fur hat recently, I thought about you and that you might like this idea. It works so well for me when working with fur.  There are a lot of tips online about tearing fur and sewing fur but I've not seen this tip.

Fuzzy edges on cut fur

If you read about working with fur, you will be told to tear, not cut.  However, not all pattern shapes can be torn.  If you are making a stuffed animal or clothing item, you'll have curves on your pattern.  No matter how careful you are, there will be loose pieces of fur flying when you are done cutting.  

Use wet fingers to corral loose fur

Use my water tip to corral those fly-aways (see previous post for that tip!)  After you pull the loose fur off  and before you start to sew, find some lining, muslin, interfacing or other non-stretch fabric.


Lay each cut piece of fur on that fabric, wrong sides together, and cut a  piece of fabric slightly larger than the cut fur piece. 

sew fur to lining or fabric wrong sides together close to edge

Now sew each fabric piece to the matching fur, wrong sides together, 1/8 - 1/4" from the edge.  This will keep the fur from moving or shedding and keep the fur backing from stretching while you work with it.  

edges will be easier to work with

Trim the excess fabric from the fur pattern piece.  The pattern pieces will now fit together much better and be easier to pin and sew.


 For hats and other clothing items you can then just serge the seams or sew and zig-zag the edges for a finished look.  For animals or clothing items, you've added stability and made them easier to stuff.


 I wish you fun and success on  your next faux fur project!

Working with Feathers: Goose Down

It's been a while since I've been here with you!  This time of year means lots of costume orders for me, so I've been knee deep in vampire capes and princess dresses!

However, I did take a day off to help my daughter add 12 inches to a down comforter.  We'd been putting this off since last spring, because the weather got warmer for one reason, but fear was another!

Once we'd decided the best way to increase the width of this queen size comforter was to add another  row of matching 'squares' to the already existing ones, we had the curious dilemma of finding goose down.  It's not as easy as one might think.  We priced pillows and jackets, hoping to steal the stuffing, but that was cost prohibitive.  After repeated searches, we finally found it sold by the pound on an online auction site.

Goose down in its natural state

Now, we wondered, how much volume is in a pound of feathers?  We ordered a pound.  In a few days we had a priority mail medium sized flat rate box stuffed full of feathers!  Enough to make a full comforter, as we would find out.

This box sat on my cutting table, then ironing board, then dresser.. you get the idea.

Finally, I dedicated a day to getting the project done.  I found a queen size sheet, and cut a 13 inch strip down the sides to create the squares.  (Don't fret about the fate of the sheet- it's now twin size!)


After measuring and double checking I sewed the side seams, marked the squares and began stuffing the feathers into the squares.
That was when the real fun began!

recommended gloves and mask

Did I tell you that I'm allergic to feathers?  No?  Well, I am.  So I donned vinyl gloves and a mask, reached into the feathers and tried to stuff them in a 13 inch opening.  That should have been a piece of cake.

No. It wasn't.  

Feathers and feather dust and probably some dead goose skin cells were flying everywhere.

First rule of working with goose down:  Close the windows.  Turn off the furnace fan.  Shut the door.

Once I reduced the air circulation in the room, I tried again. Better, but still a lot of feathers flying.  I didn't relish having to pick them up  or waste the money I spent on them by vacuuming them.

How to add weight to feathers?

keep a spritz bottle of water handy- makes clean up easier, too!

Second rule of working with goose down:  Spritz the feathers with water before you work with them.

Water gave the feathers weight, kept them together, made it easier to leave them in the opening without flying back out, plus I knew that since geese got rained on occasionally, the feathers should dry ok.

I also found that two handfuls of feathers was just about right for each of the squares.  I pinned them completely closed as I finished each square to keep the feathers in their new home.

The goose down conqueror at work

Finishing the sewing was not a problem and the comforter is now a perfect size! 

Finished comforter- perfect size for a queen!

Adding Snap Tape to Children's Clothing

Size 12-18 month romper available at BabyDerby.Esty.com

If you are making overalls, a bubble suit or romper, you probably are considering how you will make a quick diaper change possible.  One option is to add snap tape to the inseam.  It may seem tricky and the pattern instructions are often fuzzy at best, so here is a step by step outline of how to add snap tape to the inseam of children's clothing.

In my previous blog entry I talked about where to find snap tape for less than the $10/yard.  The snap tape that is shown in the pictures below was purchased by the yard.  I needed 18 inches for a size 1 romper.

Step 1:
Decide if you want your overlapping edge to face the back or the front. In this case, I lined the overlapping edge with contrasting fabric and wanted it to face the back.

Step 2:
Turn the edge of the fabric under 5/8' to the wrong side.  Pin the snap tape with the bump/ball facing out on the WRONG side of the fabric so that the raw edge will be covered by the snap tape.  Position the tape so that the snaps come out "even" on each leg.

Step 3:
Allow for a hem or edging as required in the instructions.  I usually allow extra tape at each end, trimming after I've sewn both edges.  Using a zipper foot, stitch close the the edge of the snap tape along the edge of the fold.

Step 4:
Move the needle to the other side of the zipper foot and stitch the other side of the tape going in the same direction you went on the first side of the tape. This will keep your fabric from wrinkling or getting waves between the two lines of stitching when viewed from the right side of the fabric.

Step 5:
Finish the snap tape edge near the hem line by stitching 2 rows across the tape abut 1/4 inch apart and then cut the tape close to the outside stitching.

Step 6:
 The other side of the snap tape, the 'hole' side will go on the RIGHT side of the fabric.  Fold and iron the edge of the leg inseam 1/4 inch towards the wrong side of the fabric,  and then fold and iron again the width of the seam tape so that you have a sturdy edge to sew the seam tape to. The folded edge will be toward the wrong side but you will sew on the right side.  I hope this makes sense!

Step 7:
Align the 'hole' side of the snap tape so that the snaps line up with the other side of the inseam.  I find it easiest to align the crotch and work out from there on both legs.  You can also snap up the tape, pin the second side in a few places and then unsnap it.

Follow steps 2 through 4 to complete the second side of the snap tape.  All you need now is to finish the hem and you are done!

Snap Tape For Clothing and Decor

Are you sewing overalls or pants for your Bundle or thinking about creating a slip cover, pillow case or furniture skirt?  Snap tape is my go-to for these projects.

http://www.nearseanaturals.com

Many people head for the hook and loop tape, which is great for holding things together, sure, but put it through the wash and it holds onto everything else as well!  Any thing that has a rough texture, such as socks, sweaters and fleece is a target for the hook part of the hook and loop closures.

"But snap tape is expensive!", you say? Ah, well you'd be correct if you look down the button aisle at the store.  It's about $7 for 1/2 yard there.  Walk around the store until you find the aisle with the home decor notions and you'll find snap tape by the yard for about $4 a yard.  It comes in white, beige or black which will blend in with almost any project you are working on, plus for baby overalls, which need about 10 inches of tape, you are spending less than $2.
 

The home-decor snap tape is durable, too! It's meant to stand tugging and yanking without tearing or the snaps coming loose- great for fast diaper changes.  Pillow cases stay closed and don't slip off. Furniture skirts stay secure.

If you just have to have pale pink or lime green snap tape, shop online for great values.  The tape you find will probably have plastic snaps, but that's ok for clothing or decor that will have limited use.

In my next post I'll teach you how to sew on the tape for a professional finish.

Kid's Camp

http://www.naibor.com/little-naibor.htm

I admit it. I'm a Pinterest junkie. Today perusing the posts gave me inspiration for this blog.

One of my Kiddles used to say he was going to Camp Grandma when he was going to his other grandmother's house.

http://www.cafepress.com

When I saw these photos from a camp website  and a cool kid's T-shirt, I thought how much fun it would be for the Kiddes and I to turn the attic, or at least part of the attic into a "camp".  Pitch a tent, add some cots or air mattresses, throw in some sleeping bags and battery powered  lanterns and we are all set.

One small problem.  We don't have an attic. Not to worry, we have a little space left over in the basement.  It's the one space that doesn't have an overhead light so it would be perfect for a tent and lantern.  Good thing we have both of those!

No tent or lantern?  I'd say throw blankets over a table and add a lamp but that just doesn't have the same camping feel as a tent and lantern.  Check your local classifieds, online classifieds and auction sites for a used one. 

For the last two days we have had the remainder of hurricane Isaac hanging around.  Rain, rain and more rain!  My grandson and I have been glued to our computers and reading books.  I think it's time to get up and set up camp!  Don't you?

Sharing Space

from scrappinstuff.com

Maybe because my dad was a twin, the Bundles in my life tend to arrive in pairs of boys and girls.  I had two boys, then two girls and now I have two grandsons.  Sharing spaces was and still is a big deal with us.

This blog post will not be about how to allow separate space for each child.  It's not about defining areas, labeling toys or stacking beds.  It's about how to bring two Kiddles together, how to teach them about sharing and being glad to share.

Searching the Net, I found two quotes I'd put up if my Kiddles were still young and sharing rooms.  Find your favorite or create one just for your Kiddles. 

We are lucky to be living in the age of vinyl stick-on letters.  Think about how you can use them to remind your Kiddles that they are fortunate to be together, to share a space and to share the bounty from birthdays and holidays.

Vinyl letters are fun, of course, but you could also make a slide on PowerPoint, save it as an image and have it printed as a poster.  Or the latest trend is to take pictures of letters on signs around town and create words using the letters.

Even better- let the Kiddles create their own quote and poster!

My grandsons share space when they spend the weekend with me.  Next time they are here, we'll create a quote about cousins.  We'll brainstorm how to turn it into wall art and talk about how lucky they are to see each other and play together so often.

I'm lucky, too!

How do you show your Kiddles to share spaces?  Let us know!