Quilting

I learned to sew when I was 13, by my Aunt. Every summer we would visit her and she would try to teach my sister and I how to sew. I think my sister was better at it than me. Anyway, I have gotten better over the years. I am teaching myself how to quilt. I don't belong to any guilds yet. I want to learn how to do it first. Below, I was playing around with some scraps of fabric that were given to me in a floral print. I thought I could make pillow shams out of them, but the design appears to be too big for shams, and there isn't enough fabric, so these may have to be cut down and made into pillows, I don't know.

Fluffy Pillows

If your pillows have gone flat, and you don’t want to buy new ones, buy a bag of poly-fill from your local fabric or craft store and refill them. Using your seam ripper, make a 6” opening on one end and stuff the poly-fill starting in the far back and work your way toward you. If you need a new cover, too, then buy some muslin and use the old cover for a pattern. Just be sure and not to over fill them or they may become too firm.

I decided to refill our pillows rather than buy new ones. So I purchased a 32 oz bag of poly-fill at Joann’s for $6.00 and then a 20 oz bag from Walmart for $3.00. So for a total less than 1 pillow, I was able to refill 5 pillows. I also made new covers for my husband by using the old pillow cover as a pattern and cutting out new ones from some muslin I had on hand.

I practically made new pillows for my husband. So if I hadn’t needed so much poly-fill for 2 of the pillows, I would have probably had extra on hand. Needless to say, we are all able to sleep more comfortably now.

Custom Sewing Techniques and Patternmaking

I just came across a new site for sewing enthusiasts who want to learn how to sew, make their own patterns, and even learn how to make a dress form and custom bras. I found this site by accident when I was searching for a way to make my own dress form. The reason I want to learn how to do this is not only due to cost, but making the clothes fit better – more than anything else.

The site belongs to Don McCunn owner of Design Enterprises of San Francisco and the links are here:
Don's main web site link: http://deofsf.com
Youtube link
Sewing Pattern link
Custom bra link
Fashion doll pattern link

Don makes several videos and even has published a book, which you can order at his sewing pattern link Sewing Pattern link. I ordered mine, and should receive it by tomorrow. I don’t know about you, but I think I’ve been waiting a long time to come across a site like Don’s. You can tell he is not out to just make money – he is interested in teaching others. His prices are very reasonable. There are various classes that are offered and you can join 3 different Yahoo groups to keep in touch with the members, and what is going on. Also, not only do you learn how to sew and make patterns for yourself or others, but Don teaches you how to make patterns for fashion dolls as well.

Below is one of his dress form videos on youtube:



I plan to add more to my sewing site soon. I know I haven’t posted anything lately, but that isn’t because I haven’t been sewing. I’ve been sewing clothes for me, but they just don’t fit right. Even after I alter the pattern. They end up too tight, or the bodice doesn’t fit mine properly. So I look forward to reading Don’s book and taking some of his courses soon.

Wish me luck.

Also, I did find other sites and youtube videos for making dress forms, but I’m going to give Don’s method a try first. If you are like me, where your body has taken on a will of it’s own – no matter what you eat or how much you exercise – then I encourage you to try this, too.

Good luck and best wishes.

Landscape Quilts

This is my first landscape quilt and it is still not finished yet. I started this landscape quilt more than a year ago and need to finish it. Part of my problem is that I don't have a lot of room to work on quilts where we live right now. So most of the time I have to set up my machine at the kitchen table. It is real hard to work on projects like this, but I love to do them. I still need to stipple the right section of the quilt - the hillside and fence area. I just have safety pins holding everything together right now.



Here is a closeup of the sky - showing the stippling around the seagulls and clouds.

Here is another one. I found fabric of the lighthouse and seagulls, so I just cut them out and appliqued them on, and stippled around them. The clouds were done using my embroidery machine.


Then the water section, I used tulle and placed it over blue fabric to give it a sheen. Then I embroidered over that. Trying to show ripples in the water. The hills were some green fabric that I cut and shaped into hills for the background below.