Machine Sewing Your Binding

The video below is about binding a quilt, which is not a wearable item, but bias binding is used on clothing and tote bags and other such wearable things, right? Right! So I have convinced myself that it’s entirely proper to talk about this video on this blog. 😉

The big thing I learned from “How To Quilt Series: Machine Binding Basics” by Riley Blake Designs was how to attach the two ends (or tails) with a nice diagonal seam. Jump to ~8:30 to see the explanation.

Link: How To Quilt Series: Machine Binding Basics

I had my doubts (make a snip into all the layers?!), but let me tell you, this method works! I used a different kind of binding than theirs, and it took me about 4 tries to figure out which way to orient the two ends (or maybe I’m just dense), but in the end, I made a lovely join with my bias binding. See how nice and flat it is?

Okay, it could be better, but still, not too shabby for a sewing-past-my-bedtime-and-can’t-be-bothered-to-iron effort. Here’s an overall view:

(Anyone care to guess what this is??)

View Sewing with Nancy Online

And now for something more wearables-oriented! Sewing with Nancy, hosted by Nancy Zieman, airs on PBS on Saturdays at 8:30 am. (I guess it replaced Sew It All, which used to be at the same time?) If you missed an episode, or if you want to see part 2 of the serger workshop series that didn’t air here, you can view her shows on the Wisconsin Public Television website. Not every show is there, but a lot of them are! The site also has episodes that haven’t aired in Houston yet (apparently we’re behind the times…).

Free Episodes of The Quilt Show

Big news here! In honor of International Quilt Day (March 17, 2012), The Quilt Show (www.thequiltshow.com), the web TV show hosted by Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims, will “open” all of its shows from the first nine series—that is, from show 100 through show 913—for the entire weekend of March 16–18. This means that for three special days, everyone will have the chance to view these 117 shows, featuring some of the quilting world’s leading artists, for FREE.

—From the Sewing Friends group on Facebook

I know, this is a Wearables blog, so why am I posting about a quilting show? Well, I thought some of you might make quilts as well as garments and would therefore be interested. I had also spied their Quilting for Garments episode and thought “Ah ha! Wearable!” but alas, that show is from series 10 (which is not included in the free episode bonanza). 😦

Photo: The Quilt Show’s hosts, Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims. Click the image to go to the show’s episode list.

By the way, Sewing Friends is maintained by Phyllis (she’s our chapter secretary, but the group isn’t officially related to ASG Houston), and she posts various tips, sales notices, links to tutorials, etc. Group members are welcome to share their projects and ask sewing questions, too. It’s a closed Facebook group, but you can request to join it.

Casserole Carrier (made by Mary Jane)

This isn’t a wearable project, but a lot of people seemed interested in the casserole carriers that Mary Jane showed at our last meeting. If you want to make one for yourself, here’s how:

Casserole or Pie Carrier Tutorial by Crafty Gemini

The tutorial is actually a video, which generally isn’t my favorite thing. Videos can be useful, of course, but they also can be frustrating when the lighting is too dim, the sound is garbled, etc. Well, have no fear because this video is GREAT! I was really impressed by how well Vanessa (Crafty Gemini) presented everything.

Below are some photos I took of Mary Jane’s casserole carriers (click on a thumbnail to see a larger image). BTW, if you could donate some carriers to the chapter, we’d appreciate it! We’re going to sell our chapter cookbook plus kitchen items such as these at conference.

Freeze Your Jeans to Keep Them Clean

Has anyone heard of this? Apparently when jeans are made from raw denim (“denim fabric that is not washed after being dyed during its production,” according to Wikipedia), you preserve them by putting your jeans in the freezer instead of the washing machine.

How to Freeze Your Jeans & “Clean” Them (Apartment Therapy)

I did a little research of my own, and the “ABC News study” that he mentions in the video wasn’t really what I would call a study. Instead, it was a story about one college student who wore the same pair of jeans for 15 months without washing them.

Distressed Denim: College Student Wears Same Jeans For 15 Months (ABC News)

Anyway, do you think the denim at Joann is raw denim? Perhaps we should be freezing it instead of prewashing it so we can have the couture look! 😉

Sew It All

Sew It All is a new sewing TV show on PBS that airs on Saturdays at 8:30 am. To learn more about the show, find free projects, read blogs, and more, visit Sew It All TV.

Photo: Host Ellen March

The public television series Sew it All is hosted by Ellen March and is a co-production with Iowa Public Television. Each episode teaches a fundamental sewing technique and a quick-and-easy project that utilizes the technique. Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or advanced sewist, you’ll love the casual, fun vibe and no-fear approach that Sew it All offers. You’ll learn how to make the most out of your sewing machine investment (no matter how much your machine cost), and you’ll expand your machine’s capabilities by using different attachments, feet, stitches and great products that make sewing much easier than ever before. A special guest joins Ellen on each episode to share different takes on traditional methods and inspire you to sew it all!

All About Zippers

This post began with a link to the CBS ZipperStop interview that Pat sent me. I remembered the ZipperStop article in the New York Times, then around the same time, I saw a video about zippers & fasteners featured on Yahoo. Which brings us to a grand total of two videos and one article about zippers — enjoy!

CBS ZipperStop interview with Eddie and Jeff Feibusch (video)

Behind this unremarkable storefront is an unforgettable father-and-son institution.

For Eddie Feibusch, a Life in Zippers (article)

Eddie Feibusch, a prewar refugee from Vienna, is now among the last of the big New York zipper men.

Zippers & Fasteners (video)

Why does your zipper say Y.K.K.? The secrets of everyday fasteners — including who invented the shoelace, how Velcro got its name, and what zippers were called before they got a name with more zip.

Did you know the graphics in these posts are also links?
Click the one above to go to zipperstop.com.

100 Ways to Hide Your Stash

The song in this video is by Cathy Miller, the Singing Quilter, but I think non-quilters can identify with it, too! 😉

Check it out on YouTube! (Thanks to Pat, who found the link and sent it to the Kingwood NG.)

Haute Ateliers

An interesting article from The Wall Street Journal about Karl Lagerfeld and Chanel’s haute ateliers.* I’m definitely not the Chanel type, but I admire the exquisite detail. Do y’all follow high‑end designers? If so, you might also like the movie Valentino The Last Emperor. In fact, I’m wondering if one of the Chanel ateliers is the same one that Valentino used for his white dress!

    

*Hopefully this article will be available indefinitely, but when I emailed it to myself for the link, it came with the dour warning, “This article will be available to non-subscribers of the Online Journal for up to seven days after it is e-mailed.”

Stitched – A Quilting Documentary at MFAH

Description from the MFAH website:

“Stitched is a fun-filled documentary capturing the enormity of the quilting world with more than 21 million quilters in the U.S. alone. The film follows three quilters racing to complete their entries for the largest quilt show in the nation – the International Quilt Festival held in Houston, Texas. In an industry filled with quilting superstars who have developed a following by teaching their craft, the Houston show draws more than 50,000 quilters including three controversial artists. Quilting legend Caryl Bryer Fallert was the first to win a major prize for her quilt made with a sewing machine. She mentored Hollis Chatelain who caused a stir when she won an award for a painted quilt. And Hollis mentored Randall Cook who sparked controversy with his quilt of a male nude. In this documentary, these quilters create their pieces to compete in the 2010 quilt show. Behind every stitch, there is a story of friendship, art and passion.”

Show times:

• Wed, Jun 1 @ 7:00 PM
• Thu, Jun 2 @ 7:00 PM

The film’s website: http://www.stitchedfilm.com/