Shirts for children with decorations

Hello   and yeaaahhhh.................
I have got an apartment..........
BUT.......
I means, that I will have to clean up in my storage of fabrics, the apartment is not much bigger than the room I used for sewing in my old house. 

So now I have started making these shirts, I am having fun creating the decorations. 

The first 4 are almost finished, so I thought you might like to see what it is all about. 

I don't really know who they are for, but maybe I can sell them if anybody are interested.....................

Size 8 years

Size 6 years

Size 4 years

Size 2 years

Feel free to comment or give me some new ideas...........thanks   

Have a nice weekend..................

How to thread the machine

A friend asked if I could show how I threaded my machines, so here you are, hopefully a couple of ideas to help:

The sewing machine:

Yes, it IS old, but it works. the reason why the thread is going through all these loops is, that it is important, that is not too loose or too tight. Every machine is different, but follow the thread from the backside and through the metaldiscs, that tighten the thread, and remember all the other hooks. Also remember the little hook above the needle. (remember, the needle has to be placed as far up as possible with the flat side turning away from you, there's also a narrow slot from the eye of the needle and up on the front, to make room for the thread while sewing) Put the thread through the eye from the front and place the end under the pressser foot.

the thread from underneath is always taken off the bobbin from the top and to the right. As it is placed on the photo you can put it directly into the bobbin case and then the thread is pulled through the little spring placed outside the case. the case is now ready to place in the machine, remember it has to click before yous can start .

You pull up the thread from under the board by dragging the wheel (the  one that makes the needle move, placed on the right side) TOWARDS YOURSELF, so the needle is moving down, and up again. Now you pull the end of the thread that comes from the needle and the thread from underneath should appear as a loop. Drag it up until you have two ends and place them underneath the presser foot and away from you. Ready to sew.

Marking the darts

Today it is raining, so why not do what you like the most......
Darts are almost impossible to avoid when you are sewing, it is necessary for letting the fabrics follow the curves that the body obviously has, and on the top I made the other day, there were darts at the shoulder, to make the sleeves fall nicely over it.
I have never marked with chalk on the fabrics, but instead I have done like this:

Marking of darts:

Cut with the scissors a small chip at the ends of the dart and put a pin through the point of the dart. Pull carefully the pattern off, while the pin stays in the fabric (the head of the pin is pulled through the paper).

Open up, so you have both the backsides and be sure, that the pin is going through both layers.

Place a pin through the same hole in both layers, and make sure the point of the pins are pointing towards the two chips at the edges.

Now the darts are marked, then you put the two chips together in each dart, so that they form a triangle with the pin at the end. Ready to sew.

Making a top 1

Welcome to another great weekend.....
Well, I didn't write yesterday as we are having a blues and jazz festival here in Aalborg, Denmark, where I live. 
And what is better than a little happy jazz........between showers and sunshine.....

I managed though, to make a top Thursday and shot a lot of photos. But the story behind first. 

When I buy fabrics isn't it because I have seen a photo of something, I want to make first, no, I see a store selling fabrics,  and then I look for bargains, but use my fingers when I choose..... (it has to give me a nice feeling, and it also help to decide the type of fabric)
And when I have found something I like, then the ideas are popping up.
If they turn into something real....? Well, but I usually take the fabrics home.
And then I have the option of buying packages with pieces of fabric, i.e. on the net. I do that once in a while too, and this top is, in the matter of facts, the result of such a bargain resently.

I had a piece of grey jersey and got the striped piece from such a package, received by mail.

and then the pattern.........

I had made this pattern for a dress a month ago (my daughter was going to be married, and I just had to find out what to wear) and it has already turned into several pieces of clothing. Look:

Some summerdresses and even a top










Well, let's just start:

 As it was leftovers and cheap parings, I had to make the top as long as the fabrics allowed (I had checked, that the lenght was ok) And remembered to add 1 cm/half an inch to all the edges (2-3 cm/ 1-2 inches at the bottoms to make a nice seam). I also checked all the sides, to be sure that all pieces had the same lenght. I used my tape measure vertically to make it follow the curves.

The small strip at the top of the photo is for the neck lining, I will show you how to do that tomorrow.

The result.

Now I will go listening to more good music, have a nice day

My sewing machines

I thought you should know, that I for the moment am living in a borrowed apartment, while I am looking for the right apartment to live in. I have been living in my own house for almost 40 years but have now sold it to avoid maintenance.
I have always had my own workshop, sometimes not that much space, but for the last years really big and NOW.....

2 machines on the floor under a table, and then these few shelves....everything else is stored (that is 13 sacks of fabric and at least 6 boxes with accessories and patterns)

 This is the " new workshop"

And yes, I have bought these fabrics recently.....one is addicted......lol. The thread I simply had to go and "dig up" from the storage room as I started to miss the sewing after a few weeks.

So at the moment everything is happening at the dining table....

How to fasten a button by hand .......

How to fasten a button by hand  .......

Hello to all

My son asked me if I could show to to attach a button to a shirt.

First I found quite funny, but as he said: " Why not, some people have never learned to do that?"

And he is right......sometime you forget, that you yourself started from scratch, so here you are.....hopefully understandable:

 1      2 

 3     4

5         6

7 8
 9            10

1. Here you are, the needle, thread, button and a piece of fabric.
2. Stick the thread through the eye of the needle and make it double (not longer than 30 cm., or your arm will be tired)
3. The knot is made by crossing the end over your finger (maybe you will have to made it wet by licking on it), then you roll the thread/the cross off the finger and pull it with your nails towards the end.
4. Now you are ready to sew, you should know have made a knot at the end.
5. Start by sticking the needle from the backside up to the front, where you want to attach the button.
6. And then back through the other hole to the backside
7. Do that 3 to 4 times (if there are 4 holes then repeat it two by two)
8. The last time you stick the needle from the backside to the front, then let it appear at the backside of the button.
9. Twist the thread around the button, stick the needle through the loop and tighten. Do that twice (it is called double half hitch, I guess a sailor knows that)
10. Finished......cut off the end underneath the button, so no ends are visible.

Thank you to those who inspired me to do this apart from my son.................................

Welcome to my little workshop ........

Welcome to my little workshop ........

Welcome to creative inspiration and help

the idea of this blog is : That if i can - so can you!

With almost 50 years of experience in making clothes, redress furniture, making bags, puses and hats, well in all everything that has to do with fabrics......., 

then i might be able to help you if you have a problem, have inherited Grandmas sewing machine or just want to start using needle and thread...

Here is a couple of ideas:

- Sew a button in the shirt, by hand or by machine

- Make a party dress 

- Make patterns, adjust them

- Make your clothes fit, making bigger, making smaller

- Make new clothes out of old

- Tricks to make things done easier

- Ask me, and I will do my best to help.

Here you have some photos to inspire:

Top made as a corsage with skirt in taffeta and laces

and then just a peak at the summerdresses for the grandchild in jersey, quickly made if you have an overlocker and a lot of spare facrics..... size 6 years old.  

I will show you how to make the linings later.......

Hope to hear from you   see you........