FESTIVE PARTY Scarves End this Sewing Project

Single Loop Glittering Metallic Purple Scarf.

Today I finished 6 festive party or special occasion scarves and two red paisley scarves.  This is the end of this current scarf session!  There are some I will wrap in tissue, box, and wrap as gifts, some I will keep for myself, and some I will place neatly in my "gift" drawer for later gift giving.

Double Looped Ice Blue Metallic Scarf.

What I love about them is the ease with which they change the whole look of an outfit.  Add a glittering metallic to a dark turtleneck and trousers and it becomes quite sheik.  Sort of Lauren Becall or Katherine Hepborn!

Single Loop black Velvet with Glitter Pattern.

Double Loop Black and Gold Metallic. (Side A)

Or wear with a skirt and sweater with a glittering scarf and again I see a very quiet elegance bursting through but with a loud whisper!

Single Loop Royal Blue Metallic Scarf.

One of the fabrics really stumped me.  I could not decide which side I preferred so I made two scarves, one of each side.  I will never know which side was meant to be the "right" side.

Black and Gold Double Looped Scarf. (Side B)

Really I have thought this to be great fun and I hate to say I am done!  I may have to make a few more?  We will see....If you would like directions to make one please click on the following link I am happy to share.      thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2013/01/infinity-scarf-circle-large-double-loop.html

Silky and Lightweight Double Looped Red Paisley Scarf.

Tomorrow I round up lace and batting for a new project.  I will see you again with it I feel certain.

Holiday Sewing! Quick Scarves & Cozy Tied Throws for Starters

Soft and cozy royal blue ribbed knit is outstanding!  So I made two!

A few weeks ago I took a quick inventory of winter knits that might be lovely as scarves.  I wanted some bulky, some silky knit, and all pretty.  My first dive into the first tote netted enough for six cowl or circle or infinity scarves.  I was looking for in the neighborhood of 2 yards by 11 or 22 inches.  Not all the same but in the neighborhood!

Love this soft and silky but with medium heft.

Red, black, and white cable is quite striking as well as so soft!

I REALLY like this very soft and a little bulky number and I made two of this too.

Six scarves lined up and done.

 

Next I went through the three quilting totes and found three pieces suitable for tied comforter style throws.  I am not sure if I will give them all as gifts or who I might gift them with but I am enjoying getting back to my treasures!

Two velvet and one cotton patchwork topper for a throw.

I plan another fabric dive as soon as I get finished with these pieces!  I also hear throw pillows calling my name. Listen.......do you hear it too?  Ops I had to do it!  Thinking Christmas or New Years Eve sparkling glittering scarves!  Lots to do!

GLITZ GALORE! May go for something festive!

If you want to make one of these scarves (or more).  For each scarf cut fabric 2 yards (72")  by 22 inches.  Fold with right sides facing longways.  Machine stitch 1/2" from the edge the long seam.  Turn right side out.

Fold scarf in half.  Match the raw ends.  Pin right sides facing of the ends and machine stitch leaving a 4" to 6" opening.  Turn the scarf right sides and fold the raw edges of the opening together to close then hand stitch the opening closed.  You are all done!

NOTE:  For complete instructions with photos go to my link as follows..... thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2013/01/infinity-scarf-circle-large-double-loop.html
Of course you can plat around with the dimensions too!

Christmas Gift, Tablecloth Finished

With Love in Every Thread

This has been a labor of love and I am happy with the end result I think....never really sure it could not have been a little better.  But that is just me!  It is really pretty though and I would love it on my table so that is as good as it can be I think?

After stitching I did the final pressing.

To make the finished edge I ran a line of straight stitching  3/8" all the way around from the trimmed cut raw edge.  Next I used a hot steam iron and folded the edge under to the wrong side just above the stitching so it does not show on the right side of the finished tablecloth.  Then fold again and press.  Using dressmaker pins I pinned every 12" or thereabouts except the corners which I pinned more closely to ease them.  The final step was to stitch 1/4" from the folded edge of the tablecloth and do the final pressing.  NOTE:  It is really important to watch the tension of the sewing machine as you do this as you will not have attractive stitching.

Nothing left but to wrap it up and deliver!  Then on to my next project!

Cutting the corners of THE CHRISTMAS TABLECLOTH.

Well after my pondering was through this morning I did it.  Snip, snip, snip!  I found on an edge it is a Hallmark Fabric.  Whatever that may mean!

First I folded right side in down the length of the fabric and pinned the edges straightening to the very best of my ability!  Then I folded in half cross ways lining up all four corners.  Nest I trimmed a bit as to even things up.

Now for my biggest platter!  The big one the girls fired for me as a special gift!  Perfect as the template for a big easy curve!

And then to mark oh so carefully!  Instead of the Tailor's chalk (they were out of dark) I had to buy a fabric marking pin that becomes invisible with heat.

Then the cutting is done and I am ready to sew tomorrow!

Christmas Sewing, Making an Oval Christmas Tablecloth, a Special Gift!

My guess is the fabric may be from the early to mid 1900's.

When I went through the vast array of fabrics I have accumulated I found a large vintage piece of cloth that appears to be just designed for a Christmas tablecloth.  Today I measured and laundered it and presently it is adorning my dining room table to give me time to ponder the project.  My table with all of the leaves still in from Thanksgiving is larger than that of the intended recipient but not so much as to alter my process. Pondering is a very necessary component of the things I do in the sewing realm!

If I shorten to drop too much I will loose design.

This is intended to be made for my best friend as a Christmas gift and I don't want to make any unnecessary mistakes of have unforeseen delays. Thus tomorrow I will trek out for some new tailors chalk as mine seems to be hiding from me. Or, maybe I have just used it all?

Diane, my oldest dearest friend,  is an elegant mix of tradition and playfulness and this is reflected in her home.  She has long loved antiques but has broadened into an eclectic mix laced with brightness and fun.

The all over print makes a happy cheery Christmas pattern.

Yesterday she gave me the dimensions of her oval dinning room table, 42" x 82" with the 23" leaf installed.  Today I researched how to make an oval tablecloth and it appears you decide the drop (overhang) around the table and add that to the dimensions.  Next you use a large round object like a big dinner plate as a template and trim off the square corners using that object as a guide. Then you hem.

I am still pondering the drop.
More will follow as I collect my thoughts and get after this project!

Basting Together the Second Antique Pieced Quilt Top.

There is no organized pattern of these squares.

Last eventing (Thursday) I finished the embroidery of my children's Great and Great-Great Grandmother's names as well as mine on three quilt blocks since I am finishing these quilts.

1869 was the birth date of the first hands to work this fabric, then 1889, very humbling for me to touch this.

I am having second thoughts though that maybe I should go back and include the grandmother who gave me these even she said she did none of the work on them???  There are later ones she did do and I will put her name on them.  I don't know, anybody want to comment?  I am all ears!

Hand basting helps a lot when working with big pieces of textiles.

You can tell these again are very old fabric patterns.

Anyway this afternoon I cleaned off the dining room table and put the backing, batting, and quilt top all together and got it pinned and then hand basted together.  Lastly I trimmed it.   I still am unsure what to do next.  The fabric is old, old, old as you can see.  There is no planned pattern, more of a made for warmth and necessity quilt by country folk of generations ago.  Which is what I love about these! 

Since it is not just old but all hand stitched I think it might be fragile and be better less worked.  Also since it is dark it might be nice tufted with red yarn?  There is a red tiny tiny candy cane pattern in some of the squares which makes me want to take it to a more holiday feel?  I don't know though!

I love the blanket stitched edges on this heavy old comforter.

Normally I am very decisive but this one has me in a quandary.  I loved the way the blanket stitched edges turned out on the first one (The Crazy quilt.) and am thinking I may repeat that again here.  I think the dark colors will carry it....well maybe?   Here is the link to the first pieced top I worked if you would like to see what I am speaking about.      thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2013/09/today-crazy-quilt-ida-bell-and-ellen.html

One thing is for sure,  it is 3:30 PM on Friday and I am pooped!  So I will sleep on it.  Tomorrow is another day.

Sewing up a Christmas Banner for my Red Front Door!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

As you may recall I have happily received a major amount of fabric and notions from Grandma Powell. (92 year old Mother of my late first husband.)  Included was a stack of holiday sewing.  I have started into the stack, first by laundering everything and next by selecting the first things I plan to make.  Yesterday afternoon I took a large Santa Banner, about 34" x 42" and decided I would add batting and a backing and machine quilt the major parts of it.  Thus far I have joined the sides and bottom and left the top open.

I also made a trip to Michael's and found jingle bells to sew onto the sleigh and some metallic cord I may use to embellish the reign's with to set them apart a bit more.  We will see about that one.

Basically you place the right sides of the backing and of the banner facing each other and then pin on the batting.  Take great care that all of the sides are evenly matched and pinned.  I started at the front center of the bottom and sewed across to the corner then repeated from the center front to the opposite corner.  The purpose of taking this approach is you do not want to have any slack or fullness or twist in any of the layers if you can help it.  This method helps reduce that likely hood.  Next I sewed from the bottom corners to the top.

I have left the top open to help pull out any fullness when I create a casing at the top for a dowel rod by which to hang it with a red ribbon on our red front door.

I just finished and hung Santa on my door and I like him a lot.  Mostly because it is a bit different than hanging a wreath.

I used a 1" wide gross grain ribbon as seam binding and stitched it across the top of all three layers on the right side of the fabric overlapping 1/2" and stitching 1/8" from the lower edge of the ribbon.  Next I used the dowel I had and laid it across the top to see exactly how far down to turn the fabric to form the casing.  Next I pinned it and sewed across the entire top forming a perfect sized casing.

For fun I used a darning needle threaded with 1/8"  wide red satin ribbon and just sewed them in place along the reindeer's harness.  There are 10 lovely jingle bells to announce someone at our front door.  I found some white fake fur left from making bunnies tails and thought it perfect for the sleeves of Santa's coat.  Just a dab of fabric glue and a bit of a trim and it worked perfectly.

This project was an ad lib all the way and that made it fun.  I will start another soon!