Crafty Thread - what are you working on at the moment?

[Miss-Shelf]

I have bought a self heal mat and a rotary cutter so it's patches away

 

[boohoo]

I have bought a self heal mat and a rotary cutter so it's patches away

I must let you have some bits of fabric !

 

[Miss-Shelf]

yes please

 

[red rose]

I've made a new cushion which matches my favourite duvet cover

 

[Boudicca]

I've made a new cushion which matches my favourite duvet cover

I love the cushion - the design is very clever. Don't laugh, but I've been thinking of making some kind of microwaveable heat pad to keep my coffee warm and that shape could work.

(Gets sewing machine out and searches for stripey fabric...)

 

[red rose]

If it helps at all this is the pattern that I used. 6 of these sewn together makes the top and sides and then I sewed a hexagon shaped piece of fabric to the bottom.

 

[Boudicca]

If it helps at all this is the pattern that I used. 6 of these sewn together makes the top and sides and then I sewed a hexagon shaped piece of fabric to the bottom.

View attachment 50215

Yes, that helps, thank you.

 

[Looby]

I have bought a self heal mat and a rotary cutter so it's patches away

I love my cutter, it's brilliant. Have fun!

 

[Looby]

If you're an absolute sewing novice, is making your own bias binding a silly idea? I can't even find a tape maker in the size I need unless I order online. I've been to/called every shop in the area.

I've googled instructions but they do assume a level of knowledge I don't think I have.

 

[wayward bob]

what size tape maker do you need sparkles? and what's the binding for? there's +/- to making your own...

 

[Looby]

A 50mm which I can get on amazon but I wanted to start this weekend. I can wait a few days if I need to, I'm just impatient.

It's for a bag.

 

[wayward bob]

is it to make decorative/patterned binding? plain is easy to buy, not sure what there is in the way of patterned readymade.

 

[wayward bob]

i have a 25mm but 50 seems quite big - is that the finished/folded size or the width of the fabric strip?

 

[Greebo]

If you're an absolute sewing novice, is making your own bias binding a silly idea? I can't even find a tape maker in the size I need unless I order online. I've been to/called every shop in the area.

I've googled instructions but they do assume a level of knowledge I don't think I have.

Hmm, you need to get it cut right on the cross, there's one hell of a lot of accurate cutting of long straight lines involved (less of a problem with a rotary cutter and mat), and it's boring.

is it to make decorative/patterned binding? plain is easy to buy, not sure what there is in the way of patterned readymade.

MacCulloch and Wallis sell decorative/patterned as well as plain... Some of their plain, striped, and tartan bias binding is 50mm when flattened out and 25 folded. They also have a 25mm (folded width) tape maker. BTW just checked, they's also got dogtooth, corduroy, and camo.

 

[wayward bob]

there's a dead easy way where you cut a rectangle, join it slightly askew into a loop, mark and cut one long length : thumbs : you get seams but on a pattern they don't really show.

eta: this one uses a square cut in half: http://www.coletterie.com/tutorials-tips-tricks/continuous-bias-tape-tutorial

 

[Looby]

i have a 25mm but 50 seems quite big - is that the finished/folded size or the width of the fabric strip?

I think it's the folded size. I'm going to have a go with a bit of scrap and then decide whether it's good enough or to wait and order a maker.

Thanks all.

 

[wayward bob]

it's possible but tedious/frustrating to make by hand without a folder.

 

[Greebo]

<snip> eta: this one uses a square cut in half: http://www.coletterie.com/tutorials-tips-tricks/continuous-bias-tape-tutorial

That certainly looks a very quick way of cutting a lot of bias tape

 

[Boudicca]

We've discussed bias binding before haven't we? I think it was RubyToogood 's keyhole neckline? (Which I later saw in real life and was beautifully done!)

There's a way of making it using a pin/needle on an ironing board:

http://www.draperyu.com/sewing-tips-how-to-make-bias-binding-tape-needle-pin/

 

[Looby]

We've discussed bias binding before haven't we? I think it was RubyToogood 's keyhole neckline? (Which I later saw in real life and was beautifully done!)

There's a way of making it using a pin/needle on an ironing board:

http://www.draperyu.com/sewing-tips-how-to-make-bias-binding-tape-needle-pin/

That's sort of what I did until I got really frustrated and chucked the needles away.

It's done, it's probably not great but will be fine when stitched on I hope...

 

[Boudicca]

What we all really need is one of these beauties, only £50:

 

[RubyToogood]

We've discussed bias binding before haven't we? I think it was RubyToogood 's keyhole neckline? (Which I later saw in real life and was beautifully done!)

There's a way of making it using a pin/needle on an ironing board:

http://www.draperyu.com/sewing-tips-how-to-make-bias-binding-tape-needle-pin/

Yes it was. I made it out of gingham, which makes it dead easy to find the true bias, and just dispensed with ironing creases into it as when you're sewing it onto something at a fixed distance from the edge I can't see that the crease is at all helpful. And then you just turn it over to cover the edge. It was fine.

 

[Looby]

What we all really need is one of these beauties, only £50:

Oooh, want! As well as a haberdashary stocked like the sewing bee and an overlocker.

 

[wayward bob]

20g of citrate, 10g of cyanide. 20g of citrate 10g of cyanide. is it possible to do this drunk?

 

[8115]

20g of citrate, 10g of cyanide. 20g of citrate 10g of cyanide. is it possible to do this drunk?

Do you need goggles and gloves?

I'm making a scarf. One row handspun pattern from Ravelry. I do quite enjoy the odd pattern every now and again.

 

[wayward bob]

Do you need goggles and gloves?

i just need to do it in the dark : thumbs :

 

[wayward bob]

note to self: non-kitchen scales might be a good investment

 

[Greebo]

note to self: non-kitchen scales might be a good investment

Good news, they might not be as expensive as you'd expect http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=lab scales

 

[wayward bob]

don't suppose anyone can recommend me some pinking shears? i bought some from john lewis and they're great for paper but shit for fabric, even from new

 

[Boudicca]

don't suppose anyone can recommend me some pinking shears? i bought some from john lewis and they're great for paper but shit for fabric, even from new

I've got a pair of Fiskars ones I have had for years which still cut well. And some even older ones which got demoted to paper. But there are some fabrics which don't pink.