Weekly Thread Thread #1 6/17/2014

6/17/2014 | RG

[Roos_Girl]

Welcome to the FR weekly Thread Thread. With a thank you to meowmeow for the suggestion on the catchy name.

As I mentioned to some, I'm really a pre-novice seamstress. I'm even hesitant to use the word seamstress. But, with the little guy growing out of clothes SO quickly I figured I'd put some effort into making some of his play clothes. And with 2 years of being a stay at home mom, after 15 years as a professional civil engineer, my brain is in need of some exercise.

So I thought I'd start out by posting a couple of (bad) pictures of a previous project and then some info on what I'm starting on.

And in taking these pictures I see my son has managed to sneak his black crayon onto the back of this curtain. Sneaky little boys.

Here is a LINK to a free pattern for a simple ladies tank top that I thought I would try for myself.

This is a LINK to a free tutorial and downloadable pattern for purchase that I thought I'd try for Little Britches. I ordered fabric from Denver Fabrics online at $5/yd with 1 pair of shorts taking 3/4 of a yard in his size.

So, welcome to everyone. I'm super impressed and happy we have some men joining in. If anyone wants on or off the Thread Thread ping list just let me know. And please let's see pictures of your works in progress.

[Ellendra]

Please add me to the ping list. I love to sew!!!

[LucyT]

[The Bat Lady]

I love your thread thread. Please add me to the ping list.

Hubby just bought me a new sewing machine for my birthday . I think my last one was a lemon from day one. so I didn’t do much. Lately I have been making gardening aprons with huge pockets so that when out there and picking beans I have somewhere to put them.

They turned out really cute and of course one had bats on it.

Thanks for the blackout curtain ideas we have a part-time job where we need to go to bed very early and get up in the middle of the night. It will be very helpful to have those curtains.

I love freepers!

[3D-JOY]

Somehow books on sewing don’t thrill me ! LOL

There is a mystery series set in a tea shop that I look for as “light” reading. Normally I read all the action novels.

[Roos_Girl]

That sounds like a neat project. How do your homemade bows and arrows work? I love archery. My birthday present to myself a few years ago (while I was still working and didn’t have Little Britches) was a compound bow. I almost went for a recurve, but thought the compound would be more practical for when I finally rope someone in to taking me out hunting.

[Roos_Girl]

Haha, yes, the curtains were previous projects. Being that they had square corners and no curves or intricate sewing pattern I thought that would be the best place for me to start.

My mom sewed some of our clothes, but gave up on it before I was old enough to learn.

[Roos_Girl]

Regarding the blackout lining showing pin pricks; yes they do! For the baby's room I bought a pair of what was supposed to be blackout curtains from Kmart and I was very disappointed with the amount of light that came through. So I did a very quick, very rough tacking of the Joann blackout liner to the back of them and every single stitch mark is clearly seen across the top. The curtains that I made and put pictures of at the beginning of the thread I took much more time with and made them differently than any "patterns" I've seen for curtains. I actually cut the blackout liner to the same size as the fabric, except shortened the length a couple inches, and then folded the top and both sides like you would do for a hem at the bottom of clothes. There are no pinprick holes where light comes through.

But I just recently decided to put up a blackout curtain behind the "decorative" curtain in our bedroom and for expediency I decided to buy them. I got these from Amazon and am really pleased with them. Put them inside the window frame on a simple tension rod and they do an excellent job of blocking light.

[NTHockey]

Decent at short range (25 ft); need more practice and straight arrows. When using branches, they need to be green to bend in desired shape. Then dry the wood and I coat with stain. Cheap way to make a secondary weapon.

Saw plans for a DIY shotgun that fits in your toolbox. MUST BE UNASSEMBLED. Anybody hear about that?

[Fightin Whitey]

Ping to comments #10 & #54. You fellas related?

Jes' a coupla peaceful cowpokes passin' on thru ma'am...not meanin' no trouble for no-body...

lol

[Fightin Whitey]

Does git mitey quiet out there on the trail though...don’t mind sayin’ I’d be awful pleased to land on that Thread Thread list if you was of a mind..?

[dayglored]

> I thought this was a thread about posting threads - a meta-thread.

I never meta thread I didn't like. -- Will Rogers, almost

[Library Lady]

I like mysteries, too, but in fiction I mostly read writers like Tom Clancy, Brad Thor, David Baldacci, and Vince Flinn. My aide used to say, “So many books, so little time.” I totally agree. After saying all that, I still have a lot of sewing books. LOL!

[Library Lady]

I know what you mean about new sewing machines. I have a Singer that my parents gave me in the early ‘70s. I had not been sewing much in the last few years because it seemed like I couldn’t keep the tension set correctly. Thread would bunch up, and the fabric would just sit under the needle in a wad.

I sent it twice to be worked on, and the third time I said if it didn’t work, I was going to buy a new one. Well, it didn’t work, and I ordered a new one. Before it arrived, I happened to feel the feed dogs on the Singer, and they were worn out. I ordered new feed dogs on the internet, and it works perfectly. I’m thrilled.

The new machine came and is all plastic. I will use it some but don’t expect it to be anything like the workhorse my old one is.

I hope you enjoy your new machine! Happy sewing.

[3D-JOY]

Have you thought of a way to turn the batman logo into Bat Lady? THINKING.....

[3D-JOY]

I never miss any of those authors...

I have them sent on day of release.

[Blueflag]

fyi, you can use SMALL dots of hot melt glue to obscure the pin prick light holes. On the side that doesn’t face the room of course.

[The Bat Lady]

I know what you mean about new sewing machines. I have a Singer that my parents gave me in the early ‘70s. I had not been sewing much in the last few years because it seemed like I couldn’t keep the tension set correctly. Thread would bunch up, and the fabric would just sit under the needle in a wad. I sent it twice to be worked on, and the third time I said if it didn’t work, I was going to buy a new one. Well, it didn’t work, and I ordered a new one. Before it arrived, I happened to feel the feed dogs on the Singer, and they were worn out. I ordered new feed dogs on the internet, and it works perfectly. I’m thrilled.

The reason I'm so happy to have a new one was because for years the thread would bunch up and I would have it tuned every time I would start a project. (expensive)

sometimes it would last till I finished, sometimes not. It was a Phaff. surprising I know. I guess just a lemon and why did I put up with it for so long?

(I checked the dogs and they felt pretty good but thanks for the tip!)

The Brother I wanted from Walmart was only $84.00. It wasn't in stock and hubby bought me the bigger brother. LOL nice.

I'm planning to look thru the drawers for the projects that got wadded up in anger from the other machine and see if I can finish (or did I gain enough weight so they won't fit anymore? I did quit smoking 4 years ago so weight is different now.) them.

[The Bat Lady]

Have you thought of a way to turn the batman logo into Bat Lady? THINKING.....

now you got me thinking! LOL never did think of it but I was asked to give a bat program at the opening of the Batman movie at an IMAX. That was a blast!

[Roos_Girl]

You got it, cowboy.

[3D-JOY]

Pink Bat on Black background?

Sequined bat outlined in pink and then wider black?

I could go on and on!

I made a cape for grandson years ago...black on one side and superman red on the other...Each had the emblem...he never did choose a favorite!