Preparing to Make Videos in a Tangle of Cables and Technology

Sew I have spent the whole last week working toward getting set up for VLOG’s that I plan to periodically publish on YouTube. I thought in the beginning I would be able to do the setup in a couple of days at most, but there were so many things my test videos revealed that needed attention…placement of the cameras, sound quality of the recordings, doing the demonstration of the sewing around the cameras, poor skill of the presenter (me).  I have finally managed to get a setup of two of my three cameras at my Bernina 880 plus and an additional setup at my Q20 so that you can see me fairly well, and it doesn’t emphasize my age too very much like my first try did.  I got the front camera placed so you can see the stitching going on relatively well and it doesn’t get so much in my way so I can’t really work.  For instance, it doesn’t get in the way of threading my machine like one of my tries did.  I think that front camera will also be a little adjustable so if you need to see the screen and buttons on the machine that will be possible. The third camera will be placed on an overhead gadget my son Ken put together for me.  That has to be installed first though.

Through a little YouTube research on the camera gear, I finally figured out I was missing a small piece of equipment that is designed to improve the sound quality between the camera and the microphone.  I ordered that from Amazon and it will presumably arrive early next week.

Besides getting the equipment set up, I realized I need to do considerable practice for my videos to flow nicely and be enjoyable.  I am not a natural presenter, so I have to work at that a bit. I am also working on getting my video editing with multiple cameras up to par. So I am guessing it will be another couple of weeks before I start publishing videos on YouTube, but I am thinking I have made a lot of progress so far.

In the meantime, I am working on my book and downloadable handouts to accompany some of these videos.  I kind of wish, in a way, that I could just drop all of this and go make a fun piece of fabric art.  But I think once I get it all set up I CAN go make a fun piece of fabric art and include my quilty friends that are interested in the process with my videos.

I am still very excited about my wool applique by machine overall project that inspired all of this in the first place.  I so far have five skill-building pieces outlined and some are completely written in my book manuscript.  I need to make the samples for that.   After that, I am planning on additional books encapslating some of my somewhat unique techniques that draw heavily on machine work.  So this is just the necessary not-so-fun part right now and I’ll get over that hump shortly.

I really admire those of my friends who so successfully create their teaching videos with seeming speed and grace.  My process is much more bumpy and slow.  LOL

Sew happy everyone! Have fun in your studios this week.  I love watching a lot of my quilty friends videos.  They help keep me cheerful.  Cheers.

Thinking of Wool for Quilted Art

Fabric is amazing.  As many of my gentle readers know who have been following my blog for these past few years, I love experimenting with fabrics of all types.  Right now, I am working on a rather large multi-faceted wool project having to do with applique and embellishment of wool that will hopefully result in a book (or two), a handful of small sized projects, a series of videos, and a show quilt.

I have always loved working with wool because it has incredible properties, but I have not until recently experimented with wool as a medium for fabric art.  Wool can be everything from sheer to amazingly heavy.  It can be woven in such a way as to capture the light in its folds or absorb the light so deeply it’s like night.  Black b0iled wool in the background, for instance, sets off bright colors in applique in an amazing way.

Just a test

Wool can be kind of expensive to work with, but the pieces I am developing for BJ’s Great Wool Project are small in size making it possible to use precuts or grab pieces from worn clothing for some of them and just purchase a yard or so for the background.

I am having one of those times when I start with a new idea and it suddenly explodes in my mind of what actually can be done to create fabric art that take it well beyond my original concept.  Oh my!  I’m having to keep a running set of side notes as I write my book so as not to lose these interesting ideas.  I think there is much to be done with this amazing fabric.

Just so you know, I am starting with folk art style projects in my wool applique by machine book that look quite traditional.  THis is a great way to learn the techniques needed for working with wool.  The more I have tried to come up with a nice set of projects for the book that are fun to do while teaching the techniques I want to teach, the more ideas fill my head.  The more I work with the fabric, and write about it, the more I think I have not really explored what can be done with this amazing fabric when used for an art medium.  These ideas are expanding from the folk art traditional look to quite a few “what ifs” that will be fun to explore after I finish the current book.

Some questions still  need to be answered for the book itself. How should I quilt the resulting pieces, or do they even need to be quilted? What will work best for quilting this fabric where thread tends to visibly sink into the fabric and disappear or take a back seat?  What if I use a more textured wool than traditional solid felted wool?  What if I join the heavier felted style wool with a selection of fabric textures and weaves in a single color in a single project?  How would I counter the different behaviors of the fabrics if I do that so the wall quilt, for instance, is flat and square?  Does it even need to be flat and square? How large should these projects be?  What kinds of embellishments need to be added in the way of threads, ribbons, yarns, cords, lace, embroidery, beads, buttons, and so forth? Can these all be added by machine? How should the quilting play within the designs? How can I make a fabulous artistic scene using the textures and the colors and the embellishments? Oh my!  So much to think about here. So exciting. So interesting.  So much to do….I must get busy,  LOL

I am trying to capture these what-ifs on paper  before my mind loses the train of thought so I can go back when I have the time and play with some of those what ifs.  Besides all of this, I still have a list of other quilts.  I think I need a clone or to live a couple of hundred years…hahahaha.

Sew happy everyone!  Capture those ideas as they run by and try them sometime.  Fabric is amazing,

 

Interfacings or Stabilizers?

So recently a friend of mine asked me about the use of interfacings and  stabilizers and what was the difference. I consider interfacings and stabilizers both indispensable in fabric art creating of various types.  They make the difference between a successful project and a lackluster or even failed piece. Understanding them is one of the basic skills for everything from fashion sewing to quilted art.  I can fully understand her need to know more about them.

The Byzantine world of stabilizers and interfacings can be very confusing,  because there are so many of them and they all have different uses.  Adding to the confusion is all the different brands that are out there and may call them something different and what do they mean by “lightweight” anyway?

The Back Wall of Home Dec Fabrics at G Street Fabrics

First of all, let’s discuss her question of what is the difference between interfacing and stabilizer.

  1. Well, for one thing, stabilizers do not always stay in the project, but sometimes they can.  They are largely designed to assist in making machine embroidery work both in the hoop and free motion thread painting.  They are also useful for decorative machine stitching.
  2. What makes this confusing is that interfacings can also serve as stabilizers but they are designed to remain in the project and interfacings often look like stabilizers.
  3. You may need both or even two or more for specific projects.
  4. You can even use spray starch or other spray products to work as stabilizers.
  5. And then there are those clear plastic looking stabilizers of varying weights made with corn starch or similar ingredient that washes away.  They have a variety of interesting and helpful uses in the fabric artist’s studio.
  6. Interfacings provide stability for fabrics that have a tendency to disintigrate, spread the stitching, or simply need a heavier hand for the project you are making.  They help to properly shape clothing, and are particularly required for any high-end sewing like fine couture sewing, tailored garments, wedding dresses, simple dressmaker jackets or vests, and shirts with buttons and collars.  I use interfacings extensively in both my clothes making and art quilting to make my wide selection of fabrics work together.

Sew I am focusing this discussion by using popular brand names  just because it is easy to identify and I know from using them they are a good product, but there are other brands that are also fine and some that are just terrible (shrinking, bubbling, wadding up with use). Buy a good grade of these products so your project will be successful.

Interfacings

I have a handful of stabilizers that I keep stocked in the studio so I have them when the need to sew or quilt hits me in the middle of the night and it also helps to save lots of time.  Also by stocking, I can save a lot of money by buying them when a good sale goes by. There are a large number of Pellon interfacings, but I try to keep at least three yards available of these four weights of interfacings. I buy the first two of these by the bolt when they are on sale because I use a lot of them.  They are usually much cheaper–three or four times cheaper–by the bolt, and even more if you hit a good sale.

  • For stabilizing (there’s that word that helps make this all so confusing when talking about interfacings) such fabrics as silks, very light weight cottons, dupioni  and satin polyesters, specialty fabrics, and to use for some wool or wool like tailoring fabrics, I stock a woven fusible lightweight interfacing like SF101 Shape Flex by Pellon  This nice woven interfacing does not have much affect on the hand of the fabric and, if quilted, it causes the fabric to drape better and to be smoother and more attractive. It can be used for shirt making also, but you may want to use a heavier weight for more tailored shirts.  I would not use this as a rule on good quality quilting cotton unless you are making a shirt or dress out of it.
  • For an even lighter hand (fabric drape and feel) backing up fabrics that need a little help, such as high quality silk dupioni or cotton lawn I like one of the nearly sheer nonwovens, such as Pellon 906F sheerweight. This particular interfacing is scarce right now because it is one of the choice interfacings for making masks more effective.  So I linked to a pretty good price for the bolt.
  • For a little heavier interfacing that you might want to use for crisper collars in tailored shirts, or costumes, for instance, I like Pellon 931td Some people are using this for mask making also, making it a little scarce, but I think it is just too heavy to comfortably breath through for me.
  • For bag making or some such with leather (artificial or otherwise) or heavy upholstery fabrics when you want to quilt it I use Pellon’s naked foam. I thank Nina McVeigh for alerting me to this product on her fascinating The Quilt Show show (if you aren’t a member, you are missing a lot).  I layer it with the leather or heavier upholstery fabrics and add a cotton backing fabric.  This is approaching a batting discussion that will be a future blog post, but I felt it fits well in the interfacing discussion too.
  • For high-end tailoring, especially with wool projects like coats and jackets I usually, but not always, move away from Pellon and use mostly Hymo.  Note that I have already run a few blogs about tailoring coats, and plan on making a wool slacks suit and a raw silk tailored jacket for this fall and winter and will blog the making of those, since I have some beautiful fabrics on hand that I should use before they age out.  You can easily obtain high quality and varying weights of these from tailoring supply houses online.  I generally buy these by the project.  So you will want to first consult your pattern or a tailoring book to get the right thing.   Here is a link to a group of Hymo tailoring interfacings especially good for wools from B. Black and Sons a wonderfully supplied company where I buy my tailoring supplies:  Hymo
  • And B. Black also has these lovely canvas/cotton interfacings that I have used with success for non-wool or light summer tailoring:  Canvas/cotton.

Stabilizers

I use several different stabilizers for my fabric art projects and even for embellished clothes, but I only stock a few of them because they could take over my storage space otherwise.

  1. The primary stabilizer I use for my in-the-hoop embroidery and free motion thread painting for my quilted art pieces is either OESD’s Ultra Clean and Tear Fusible or Madeira Cotton Stable, which I have a slight preference for but it is increasingly hard to find and has gone up in price. Both of these stabilizers give the fabric enough stability to take a higher amount of stitches than most of the stabilizers will do and they both tear away easily after stitching while remaining in place when you are stitching.
  2. A heavier film wash away stabilizer, such as OESD’s Badgemaster,  and a slightly lighter film stabilizer Madeira Avalon is especially useful in the studio.  I use both Madeira and OESD film stabilizers.  Washing it away can be interesting.  It’s like a science fiction slime creature at first…hahaha.  I just soak it in clear cold water and then rinse it well in running water.

I really like OESD’s Aqua Mesh Washaway, that looks like an interfacing, works well for marking designs on,  and easy to use for stitching a free-standing thread motif, applique, or free standing lace.  In such cases I will almost always add a layer of black  or white nylon tulle on top and a double layer of Aqua Mesh Washaway.  Then when you rinse it away, your piece will hang together and you just cut closely around the veiling, which basically disappears to your eyes on the fabric you applique it on to. Black veiling or matched to the background veiling works well for this. It is especially useful when you are embroidering or even free motion couching cords and yarns to build a heavy design to make them free from the main project and applique them on.  It helps deal with the pull and keeps your main project nice and flat.

I embroidered this freestanding lace star on blue nylon veiling with a double layer of wash away stabilizers and then appliqued it on.

Fusibles can act as a stabilizer/interfacing

And don’t forget that when you are making a fused on applique for a wall project, for instance, you may wish to keep the fusible whole rather than windowpane it if you are going to do a lot of heavy stitching on it later.  Then it acts just like a combination interfacing and stabilizer that does not get removed from your project. So you have to give some thought to how you are going to complete the project and how it is going to be used to decide whether to windowpane (cutting out most of the middle of the fusible leaving just the edges) to maintain a soft drape or is it a good idea to use the fusible whole.

There are several high quality fusibles on the market and everyone seems to have their own preferences.  I personally prefer steam-a-seam 2 with the two sides of paper.  One side has one inch squares on it and that’s the side that you draw your design on, cut roughly around the design about 1/4 inch away, peal off the plain side, stick the side with the grid and the drawing onto the back of your fabric, and cut it out. After that you remove the paper and you have an applique with a lightly sticky side that you can move around until you have it just right before hitting it with a steam iron that glues it in place ready to stitch.

Sew happy everyone!  This blog took me too long to write because I was trying to identify what I felt were the best links to online resources.  If, however, you are fortunate enough to have an open fabric store that carries these good products near you, then bless them with your purchases there.  Blessings to everyone.  Have a wonderful time in your studios!  Feel free to ask questions. I might know the answer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Importance of Feet

Hi all y’all.  I bet you think this is all about sewing machine feet, and yes, I have something to say about them, but I have been dealing with a sore foot for a couple of weeks.  I normally don’t talk about health things on my blog, but this seems ok to tell you about.  I had a blister on the bottom edge of my foot and it infected and I went to my doctor. This is the second time this year this has happened, the first being when I went to Road to California in January.  Please, you must go to the doctor if you have this happen to you…these things can get bad, really bad, very fast I was told.

This was brought on by a push to lose weight and get in shape.  So I have been on antibiotics and told to stay off my foot until it gets all better for a little over a week now. It is getting all better fairly rapidly.  That’s a relief, but one of the things I have figured out from all of this is that the fabric arts really do normally require a fair amount of standing and walking around!  LOL   I think if this were to go on much longer I would eventually work out how to do everything I need to in a sit down manner, but I figure it won’t be long now and I want to do more on my feet.

I used the time so far in sewing up what was already cut out using my left foot (a challenge to learn to do), doing some computer work I had kind of put off, and organizing what can be done from my three work chairs, limping from one chair to another around my studio in as logical a way as possible.  I get to see the foot doctor on the 13th again so maybe I will get the blessing to do more standing and walking then. I was told I have a “big bony bunion” and probably need to “pay more attention to my shoes” (I’m thinking ugly and expensive shoes, but we’ll see, and no I’m  not interested in surgery at this time).  Anyway, that’s enough of that but I thought you may have wondered where I was lately.

But it kind of reminds me how important it is to use the right foot on your sewing machine. The correct foot can sometimes nearly magically make a huge difference in what you can accomplish, how ell you can do it, and how easy it is to accomplish.  I must say that I have a Bernina foot fetish.  I have a large collection of feet for my Berninas and I love them.  Every now and then I just make something just because it has the opportunity to use some of the fancy feet to do some fun embellishments.  I particularly like to make vests, bags, and mug rugs for this kind of playtime.  But it requires cutting out these items.  I can cut out the mug rugs, but the bags and vests are best to stand to cut them out.

5″ x 5″ fabric greeting card or mug rug

I am planning on making several quilts this year that have extensive thread embellishment just because I think it will be a lot of fun, and coincidentally, use some of those really neat feet I have for my Berninas.

I have been working on another blog all about stabilizers and interfacings, but for some reason it is taking me a lot of time, since I am trying to find links and proper descriptions other than “that lightweight stuff I use to back that fabric”…LOL I hope to finish it for my next blog.

Sew happy everyone!  Go make a fun project that lets you play with your machine’s feet and attachments.  Cheers!