Monday, June 28, 2010

Weighted Blanket by kdzbear

Originally posted on the Dis: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=36821111#post36821111

Supplies needed:
1-2 yards of fleece fabric
Plastic Pellets


1) Determine the child’s weight. Then for example the child weighs 40 pounds, you would need 5 lbs. of plastic pellets. You take 10% of her body weight and add one pound to determine the amount of plastic pellets to use (You might also want to consult your child's doctor to determine the recommended weight)

2.) For a smaller child you will need one yard of fabric and for a larger child you will need 2 yards of fabric.


3) Fold the material in half length wise. Then use a serger to sew up both sides. Leave the top open. The bottom seam will be the fold.
4) Then with regular or sewing chalk make 4 or 5 long vertical rows down the length of the blanket. Then go back and make 4-5" horizontal rows. These will be your pockets.
In a one yard blanket your pockets will be 4”x4” square pockets
In a two yard blanket your pockets will be 7”x5” and more rectangular pockets






5) You will need to purchase plastic pellets from a hobby store such as Hobby Lobby. These can be found in the doll and teddy bear making aisle. They normally come in 2 lb. bags.


6) Sew the vertical lengthwise pockets so you can drop the 1/4 cup of pellets down each pocket before sewing across vertically.
7) I put about 1/4 cups of pellets in each pocket and then pin across vertically. Then you will have to sew vertically across to seal these pockets. I would use heavy thread and back stitch at each start and end of each pocket. I did not do this with Tyler's heaviest blanket and I have had to go back and fix threads that have pulled out. Just keep repeating as you go up each row until you reach the top. Make sure you pin the pellets below where you are sewing as they will break your needles.






8) The 1 yard / 2 lb. blankets never came apart. Then you fill the next columns of pellets across vertically and sew across. You do this until you reach the top.
9) The blanket will get heavy and hard to maneuver around the sewing machine. Once you sew shut the last pocket go ahead and serge the top seam shut too.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Jeanne's (jham)Belt Loop Skirt Tute



Cut out your yoke piece and skirt pieces. Cut out 4 strips of fabric slightly longer than your yoke X 1 ½”

For example if your yoke piece is 5”x30” then cut 4 strips about 5 ½”x 1 ½”.
Fold your belt loops lengthwise and stitch into a tube (1/4” seam allowance). Insert a very thin ribbon inside (I do this before I stitch up the side) and stitch across the top of the loop to secure ribbon. Pull on the loose end of the ribbon to turn the tubes right side out and then cut ribbon off.
Press belt loops.
Press your yoke piece to mark 4 lines for belt loop placement . Baste (1/8”) the top of each belt loop to the top of the yoke at the marking creases you pressed. Baste the bottom of each belt loop to the bottom of the yoke making sure it lines up with the crease. Serge the top edge and press down casing for elastic. Use a fabric marking pen and mark where you want the openings in your belt loops (mark a line across the top of the opening and a line across the bottom). Make sure to take into account your seam allowance for attaching the skirt on the bottom. I make the openings a little wider than whatever ribbon I’m using for the belt and I place them low-ish on the yoke, not centered.Unfold casing and stitch each belt loop from the top edge of the yoke to the line you marked. Turn and stitch across belt loop and stitch back up to the top edge of the yoke. Do the same for the bottom edge. After stitching down all belt loops, leaving only the opening wide enough for your ribbon, stitch up the seam in the yoke and stitch casing for elastic.

Thanks for sharing this tutorial with us Jeanne!

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Tiana Dress from Simply Sweet Pattern by jas0202



http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=35980490&postcount=1011



By Jas0202:
For the Tiana dress, I used the simply sweet pattern with the scrunched elastic straps. I used the yellow fabric for the front bodice and the skirt, and then the matching green for the back bodice. To make the leafy things on the bodice, I laid the green fabric on top of the bodice. I cut the bottom and the arm hole to match the bodice so it could be sewn in together with the bodice pieces. I free-handed the arch of the leaves across the middle so that there would be a little yellow showing through, but that they would partially overlap. I sewed the arch and the top point of the leafy bodice pieces then turned right side out. Then placed them inside the bodice pieces and assembled the bodice as she describes...armholes first, then scrunched straps (while moving the leaf points out of the way), turn right side out, side seams.

For the skirt, I cut the yellow as she describes in the pattern directions. For the leaves, I cut squares of fabric that were one inch shorter than the LENGTH of the skirt. So, my skirt pieces were 9x15, so I made 8x8 squares. I made 12 of them, for a total of six leaves. I made a pattern to round the bottom edges to form the leaf points on each. Sewed the leaves together, turned them right side out, pressed. They were too thick to use basting stitches, so I had to gather it manually to attach to the bodice. Then zig zagged it to set the gathers. Gathered the yellow skirt, attached to the bodice and sewed through all layers.

For the flower, I used THIS tutorial...
http://sewritzytitzy.blogspot.com/2008/11/from-annas-gardenfabric-flower-tutorial.html


Teresa again.
I used this tutorial to sew up the dress the other day, and this is how it turned out:
I only used one layer for the leaves, and serged around them with gold threads. For the petals on the bodice, I sewed the petal edges onto the bodice instead of leaving them loose. When I was done, I sewed the tips of the petals onto the straps, because I was afraid they would flop over. I think if I do it again, I will try to shape the white middle part of the bodice. But, I was pretty happy with the way it turned out anyway, so I'm not sure I will bother!

Thursday, March 11, 2010

How to use PED Basic

Are you running Windows Vista or Windows 7? If you are, you are not suppose to install the CD software on your computer, you need to download it from the Brother site.

Make sure your reader is plugged in and you have a card in the slot.

Can you open up the PED Basic software from your Program Menu (or if it's like mine, it installed a shortcut on my toolbar, I click that)?

If you already have the PES files on your computer and you can open the PED software, click on the little file folder at the top of the window that opens up.

Click on the folder where you have your embroidery designs, click "Ok"

They should now show up on the left side of your screen. If they don't, make sure your files are in PES format and that they are all unzipped.

Once they are showing up, click on the one(s) you want to put on your card, then hit the arrow button in the middle of the screen.

The design will now show up on the right side of the screen.

This will transfer your designs to your card. It will warn you that it will overwrite all existing designs on the card, (like when you erase the pictures from the memory card on your camera). click ok, or continue or whatever it is.

It will tell you to wait a minute, then it will pop up that the transfer is complete.

Take the card out of the reader and put it in your machine.

I only have a Brother 270D, but on my machine, when the card is in and the embroidery unit is on, there is a little symbol that looks kind of like the memory card, I click that and it will show all my designs that are on my card.

Click the one you want to stitch, and you should be good to go.

When you have all the designs on the right side you want, click the arrow thingy on the bottom of the right side of the screen.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Pick-up Pleats

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=3536

I had asked on the Dis if anyone could help me figure out how to do these little pick up pleats. I was answered by FairyGoodmother:

Teresa, I think you're on the right track with the Precious Dress, and of course, Carla's sash. As for the "pick-ups" in the skirt, figure that you'll "pinch" about 1.5" per pickup, so however many rows of pickups you want, multiply that by 1.5 to figure your length. Place your pickups kinda in a pattern, like this:
.....X..........X

X..........X..........X

.....X..........X

As long as you have the same measurement between them, you'll be fine. Does that make sense?

The pickups are just that...you pick up the fabric, pinch it, then hand stitch it to hold in place. Oftentimes they're then covered up with roses, buttons, jewels.


I then asked her if the pleats should be made on the inside of the dress:

no - you pinch it on the outside and stitch it.

You actually COULD do it from the inside but the look is a bit different.
Play with it; see what look you prefer.

Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to try this out on the dress I was making. I plan on trying it someday though! If you've tried it, send me a picture and I'll add it to this post.

Shopping Cart Cover by Adi12982

This was first posted on the Dis by Adi12982
Click on the picture to see the whole thing

What you need:

- Two different fabrics each 1 1/3 yards each (or a total of 2 and 2/3 yards if you want to use the same fabric on both sides)
- 1 1/3 yards of batting (the thicker the fluffier, not necessary, but nice)
- 1" wide elastic, 1 3/4 yards of it
- 1 package of matching double folded bias tape

OPTIONAL - if you want to have your own straps, instead of using the ones on the shopping cart - then:
- 1 yard of seat belt strapping
- 1 plastic locking seat belt connector


Instructions:

- lay your two pieces of fabric, right sides together and the batting and pin.
- stitch around the entire outer edge of the fabric (not the leg/belt holes - just the 4 outside edges of the cover).
I try to use only about a 1/4 - 1/2" seam around the outer edge so that you aren't taking up too much of the fabric. Stitch a solid
seam all the way around the outer edge of the cover and stop stitching about 6" before the starting point so that you end up
with a hole that you will use to turn the cover right side out.
- Turn the cover right side out.Top stitch around the VERY outer edge of the cover leaving the same 6" "hole" the way around to give the cover some added strength and a neat appearance.
- Now, you will stitch another seam around the outer edge, but not on the very edge, this seam will be 2" in from the outer edge of the cover. This seam will be a casing for the elastic around the outer edge. Make this seam 2" in from the outer edge all the way around the cover. You do not need to account for the "hole". (Now, when you look at your fabric, you will see one seam going all the way around the very outer edge, with an 8” section where you left an opening. Then, you will see another seam 2” further in from the first seam. This seam goes all the way around, without an opening. It starts and stops at the same place, without any gap.
7. At this point, you will want to finish your leg and seat belt holes. You can use the seam tape, which makes a nice, clean
appearance or you can use a serger or even a tight zig zag stitch close to the edge of the fabric. Whatever you chose to use is
up to you and depends on the look you want. What I do is mark with a fabric marker where the leg and seat belt holes should go, and then do an initial stitching around where I will be cutting, then I cut just inside - this helps keep it all together a little easier than just pinning (which I used to do).
- after cutting out the holes I then attach the bias tape around the leg hole cuts I made and the ones for the seat belt.
8. Now is time for the elastic. It is the hardest to do using a safety pin (your hands will get tired and it will take a while, but it can be done). What I have been using is one of those cheap curtain rods - I take the plastic cap of the end and push the elastic in a bit and then recap, and push through. If you have real tools for it, have at it. .. just get it through

Whichever way you use, once you have the elastic through
the casing and have both ends of the elastic back at the 8“opening, you will need to stitch the two ends of the elastic together
tightly so that it doesn't come apart. Once that’s done, stitch the 8" hole closed at the top/finish the edge top stitching.

9. Lastly, you need to make the seat belt, if you are making one. Split the seat belt material in half and attach at either side. I've never done this, but have seen that some do.

Double Cart Cover Alternate Instructions: To make the double cart cover, you will do everything exactly as stated in the original pattern, except you will need to make 4 leg holes instead of two and you'll need to make 4 seat belt holes instead of 2. You will need to purchase 2 yards of seat belt strapping, 2 locking clips for the seat belts and extra binding, since one package, most likely, will not cover all 4 leg holes and all 4 seat belt holes. To add the leg holes, you will need to cut one additional leg hole on either side of the original 2 leg holes. Space them 2" apart from the original holes, just as the two original holes are spaced 2" apart. So, you will end up with 9.5" of fabric left from the edge of the outer holes to the edge of the fabric, instead of the 16.5" which is shown in the original pattern. To add the seat belt holes, you will just look at the leg holes as two sets and put one hole above the outer edge of the leg holes of each set. (see the original iagram for placement above the set of leg holes and do this with each of the two sets).

Locking Serger Threads by TinkerbelleMom

Originally posted by TinkerbelleMom on the Dis.

Step one...slide hook under stitches.
______________
Step 2...grab the tail with whatever hook you're using.
_____________________________________________


Step 3...pull tail under stitches and trim as needed.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

New Background

Seriously, how cute is this background?? I found it at Shabby Blogs
I saw it and loved it, then I saw that it was called "Lydia's Apron" so I knew it was the one for me! LOL!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

A few things

I have a few things I'm going to need to put on here in the next few days. I got lazy and only put them in the bookmarks. I'll try to get them added here when I have a minute!