Leah – Page 140 – No Idle hands here

Threading the needle

Once upon a time, when I was young, I could thread any needle, read small print and bead with tiny beads.

Those days alas are in my past. Now it’s reading glasses and any kind of tool I can find to – thread the needle.I think we are all familiar with this fellow, our Roman Guy. This simple tool is ubiquitous in all of our sewing baskets. Yes it works, but you still need pretty sharp eyes to get the wire diamond through the eye of the needle. The smaller the needle, the harder it is and if your needle is tiny the wire won’t go through. This is the simplest of it’s type, google and you will find all kind of iterations of this type.

Next up, the Clover Needle Threader. these come in two sizes, one for fine needles and one for larger ones. I bought the fine needle threader. Simple operation, put the needle in the slot, drape the thread and push the lever a few times. Then gingerly, remove the needle and hope the loop of thread comes with it. Pull the loop until one end remains. Then cut with the handy cutter.

I’ve been happy with this contraption until a quilting friend introduced me to this guy.The Bohin Needle threader. Bohin is a French company that specializes in superior tools for the home sewer and quilter.

As you can see, one tool that will thread two sizes of needles. My grandson was my handy little helper. (only way to get these photos is to have him be my assistant). As he depresses the brown button, a small lever pushes the thread through the eye of the needle, similar to how the purple one works.Keep on pushing and a loop of thread appears.Ok, I helped things along, the loop is big now. At this point, you pull on the loop until one end emerges. Now, when you remove the needle, it is completely threaded!This threader also has the handy cutter, which means this can easily go through airport security and one can get some hand work done on a plane.There is a magnet on the bottom, so when you lose your needle, and who hasn’t, just wave it over the table or floor and let the magnet find the missing needle.

I’m a big believer in having the right tool for the job.

Leah

Getting addicted to EPP

After making two small bags using the English Paper piecing method, I wanted to do more. So I decided to start a much larger project – a quilt. I am punching card stock with my handy Fiskers hexagon punch. This gives me 1″ hexies. I found this pen in the paper craft section. I put a dab of glue on the hexie affix about four or five at a time to fabric. Then I do a rough cut out and baste around.

We leave on vacation, of course I will be taking my knitting, but EPP is also a wonderful project for the road. I am very prepared.This box is stuffed full, I haven’t stopped making hexies though – have I mentioned how addictive this is?

My work table is messy, it’s how I work. I had to start the actual quilt, no grandmothers flower garden. I’m hoping to have areas of color merge into one another. There really is no overarching plan.I have no idea how big this will be, this is an open ended project. I fear that with all my fabrics it will be quite large.I have been removing the paper once the hexie is surrounded. Main reason for this is because I will be traveling with this. Paper adds bulk and weight – something I can do without.

This will be a project you will see often as it grows.

Leah

Another striped dress

Using the second piece of knit fabric from Michael Levine’s loft I made another summer dress. This time using a pattern that can only be made with a knit. I’ve seen all kinds of versions of this around town and wanted in on the fun.The pattern called for using just one knit. Having discovered knit lining, I used it instead. I need to go get a lot more of this simply fabric – I find it makes sewing with knits so much more professional. Here I’m laying out the sections.My only issue here is that the top tier isn’t very different from the one bellow it. Sure on the pattern they used different colors of stripes. Oh well, I think this is something only I notice.This dress is all about the negative easy, it really hugs the body. Another reason I’m glad I used the lining fabric.From the back the fact that the top two tiers are so similar is even more obvious. Oh well, I never see my back.The tiers were sewn on with a straight stitch. The dress itself was pretty much assembled on my serger. There was a moment when I considered getting the fancy serger that can also function as a cover stitch machine, but I think I can live without that.Bound the neckline and armhole with the fabric itself, then cut close to the stitch line, this fabric won’t unravel. I like how neat and clean the dress looks inside and out.

I have really expanded my collection of knit dresses this summer. Best thing, either the fabric was free or less than $5 a dress. I don’t sew in order to save money, but when it happens, I’m thrilled.

Leah

Knitting with linen II

The shawl is growing and I still love working with linen.Of course the first section goes quickly, when you start with a 12 st. row the subsequent rows are short. By now the rows are getting longer and take more time.

This is what lace looks like before it’s blocked. I am very interested to see what effect blocking has on linen, since Linen has no bounce back. I am still loving the knitting. I had a mishap, a needle got pulled out and there were loose live stitches. I can hear someone yelling: life lines! I hate life lines, they never work for me, too much effort to put them in. Anyway, because it is a stiff fiber, the dropped stitches didn’t run and it was very easy to put them back on the needle. Usually when that happens I end up picking up a stray stitch was I knit the next row. Not this time.

I really appreciate my charts in Knit Companion, it has made the knitting much easier.You can see that linen doesn’t give the smooth stitch definition that wool does, waiting to see what the blocking does.

Also, one of my handmade stitch markers. These have a way of disappearing quickly – so I am always making more. Basic wire and beads.

Leah

Comfy Knit Maxi

I don’t know why I don’t have more maxi dresses. They really are very comfortable for our hot summers. If made out of knit fabric, all the more so. Of course I set out to remedy the situation.

On a recent trip to the garment district I picked up two knits for $6 at Michael Levine’s Loft. I recently learned a new sewing term Frankenpattern. Aleah, came up with the name. I met her at the sewist meeting in LA and it was from her stash that I snagged the Jay McCarroll knit print I used recently.

Going through my vast pattern collection I decided to use this as a basis for my dress.This has been in my stash for a while, so can I consider this free?Version B is what really caught my eye. This pattern is designed for woven fabrics. That is the beauty of Frankenpattern, at some point one gets good enough at sewing that mixing and matching pattern pieces. Or adapting a pattern from woven to knit is an easy thing to do.I cut the bodice a size smaller. I didn’t want to deal with pleats, so used gathers instead. No, the placement of the gathers isn’t perfect. This is just an easy knock around dress – perfection is not called for.

This isn’t a symmetrical fabric, so I felt this placement of the stripes on the center triangle was most pleasing. I also am happy with symmetry of the diagonal pieces. One thing I have been doing lately is lining the bodice with a thin cotton knit fabric. This gives clean edges to the armholes and neckline as well as giving a little more structure to the bodice.Light and airy from the back as well.

A very successful dress from $3 worth of fabric, an old pattern and a few hours to cut and sew.

Leah

Westley’s quilt is finished!

Quilted, washed, bound and photographed. All it’s needs is a label with my name and his birthdate. Won’t know that till October.I glue bind my quilts these days. Notice how sharp the corner is.

For a while I using the sewing machine for the whole binding process. I discovered that there were always section that didn’t get caught in the stitching so I had to go back and fix them manually. I’m back to simply hand sewing the binding on the reverse side of the quilt.

Clean and square corner.

This ended up being larger than a crib quilt but smaller than a twin. I’m hoping this really gets used, put on the floor, whatever – as long as it’s not put away as an heirloom.This was not a quilt to do fancy quilting on. Both sides have very busy fabric and you really can’t see the quilting pattern.Looks very nice on the backdrop of the newly stained fence. Yes, I took time out from fiber-crafts to stain the fence. Since I did it myself and saved money on paying someone else to do it, I feel I can reward myself with more fabric.

Next quilt is going to be for me!

Leah

Almost done

Back of the quilt. This big bold seafaring fabric couldn’t just be cut up. A few ropes and anchors to make it large enough.

I don’t know why I was bending down on the floor to baste a quilt. I know why I never wanted to do so on my good tables, but DUH! I do have some of those folding plastic ones readily available in the garage.I put two side by side, pulled out a cheap plastic tablecloth. Even on these tables I’d rather not deal with spray glue residue. The top, back and batting have all been pre washed. I like a soft quilt but I also don’t want my quilting to disappear into crinkly-ness.It takes time to get the layers flat, without creases. This is so much easier done standing up.I used the broomstick to roll the quilt up and slowly unroll and and spray with the glue. I must have seen this somewhere on the web. It helps keep everything in place.

Once it was glued together I then ironed the quilt, this secures the glue as well as getting rid of any pleats or folds.Before and after marking and quilting. I got smart and did a test quilt. I marked the quilt with a Bohin Chalk marker. On the right I added some dark slashes and then washed the sample – thank God the marks did come out, now on to the actual quilt.This is not the quilt to try out any fancy quilt patterns. On the compass and the border, I simply stitched in the ditch around the triangle shapes.Waves in the background.Quilting done! Now to bind and wash.

Leah

Another Los Angeles treasure, The William Andrews Clark Memorial Library

I keep on saying how much I love Los Angeles. Today was another example of why.View of the back. I didn’t bring my good camera and I forgot to take a picture of the front facade. One of the biggest rewards of volunteering is the interesting opportunities that come my way. A fellow LA conservancy docent had booked a visit here and since there was room, a group of us joined in the tour.I really need to spend more time exploring the neighborhood of West Adams. This is one of the first exclusive residential areas outside of downtown. Adams Blvd. was lined with incredible mansions. The library was built by William Clark Junior in honor of his father. His Craftsman mansion sat on what is now a parking lot. Here you can find a brief history of the family, there is so much more, it would fill a few books. The library is not very large, although the reading rooms and book storage are in the basement. When building the library William Clark Junior bequeathed it to the new Public University that would become UCLA. Although practically next door to USC, it is run and managed by UCLA. The interior is gorgeous! This is the ceiling in the entrance.Here we are in the great parlor, this was used in the past for performances and lectures. In the summer it is set up as a sitting room, during the year the furniture comes out, the rug is covered and it is used as a lecture hall.More ceiling Detail of the carved wood in the ceiling, no-one does this kind of workmanship any more.Looking out the windows at this expansive garden, right in the middle of the city. Chamber music and plays are performed here in the summer.This room looks like what a gentlemen’s library does in the movies. Aside from the books, I found the ceilings to be fascinating.A 17th c. globe with the island of California. This is probably accurate to how CA was viewed. Later of course explorers realized that Baja CA was a peninsula and the the north was firmly connected to North America. For many years map makers would still portray it as an island.The books on display are pieces of art, many miniatures such as this one. The slips of paper are the cataloging system, they do not want to mar the books by putting any kind of stickers on them. The opulent portion of the library can only be viewed by appointment or by coming to an event here.The reading room entrance is on the side of the building and down stairs. Btw, unlike other research libraries, all one needs to do here is make an appointment and show ID. No need for recommendations from a University or research center. So if you are interested in 17-18c British literature as well as the works of Oscar Wilde. Come on down.Setting up for a performance of Oscar Wilde’s Lady Windermere’s Fan, performed by Chalk Repertory Theatre, which will take place over the next two weekends. We saw the theater group getting organized and rehearsing.This wonderful folly is next to the library, literally abutting busy Adams Blvd. All you see from the street is a large brick wall.I call this a folly, because it is a very classic space but we just couldn’t figure out what it would be used for. Finally, the Ficus Tree.One of the oldest largest Ficus trees in southern CA. It was probably planted in the mid 19th Century. The deed of the library states that no building can be built within 100 feet. The brick building in the background are that far away. Most of the library is therefore under this expanse of lawn.As impressive and as old as the library. The trunk of the ficus as well as the canopy are a sight to behold. Parking was very easy, maybe during the school year it is busier. But even if you can’t get a tour inside, I highly recommend paying a visit to The William Andrews Clark memorial Library at 2024 Cimarron st. Los Angeles. I will probably head back with my good camera, since there are so many wonderful old houses in the area, it is a neighborhood worth exploring.

Once again proof that there is so much more to LA than just freeways and strip malls.

Leah

Knitting with Linen

My favorite fiber to knit with is wool – good old fashioned Merino sheep wool. Fibers from other animals such as Alpaca or combinations of wool and other animal fibers are also fine. From the plant world, hands down my favorite is linen. The oldest of plant fibers known in the Western Hemisphere. Sure cotton was being used in the Americas, but didn’t arrive in the west until the Europeans brought it back. I love to sew with cotton, but not to knit with it, unless it is combined with wool or a very good acrylic. Cotton is heavy! It weighs a lot. When woven into fabric, the weight is negligible, not so when knitting. After the garment is finished – the weight just drags it down and out of shape.Linen, unlike wool has no memory, no bounce back at all. So I have to be careful how I use it. It too will stretch out and not bounce back. Unlike cotton, it is very very light and cool. Although the fibers are rougher I find knitting with linen, even when stiff – to be very southing in my hands. I discovered how wonderful it is for shawls and the most simple of sweaters. Unfortunately – linen is expensive and the colors tend to be on the washed out side. Enter Etsy. A while ago I ordered some lace weight linen – it’s literally thread, it’s still sitting in my stash. This marvelous blue arrived from Russia. No, not cheaper than Louet linen yarn but the color!This is the second shawl I am knitting out of New Vintage Lace, (Third actually, I started and frogged another shawl, but that is a different story).This is also the time to recommend Knit Companion. At the moment this wonderful this wonderful program for advanced pattern management is only available in Apple formats – they are working to bring it to Android as well. The best thing is the charts – being able to combine charts and also zoom in and mark it up as much as you want! I had a slight problem when I was setting up, the Knit Companion group on Ravelry came to the rescue. It was a silly mistake on my part but having someone to correct me within minutes is invaluable.

This project is growing quickly, of course as each row gets longer, it will slow down. I am enjoying this so much, I will have more progress to share with you soon.

Leah