Over the Kitchen Counter: Angie's Place for Cooking and Crafts

Cute Mug Rug

I made a quick mug rug following this tutorial from Beverly's. It's a simple quilt-as-you-go project that can use up your scraps or feature a special patch of fabric. I printed a logo onto a sheet of Printed Treasures fabric for the largest square and used a book-themed fabric line for the remainder. I fussy cut the prints so I could have some text as well as images. It turned out so cute!

Beverly also shares some fun printable messages that can also be used within the design. I added one to my backing fabric as a label. Another, customizable idea would be to print a photo for a personalized gift - there are so many possibilities. I'm definitely making more of these cute mug rugs and next time I'm going to add the optional pocket for a tea bag or treat.

Vintage Singer Blind Stitch Attachment

I am so excited to have found this vintage Singer Blind Stitch Attachment. It came complete in the box with the instruction booklet and original bill of sale from 1963. It works perfectly and again, is such a wonderful example of Singer ingenuity. To be able to achieve alternate stitches and functions on a straight-stitch only machine is pretty incredible.

The specialty foot is quickly attached to the presser bar with a screw after removing the regular foot. There is an adjustable guide to rest the fold of a blind hem against to achieve various 'bite widths' and the foot moves the fabric every 12 stitches to allow for them. I don't really do any hemming on clothing (and I only tested the foot on a small sample fabric strip which I probably folded incorrectly) but I'm sure there are situations when I might want to use an invisible hem stitch. I will have to practice folding the fabric better since that always confuses me a bit. No matter what, the box looks great in my cabinet and is an excellent new addition to my Singer attachments collection.

You can watch my brief video to see the blind stitch attachment in action on my Featherweight 221...

 

English Paper Piecing with English Needles

Here is another cute, antique, promotional needle holder. This time the souvenir 'needle card' is from Stratford-on-Avon and the home of William Shakespeare. I picked up this selection of vintage needles because they were made in England from Sheffield steel and the little card is so sweet. I love the interior sleeves holding the selection of various hand needles and the explanations of each variety.

I debated whether or not to actually use the needles for my English paper piecing but couldn't resist trying one. My usual needle is totally bent from stitching (are they more flimsy and weak now?) but when I tried a couple of these antique ones, there is no way they will bend! The first one I selected had two little circles of rust (?) where it sat in the foil and I could feel the resistance each time it reached that point as I sewed. I switched to one from the other side and while it glided through the fabric, the eye was larger and I had to push harder. I'm going to try each one until I find a suitable fit for my hand-piecing.

Regardless, I find these little books and tubes (see HERE) of needles absolutely charming and nostalgic and it just feels cool to be using vintage needles for hand-sewing. The EPP hexi work is so addictive I have barely come downstairs to my workshop... the improv quilt sits under the needle half quilted and the secret project I've been working on for my daughter has stalled. Ooops!

Clover Hot Hemmer

I tried out the Clover Hot Hemmer to press the edges of my quilt label to the back and it worked very well, providing a crisp, even finish. Usually I just eyeball my hems since the labels are so small but I always end up with them being crooked! This handy gadget took care of that problem and it was much easier to press this way rather than trying to fold by eye and hold the hems with my fingers.

The Hot Hemmer is made of heat resistant nylon material so you can measure a seam along its ruler guide and then press the hot iron right onto both the fabric and the tool.  It has a soft, felt-y feel to it which seems like it would melt but (obviously!) it worked perfectly with the heat (and I used steam), with no curling or negative effects on the hemmer.

The ruler is really thin and has a non-slip surface so the hem stays put, is accurate and consistent. You can also use it to measure your seams and it works for round or mitered corners as well (which, after watching the quick video below, I think would be super helpful!), with steam or without. The Hot Hemmer is made in Japan by Clover and labelled 'Press Perfect by Joan Hawley'. I bought this specifically for my labels so it's just the right size for my needs. I don't do any garment sewing so I'm not sure if it would be too small for that purpose (long hems?) but for corners, it's great!

Here's that quick video from Clover showing you how the Hot Hemmer works...

Hexi Design Board & Progress

I have been under the weather since the family gathering at Easter where a couple people were sick and passed it on to me. While it's a drag having a cold it means I've been taking things easier, catching up on Outlander, and working away on my English paper piecing.

My technique has become streamlined and routine and my stitches are 100% better looking already. I have got into a groove and am able to position the hexies to minimize travel stitching, have fewer tangles, and better, more evenly spaced 16th-of-an-inch whipstitches. It's a whole lot less frustrating! My quota is one rosette a day and I work through the colours of the rainbow in order. I'm randomly selecting the fabric and so far, no duplicates. Ok, I've only done two of each colour but it feels very productive and I am starting to see results. Once I have the 7 flowers complete I remove the centre paper template and store the finished hexagon unit in a craft tote. They look so pretty!

When I sit down to sew, the first step is arranging the 'petals'. I was alternating light and dark fabrics and then taking a photo in case I got mixed up, interrupted, knocked over or bumped my arrangement. Once I was sick in bed where things are tippy and easily shifted I decided to create a mini design board just for my hexies. I used a double layer of cardboard (a little thicker than a cereal box) and glued on some batting. I taped it on the back and then used a piece of tacky shelf liner to reduce any slipping or shifting.

I made it 8"x8" - just the right size for a completed flower. It works so well and I can even stand the board up vertically without the hexies falling off. It takes me the day to stitch the 7 together because I squeeze in a seam or two here and there when I sit down. I'm always getting up, getting interrupted, and taking breaks to rest my hands so being able to keep the remaining shapes in order is a must. Necessity is the mother of invention, right!?

  

I'm loving my custom wee design board, my Ott light magnifier, my Aurifil thread (both the 50 wt and 80 wt - I keep the small sets in my kit to have all the colours ready!) and I'm totally smitten with English paper piecing! There truly is something great about having a portable project to chip away at and keep busy and that is something I never thought I would say. Now it feels like I'm wasting good sewing time if I'm not stitchin' when I'm sittin' and I look forward to quiet times or waiting times (or play-off games!) so I can work on another hexie flower! 

Aurifil 80wt Cotton Thread

I'm a bit late to the English Paper Piecing game but now that I'm playing, I love it. There is often a lot of trial and error with a new technique and since I'm always interested in learning and experimenting, I'm open to trying new and different ways of doing things. I happened to see a tweet shared by Aurifil from a quilter who raved about using their new 80wt cotton thread for her hand-pieced hexies. In her blog post (which I'm sorry I can't find again) she wrote how the Aurifil 80wt absolutely disappeared into the fabric, was thin but strong, and a dream to stitch with. As I work to perfect my whipstitch I need as much help as I can get to hide those stitches so I knew this was the thread I needed to try a.s.a.p.!

If you've read my previous posts about my Aurifil devotion (and collection!), you'll know that I adore this gorgeous thread made in Italy. It is worth my money to use a cotton thread of the highest quality in my quilting projects. As soon as I first tried Aurifil I knew I could never go back to any other brand. The way the thread works with my machines (strong, doesn't break, no snarls, no shredding, little lint), makes my piecing so much more accurate (this was a big one!), looks amazing when I quilt, and feels luxurious, not to mention all the delicious colours and weights available, - these are the reasons I immediately fell in love with Aurifil thread. My go-to choice is the cotton 50wt because it is excellent for both hand and machine piecing and I have great success pairing it with all my machines. I love it for quilting because my stitches look beautiful. It's also what I used for my first few English paper pieced flowers with terrific results but I definitely wanted to give the 80wt a try.

You can read all the details about the new 80wt thread (and see all the colours available) HERE at Aurifil. Like the 50wt, it can also be used by hand and machine for appliqué, English paper piecing, machine quilting and embroidery. It comes on wonderfully charming wooden spools (300 yards) and is available in 88 colours. With my early hexies I quickly realized that matching thread is a must to help camouflage the whipstitch so having an array of thread shades to choose from is ideal.

As soon as I got my hands on some 80wt I couldn't wait to start stitching. It certainly is fine thread and it truly does melt into the fabric. I don't  have a lot of experience yet with EPP but to me, my stitches were virtually invisible. I will admit that on my very first stitch the thread broke and I was worried that it wouldn't stand up to the English paper piecing because I was using card stock templates, but I guess I just pulled that first whipstitch too aggressively in my excitement because after that, no problems at all. I used a gentler hand (and my Ott magnifier!) and had no further breakage.

I'm excited to grow my 80wt Aurifil collection and will pick up another stand (the next time they are on sale!) to co-ordinate with my 50wt display. As I continue with my English paper piecing (and I'm sure I will), I'll want to make sure I have matching thread to complete any future project. If you are a thread obsessed quilter like I am you'll want to give the 80wt a try. I'm looking forward to playing with it on my sewing machines as well to see how it looks and performs. I think there could be some fun design choices with free motion quilting using such fine thread. I'll have to experiment and let you know how it goes in a future post!

Vintage Sewing Finds

I have two things on my wish list and this weekend I knocked one of them off! My sister and I went to some antique places and I had her on the lookout for a tan Featherweight (a pipe dream) and a small, oval Singer oil can. This particular can is a wee version of the taller oval can and is perfectly sized to fit into a Featherweight black case. There is a bracket at the bottom of the case that holds the can in place. As far as I'm concerned, they are rare. I have been looking for two years so when my eagle eyed sister spotted one in a cabinet at our last stop, as I was checking out (!), I think she was just as excited as I was to fulfill my search!

The tiny can is adorable and fits perfectly into its original home. Because there is still oil in it and the spout is a bit wobbly, I am going to store it in my glass cabinet to showcase this piece of Singer history.

I also picked up two other small, vintage sewing treasures. The first is a leather travel sewing kit. It's definitely older, maybe the 50s(?) and I'm guessing it was made in Germany because there is a small packet of needles with a German wrapper and GERMANY is printed on the needle threader. It has cute metal accessories including a tape measure, thimble, and needle case. I just loved the green case, the little pin cushion built into the lining, and the pockets holding thread. There are a couple other tools (a pointy thing/stiletto(?) and a crochet hook) and a loop obviously meant to hold a small pair of scissors. It's odd there is no identifying label or stamp from the manufacturer so it's impossible for me to find out any more information about this charming kit.

Finally, I hummed and hawed for quite a while but in the end couldn't resist this advertising tin of vintage needles. The case is a pretty crimson tortoise-shell looking cylinder housing 100 sewing needles of various sizes. By spinning the arrow on the cap one can select the desired size and tip out a single needle through the hole. The company Kirby Beard & Co. is a very old manufacturer from England known for its pins and needles. Having just been to London last summer I thought this was such a sweet pin dispenser to add to my sewing collection and could double as a souvenir from our trip. The fact that it still has needles in it was a big bonus factor since I know that they really don't 'make 'em like they used to'. Of course I can't verify the needles' authenticity but they seem stronger and more substantial than the hand needles of today. That is the case with vintage sewing machine needles and I'm pretty confident these are indeed original. Nonetheless, I'm happy I picked it up and it's such a clever way to dispense needles. I plan on actually using it (and the contents) so that's kind of fun too!

Vintage Singer Automatic Zigzagger Attachment

When I first started sewing on vintage machines I really enjoyed playing with all the extra specialty feet to see what they could do. Considering that the early machines were straight-stitch only it's pretty amazing what swapping out a foot could offer for changing up the way that plain stitch looked and functioned. I also tried out the old Singer automatic buttonholer and even received a fancy pinking attachment for Christmas. Both were incredibly well engineered and the buttonhole maker is still considered by many as the gold standard in buttonhole formation.

One item I had yet to try was the Singer Automatic Zigzagger. I don't know why I overlooked experimenting with this rather significant accessory since it came with one of my machines and has been sitting in my cabinet ever since. In fact, I realized I actually have two of them: one for the straight needle machines and one for the slant machines, each in excellent condition complete with original box, stitch pattern cams, and instruction booklet. I finally took a breath and took a look at what this attachment could do and boy, was I impressed!

It was super simple to put the zigzagger on the machine (I brought out my Featherweight 221 for the test run) by just removing the presser foot and screwing it on in its place. I did give it a good oiling and lubrication first and other than a bit of rust on the top of the foot, it is in excellent shape. I started with the standard zigzag pattern cam. The zigzagger comes with 4 different designs: the zigzag, the blind stitch pattern (a scallop shape), the domino stitch pattern, and the arrowhead stitch pattern. The cams are made of solid metal and are quite ingenious. The back cover of the attachment pops open and the cams are dropped into place. There is an arrow indicating where to position it in order to start at the beginning of the design. Other decorative cams could be purchased separately.

The zigzag worked pretty well and the arrowhead is beautiful. The domino pattern seemed 'tight' and made ridges between the stitches so I'm not sure why that happens. The blind stitch is very sweet and can really be changed by adjusting the width of the 'bight' (there is a setting for narrow, medium, or wide) and stitch length. I don't sew clothing but I'm definitely going to keep these fun stitches in mind for future projects (pillows, quilt labels, etc.).

Here is a quick video showing the attachment in action on my machine and a rather amusing early ad for the zigzagger - it was only "$14.95"! (skip ahead to the 1:00 minute mark)...

 

 

Know Your Machine

I'm so excited because I'm attending a 'know your machine' class for my Bernina. Although I'm really familiar with all the features and have been sewing away happily on this beautiful sewing machine, I'm always up for free classes and the reading material that comes with it. I'm certainly open to learning new things, tips, tricks and instructors always have something to add to one's knowledge!

I am a quilter and don't really do much utility stitching. I think the class goes through topics like buttonholes and various feet that I wouldn't usually use so I could definitely use some coaching in those departments. Apparently there is a binder given with resource material that I can reference in the future. I figure if I didn't attend the class I would be missing out on a valuable part of the purchase price - and it should be fun! I will meet other Bernina users and enjoy a few hours out (the classes are 4 hours long and there are two). The times happened to work out perfectly with my schedule too, which is jam packed and crazy for the next 5 weeks!

 

Feeling Retro with Mom, Kenmore & Singer Sewing for the Home

After my mum passed away it was a given that I should have her sewing machine. It is a plastic Kenmore that is neither modern nor vintage. To be honest, I have no idea when she bought it and I can't exactly say I've witnessed my mom sewing...anything...ever. She would always hem my Jordaches back in the 80s but I'm pretty sure she hand sewed them. Poor mom! Now that I have an idea of what that job entails I never appreciated the effort she must have put forth. She always said she needed a sewing machine so she could make curtains but it never actually happened. :)

I had a go at cleaning up the machine (there was soil in it since it resided under a planter) and I did the best I could to oil it where possible. It sews well enough and I went through all the stitches. The only problem is it sounds like you are sewing through rocks and there is quite a grinding roar; not the quietest or most powerful machine out there I'm sure!

Still...it does work and is a great basic machine for my daughter to play around with. I don't have to worry about it and it gets the job done. There was no manual included (nor accessories other than one extra bobbin) but it's very simple to figure out. My daughter doesn't have the patience or attention span for fussing and reading instructions...we are very different!

I recently picked up this Singer Sewing for the Home book which seems to be from about the same era. There are some super projects in it and some of the techniques are always going to be applicable somewhere. It is perfect for when I'm trying to figure out some home dec stuff like ruffles and there are some very pretty placemats included. Hey, it was only $1.50 and the photo instructions are great! Too bad I hadn't found it sooner; half the book is filled with window treatments, from curtains to shades to valences to pleated draperies! Mom could've decorated every room! I doubt I will be creating anything fancy on the Kenmore but I have plenty of other great machines.  I'll keep mom's as a wonderful reminder not to store my sewing machine under a plant...