ASG February Challenge - Jar Opener

 

      Debbie's challenge for the month of February was to use gripper fabric/shelf liner to make a jar opener.  After showing us how to do it the then gave us a square of the gripper stuff and some directions.

     This was a quick project to do with some fabric from my stash.  I added the ribbon from my stash also.

     I used a star stitch on my machine to hold the layers together.  I learned how to use the single stitch feature on my new machine.  Fast and fun project.

ASG March Demo - Easter Egg

 

Front of Peep Easter Egg

      At out March ASG meeting, Ellen demo'd an Easter egg ornament she had made.  She talked about how she started with sewing a pattern, but felt the curves weren't smooth enough.  She then used her software and digitized the ornament.  First you hoop a tearaway stabilizer, stitch the first outline, place the front fabric, stitch it down, do the bunny appliqué design, Then place a ribbon at the top with the loop facing in, add the two folded back pieces and stitch one more time around.  Remove from the hoop, tearaway the stabilizer, trim close to the edges (I used my pinking shears) and turn right side out through the overlapped back pieces.  Give it a press and you are done.  I added a piece on the back before the final outline stitch as I wanted to have a pretty inside.  Thanks Ellen for the demo and design.

Back

 

Tierras Woven Joggers

 

Finished joggers

     Here is another of my items that I sewed from my ASG Conference trip in July 2024.  The pattern is from Itch to Stitch, The Tierras Woven Joggers.  I knew from sewing other pants patterns that I would need to lower the front crotch because of my swayback.  Because the description called it a low rise waist, I added 1 inch to the back crotch length instead of subtracting from the front.  When I tried them on, the waist was nice and even all around but still a little too low of a rise for me.  Next time I will add 1-2 inches all around so it sits more at my natural waist.

At the store

     At the store I made sure to snap a photo of the pattern with the fabric so I would remember when I finally got around to sewing it.  The fabric was from Stonemountain and Daughter Fabrics in Berkley, CA.  It is a yarn dyed linen/cotton blend - nautical color.  I was able to find a matching drawstring on Amazon.  The lining for the pockets came from my stash.  

Slash pocket detail

Elastic hem

     I like the slash pockets in front.  I opted for the elastic hems.  I finished these in October and I am just waiting for the weather to warm up so I can wear them.  The construction was pretty straight forward and her directions are excellent.

Pattern

Hiking Sweatshirts

 

Hiking sweatshirt

     I saw this cute saying on a t-shirt and thought I would do sweatshirts for the four oldest grandkids.  We take them on hikes/walks in the fall.  There is a program in Lake County called Hike Lake County in the fall.  The Lake Count Forest Preserves marks different hikes in the various forest preserves.  You can earn a zipper pull if you do a certain number of them.  We have been taking them on these hikes since they were babies.  Their favorite part is the snacking.  Whenever they spot a bench it is either a water break or a snack break.  I thought this saying was perfect for them.

     The tree is a design is from Designs by JuJu.  I added the words with MasterWorks.

Magnetic hoop

Tear away taped

     I ironed on a stabilizer to the inside of the sweatshirt.  I also added a double layer of tear away stabilizer under the tree part as it is quite dense.  Even with that, the tree design wants to pucker.  I used my magnetic hoop for the embroidery, no hoop marks on the sweatshirt.  I just taped the tear away to the hoop.

Finished sweatshirt

     I am pretty happy with them, even with the cupping/puckering.  The bad news is that the two oldest grandkids grew quite a bit in the time from when I bought the sweatshirts and to when I finally finished them.  I bought two new bigger sweatshirts and will embroider them.  I might try taking the tree into my software and seeing if I can reduce the density.  

Klimaka Pillow

Finished pillow

      When I was at the Custom Workroom Conference (CWC) last fall, Jeanelle Dech from Adaptive Textiles was there.  At the end of the vendor day, she gave away the samples she had brought.  I took two that coordinated and then made a pillow out of them.

Getting started

     The samples were from her Klimaka Studios line.  As a workroom you have access to engineered designs.  For example if I wanted to make two 18" pillows with covered cord, I could choose the design, colorway and fabric substrate and I could get it all printed on one piece of fabric.  I would then just cut on the lines and sew it up.  Almost no fabric waste involved.

Serged pieces with dog ears removed

Going around the corner

      I cut the pieces for the front and back using my pillow template to prevent dog ears. I cut lining fabric the same and serged the pieces together.  When applying the trim to the front piece, I cut the stitches holding the loops together (on the inside edge) so I could get a smooth corner.

Back piece

     I placed a zipper in the back piece.  My go to standard is to place one about a half inch above the bottom seam.  For the most part when the pillow is on the furniture you can't see it even when the back is facing forward.

Back

Back corner detail

     After I sewed the front and back together, I then removed the chain stitch holding the loops together at the outer edge.  I fluffed it up and it filled in the corners nicely.

Pulling the chain stitch

Corner detail